Happy Saturday, friends! I’m very excited to share my review for A Rose Among Thorns by Ash Fitzsimmons as part of the BBNYA blog tour hosted by The Write Reads.

Special thanks to the tour organisers for having me on tour and to the author for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

About the Book Blogger’s of the Year Award (BBNYA)

The BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.  If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website or Twitter. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

TL;DR: A Rose Among Thorns is a great beginning to a cosy fantasy mystery series. The characters were entertaining, the banter was pretty cheesy but so fun, and the fantasy elements were rather light, making it perfect for those who want to read more fantasy but don’t want to get bogged down by expansive world-building. It has great appeal for a wider audience and I can see why it got second place in the BBNYA competition! 😍 I enjoyed this much more than the start led me to expect and I’m keen to continue with the series!

I have to admit that A Rose Among Thorns started off a bit rough for me and that had to do with my own expectations. What I thought would be a gradual introduction to the plot, world-building and magic system, was instead our main character being thrown into the fire almost immediately! I was fine with the intense introduction to the magical side of the mundane and I expected disbelief and lots of questions from Rose; however, she questioned little and quickly acclimated with barely a hitch to her step. Did I find her reaction unrealistic and require a great suspension of disbelief? Yes. That said, I quickly came to accept that this is the type of cosy fantasy that you shouldn’t take too seriously and I don’t mean that disparagingly! Rather, this is the perfect mix of cosy fantasy and cosy mystery where things happen because they happen and if you just buckle in for the ride, you’ll have a fun time, and I certainly did! 😄

Despite the head-turning pace at which Rose accepts the existence of an entire magical world that exists in parallel with ours, I liked her character a lot! Rose was down-to-earth, easy to empathise with and had an infectious energy about her. She very obviously takes things as they come, is very good at rolling with the punches, and is not one to be left behind in all the madness that ensues. Even with Aunt Lily being the only family she has left, her steadfast and determined loyalty shines through as we learn more about her history. There was one element of her character arc that I guessed at early on and while it was predictable, I’m keen to see where Fitzsimmons Also, the unexpected bond she formed with Sally was fantastic! I loved Sally! 😂 She also had great chemistry with Yven, our Elfin main character, and their partnership made for an easy and entertaining read.

Yven is a magic government employee who’s as straight-laced (oh, station wagon) as they come and who is endearingly passionate about plants and cooking. It was adorable how he was so in his element at the nursery, selling flowers and plants, and I loved how much he stood by Rose’s side. Again, the speed at which rules are broken in this book is eye-popping but it did make for a plot that progressed smoothly and quickly! 😂 I loved his friendship with Pars, who brought a comedic presence to the story, and who joined their sleuthing duo later in the story. I should say there’s no romance between Rose and Yven but there are romantic vibes. They would make an awesome couple and although part of me hopes it happens in the future, I also wouldn’t be mad if their relationship stays platonic. I just love them together!

Have you read A Rose Among Thorns or is it on your TBR?

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