This book either had too much happening or not enough. I'm a #1 fan of romantic fantasy, but the romance was really lacking in this one. I seem to be in the minority here, but I couldn't stand Clay. I personally began hoping that the romance would be with Dimitri because I liked him better than any other male character. I liked Thea enough but honestly just felt bad for her the whole time. Memory loss, being stuck around the most toxic people, and feeling the responsibility to repopulate her realm?? I'm grateful to have received this ARC, but I did not enjoy this as much as I'd hoped. There were many times I considered DNF'ing. Thank you Netgalley.

A girl with no past. A god’s power in her blood. A prince who might be her ruin or her only chance.

The Rose in the Shadows is magical and addictive. Theadora is the last Descendant of the God of the Dead, and her journey is packed with secrets, court politics, and slow burn tension. Think high stakes, sharp twists, and a heroine you can’t help but root for.

This was like stepping into a dark fairytale. The prose was dreamy and poetic, and the love story had that aching, fated feel I adore. Some of the pacing was a bit uneven, but I didn’t mind — I was too busy being swept away by the atmosphere.

Oh my goodness, this book was absolutely amazing! I’ve never read this author before, but she blew me away with this book. This was a dark fantasy with some of my favorite tropes in it…enemies to lovers, forbidden love, amnesia, slow burn, and forced proximity. This was one of the rare books that hooked me from the very first page, a story that just wouldn’t let go.

Theadora is the female main character who shows up right away, with strong powers and absolutely no memory of who she is and where she came from. She doesn’t understand the powers she has or why she has them, or how to control them, she doesn’t know where she is, she doesn’t even know how she got there…she just seemed to come to herself in the middle of town, naked, using powers she couldn’t control. If that’s not a beginning that piques your interest, I don’t know what will!

And then you have Clayton, the male main character, who is the Crown Prince of Athenia. He’s a Descendant of Zion, King of Gods. And oh yeah…he can turn into a dragon! I do love dragons! 🔥

They realize right away that Thea is a Descendant of Hyrax, God of the Dead, and the twin brother of Zion. The House of Hyrax is a “dead house”, with the last documented member of that house dying years earlier. There is bad blood between Zion and Hyrax, a long standing rivalry between brothers. Thea is warned that a son of Zion will never love a daughter of Hyrax, and she should stay away from Clayton.

So there is mystery and suspense, and twists and turns, thru the whole book. It doesn’t take long at all before Thea is targeted, someone trying very hard to kill her. She is trying to learn how to wield her powers as quickly as she can, on top of trying to learn how she got there, trying to learn who’s trying to permanently get rid of her, learning court politics and having no idea who she can trust. It’s a fast paced, non stop action romance, that I couldn’t get enough of. I was so sad to see it come to an end, especially considering the cliffhanger it ends on! I absolutely can’t wait for the next book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy romances!

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

An unknown woman arrives in Athenia amidst a magical maelstrom. Once conscious she cannot remember anything about herself, where she comes from or the magical powers she seems to have acquired and that she struggles to control. Crown Prince Clayton (Clay), heir to the King, can transform into a dragon, and makes it his mission to find out all he can about this fascinating and powerful female.

It's uncovered that Thea is a Descendant and a powerful one. A descendent from a line of god's long thought extinct. As the sole occupant of the House Hyrax, the God of the Underworld, Thea needs to prove her mastery of her powers, whilst learning all she can about this land and dodging the grasp of slimy power hungry figures.

This is mainly a single POV story with the first and last chapters told from the perspective of her new friends/allies. There is a great mix of action, adventure and fantasy and romance. The pantheon of gods are well depicted and I felt there was more than enough information for me to flesh out their backgrounds and politics.

The world building was crafted really well and there were plenty of themes which resonate with real world politics. There was certainly something very POTUS like with Vyncent! There is a romance strand to the story but it doesn't take over or get in the way of the fantasy side of the book. Clay is very much a man who loves women and is a great balance of confidence and taking charge without being oppressive.

There were a few great scenes throughout the book and my brain still flips to a certain balcony scene!

The Pantheon follows along with the ancient Greek Pantheon so it made it quite easy to follow and as I'm a big mythology fan I felt at home really quickly in this world.

The characters are well depicted and had enough backstory that they didn't feel flat. Iris especially was a great secondary character. I did have a tear or two throughout this book as some of my fave characters didn't make it to the end. The big bad was kind of obvious from the start and I did identify them quite early on but I did wobble a bit after some revelations but I claim victory anyway!

Great story, amazing characters. It’ll keep you hooked from the first page. 100% recommend this book

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!
First, I just want to say how much I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest in the series!

This story was enthralling dark fantasy that blends court intrigue with magical elements. It follows Thea, whose life takes an unexpected turn when Prince Clayton Vail pushes her into the dangerous world of court politics. It unfolds into a tale of survival, power, and the precarious nature of trust in a world where magic and politics intertwine.

The character dynamics, especially between Thea and Prince Clayton, drive the story forward with just the right amount of tension. Thea stands out as a strong female lead character whose journey from survival to self-discovery forms the emotional core of the novel. Each supporting character also adds layers to the complex political landscape of the story.

I give this book a 4/5 stars. Easy to loose yourself in it and read it in a day!

This one had been sitting on my TBR for over a year, long overdue—and wow, I’m glad I finally picked it up. It started off a bit messy, and I’ll admit, I really need to start checking for amnesiac FMCs before diving in because that trope usually isn't my thing.

But!!! This one took the cake. The Dragon’s cruelty had me genuinely worried for Thea at times. I went into this fully expecting not to enjoy it, but to say I liked it would be an understatement—I devoured it in less than a day.

Now I’m both scared and excited to dive into the sequel.

This debut romantasy novel was fantastic! I enjoyed the world building and how it was presented little by little as you read! The characters were so well developed and the growth over the course of the story for the FMC was so well written! I was hooked from the first moment I picked it up, & could not put it down. This book does leave on a cliffhanger and I can't wait for book 2 to come out to see Thea and Clay's relationship evolve.

The Rose in the Shadows completely swept me off my feet. I picked it up thinking I’d get a dark fairytale vibe, but what I got was so much more—heartache, healing, slow-burn tension, and a romance that made me feel everything.

Thea was such a beautifully written main character. I loved how strong and determined she was, but also how deeply human she felt. She wasn’t afraid to feel things, to fight for what mattered to her, and I found myself constantly rooting for her. And Clay?? Ugh, my brooding dragon shifter. He had this quiet strength and softness to him that completely undid me. Their dynamic was so tender and intense, and the way their connection grew had me kicking my feet like an unhinged book gremlin.

The plot had just the right amount of twists to keep me hooked, and the pacing was spot on. Every chapter added something meaningful, and I was so emotionally invested I may or may not have gasped out loud a few times.

Also—the side characters?? I adored them all. They added so much heart and depth to the story without ever feeling like background noise. I have to say, Rankor completely stole my heart. Every scene with him was a little highlight for me.

This book felt like it was written for romantasy lovers—if you crave a bit of angst, a lot of heart, slow-burn magic, and characters who genuinely feel like they live beyond the page, this one’s for you.

Solid 5 stars. I already want to reread it and can’t wait for book 2

I loved this book. The ups and downs it has was intense and I cannot wait to dive in to book 2! Definitely recommend for those that love fantasy!

5 Stars – A Gripping, Romantic Fantasy That Had Me Hooked

The Rose in the Shadows by Arcadia Rayne was an absolute page-turner from beginning to end. I was thoroughly engaged throughout—completely swept up in the tension, the banter, and the slow-burn forbidden romance that sizzled on every page. The stakes were high, the battles intense, and the betrayals hit hard in all the right ways.

Arcadia Rayne does a fantastic job balancing action with emotion, creating characters you root for and relationships you can’t help but get invested in. The world-building was rich without being overwhelming, and every twist kept me on edge.

I’m already counting down the days until book two—I need more!

I enjoyed the storytelling and the politics!

I felt for Thea as she has to navigate losing her memories and learning about the world and the mystery surrounding her situation. The relationship she has with Iris is precious but I didn't really feel invested in her relationship with Clay, it didn't seem like a healthy one and I wished he was more kinder to her but he came off very abrasive with no reason.

WOW!
My first title from this author and now I cant wait to dive into the rest of the books!
This was an such an easy read! The plot, banter and the tension between Thea and Clay was so good!
Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC

Theodora shows up at Athenia lost, confused and with uncontrollable powers. She is finally subdued by Clay, the Crown Prince and Kent who is a warrior and mermaid. She is told that the symbols on her breastbone belong to a long lost ancient family, the House of Hyrax, God of the Dead. They are all descendants of Gods and therefore have their own special powers. As Thea begins to learn about herself and her powers, she will see how life at court works and how she may not like it. All the power struggle, the politics, the lies and the plotting will make Thea reconsider her position there. After several attempts on her life and her developing feelings for Prince Clay, Thea will have to figure out how to control her powers and find out who wants her dead.

The Rose In The Shadows is a great fantasy story with strong characters, magnificent world building and a love story that I can't wait to read more about!

Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing!

“This court will challenge you, but you can never let them see you cry. Strength is sometimes noticed, but weakness is never forgotten.”

This is the first book I’ve read by Arcadia Raine and I can assure you it won’t be the last, because holy shiet. This world building? Amazing. The characters? Lovely.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly and devoured it within DAYS. I’m such a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope, and bonus points when an author sprinkles in a lil one bed trope. 🤭

Overall, I enjoyed this so much and I’m counting down the days until I can get my hands on book two.

This is a very intricate and detail oriented book. It's written very well and is very plot driven. The court politics are VERY heavy which is a bit difficult for me to get through. However; the relationships and action around the politics were interesting enough to keep me entertained. My only major critique is that the characters themselves felt flat the stories and relationships were not but the personalities themselves were lacking to me. Overall I liked it, I didn't love it but it was a baseline good fantasy book.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ARC Review ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

This romantasy by Arcadia Rayne checks all of the boxes of a great romantasy. The story begins with an attack on the kingdom, and then we’re thrown into the POV of our main character, Thea. Thea has no memories of her past, but she contains the mark of Hyrax, god of the Underworld. She is the last known descendant of Hyrax. The story continues from there and develops beautifully as we watch Thea grow and learn more about who she is and who she wants to be. This story has so many of our favorite romantasy tropes. One bed, “who did this to you?”, found family, untold power, forbidden love, slow burn romance. All of the great tropes we love to kick our feet over. This story was a 5 star read for me and I can’t wait to read the next installment.

This story does contain some SA, so be mindful of your triggers when diving into it.

Thank you to Arcadia Rayne, Victory Editing, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fun and twisted story for sure. With no memory, but proof of her former life, we go through with the main character as she tries to find her way without those memories. Not knowing who to trust or what information is true, each decision weighs heavily.

The Rose in the Shadows was one of those books that pleasantly surprised me on many levels. When I first started reading it I felt somewhat sceptical... but after a couple of chapters I found myself hooked!.

The story had many layers of magic, politics and character growth which really does capture your attention entirely. I enjoyed this read!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.