This was such an emotional and beautifully written story. From the opening chapters, I found myself completely connected to the characters and invested in everything they were experiencing. There were moments that made me smile, moments that tugged at my heart, and plenty of moments where I just needed to keep reading.

I appreciated how naturally the relationships developed throughout the story. Nothing felt rushed, and every interaction helped build the emotional depth of the book.

This is the kind of novel that reminds you why stories matter. I closed the final page feeling both satisfied and reflective, and I'll definitely be looking for more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC copy 💜

This is a portal fantasy with fae prophecies. Its a very solid first book, and I am curious to know what's going to happen. The magic system was different which is nice in a very magic saturated genre. There are a couple of things that bothered me:
1. There are so many nicknames
2. Literally everything is described with adjectives and metaphors. I want more plot i dont need to know every single detail about clothing etc
3. I might have gotten this wrong but I read it twice, when she goes to tiaras suite she says there are no curtains but the next day toria is opening the curtains?
It was enjoyable and I liked the Scotland setting for the first half and the found family is really nice.

I haven't read a portal/dual realm fantasy in a while, and this one was interesting. I loved the Inverness back drop of the mortal realm, and appreciated details and descriptions of the landscape. The story had a very interesting concept, but I was left feeling like things weren't fleshed out enough. I know this is only book one, but there were so many aspects that weren't explained or occurred and were resolved so quickly it didn't seem to feasibly make sense. Where I really struggled was with the pacing of the timeline - for me, things happened way too quickly. I actually love the villain in this story, and I think it was due to the multiple POVs. He was an awful male, but was so well written and developed. I was shocked with how quickly he was overthrown - I just don't buy into it. I can see this becoming a popular series, I am just not sure I would continue, simply based on pacing. I needed more time spent on world building, lore and true character development.

First and foremost I loved the Scotland setting! The highlands are so atmospheric. Second of all I loved the multiple POVs and how they unfolded with duel timelines in the human AND fae realm. Portal fantasies are so cool to me because I read them so rarely, so I when I saw that I element I was invested. Book is should be a fun journey!

When The Light Broke Through by N. Rae Rosen
Rating: 3.5

When the Light Broke Through by N. Rae Rosen is a poignant, atmospheric read that sits comfortably within the current landscape of emotional fantasy. It captures that delicate balance between character-driven internal growth and world-building.

The strength of this novel undoubtedly lies in N. Rae Rosen’s prose. The descriptions are vivid and immersive, making the setting feel like a living, breathing character rather than just a backdrop for the plot. I found myself genuinely invested in the Raegan and Ethan's emotional journey; the internal monologue is raw, relatable, and expertly handled. For readers who enjoy books where the stakes feel personal and intimate, this will be a major highlight. The romance arc, while slow-burn, builds with a tension that kept me turning pages well past my bedtime.


This is a solid addition to the genre, and was a very enjoyable experience. It’s perfect for readers who prioritise character depth and atmospheric writing over fast-paced action. I’m certainly interested to see what N. Rae Rosen writes next, as the potential here is immense.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

Such a surprising book, with beautiful imagery and lots of emotional healing!

🌼✨🌼✨

Synopsis:
Raegan lives a life full of pain, emotionally and physically. She heads to university in the Scottish highlands, escaping her recent grief and meets her flatmate Ethan.

Ethan is running away from his own traumatic past and is scared of hurting those he loves. Despite the connection between them, he pushes Rae away, and in her sadness, she finds herself stepping through a portal to a magical fae land, Liravel.

Liravel has spent 500 years under curses and cruel rulers. And Rae discovers an unexpected connection to this world… And meanwhile back home, Ethan’s demons are truly starting to rip him to shreds…

🌼✨🌼✨

I had no idea what I was getting into reading this but it ended up being such a gem of a book.

It starts intensely, throwing you into a magical world with complex politics and then another mortal world where the characters are full of immense emotional trauma. Automatically I was intrigued, especially trying to understand how these worlds would connect, as we read the stories in parallel.

And I loved the introduction of the human characters. Especially the dynamic between Rae and Ethan. They have a great level of flirty energy, whilst we also see through his PoV, that Ethan is such a yearner on the inside. And the little family of flatmates that develops is very cute.

The fae characters took me longer to warm to, as I started to understand who we could trust. (Although one character’s initial storyline was heartbreaking). And I must say, even the villains were intriguing (Don’t get me wrong, I hate them and want them to suffer, but they were rather fascinating).

And visually, the book was beautiful. The mix of the Scottish scenery, paired with the magical lands was fantastic. And overall the writing was very lush, especially with the complex internal emotions and thoughts of the characters. Tortured people seem to always have the most poetic minds!

And the book had a great ending, with twists I did not expect. I’m definitely reading book 2!!

I definitely recommend this if you like a fantasy with fae portals, emotional healing and lush prose. (The book gave me a similar energy to A Courting of Bristol Keats, in a way!)

4,5🌟 rounded up!

This book IMMEDIATELY pulls you in and it keeps you locked there the whole time. Dual timelines, fun characters, found family and hot tension. I love how the author describes the characters and setting, It’s beautiful and colorful. I can’t wait to see where it goes next!

This book has great potential the writing is good and the world building spectacular . I just felt a disconnect from jumping from a contemporary world to a fantasy one, plus the multiple points of views confused me . The fantasy part of it was okay but the stakes weren't high enough for a fantasy novel in my opinion. Other than that it was an okay read.

This was the surprise hit of my TBR. Though there were some pacing issues (especially within the modern timeline) and missed opportunities to better develop the friendship among the flatmates, and sometimes the foreshadowing or allusions to ‘the secrets’ were clunky, I loved this story. The dual timelines were well constructed, the story sucked me in, and I just wanted to get to know the characters better and better.

I absolutely loved this book. As someone who's called Scotland home for the last 12 years, the Scottish setting made it feel even more special. It was so vividly written that I could picture so many of the places, and it added another layer to the story for me.

The emotional damage in this book is on another level. There is so much trauma woven through both the MMC's and FMC's lives, and it was handled in a way that kept me completely invested in their journeys.

I genuinely had no idea where this story was going for the first 40–50%, but then it really picked up and I couldn't put it down. I loved the different timelines and how everything slowly came together. It all felt so clever once the pieces started falling into place.

The last 10% had me gasping. The twists were brilliant, especially the ones that had been subtly hinted at throughout the book. I loved spotting the little Easter eggs along the way and then realising what they meant.

I honestly can't wait for book two because I need to know what happens next. Thank you so much for giving me the chance to review this. I loved every minute of it!

I really enjoyed so much of When the Light Broke Through.

The worldbuilding is beautiful, from the Scottish setting to Liravel and the magic woven through it. There is a real sense of history behind both the world and its characters.

The final quarter moves through a lot of significant emotional and plot developments very quickly.I would have happily spent more time with some of those moments.

Overall , there is a lot to enjoy . The characters have interesting histories, the world is imaginative, and I really appreciated how much thought had gone into weaving the different characters, twists and storylines together.

A gorgeous debut with some really special ideas at its heart. I can’t wait to see what Rosen writes next.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to read.

This book is a great one to keep you on the edge of your seat. One thing that makes me excited is that there comes a point when things are building up, and I was glued to what happened rather than what to expect. Also, I love the connections between the past and the present in this book, and it was exciting to read. I would recommend this to anyone who reads this.

A Portal Worth Falling Through

A gripping fantasy-first romantasy that slowly pulls you into its world before refusing to let you leave.

⭐ 4/5
🌶️ 2/5 – Not between the main characters

When the Light Broke Through is a fantasy-first romantasy with beautiful world-building, intriguing mysteries, political intrigue and fantastic reveals. It has a slower opening, and the romance takes a back seat in this first instalment, but once the story finds its footing it becomes really compelling and lays the groundwork for what promises to be an exciting series. Unlike my other reviews, I am not going to outline the plot or conflict as I think you should go in completely blind to get the full experience.

Our main characters need intensive therapy… Raegan's struggles with grief, chronic illness and abandonment are handled with empathy, and her emotional growth throughout the novel feels believable and well earned. Ethan is a much harder character to warm to. His childhood trauma explains many of his actions and emotional barriers, but it doesn't always make his decisions easy to support. While I appreciated the complexity of his character, there were moments where his behaviour frustrated me. Even so, his emotional conflict adds another layer to the story, and I'm interested to see how his character develops in future instalments.

The romance between Raegan and Ethan is a genuine slow burn built on emotional tension, shared trauma and an undeniable magical connection. There is very little on-page romance in this first instalment, with their relationship clearly being developed across the series. Personally, by the end of the novel I wasn't entirely convinced Ethan was the best match for Raegan, which only made me more curious to see where the author takes their relationship next.

The supporting cast also deserves a mention. The side characters feel multidimensional and complex, and I really felt for Riven and Kiara. I especially enjoyed Quinn and Asher's subplot, which added warmth and heart to the story.

The realm of Liravel is beautifully realised, rich with ancient history, dangerous fae, ancient gods and political tension. The vivid descriptions make the magical realm feel alive, atmospheric and most importantly, EPIC. In contrast, the scenes set in modern-day Inverness feel intentionally ordinary, making every return to Liravel all the more exciting.

Between the multiple POVs, time jumps and gradual world-building, I initially found it difficult to connect fully with the characters, and the passage of time in the present day occasionally felt unclear. But once the story found its rhythm, I became completely invested. The multiple perspectives began to enrich the narrative, the political intrigue deepened, the reveals became increasingly satisfying, and I found myself racing through the final chapters.

The novel reaches a satisfying stopping point while leaving several major plot points unresolved, making me genuinely excited to continue the series.

Tropes
Portal Fantasy
Political Intrigue
Slow Burn Romance
Fated Mates
Star-crossed Lovers
Hidden Powers
Chosen One
Hidden Lineage
Shadow & Light Magic
Found Family

Content Warnings
Parental death
Parental abandonment
Physical abuse of a child (MMC's backstory)
Mental health struggles
Chronic illness
Grief
Violence
Death
Torture
Off-page rape (not involving the main characters)

I would recommend When the Light Broke Through by N. Rae Rosen to readers who enjoy a slow-burn romantasy where the fantasy takes centre stage, particularly in the first book. If you're looking for a romance-heavy story, this may not be exactly what you expect. But if you enjoy portal fantasy, political intrigue, immersive world-building and satisfying reveals set within a magical world full of mysteries to unravel, I think you'll really enjoy this one.

Thank you to The Book Guild and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.

I’d rate this book 3.5 stars. The premise was interesting and I enjoyed the mix between the modern and the fantasy worlds. The first few chapters really grabbed me, but then, soon after, the author introduced the tired old insta-attraction between the main characters. It felt unnatural, jarring and rushed vs what had been written up until that point. As such, I wasn’t quite as invested in the story going forward as I could have been had there been a few more pages devoted to the development of the relationship,

The writing is technically strong - the author definitely has skill - but the over reliance on short sentences drove me up the wall by the end of the book.

Wow! What a great book! When the Light Broke Through is a strong start to a series that combines the mortal world and the fae world.

At first, I was a bit confused about who was who in the fae realm and how the mortal world connected to it, but this became increasingly clear as the story progressed. There are exciting plot twists that kept me wanting to read more. I thought the world-building was solid, though I hope for more background information in the next installment.

And... I kept picturing Falcor the whole time I was reading about the character Veda. 😅 4 stars!

⭐️ 3.5 Stars

Well… I was not expecting that.

When the Light Breaks Through is told through dual timelines, and it definitely took me a little while to understand where everything was headed. But once all the pieces started falling into place? I was left wondering how I didn’t see it coming in the first place.

The biggest thing that held this back for me was the pacing of the relationships. Both the friendships and the romance developed incredibly fast. One minute the characters are meeting, and by 10% they’re completely devoted to each other and feel like family. I wanted more time to really experience those connections growing, which would have made the emotional moments hit even harder.

I also went in expecting the magic to play a larger role from the beginning. Instead, the story leans much more into the YA/new adult emotional journey, and in hindsight, that choice fits the themes of the book. It’s about learning what it means to care for people you never expected to, and the heartbreak that comes with that.

That said, I genuinely loved the characters—especially Raegan. We love a witty FMC with enough daddy issues to keep a therapist employed. (Was I projecting? Maybe.)

The writing itself is beautiful, especially for a debut novel. There were a few moments where I felt the descriptions became a little too detailed or repetitive, but the originality of the story kept me invested.

And can we talk about that ending? I closed this book with far more questions than answers, and I need the next one immediately.

Considering this is the author’s first novel, it’s an incredibly impressive debut. I’m excited to see where this series goes next.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

⭐️ 3.5/5 🫑

"I always see you' Firefly"

"Trust it. When it reaches for you. Let the flames carry you"

"I was fire. I was vengeance. And I was done"

This one pulled me in pretty quickly. I really liked the contrast between the Scottish Highlands and the fae realm, especially how both worlds have this beautiful, almost wild feeling to them while still hiding plenty of darkness underneath.

Raegan and Ethan both come into the story carrying a lot of baggage, and I think that was one of my favorite parts of their relationship. There’s an immediate connection between them, but Ethan is very much a “I want you, but I’m terrified of what that means” kind of character. Meanwhile, Raegan is trying to find her footing after losing her mother, only to discover that her life is about to become a whole lot stranger. Their dynamic had plenty of flirting and tension, but also a lot of hurt and vulnerability.

I also really enjoyed the dual POVs and the way the story moves between the human and fae realms. The fae politics took a little longer for me to settle into because there are a lot of characters and secrets to keep track of, but once I started figuring out who could be trusted, I was invested. Some of the villains are absolutely awful, but I’ll admit they were also some of the more interesting characters to watch.

The found family between the flatmates was another favorite. Quinn, Asher, Rae, and Ethan had that little group dynamic that made the human side of the story feel just as important as everything happening in Liravel.

There’s a lot packed into this book: grief, trauma, hidden powers, prophecy, found family, fae politics, and plenty of unanswered questions. I especially liked watching the characters’ roles start to shift as more is revealed. Ethan clearly has a lot more going on than we initially realize, and I’m very curious to see where that takes him.

The ending definitely leaves the door wide open for what comes next, and I’m left with more questions than answers. But honestly, that just makes me want the next book even more. I’m definitely curious to see what happens when these two worlds collide even further.

Tropes: Romantasy, World Building, Hidden Identity, Magical Portal, Slow 🔥, Hidden Magic & Powers, Fated Mates/ Soul Bound, Grumpy X Sassy, Found Family, Trauma & Healing

Quotes: "Two souls bound by a curse older than time... Light and shadow. Love and ruin."

Review No Spoilers: This was such an atmospheric and emotionally charged portal romantasy! Set between the haunting beauty of the Scottish Highlands and the dangerous, magical realm of Liravel, the story pulled me in with its mix of ancient curses, Fae warriors, forbidden magic, and complicated relationships.

Raegan Oaks is a character carrying a lifetime of grief and pain, and after a devastating betrayal from her flatmate Ethan, she runs into the night straight toward an ancient oak that becomes her gateway into a forgotten world. Suddenly thrust into Liravel, Raegan discovers that there is far more to her than she ever realized. As strange powers begin awakening within her and ancient shadows start calling her name, she finds herself caught in a conflict much older and more dangerous than she could have imagined.

I really enjoyed the dual world aspect of this story. The contrast between the atmospheric Scottish Highlands and the lush, perilous world of Liravel created such an immersive reading experience. The Fae world brought plenty of mystery, political intrigue, danger, and magic, while the story on Earth became increasingly dark as Ethan struggled with nightmares and the forces determined to keep him separated from Raegan.

The multi POV format worked especially well because it allowed the story to explore both sides of the divide. Raegan’s journey is about discovering her strength and finding people who understand her, while Ethan’s descent into darkness adds an entirely different layer of tension. Their connection feels deeply rooted in something ancient, and the mystery surrounding the curse of light and shadow kept me wanting to know more.

The found family elements were another highlight for me. Watching Raegan navigate this unfamiliar world while slowly building connections gave the story an emotional heart beneath all the fantasy and chaos. And, of course, there’s plenty of romantic tension, including a dangerous Fae warrior who brings an extra dose of spice and intensity to the story.

With its ancient magic, cursed bonds, Fae politics, emotional healing, dangerous romance, and a looming threat capable of destroying two worlds, this is a great pick for readers who love portal fantasy, romantasy, Fae, multi POV stories, found family, spicy romance, and characters with plenty of emotional baggage.

Atmospheric, magical, emotional, and filled with secrets I was completely ready to step through that oak tree and see where Liravel would take me.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Spice: 🌶️

🌶️.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Multi POV
Cliffhanger

Thank you N. Rae Rosen and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC copy.

*I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

A gripping romantasy that pulls you into the world through detailed world building and character building.