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REDEMPTION
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 16, 2026
Omg, what an ending. I need book two now! There is so much we still don’t know.
The pace of the story is mostly on the slower side, but even the slow everyday moments were never dull.
I loved how this dystopian world was slowly revealed to us as the story progresses. No info dump.
I like the characters. Anna and David’s slowburn romance is very realistic.
Anna’s friend group were so much fun. I loved their banter.
The only thing that I didn’t like was the way the investigation was presented. I had difficulties keeping up with all the names.
The pace of the story is mostly on the slower side, but even the slow everyday moments were never dull.
I loved how this dystopian world was slowly revealed to us as the story progresses. No info dump.
I like the characters. Anna and David’s slowburn romance is very realistic.
Anna’s friend group were so much fun. I loved their banter.
The only thing that I didn’t like was the way the investigation was presented. I had difficulties keeping up with all the names.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
1.75⭐️ - 0.5🌶
☆ Arranged marriage
☆ Urban fantasy
☆ Enemies to lovers
☆ Slow burn
☆ Touch her and die
NetGalley ARC review
Thanks to Netgalley and Valerie Harold for the free copy.
I am normally the biggest sucker for an arranged marriage. It's one of my favorite tropes, but this book was not for me. First, few things that I liked: the banter between the main characters, the slow burn and the one scene in the bar. Iykyk.
Now, for the rest... this book was so slow, it had me considering dnf'ing at multiple points during the story. Nothing is explained, there is barely any world building at all and this book is over 600 pages. So what else is there? A lot of very long descriptions and filler.
The tone of the book also took away some of the fun I should have had with it. Like the prank war. It should have been entertaining, but the way it was delivered just felt like reading a grocery list. I was not the audience for this and will not continue the series.
Favorite quotes:
> Mysa didn’t do quiet captures. She did explosions and property damage and left blaring sirens in her wake . Subtlety wasn’t one of her gifts.
> “Is he as cold as he looks on TV?” Lori asked. Like Satan had a baby with an iceberg.
> Real hatred wasn’t fiery or exciting like in those stories. It was cold, persistent, and exhausting. Could hate ever really transform into something else, or did it just breed more
> Oh, how nice it would be to believe that. To have someone on her side, no matter what. Sometimes she really wished the marriage was real.
> “You know what everybody gets wrong about love? It’s not something that just wanders into your life and finds you. You have to choose each other at every turn, over and over again. I think that’s your problem.”
> “You know women are capable of hating each other for reasons beyond a man. We don’t live in some pink, bubbly void, braiding each other’s hair, devoid of any thought until a man shows up and gives us a reason to become real people. We have our beliefs. Goals. And... well, other things.”
☆ Arranged marriage
☆ Urban fantasy
☆ Enemies to lovers
☆ Slow burn
☆ Touch her and die
NetGalley ARC review
Thanks to Netgalley and Valerie Harold for the free copy.
I am normally the biggest sucker for an arranged marriage. It's one of my favorite tropes, but this book was not for me. First, few things that I liked: the banter between the main characters, the slow burn and the one scene in the bar. Iykyk.
Now, for the rest... this book was so slow, it had me considering dnf'ing at multiple points during the story. Nothing is explained, there is barely any world building at all and this book is over 600 pages. So what else is there? A lot of very long descriptions and filler.
The tone of the book also took away some of the fun I should have had with it. Like the prank war. It should have been entertaining, but the way it was delivered just felt like reading a grocery list. I was not the audience for this and will not continue the series.
Favorite quotes:
> Mysa didn’t do quiet captures. She did explosions and property damage and left blaring sirens in her wake . Subtlety wasn’t one of her gifts.
> “Is he as cold as he looks on TV?” Lori asked. Like Satan had a baby with an iceberg.
> Real hatred wasn’t fiery or exciting like in those stories. It was cold, persistent, and exhausting. Could hate ever really transform into something else, or did it just breed more
> Oh, how nice it would be to believe that. To have someone on her side, no matter what. Sometimes she really wished the marriage was real.
> “You know what everybody gets wrong about love? It’s not something that just wanders into your life and finds you. You have to choose each other at every turn, over and over again. I think that’s your problem.”
> “You know women are capable of hating each other for reasons beyond a man. We don’t live in some pink, bubbly void, braiding each other’s hair, devoid of any thought until a man shows up and gives us a reason to become real people. We have our beliefs. Goals. And... well, other things.”
Review of advance copy
This was such an intriguing mix of action, suspense, and romance, and I found myself really torn by the end.
The premise immediately hooked me—runaway operative, secret government organization, and a forced/arranged marriage turned fake relationship? Yes please. The stakes felt high right from the start, especially with David being hunted by the Saints and Anna dealing with the fallout of a deadly encounter tied to something much bigger. There’s a lot going on, and I appreciated how ambitious the story was.
I also really enjoyed the core dynamic between David and Anna. The “fake marriage” trope worked well here, especially with both of them hiding secrets and trying to survive very real threats. There were moments where the tension—both romantic and external—really shined, and I liked seeing the line blur between what was fake and what wasn’t.
That said, the story didn’t fully come together for me. The pacing felt uneven, with some plot points rushed while others dragged a bit too long. The larger conspiracy elements (especially involving the Saints and the trafficking case) were interesting, but at times felt underdeveloped or a little hard to follow, which pulled me out of the story.
I also wanted a bit more depth from the characters emotionally. While their situation was intense, I didn’t always feel as connected to their internal struggles as I expected, which made some of the bigger moments land less strongly than they could have.
Overall, Redemption had a strong concept, compelling tropes, and plenty of tension, but the execution didn’t quite hit as hard as I’d hoped. Still, if you enjoy romantic suspense with fake relationships, high stakes, and morally grey situations, this one is worth a try.
The premise immediately hooked me—runaway operative, secret government organization, and a forced/arranged marriage turned fake relationship? Yes please. The stakes felt high right from the start, especially with David being hunted by the Saints and Anna dealing with the fallout of a deadly encounter tied to something much bigger. There’s a lot going on, and I appreciated how ambitious the story was.
I also really enjoyed the core dynamic between David and Anna. The “fake marriage” trope worked well here, especially with both of them hiding secrets and trying to survive very real threats. There were moments where the tension—both romantic and external—really shined, and I liked seeing the line blur between what was fake and what wasn’t.
That said, the story didn’t fully come together for me. The pacing felt uneven, with some plot points rushed while others dragged a bit too long. The larger conspiracy elements (especially involving the Saints and the trafficking case) were interesting, but at times felt underdeveloped or a little hard to follow, which pulled me out of the story.
I also wanted a bit more depth from the characters emotionally. While their situation was intense, I didn’t always feel as connected to their internal struggles as I expected, which made some of the bigger moments land less strongly than they could have.
Overall, Redemption had a strong concept, compelling tropes, and plenty of tension, but the execution didn’t quite hit as hard as I’d hoped. Still, if you enjoy romantic suspense with fake relationships, high stakes, and morally grey situations, this one is worth a try.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review of ARC copy from NetGalley. These are my honest opinions.
I honestly don’t know how I feel about this book, the premise is great, and I love the whole fake/arranged marriage aspect, but there was just so much going on that the plot felt like it was lurching from one thing to the next without taking the time to set anything up properly. More than once I found myself checking I hadn’t somehow missed a chapter because of jarring transitions.
Then there’s the underlying mystery and the pay off -- without spoiling it, I think it fell flat because there wasn’t enough build up or explanation throughout the book to make it land. The characters themselves are mysteries and the book drags that out to the very end which some people may enjoy but it wasn’t for me. The book opens hinting at a massive mystery surrounding David (the MMC) that I would have loved to know more about (maybe that will come in book 2?)
There were a lot of side characters that only seemed to exist to have snarky conversations with the Anna (the FMC) and, the thing is, there are some enjoyable bits of banter (especially between Anna and the David) but when everyone talks that way, the funnier, more touching moments lose and sort of uniqueness. However, I did like the main characters and I did enjoy watching them slowly grow closer.
That said, I didn’t want to put it down because I wanted to know what was going on and the story that it’s trying to tell is compelling but the way it delivers necessary information (or, as the case may be, doesn’t deliver it) left me feeling like something was missing. For the unanswered questions alone, I’ll probably read the next book.
I honestly don’t know how I feel about this book, the premise is great, and I love the whole fake/arranged marriage aspect, but there was just so much going on that the plot felt like it was lurching from one thing to the next without taking the time to set anything up properly. More than once I found myself checking I hadn’t somehow missed a chapter because of jarring transitions.
Then there’s the underlying mystery and the pay off -- without spoiling it, I think it fell flat because there wasn’t enough build up or explanation throughout the book to make it land. The characters themselves are mysteries and the book drags that out to the very end which some people may enjoy but it wasn’t for me. The book opens hinting at a massive mystery surrounding David (the MMC) that I would have loved to know more about (maybe that will come in book 2?)
There were a lot of side characters that only seemed to exist to have snarky conversations with the Anna (the FMC) and, the thing is, there are some enjoyable bits of banter (especially between Anna and the David) but when everyone talks that way, the funnier, more touching moments lose and sort of uniqueness. However, I did like the main characters and I did enjoy watching them slowly grow closer.
That said, I didn’t want to put it down because I wanted to know what was going on and the story that it’s trying to tell is compelling but the way it delivers necessary information (or, as the case may be, doesn’t deliver it) left me feeling like something was missing. For the unanswered questions alone, I’ll probably read the next book.
April 17, 2026
WOW - Redemption was AMAZING! Mystery, suspense, politics, romance, banter, Gods, special abilities, I'm IN LOVE and can't wait to read book 2!!
Blurb:
So we have a world giving dystopian vibes. Anna Ryder is a guard in the Rising and finds herself in trouble, to get out of it she volunteers for an assignment that she thinks she'll never get picked for. Turns out fate...or politics has other plans. Trades one problem for 3 more! Ending up in an arranged marriage to grumpy, David Vanderlint isn't the only issue Anna find herself dealing with trying to navigate her chaotic life. Can Anna survive the world trying to tear her apart and will her heart survive David when he finally shows his true self that hides under the mask he wears?
🖤Enemies-to-Lovers
🖤Political
🖤Dystopian Vibes
🖤Slow-Burn
🖤Mystery
🖤Special Abilities
🖤Gods
🖤Banter
🖤Spice
🖤Secret Agendas
🖤Arranged Marriage
🖤Forced Proximity
This story is high-stakes, mysterious, interesting I was hooked immediately and on my toes the entire read! I couldn't wait to find out what happened next, and when I say slow-burn I mean, man was the build-up amazing! It was an actual, enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn! I loved reading Anna and David's relationship development and the forest mystery, hidden powers, politics 🤌😘 This book is everything you love about a romantasy and has all the parts! Book two can't come fast enough!
Definitely recommend 🖤
Blurb:
So we have a world giving dystopian vibes. Anna Ryder is a guard in the Rising and finds herself in trouble, to get out of it she volunteers for an assignment that she thinks she'll never get picked for. Turns out fate...or politics has other plans. Trades one problem for 3 more! Ending up in an arranged marriage to grumpy, David Vanderlint isn't the only issue Anna find herself dealing with trying to navigate her chaotic life. Can Anna survive the world trying to tear her apart and will her heart survive David when he finally shows his true self that hides under the mask he wears?
🖤Enemies-to-Lovers
🖤Political
🖤Dystopian Vibes
🖤Slow-Burn
🖤Mystery
🖤Special Abilities
🖤Gods
🖤Banter
🖤Spice
🖤Secret Agendas
🖤Arranged Marriage
🖤Forced Proximity
This story is high-stakes, mysterious, interesting I was hooked immediately and on my toes the entire read! I couldn't wait to find out what happened next, and when I say slow-burn I mean, man was the build-up amazing! It was an actual, enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn! I loved reading Anna and David's relationship development and the forest mystery, hidden powers, politics 🤌😘 This book is everything you love about a romantasy and has all the parts! Book two can't come fast enough!
Definitely recommend 🖤
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
***ARC: this book was gifted to me but reflects my honest opinion.***
⭐ An Intriguing Premise with a Fast-Paced Story
Redemption by Valerie Harold offers a compelling setup that immediately caught my attention, especially for readers who enjoy the forced marriage trope in fantasy romance. The premise has a lot of potential with its action packed scenes and fast pace.
⸻
📚 Plot & Pacing
The pacing is one of the stronger aspects of the book.
The story moves quickly, making it a relatively fast read that keeps you turning pages. However, at times the plot feels confusing and somewhat choppy, which made it difficult to stay fully grounded in what was happening. Some transitions between scenes and developments felt abrupt, and I occasionally found myself wanting more clarity and cohesion.
⸻
🖤 Premise & Tropes
The forced marriage trope is what initially drew me in, and it remains one of the most interesting elements of the story.
There’s a strong foundation here for emotional tension, power dynamics, and character growth, which many readers of romantasy will appreciate. The concept itself is engaging and has a lot of appeal within the genre.
⸻
✨ Final Thoughts
While Redemption didn’t fully work for me due to the confusing and uneven plot progression, I can appreciate the fast pacing and intriguing premise that will likely resonate with other readers.
⭐ An Intriguing Premise with a Fast-Paced Story
Redemption by Valerie Harold offers a compelling setup that immediately caught my attention, especially for readers who enjoy the forced marriage trope in fantasy romance. The premise has a lot of potential with its action packed scenes and fast pace.
⸻
📚 Plot & Pacing
The pacing is one of the stronger aspects of the book.
The story moves quickly, making it a relatively fast read that keeps you turning pages. However, at times the plot feels confusing and somewhat choppy, which made it difficult to stay fully grounded in what was happening. Some transitions between scenes and developments felt abrupt, and I occasionally found myself wanting more clarity and cohesion.
⸻
🖤 Premise & Tropes
The forced marriage trope is what initially drew me in, and it remains one of the most interesting elements of the story.
There’s a strong foundation here for emotional tension, power dynamics, and character growth, which many readers of romantasy will appreciate. The concept itself is engaging and has a lot of appeal within the genre.
⸻
✨ Final Thoughts
While Redemption didn’t fully work for me due to the confusing and uneven plot progression, I can appreciate the fast pacing and intriguing premise that will likely resonate with other readers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
*Arc received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
The summary of this book was great; it got my attention immediately. I was so excited to start this book. I had very high hopes for this book, but I was disappointed.
The book started out quite fast for me, and I was confused. Who was David? Who was Anna? Who were the other people they mentioned? There was zero background information in the beginning, leaving the reader to figure it all out. It was extremely hard to follow along with the story and want to finish it…
- The transitions between David and Anna were also very sudden and the chapters were choppy, and it felt like many pieces of information was left out… so it was harder for me understand.
- The forced marriage trope didn’t work out for me. How it was done and written just couldn’t get me invested enough in either of the main characters.
- The writing felt incredibly flat without much flow to it, making it uninteresting and a bit of a bore.
- The ebook from NetGalley was 500 pages - I felt like the entire story was dragged out.
I didn’t enjoy it enough to want to continue the series. It was extremely long, fast-paced, and detailed with long descriptions; I personally wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone. I would recommend reading a sample before reading or requesting this book to see if it would suit your taste, since it’s not for everyone.
The summary of this book was great; it got my attention immediately. I was so excited to start this book. I had very high hopes for this book, but I was disappointed.
The book started out quite fast for me, and I was confused. Who was David? Who was Anna? Who were the other people they mentioned? There was zero background information in the beginning, leaving the reader to figure it all out. It was extremely hard to follow along with the story and want to finish it…
- The transitions between David and Anna were also very sudden and the chapters were choppy, and it felt like many pieces of information was left out… so it was harder for me understand.
- The forced marriage trope didn’t work out for me. How it was done and written just couldn’t get me invested enough in either of the main characters.
- The writing felt incredibly flat without much flow to it, making it uninteresting and a bit of a bore.
- The ebook from NetGalley was 500 pages - I felt like the entire story was dragged out.
I didn’t enjoy it enough to want to continue the series. It was extremely long, fast-paced, and detailed with long descriptions; I personally wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone. I would recommend reading a sample before reading or requesting this book to see if it would suit your taste, since it’s not for everyone.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Redemption: Wicked Rising Book 1
“I want to do something together… promises it’s just one more chapter before she gets dressed”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(3.5 but we’re going to say 4)
🌶️
TROPES
Forced marriage
Forced Proximity
Social hierarchy
Magical elements
Forbidden Romance
First and Foremost, thank you to NETGALLEY and Valerie Harold for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.
Overall this book was really engaging, even when I found myself upset about something I still kept coming back to figure out how the book ends….which was something…. I did not anticipate the turn of event that occurred in the book, the story line is very good and engaging the dynamic between Davis and Anna is tricky and you’re never really sure what you’re going to get but there is A LOT of tension. The book is told from a 3rd person perspective and alternates from chapter to chapter whose perspective is being told. This is fine. However, my one complaint is that you had to guess whose perspective it was being told from. The first few chapters really confused me with this because I had a hard time understanding where the shift was coming from and why. BUT, once you push through it tells a really interesting story and I look forward to book 2 because the way this one ends…. WHAT THE HECK .
“I want to do something together… promises it’s just one more chapter before she gets dressed”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(3.5 but we’re going to say 4)
🌶️
TROPES
Forced marriage
Forced Proximity
Social hierarchy
Magical elements
Forbidden Romance
First and Foremost, thank you to NETGALLEY and Valerie Harold for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.
Overall this book was really engaging, even when I found myself upset about something I still kept coming back to figure out how the book ends….which was something…. I did not anticipate the turn of event that occurred in the book, the story line is very good and engaging the dynamic between Davis and Anna is tricky and you’re never really sure what you’re going to get but there is A LOT of tension. The book is told from a 3rd person perspective and alternates from chapter to chapter whose perspective is being told. This is fine. However, my one complaint is that you had to guess whose perspective it was being told from. The first few chapters really confused me with this because I had a hard time understanding where the shift was coming from and why. BUT, once you push through it tells a really interesting story and I look forward to book 2 because the way this one ends…. WHAT THE HECK .
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book has a great dystopian setting, the author gave great detail to the way things happened to get where they are.
You follow the dual time lines of Anna and David both of whom are soldiers for the Rising. David is part of a well off family line and is forced to marry Anna. Anna feels like she is a screw up and thought that agreeing to put her name in for consideration would keep her butt out of the fire and she would keep her job.
Both characters are excellent but their mysteries could be fleshed out a bit more and the forced proximity/stranger/ enemies leads to the best slow burn. I did find that some of the transitions were a little hard to comprehend but I still loved the storyline.
The ending will leave you wanting more and I am excited to see what the next installment brings.
You follow the dual time lines of Anna and David both of whom are soldiers for the Rising. David is part of a well off family line and is forced to marry Anna. Anna feels like she is a screw up and thought that agreeing to put her name in for consideration would keep her butt out of the fire and she would keep her job.
Both characters are excellent but their mysteries could be fleshed out a bit more and the forced proximity/stranger/ enemies leads to the best slow burn. I did find that some of the transitions were a little hard to comprehend but I still loved the storyline.
The ending will leave you wanting more and I am excited to see what the next installment brings.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Netgalley for sending me an ARC of this book!
I really genuinely enjoyed this book! It was long, however it was an easy and digestible read which I flew through incredibly fast. I was unsure where the plot was going and had a lot of questions (still do), but the romance between the FMC and MMC was the driving force to keep me reading. I haven't read a slow burn tension and yearning filled romance in so long! It was done so well and realistically. The main characters were wonderfully written and developed and the plot followed a nice steady cadence to keep you engaged and curious.
Its a murder/missing persons mystery with an arranged marriage trope I had such a hard time putting down!
Don't let the negative reviews impact your decision to read this book, if you like a fantasy with mystery and romance give this book a shot!
I really genuinely enjoyed this book! It was long, however it was an easy and digestible read which I flew through incredibly fast. I was unsure where the plot was going and had a lot of questions (still do), but the romance between the FMC and MMC was the driving force to keep me reading. I haven't read a slow burn tension and yearning filled romance in so long! It was done so well and realistically. The main characters were wonderfully written and developed and the plot followed a nice steady cadence to keep you engaged and curious.
Its a murder/missing persons mystery with an arranged marriage trope I had such a hard time putting down!
Don't let the negative reviews impact your decision to read this book, if you like a fantasy with mystery and romance give this book a shot!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley and the author for the ARC of Redemption!!
I was really hooked by the description of this book. There was a lot of potential for different tension and power plays, but I felt like the pacing was kind of chaotic. There were honestly moments where I felt like I had accidentally skipped a chapter or two. Some things just weren’t explained enough.
Because of the lack of buildup, I didn’t particularly feel attached to the characters or the story. I did like the main characters Anna and David, but it felt like all the characters had the same personality so it dulled it for me.
I think I would’ve really enjoyed this if those things were fixed. This would probably be a good “vibes only” read for some!
I was really hooked by the description of this book. There was a lot of potential for different tension and power plays, but I felt like the pacing was kind of chaotic. There were honestly moments where I felt like I had accidentally skipped a chapter or two. Some things just weren’t explained enough.
Because of the lack of buildup, I didn’t particularly feel attached to the characters or the story. I did like the main characters Anna and David, but it felt like all the characters had the same personality so it dulled it for me.
I think I would’ve really enjoyed this if those things were fixed. This would probably be a good “vibes only” read for some!
April 26, 2026
🖤Forced Marriage 🖤Family Secrets 🖤Missing Girls 🖤Paranormal Activity 🖤Enemies to Lovers to Enemies 🖤Lies 🖤Secrecy
I did not know what to expect going into this book and what I got was just that!!!
Anna didn’t like a good life but she lived it honestly for her family. Stuck as a State Trooper she just wanted to keep her head low.
Next thing she knows she married to political royalty and lost on a case that can only lead to destruction.
This book has a little of everything and a whole lot of suspense. Once you pick it up you don’t want to put it back down and if you love sloooooow burn and yearning you will love this!
Amazing plot with too many twist, turns and unexpected outcomes!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Redemption had some truly compelling moments, and I appreciated the emotional depth Valerie Harold brought to the characters. However, parts of the story felt a bit slow, and I didn’t always connect with the pacing or certain plot points. It’s still an engaging read, but not quite the standout I hoped for — three stars.
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