Roses & Stone

Silver & Blood #2

by Jessie Mihalik

The sexy and deeply satisfying conclusion to Jessie Mihalik’s captivating romantasy duology, following Silver & Blood.

Riela’s life changes forever when she breaks an enchanted seal, unleashing magic that irrevocably binds her to the lethal politics of the Blood Court. Forced to confront her heritage and the court’s deadly, manipulative Blood King, Riela must outmaneuver rivals and survive assassination attempts—all while learning to wield the power she never wanted.

Garrick, the Silver King and her temporary betrothed, is her only ally in a court where trust is a dangerous gamble. Together, they face forbidden love, ancient magic, and a tyrant’s vicious schemes. But as secrets unravel and loyalties are tested, Riela learns that power always comes with a price.

As Riela slowly unearths her ancestry and fights to control her newfound magic, she must decide: will she rise to claim her place in the Blood Court, even if it means sacrificing everything she loves, or will she fall to the plots of those who seek to destroy her?

Because in a world where roses conceal thorns and secrets lurk beneath stone, Riela’s choice will shape the fate of kingdoms.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Fiction, Adult, Fae

Kindle Edition

Expected publication December 1, 2026

About the author

Jessie Mihalik has a degree in Computer Science and a love of all things geeky. A software engineer by trade, Jessie now writes full time from her home in Texas. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing co-op video games with her husband, trying out new board games, or reading books pulled from her overflowing bookshelves.

Sample chapters of all of my books are available on my website!

The Consortium Rebellion trilogy: Polaris Rising, Aurora Blazing, Chaos Reigning.

The Rogue Queen novellas: The Queen's Gambit, The Queen's Advantage, The Queen's Triumph.

Reviews

[ciana]

“i’ll be your anything, and i will keep proving it until you believe me.”

—

this sequel leans much heavier into the court politics, which worked well for the story. however, i desperately wanted more vastien and bria. they were some of my favorites from book one, and i would absolutely read a spinoff or novella about what they were up to during the events of this book.

let’s talk about garrick!! he can do no wrong, and i love this man. he is so pathetically down bad for reila, and every single one of his povs had me wishing they were longer. their banter was great, and all of their stolen moments together were so cute.

i also really enjoyed reila’s character arc. she’s thrown into a world of complicated court politics while trying to navigate her dangerous blood ties. i appreciated that she wasn’t afraid to admit when she didn’t know what she was doing. she asks for help, learns from those around her, and genuinely wants to create a better future for the people around her, even if they might not deserve it.

for most of the book, the stakes felt relatively low, but the final 15%?? OKAY. suddenly i was stressed and freaking out, hoping for their happy ending.

if you’re looking for a romance-heavy romantasy with forced proximity, court politics, plenty of banter, and a quick, easy reading experience, this duology is for you!

overall, while it didn’t quite excite me as much as book one, it delivered a satisfying conclusion to reila and garrick’s story.

thank you so much harper collins and netgalley for the e-arc! ♥︎

“𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆—𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒊’𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓.”

[Dakota]

A beautiful conclusion to a charming fantasy romance.

The majority of this book was filled with tension as Reila navigates the Blood Court, her father and the ever-confusing laws of hospitality. However, this tension was tempered by the relationships with side characters that Jessie Mihalik is so fantastic at forging. As much as I missed the characters we grew close to in book one, I did really enjoy reading along as Reila charmed and befriended members of her father’s court.

My only complaints are that I wish we had eventually seen more of a certain pair of Silver Court members and that we could have gotten more of the court of Reila’s mother.

I blew through this in a single sitting. Would absolutely recommend for someone looking for a nice dip into romantic fantasy.

*Netgalley ARC Review*

[Arc by Bethy]

I loved that this book picks up right where Book 1 leaves off. I highly recommend reading the first one before reading Roses & Stone but the author does a good job of pulling in new readers with tidbits from the first one. This book focuses less on the characters, emotions, and romance and more on the political aspects and court customs. I loved Silver & Blood and I couldn't put it down! Roses & Stone approaches different and is slower but still very immersive and has great depth. Wonderful conclusion to this duology! Highly recommend! Thank you very much to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC!

[Megan]

I really wanted to love this conclusion, and while the ultimate outcome was satisfying, Roses & Stone just didn't manage to beat the first book for me. My biggest frustration was the repetitive inner monologue. Riela is such a strong character, so watching her constantly second-guess the bond, endlessly repeating that it was only there out of need rather than want, drove me absolutely insane. That level of irritating second-guessing felt so out of character for someone otherwise so capable. On top of that, the overall story felt a bit rushed, and the severe lack of original side characters, especially Grim, was heartbreaking. Riela’s dad was a completely unredeemable, douchy villain from start to finish, though some of the new side characters were decent, and I did like Niv.

Another aspect that pulled me out of the narrative was the shoehorned references to modern social issues. When I read fiction, I don't want current real-world commentary or heavy-handed explanations, characters can just be who they are and be with whoever they want without requiring an overt explanation. I also wished we had spent more time exploring Riela’s magic. She’s clearly the strongest in the realm, but I wanted to actually learn why she is so powerful and how she’s able to pull that much energy without dying, rather than just glossing over the mechanics.

That said, Garrick was an absolute highlight once again. I loved his steadfast perseverance and how determined he was to prove to Riela that he was in this for the long haul. I only wish we could have gotten more of his point of view, especially on an emotional level when it came to the bond and what he was feeling. Ultimately, while the ending lands where it needs to, the sequel just didn't win me over the way the first book did.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc for my honest review.

[Vi]

The sequel and conclusion to this duology lived up to the expectations that I desired!

I am so sad there is less Grim but there was still great bantering. Riela and Garrick are now in a new territory of King Roseguard. Hostile environment with some skeptical and wary of this new surprise heir.

A huge common theme I notice in romantasy when heroines turn into more powerful beings is they lose the strong independent character they were as humans. Riela struggles with her new power but she does not blaming anyone. She asks for help and the “lessons” she gets from people are exasperating that its comical. When she threatens them to tutoring class I chuckled:

The miscommunication between Garrick and Riela is also minimum. If there is, they talk! How refreshing.
The flirting and small romantic gestures MADE this novel lol I would say this was a low stakes romantasy with how low stress they acted because they had each other! I loved it.

The ending is interesting as it ends in the progress of change in power rather crowning moment. It leaves room for more but the poem that was written in the beginning completes the ending and closes the loop of the story. A clever way to not have to explain the complexity of how they will rule two courts.

I definitely miss Bria and Vastien but Lord Yika and Chipra were good duo that were cute comic relief thru the tense moments.

Definitely recommend this duology!

[Samantha Drum]

This story picks up where the first story ended. Riela and Garrick are visiting the Blood Court. I did not reread book one before diving into this (I just couldn't wait), but Jessie Mihalik does a really good job integrating reminders of book one within the story. With this, the story is much heavier on court politics and navigating court customs. We get a lot less of Vastien (Grim) and Bria, since they are still in the Silver Court, but we get introduced to many more side characters. I really missed Grim and Bria and I'll need a spin-off for them, please. However, Lord Yika and Chipra are wonderful and add a lot to this story.

You really need to trust the process with this one. Riela became a bit annoying with her self-deprecation and some of her inner monologue. However, we truly see character growth from her, and it all comes together at the end. Her honesty with others and herself throughout the book leads the way for the ending to be as good as it is. Riela continues to struggle with her magic, which is reasonable since she spent most of her life as a human without magic. I love that she asks for help when she needs it and somehow persuades people to help her learn.

Overall, book one was much more captivating and exciting to read; however, this did provide a beautiful conclusion to their story.

[Erin H]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

I had so much fun with this book. I had been in a huge reading slump, and this book helped me claw my way out.

I LOVED Reila and Garrick. Literally 5 stars no notes. Without giving anything away I wanted to shake her shoulders and knock some sense into Reila in like a best friend way. And when they finally admitted their feelings. It took everything in me to not wake my child up accidentally.
This book felt like an 8 book epic fantasy that was only in 2 books. The world building was immersive without being tedious and overbearing to the story. And the plot twists I never saw a single one coming. I love when characters rise and find the power within to save themselves.

I will be coming back to this series in the future. And I hope that there is more in this world.
Thank you Jesse Mihalik and HarperCollins for the eARC of this book!

🌹forced proximity
🌹fairytale vibes
🌹grumpy x sunshine
🌹found family
🌹epic conclusion to duology

[Ashley LeCates]

If I don’t have to read the word “hospitality” ever again, it will be too soon. As most sequels go, this wasn’t as good as the first.

Riela almost purposefully misunderstands Garrick and his intentions throughout the entire story, which got really old by the end. Garrick was basically a bodyguard the entire time, who didn’t bother to explain enough to Riela to keep her informed, all in the name of keeping her safe. They had the same conversation about trust several times, and it felt really repetitive.

You could tell from the beginning who was trustworthy and who wasn’t, so that wasn’t really that intense. I did like that Riela ended of fighting her own battle at the end, and that she managed to keep her throne.

All in all, not the best sequel I’ve read, but also not the worst.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

[Faye Anne]

Roses & Stone is the second and final book in the Silver & Blood duology by Jessie Mihalik. I just reread book 1 so that everything was fresh in my head. Book 2 picks up immediately after the events at the end of book 1 and it tells a really detailed story about Riela and Garrick's time at the Blood Court. There's a lot of politics in this second book, and although Bria and Grim aren't in this book very much, there's a new cast of side characters to enjoy instead.

I do think that the same issue/argument between Riela and Garrick repeated a few too many times here, especially since that ground was already covered in the first book. But overall, it was a really satisfying ending to the duology, and it was lovely to see Riela's growth over the two books.

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Rachel]

I received this book from Netgalley. 3.5 stars: It was fun! Mihalik always creates fun group dynamics in her books and this one was no different--the supporting characters felt like full people but still drove the plot along. I felt like the romance between Riela and Garrick was sidelined in this book, even though it was often a focus of dialogue, but there was so much going on sometimes that I suppose it made sense. I still really enjoyed Riela as a character and liked watching her journey of self discovery into confidence! I'll keep reading everything Mihalik writes for sure.

[Logan]

I’m not gonna lie, this is probably one of the most aggravating sequels ever. None of this book would’ve happened if she’d just taken the marriage vow. The entire book is spent with her throwing a pity party for herself because she thinks Garrick is only protecting her out of duty and nothing else. Worst of all, at the end she unites the five kingdoms with the power of kindness. Like literally, they are united because she was kind to people throughout the book. Struggled not to stop reading.

[Arlene Anderson]

Garrick and Riela are pure perfection. Minimal miscommunication, actual mature conversations, and top-tier flirting. Their bond made this a beautifully low-stress, low-stakes romantasy. Riela doesn't lose her independence just because she gets powerful. She struggles, asks for help, and her banter with her tutors is hilarious. I missed Bria and Vastien, and I wanted more Grim, but Lord Yika and Chipra were excellent comic relief.

[Sara]

This latest in the Silver & Blood series moves fast. The foundations were set in book 1, explaining the magic and world-building, so this book just took the characters for a ride through danger and romance. I did get tired of hearing the MMC growl, "I'll see that she's safe," or some variation on vowing to protect his lover. Yes, you're a bad dude; we get it. I wasn't expecting to be drawn into the story so quickly and enjoyed it from chapter 1 to the end.

[Clare]

🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 Roses & Stone
✒️ Jessie Mihalik
💫💫💫💫

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Roses & Stone dives deeper into the court politics as Reila navigates her fathers court. Garrick was the best character to read about, he would do anything for Reila and proved himself over and over again in their relationship. More of his POV was needed!

Overall, it is a good conclusion to the duology that gives me Beauty and the Beast vibes.

[Helen]

Amazing. Book 2 managed to top Book 1. I've been a long time fan of Jessie's and her foray into fantasy was astonishing. I couldn't put this book down. I see that it is advertised as a duology but I want more. Fingers crossed!

[Holly]

3.5

Just months ago, Riela thought herself a human mage with little power. Now she’s betrothed to a sovereign, and daughter and heir to another.

Unfortunately, the “I love him but how could he ever be interested in ME” denial spiral that Riela constantly goes on from the first book is still alive and well in Roses and Stone, and the book felt like very low stakes filler until around 75%, especially for a conclusion to a series. However, I loved the court politics, banter, the magic system , and the fact that when there’s miscommunication the characters actually TALK about it. Overall, an enjoyable duology!

e-arc provided by Netgalley ❤️

[Stacy Reeds]

3.89 stars, would recommend
I would like to start this review by thanking NetGalley and Jessie Mihalik for the ARC of Roses & Stone.
Overall, Roses & Stone delivered a satisfactory conclusion to Silver & Blood. However, I felt that the overall stakes were a bit lower than I expected.

[Kristin]

Definitely a satisfying ending. Absolutely no lulls in the story; an easy read.

[Rachelle]

LOVE Garrick ❤️‍🔥
Riela being incredibly naive and reluctant to accept Garrick's feelings was super frustrating as a reader 😩

I enjoyed Roses & Stone more than I did Silver & Blood but I have a couple issues with it...

1. The whole 'trials in a foreign court' plot (which took up most of this book) were a bit wishy washy and almost pointless.
2. This whole story could have been so much more. There was some world building which included other courts and side characters were working to prevent a war at the same time as the events in this book and yet never really expanded on.
3. Timeline. Oh how I loathe a short romantic timeline. A few weeks? Please. I want months, at least, to build that yearning love!

What I did like was the ending! 😍 I am a little confused though. This is meant to be a conclusion but all the characters (side characters too) still feel unfinished. Is Jessie Mihalik going to branch out and write some interconnected stories?

3.5⭐️

[Sarah Scarborough]

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

The concept was fun but the characters had no depth or chemistry and the descriptions were lacking.

[Amy]

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

I absolutely loved the conclusion to this duology. The majority of the book revolves around Riela navigating her way through the complex politics of the Blood Court. Normally, court politics in fantasy novels tend to turn me off, but Roses and Stone had me completely hooked. My only critique is that despite Riela being such a strong character, she constantly second-guessed herself, which got a bit frustrating. Thankfully, Garrick was always there to support her and back up whatever decisions she made. I usually find myself wishing Romantasy series weren't so long, but in this case, I would actually love another book in this world.