An interesting combination of classic fae lore mixed with Native American culture, this audiobook blended the two really well into a fantasy romance with all the drama, death and love triangles! In Rose Petal Grave we follow a grieving Catori as she returns home from university for her mothers funeral, where she discovers the existence of the fae and how her family is involved with them. This is one of my first experiences with an audiobook that I felt truly worked for me. I often find the narrators a tad dull or hard to follow but Stephanie gave the characters each a different voice which helped massively to follow the dialogue. I would definitely recommend this to fans of fantasy who are looking to get into audiobooks but usually struggle with absorbing stories read aloud.

Catori (Cat) is native american, studying in Boston. She returns home for her mum's funeral, and discovers fairies exist and she's a fairy hunter. Low and behold, she gets entangled in this feud between fairies and fairy hunters and a love triangle ensues. Who will she end up with?
The narrator was fantastic. She acted the story, not just read it, and so she made it alive for me.
Cannot wait for the next installment, and I'm going to read the ebooks in the meantime!

This audio was very interesting from the start. It kept my interest and was very easy to follow the story line.

This was my first book read by this author I've heard great things about and I'm glad to say that everything I've heard has been true and I will definitely be reading More.

This was my first book read by this author I've heard great things about and I'm glad to say that everything I've heard has been true and I will definitely be reading other books by the author.

Let me start by saying I am so sad I didn’t know this was a series but I’m also SO excited that it is! The story weaves fae and Native American folklore into modern day in such a beautiful way. I loved all the characters and the relationships we witnessed. I will say it felt like there could have been more for a book 1… I know series always are unfinished book by book but it seems like it could have had more. Overall I was very happy with this.

Ooh I loved this. It was quite different from others I have read and I really enjoyed the change.
The storyline had me eager to know more and I was really gripped and drawn in.
I enjoyed the different characters and the variety of roles they took on.
I will certainly be Interested in the next book in this series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

It honestly took me a bit to get into this one. And there was a lot going on so I felt like I was a step or two behind everything basically the whole way through. But it was still interesting! I was never quite sure who I could trust, which I think was the point. I didn't realize this was a 5 book series (although from looking at it, it seems as if some of the books branch off and follow different characters, which is nice... Well, maybe it's nice. I guess I'll find out as I continue on with the series

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for gifting me an audio book to listen to

First of all, thank you to Netgallery for this review copy

So many thoughts and emotions about this one. Whenever I used to sift through Netgallery, rose petal graves was a book that 99% popped up. So finally, I chose to listen to my very first audiobook form Netgallery!

For me the story synopsis sounded so interesting that I expected the story to start running on land at a much faster pace. The tale does take certain time for the reader to get involved but stays compelling at all times. There are raw emotions described in the book which was a bonus for me. Even when the story is about faeries and fae hunters (a recent favorite story type of mine), it take a different approach to some of the other books revolving the same type. There is a slight parallel to all of the vampire diaries tv series fans here but it’s up-to each individual to determine who fits which role.

Towards the end, I was invested in the story and as the this is the first book in a series of total 5 + those who have kindle unlimited can read the ebook version for free, I will definitively be reading through the series because I want to know what happened with Katori!

Story is as follows:
I wasn't the type of girl who believed in fairytales, much less tales about faeries, but that changed the day the fae walked into my life.
Staying away from my lakeside hometown was the plan, but Mom died suddenly. Dad said she suffered a stroke after she dug up one of the ancient Native American graves in our backyard.
Creepy, I know. Creepier still, there was no corpse inside the old coffin, only fresh rose petals.
As we made preparations for her burial, unnervingly odd and beautiful newcomers poured into my small town. A coroner with emerald eyes and black hair, much too young for the job. An arrogant blond socialite, who lived to get under my skin. And a tattooed Native man, who wasn’t supposed to be alive.
By dying, my mother had inadvertently revived an age-old feud between the fae and the tribe that hunted them.
A feud that was about to tear my world apart.

This book was not for me. I wasn't ready for the fae aspect, which is a trope I am just not into one bit! There was barely any setting, which is a base point of books. The books was too wordy on unnecessary descriptions also, which was annoying! Just an overall mess of a book for me.

I liked the book for the most part. I felt it ended weirdly like it ended too soon? It just left me feeling unsure about if I liked the story, the characters, and the romance. I think I would read the second book because I really liked the word I want a bit more.

The narration was good and I'd listen to the narrator again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Olivia Wildenstein for the Audio-ARC

I really wanted to like this book, but if I wasn't reviewing it, I would not have even finished. I struggled with the story. It was so slow and there was really no action. Maybe I am the wrong audience, but I don't think this is supposed to be ya. There was just a lot of high school like drama. The names were strange and made it hard to keep the characters straight. The world building was bland. I just wanted it to end.

Audiobook Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Overall Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

🌹 Fae
🌹 Native American characters inspired by Ojibwe people (Author is not NA)
🌹 Fae hunters vs Fae
🌹 FMC

So I’m not sure how to feel about this book…

What I love:

💕 This is a Fae world that involves Native American characters. The author provided a disclaimer at the beginning of the book that the Gottwa tribe is fictional, but was inspired by the Ojibwe tribe. Despite the author not being Native American herself, it is nice to see diversity represented in this Fae book. I still strongly advocate to support diverse authors more than just diverse stories.

💕 The concept of this book is fascinating with family secrets, Fae, and Fae hunters.

💕 The audiobook was well done.

What I didn’t like:

❌ The romance in this book was poorly executed. The relationships were not strongly developed throughout the book. One second the female lead hates the main (?) love interest, Cruz, and next second they have feelings for each other? I’m all for enemies to lovers but there was little to no lead up to them having feelings for each other. It all seemed like there was a connection between them but that wasn’t really made clear.

❌ I felt the characters and plot needed more development.

Overall, I still enjoyed listening to the audiobook and I will likely continue the series, especially since it is available on KU.

Rose Petal Graves is the first book of a series of 5, it tells the story of Cat that after her mother dies suddenly she finds out her true origin. She has the company of both a Fairy and a Hunter and she will be divided by the truth each tells.

This book was a bit tragic, you feel the tension of the character and the situation she's in. Tragedy follows her as she is afraid to lose all the people in her life and blames herself for that. The book starts to unravel a universe of rivalries and half-said truths. It amazed me how she believed all the things that a stranger told her and later let to disbelief by another stranger, for someone having a tough and stubborn personality it just didn't seem like something believable. I do want to see her character grow as she is only 19 and I do hope that the love triangle here develops in a good way. I think I am definitely not only recommending this book but also to buy and read the other ones.

Rose Petal Graves Review 2.5

I may have expected too much from this going into it. Reading the description of this book, it ticked many of my boxes. A beautiful book cover, intriguing title, Ancient lore, Fae, magic, a strong female lead and several hot Fae to choose from. Despite all these positives, for me, this story never took off the ground.

After some thought, here's why I couldn't get into the story. The main character wasn't believable. She's introduced as a 19-year-old medical student. It's not possible. High school 18 + 4 years of school; 23ish years old at least.

This wasn't a fast read. The lore definitely kept me reading. I struggled to like our main character throughout the book. She was annoying, confrontational and broody at times but lacked enough common sense to survive. Think about a not so bright girl in a horror movie. This leaves me feeling confused; one can't be very intellectually smart, lack common sense and be emotionally inept. She's easily manipulated and falls for everything. There is self growth by the end. Though it was too late for me. I didn't care for insta-romance either.

I believe a younger adult audience would be better suited to this title. My younger self would overlook what irritated me. I won't be continuing with the series and I'm a little sad about it. I really like the premise of the book.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an audio book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

I loved the premise, the cover and the title... the overall story not so much. If you love fae and insta-love then this may be the book for you. The lore in the story was interesting and I wish you got more, but I'm sure since this is first book you'll eventually get it throughout the other books in the series. But the lore is definitely the highlight for me and that's pretty much what kept me reading. The main character was annoying and apparently can fall for anyone and everyone at the drop of a hat no matter how long she has or hasn't known them and I felt that she was selfish with those that were closest to her. At the end it was ok but I won't be continuing with the series.

Rating 2.8/5 Stars

Catori was not the type of girl to believe in fairytales, regardless of what her mother told her growing up. Though, that changed the day after her mother died, when the fae came into her life. Growing up in north-eastern Michigan along the coast of Lake Michigan, Catori is a descendent of the Gottowa peoples, a long dead tribe and the enemies of the fae. It seemed as if her mother’s death had triggered an age-old battle between the two rivals.

I’m going to start with the fact that the author has made the statement saying that the “Gottowa Tribe” is a made-up tribe “loosely based” on the Anishinaabe or Ojibwe people. She claims to have made up this tribe so she did not anger Native Americans by writing about their culture. Well, as an Ojibwe woman myself, if there’s anything that offends me, it is the fact that she did indeed make up a tribe based on my people, and didn’t have the gall to properly research them or their beliefs. Along with the made up tribe, there is a made up language “loosely” based on the Anishinaabemowin language, a language that was lost to my family because of white people, but that’s besides the point. Let’s just say that the whole “Native American” element here is poorly researched and not only makes the author look foolish but it kind of makes the book well, not as great as it could have been.

I also want to know why nobody has mentioned anything about this poorly researched and fictional tribe.

The next topic I want to hit is the fact that this takes place in Michigan. I received this book in Audiobook format from Netgalley- A huge thanks to them and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. If you’re going to make a story take place in a state like Michigan, you’re going to have to do extensive research on what coastal towns in Michigan are like, especially those with a Native population. Moreso, research into the dialect would have been nice. Listening to the narrator pronounce and butcher names of cities like Traverse City and even call shopping carts “trolleys” (Not what they’re called in Michigan by the way!) At least look into the local dialect because the dialect in Michigan is a lot different than say, the dialect in New York.

I would also like to touch base on how flat the characters are. Catori is so flat and boring. She’s angry and I get that. She wanted to leave her hometown and escape and was dragged back all because her now dead mom decided she wanted to mess with her dead descendants. Yeah, I get it, but at least try to give the girl some personality. Catori is about as bad to read as Bella from Twilight. Though, should’ve seen that coming as the author describes this book as “Twilight but with fairies”. To me it seems like Kajik is the most complex character in the story, and I believe that party to be because he has a part of Blake in him.

I will admit that towards the end I became a bit more intrigued. Honestly, part of me wants to continue on with the series. Though, another larger part of me wants to shove this book away and pretend that I’ve not read it. I know for sure that if I do plan on continuing the series, that I will not be purchasing this book, and if I do choose to finish them out, it will honestly be due to pure curiosity, not that I really found this book all too enjoyable. There was just too much wrong about it that would allow me to truly enjoy the book. Like I said, I did enjoy the concept and towards the end I got a bit curious- mostly because I don’t like things being unfinished- but there’s so much wrong with this book that it’s kind of disgusting.

I got this book as an audiobook from Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and views of this book are my own.

Rose Petal Graves by Olivia Wildenstein is a blend of Native American History and legend with fantasy. The story begins when Catori returns home to help her dad deal with the sudden loss of her mother. The day she arrives home the new medical examiner Cruz arrives as well. Soon after, Catori begins to see things others don't. As she questions why her mother dug up one of their ancestor's graves, Catori finds a book. It is about her ancestors and the legends that surrounded them. She starts to wonder if there might be some truth behind the legends. When a strange relative shows up at the funeral Cruz admits he's a Fairy and Catori is from an ancient line of hunters. He proceeds to tell her the odd relative is the body from the grave. Catori finds herself in the middle of a centuries-old battle and not knowing who to trust, all she wants is to find out the truth behind her mother's death and have life go back to normal.

I enjoyed the fast pace of the book.
There is never a dull moment keeping characters and readers on their toes. The use of Native American legend lends to a unique backstory between Fairies, humans, and hunters. The characters are relatable and their interactions are natural. As Wildenstein continues throughout the book to reveal twists and turns that relate to the past Fairies and Hunters as well as the present readers quickly discover not all is what it seems.u

As much as I enjoyed the fast pace of the book I wish there would have been a little more interaction between Catori and Cruz, their relationship feels rushed. Almost like we're missing something that better explains the shift from friends to more. Additionally I wish there would have been more about the history of the Hunters…I cannot help wondering what happened to the spirit or God that created the hunters and helped them…he just let them go to sleep and there is nothing else from him? I feel like there is something missing like either we should see some type of interaction on his/its part or an explanation of why there isn't. I also wonder about Fairies and their interaction with humans before this time and did Fairies only live in North America. I mean there are NO other hunters so I can't help but wonder. There are more books in the series so maybe they will answer some of my questions.

Despite my issues, I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I love the story and Native American myths and legends spin on it. I enjoyed trying to figure out the truth with Catori about what happened to her mother and Wildenstein definitely kept me guessing with half truth and more revealed later moments.

I would recommend this book to young adults and up. There is some adult content in that a few people die. Additionally if suicide is a trigger I would not suggest this book as it is a topic on a few occasions. I think fans of fantasy, myths, and legends would definitely enjoy this book most. There is a little romance but nothing steamy.

I thought that I would like this book because of the magical and fairy elements, but I, unfortunately, lost interest very quickly. The story moved a little faster than I was expecting it to, and there were romantic elements that felt out of place. I think the story would have flowed much better if the main character wasn't trying to kiss every male she came across. There was also a slight theme of cheating, which also felt out of place and uncomfortable for the storyline. I think that the rest of the books in this story should focus more on the plot and less on the main character's love triangle.

This story could be exceptional, it just needs to be a little more focused and captivating. As it is, I was never truly pulled into the story, so I couldn't connect to the characters, and I found myself rushing through it just to be done with it.

The audio quality was good and I quite liked the narrator. I actually saw that the book was available on kindle unlimited so I switched between the two but found myself enjoying the audiobook more!

Unfortunately the book itself just wasn’t for me. It started out well and I thought I was going to really like it but it fell flat by the middle. I just didn’t like or care about the characters so for me personally it’s hard to stay interested when that happens.

The Native American legends were an interesting twist to a fae story, one I haven’t seen before.

As I said the book just wasn’t for me in the end so I won’t be continuing with the series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.