Woven by Gold: Beasts of the Briar, Book 2

The_Smutty_Professor

Amazing RH

"Elizabeth Helen has truly outdone themselves with Woven by Gold, the second book in the Beasts of the Briar series. Picking up where Bonded by Thorns left off, this sequel goes deeper into the complex relationships between Rosalie O'Connell and the four princes of Castletree- Keldarion, Ezryn, Farron, Dayton, and the Prince of the Below, Caspian. The stakes are higher, the emotions run deeper, and the fae world becomes even more dangerous and seductive. Rosalie continues to grow fierce and determined, navigating not only the treacherous political landscape of the fae realm but also the intricate bonds she shares with each prince. The romance intensifies in this one, with more tension and passion in her relationships with the five princes. Each of them, whether brooding or charming, makes their connection with Rosalie deeper. The world-building expands on the magical, dark fae world while introducing even more twists, mysteries, and enchantments. The vivid descriptions pulled me in, making me feel like I was walking alongside Rosalie through this realm. The plot is fast-paced, full of action, intrigue, and heart-wrenching moments that kept me turning the pages late into the night. The romance, adventure, and character development is truly lovely. If you loved Bonded by Thorns, you won’t be able to put Woven by Gold down. Elizabeth Helen writes magic and romance in a way that’s utterly addictive, making this series a must-read for any RH fantasy romance fan! ["

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March 19, 2026 Verified Purchase

Riniya

Great Story! -- A bit spicy for my tastes

"Tropes/ Key Points: 🍁Why Choose/ Reverse Harem 🍁Beauty and the Beast Retelling 🍁Romantasy 🍁One Bed / One Bath 🍁Rejected Mate 🍁Who Did this to you? 🍁Multi POV (4+) 🍁Fated Mates TW: Death, Murder, Domestic Abuse (Physical, Mental, Emotional), Alcohol Consumption, Mentioned: Mutilation Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Closed Door Modifications: 120 - 127 228 - 232 (MM) 271 - 278 280 - 285 (Interrupted) 322 - 325 (Interrupted) 347 - 349 (Watching Someone Else) 375 - 379 440 - 444 472 - 485 Review: I absolutely devoured this book. I fell in love with the world and the characters earlier this year when I came across book one and I have been itching for this book to be released ever since. I pre-ordered it (and forgot about it) so imagine my surprise when I went to get it and it was already on my kindle! 1. Rosalina I absolutely love her as a FMC. She has her flaws, her glitches, her mistakes and they make her a better heroine for them. She is very much a sunshine character and sometimes they can get annoying if not handled right, but we get to see glimpses of the darkness hidden beneath that happy exterior and it's such a refreshing change. She tries to be a good person, but she can't deny the anger and frustration and darker tendencies that exist deep within her. We get to watch her grow over the course of this book, not only within her trauma from her Ex, but also as she witnesses trials and tribulations within the fae realm. She finds a place for herself within this fantasy world that she had never believed existed. We get to watch, mostly at the beginning, as this frustration and anger towards her father melted away. She understood his desire to believe in something fantastical and never giving up on her mother, because she felt the same way after having witnessed it. She didn't want to give up on returning to her princes, and we get to watch her take part in something she never would have done with him before the events of the first book. She admits to us, as the reader, that she had judged her father too harshly and accepts the fault. It's personal growth and strong integrity to be able to admit you were wrong, and it's nice to see in books. 2. The Princes I love that we get to see more of them in this book and in a way that feels a little more balanced. In book one, we mostly got to see Dayton, Farron and Kel, while Ez was a background player. It makes sense considering the Spring Courts nature, but it was nice to have Ez come into the forefront a bit more in this sequel. He got his time to shine and had his romantic moments. We even got to delve into his psyche a bit from his POV, witnessing his struggles in his desire for Rose but also for the mate he may still have. Kel is an enigma. We, as the reader, know that his actions throughout the book aren't what they seem. We know why he banished Rose, and why he refuses to accept his mate bond with her, but she doesn't, of course. It is a little frustrating to have as a repeating source of contention throughout the story, especially because it's easy to figure out what's going on. It is somewhat of a miscommunication trope, being that he just won't open up and tell her what's going on, which would probably solve all his problems. It's frustrating to see a being who is older than the usual human lifespan acting like a teenager in keeping all this bottled up. I don't like these tropes / plot points in books and unfortunately this is no exception. REGARDLESS of that though, it is still sweet that in a way he is putting Rose over his own happiness. Farron and Dayton are kind of a two for one deal considering that they have their own relationship with each other prior to book one introducing Rose. They have numerous moments throughout the book together that show their love for each other as well as their burgeoning love for Rose. Farron's big struggle throughout this series so far is his indecisiveness. In fact, it was the reason he got cursed by the Enchantress. I will admit, his constant back and forth on making a decision or not is a bit irritating, but by the end of the book he has grown. I hope that he continues to grow throughout the series and leaves that part of him behind. I am not expecting it overnight, but this man needs to learn to take charge. Watching him be guided by Ez and Rose to make what should be basic decisions as a Leader, was a big eye-roll inducing. Dayton's struggle is his lack of focus and dedication to his court, instead choosing to spend his time drunkenly escaping responsibilities. I also think he's a bit over emotional and chooses to avoid conflict by running away. I am eager to see his growth throughout the next books. 3. Predicability Predictable storylines can be a plus or a minus depending on the reader. As someone who was read 600+ books in my life, there are only so many storylines that can be realistically told. The "Big Twist" has already been done, the "Shocking Reveal" already shook. It shouldn't be a ding on authors for this to be the case, because they are doing their best in a limited world. Personally, I don't take it as a negative. As someone with anxiety, already knowing what's coming is refreshing especially because the Journey to get there is where the books shine or fall flat. In this case, the book was shining bright! While I figured out probably around 80% of the mysteries given *and revealed* in this book, as well as being 90% sure I know a few of the ones hinted at but not revealed, the path the characters took to get there was amazing. I love to try to figure out the reveals before they are shown and enjoy giving myself a pat on the back when I am right, as well as being pleasantly stumped when I find I am wrong. These sisters know how to write an intriguing storyline. 4. Spice/ Plot Balance Ahhh - The "hot" topic of the evening. I do not like a lot of spice. I never have, and probably never will. I want to read books where there is a nice balance of both, usually hovering right in the middle at three 🌶️. Unfortunately (for me), this book is pretty heavy on the spicy scenes. Not too much of a problem, I just skip them with mild skimming to make sure I'm not missing some important conversations that these characters tend to have in the middle of Sexy Time. However, the great thing about being a skipper of these scenes, I get to find out if the book has a decent plot without it! Which this one does! Normally, I would DNF a book if I feel the spice is there for no other reason but to just have spicy scenes, and I have to admit this one doesn't feel like that. It feels like those scenes are written in a way that makes sense for the story line, even though I did skip 90% of them. The plot stands up just as well having not read those scenes, as I am sure it would have if I did, which is a sign of a good book! (See the beginning of this review for modifications if you want to skip those scenes as well) No hate or judgment to anyone who loves their books extra spicy, it's just not for me. I read for plot with a bit of sexual tension sprinkled in. 5. Pacing One thing I am so happy with is the pacing of this book. We don't have unnecessary droll moments that are randomly slow, but we do get a few high tension, even action packed scenes within the pages. The authors balanced the pacing very well. It was consistent with breaks when you needed them and ramping up the action at just the right moment. Overall: I am so happy I read this book. I had been waiting on it for a while and I am ready for book three when it comes out. I love the development of the characters that we got to see and I am so excited that we have characters who aren't perfect. Even if those imperfections are somewhat annoying, (as it is in real life) being able to watch them grow is such a treat as a reader. These authors need to be proud of what they have written here because they deserve the love and fans they will be getting! ["

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June 15, 2023 Verified Purchase

Brittany Cole

Book two delivers more action, romance & heart!

"Woven by Gold is book two in the Beasts of Briar series & truly showcases the creativity & talent of sister writing duo Elizabeth Helen! This series is without a doubt top tier why choose fantasy romance that delivers the steam coupled with beautiful prose & an engaging plot. Woven by Gold showcases the trajectory of this series, expanding the world building & relationships between the characters. Each book focuses slightly more on a new region in the world as well as one of the main characters. Woven by Gold delivers everything you loved about Bonded by Thorns while upping the stakes & drawing you in further to a fantasy world that has an incredible plot as the foundation to a love story that’s larger than life! An absolute must read for why choose fantasy romance readers! ["

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March 20, 2026 Verified Purchase

Leah McGeorge

A perfect continuation of my favourite series

"After the heartbreak of the end of book 1 this book healed so much. This series really goes from strength to strength and Woven By Gold is the perfect continuation. The return to the mortal world was so heartbreaking. I resonate so much with Rosalina feeling out of place where she lived and her desperation to get back to the friendships she'd made in the vale. The way Rosie's absence impacted the princes was so incredibly described, I could picture those months of them falling back into the patterns they'd had before her. I adored seeing more of the vale, autumn is my favourite season and Coppershire is truly the realm of my dreams. It was also nice to see Farron come into his own through this book and begin to see himself as a true High Prince instead of just Farron. Just need to take a moment to talk about Caspian. Without spoilers, his birthday party? Incredible. His reaction to his gift? Priceless. Another 6+⭐ read. A gorgeous world, captivating story, and a cast of characters I'd crawl on my knees for. ["

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March 18, 2026 Verified Purchase

Thea Echevarria

Itttt'sss heeeere!! Enchanted Vale, here I come!

"2nd installment of one of my favorite incomplete book series! I have been ACHING for this book to come out since the release of BBT and it did give me a lot of what I wanted. I even created a wiki page (hasn't been heavily updated in awhile- darn it life responsibilities taking me away from the things I love! Please visit and add to the page). Spoilers ahead... We get the fantastic and heart-clenching return of Rosie to the Enchanted Veil - and for *some* of the princes to see what her life was really like in Orca Cove. I have reread this part so much because it really got the princes to know her more and how much she really struggled with Lucas and the townspeople as bystanders to her abuse. I do have some critiques though... I think that I was a little disappointed at the end of the book, a lot of it felt rushed and some moments did not get the time it deserved. Also, I spotted some grammatical and spelling errors here and there. 1 - "Who did this to you?" This trope is what originally drew me into the series and I was sad to see that it was overlooked once it was found out. We definitely got our awe moment where the princes come together to empower Rosie to get her justice but the moment happened so fast from desperation to literally egging her on to kill Lucas- I wasn't able to really enjoy the devastation of them finding out. I feel like the moment that I waited for in the 2nd book didn't give me the full impact of what I wanted. Ezryn erasing her scars lost my hope for it coming up in the future (I hope that it's referenced back in the next edition) 2 - Rosalina's Confidence I feel like we have skipped over a lot of Rosalina's development. I can understand her feeling weaker being back in Orca Cove, the place where a lot of her trauma lies, and her overcoming those fears to get back...but I think I would have liked to see her overcome those fears over time and eventually choose to erase the mark from her arm more throughout the series. I guess maybe we can see more of her confidence develop as she figures out her fae origins. I am really hoping for a training sequence in book 3 while we are in the spring realms of armour and magic ;) 3 - Lucas I was a little sad his story ended here- (knowing people can be revived maybe he will be back?). I really wanted to hate him more throughout the story - he was a great villain - and a constant reminder of all Rosie had to overcome. I really want him to be the big bad, but with him dead, it felt like just another short hurdle for Rosalina to become the badass we all know she will eventually become. I really wanted Rosie to stick it to him - make him pay in both ALL realms. I NEED JUSTICE! 4 - The Cassian and Keldarion storyline Sometimes it feels a little rushed... like the authors want to hint so badly there is something between them that their thoughts feel so out of character to what I've been told they were. Maybe I just need more context from the next books but it's kind of hard to read those parts and be brought out of my reading headspace without thinking "that's a little random.." and heavy-handed. It makes me feel like the tension that is meant to be building between them is not reaching its full potential. I want light touches, longing stares, and a very "Bridgerton approach" to flirting so that we can go back and reread and see all of the subtle hints of their relationships. I feel like it's being thrown at us a bit. 5 - Pacing The pacing itself in the book felt off from the tone it set in the first book. I think I really need more world-building to really get absorbed back into the series. After reading Farron's story with his family, I just couldn't help thinking the whole time... like just why couldn't the princes just be honest with their curse?? They were afraid to look weak but they looked weak anyways not defending their homes for years. It makes me feel they are a lot more incompetent than the troubles the Enchantress cursed them for and they couldn't figure that out in the decades they were hiding. 6 - Spicy Scenes ;))) I think with this second installment we lost a little of the pace and the story in exchange for more spicy scenes. It got a little repetitive and bored with all of the sex scenes and innuendos. every scene with Rosalina and the prince’s were so sexually charged and I think the book pacing and relationships are suffering for it. If this is where we are now, I am hesitant in moving forward with the next books if it is going to increase from here. I think their relationships are still developing and it felt like every opportunity to get to know the princes was overshadowed by their lustfullness haha. Believe me - I love a good sex scene! I think I need more tension building. Nothing is building and everyone is horny- which we like- but I started skipping the spicy scenes because it was happening almost every chapter and I just wanted more story. I think the authors need to find a balance between characters physical and relationship scenes. I think we've lost the reasons why they're falling from her. I want to know more of the why!!! Overall-- I love this series- I reread at least every other month in anticipation for the next release. I know that the story will develop more as we get more books, I just want more story! The Enchanted vale and each seasonal realm sound amazing and I want to know more about the people and the places. I LOVED EZRYN during this. Like I know Farron was the star here but Ezryn really pulled out all the best moves - except for at the end when Rosie and Farron actually - ya know ;) . I am truly excited about the next book. ["

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November 3, 2023 Verified Purchase