Rating: 9 out of 10
Spice Level: 3 out of 5
Cover: A
Audiobook Narration: Excellent performances by Teddy Hamilton & Angel Pean
New Found Haven is a city with a rigid social structure, overseen by the omnipresent Veyra, where status is determined by a literal system of rings. Their survival hinges on entering a marriage contract, despite their unwillingness, as the lives of their loved ones are at stake. Greyson Serel, the seemingly perfect presidential heir, whose personal affairs pose as much of a danger to the regime as his upbringing, and Shadera Kael, a mercenary whose failed mission results not in a kill but in a husband—the very target she was contracted to assassinate. The following is not so much a love story as it is an extended negotiation for survival. The backdrop is a city where the ruling class’s desperation to cling to power grows in direct proportion to their imminent loss of it. Furthermore, the city’s entrenched hierarchies have turned potential allies into adversaries.
The combination of a harsh, dystopian environment and visually compelling storytelling creates an instantly absorbing world. The real heart of the story is its trenchant premise and powerful message, plus characters you can feel their struggles. The ending is super strong and powerful, and the twists hit hard!
On occasion, I am told how to feel or what a character’s reasons for their actions are, rather than deducing it from the context myself.
This book has a powerful message! The content is not the darkest thing I have ever read, so I’m not sure what all the hoopla is about. It’s a reminder of what humans are capable of if powers go unchecked. Above all, it highlights who suffers first under tyrannical regimes: women and the vital channels of communication between segregated communities. (9/10)
🖤 Tropes
Enemies-to-Lovers
Forced Marriage
Forced Proximity
Morally Grey Protagonists & Assassin Heroine
Slow Burn
Dystopian Rebellion & Political Intrigue
Forbidden Love Across Class Lines
Touch Her and Die Energy
⚠️ Trigger & Content Warnings
Violence & Gore
Physical Abuse & Torture
Sexual Assault & Non-Consensual Themes
Systemic Oppression
Domestic Abuse & Trauma
Substance Use
Thank you to H. M. Wolfe, Scarlett Press, and Libro.fm. I received an advanced review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Publisher: Scarlett Press / Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9798347122363 / 9781668194355
Narrator(s): Teddy Hamilton & Angel Pean
544 pages / 18 hours 11 minutes
Fiction / Dystopian
Fiction / Romance / Enemies to Lovers
Fiction / Romance / Science Fiction
Set in a corrupt surveillance state ruled by the masked elite, this true enemies-to-lovers dystopian romance that’s Conform meets V for Vendetta follows a mercenary who botches the assassination of the president’s son and ends up forced to marry him.
The first thing you’ll learn in New Found Haven is that mercy doesn’t exist. The second thing is that, from the highest glass atrium in the Heart to the windowless slums of the Boundary, the Veyra are always watching.
The last lesson is the hardest, but you must remember it: Love outside of your ring is a death sentence.
The city is carved into rings of privilege and poverty, ruled by the masked elite who will do whatever it takes to hold onto power. Obedience is demanded. Rebellion is crushed.
Greyson Serel has spent his life caught between two worlds. Publicly, he’s the flawless heir to the presidency. Privately, he’s entangled in secrets that could topple the regime. But when he’s forced into a political marriage meant to bind him tighter to the government’s brutal laws, he finds himself shackled to a bride as lethal as she is unwilling.
Shadera Kael is a mercenary raised to kill, not to wed. Yet when her bullet misses its mark, survival leaves her tied to the very man she was sent to eliminate. Trapped inside the corrupt heart of the city, she becomes both prisoner and wife, her every step watched, her every move tested.
Their union is no love story—it’s a battlefield. As secrets come to light and betrayals fester within the walls of power, Greyson and Shadera must decide between annihilating each other or burning the city to the ground together.
In a world where passion has consequences and loyalty is paid for in blood, their forced bond may be the spark that ignites a revolution. Or the fire that consumes them both.
Author Bio:
H. M. Wolfe writes with her heart wide open, chasing the thrill of chaos and the sting of heartbreak on every page. Based in central Florida, she shares her days with her husband and three loyal dogs—her writing partners and adventure crew through every twist of her literary journey. Wolfe crafts stories where romance tangles with fantasy and unforgettable characters drive the action, inviting readers to disappear into worlds brimming with magic and meaning. She’s fiercely passionate about mental health advocacy and the messy, powerful work of self-discovery, believing deeply that everyone deserves to see themselves represented in the stories they love.
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