
Roses & Ruin by Hazel Cross
Genre:
Vampires, Contemporary, Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Supernatural, Paranormal Romance, Netgalley
Publication Date:
September 1, 2026
Page Numbers:
320
Read/Finished Date:
May 17th, 2026
Rating:
3/5
Premise:
A steamy paranormal YA romance with deadly stakes for a new generation of Twilight and Vampire Academy readers.
A few years ago, Rose was in an accident that nearly claimed her life. In the chaos of that night, a mysterious boy pulled her from the brink of death, then vanished before anyone else could see him. No one believes he was there. But Rose knows the truth.
When Rose moves across the country for college, she’s expecting a fresh start, one that’s not haunted by the memories of this mysterious stranger. But then she sees him. Hayden. He’s cold and distant and claims he wasn’t there that night. Yet Rose can’t shake the pull she feels toward him. She pursues him, daring him to reject her. Daring him to explain himself.
That’s when she learns the Hayden is a vampire. And the bond between them goes deeper than the night he saved her life. Fate has woven their paths together, and no matter how hard they fight, it refuses to let them go. But loving Hayden may come at a cost…one that could destroy them both.
Review:
A few years ago, while walking home from a party, Rose was hit by a car, but a beautiful boy saved her. Unfortunately, no one believes her, and she keeps the secret until she sees him again at Payen University.
I’m really on the fence with this book. I was expecting something quite suspenseful. Something that would make me hang on and draw me into the world. It did not do any of that. The book was a little predictable, so I had to skip a few pages here and there. Characters felt a bit flat. The world-building was there, but it seemed to lack something, and the plot was predictable.
Thank you, Netgally, the author, and the publisher for the chance to read this novel.