Haven

Relentless #5

by Karen Lynch

Things are going well for Roland Greene. High school is behind him, he has a sweet new ride, a good job, and he’s making plans for his future. At eighteen, he’s one of the strongest werewolves in his pack, and he already has more vampire kills than most wolves have in a lifetime. Life is good. Almost.

It’s time for the annual pack gathering. Wolves from all over Maine come to take care of pack business and socialize – and to find mates. Everywhere Roland turns there are unmated females, and as the Alpha’s nephew, he’s prime mate material. The last thing he wants right now is a mate, and he’ll do all he can to stay a free wolf.

Until he meets her.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult, Vampires, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

ebook

First published May 2, 2017

About the author

Karen Lynch is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

She grew up in Newfoundland, Canada - a place rich in colorful people and folklore to which she attributes her love of the supernatural and her vivid imagination. She moved to Charlotte, North Carolina years ago and was immediately charmed by the southern people but she says she will always be a newfie.

Though she loves supernatural fiction, she has a soft spot for Charlotte Brontë and Jane Austin. She is a fan of classic rock, country and classical music but her favorite music is the sound of a good thunderstorm or a howling blizzard. Two of her favorite past times are baking artisan breads for her friends and spending quality time with her two German Shepherds.

Reviews

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really don't know how Karen Lynch does it. She wants me to fall in love with a character, I fall in love with a character. She wants me to hate a character, I hate a character. It all seems so effortless on her part - the creation of amazing characters and captivating, multifaceted story lines, her almost impeccable sense of pacing, details and dialogues.

There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to love Roland's narration since he's been one of my favorite characters ever since I started the Relentless series. The author totally took me by surprise with her choice of the female love interest, though. Never in a million years would I have expected her to be the heroine (and no, I won't spoil that surprise for you by telling you her name).
Haven is a lot lower on action than what I'm used to from this series. Miscommunications, secrets and jealous secondary characters also make it a much angstier read that clearly has its focus on the romance part instead of the supernatural world Lynch has built so far, though there was also quite a bit on the workings of werewolf pack life, too.
I didn't mind because... Roland.
There are also appearances of beloved side kicks from the other books that made me ridiculously happy, as well as introductions of new ones.

Not a five star-read because in my mind, although I really, really liked this one, it just didn't stand a chance against the first two installments. Also, I was disappointed by the very abrupt ending that left so many questions unanswered.

Still, Karen Lynch will remain a one click-author for me, especially considering that the next book will be Chris's story. Can't wait!
(And can I just say that her cover model picks are absolutely spot on? They all look exactly how I'd picture her characters!)

I guess Haven could be read as a standalone, but I'd definitely advise against it, especially if you're planning to read the other books, too.

[Muse-ic ♬ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read #2

*sigh*
Delicious deliciousness!!!

Okay now I'm ready for Chris' story which will be out in two weeks EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!

Also I need Jordan's story to be written!! I want to read more about her!!!!

_____________
Read #1

Technically, I've finished this series. However, I heard that Karen Lynch is currently working on Chris' story!! Fingers crossed because I reaaaaaaaaallly want more! I would love Jordan's story too! Please Karen? Pretty please??? *bats eyelashes*

That ending was so beautiful!!



I would say these books are life-altering or anything. But they definitely capture your heart so that you don't want to put them down!

This one? I started and finished in the same day! I read the first book a while ago (it was my least favorite, which is completely arbitrary), but then when I picked up the second book a few days ago, I didn't stop reading until I finished all of them. The minute I finished one, I started the next because I was so engrossed and I didn't want to break the feels streak!

Unfortunately, the streak has now been broken, and not by choice.

I'm out of books!!
Whaddoidonow???


Roland is so cute! Emma is so cute! But they're even cuter together!!!
Peter is so cute! Shannon is so cute! But they're even cuter together!!!
Paul is so cute! April is so cute! But they're even cuter together!!!
You know who's not cute? Lex. Social-climbing piece of shit.

I have a very high level of respect for Maxwell. He is a fair leader.
The whole imprinting thing with Roland was so cool! I was fangirling so hard. Shamelessly! And the way he watched over her like a guardian angel-werewolf was so ADORABLE! And the ending made me laugh! It was a perfect sex scene.



Marie ♥ ♥

Dear Karen,

Please hurry up with Chris' story! I'm dying over here!
Also please write Jordan a book. That girl deserves the world and I really want to see her get it!
Thanks a million!
Love,
Sandra

[Antonella · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was an okay read ..
a great addition to the series as Roland is a character that was need and dear to me in the previous books...
the ending is a bit rushed as the main issue that we know from the beginning is resolved without really being resolved...it left me feeling rushed and unfinished.. hfn end...

[Lučka · Rating 4 out of 5]

"3.5 stars"

As you might noticed, I'm on a fantasy binge. And it's totally kick-ass, people. I feel so happy.


I have to get something off my chest before I start reviewing this book. You can skip this part.

When I started reading Relentless series two years ago, I was obsessed with it. Loved it so much, I was in pain when it was over.
The Hero from the first three books - Nicolas. There are no words for him. No, there are.

When the author announced another book, retelling the entire Relentless series from Nikolas' POV -> Warrior.
I. was. dying.


This is YA, for God's sake! But, the guy is immortal, way over 100, so I'm not a total creepo. When Warrior finally came out, I was over the fantasy genre and poor Nicholas was locked away in a hidden box of all time YA book boyfriends, along with Dimitri from Vampire Academy.
I never skip a book in a series. It goes against my "OCD". But I had to skip the Warrior. For personal reasons obvs. LOL


Now, about Haven.

I really enjoyed it. The plot was mostly about werevolves and some scenes reminded me of New Moon. That bothered me a little.
I also missed the depth, the action, the true villains, the other "creatures", twists and suspense from the previous books.

I loved the writing style, the possessive/protective alpha boy werewolf, the sweetheart human heroine, no cheating or love triangle; though heavy on OW drama, the supporting characters, etc.

Toward the end, the book has a sexual scene, which I think is not suitable for YA!

All and all, I didn't love this book, but I immensely enjoyed it!

I need Jordan's or Chris' book next. Like yesterday.

[Parvati Patil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad someone recommended this series to me. It wasn't really on my radar and I can't begin to tell you how much I was missing.

[Bookadmirer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just bland. It was a complete surprise for me that Emma is the female protagonist of this book. Technically Emma is way older than Roland as she lived as a vampire for 21 years until Sara killed the demon. Then Ronald imprinted on her while she was unaware. But they were both attracted to each other. Roland himself had no idea he imprinted on her as he didn't know werewolves can imprint on humans.

However, it didn't felt like a werewolf or shifter romance. If there were school scenes it could be passed as high school romance. There are mean girls, petty boys, a girl who wants the hero and causes conflicts, boys who are jealous of the hero. It's like reading a high school romance, that had no high school plot.

There are a few scenes of Sara and Nicholas. I wish there were more. The brief appearance of Jordan and Chris was great. Maxwell is indeed a honourable alpha. The friendship between Roland, Peter, and Paul was dynamic. They will always support Roland.

Both Roland and Emma was a great character as well. The poor delivery of the plot just didn't do any justice to Roland. Besides Emma's struggle could have been explored more. It would be great if there were scenes Emma meeting the pack member, her own parents. The author could have done so many things with this plot, instead, she just made this book a random romance. The ending was rushed. It just ended abruptly and everything was solved instantly.

[Bonnie Shores · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book literally left me with a BIG smile on my face! 😁 I'm not sure why I didn't read it sooner.



Even though it's Book #5 of the Relentless series, it's more of a spin-off rather than a continuation. The two MCs are Roland, a werewolf and best friend of Sarah, and Emma, a former vampire whom Sarah "cured", who is trying to start a new life in Sarah's hometown. The story started off a little slowly—none of the fast-paced supernatural creature battles that occurred in the books featuring Sarah and Nikolas. The only real drama comes in the form of a supposed stalker and a rival for Roland's attention. This book was purely character-driven and we got to know Roland and Emma very well.

The chapters alternated between the two MCs, which makes understanding them a lot easier. I'm a sucker for the cliché gorgeous-popular-guy-who-never-wants-to-settle-down-until-he-meets-this-girl-who-of-course-doesn't-understand-why-he-would-be-attracted-to-her story. Haven goes a little beyond that, though, because part of the reason Emma is hesitant to even be around Roland is because she used to be a vampire and werewolves exist to hunt and kill vampires.



That fact aside, the two are able to get to know each other because Roland doesn't know Emma was a former vampire. He only knows he feels obligated to protect her because she's Sarah's "cousin".

I really love Roland in this book, especially in his wolf form. He's sweet and kind and protective. What more could a girl want? Oh, yeah. A HAPPY ENDING! 😍❤️

[TJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5.0
Thoroughly enjoyed this book! I wasn't that excited that Roland was getting his story before others that I enjoyed more but... I'm glad he did! Very well written and pleasurably paced. There isn't nearly as much action as in previous books but it was still a can't put down read!

*warning*. Since this is a YA book, it should be noted that there is a semi-steamy sex scene. Something I REALLY don't like in YA reads.

[Pam Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of the Relentless series, I've re read the first 4 books countless times and I never tire of the story or the world the books are set in. I couldn't wait to get my hands on Roland's story because I've always loved him and Peter, I'm also a total sucker for werewolves and in a market were werewolf books are a dime a dozen I was intrigued to see what Karen's take on it would be. This book is everything I hoped it would be, it is different from the previous books, it's definitely more of a love story than the action packed thrill ride of the others but there is still lots of depth to the plot and I was gripped by the story. The Pack are wonderful and all the new characters we get to meet are just perfectly written, and I loved getting to know Maxwell, Brendan, Francis and a few others better, everything about how Karen has written their lives is how I image a werewolf pack to be....it's totally believable! She's definitely created a world in its own right separate from Sara's world and I'm really hoping Karen considers writing more books set in the Pack in the future....there is a certain rather grumpy werewolf I'd love to have his own book!!
There are lots of cameos in this book from other characters in the series which works brilliantly at giving us a little tease as to what they are all up to. This book is a dual POV story which is a new element to the series, I think Karen has totally nailed it....Roland is funny, charming, warm, thoughtful, and most importantly he doesn't know everything, he gets things wrong and he's still trying to figure out who he is....like most young adults. I'm not saying anything about 'the girl' because I want you to be as surprised and excited as I was!
One of the most enjoyable aspects of this book has been the return to New Hastings and The Knolls, although only Relentless was actually set here Karen did such a phenomenal job with the world building that I felt I knew every detail about this place! Reading this book and returning to this town gave me serious warm and fuzzy feelings lol, I want to live here!! I've only ever felt this connected to the place in a story once before, Hogwarts, were the place becomes it's own character, it's truly magical writing!! I want to walk on the wharfs, drink coffee in The Hub, have lunch in the diner and paint in Sara's apartment....who wants to join me?
This is another 5 star book from Karen, I wish I could give it a million stars! Well done Karen 😀❤️📚

[Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Noooooo 😭😭 there's the end of my latest obsession

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for a great read, since I really liked the Relentless series by this author. Since this is a spin off from that series & since I like Roland, I hoped it would be just as good. I was wrong. Sometimes I think authors should not milk a series with spin offs of secondary characters as those tend to be a let down for me. The flow on this dragged so slow in the first half I felt it was never going to improve, then it finally picked up a bit of speed. The ending was totally rushed & left a ton of questions. The world building was dependent on the previous series, so a reader not familiar might feel a bit lost starting this book without reading them. This was definitely not a book I would EVER want to re-read. I'm kinda mad at myself for buying this. Not sure I would want to buy the next book now either.

There may be some spoilers here, as a warning...Roland is a strong secondary character from the series, he deserved a better story than this one. Emma was a weak secondary character that I personally felt didn't deserve a story of her own & wasn't a strong enough character in the series to be worth reading about in this book. The relationship between Roland & Emma was baffling, I never felt anything beyond friendship between them, & how could his inner wolf like her enough to imprint on her when the only real interaction she had with the wolf was feed it & treat him like a big dog for the most part. I also kept waiting to find out that maybe she was a dormant werewolf or something that he was able to imprint on her. Having that bit of information pushed from the beginning of the series that a werewolf couldn't imprint on a human, & that was why Roland always dated humans, just didn't set me up to be open to this werewolf/human relationship. Also Emma is never really introduced to the whole pack, just a handful of the younger ones, which felt like an important strange missing puzzle piece. The conflict in this story was mostly angst & emotional driven turmoil or fluff compared to the other books from the series. I really didn't get how some of the emotional conflicts were even resolved. (Like -how was Roland able to get past her having been a vampire?) There were also so many loop holes in the plot that were left open (never filled in). I also would have loved a tad more info in Sarah's phone calls of her life with Nikolas.

On a side note, if Emma is to be forgiven for all the horrendous things she did as a vampire in her 20+ years as one, because it was the demon inside her that did those horrible things -not her human side, then why is there a double standard for the rest of the vampires? Didn't they just have a demon in them doing those things too? Could they have been "saved" like Emma was? What determines when they are savable & not savable? She was worthy of saving, but what about the rest of them? This part really bothered me.

[Aeron Trahaearn · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW!
I absolutely loved this book! In the past books I really felt like Roland was under-appreciated as a character because he sticks with Sara through out everything! and I mean EVERYTHING! he should have gotten more recognition but lo and behold! WE HAD A WHOLE NOVEL ON HIM!!!!!!!
Lemme just say that I absolutely HATE anything related to werewolves! I dont know why I hate them... (probably because of TWILIGHT?) but still... saying that I still think this book is awesome!! I loved it and i would even reread it sometime soon :D

[Katrina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay...first of all...BORING!!!!!!!!!!! 😴 The most exciting thing that happens in this book is a little fight between pack members. Serious let down this book was. By far my least favorite of all the books. Then the relationship development is pathetic. She tried to fit too much in this book and there are a LOT of unanswered questions. I’m not sure if the author just ran out of time or what. But this was really disappointing.

[Tarisa Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would've been 4 stars but I found the second half of the book to draaaaaaaaaaaag. Good storyline though and character building!

[thevintagechronicles · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars

one of my favorite SP/underrated series.

Roland gets his own book guys! I love this series.

Roland is still very much the lovable, protective sweet wolf he always has been. yay! I felt for him so much, the crushing pressure and lack of freedom of being a wolf at this time in his life/ the year holds for him. how he balances all of that, and holds onto his funny, cheerful sweet self is amazing. he really grows into a man in this book. I loved watching all of that unfold.

E.'s character really explores some tough themes. victim trauma, grief, guilt. it was hard to watch her go through it, but totally relatable.

I really loved being back in this world again, and, of course, I loved seeing favorite characters, and getting to see more of the wolf life.

a couple of things did bother me a little. 1) it's a little slow to start. this is probably my fault, as I haven't read the other books for a hot minute, so trying to figure out who the MC was took me a few chapters to care about her again.

2) the ending felt anticlimactic and rushed. this is a duel POV book, switching between Roland and E. at the end, I felt like Rolands POV was skipped, and though it wasn't NESSESARY, it felt hurried due to the lack of it. instead it's told as a sentence during a conversation. this was a pretty big event to simply gloss over. some ppl might not feel as strongly as I do though. but as part of a whole story, the beginning and end were definitely a different feel from the rest.

3) there is a large argument/ conflict at the end that also felt rushed and anticlimactic. see #2. everything in between was great though.

4) I have been conflicted about the whole wolf imprinting thing since the twilight days. simply because it takes choice out of the picture. it isn't really THAT bad in this story, the wolf knows the mans/womans heart and usually choses someone they both like. it's also in pretty much every other werewolf story I've ever read, so not that big of a deal. and it's silly of me, because it's just a mirror of love. no one choses when or how or whom they love. it just happens. usually when it's most inconvenient/unplanned. but in this story, it all feels pretty rushed/ sudden, and unwanted. I feel like every male at 18 is suddenly an adult, gets pack responsibilities, school, jobs, wife, kids etc dumped on them for no good reason. simply because they are related to the alpha/ beta etc. who, BTW, isn't about to croak-so no urgent need to replace staff members... Pete and Roland feel a little young. I guess mostly because Roland is so opposed to the idea. I'm happy for Paul, though. at the end of the day, it works out for all parties, but it just didn't feel as natural as I would have hoped. yes, love changes us. so does growing up, and becoming an adult. It just feels like it's a bit forced here, especially because it happens en'mass.

I was expecting a cliff hanger ending, that isn't the case(yay!), and I think I remember Jordan's story may be next, so that should be snarky, sword wielding fun! I look forward to reading this many more times to come.

amendment: I just found out Chris gets the next book. not jordan. still so excited! can't wait!!!

[Daisy Delfin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Karen Lynch's Relentless book, but this one was sitting on my kindle for a long time. I was scared that Roland will have to find a werewolf girl but it turned out so much better.
Because of a tbr challenge with the #cakeeaters, I finally read it and enjoyed it so much. Also it concludes my tbr challenge because this one was the last draw.

Haven is not the Name of Rolands girl! I liked to be back in the town where the Relentless series began. I enjoyed to meet the werewolf characters Peter and Roland again, as well as Rolands mum, and her brothers and Rolands grandmother. The grandmother was a great addition!

I thought the story was well written (but honestly what do I know, I'm a non native speaker LOL). There was mostly drama because of the werewolf girls.

Love, Love, Love the series and yes I will try to read the other books about Chris and Jordan asap.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lynch has quickly become one of my must read authors. I loved this book! Once it hooked me I couldn’t put it down! It was definitely a love story at heart rather than a suspenseful paranormal book mixed with a love story like others in this series, and that was fine by me! I loves revisiting Sara and Roland and watching Emma find herself and peace. This book was full of simmering tension and totally drew me in. A great addition to this series and I cannot wait to read Chris’ story!

[Nathalie* · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ;)

I really enjoyed this story..I thought it was going to be actioned packed, nope! It was a sweet story of a girl getting her life back and falling in love. The ending was WAY to rushed .. they finally get together and we get a couple of pages :(

Jordan has a ton of personality I can't wait to read her story ;)

[Joan Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal! I was excitedly awaiting this book after reading the Relentless books. Haven was even better than I had expected. I loved seeing the characters I had already come to love, but the addition of Pack life really engrossed me in this world rather than feeling like a repeat of the Relentless books. Roland melted my heart and had me swooning. The romance is slow building and encompassed me so completely I found myself feeling what these characters were. I cannot recommend this book enough. I will be rereading Haven.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I have read this year. The story was completely relatable and I found myself fully engrossed just a few chapters in. It has a darker backstory than this authors other books, which only adds more depth and meaning to the characters growth. I devoured it and could not put it down. I can't wait to see what comes next from this author!

[Boundless Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven is such beautiful story between Roland and Emma.

Lynch has created this whole world, full of these awesome characters. Roland is probably one of my favorite characters. He's funny, genuine, and brave. With Emma, she's hiding her past from everyone but it doesn't stop the connection she has with Roland.

At the end of this, I had this feeling that Roland and Emma's story wasn't finished. I wanna see what happens after! Maybe.. someday Lynch will continue their story.

The narration was perfect. Zachary Webber has quickly become one of my favorite narrators. As well as, Caitlin. This has been by the far, the best audiobooks I've listened to. I was so enthralled by this story. Really the whole series. Now, what do I listen to?

Overall, of course, its Five Boundless Stars from. I can't wait for the next one in this series!

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[Lissa Hawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Werewolf adorableness. Karen Lynch does not disappoint.

[Kristy Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awe I loved Roland and I'm so glad he got his own book. It was neat stepping into the werewolf world after being entrenched in the Mohiri world for the past 4 books.

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

(RabidReads.com) 4.5 stars Karen Lynch can write, and write really well. Her series, Relentless, snuck up on me with the first book and gave me a series that I have absolutely loved. One that is full of all sorts of supernatural creatures, action, suspense, world building, and slow burn romance. I had no idea what I was getting into with that first book(which was free, by the way), but I have totally enjoyed the ride, no matter how rough it was a times.

The focus of the first four books was about Sara and the immortal warrior Nikolas, who not only loved her, but fought along side her eventually. They were (higher end age)young adult books and told the story of a race of immortal warriors named Mohiri, and bred to be vampire hunters. Throughout those books, Sara’s closest friends were Roland and Pete, even though she didn’t know for a long time they were werewolves. Now that Sara’s story is pretty much complete(although she does show up in phone calls), Roland gets his book. Emily, one of only two vampires that have been saved and made human again(long story)has come to Maine to start a quiet life of her own in Sara’s old apartment. Of course, she meets Roland and Pete. Werewolves and vampires are mortal enemies in Lynch’s world building, so she definitely doesn’t want Roland and Pete to know what she used to be.

I loved Roland and Pete as characters from the minute they showed up in the first book. Roland especially. He’s super strong, both in mind and body-meaning he has some alpha tendencies at times. At nineteen, that doesn’t mean a whole lot though. What’s bothering him now is the pack gathering in his home territory. And all the unmated females that come along with it. The one thing he doesn’t want is a mate. He’s got dreams of what he wants for his life and a mate doesn’t fit. Emily is completely different from Roland. Where he is outgoing and popular, Emily is quiet and initially withdrawn. She suffers from nightmares and is an artist. I liked both of them as main characters, although Roland was a clear favorite for me.

Whereas the first four books were basically urban fantasy with a romance, this one I would consider paranormal romance. There is, of course, a villain or two and there is some violence and action as well. But this book to me is all about Emily and Roland. Roland as a hero is not a stretch. He’s young(nineteen), but in werewolf culture, they mate after eighteen and the younger the better to have babies. Just some of that good world building.

I think there will be another book or maybe two, because I can think of at least two characters that I would like to see get their book-unless the two end up together? Jordan and Chis have been featured in all the books, as well. I enjoyed my time with the Maine wolf pack, but I will be happy to get back into the Mohiri world with the next books. Since this book borders pretty much on new adult, I would highly recommend it to ages,16 plus or higher depending on maturity level, due to sexual situations, violence, and some language.

[Keri · Rating 2 out of 5]

April 2018
2 Stars - It Was Okay
Audiobook

There wasn't much of a story here other than the romance which means in order to fill pages, the author had to drag out the budding romance using miscommunications, secrets, and lies resulting in a book filled with angsty push-pull drama. This is basically a YA book with a slightly detailed sex scene at the end.

I didn't read the previous books and I was ok, but there were a lot of references to characters and situations that happened before. I guess the author didn't give us much on world building because she assumed the reader would have read the previous 4 books. I saw that this book focused on a different hero/heroine than the previous books and figured it would be ok to jump in, and mostly it was, but if you're interested in this book, you might enjoy it better if you start at the beginning.

This book was ok but it would have been better with a solid additional storyline and less teen drama.

Safety Details:
Cheating:  No, not once Roland decides he likes Emma. He fights it at first. He imprints on her pretty quickly and so then has eyes for no one else.
OW/OM:  Roland goes on a couple of dates with other girls in the beginning before he realizes he has feelings for Emma. No mention of what happens on those dates. Another wolf, Lex, wants him badly and she causes trouble for Emma & Roland. Roland thinks Lex is hot but is an awful person and isn't interested in her.
Sexy Times:  Emma & Roland have a couple make out sessions with mild detail and one sex scene at the end with some detail but not overly graphic.
Seperation:  Some. They both fight the relationship at first but then Roland imprints on Emma so he doesn't fight it but he doesn't tell Emma about it and she keeps fighting it because she thinks she can't have him long term and doesn't want to get hurt. All miscommunication stuff.
Language:  Mild I think. I don't remember there being much.

[Ira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply love the books by Karen Lynch. Those of you who've already read the "Relentless-Series" and its companion book "Warrior" can look forward to another great book set in the world of our friends.

Those of you who haven't read them yet - well, you' re still in for a real treat! You could read "Haven" first, of course, but I think you'd learn too much about the happenings in the other books and it would spoil those books. Well, it might spoil them, if anything could spoil them - I've read all of them countless times and I enjoy them every time as if it was the first time.
They are wonderfully constructed, I can't say how often I find hints and clues in the books to some revelations and events in the later books when I re-read them and I love it. They are all closely linked, a wonderfully and brilliantly woven story that leaves nothing to coincindence or accidents.

"Haven" is part of this web, it sets in when "Rogue" and "Warrior" end. On the one hand it is, well, yes, it is fun to see how the mighty can fall - especially when it is fun-loving, flirtatious - albeit also loyal and courageous -Roland who does the falling.
On the other hand this book...let's just say that there are some demons to fight - and in this case they are not exactly the paranormal kind. A past that you can't forget and the terror of it all - as usual, Karen Lynch has a wonderful sensitive and respectful way of dealing with such topics. I love the way she makes you feel with her characters and how you feel for them and with them.
I loved Sara and Nikolas and I felt with them but somehow Haven and its characters moved me even more (and I'd never thought that that was possible).

Oh, don't worry, I laughed a lot and there is much going on that'll leave you grinning and laughing and, well, maybe even swooning. Let's just say that the well read reader is a little bit quicker at understanding what exactly happens there, somehow Roland isn't really quick at catching on. Not that that denial will get him anywhere but, well, read for yourself, you'll love this book, trust me! And apart from the fun of watching Roland fall in love and meeting all our old friends again, I'm sure that you'll love to meet the girl who has caught and tamed our wolf. I loved to see that girl find love and happiness, especially as she has been through so much.... Curious?
Great, that's what I was looking for! Just go ahead, read it, it is simply amazing!

[Taylor Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, man, man. This series is soooo freaking good! Roland was easily one of my favorite characters in this series. Okay I really love everyone but that's beside the point. I fell in love with him in Relentless, almost instantly, and was upset because he wasn't in Refuge enough. Then we got to see more of him in Rogue and my heart was happy again. I wait to read these books for when I'm tired of trying out different series. For the main reason being, I know I'm going to love them. Any who, this book was incredible. I'm so glad we got to know Emma more. I quickly fell in love with her, like all of Karen Lynch's characters. My favorite thing about her writing is that you love all the characters so much and they are all so distinct and unique. No two characters are the same and you love them all so deeply. This book had me smiling like a school girl, super giddy, and I was a pile of mush more times then I would like to admit. Roland and Emma are such a beautiful couple and I am so happy for them! I was so excited to see more of Jordan, Chris, Nikolas, Sara, Pete, and Remy. They will always be favorites! We also got to meet more characters, like Shannon, April, and Paul. Ooo and Roland's grandma. I loved them all so much. Pete and Shannon and Paul and April were also soooo cute and I love them together! If you can't tell I just love everything about this series! I can't wait to dive into Chris's story because I love that boy a little too much. Thank you Karen Lynch for writing these amazing masterpieces and sharing them with us!

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. Goodness! If you loved Sara and Nikolas in their story as much as I did, prepare yourself. Because Roland and Emma's story is wrought with tension, uncertainty, and love. I thought Sara and Nikolas's courtship had fireworks. LORD, Roland and Emma sure gave them a run for their money! First thought I had upon finishing this was "Sara is going to be so pissed that she didn't get those front row seats!" (Hehe)

Emma is an ex-vampire, only the second one in existence. She was a vampire for 21 years of her life before being freed from her Hell by Sara, and now she is trying to pick up the pieces of her tattered life and glue them together as best she can. She is a new woman, and that means a fresh start if she is ever going to move on from the horrors she faced and committed as a demon while in Eli's possession. This means moving to New Hastings— A quiet town with your friendly, neighborhood werewolves. She is unsure how to feel about being so close to her previous mortal enemies...until she meets one with the ability to quiet the nightmares that constantly plague her and make her feel more safe and wanted than she ever imagined.

Roland is our Beta-in-training, just trying to make something of his life and focus on his future, but not too far into the future. Roland doesn't want a mate. He doesn't want to be tied down at such a young age or the responsibility that comes with matehood. But fate has a serious hand in his life, and ready or not, his time for being on his own is quickly coming to a close. But then, Roland might no longer be as against the idea of settling down as he thought, so long as he gets one sassy young woman with a pair of tortured eyes that make his heart clench and give him new purpose in life.

I was absolutely floored by the story I received from Karen. Emma gripped my heart and refused to release it, and her pain and happiness were shared in me as I got to know her and saw into her troubled mind. Roland impressed me in many ways; he is certainly no longer the young player we knew when this all began in "Relentless." I'll admit, he let me down in some places with his judgy attitude and standoffish actions. But he ultimately came through for Emma, slowly making himself into a mate worthy of her.

Highly recommended for those of you who have known and loved the Relentless trilogy and have a particular interest in werewolves. Y'all won't be disappointed!

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m speechless with this book!! Roland is one of my favorite supporting characters from the Relentless trilogy. To read his story in itself was an excitement for me but I’m blown away with how good his story was. I loved getting to see how life is in the Knolls – where Roland and his pack lives. It was so interesting to see how their annual pack gatherings were. Also, I enjoyed seeing how much Roland has matured since the last time we read about him six months earlier in the story. He has really grown into a man. What a treat to learn more about Roland’s mate too. What a surprise and so I’m not spoiling I will not name his mate. Roland’s mate was a victim in her dark past and is trying to recover in the peaceful town of New Hastings. Her story was incredible to read. Her healing and growth felt as real to me as if I was experiencing it. I loved the direction author, Karen Lynch took in joining Roland and his mate together. I highly recommend this book, “Haven” by Karen Lynch. I will say you will definitely want to read the Relentless trilogy first, as you will follow the story a lot better. But you wouldn’t have to. Karen does a great job reintroducing the characters so Haven could be a standalone.

[Louise Pike (books.magic.escape) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

Haven by Karen Lynch, I really loved and enjoyed this book. This is Emma and Roland's story. I love that Karen wrote a book for all the main characters. First time I read this was years ago, I remember not being sure if it was gonna be as good as Sara and Nickolas' book. But I absolutely adored it. Reading it the second time I was just as excited. 

We met Emma in Rogue, and I was really  interested to see where and how Emma handles life again after being an ex-vampire for 21 years. I mean that gotta be tough. Emma is such a brilliant character she hasn't had the easy life a normal teenager has, and moving to Sara’s apartment for as normal life as she can get, at the moment till she figures out what she wants. 

She is quite a quiet person and very obviously not very trusting of people, till she meets Sara bestfriend Roland. I loved getting to know Emma and seeing what Roland and Peter were up to now. Emma and Roland have feelings for each other, but there is one big secret that Emma keeps. Not wanting him to know about her previous life as she knows that is Roland's biggest enemy, and she doesn't know what he’s gonna think if he ever finds out.

Really love that Karen keeps all the characters known in the books, we know what and where the gang is. This was another amazing read, full action and massive reveals and surprises. There were quite a few big wow’s in this read, and I was here for it all. We get both Emma and Roland Povs which made it even better. These books are just so relaxing and easy to read. Karen seriously makes you full in love with all the meal characters after reading their book wow wee. I absolutely adore this series so much.