I received this book as an ARC through Netgalley.

I’m always excited to find a new fantasy read, and this was a super fun first book in a series!

I don’t know the Arthur’s and the knights of the round table story very well, but this was a really fun retelling. And a breath of fresh air with a new inspiration for a retelling.

I was very intrigued to see what would happen to all of our characters, and I loved seeing all of the different relationships that were formed.

There was a lot of twists and turns that kept the plot interesting and kept me on my toes.

I did find this first book fall a bit into the first book syndrome, but I think that has a lot to do with setting up the story. At times it was very predictable, with long long chapters.

Morgan was also extremely naive and trusted too easily at points that were very obvious. It was very frustrating at times, but did not deter my enjoyment of the book. I suspect it will also lead to some character development later in the series.

Overall, I had the best time with this book and it was a fantastic start to this series. I can’t wait to continue!

"Queen of Roses" is a masterpiece of dark fantasy! From the very first chapter, I was completely hooked on this retelling of the Arthurian legend, where magic and intrigue intertwine masterfully. Author has created a rich and detailed world that fully immerses you in the story.

The plot is filled with unexpected twists and suspenseful moments that keep you on the edge of your seat. The balance of romance, action, and magic is so well done that you can't help but devour every page.

The ending leaves you craving more, and I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series. If you're a fan of retellings, dark fantasy, and intense romances, you can't miss "Queen of Roses"! Highly recommended!!

“I burn for you, Morgan. You’ve set me aflame…”

Tropes: Slow-burn romance, enemies-to-lovers, Arthurian retelling, dark romance, fae, bodyguard, brooding LI

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley, Briar Boleyn, and Starwater Press for providing me with a free copy of this book to review.

I knew next to nothing about this book going in, let alone that it was a King Arthur retelling, but I was pleasantly surprised! I enjoyed this book so much. Lately, there have been so many Fae-themed books that it’s easy for all of them to lean on each other, borrowing details and familiar tones and lores. This story felt unique.

Morgan is a well-balanced mix of boldness and naivety. I did enjoy reading from her perspective, but Draven was the true star of the story for me. If you have a thing for mysterious, hot, growling beefcakes, Kairos Draven is right up your alley. He fits all the tropes but in an exciting, anticipating way.

I’m eager to see how Morgan changes in the next books. Her innocence plays a big role in this story due to her upbringing. After that massive cliffhanger though, everything is sure to change for both main characters. And while some scenes were a bit predictable (I knew a certain someone was suspicious!), overall I categorize this book as a must-read for Dark Romance lovers. The writing style is simplistic, making it an easy read. The characters are interesting and kept me hooked (I’m looking at you, Draven). The theme is a blend of fresh and familiar. I’m excited to start book 2!

This was a good read. As with some fantasy books, the world building and introduction of characters makes up the first half of the book. Boleyn does a great job with building a fantasy world with likable characters who grow during the book. The story is well thought out and leaves you wanting to dive into the second book.

This story was a little slow to get going somewhere. The world, magic and characters are familiar for fantasy romance readers. I did enjoy the second half more so and will be continuing.

This book!

A princess who will never be queen. Half fae with a human family, her brother the king who hates fae. Forced to take a tonic since she was a child, forced to hide her true self, she doesn’t even know who that is, she has lived a half life. Awful things happen to Morgan & it’s really confusing watching her acceptance of everything she is dealt… I love the broody & strong MMC, what is a romantasy without one!

The mystery, the betrayal, the character development… the CLIFFHANGER! Starting book 2 asap!

Mmmm I smell a rising new fantasy romance. This has great plot, lovable characters, cool world building and just an all around enjoyable read. I look forward to the next book!

Queen of Roses is exceptional. I absolutely loved the King Arthur retelling. I must admit I was blown away. The mystery, world building and storytelling is so well done I am completely mind blown. This book was sooooo good I am definitely diving right into book two! If you haven’t already read this book get it now you won’t be disappointed. I highly recommend it

This is a new plot and it was exciting. It is filled with lots of twists and unexpected adventures that were thrilling and gave me space to theorise on my own. The story started slow and gained time for the world-building but once it was established, it flowed fast like butter slipping out of hands.

It was told by Morgan’s POV and I didn’t feel the need to get any other POV until it came close to the end, and now I want to know the other aspects too. There was so much happening in the last 30-35% of the book that I didn’t leave the book for anything and kept on reading.

I want answers, why was Morgan taking the tonic, other than the reason that her mother was taking it too? What did she remember at the end? What will happen now? What was the role of Draven? From where did he come into the picture? What is the history of Fae? What are Morgan's magical traits?

There is so much to explore and I can’t wait to do just that. I loved how Morgan took charge of things in spite of being under confident in many things. She has a heart of gold and it clearly shows while reading the book. Do read the triggers first, although they are not elaborated in the story but still do read them first.

Draven is really a wild card with very little information on him throughout but at the end we get some surprising facts. He is one character for whom I made a lot of theories and some were right but some came as fresh surprise and I am all ready to know further. This world is dangerous but is captivating too.

Whew what a whirlwind.

I liked this book a lot and will be reading the 2nd one.

I enjoyed Draven's character more than Morgan's but that tends to happen to me.

I did not see the full twist coming but knew something was up!

First this is my first fantasy book, and I am obsessed with it. love romance and this was balanced so well and had dark romance in it too! Omg was I on the edge of my seat.
It's enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and a series! I really love how descriptive the writing is, it really helped me feel like I was in the story and helped a first time fantasy reader understand and read easier! (I would totally recommend this for any first timer too!) the characters in this book - AMAZING (I'm a big character girl) I will say I have a favorite but it's only book one so l'm not really gonna hook onto one .. yet. The ending?! Was.CRAZY I need to start the next book because I didn't see anything coming my heart was actually racing. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!

An Arthurian retelling, 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙍𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙨 is a new adult dark fantasy romance filled with action, danger, diverse characters, and a sprinkle of magic and romance that builds with each book.

Although a firstborn, Princess Morgan Pendragon was cast aside due to her alleged fae tainted blood and her brother Arthur rules as King instead. She is prearranged to live a life of servitude to the goddesses when she reaches twenty, until Morgan is offered a way out: embark on an journey to find the legendary weapon that could help stop an imminent war.

If I wasn’t a responsible adult with two littles, a job, and everything else to keep the castle running, I probably would have finished it in two days because that’s how hard I didn’t want to put it down. This was a great first book in the series. It had intricate world building yet was fast paced; a strong and likable heroine, who’s never really known love; and a moody, mysterious bodyguard that you can’t help but root for. I really enjoyed all of the characters—flapjacks and all—and I was living for the playful banter. I definitely see some potential in growth in our leads, especially since it’s being set up as a true, genuine slowburn and I am so here for it. I cannot wait to dive into the next book, especially after that cliffhanger!

Read if you like…
⚔️ myth/legend retellings
🥀 “Who did this to you?”
⚔️ playful banter
🥀 super cute take on one horse trope
⚔️ genuine slowburn

Please beware that there are content and trigger warnings.

I am obsessed with this new romantasy series! I have already recommended it to anyone who will listen. It's a reimagining of Camelot, but with a lot more diversity, fairies, and other magical creatures. The underlining political story parallels our own modern political drama specifically sexism and homophobia. The magical system is interesting. The characters are charming. The romance is slow burn. The villains are so bad! The pacing and adventure are great. It leaves you excited to jump right into the next book, Thank you Briar Boleyn and ARC provided by Starwater Press for this eARC!

The fantasy setting was fun. I understand this is a retelling, but changing the names might have made it more effective, as the story seems disconnected from the original legend. The modern values in the narrative don’t quite evoke the feeling of being transported to a different time. It was overly descriptive, and the dialogue was clunky and repetitive. The ending interested me in the next book, but I couldn’t get into it until I threw the myth out of my mind.

AMAZING. INCREDIBLE. WONDERFUL. ASTOUNDING. There are so many words to describe how this was. I desperately need to get my hands on the next story! I loved reading this so much. I could not put this down.

What??? Merlin retelling, where Morgan is fae and has Magic and Arthur is bad and twisted? Oh it okay, I'm so happy that all the books are here and definitly going to buy them

Briar Boleyn had me hooked from the start. Court intrigue, mix of human, Fae, and creatures too gives so much intrigue and interest in this book. I listened to the audio while reading along on my kindle as well.

The book starts in the court giving a little background to Morgan’s life as a princess. It evolves into the action and adventure that pulls you in along with the love interest(s). The detail given is extremely well written and (like I said) had me hooked from the start. This is book 1 of the series and it definitely leaves you on a cliffhanger so make sure you have book 2, Court of Claws, ready to read next!!!

I really tried to push through this book as the blurb and what I had seen of the author posting online it looked like it would be an awesome fantasy read. Unfortunately the book just wasn't for me. I ended up DNFing (did not finish) at 28% as up to that point I was just reading the dialogue trying to push through but just reading the dialogue wasn't enough as how the book was written wasn't written in a tone I enjoy very much, it was very olden day royalty which I personally find quite bland. I am sad that I wasn't able to enjoy this book as it did have many tropes and aspects that I enjoy but I just couldn't get into it. I might try again at a later date.

Thanks to NetGalley fo letting me read this book for free! As of right now you can check this book out on kindle unlimited!
Trigger warning!! There is abuse, death, etc.
Follow Morgan on her journey to find a weapon that will help her kingdom on the brink of a war.
I know a lot of people liked this book and you might but I don’t read like any dark books and I couldn’t get myself to keep reading this. If you like a dark far retelling of Arthurian legend than I think you should give this book a shot

Queen of Roses by Briar Boleyn follows Morgan Pendragon and Kairos Draven in a fantasy/romance twist on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. I was intrigued from the first chapter, though it took me a bit to get into the groove of reading, solely due to the fact that I knew I was reading a book based on Arthurian legend.

I never knew what was going to come next in this book. With every new piece of information I learned, I got more and more engrossed in the story. Before I knew it, I had reached the end. The characters are well written and likable, and I looked forward to seeing their growth.

I am very grateful that book 2 is already out! I cannot wait to see how the story progresses.

You should read this book if you like:
- enemies-to-lovers
- plot twists
- fantasy/fae