I wanted to like this book, I really did. The FMC is a strong and independent recluse. Perfect. On a whim she lets a pouty, opportunistic man child into her home and she flip flops on her decision to get him to leave, um no.

The banter between the FMC and MMC was ok. It seemed like everything of their relationship was rushed (for me at least). It could have been so much better.

I pushed through this book thinking “it's a fantasy book, it always gets better”. Unfortunately, that just did not happen for me with this one. I really wanted to like it because it sounded like something I would usually enjoy but it just wasn’t for me. It could just be me though, I don’t always connect well with books written in third POV. I felt the main characters lacked chemistry and the plot just fell flat for me. That being said, if the POV doesn’t affect your experience, this could still be enjoyable for you.

Oneira is a powerful oneiromancer who has exiled herself to solitude after no longer wanting to be a weapon in someone else's war. But after years of a solitary life, Oneira grows bored with her routine and risks her life by stepping into the dreams to visit the library of her enemy, Stearanos.

What was supposed to be a one time thing soon turns into a game, with the pair exchanging letters without knowing each other’s true identities. Oneira knows it's dangerous to play games with her enemy, but she's never felt more alive.

I was really not expecting to like this. I'm not a big fan of romantasy or fantasy romance or whatever you want to call it, and I especially don't care for it when it's M/F, but I loved this! I loved having two main characters who were fully middle aged adults making adult(but not always good) decisions. I loved the mixture of rigid and vague magic. And I adored the magical animal companions. This also made me laugh out loud. I can imagine some people won't like the ending, but I really enjoy open-ended endings.

*S0me spoilers*

I'm really torn about this book. In one sense, I really loved it. It started off slow, but the promise of a forbidden romance with secret correspondence kept me intrigued. I was ready for the first meeting between Oneira and Stearanos, and when the romance started playing out, I was so giddy. The world building and magic system was unique and intriguing. I'm not sure I've read any story quite like this.

In the other sense, I was really disappointed. With this book being told in the third person, I feel like a lot of the emotions were lacking or maybe I just didn't feel things as deeply as I could have. Some things were super zoomed in on (for no reason) and important scenes were so zoomed out, the relevancy of the moments were reduced to basically nothing. Heading into spoiler area, I almost DNF'd halfway through when Tristan was introduced. I understand his importance (I'm being generous with that), but he was whiny, ridiculous, and completely transparent about having an ulterior motive, that I was screaming at Oneira when she willfully ignored it all. (I know she was lonely and starved for attention, but she's supposed to be powerful and smart!! Where was this woman?!) The hookup scene between Oneira and Tristan was so painful to read and kind of drawn out.

When Oneira and Stearanos finally got together for real, it was very anticlimactic. I didn't even realize they had $ex because the POV was so zoomed out. For so much attention being paid to Tristan (a casual hookup), I would have expected the same or better treatment for Oneira's great love. It just seemed so glossed over and left me with a feeling of whatever.

And that ending!! I have searched the internet over trying to figure out if this is a standalone or a duology. Even with my gripes about the book, I would read the next book because there are things I really like. But if this is a standalone, I am mentally flipping tables. Just no.

As another aside, I listened to this as an audiobook. I really enjoyed the male narrator because I've heard him in other books. I had a slight problem with the female narrator though. Her voice seemed very robotic? It took me a long time to get used to it and I personally did not enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for a chance to listen to this ALC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

DNF at 10%

I wanted to like this but I think that cozy fantasy is not for me. The whole first 10% was just the MC gardening, collecting random magical creatures that show up at her house and reading books....

I cannot stop thinking about this book! It was a refreshing change of pace from all the other fantasy romance out there right now. Never the Roses is well written, thought provoking, and deeply moving. Chloe Campbell and Shane East's performances really brought these characters and their struggles to life. I highly recommend listening to it if you have a chance. The magic was unique and I haven't been able to stop telling people all about it! It is officially in my top five fantasy reads.

I really enjoyed this book. It started out cozy, but it definitely ended up mixing in some high stakes conflict. I loved the animal companions. I am not generally a very emotional reader, but I definitely felt it toward the end of this book. The dream world magic was unique. I listened to the audiobook and the narration by both narrators was perfect. Thanks for the advanced listening copy!

Thank you Tor for the gifted ALC!!

Dnf 51%

I love a cozy fantasy, but I’m just not vibing with this one. Not much is happening and I just can’t get myself to pick it back up.

The narrators are wonderful though!!

Thank you so much Macmillan Audio for an early copy of Never the Roses!

The narrators did such an amazing job with this audiobook and I could listen to their voices all day!!

This was such a beautiful and devastating story!! Oneira just wants to live a quiet life alone without being used in the wars of kings and queens. She’s finally paid off her debt and is getting to live the life of solitude she craves! When she dream walks into the library of her greatest rival and enemy, the sorcerer Stearanos, and steals the book he’s been reading a great flirtation and budding romance begins! The banter between them is so great and I absolutely ate it up! The progression of their relationship was perfect and when he shows up at her house and breaks her wards I was giddy! Of course all good things come to an end and the way this book ends absolutely broke my heart but it so so beautiful!

This was phenomenal. I went in with zero expectations, and this book delivered. There was happy, giddy squealing; there was devastation and sobbing tears. Everything you could want in a book existed here. Do I wish it ended differently? Yes. Does the ending help make the book? Also, yes. I listened to this with the audio, and these narrators created an immersive experience that made me want to exist in their world with them.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in return for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4-Star Audiobook Review: Never the Roses by Jennifer K. Lambert
Narrated by Chloe Campbell & Shane East

Never the Roses is a lush, character-driven fantasy that offers a rare and refreshing twist: a retired sorceress who just wants to be left alone—and absolutely deserves it. Jennifer K. Lambert weaves a beautifully imaginative and emotionally resonant tale, and the audiobook brings it vividly to life, thanks to the stellar narration from Chloe Campbell and Shane East.

The Story
Dread Sorceress Oneira is a force to be reckoned with—but she’s done her time. In a world where magical debt binds mages for life, Oneira has paid hers and retreats to her self-made fortress, determined to embrace solitude and grow roses in peace. But peace is a luxury the world won’t allow her. When she slips into the dream realm of her former arch-nemesis in search of a gardening book (yes, really—and it works beautifully), she finds more than just information: she finds a kindred spirit. Their romance is as cerebral as it is sensual, blossoming through shared dreams, old scars, and mutual weariness with the politics of war.

When Oneira uncovers a plot that threatens not only her newfound connection but also the fragile stability of the world, she’s reluctantly drawn back into the conflict—one last stand, not for glory, but for peace.

The Performance
Chloe Campbell gives Oneira a perfect blend of strength and weariness, capturing her razor-sharp intelligence, subtle vulnerability, and dry wit. Shane East, voicing the enigmatic and war-weary sorcerer, brings gravity and chemistry to the table. Together, their performances elevate the slow-burn romance and lend emotional weight to the stakes without ever overshadowing the story’s more meditative pacing.

Why 4 Stars?
While the writing is rich and the characters nuanced, the plot occasionally meanders, particularly in the early sections where world-building takes center stage. Some listeners may crave a bit more urgency or action. That said, the deliberate pace suits the themes of recovery, resistance, and rediscovery. It’s a quiet kind of epic—one that rewards patience with deep emotional payoff.

Final Thoughts
Never the Roses is a rare gem of a fantasy romance: introspective, grown-up, and full of heart. The audiobook version is a must for fans of lyrical storytelling, mature protagonists, and dream-soaked magic. With Lambert’s evocative prose and the dual narration bringing every emotional note to life, this is a story that blooms slowly—but beautifully.

what in the cliffhanger just happened? I keep thinking, I don't know how I feel about that... and yet I KNOW I'll read a sequel (if it happens) because WHAT?!?!

Rounded up from 3.5 for shock and awe factor.

This was not for me. I tend to like Sci Fi & Fantasy but this book was just way too slow to keep my attention.

I tried to fast forward to see if it would keep me interest but it didn't. So I had to DNF it.

Oneira is a retired sorceress who is a dream walker. She decides to dream walk into the library of rival sorcerer Stearanos and borrow a book which puts into motion a chain of forbidden correspondence between the two. This is a duel narration audio book and I found both of the narrators voices to be pleasant .While I enjoyed the writing I found the overall pacing of the story to be too slow for my liking. It just didn’t keep my attention. I ended up DNFing this one 40% of the way in.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to review the ARC audio for Never the roses.

This is the story that I feel never gets told. What happens to the most impactful people after the war is over? How do they deal with what they’ve done? I almost imagine this story as what would’ve happened at the end of the War of Lost Hearts trilogy if Max and Tisaanah had never met. This was just such an amazing story of two people recovering and finding their way to one another after suffering for so long, and of course, the banter was amazing. If this never has a sequel, I’ll be content with the ending. However, I would love to know what happens next. Step into this new world filled with unique magic and wonderful characters to find out why “never the roses”

Sadly this is a DNF for me. It’s a case of “it’s me, not you.” I need to learn that adult romantasy just isn’t my thing. I just did not care what was going to happen in this story, and I was not connected to these characters at all. The only thing that kept me listening for as long as I did was the narrators. They were both fantastic. Thank you for the opportunity to listen to the ALC, unfortunately it’s not the story for me.

As soon as Owlcrate announced, Never The Roses, was their adult fantasy pick for the month of July. I knew I had to immediately devour this. I mean come on even the standard edition is stunning. However, you should never judge a book by its cover. Because sadly, the synopsis that captivated me wasn’t executed out in the story.

As a small disclaimer I listened to Never The Roses as a ALC. And I wanted to give a big thumbs up to our narrators Chloe Campbell & Shane East. Even though sadly the story wasn’t my favorite. The two of them did a great job of bringing the characters to life. They honestly were the biggest reason I kept listening and didn’t DNF. The banter between them throughout the entire story was definitely my favorite moment of this journey.

Besides that the rest is just a downhill slope. The pacing was ungodly slow. I kept waiting for anything to happen but literally happens the entire book. So if you’re looking for drama, magic, action then this is not the book. The characters are frustrating and un-relatable. The most personality they have is that they are all horny. And no I didn’t mistype that. God I wish I did. But sadly that’s what we had to work with.

Overall, even though the narrators were great it wasn’t enough to redeem the story for me. So sadly I can’t recommend this one. Which breaks my heart because I had such high hopes for this. Lastly Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Jennifer K. Lambert for the ALC of Never the Rose.

This one was a slow burn for me - emphasis on slow. For most of the book, I had a hard time getting into it and I honestly wasn’t sure I’d finish. But I’m really glad I stuck with it because once it finally clicked, I couldn’t put it down.

Never the Roses is a unique blend of romance and fantasy and it stands out for doing things a little differently. It captured the enemies to lovers dynamic in a way that felt fresh, with a later in life romance that added depth and realism. The characters had layers, the magic felt grounded, and the emotional payoff snuck up on me in the best way. And the ending? Not your typical neat bow - something I actually appreciated.

Overall it took patience but I’d absolutely read the second book. This story definitely grew on me.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an audiobook ARC of Never The Roses.

As a whole, I enjoyed this story. The writing was beautiful and the premise was interesting. I loved the magical creatures and the creative world building. I think my two biggest issues were the third person narration and the pace being painfully slow. I didn’t really become truly invested into the story until I was about 2/3s of the way in. All in all I enjoyed it and might reread the physical copy this fall.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

Oneira has officially retired, having bought out her debt to the queen, and she is tired. Fighting war after war in the name of the people who have owned her, she is ready to just call it quits. And so she creates a home for herself and prepares to just fade away. But as mythical animals start showing up at her door, and she finds herself not so alone anymore, she realizes she is bored. And so she takes a trip through the dreams of people until she comes across her rival, entering his dream and exiting into his home. There she decides to raid his legendary library, stealing a book and making her escape. Stearanos wakes up and realizes somebody has been in his house and has touched one of his books. Angry that he finds another book in its place, he writes a letter to the thief and thus begins a correspondence between Oneira and her rival. But Stearanos is bound to a rival King who wants to wage war now that Oneira is no longer fighting for the queen. As the two of them continue with their correspondence and they grow closer to one another, it becomes clear that they will be on opposite sides of a coming war. Will they stay away from each other? Or will they allow themselves just a few moment of happiness.

This book crushed me and I really hope there's going to be a book two because that ending left a lot to be desired -- it was bittersweet and did not fulfill me in the way that I needed it to. I absolutely loved this idea of the Dread Sorceress Oneira up in her beautiful home completely secluded and just dream walking and messing with this powerful sorcerer because she can. There are a lot of cozy vibes because not much happens outside of the romance between Oneira and Stearanos -- with the exception of talks of the upcoming war and Oneira trying to heal her broken self. However, this was very dark and full of pain and you feel that hopelessness that she feels. And when you find out how she was able to buy out her own contract it is absolutely devastating. The two of them are so broken and so perfect for one another in that they bring that spark back, and then for that ending... let's just say I sat here sobbing because it's just not fair.