Some loves never die. Some burn you down first. Kendra Foster-Briggs is eighteen, brilliant, and reckless as hell. Running from her small-town past, she dives headfirst into the bright lights and shadows of the California Confederacy, determined to build a future on her own terms—even if it means making her name in sensies, the immersive adult entertainment of the 22nd century. But the industry doesn't play fair. Neither does debt. When her dream of independence crumbles, Kendra signs a too-good-to-be-true contract with OutLook, a shadowy organization with secrets buried deeper than her own. She thought she was buying time. Instead, she sold them her future. Thrust into a brutal training program alongside other misfits and debtors, Kendra discovers she's not the only one being shaped into something useful. Or dangerous. One of them—sharp-eyed, soft-voiced, and stubborn as hell—might just matter more than all the rest. If she survives what's coming. Shades of Rose: Becoming is the raw, gripping first half of a duology about power, identity, and the kind of connection that leaves scars—and sometimes, salvation. Told in Kendra's razor-edged voice, it's the story of who she was before the galaxy knew her name, and the love that lit the fuse. Perfect for fans of Red Rising , Jade City , and stories where sharp tongues hide soft hearts—and where love isn't always tidy, or tame, or easy to define.