Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about but haven’t yet read. Most of the time they’re books that have yet to be released, but not always. It’s based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme, which was originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.
This week my Can’t-Wait-For is The Language of Roses by Heather Rose Jones!
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Published on: 14th April 2022
Goodreads
A Beauty. A Beast. A Curse. This is not the story you know.
Join author Heather Rose Jones on a new and magical journey into the heart of a familiar fairytale. Meet Alys, eldest daughter of a merchant, a merchant who foolishly plucks a rose from a briar as he flees from the home of a terrifying fay Beast and his seemingly icy sister. Now Alys must pay the price to save his life and allow the Beast, the once handsome Philippe, to pay court to her.
But Alys has never fallen in love with anyone; how can she love a Beast? The fairy Peronelle, waiting in the woods to see the culmination of her curse, is sure that she will fail. Yet, if she does, Philippe’s sister Grace and her beloved Eglantine, trapped in an enchanted briar in the garden, will pay a terrible price. Unless Alys can find another way…
I’ve followed Jones’ career avidly since the release of Daughter of Mystery, a F/F historical fantasy set in the fictional country of Alpennia, from which the ensuing series takes its name. Every single one of the Alpennia books became an instant favourite of mine as they each came out, and I’ve been on tenterhooks waiting for The Language of Roses since Jones first mentioned it in one of her newsletters!
Even more so since it was featured on LGBTQ Reads as part of arospectrum week! I haven’t seen nearly enough stories with aromantic leads, and I love the idea of rewriting a fairytale – one that’s even more about romantic love than most – and putting an aromantic character (or maybe even two???) front and centre!
I have this preordered from the publisher, but I think it’s available from other outlets as well now! GO GET IT!
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