Roses & Ruin

by Hazel Cross

A steamy paranormal YA romance with deadly stakes for a new generation of Twilight and Vampire Academy readers.

A year 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 memory of this mysterious stranger. But then she sees 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 truth about who—or what—Hayden really is, and that 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.

Genres: Romance, Vampires, Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Paranormal, Supernatural

352 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 1, 2026

Reviews

[₊ ˚ ale ࿓ ♡ ⋆｡˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

‎ ‎ ‎ ⌗‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ──🦇🍋‍🟩🐈‍⬛ᝰ .ᐟ read.
i knew what i was getting myself into when i requested the arc. and gods, i was entertained. a bit way too YA for me, but, enjoyable nonetheless.
RTC


‎ ‎ ‎ ⌗‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ──🦇🍋‍🟩🐈‍⬛ᝰ .ᐟ pre-read.
twilight x vampire academy? okay, you got me. YOU GOT MEEEEE

thanks to netgalley, penguin young readers and hazel cross for an arc in exchange of an honest review.

[sophia_thesecond (in my noah kahan era) · Rating 3 out of 5]

started on 7/25 finished on 7/31

thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

𝙢𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨

2.75 stars rounded up! this book was alright. I do want to say it is NOT ya, though it is classified as that. it's definitely more of new adult. not for the concept or plot, but for the content. there was like 3 or 4 spicy scenes. they weren't closed door. I'd say it was like a non explicit (kinda) open door. thr concept was actually really good, and I think it was done pretty well. I loveeeeddd the setting so much. this is like a less cringy version of twilight (this was still kinda cringy) but I don't know if I would say it's better or worse. it definitely had the 2000s vibes to it.

Now Playing:

the night we met- lord huron
1:13 ❍─────── 3:51
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
Volume: ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇ 100%

characters:

rose: she was alright. kinda basic. low-key freaky 😭

hayden: um idrk. he was sweet and so deeply in love

delia: she was cool

julian: I liked him in the beginning

[✧ Beanie Reads ✧]

Read: June 12th
Format: E-book
Rating: No rating, DNF @ pg 100

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What happens when I have to work for 11 hours? I try out a new book, one I'm excited to read because it compares itself to Vampire Academy, one of my favorite series of all time!!!

But then I read it, and ever 25 pages, I go "eh, this is all fine, I guess", until the fourth time I do it and I just go "okay, no, I don't want to read this anymore." Like most books I DNF, could I have finished? Sure. Would I have had an enjoyable experience finishing though? No.

This book just felt very juvenile. And not in the sense of juvenile fiction, but like the writer is new. It's like she tried to pour out everything she loved from late-2000s Paranormal Romance YA into this book, and I definitely felt some of the nostalgia from that era. But the thing was, because of the less experienced way this feels written, only the worst parts really transferred through. There was none of the nuanced writing that allowed those books to really flourish and grab hold of people, and it came across more like check marking boxes of what was beloved of that time.

Which really sucks, because I love me some late-2000s and 2010s YA vibes. But Rose caught the "beautiful-doesn't-know-it-beloved-by-everyone-but-creeps-oh-and-has-weird-things-going-on" vibes of those protagonists, and then the two possible love interests just had me cringing. Again, Hayden is a caricature of the beloved 2000s YA boys. And then Julian just fell so heads-over-heels suddenly, and the "Come with me" "As your student?" "As my date" exchange just gave me alllll the icks. I know he's just a TA, but when she is his student because of situations...

(Yes, I said before Vampire Academy is one of my favorite series. The romance is not part of why, which may be a shock)

This obviously hit the mark for other people, but for me, it was just disappointing v_v

Glanced at some of the reviews, and man, if anything, this should have been advertised as Fallen meets Twilight or something. Keep Vampire Academy out if it >:(

[Hannah]

2.5 stars

TBH i only finished this book because it was short and I was able to rage read it quickly enough. I feel like the first half of the book tried to bring in too much intrigue into what was going on, that when suddenly we are told what is going on at the 45% mark, suddenly we are in love and totally fine with the fact that the world is not what it seems.

This is defintely insta-love but I can see that the author was trying to do a love-in-every-lifetime type of thing, sadly it just didn't work for me.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for an arc to review

[Tammy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book feels like the step-parent we never asked for. 😭

NOTE: this review is for the uncorrected ARC version.

For anyone who claims that this would appeal to fans of Twilight, be serious.

No Twilight fan would look at this and think, ”Ah, feels like home.”

We’d be aghast.


I’m so, SO SORRY for the lengthy review, but I must lay out everything because I want to be fair. What I can do for you is break everything down into categories.

🍎 I felt that the book was trying to do something Twilight-esque without understanding what made Twilight so beloved and why the series reached iconic status.

👼 I also spotted a lot of inspiration by Lauren Kate’s Fallen. A LOT. But, nowhere nearly as compelling as Kate’s creation.

QUICK SUMMARY:

The story begins with Rose Shields, a high school student from Orange County, California. While walking home from a high school party one night, she is almost hit by a truck, but a mysterious boy knocks her out of the way. She hasn't seen him since.

In the present day, she starts college at a small private university called Payen, located in isolated Maine. There, Rose dorms in Coupland Hall. She seems surprised by everything she sees, and lets the reader know that it's because she didn't bother to look at the brochure, since she had just wanted to leave her town, after she became known throughout her high school as ”the girl who almost died,” and nobody gave it a rest.

At Payen, she runs into that mysterious boy again.

🧩 PROBLEM 1: TARGETED AGE GROUP MISMATCH. 🧩

Even though this is marketed as YA, the spice level and frequency is totally adult (at the time of this review, which is for the ARC)?

YA starts at 12.😅

If A Court of Silver Flames were a 5 (I’m going by mainstream Romance standards, not whatever is on KU), then this is around a 4.

Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with sex being addressed or acknowledged in YA; teenagers do have sex, and they do read about it. I actually don’t have a problem with it.

However, the devil’s in the details, the execution. It’s not about what’s being presented, but how. And this was…even more than what Melissa De La Cruz did in Sibylline—which was already enough for people to express concerns over for the targeted age group mismatch. Even the most liberal readers were like, “Um…weird for YA.”
Now Sybilline is recommended as 17+ in many bookstores, but it initially was marketed straightforward YA.

For instance, a shootout scene in a PG-13 movie is going to look different than one from an R-rated one. Both movies contain a shootout, but the difference is in how the scene is presented. That’s the same issue here; the sex isn’t the problem; the problem is how it’s presented.

In YA, sex—when it happens—is typically presented as part of character development; it must be relevant to the plot.

Honestly, when I look at this book and everything about it, I feel… sad. I don’t even have the heart to make fun of it.

⭐️ PROBLEM 2: LACK OF LOGICAL BELIEVABILITY. ⭐️

For reference, I'm originally from Orange County, California, and I now live in New Hampshire (I'm mere minutes away from Maine!). These are Rose's geographical locations, and this little fact about my life will be relevant.

🏫 High schools in suburban Orange County are huge, and high school kids have short attention span. No matter how dramatic Rose's near-accident was, nobody would have talked about it for months on end. At most? You'd get a school week. Ten days, if you're popular and show up in a leg cast.

👩‍🎓 Second of all, Rose was already about to graduate anyway, so why all the dramatics about having to escape to Maine for college? She wasn't going to graduate from high school any sooner.

🚦 Third of all, it was late and she was walking home alone on an isolated street, nobody from school was there to witness anything dramatic to even talk about. And, she also wasn’t injured in any way.

🏫 And the whole being surprised by everything she sees in college because she didn't look at the brochure? It felt too convenient...like, I am expected to "discover" everything with Rose.

The narrative wants to convey alienation, notoriety, and emotional displacement, but the backstory just doesn't support something of that magnitude. So, instead of "Oh, wow, I understand why she fled," my reaction was more like, "Girl, just graduate and get on with your life."

🗣️PROBLEM 3: ILL-FITTING NAMES = IMMERSION BREAKING.🗣️

🫤 Also, the school name annoys me, as a reader. It's Payen (not Payne or Paine, but Payen), and Rose dorms in Coupland Hall (not Copeland or Copland, but Coupland). Small details, but everything added together just sounds annoying.

Why did I bring up Maine and New Hampshire? Because while Payne/Paine and Copeland/Copland are New England, Payen and Coupland are not. And that breaks immersion.

Think of fictional school names... Hogwarts, Chilton, Brakebills, Nevermore, Blackwell, etc. Those names may sound stylized, but they're intuitive and work for the worlds they're set in, so you feel immersed instead of annoyed.

All of those things matter because when we already have weak characterization and derivative structure (it's Twilight-coded but without the fun), every annoying little thing makes the reader ask, "WHAT NOW?!".

Also, try saying Rose Shields out loud. 😩

🍎 PROBLEM 4: THE TWILIGHT THING. 🍎

What made me like Twilight was Bella, first and foremost, which was important because the book is in her first-person POV. Book-Bella is so observant and funny. Bella is witty and sassy, but that sassiness exists internally as her thoughts. She shows that sass and humor to only the few people she's let in (Edward, Jacob, Alice, and eventually Charlie).

I don't get that with Rose. Although I'm in her head, with first-person POV, I don't know what Rose's personality is. In first-person narration, the voice must carry a lot of the emotional weight and provide atmosphere. Rose's voice does neither.

Also, where book-Bella is endearingly clumsy, and likes to walk around with a copy of Wuthering Heights, Rose is annoyingly clumsy (and insecure in a really unlikable and anxious way) and walks around with a copy of Frankenstein.

It just doesn't feel... organic. The delivery makes everything about Rose feel very constructed.

🦢 In Twilight, Bella's clumsiness works because it's baked-in with her self-consciousness, her physical awkwardness, her introspective nature, and just her essence in general. And that's why it feels believable when she reads Wuthering Heights for enjoyment. Her book choice doesn't scream, "Look! Gothic romance placement!"

It aligns with Bella's romantic temperament, emotional intensity, attraction to destructive longing, and the atmosphere of Twilight itself.

🌹Yet, Rose carrying around Frankenstein? It feels less like "this is who she is," and more like "this is the equivalent prop.".

It was like someone wrote down this formula:

Bella had literary-girl energy.
Bella carried a classic.
Bella was awkward.
Bella was insecure.

...and then they swapped aesthetic details without understanding how Stephenie Meyer designed everything to go together for Bella.

That's why this whole thing feels inorganic to me.

🫤 PROBLEM 5: THE MMC, HAYDEN. 🫤

Yeah, no. Where Edward is alluring, mysterious, and has a sense of seductive danger, Hayden reads like he was assembled from a list of things that a person might find mysterious and alluring, even the black hair and black clothes.

🖤 Edward embodies history and is mysterious because he possesses interiority and contradiction, versus Hayden—who is performing "mystery."

A lot of imitators think a Byronic hero is: rude, dark, secretive, and emotionally unavailable

But the actual archetype is built around: alienation, intelligence and emotional excess, moral instability, longing mixed with self-loathing, the sense that intimacy itself is dangerous.

❤️ PROBLEM 6: THE ROMANCE. ❤️

Roses & Ruin doesn’t seem to know how to use the push-and-pull method. It’s what creates longing and yearning, which are extremely important in this kind of romance.

The romantic elements in this novel escalate quickly, but are unearned. I understand that YA moves faster, but speed doesn’t mean sidestepping process.

While we know from page one of Twilight that Edward and Bella are going to end up together, it works because Stephenie Meyer knows how to write push-and-pull, and that self-restraint is what makes Edward so appealing. He’d give you just enough before pulling back, but in a way that builds mystery and adds to his allure, rather than annoying you, because you know that he's struggling, too.

Whereas in this one, the “push” feels unearned, while the “pull” feels artificial—as if the book is saying, ”I’m only putting that here because I’m supposed to,” which signals to me that “checklist” feel.

In Twilight, events feel like they must happen because of who Edward and Bella are.

In Roses & Ruin, events feel like they happen because the genre expects them.

And that’s why I had trouble immersing myself into this book: because I could see the entire structure.

🌎 PROBLEM 7: THE SETTING. 🌎

Although I see that this book is trying convey a Gothic atmosphere, from the title to the cover, to the author's and character's names, to the setting and atmosphere, I ended up feeling like I was reading a grocery list of "all the Gothic things," when Gothic itself is more than just what we can see; it has to incorporate elements and themes from the Gothic literary movement as well, and this just doesn't.

Stephenie Meyer's Twilight? Gothic. Not just the first book, but the series.
Edward? Our Byronic hero.
Breaking Dawn? Bella goes through body horrors (a Gothic hallmark!).
Philosophical unpacking of life, death, and the in-between? Meyer escalates that philosophical argument with each subsequent book in the series.

Gothic isn’t “dark romance aesthetics,” but—rather—it’s what happens when love, body, and identity are in conflicts with one another.

🧐 PROBLEM 8: THE PROSE. 🧐

The prose is fine on a technical level, albeit inconsistent. For example, most of the prose is really immature, and is extremely dull and simplistic, and then out of nowhere there’d be random descriptive, poetic, lyrical passages that are suspiciously AI-generated. Like, I don’t mean human-written and then improved or smoothed out by AI; I mean copying and pasting what it had generated directly into the book.

👀 Also, Rose is a modern-day teenager, why do sex scenes from her POV read like copy-pastes from Harlequin historical romances?

FOR EXAMPLE: ”I feel the searing majesty of his pleasure.”

If this were a Harlequin historical featuring a corseted woman and a hot Duke or Baron in a loose white blouse, half-unbutton, and they’re both adults in their 20s? That’s fine. Beautiful, even. But HERE? 😭

As I stated earlier, Rose’s POV “voice” is very dull, but then you’d randomly come across stuff like that.

📚FINAL THOUGHTS:📚

The story is readable. The book is ok, even if some of the lines read like they were pulled from Twilight. But it lacks... freshness and charm. The fact that there are lines that remind me of Twilight suggests that the author may have been trying to reproduce certain emotions without fully understanding why those beats worked in the original.

Also, when a novel is written in the first-person, it's imperative that the protagonist is someone that the reader would want to spend time with. This means that the protagonist either likable or interesting, preferably both. Rose is...neither.

Unlikable protagonist, unlikable love interest, unlikable plot, unlikable prose, unlikable setting, weirdly written sex scenes that are also inappropriate marketed age group, and just overall not a fun reading experience.

The book claims that it’s for fans of Twilight, so I dissected it as a fan of Twilight. And, as a fan, this book doesn’t seem to understand what made Twilight so beloved, or why readers fell in love with the series.

Twilight was written by someone who wanted to write a Gothic novel in the tradition of the Gothic literary movement, whereas Roses & Ruin reads like it wants to be another Twilight.

Stephenie Meyer's reference point wasn't, "How do I replicate the success of a popular YA Paranormal Romance?"

Her reference point was Gothic literature (1760s - 1850s), Romanticicism (1770s - 1840s), Byronic archetypes, longing, bodily transformation, doomed desire, and emotional obsession.

Even when Meyer's fans were too young to articulate why they loved Twilight, they knew that they were holding something special in their hands: it wasn't trying to be the "new" or "next" anything.

I received this ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Alyson Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: Roses and Ruin
Author: Hazel Cross
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, for sending me an ARC. This one did remind me a lot of Twilight and the golden age of young adult. We have a lot of those classic tropes. Girl falls in love with a boy who has a dark and dangerous secret, and she quickly finds herself sucked into this world. It’s something that brought back so many fond reading memories. Now, I will say that I am surprised this is young adult. It has some pretty explicit sex scenes in it.

A year after a devastating accident nearly takes her life, Rose still remembers the mysterious boy who pulled her from the wreckage and saved her. No one else saw him, and everyone assumes she imagined him. Rose knows what happened, though, and she cannot forget the stranger who disappeared without a trace. When Rose moves across the country for college, she hopes to leave the past behind and start over. Her plans change when she meets Hayden, a distant and mysterious boy who looks remarkably familiar. Hayden insists he was not the person who saved her, yet Rose cannot ignore the connection she feels toward him. As Rose pushes for answers, she discovers that Hayden is hiding a dangerous secret about who he really is. Their connection goes far beyond the night of the accident, and something powerful seems determined to keep pulling them together. The closer Rose gets to the truth, the more she realises that falling for Hayden could come with a devastating price.

Let’s start out going for the big one. This is not young adult. I know that is what it is marketed as, but it is not young adult. While the writing and overall story are good, there are things in here that make this not young adult. First off, the sex scenes are not closed-door and are very explicit. The second is the language. I know YA has swearing in it, but this is pretty explicit. I feel that this book would do better and find the right audience if it was marketed toward an older audience. I fear that because it is being marketed as YA, it is going to get a lot of pushback.

Anyway...

I found myself enjoying this one a lot. We follow Rose, who is going to university and trying to figure out all of that. On top of everything else, she is dealing with nearly being killed and saved by this mysterious person. No one believes her about that. Now, she is on her own and trying to figure things out. She has to deal with roommate drama, professors who don’t like her, and making friends. All of this takes its toll on her. Then, things start to change. The TA who was giving her trouble is now suddenly interested in dating her; she finds a roommate who ends up becoming her best friend, and, oh, finds the boy who saved her. Yes, he is real, but there is something very odd about him, and she will do anything to figure it out. All of this gave me Twilight vibes right away, and I am here for it.

The fall backdrop only added to the story. We have the changing of the seasons, the darker nights, and the cooler days creating the perfect backdrop. No other season would have worked for this story. Yes, we do move into winter, but it only happens after there has been a natural plot progression. Again, both seasons add to this deep sense of the unknown. We can all feel it in our bones that something bad is going to happen.

Rose and Hayden fed right into this whole backdrop. Both of them are drawn to each other. Hayden knows the truth, and Rose quickly learns it. Once Rose knows the truth, the story turns into dealing with the truth and learning how to negotiate this role that she has been put into. It’s not always easy. It’s full of betrayals, death, and a bit of romance. All of which I felt was pretty well done. Some bits did come off as a bit young at times, but I just went with it. I mean, our main character is eighteen, so we do have to keep that in mind.

Overall, this did give me all the Twilight vibes. My biggest concern is that it is marketed as YA and it is not YA. I do hope that marketing changes before publication day. If you are looking for a short, quick, and adult version of Twilight, then I highly encourage you to give this a go.

This book comes out on September 1, 2026.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncorrected proof from NetGalley

I saw this on NetGalley free to read for 48 hours and jumped at it because it was about vampires. It’s been awhile since we’ve had a good fun vampire romance. And I did have fun with this one so I’m giving it 4 stars for vibes. It is maybe a 3 star read at its best. But it is derivative of Twilight, even down to stealing much of its plot points, characters, and reworked quotes. Additionally, it’s too slow and a bit dumb at the beginning and then two quick at the end. This leads to some events that don’t really flow. It’s in need of a good editor. Which I hope it will get, since this is an uncorrected proof.

ALSO PLEASE- PUBLISHER- DO NOT MAKE THIS YA. This is NOT YA. The characters are supposed to be freshmen in college. But they are adults. The vampires of course are much older than that. The spice level is quite high, while not being very graphic, I definitely cannot recommend it to anyone under 18.

So why do I like it? Like I said, it’s been awhile since I’ve read a book that gives me some vampire lore to ponder. This one gives me some and I liked that. We also have some historic elements, some magic. I honestly wanted to know more.

Rose is walking home from a party during her senior year of high school when she is almost struck by a car. An impossibly fast mysterious stranger saves her, only to disappear from her life. But she can’t stop thinking about him. She decides to attend school on the other side of the country to get away from the bad memories of her almost accident. But who should she see haunted the campus of her new school but her mysterious savior. He refuses to be forthcoming with answers as to who he is or why he seems to always be there when she gets into trouble. Meanwhile she has dreams of dying every night. She decides to try and move on by dating her art TA.

This is all the boring part.

When the reveal happens we finally get some interesting lore, and some action (romantic and plot wise). But by then the book is 70% over.

Spoilers:

So it turns out while Rose’s vampire hero Hayden has been curses with immortal life, she has been fated to die by her 19th birthday over and over and over again. The dreams she has are actually her remembering her past lives ending in her deaths. Hayden and she were married in 1700s colonial Rhode Island. He’s now rich and has a house and a shrine to Rose, in all her iterations. For every time she dies, she is reincarnated again. So they have a love that has lasted centuries. Every time Hayden finds her, she is the same person, same phenotype (with different parents, so one must consider she has different genotype), but she doesn’t remember him. However they fall in love each life, and she is never afraid of him or his ability to eat her.

So, together Hayden and Rose, along with Hayden’s vampire friend Delia (who Hayden had installed as Rose’s roommate in order to watch over her) work together to keep Rose alive. And it works! She makes it until her actually 19th birthday this time. Until…

Turns about Delia actually hates Hayden. He killed her maker and mate. So she went to a witch and had Rose cursed to be reborn after every death and for Hayden to always long for her. Honestly this is a cool idea. Their longing through time reminds me a lot of Doctor Who’s Rory & Amy storyline. But all of this just is very derivative of Twilight.

Honestly I wanted to be lost in the atmosphere of Hayden’s mansion/castle a bit more. I loved the foggy dark academic vibes. Fall in New England? Yes please! But Cross just introduces such interesting things and then moves on too quickly. I wanted to know more about the magic that exists in this world. The book ends on Rose being made a vampire - I wanted to know what the plan is now! i would read more in this world, but then I realized I probably should have been able to read more in this book.

Good first effort. I wanted more. I loved the Halloween-y feel of the book and the star-crossed lover longing. Also appreciate the spice without graphic detail, which unfortunately seems to be becoming more common.

[Sophia Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers for the early e-Arc! I was so happy to receive a copy of it.

**SOME SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW**

The premise and cover of Roses and Ruin drew me in immediately. The blurb gives Twilight and early 2000 paranormal vibes right off the bat. And I will say the opening chapters were intriguing. Rose had a near-death experience walking home one night but then a mysterious hot guy with super speed and strength saved her (c'mon now, we all know what that means...). Not only that but she's learned to keep the lid on this experience because everyone has convinced her there was no savior at the scene.

Side note: I would've loved to see the author lean into this more. Therapy sessions, meds? The whole nine yards haha. I think it would've made seeing Hayden again in college hit that much more.

Fast forward to college and a spunky roommate later and of course Rose runs into this mysterious brooding savior again and again. Only this time she's going to get to the bottom of the truth.

WHAT I LIKED:
1. This was a super easy read. I read it on the go. I read it before bedtime. I read it between bites of food. Appropriately fast-paced for older teens and new adults.

2. This author is fairly good at creating several moments of romantic tension, yearning, and sexually explicit scenes that didn't feel overdone. She eased us right into their intensifying chemistry.

3. The reincarnation subplot was handled well, in my opinion. Rose had so many reservations about her past lives, which I felt were realistic. The author didn't gloss that over or shy away from it. She really let us sit in all of Rose's internal feelings on that. Chef's kiss!

4. The last 80% of the book, I was HOOKED. It got super fast-paced and the twist was really satisfying, even if it was kind of predictable. I love me a vindictive female villain and she certainly got her moment to shine. Yet the author still managed to give agency to the FMC too without Hayden ruining it by coming to the rescue haha.

WHAT I STRUGGLED WITH:

1. The simplicity of the characters. Rose was a layered character, of course, but a little too predictable, cliche (she joins an art program in college even though she has no clue how to art??!!) And Hayden was a carbon copy of every protective brooding vampire that exists. Even Delia, their friend, felt really basic. Nothing felt different or fresh about them.

2. The romance needed more development. I'm all for fated lovers and unexplainable pulls but there was nothing that made me root for these two. Maybe because we were told about their love rather than shown. Could be the reincarnation element at fault for that. The closest we get to seeing how it all went down isn't until 70% of the book and even then what we see is basic. Guy is a monster. Guy sees girl. Guy falls in love right then and there. Guy changes himself to be better.

3. Rose didn't question enough. Girl literally finds out she never makes it to her 19th birthday each life cycle and the only thing she can think about is jumping Hayden's bones. Idk, I wanted to see her ask more questions, visit witch experts (cuz apparently witches exist in this world), take the reigns a bit more on her safety. Maybe even question Hayden's intentions every now and then. Instead, she is far too trusting and okay with the fact that she's probably going to die. And her trusting nature with Julian after he was such a class-A prick?! I don't think so. She should have given him a much harder time, especially because he was her TA. She forgave him too quickly.

Overall, it was an entertaining read and it brought me back to the early 2000s for a minute, which was nice. Plus, that cover is so pretty! I can see many 17-25 year-olds enjoying this story!

[Amanda Ammons · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really excited for this book because of the premise, and I thought it was going to bring back some of the nostalgia from my teen years. Unfortunately, I regret requesting this book from NetGalley, and I hate having to give it such a low rating, but for me, it’s a one star read.

I understand this is an unedited ARC, and I genuinely wish the author the ABSOLUTELY best. I don’t think the premise itself is bad. I actually think it had a lot of potential. Sadly, I felt like the execution was incredibly poor.

There were so many unfinished sentences and sentences that simply didn’t make sense. The very first page of the novel already gave me a pretty good idea of how the rest of the writing was going to be.

For example, the very first sentence reads: “I see no one, but I swear I can feel it, some invisible itch on my bare throat and arms, coming from the other side of the road.” This sentence immediately pulled me out of the story because the wording feels… novice. “No one” is a person, so referring to it as “it” doesn’t really work here; “them” would make more sense. The phrase “an invisible itch on my bare throat” also feels off, since an itch would usually be described as being in your throat or “on” your neck. Aren’t itches always invisible? A rash is visible, a scratch is visible but itches are a feeling. Also, how is the itch supposedly coming from the other side of the road? Instead of creating tension or atmosphere, the sentence just left me confused.

Instead of feeling like I was stepping back into the nostalgia I was hoping for, I felt like I was reading fan fiction, and that’s just not what I was looking for.

I’m really sorry to leave a negative review, but I also want to be honest. I don’t feel this book is worth a reader’s time in its current form.

[Cris Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roses & Ruin

This book completely drew me in from the very beginning. There’s a quiet, haunting atmosphere running through the whole story that made it easy to sink into, and I found myself wanting to keep reading just to understand what was really happening beneath the surface.

Rose is a character I really connected with. She’s carrying something heavy from her past, and that shapes so much of how she moves through the world. I especially liked how determined she is to find answers, even when people around her don’t believe what she experienced. That sense of persistence made her feel very real and easy to root for.

The relationship at the center of the story is what really kept me hooked. There’s an immediate intensity and emotional pull between Rose and Hayden, but also a lot of uncertainty and distance that makes everything feel charged and complicated. I liked how the story slowly built that connection instead of rushing it, which made every interaction feel more meaningful.

I also really enjoyed the overall mood of the book. It has a slightly eerie, emotional feel to it, with just enough mystery woven in to keep the tension steady throughout. It’s the kind of story where you’re constantly trying to piece things together while also getting pulled deeper into the characters’ emotions.

If you enjoy paranormal romance with emotional tension, mysterious connections, and a moody, atmospheric vibe, this is definitely worth picking up. It’s immersive, heartfelt, and quietly addictive in a way that sticks with you after finishing.

Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Loreina Klevenski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lot of critics reviewing this book early. 😆

I was entertained so have my stars Hazel Cross!

I went into Roses & Ruin blind because I forgot what it was about by the time I got around to reading it on my Kindle, and I am SO glad I did!

Rose almost dies in a car accident and knows that a mysterious boy saved her life, but no one believes he was ever there. She eventually heads off to college on the East Coast, trying to move on and live a normal life, but she still can't shake the memory of him. Then she sees him again. *GASP*

I had no idea what was going on at first, and that was honestly part of the fun. I kept trying to figure out exactly what Hayden was. An angel? A demon? Something else? I just knew there had to be something supernatural happening, and I kept reading because I needed answers.

And then...VAMPIRES. 😂

This is a YA paranormal romance with mystery, fate, vampires, and a tiny bit of spice. Of course, we also have the classic vampire romance issue where you start doing the math on the human and vampire age gap and decide it's probably best not to think about it too hard. 🫣😆

I had a lot of fun with this one. I'm actually really glad I forgot what the book was about before I started because discovering everything along with Rose made it that much better. I'd also say this is truly YA appropriate.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Roses & Ruin early!

[Bookishness · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a fun, cute, and light read! It felt nostalgic—like a mix between The Vampire Diaries and Twilight. This is definitely an “I’ll love you in every lifetime” type of vampire fantasy.

“Why are they (fangs) out? Do you want my blood?”
Why does the idea of that go straight to my core? I wonder if Hayden notices. My question seems to make him dizzy, his already hungry eyes falling darker and hungrier.
“Always,” he grates out. “But my fangs also extend when I have… other wants too.”
“Oh my god,” I exhale.

I do think this leaned a bit more YA. The plot was fairly average, and while the romance was there, I personally wanted more tension. I especially wanted more from Julian—I was hoping for more of a love triangle dynamic, more jealousy, more angst… just more. But overall, it was still a good old-fashioned fun time.

I really enjoyed Hayden’s character and the protective/guardian aspect of his relationship with Rose, I wish he was morally gray, more darker!. but if I was reading this if I was younger, I defiantly would have loved it!

We have Rose, a college student with a stalker and a guardian angle), a bit of a TA/student relationship dynamic, and a grumpy vampire who’s terrified of losing control around her (sound familiar.) yeppppppp!

Dark academia is absolutely my vibe, and that atmosphere was definitely on point ✨🖤📚🩸

[Ari Mason · Rating 3 out of 5]

This whole novel is so so nostalgic. From the start it’s calling back feelings and moments from stories like Twilight, Vampire Academy, and Fallen. Our main character, Rose, is quirky and definitely has her own, unique personality, but I did wish she had a bit more growth throughout the story. She takes her changing environment and all the obstacles that come her way in stride (which at times can feel like a bit of a stretch since soo many crazy things are happening to her), and for the most part she’s always thinking on her feet to figure out how to get out of the situations she finds herself in. It definitely falls into the more “insta-love” kind of archetype as her life quickly begins to revolve around the main male character and their relationship, but I did like the handling of their story throughout time and the different vignettes that we see of Rose. Since this is a YA, there were a lot more explicit scenes than I was expecting and in some sections they did feel like they were leaning more toward New Adult territory, but overall, this was such a fun and easy read given the story is fairly fast paced. If you’ve been craving a return to the 2000s vampire genre, this book is definitely it!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this expecting a fun romance, but I wasn’t expecting it to make me feel so nostalgic. It brought me right back to the days of reading Twilight, and Vampire Academy, while still feeling like its own story.

Rose’s life changes after a mysterious encounter that no one else believes happened, and when she finally gets the chance to start over, the last person she expects to see is the one she can’t stop thinking about. That mystery kept me invested, and I flew through the book because I always wanted to know what would happen next.

Rose is witty, resilient, and easy to root for. I did wish she had a little more personal growth by the end, but I still enjoyed following her journey. Hayden was definitely a highlight for me mysterious, protective, and exactly the kind of love interest I gravitate toward.

The romance moves pretty quickly, so if insta-love isn’t your thing, that’s something to keep in mind. I also wasn’t expecting the spice level for a YA novel, since it felt closer to New Adult in a few scenes.

Overall, this was an entertaining, fast-paced read that was hard to put down. Even when I could guess where the story was headed, I was still invested in seeing it all play out. If you’re in the mood for a nostalgic paranormal romance with vampires, mystery, and a broody MMC, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a try.

[Nikola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this ARC.

I can see hints of Kate Lauren's Fallen series and Twilight but honestly this book misses every mark. From the start of the book, we get about 3 bar scenes that don't really advance the plot much and then every other scene just isn't developed at all. Just a lot of dialogue between the character. That would be fine, but the conversation was all boring that I wanted to be done with the book. Also, the setting is at a college, but to be honest, I didn't feel like we were at college at all. Besides the one art class mentioned, did Rose sign up for any other classes? I felt like it was just lacking and not all well thought out. There was potential and there should have been foreshadowing or maybe more incorporation of the flashbacks from Rose. Maybe a Hayden point of view could have helped some. I don't know. But this book just did not have anything significant that I could say helped it advance the story.

This book is also categorized as YA. Personally maybe the writing language is easy enough to read as YA but the spicy scenes need to move it closer to New Adult. There was just too many spice scenes for it to qualify as a YA in my opinion.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roses & Ruin by Hazel Cross
⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC!

Overall, I thought Roses & Ruin was an okay YA romantasy. I really liked the premise: Hayden, a mysterious stranger, saves Rose from being hit by a truck, only to disappear shortly afterward. Then, when Rose travels across the country to start college, she runs into him again—but he acts distant and cold, making her feel as though he has no idea who she is or what she's talking about.

There’s definitely more to Rose and Hayden’s story than meets the eye, but I felt like their relationship moved too quickly. Instead of building up their feelings and motivations, the story rushed into the "I love yous," which made the romance feel less believable. I also think some of the bigger reveals and key events could have happened earlier, allowing their connection to develop more naturally.

What ultimately saved this book for me was the final third. While I didn't predict all of the twists, they kept me engaged and made the ending much more enjoyable than I expected. Overall, this was an okay read with an intriguing premise, but I wish the romance had been given more time to develop.

[Destiny · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC from NetGalley

The preteen and teenage girl in me that devoured twilight and the vampire diaries did find enjoyment in this story. I will say however, the vampire lore was not very original, it almost seemed to be a mix between vampire diaries and true blood, even the specific terms used. I don’t know a lot about vampire folklore so it may just be a commonality from that. The progression of the love story is also a bit too fast paced and the plot twist was very predictable. It did feel like this story was an amalgamation of various 2000s-2010s YA gothic and vampire romances, but not executed as well as the originals. My final point is that this book is labeled as YA, and the story is very YA coded, but the spice is screaming adult romance. It was a very easy read and it did intrigue me a little but this wasn’t a masterpiece or anything. I’m giving it 3 stars for vibes alone bringing the rating up a bit, but the writing and everything else is below a 3 star book in my opinion. As someone who read a lot of the YA gothic romance from the early 2000’s and 2010’s as a teen, this seemed like a cheap knock off. This book could do with some originality

[Mrs. G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose is saved by a mystery man and can't seem to shake that she has seen him before. A year later she leaves for college and has a few run-ins with the same man, this time she finds out his name: Hayden. As Rose and Hayden become closer, Rose learns more about her past and why Hayden feels so familiar.

Fans of Twilight or Our Infinite Fates will enjoy the plot of this book. The vampire myths are different than your typical vampire lore, so pay attention to the details.

I enjoyed the moving plot line - it advanced at a nice pace and the characters were pretty intriguing. I did want more with Rose's memories sooner - I wanted her to be less insecure since she was so quickly obsessed with Hayden and if her memories would have come soon this would have happened. It just made me slightly annoyed with her as a result. Also, a caution, this book is labeled a YA, I would actually say it's more New Adult as the characters are in college and the love scenes are a bit spicy for YA. So knowing that going in is a necessity if you are recommending this to students.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for giving me an ARC in exchange for my opinionated review.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roses & Ruin
by Hazel Cross
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Roses & Ruin.

I loved this from the very first minute! 😭 There was something about the atmosphere and the whole setup that immediately pulled me in, and I was completely invested in Rose’s story.

And I can absolutely see the Twiheart vibes here. 😂🧛🏻‍♀️ If you have a soft spot for Twilight-era paranormal romance, mysterious supernatural boys, and that moody, slightly dramatic atmosphere, this definitely scratches that itch.

I really liked Rose and her determination to uncover the truth about her past, and her connection with Hayden kept me hooked. There’s plenty of mystery, emotional tension, and supernatural drama to keep things moving.

It did feel a little more YA than what I usually reach for these days, but honestly, I was having too much fun to care. 😂

Overall, Roses & Ruin was a fun, atmospheric paranormal romance that gave me exactly the kind of nostalgic vampire vibes I was hoping for. I was entertained from beginning to end, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need. 🩸🌹✨

[Natalie K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whew. This one is tough to review. It's not a terrible book, in and of itself. It's a vampire-human love story, and I do enjoy those. (There's a complicating element to it, but I can't say more, because that would be major spoilers!) There were some odd turns of the phrase, including comparing a character's eyes to clovers (it made no sense to me, either), but overall a decent story that moves forward.

However, the marketing for this book isn't so great. The publisher is pushing it for fans of Twilight and Vampire Academy. Twilight I can see; Vampire Academy definitely not! The problem is, that created expectations that weren't fulfilled, in my opinion. So, I think there will be dissatisfied readers searching for the next Vampire Academy who, sadly, will not be getting it.

[readw_ithcc · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮

I enjoyed Roses & Ruin. It was a really quick, easy read and I flew through it. I loved the mysterious vibe and the brooding love interest, it gave me old Twilight feels in a good way since i’m also a twilight girly.

I kinda enjoyed the whole reincarnation angle and how Rose and Hayden have this intense connection that keeps repeating across different lifetimes. It made the story interesting and had me wanting to know how everything would play out.

That said, it was a bit predictable at times and I wish the characters and romance had more depth. I wanted more buildup and more questions instead of everything feeling a little too easy.

Overall, it was still a fun read, just not a new favorite for me.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

eARC via Netgalley

I'm a big fan of vampires. I'll never pass up a chance to read a new vampire book. That's one thing that remains consistent within my reading taste.

Roses & Ruin, however, was not exactly what I wanted it to be. Now I love tropes.. I'll read my favorites over and over. But this book felt like it followed a well-used, outdated recipe from early 2000s midlist YA books. I kept thinking several times, "Did I read this book before?"

The characterization of Hayden was also another issue. He's very much cringe for more than half of the book. "I have to leave to protect you" with some tsundere posturing.

It's fine. Just not my flavor of bookish candy.

[Jennifer Kirshman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one is hard to put into words because I can see the vision and where the story was trying to go, but unfortunately it didn’t fully come together for me. There was a lot of potential in the premise and moments where I thought it was about to click, but I found myself struggling to stay engaged and get through it.

For me, the pacing and editing needed more refinement to strengthen the overall reading experience and help the story flow more naturally. There are pieces here that could have made this something really memorable, but in its current form it just wasn’t the right fit for me.

I can see readers connecting with elements of it, but overall this ended up being a 2-star read.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers for my uncorrected proof of the ARC!

First, I see a lot of reviews comparing this to Twilight. Just go into the book without thinking about Twilight. Not everything has to be compared.

I actually really enjoyed this book. The story flowed well and the characters were likeable even though they could have been developed a little bit more. This was one of my faster reads and that's because I just couldn't put it down.

I'm really unsure if this should be marketed as a YA. Doesn't YA start at age 12? I don't know if some of those sex scenes would be age appropriate, but whatever.

[nightlyreadingheather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was a little slow to start for me, but once I got to a certain point...I could NOT put it down!!

I loved Rose as our FMC, she has just enough curiosity to get herself into trouble but is also brave at the same time. Hayden, Hayden, Hayden...he was quite a jerk in the beginning but quickly made up for it, and all was forgiven!

I am not going to go into any details. I feel like you really need to go into this one blind. Just know that you will NOT see the twist coming, and I was shocked! Also, this one took me on a roller coaster of anxiety, not knowing when the next shoe was going to drop.

The ending was tied up nicely, and I am so very grateful that I read this book!

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cozy, gothic love story absolutely perfect for your fall TBR! A story of true love and past lives with a very unexpected ending that has you sitting on the edge of your seat! If you love vampires, love through many lives, and a gothic college campus, this is the book for you.

My only hang up is the book feels more YA, save for the more graphic scenes. The plot line and character development is more reminiscent of a typical YA college story and I would have love to see more depth and plot development there.

[Jessica Bookbestiejessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was definitely a from the beginning I was hooked type of read for me, I finished it in two sittings. As many of us who grew up in the early 2000’s this was giving throwbacks to a lot of favorite tv shows and movies with similar feels. I didn’t see a certain thing happening that was a surprise for sure. I loved the dynamic between the FMC and MMC they were so cute. This is definitely on par for a upper YA book (16+) and has only a small amount of spice and is fade to black.

[jiitter.bug24reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roses and Ruin 🌹
@hazelcross

Mysterious, loving and a page turner.
I enjoyed this, took me back to my Edward Cullen days, lol. This was super fast read, and some parts had me giggling others had me flipping pages for a need to know what will happen next. The ending was a little predictable, but it's what I would have wanted to happen. I would absolutely recommend this book.

[Sydney S · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt very familiar to me with all of the different aspects of the story. This was a very predictable mix of events with very much growth in character development or character relationships. I think the writing style, imagery, and plot could use some more polishing. This isn’t a terrible book, but it felt as if it’s something I’ve already read. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose & Ruin is a moderate-paced vampire romance that surprised me in the best way. The story takes its time developing the relationship, allowing the emotional connection to grow naturally rather than rushing into it.

What I enjoyed most was the love story. The chemistry between the characters built steadily, making the emotional moments hit even harder. There were several quotes and scenes that stuck with me long after I finished reading.

I also appreciated that the ending wasn’t predictable. Just when I thought I knew where the story was heading, the final twist completely caught me off guard. I didn’t see it coming, and it left me excited to continue the series.

If you’re looking for a vampire romance with a slower build, emotional depth, and an ending that will make you immediately want the next book, I’d definitely recommend giving Rose & Ruin a read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.