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.

Wow, just WOW. I first picked up this book because I was very intrigued by the premise, despite never having read a fantasy book in my life. It did not disappoint, I quite literally could not put it down. I love a good enemies to lovers slow burn that has me on the edge of my seat, just waiting for something to happen between them. It had a lot of twists and turns, and I did cry multiple times. It holds up and is definitely worth the read, I’m already anxiously awaiting the sequel. I definitely will be buying the physical copy once she releases, I need a book trophy, that’s how much I adore Noella and Kellen.

Thanks, NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

I have never felt so giddy in a long time from reading a book. About 40% end I could honestly predict what would happen and that there would be a second book. The world of Cavale is exciting and it helps that the two main characters were likable. I like that the book had a dual POV. It was easy to follow along and to read.

My ratings (out of five):
Worldbuilding: 5 (It was subtle and well placed, not thrown at you)
Romance: 5 (THE TROPESSS)
Smut: 3 (It honestly could've been done without it in my opinion)
Writing: 4.5 (It fell off in some places but specifically more towards the end)

If you love Dramione, Percy Jackson, and My Lady Jane this is the book for you. I honestly cannot wait for the sequel! Because once this book becomes available to buy I will be the first one in line.

This book was everything, a true enemies to lovers romantasy, slow burn with spice, touch her and die, found family, etc. I absolutely LOVED this book and will be reading it again and again. Even though it hit all the tropes, the banter between our main characters was my favorite part of the entire thing. The FMC, Noelle Rose, is a total bad*ss who despite the constant put downs and hate, perseveres and rises against all the challenges of being human thrown into a world that was taught to despise her because of what she is.

There was a bit of a plot twist right at the end, though I had a feeling - especially after about 70% of the book as to what it might be and it was fantastic. I really am looking forward to what happens in the next book!!!

This book is an absolute gem of enchanting romance and fantastical drama! It is a wild ride full of magic and heart. I specifically love the way their romance unfolds; in a way that’s both heartwarming, seductive and intense. But, what essentially makes this book a favourite is how it beautifully combines magical intrigue with raw emotional depth. Watching Noella and Kellen navigate their tumultuous feelings while confronting their own vulnerabilities is incredibly compelling. The chemistry between them is electric, and their journey from antagonism to a profound connection is masterfully done. I adore reading it.