So this is a little bit of a mixed one for me. I’ll start with the things I loved about this book because I did really enjoy it. I absolutely loved the FMC Ella, she has so much personality and she’s really funny. I love how she doesn’t just take what everyone throws at her and she sticks up for herself. I love how she treats Kellen the MMC in the first half of the book. I did really like Kellen too, it’s a classic enemies to lovers which is my favourite trope and he does make a really good enemy. I loved the plot too, it’s something I’ve not come across before so it was very refreshing to read something new. Without giving too much away I loved the relationship between Kellen and Freya (Ella’s dog) it added a really nice touch to the story and it also made me giggle quite a bit. The reasons for me giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is during the last half of the book I found at times certain things to become repetitive, for example, there was a lot of crying from all the characters, it seems as though every time the FMC and the MMC exchanged kind words to each other they both ended up crying which I found unrealistic given the way the world works where they are is all about not showing weakness and being strong on the outside etc, I feel as though it would of been a lot more powerful if there was one big declaration of love and the tears happened then. I loved the twins so much they’re really great characters although I do feel as though it would of made more sense to make them older as they just seemed a little too mature for 12 year olds, it felt like I was reading adult characters. When the enemies became lovers I also feel like the 2 main characters lost their personalities especially Kellen, we only really see him declaring his love in the second half of the book rather than his sarcastic dry humor that is in the first half. The monologues between the characters were really well written and really poetic but at times I felt they were just a little too long to flow properly. That being said I did enjoy this book a lot and would recommend and I will be picking up the next book if there is one.

This was a well-written, exciting, slow-building romantic and action-packed read, and I'll continue to follow this author and recommend her novels.

A perfect combination of fantasy and academia!!!

When I first saw the tropes for this book I was immediately sold. An enemies to lovers with a sexy, broody professor in a fantasy setting? Yes, please 🙌🏻

I try to avoid referring to the plot in my reviews as I want them to be as spoiler free as possible. All I’m gonna say is get ready for a story about a human school counsellor who gets magically transported to a different dimension and has to find her place in an academy where magical beings hate humans (especially a certain sexy professor who wants to make her life hell 🙄).

I simply loved the FMC! She was so empathetic with a great personality who truly wanted to support the students even if the cards were stacked against her. Recently, I’ve mostly read about extremely badass FMCs (which I also love ♥️) but it was a nice change to have a main character who was a bit softer and vulnerable but still strong and fierce.

And the MMC is my favourite kind 🥵🥵🥵 broody, cold and an asshole and I swear I’ll never get tired of it 😂

Their relationships is a slow burn and I ate up every second of it!!! The tension was dripping of the pages and I love how naturally their relationship progressed.

The book is quite long, around 500 pages, so there were some slower moments but honestly I kinda love that in books. Sometimes it truly helps us get to know the characters better and truly connect with their world 🫶🏻

I definitely recommend it to all fantasy romance lovers 🌹

The tropes include:

🥀 academy setting
🥀 enemies to lovers
🥀 slow burn
🥀 shifters
🥀 found family
🥀 mental health rep

This book is the PERFECT read for any enemies to lovers fan. I mean a true true enemies to lovers story here. So much so that for me, I hated so many of the characters to ever move on. But I think that’s what makes the book so fantastic and what stands out among other reads. Shinder isn’t afraid to ruffle a little feathers and cause tension and hate early on which really sets the book up well for that redemption arc in the friendships and romance storyline.
I appreciated the huge emphasis on mental health and caring for others- something I am very passionate about myself.
The only reason this isn’t higher stars for me is because it was my personal cup of tea, particularly the first 30% where there is a lot of bullying, hate, and ostracizing. It was hard to read, but again absolutely bold move and made the rest of the story play out in such a beautiful way.
It did move a bit slower than some of my other recent reads which I actually appreciated because so often authors rely on quick plot to get through the book. This story really hooked you into the micro level day to day conversations and care of a human trapped at a school in another realm and how this plays out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Azala Press for the ARC copy of Bleeding Rose.

I absolutely loved this book. I struggled to put it down and I am so excited to read more.

I absolutely adore Noella, Kellen and the twins.

The slow burn, enemies to lovers, found family, touch her and die and the amazing characters in this novel made it such a memorable read for me.

I will definitely be picking up a physical copy of this book when it is released.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC copy!

This was my favorite read of the year.

Ella was such a wonderful counselor and has an even greater personality. Lose your morals, Ella! It's time for a super steamy teacher x teacher romance. I felt like it was a little slow in some places, but it was such a fast read.

Touch her and die
SHIFTERS
found family

I also absolutely loved the twins. They were so darn cute and accepting of Ella.

Hopefully there's a second book, the cliffhanger at the end killed me! I hope we get to read more from Ella and Kellen.

"Bleeding Rose" by Kyla Shinder is a hauntingly beautiful novel that weaves together elements of dark romance and intense drama. The story follows a protagonist navigating a world of emotional and physical challenges, where love and pain intertwine in unexpected ways. Shinder’s writing is evocative and lyrical, drawing readers into a compelling narrative filled with rich, multidimensional characters. The novel's exploration of love, loss, and redemption makes it a powerful and memorable read for those who appreciate deep, emotional storytelling.

I give this book a 5⭐️ rating and here’s why! This book was everything I loved wrapped into one book: there was slow burn, enemies to lovers, he falls first and become obsessed with her, mental health advocation, dragons, and of course a little bit of smut! I absolutely loved this book with my whole heart to the point where I want the next book immediately in my hands right now! This book was so well written, it had me living in this world and not wanting to come out of it, it was an amazing experience to be able to dive into another world and absolutely love every second of it! I formed connections with these characters and fall in love with this world, amazing! I 100% recommend this book to everyone!

So I finished this book last night after I couldn’t put it down, I loved how the writer described the world and the difference between the dimensions of the worlds! Now the enemies to lovers I loved this role in this story but you defs need to read this story you won’t be disappointed!

Wow I loved this book. Loved the setting, magic and main characters. Noelle and Kellen stole my heart. And, the ending yes! Can not wait for more.

Oh, I can't wait to see more of Ella and Kellen.

This is a wonderful concept with the plot being about a human who is tricked into being bond by her work in another dimension. There is a magic system that was relatively easy to follow. The world building was good, but I am hopefully that it will continue to be more detailed and indepth with the sequels.

I loved Ella's resilience and attitude. She was a relatable character. I enjoyed her relationships with her friend and her sister. The love relationship in this book is a sloow burn, and at times I was frustrated with them, but was a start.

I was able to predict the overall vigger plot twist but the events leading up to them were captivating. This book overall was enjoyable and entertaining.

First thank you, Azala Press and NetGalley, for giving me an advanced copy of this book.

Bleeding Rose is a unique story full of vivid imagery and beautifully written prose.

I love that there is a map and a pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book. It makes imagining the academy and reading the names much easier.

Noella Rose, who goes by Ella, is a human school counselor at an academy full of fairytale creatures called Primordials. In fact, she's the only human in all of Cavale, bound by a contract created under false pretenses. Students and teachers alike treat her like she is a lesser being (because they're taught to believe she is), and Ella has come to expect almost everything that they throw at her. She is determined to help the students of Delmarth and to survive every day remaining in her contract, so she accepts their nearly unbearable treatment in order to do so. She's an inspiration and a badass throughout this story.

Kellen Kilic is an instructor at Delmarth, and Ella's number one enemy. He slings verbal insults at her in passing, and occasionally to her fave. He can't stand her, mostly because she's human. He's all fire and rage, pressing her buttons as much as he can. He's determined to get rid of her by any means necessary.

Knowing that her job is to help the students handle their emotions, he reluctantly calls on her when a student of his is having a panic attack. That student happens to be a dragon shifter who may or may not attempt to unalive Ella, and Kellen can't help but smirk at the idea.

The banter between them is sexy as hell. Every shot Kellen takes, Ella matches it with her own wit. She doesn't back down, and fights him tooth and nail to prove that she can help and that she does belong at Delmarth, at least for the next 9 months. The slow burn with them is fire. I loved every moment of it.

There are some characters that I absolutely hate, and others I adore. I don't want to go into detail about them, but both help to build this world that Ella is thrust into, and they shape her into the woman she must become, whether she likes it or not.

Tropes:

Enemies to lovers, slow burn, found family, touch her and die, spicey, forced proximity, mental health rep, grumpy/sunshine.

First of all, thank you Azala Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this amazing book Bleeding Rose by Kyla Shinder.

Fav Tropes:
- Enemies to Lovers
- (kinda) Found Family
- Touch her you die
- Slow burn

Spice Level:
🌶️🌶️/5
- Somewhat easy to skip if you’re a spice avoider like me.

Characters:
- Obsessed with them all.
- Noella Rose (FMC) has such determination that I envy.
- Even the side characters have so much personality.

Review:
This book definitely can be a hit or miss for some readers.

The plot and concept really held my attention but there were some moments where I struggled to pick up the book. I also struggled to put the book down at some points because of some gems (specifically the witty banter between MMC & FMC).

I really enjoyed the introductory to the world. Delmarth Academy was described proficiently and characters backstories were spaced out thoroughly. However, I feel like there could’ve been more world building. I really wanted to know how their world differed from our world (what they call the Earthly Plane). Like, how does their food differ? Any intriguing weather patterns? Social standards?

I did guess the plot twist pretty quickly into the book (not that there is anything wrong with that).

My only real complaint was how long the book spanned (500 pages?). Some of the plot points could’ve been cut shorter. I feel like some of it dragged on but It didn’t bother me enough to DNF it.

Overall, I enjoyed this read and I am very grateful to have been an ARC reader. I’m looking forward to the continuation in the future

I actually don’t have words for this book! It was so amazing, it left me gobsmacked.

Ella is just the strongest most caring FMC I have ever read as, I aspired to be as patient and wise as her.

As a teacher myself, I adored reading an academy novel from the other perspective!

Kellen was just to die for. A true enemies to lovers.

The plot just didn’t stop surprising me, it left me guessing the whole time.

This is my first 5 star read in a very long time! I cannot wait for number two!

2.75.

I had mixed feelings about this book, which was engaging at times but also dragged in others. One of my main disappointments was the lack of world-building. Despite being set in a different dimension, the setting felt eerily similar to Earth, with only the addition of gods, shifters, and other supernatural elements. I was expecting a more immersive fantasy experience, but it didn't quite deliver.
The dialogue sometimes felt stilted and robotic, while some of the monologues seemed like they could have been written by an AI. The constant modern references also pulled me out of the story. However, the characters did have their moments, and I enjoyed the slow-burn romance and enemies-to-lovers trope.

The female main character (FMC) was a highlight, as she stood her ground despite being treated poorly. The male main character's (MMC) relationship with his siblings was also a beautiful and well-executed aspect of the story. However, the character-driven focus of the book felt unbalanced, and I missed the usual fantasy elements that I've come to expect from the genre.

Unfortunately, the plot's predictability was another major letdown. As the story progressed, I found myself anticipating every twist and turn, and my predictions were consistently correct. The climax, in particular, felt overly convenient and lacked any real tension or surprise. Unfortunately, the book's shortcomings outweighed its strengths for me. The pacing was slow, and the plot felt foggy at times. I usually don't abandon a series, but I'm hesitant to continue with this one. If you're a romance fan, you might enjoy this book more, but as a fantasy reader, I was left underwhelmed.

I want to start off my review but saying that I absolutely love there is a Pronunciation guild for the names. I sometimes struggle with how to pronounce the names of the characters I read. So this was a huge bonus.
Right off the bat i imagined a set up kind of like nevermoore. (The Netflix show Wednesday) I absolutely loved that. The detail of characters and emotions was top notch. I loved this book from start to finish. And to say again. I loved that I could refer back to the beginning of the book to make sure I was saying the name correctly.
I cannot wait for the next part!!
The cover of the book is absolutely stunning and is what caught my eye to begin with.

First thank you, Azala Press and NetGalley, for giving me an advanced copy of this book!

— there is GENUINE healing and mental heath rep in the whole of this book. if that is not a theme you would seek out, this book likely isn’t for you —

Tropes/Themes:
• Gods/Goddesses
• Found Family
• Spicy
• Mental Health Rep
• Dark Themes
• Forced Proximity

Rating: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World building: 4.5/5
Spice: 2.5/5
Lore: 4.5/5

My review comes with the caveat that this is the first book of a series so the questions I don’t have answers to are because of that and I don’t knock stars off for that.

Review:
— This book is perfect for those who love romantasy and love the enemies to lovers trope (biggggg emphasis on enemies). The book is about our human FMC Noella Rose, who is brought to the world of Cavale under false pretenses and is stuck in another realm for an entire year, to be the counselor for the beings who live in Cavale — the Primordials.

Her main goal: survive; while also trying to stay alive and provide mental health support and guidance to the students of Delmarth. In the world of Cavale, humans are the ones who are the absolute worst beings to ever exist. They’re slow, without power, emotional, gross, etc. The Primordials despise them and she is the ONLY one in the entire realm and she’s stuck with all of them, for a whole year. This gets her beaten and threatened, and from one person in particular — Kellen Kilic the of heads of the Varmin department.

Kellen Kilic is our MMC, and about as stone cold as you can possibly imagine. He is abrasive, angry, intelligent, quick, and without emotion. He is our dragon shifter (which..swoon) and boy does he love to hate Noella. Her presence angers him and he spends his time trying to find ways to get her to quit and leave Cavale. He believes she taints the realm and her existence is a mockery of their realm. But thanks to the lovely micro trope of a little forced proximity — Kellen may discover that the human he’s forced to see everyday, mayyy not be that bad? Just maybe. And maybe he thinks about her a little bit - sometimes - okay all the time. But he still HATES her..right(?)

For those who love found family, this is your book. Josefyn and Akio, are by far my absolute favorite side characters. They’re beautiful, kind hearted, loving people who offer so much support and love for Noella where everyone else hates her. They give her a safe space to be herself, and are there to pick her up when she can’t do it herself. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. More of them PLEASE 😭

We see Noella and Kellen go through so much together, from horrible interactions to respectful ones to loving ones. They’re forced to work together, but end up being a formidable duo. They feel a force that always keeps them unintentionally coming back for more, and the slow drip of information they reveal while uncovering why they’re so drawn together, is one that creates more questions than answers.

Overview:
— I absolutely LOVED this book and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I share a lot of the same kind of trauma as our FMC Noella. She is NOT your typical FMC in the way that her strength is described. Her strength is her mind and her ability to read people given her training AND her experiences in life. She is soft, loving, caring, hopeful, but strong, determined, witty, and so incredibly intelligent. I love her to pieces.

Kellen? I love him too. The way he unraveled and laid his heart and soul bare for Noella was something I’ve NEVER seen done this way and I love that he was written to have emotional scenes. I think it’s so important to show men have these moments and it’s OKAY. They are raw and real and I just can’t express how much I love them. He learns that there is strength aside from the physical kind and that it doesn’t make him less than.

I’d read it again. I will absolutely be suffering until book 2 comes out but until then, 5/5 for Bleeding Rose!

I rated this book 4 stars because I loved the story. The characters are immaculate, the plot is fantastic, the storyline is so good. I recommend everyone to read this book.

3 ☆/5☆!

This book was enjoyable and has potential. The plot is interesting (a human bound by contract to counsel kids and teenagers at a magical school filled with creatures that don’t value emotions) and I zoomed through the first half. The banter and romance was very Zodiac Academy esque. But the POVs need some work. POVs titled one character would switch between the other, a bit messily. Additionally the book suffers a bit of telling and not showing at times. But the concept is so cool. The main character using counseling skills to deal with Herculean strength weilder’s anger, or telepathic teenagers anxiety, or a dragon shapeshifter’s depression was intriguing and unique! The romance in the beginning was cute and had me zooming through, but the second half was insanely mushy…

I will possibly read book two, as I want to know what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publishers and for the ARC in trade for an honest review!

Enemies to lovers? Check! Slow burn? Check! Spicy? Check! This book has everything you’d expect in a dark romance. I wanna be like Noelle Rose when i grow up…. No, but seriously. This FMC is so resilient, empowering, and strong. Can’t wait for the next book! This is definitely going on my trophy shelf.