Never the Roses

Andrew Bolding

good read

"This book was a decent read. It had an incredibly slow start and I almost dnfd it but it picked up around chapter 4. I loved the turmoil the mic and mmc had. The ending was unexpected. ["

January 22, 2026 Verified Purchase

sugar_jean

Amazing storytelling

"“You’re like your animals. Powerful, magical, you stay only where you choose. I’m asking you to choose me.” Oneira has bought her freedom after being forced to use her dream magic to win wars for years and now has a self imposed isolation. She feels she has nothing to live for and subconsciously decides to travel the Dream in search of purpose. She didn’t think it would lead to the library of her rival where she steals a book and the two end up conversing through notes. This was a phenomenal bit of writing, such an imaginative world and an immersive whimsical dream sphere. It explores themes of grief, brokenness, isolation, acceptance and forgiveness. The rivals being the only two people who could see and understand each other in a world that pits them against each and uses their own magic against them. At one point she meets someone only known as the Gardener in the Dream who helps her in her search. I thought this was a great metaphor for God and how they showed gentleness and kindness to Oneira in her self condemnation and gave her purpose in her grief. I think it portrayed how in our lowest and darkest moments God is still there and hasn’t given up on us. The romance: Oneira thinks it’s a door now shut for her so seeing her experience those desires and feelings in a profound way was beautifully done. I love a burn the world for her MMC but this story approaches love in a way that doesn’t need declarations like that and is just as powerful. I personally loved that this story was emotional and deep without being triggering for me. Ugly cried at that ending, geez it was so bittersweet. While it was a standalone it was still a bit open ended so I’m hoping the author will revisit these characters at some point. ["

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January 5, 2026 Verified Purchase

Mishay

Great story with cozy cottage vibes!

"This was a cute cozy cottage vibes book with magic and animal companions. I was gifted an advanced copy of this book by Tor and Macmillan audio. Two sorcerers from opposing kingdoms and battlefields start out an u usually relationship over books and gardening. One is in service to his crown, and the other is newly retired and a bit bored. When she decides to sneak into his library to look for a book, he finds out there is a thief sneaking through his wards, and they begin to leave eachother notes in the books. This was a good read and quite funny at times, I liked the storyline and both main characters very well. It has the perfect mixture of world building and character relationship building. I do believe this to be a standalone but with the way it ended it could be left alone or picked back up in a second book. Overall I really liked this book and will be getting a copy on release. ["

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July 22, 2025 Verified Purchase

elfee

A Room of One's Own: fantasy edition

"I enjoyed this book, and I enjoyed it more because it's inspired by one of my favorite books of all time. However, IMO it's a bad sign (for my pleasure) when Patricia McKillip is more interested in plot development and adventure than you. I enjoyed the characters, the writing and world building, but a lot of things happen offscreen and in the past (or the future), things I was more interested in because they sounded more... eventful. This tendency toward skipping over the interesting parts meant the slow, reflective pace and focus on the main character's personal development was maintained. However... I realize I just don't care about her development *that* much, especially because she is so emotionally mature that it lacks a certain natural drama, I guess? Her eventual (really, inevitable) compromise on her principles wasn't as powerful as it could've been because she never really had to reconcile it properly. It was just... too easy. There's a reason supremely powerful older women in fantasy are generally side characters, is what this book taught me. Patricia McKillip's book that inspired this one was about a young woman who was discovering herself and her place in the world, giving her a certain vulnerability and openness. She wanted things and sought them without the reader automatically assuming she'd get them, because it wasn't just up to her and her personal beliefs or choices. Too many things in this book were up to the main character and her choices, and perhaps every thing, maybe even the stuff the love interest did. It's a very solipsistic book, in a way, but still quite enjoyable as I said. Jennifer K Lambert is a fine and experienced writer, and clearly is writing from the heart (and it shows). BTW, I don't recommend this if you've really enjoyed Magical Midlife Madness. In fact, I love that series and while you can probably call it cozy, I'd say more like cozy-adjacent, but then it's weird to me calling this cozy, either. Still, it's slow-paced, at least, while MMM is essentially romantic adventure comedic fantasy. Both are books about older women who spend lots of time in a house, and develop an unexpected romance. There the similarity ends and the many differences in tone, style, language and themes begin. ["

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November 12, 2025