FORMAT/INFO: Never the Roses will be published by Bramble Romance on July 8th, 2025. It is available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: At long, long last, the Dread Sorceress Oneira has retired. Having bought her freedom after decades of indentured servitude to any who could buy her contract, she's retreated to a quiet abode where she can spend her final days in peace. But peace doesn't come easy to one who has spent most of her life in war, and Oneira soon finds herself restless. On a whim she can't quite explain, she uses her power over the Dream to travel to a rival sorcerer's library and steal one of his books. This quickly kicks off a flirtatious dance of more thefts and attempted entrapments as Stearanos Stormbreaker tries to discover who would dare pilfer from his shelves. But when it becomes clear that the king Stearanos serves is going to attack Oneira's former queen, their secret relationship becomes far too dangerous for anyone to discover.

Never the Roses is a slow burn romantic fantasy that does a beautiful job building up the attraction between two powerful magic users. It starts as flirtation, as Oneira steals books from the library of her rival Stearanos, and he in turn tries to entrap and discover the identity of his mysterious thief. Through notes left to each other in Stearanos’s library, they tease and poke at each other in turn, enjoying the sensation of a fresh challenge in their lives.

I was absolutely engrossed in the slow build of this relationship. Watching Stearanos be intrigued by someone who could best him, watching the two of them exchange flirtatious and witty letters, wondering when the two would finally meet face-to-face, this was catnip to me. More importantly was the growing realization between the two that they may have each found the only other person in the world who can understand what it's like to be them, to have all of the power and none of the power at the same time.

All of this is told through beautiful, lyrical prose. The tone is of a more serious bent, despite the mischievousness described above. At its heart, this is a tale about healing. Oneira, despite her legendary power, has spent most of her life magically enslaved to do the bidding of others. The things she did to finally break free of her contract broke her as well, and she doesn't know how, if at all, she can pick up the pieces. This romance comes into her life when she's trying to decide if she will ever know real peace again.

I did occasionally get frustrated with some of the repetitive beats of Oneira's character, as she would vow on one course of action and then immediately do the opposite within a day. Human, yes, but repetitive nonetheless.

I also had slightly mixed feelings about the ending. On the one hand, I did cry (in public no less). But there was a part of my brain that was whispering "this is a little over the top." In the moment, I chose to mostly shove that part of my brain into a deep corner, but upon reflection, I wrestle a bit with how that ending sits with me.

CONCLUSION: Either way, I still absolutely inhaled this book. I would recommend Never the Roses for those looking for a fantasy romance that focuses on the characters first and physical attraction second. There is a slight amount of spice, but only after the two have formed a deep connection. I'm so glad I took a chance on Never the Roses, and will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of the author's work.