the new republic – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: NA Dystopian Fantasy Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: Storytide
Release Date: April 7th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The searing second volume in a new series set in the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment.

Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. Now she wants revenge. To save her sister she needs to get back home and destroy the system that created her. Rosabelle’s greatest strength is her ability to deaden her mind and body; it’s the only way to survive the surveillance state of Ark Island. But lately her heart has been beating harder; her thoughts are spiraling; her defenses are coming undone.

And there’s only one person to blame.

James Anderson had a plan. Now he has nothing but problems. Rosabelle might be the ally they need in a fight against The Reestablishment, but no one wants to trust an enemy assassin. It doesn’t help that Rosabelle’s not much of a talker, doesn’t work well in groups, and kills people on instinct. Taking her side has cost James nearly everything—but keeping her alive might help save his world.

If only he could convince his older brother.

Aaron Warner Anderson has a headache. Something dark is coming, and Rosabelle’s arrival is just a prelude. In her, he sees shades of himself he can’t trust, and he can no longer get a read on the girl. She’s a dead battery, emanating no emotional feedback. At least not until James walks into a room…

Volcanic tension, breathless reveals, breakneck action—and a dystopian world that never stops raising the

Welcome back to The New Republic.

STILL OBSESSED.

This spin off series has me in an absolute chokehold and this is exactly where I want to be. AND the fact we got THE AARON WARNER’S POV??? We have been blessed.

I love the audiobooks too. They have fantastic narrators where I genuinely feel like I’m listening to everyone converse in real time. It’s awesome production and made this book an even quicker read. It’s fast paced, intense and the angst in the romance will send you into the stratosphere. I love that this feels different from the originals but still has enough of the same vibes that it brings a nostalgic quality too. Dystopian romances are back and apparently I am INTO IT.

James and Rosabelle are my favorite kind of golden retriever x black cat dynamic. I loved the banter and heat and chomping at the bit to find out what happens next. I am upset I’ll have to wait for book three but IT’S FINE. EVERYTHING IS FINE.

Overall audience notes:

NA Dystopian Fantasy Romance
Language: mild
Romance: heated kisses
Violence: high
Content warnings: loss of life, attempted murder, imprisonment, mentions of past torture and abuse

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: NA Dystopian Fantasy Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: Storytide
Release Date: April 15th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Lose yourself in this exhilarating return to the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe, the first book in a new series set ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment.

James Anderson had a plan. Or half of one. All that matters is that he managed to do what his older brother, the famous Aaron Warner Anderson, never did: infiltrate Ark Island, the last refuge of The Reestablishment. In the past decade no outsider has breached the stronghold of the authoritarian regime, but James is in. In a prison cell, sure, but as far as James is concerned, a win is a win.

It’s been ten years since the fall of The Reestablishment. Ten years since the notorious duo — Juliette Ferrars and Aaron Warner Anderson — led a worldwide rebellion and established the New Republic of the West. But after a decade of unsettling quiet, The Reestablishment is ready to make a devastating move, and they have the perfect person for the job.

Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. She always has a plan. On Ark Island, where constant surveillance is packaged as security, even emotions must be experienced with caution. A trained assassin, her every movement is monitored by synthetic intelligence—and when she’s given an order to kill, she never hesitates.

Brimming with pulse-pounding action and torturous romance, Watch Me is an explosive journey through a dystopian landscape where enemies-to-lovers has never felt more impossible. Step into a beloved and breathtaking world that demands an answer to a desperate question—

Who are we when no one is watching?

THE JOY THIS BROUGHT ME.

Oh my gosh did I love reading this book so dang much. I had no idea how I would feel about this spin off series and it delivered. NOW, I will say, this is not a series to ponder every single page and break it down. Enjoy the ride, the drama, the banter and the family. Speaking of found family, I highly recommend reading the original Shatter Me series first to get a full understanding of the characters and world. This is set 10 years later and I think my basis of the previous series helped me enjoyment level for this one.

I loooved the banter and chemistry between James and Rosabelle. I love that he’s the sunshine character and the interactions between them set me of every time. They are a hoot. I love the push and pull and waiting to see who’s going to betray who and when all the secrets will come out. I liked that there was enough information here to turn the pages but that there’s plenty more to uncover as the series goes on.

And I loved seeing all of my favorites again. GOSH I MISSED THEM.

Overall audience notes: