Rose in Chains

The Evermore Trilogy #1

by Julie Soto, Ella Lynch (Narrator)

The war is over, the dark forces have won, and the hero who was supposed to save them is dead.

Captured as her castle is overrun by the enemy, Briony Rosewood knows that the world as she knows it is changed forever. The dark forces of Bomard have won and her people, the Eversuns, face imminent servitude, imprisonment or death. Her brother, fated to be heir twice over and unite the warring kingdoms, is dead.

Stripped of her Mind Magic and her freedom, Briony and the other survivors are quickly auctioned off to the highest bidders in an auction – and as the heir apparent’s sister, she fetches the highest price.

After a fierce bidding war, she’s sold to none other than Toven - a high ranking Bomardsun – and her long-time and ill-fated infatuation. Scion of a family known for their cruel control of Heart Magic, the Hearsts are ruthlessly ambitious, and Briony knows they will use her however they can to further their own interests.

Yet despite the horrors of her new world and the role she must learn to play within it, all is not lost. Help – and hope – may yet arise in the most unlikely of places…

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Fantasy Romance, Audiobook, Dark Romance

17 pages, Audible Audio

First published July 8, 2025

About the author

JULIE SOTO is a USA Today bestselling author, playwright, and actress originally from Sacramento, CA. Her musical Generation Me won the 2017 New York Musical Festival’s Best Musical award, as well as Best Book for her script. She is a musical theater geek, fandom nerd, and the author of many spicy fan fictions. Julie now lives in Fort Bragg, CA, with her dog, Charlie. She is probably drinking coffee as you read this.

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ SCREAMING! CRYING! THROWING UP! This is going to be the next big thing!


"I'm not sure how many more times I need to say it. That heartspring is mine. Her mouth is mine, her magic is mine, her skin is mine. You will not touch her, under any circumstances. I purchased her. I do what I please with her."


WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ dark romantasy
✨ rival kingdoms
✨ she's a princess of Evermore who's kingdom has fallen
✨ he's from a powerful and wealthy family of Bomard and buys her at an auction
✨ Dramione coded
✨ morally grey, broody MMC
✨ enemies-to-lovers
✨ captive x captor
✨ forced proximity
✨ dual timelines
✨ secret schoolmate crush
✨ mutual pining
✨ denial of feelings
✨ SLOW BURN
✨ 1.5/5 🌶️
✨ virgin FMC x experienced MMC
✨ "touch her/him and die"
✨ mind magic vs heart magic
✨ unique world building
✨ political intrigue
✨ betrayal, scheming, and so many secrets
✨ 'chosen one' prophecy
✨ wartime
✨ plots twists
✨ cliffhanger
✨ 3rd person, single POV

Trigger Warning: This story has DARK elements that include sexual slavery/human trafficking, and moments of non-consent and sexual violence (r4pe, assault, unwanted contact). Unwanted contact does happen to the FMC but the majority of the non-con/sexual violence happen to the side characters. These situations are sometimes discussed or mentioned but also witnessed in graphic detail by the MCs, where they cannot/do not do anything to stop it. There's also forced sterilization, wartime violence, PTSD, character death, grief, disassociation, mentions of suicide, and slight OW drama where an ex-girlfriend is present.


My Thoughts:

I don’t even know where to start! I devoured this book. Like, sat down, read half of it in one night, was forced to put it down to sleep, and then immediately finished it the next morning. Rose in Chains is dark, emotional, tense, and beautifully layered. Julie Soto feeds us while making us suffer at the same time.

This is an adaptation of the fanfic The Auction. Yes, the general plot is the same, but it still manages to feel fresh and new in the best way. The world-building? Really interesting. The magic system? So unique. The political drama, the slow burn romance, the power dynamics?? Chef’s kiss. This absolutely stands on its own, and I honestly think fans of the fic and brand new readers alike are going to EAT. THIS. UP. That being said, I loved ALL the nods to The Auction i.e. the grapes, "not alone,"🥺 the chaise, signet rings, mind magic, lake with still waters.

So what's it about?

Briony and Toven are on opposite sides of a brutal magical war. Her kingdom has been overthrown. His family helped make that happen. When she’s sold at auction and Toven buys her, you know you’re in for some seriously twisted tension. But that’s just the beginning. What follows is a story told across two timelines: their present as political enemies bound by captivity, and their past as students at a magical academy where forbidden feelings started to bloom.

The dual timeline worked so well here. It gave their story so much more depth, especially as you realize just how long their lives have been entangled. Seeing their dynamic before all the chaos made the present day tension hit so much harder. The pacing, the reveals, the emotional unraveling . . . so good. And even though I knew how the story would play out (again, I read The Auction), it still had me in a chokehold. That ending??? So rude. I can’t believe we have to wait god knows how long for the next book. 😩

The magic system was also super cool: heart magic vs. mind magic, magical bonds, familiars, forbidden powers, and layered political structures all wrapped into one high-stakes, brutal setting. There’s also a prophecy at play, and so many people playing the long game.

I’ll mention again that this book does not shy away from some truly dark subject matter. There are moments of human trafficking, sexual slavery and sexual violence/abuse that are deeply upsetting. It’s never gratuitous, but it is graphic at times and emotionally hard to read. I felt ill at the things that happen to the Eversun women, especially knowing how powerless they are. It made me hate so many of the Bomardi with a fiery, visceral rage. I'm looking forward to every single one of them suffering tenfold for what they’ve done. I want them ruined, broken, and dead by the end.

And poor Briony carries all of it; not just her own trauma, but the unbearable weight of watching her friends and family suffer at the hands of terrible men/women. In these moments, Briony can't scream or fight back the way she wants to, but she keeps going. Quietly. Strategically. With grit, fury, and so much heart. Her strength doesn’t come from grand gestures, but from surviving a world designed to break her, and refusing to lose who she is in the process. Her pain and grief became mine. That’s the sign of truly excellent storytelling. I love when a book makes me feel this deeply, even when it hurts.

Now for the MCs:

I loved Briony. She’s brilliant, resilient, and has such a deep capacity for empathy; especially for someone who’s been through what she’s been through. She’s constantly trying to balance her survival with her values, and I admire the hell out of her for that. But I’m not gonna lie, she had me going “what are you thinking?” a few times. Like babe . . . you’ve been captured, your kingdom has been destroyed, and this man bought you at an auction. Why are you softening toward Toven aka her captor when he hasn’t given you any real answers? Especially when you’re literally asking!

But, I get it. She’s had a crush on Toven since their school days, and that’s definitely coloring how she sees him now. But even back then, he was complicated, guarded, unreadable, and never someone she could totally trust. So for her to start softening toward him without a real, open conversation seemed a bit of a jump. I will say though, they do share some vulnerable moments together, and you can tell she wants to believe there’s good in him. But I just wanted them to communicate with words and get everything out in the open.

Also, Briony, HOW are you not picking up on how hard this man is simping for you??? He’s being protective, giving you space, going against his own people in little ways, and she’s just like, "Huh, weird. Why did he save me? Why is he protecting me when all the other men are assaulting the Eversun girls?" Come on, girl. It’s so obvious.

It’s a bit strange because she softens towards Toven because of her own feelings towards him, not because she realizes he maybe is protecting her because he’s been in love with her for years. Like, she still thinks he only saved her and is treating her well to maybe use her as a bargaining chip (which he never says that’s the case though). But again, girl, why would she be privy to certain information and treated more like a guest than a captive without him expecting anything from her in return? Obviously, it’s because he’s secretly in love with you and for some reasons is hiding those feelings from you!

Now, Toven. . . my complicated little war criminal. 😍 He’s such a classic broody, morally grey love interest with repressed feelings, confusing motives, and way too many secrets. But also… SIR. Use your words. Every time Briony asks a good question, he just walks out of the room like “welp, can’t talk about that!” It’s giving ✨mysterious✨ but is also deeply unhelpful. I get that he’s trying to keep her safe and doesn’t trust the people around them, but dragging her into dangerous situations without telling her anything just makes them both more vulnerable.

Their dynamic is messy, angsty, and complicated in all the best ways. Them not being totally open with each other was maddening in the moment but also kept me hooked. The way their past bleeds into their present, the longing, the tension, the quiet moments of care. . . addictive. I love me a slow burn, and this one is SLOW. They kiss ONCE by the end. That’s it! So I can't wait for things to heat up in the next book!

One of the best parts of this story is how layered and morally complex the characters are. From Toven to Orion to Serena to Larissa, we start the story believing they are the enemy but their actions give us pause and make us wonder what their intentions really are. There's definitely good (Briony) and evil (Lag Reighven and Veronika Mallow), but there's also people who are trying to protect their loved ones and survive this political nightmare. The constant tension of trying to figure out who to trust and what their motives are make this story unputdownable.

Overall, Rose in Chains is intense, devastating, and totally addictive. I’m obsessed. Julie Soto has created something original, angsty, and so incredibly compelling. If you’re looking for a dark romantasy that will wreck you emotionally, keep you on the edge of your seat, and leave you dying for the next book, this is it.

Now excuse me while I go re-read all my highlights and scream into the void until book two comes out!

Thank you NetGalley for providing an eARC and Grand Central and Harper Collins for sending me physical ARCs! As always, all opinions are my own.

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What caught my attention about this book was the cover, isn't it just gorgeous?!! But don't be fooled, this is a dark story, but the type of dark I do enjoy. I have no love for dark romance, it is usually too disturbing to me, but I think Julie Soto found the perfect spot here. Rose in Chains will satisfy dark fantasy/romance readers as well as just the usual enjoyer of fantasy. That being said, look at the triggers first, please, just to be safe.
Rose in Chains is a great fantasy, I would go as far as to say this has potential to be as big as Fourth Wing(it is also heaps better). It is a page turner, I just needed to know what was next. We start in the middle of the action, and to my surprise it maintained that pace throughout the whole book.
We follow Briony, a princess, who has her world overturned when a country kills the heir and enslaves her people.
The book is filled with political intrigue, sizzling romance(that is also a slow[er] burn, in a romantasy! look at that!!) and action. It is a brilliant introduction to what I know will be a fantastic new trilogy. Read it as soon as possible if you are craving a good romantasy, you won't be disappointed!

Thank you Forever and Hachette for the ARC!

[Fairuz ᥫ᭡. · Rating 2 out of 5]

🌹 2 stars — this book drained me emotionally and spiritually. put me in a slump so bad i forgot how to enjoy fiction.

Huge thanks to Hachette Audio & NetGalley for the ALC 💌

⛓️ enemies-to-lovers
🌹 dark romantasy
⛓️ mind vs. heart magic
🌹 forced proximity
⛓️ royal rebellion vibes

I wanted blood, betrayal, and a villain to simp for. What I got was 16+ hours of confusion, repetition, and the emotional depth of a soggy tissue.
Not gonna lie—this was one of my most anticipated 2025 releases. A dark romantasy debut from Julie Soto? I was seated. Headphones in. Mood set. But this? This was not the serve I signed up for.

Let’s talk world-building: or rather, the complete lack of it.
This book threw SO MANY names, histories, and kingdoms at me like spaghetti on a wall, hoping something would stick. Spoiler: nothing did. I was constantly lost. No map, no glossary, no clarity. Just vibes and headache.

The magic system? Cool concept, zero execution. Heart magic vs. mind magic had potential but ended up feeling like background noise—never explored, never grounded.

The pacing? Agonizing.
This wasn't slow-burn. It was no-burn. Chapters blurred together. So much waiting. Waiting for Briony to do something. Waiting for the plot to move. Waiting for a single spark of chemistry to light up the page.
At some point, I started hoping for a plot twist just to end the book.

Now for the romance: 😐
Look. I live for tension. I breathe angst. I want to yearn. But Briony and Toven? No tension. No chemistry. No reason. It felt like the author told me they were in love and expected me to just go with it.

Flashbacks were meant to make me feel something for Toven. All they made me feel was tired.
This wasn't slow-burn—it was slow torture.

Briony could’ve been iconic. She ended up forgettable.
She's the literal princess of a conquered kingdom, but instead of rising, she just floats through the story. Passive. Reactionary. Whiny. I kept waiting for her to roar. Instead, she whispered.

Toven? He had every ingredient of a morally grey fave, but ended up a wet napkin. No edge. No bite. Just… vibes and vague trauma.

And don't even get me started on the structure.
The out-of-order flashbacks felt like speed bumps. Just when things might start moving in the present, boom—we’re back in time again. The book was trying to be deep. It ended up disjointed.

The only saving grace? The audiobook narrator.
Ella Lynch carried this on her back. Her voice gave life to a story that otherwise felt dead on the page. She gave Toven a pulse. Gave Briony a spine (even when the script didn’t).
If you have to read this—go audio.

Final thoughts:
If you’re a fan of The Auction and want to see it dressed up as trad pub romantasy, this might work for you. But if you’re new to the story and need strong world-building, real tension, or even just a heroine with a spark—prepare for disappointment.

This could’ve been everything. Instead, it left me with nothing.

[Kaila.Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

FOAMING AT THE MOUTH FOR BOOK 2!!!!!!! This was like diet Manacled (in the best way). Dark, delicious and PERFECT. Can we erase my memory so I can read this again!?

[thosemeddlingkids · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not knowing this was dramione fic (Draco Malfoy x Hermione Granger fan fic from Harry Potter series) was unfortunate when I got this arc.

As a trans person, I have major issues with HP and will keep it at that as I don't want to have my review taken down.

It's also a bummer to see this book being marketed as dramione fic in 2025 when in reality the MMC looks like Draco, they went to a magic school, and that’s kind of the end of the major parallels I found.

Warning for minor spoilers and thoughts for the book but overall, not going to reveal all the secrets and plot spoilers. Read at your own discretion.


In no particular order, major issues I had with this book:

- This book tries extremely hard to include to write up a ‘good slave owner’ plot line to make it not that badTM, but at the end of the day, getting sold into sex slavery is the key component to this plot and relationship.

- Such. Emphasis. On. Virginity. SO MUCH. There are chapters on the need to preserve this 25 year old FMC’s virginity, how to shield it and pretend like she has had sex. There’s literal magic used to put her ‘virginity’ into a glass jar. The number of highlights I have just solely on her virginity is insane to me.

- The bigger villains of the story have their noses described to show their evilness – “twisted, crooked, large” are the descriptors used. They also are the evil men out to rape and abuse the FMC and all other women. Antisemitism anyone??

- Using threats of rape and sterilization to keep the plot moving and to keep the women from doing anything throughout the story.

- All the interactions of the FMC with any other women does not pass any resemblance of the Bechdel Test.

- This is a very cishet book. Women are but vessels and wombs to fuck and men hold the majority of the power and use sexual humiliation and whipping their dicks out as power. There’s a hint of one guy being maybe queer of some flavor, but it’s all very shameful and hidden and homophobic.

- The slaves got branded on their forearms with their owners names.

- Flashbacks were way too common throughout this book, and also contradicted things that the main time frame was supposed to be saying, which was annoying.



The writing was also objectively not great. Examples:

- Many elements of this book was copy-pasted out from other popular works. I understand that most fiction is inspired by other works/media/etc. HOWEVER, good writers are able to make it feel less “copied” and this didn’t work. ACOTAR world building and elements kept appearing. We know characters are meant to be filed off HP characters. If I can see a plotline/character reveal from a mile away, that's not great writing for me personally.

- So many sentences stating the same thing and reiterating the same sentiment. Déjà vu again & again.

- This is stated to be an enemies to lovers situation in the blurb and marketing, but the flashbacks and all current on page interactions show that to be a lie. Weak writing took chemistry that could have been fleshed out as misunderstood enemies to lovers, and just displayed out all the feelings for each MC without any nuance.

- Magic system and lore is weak and underdeveloped. There’s mind magic and heart magic. And heart magic users don’t like mind magic users. There's also no world building besides the different homes people are transported to.

- 200 pages of this could have been cut out to make this more cohesive. We didn’t need the same scenes night after night of the characters doing the same things in order to show growth. There’s only so many times this FMC needs to sit in a lap to show how comfortable she can be touching the MMC. I didn’t need to read chapters of discussion on one woman’s virginity. Or pages of the same guys threatening the same rape and assault to show that she was in peril. We get it, keep it moving.



TLDR: I would not recommend this and wish I could give 0 stars as a rating. This has antisemitism, purity culture, poor world building and magical system lore, repetitive writing and way too much filing off serial numbers of past popular books.


ARC provided by Netgalley.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fear I might be too obsessed with this book, I literally requested and got an ALC too, just so I can reread it!

I loved this book so much! It was everything I hoped for and more. I AM OBSESSED!

After her kingdom fell and her brother was killed, Briony, along with other survivors of the attack, was captured and sold in an auction to the highest bidder. She gets sold to Toven, a enemy she knows all too well. Thrust into a new world full of horrors, she will soon find that not all hope is lost.

I loved the way Julie set up the world and the flashbacks where we discover more of her history with Toven and the war.
The tension between them and the painful slow burn was everything, it was so well written. Seeing Briony be so smart yet so stupid was both maddening and entertaining. I need more of them. I absolutely loved Toven, and the way he protected her, as well as his family.

I really liked the audiobook, the narrator did a great job. Honestly, the dark elements of this story hit even harder listening to the audiobook.

That ending though, I need book two immediately!
I'm so excited to see where this story will take us.

*Thank you to Netgalley and to HarperCollins UK for providing me with an ARC and to Hachette Audio for providing me with an ALC.*

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like a total fangirl with a massive crush on this electrifying start to what promises to be a perfect enemies-to-lovers romantasy trilogy. And wait for it—this book is written by none other than Julie Soto, the genius behind "Not Another Love Song," which I loved so much I read three times (despite my never-ending TBR pile)! So yes, you can imagine me doing an awkward yet passionate cheer routine in my living room to celebrate this book. Hooray!

This story delivers on every level—strong female friendships, resilience in the face of adversity, and a world that refuses to let women wield power. Briony Rosewood is everything I love in a heroine: brilliant, courageous, and unfairly forced into the shadows of her twin brother Rory, the so-called chosen one. She’s more powerful, more strategic, and yet relegated to a supporting role—until fate intervenes and changes everything.

Her time at the academy makes it clear just how exceptional she is—so much so that she catches the attention of the smug, silver-haired Toven Hearst, a charismatic enigma who has the power to set her heart racing and her temper flaring in equal measure. But the prophecy fails, Rory dies, and Briony finds herself imprisoned with fellow captives, including her former rival, Larissa. What follows is a brutal auction where Briony is sold to the highest bidder—none other than her old adversary, Toven, whose family is notorious for their cruelty.

With no allies and no freedom, Briony must play a dangerous game to survive, escape, and reclaim her destiny. But unexpected alliances and undeniable attraction blur the lines between friend and foe. Can she trust Toven, or is he the enemy she’s sworn to destroy?

The twists in this book left me gasping, the tension had me screaming, and that cliffhanger? I’m still trying to recover! The world-building is immersive, the characters are deeply compelling, and the pacing is so gripping that I found myself glued to the pages until the very end.

This is easily one of the best romantasy books of the year, standing tall among an already stellar lineup of releases. If you love slow-burn, high-stakes romance with masterfully crafted intrigue and a protagonist you’ll root for with your whole heart, this book is for you. I am beyond excited for the next installment and am already counting down the days! Five radiant, rose-covered stars from me!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for sharing this brilliant ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:

medium blog
instagram
facebook
twitter<

[ଘRory · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is the poster child for everything wrong with romantasy—and I do not say that lightly. 💀

[Ali Enchanted · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a perfect example of why I can't take this genre seriously. A kingdom has fallen, people have died, some are being sold and trafficked, and all the main characters can think about is jumping each other's bones.

[naz · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝑻𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏.”
“𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔?” 𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔. “𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏, 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅.”

I know the title is Rose in Chains but the person who was chained to this book was ME because I couldn't stop reading, okay. Period. 😭🔗

THIS BOOK MAMMAAAA I WANT MOREEEE 😩🔥 I knew I was gonna love it just because Julie Soto wrote it, but then people told me it is enemies-to-lovers & THEN it had the we are from two different sides of the war energy?? YES YES AND YES 🙂‍↕️💜

The story is about a world where you have the Eversuns and the Bormardi, where tensions are always high but they try to live in peace. All children switch schools every year for neutrality… well, outside the school, there's still tension, and boom the Bormardi decide to start a war. Time moves forward… the war ends… and the Bormardi won. And what do they do to the Eversuns? Well… the women are to be auctioned 🫢

IF THAT DOESN’T CONVINCE YOU?! GOD. WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY!!! 😭✨

Briony ➵ the princess of the Eversuns, always seen as the spare or the background, but the war changes everything. Her character development in this entire book is freaking amazing from “my brother needs me” to “I can do this myself” AGH WHAT A BADASSSSS 🔥👑

Toven ➵ this MAN!!!!!! He is an onion with a lot of layers and you get to see him bit by bit and I’m here for it 🥹 and the way he unravels himself upon Briony?? Goddammit this is making me want to do a reread 🫠 Even if he’s part of an “evil” family, you start to notice how there’s so much more than meets the eye, and Briony slowly realizes who Toven really is 😭💔

Not only is the romance freaking amazing, but the fantasy is spot-on for us wizard lovers 💫 and the plot is SO GOOD. Like, take away the romance and I swear I’d still buy this book just for the world-building and plot alone ✨

🌟 5 STARS ALL AROUND 🌟 now gimme the next one, thanks 😌📚💜

tropes
💜 enemies to lovers
💜 forced proximity
💜 3rd POV
💜 past and present timeline
💜 hate to love
💜 cliffhanger (duh)

Thank you Forever Publishing for my eARC


⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
➳ 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ ya girl has the ARC and have a already a buddy reading lined up with my girl Kaitlyn because if not I would devour and lose sleep since is Julie Soto

[chan ☆]

dnf'd at 40% because this was not good.

on the one hand, it does not read like fanfiction with the serial numbers filed off. which is a win for IP law or whatever. on the other hand? the world building is so painfully clunky i found myself wholly uninterested in this world.

the characters and their dynamic was also pretty far removed from the fanfiction roots. which is good for a lot of reasons. less so from a getting-me-to-give-a-fuck perspective.

i like this author's other works, but i don't think you're missing out if you skip this one.

[Laura Jane ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 ⭐️ Oh boy. I have a lot of thoughts to unpack. I suggest not reading if you loved this book - read with caution if you did, cause I’m being a hater.

I think the biggest issue with this book is that it relies way too heavily on you knowing this was fanfic. There is little to no world building, actually that’s kind - I’ll rephrase, there is zero world building. We have no back story or history on this war or how the dark forces have come to even want power and control - I am just believing they are clearly the bad guys and want to take over… but there is zero background in this. Even the magic system is so poorly developed and explained.
I still have no idea how we got to the point where the world was burning, the bad guys had power and the women are being trafficked… we just find ourselves there.
Now I am fully aware this isn’t fanfic anymore and perhaps you could say it’s unfair that I’m constantly comparing it to fanfic - but the book is so poorly developed it’s impossible not too. Even the characters are so poorly designed.
Now I’m not into the whole Dramione lure but again, so much of their story is reliant on me knowing they once were those characters!! That’s not the point of turning this into published work! God.
It was fustrating how much of this story was so similar to manacled too (which I enjoyed fyi). Idk which story came first, I don’t care either. I read that once, I don’t need to read it in a different font. Again, is it unfair I’m comparing them? Well it’s certainly not my fault they are so glaringly similar.

I am genuinely bamboozled at this book being marketed as top tier yearning. I can confidently tell you there is zero yearning in this book whatsoever. Again, I guess with the knowledge this was fanfic you could use that information to come to that conclusion but the fact of the matter is - there is ZERO knowledge of this on page. These two have ZERO chemistry or development. This is a case of being told they are developing a connection, rather than being shown it. Enemies to lovers where??? Guess they are lusting for each other under such circumstances.
Again, I’m sick of and tired of saying this - you only know they have a connection from going into it knowing what the story originally was!!!! So honestly, the fact this book cannot stand on its own pisses me off no end. That makes it a bad book imo, period.

The flashbacks genuinely serve no purpose to this story at all. I was expecting these to give us an insight to this supposed yearning that Toven is doing but nope. I don’t even have an example cause nothing happened.
In general a whole lot of nothing and nonsense happens in this book. Sure it’s ‘setting’ up a trilogy. Fine. It did a terrible job of it.

Briony is so irritating and her actions didn’t match her circumstances for me. I actually cringed as her being jealous of someone touching Toven in a situation where she would have been humiliated and degraded. AGAIN, I guess if we’d had some build up of their romance on page, and there was context to their feelings, then I would have understood. I would have felt that - instead I was just growing more and more annoyed by her.

The pacing is all over the show as well. I think I had 2 pages where I thought it would pick up. Alas it didn’t.

I completely respect reading is subjective and we all have different experiences and for people who loved this book - genuinely so happy for you. However, for me, this is one of those instances where I’m shook that this book is so hyped up. Huh??? I truly expected to like this in some capacity but I spent the WHOLE book waiting for it to be good. If you enjoyed this book and got this far - I’m so sorry lols. And if this is on your TBR please don’t let me put you off - a lot of people seem to love this. But it’s horrifically overhyped imo.

Now I have one thing to say about the epilogue which I’ll put down below as it’s going to be a spoiler. However I’m cackling my friend Grace told me I’d either like it or hate it - and well yeah, it pissed me off for the same reasons as her! What a load of crap.


Spoiler incoming 🆘


SPOILER!!


You mean to tell her dumbass brother who is clearly as thick as plank of wood is still going to be the one they want? BE FOR REAL. Briony spends here whole life making him look good and shock horror - he still alive (really not surprising) & the dragon wants him. What a loser. I’m actually so mad lmao. He is still bonded to her magic!!!!! This man is as much use as a chocolate teapot without her - he couldn’t even use his magic to carve his name into a tree looool, idiot. So what he’s going to be the heir twice over still? Save everyone and what Briony just helps in secret still. Fuck off. Sorry but I’m so annoyed 🤣


_____________
pre-read: time to see if this one lives up to the hype 💫

[megan ◡̈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES YES YES WE HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE BACK BABY

♾️⭐️

oh my god this book has reawakened my love for fantasy books i am OBSESSED .

this book was so addicting from start to finish i never wanted it to end. i had been holding off on starting the auction until i could read this book as i didnt want to go into it with any form of preconceived notions, i didnt want to have the ability to nitpick any aspect of the plot of this book and oh my god all it did was make me even more excited to start my journey with the fic like i have been VIBRATING with excitement for it 😂

as this is the year of dramione fics getting reworked and trad published the big question on everyones mind is “will the book be able to stand on its own without the previous bones?” and i am so excited to say that rose in chains ABSOLUTELY knocked it out of the park where this is concerned!! what i loved about the fact that it feels completely original is that you could still pick up on some vibes are far as characters go, it made it really fun for me when someone new was introduced and i got to contemplate “is this person actually xyz?!”.

i loved that this book kept me guessing as to what was going to happen and who was actually on what side of this war, there were so many times i felt conflicted on what i should feel towards certain characters. the book had me in shambles constantly on the edge of my seat 😩

and the romance my GAAAWD, julie had me devouring any little crumb of them she was willing to give me 🤭 it is a SLOW burn (like mariana zapata levels of evil slow burn LOL) so do prepare yourselves on that. this is a true enemies to lovers (but they’ve always harbored secret feelings bc of course), a “we shouldnt be doing this”, forced proximity, YEARNING LIKE NO OTHER 😭😭 the tension was so palpable between them through out the entire book, i literally have the zoomies just thinking about how their relationship will develop movies forward in the other books 🤭

the cliffy at the end had me SCREAMING as i had been hoping for what occurred since about 1/3rd into the book and i was extremely gagged by the information we gleaned from the scenario made me so giddy, i am just gnawing at the gates on my enclosure to somehow magically get my hands on book two as soon as possible 😩
~~~~~~~
6/20: doing a reread via audio and i couldnt be MORE excited to be back in this world already, i fear for how feral ill be for book two after doing it once again

finished reread 7/1:

above i have put my review for the story itself as this is a reread for me via audiobook so this’ll just be my opinions on that. unfortunately for me i did not care for the narrator at all, she really took away from the story for me because of how over exaggerated the acting felt. during my first read with the ebook i loved briony the entire time, through the audio briony felt very whiny and borderline annoying. i didnt mind the narrations she did for token and the rest of the supporting characters but as this is told entirely through brionys pov it was very hard to stay engaged with her and the audiobook in general.

this is obviously going to have no effect on my rating or feelings towards the book as i still love it wholeheartedly but moving forward with the rest of the series it will be strictly an ebook/physical read for me!

i absolutely can’t wait for the next two books!!

[Lucie V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an e-copy and an audio copy of this book via NetGalley (thank you, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Hachette Audio). All thoughts and opinions are my own.

✅ Dark vibe
✅ Dramione / Manacled vibe
✅ Great MC
✅ Morally grey love interest
✅ Complex family dynamics (I love Toven's parents)
✅ Magic
✅ World-building
✅ Politics and scheming
✅ Slow-burn / Sexual tension
✅ Strong female friendships/bonds
❗️❗️Cliffhanger
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: death of loved ones, murders, and some blood, threats of sexual abuse, and mentions of sexual assault, imprisonment, sterilization without consent, mild bullying, human trafficking, public execution, and captivity

_______________________

Second read/listen: I am still in love with this book, and I can't wait to get my hands on the second book. The audiobook is great, the narrator does a wonderful job, and she has a gorgeous British accent on top of it.

_______________________


This is the kind of book that stays on your mind for days or weeks after you are done with it.
Am I still obsessed with this book 2 months later and requested an audio-arc too?
Yes, I did. 😅


When Briony’s twin, the King of Evermore, dies in the war against Bomard, Briony finds herself captive of the Bomardis, with other Eversun citizens. They are sold in an auction, so rich Bomardi can buy them to use them as heartsprings, meaning they will be able to steal their life force to boost their magic, and do anything else they wish with their new slaves. When Briony is bought by none other than her school’s bully, Toven Hearst, she is terrified and relieved at the same time. With no allies and very little freedom, Briony must find a way to survive the cruelty that awaits her, and find a way to escape and join the Eversun resistance, but the more time she spends at the Hearst’s estate, the more complicated her situation becomes, and the more conflicted she is about Toven and his family’s role in the war.

I was hooked from the start. This book has a clear Dramione vibe, and I loved every minute of it. It also reminded me of Manacled a little bit. The whole being held captive by the morally grey character with whom she shares a past, with complicated feelings, being on opposite sides of a war, but realizing that it is more complicated than it seems, and that the “bad guy” who owns her might not be that bad in the end. I have not read The Auction yet, so I cannot say how similar it is to the Fanfiction the author originally wrote, but you can definitely see the Dramione influence in this book.

"I have not yet seen the future that I most wish for, but I am hopeful. I think a world where we both have choice again is possible."

I like that the author did not try to gloss over the darker parts of the story. There are deaths, mentions of torture and sexual abuse, and it is made clear that the situation the Eversuns sold at the auction are in is a horrible one. The interactions Briony has with the Bomardis make us hate some of them with a visceral passion, and I love it when an author manages to make us feel so strongly about characters.

The magic system and world-building were great and well presented. There were no major info-dumps, and all the information we got was smoothly delivered through conversation or flashbacks. I love the magic system for its simplicity and its originality. Citizens of Evermore favor mind magic, using the thread of magic between their eyes, whereas the Bomardis use heart magic, depleting their energy to do spells, meaning they often have familiars, or heartsprings that they can siphon for more life force. Both groups can do the same basic spells, but they also have their “specialties”, and I would love to learn more about the way they do magic.

The plot does revolve around the politics of Evermore and Bomard, as well as the power games played by the Bomardis, but it is also full of sexual tension and a hint of romance. The author was able to find a good balance between politics, action, and romance to keep us engaged in the story, have a believable bond develop between Briony and Toven, and build a plot complex enough to keep us guessing at what could happen in the next book.

Briony Rosewood is amazing. She is fierce, brilliant, and brave, and was forced to live in her twin’s shadow for most of her life, because it would not look good if the Princess showed more magical prowess than the Heir to the kingdom. Briony is the superior magician and strategist, yet she has to pretend to be weaker than her brother, but instead of being angry about it, she does her best to help her brother. We didn’t see much of their bond, sadly, but it felt so strong and pure, it was beautiful, and a little heartbreaking too to see how supportive she was, and how little recognition she got, despite being so strong and wonderful. Briony is a relatable main character who is inspiring, but also flawed, and I can’t help but admire her strength and resiliency.

Toven Hearst is a mystery that we can’t help but fall in love with. He is a very strong magic user, rich and charismatic, and he was kind of a bully during Briony and his years at school, but the more we see of him, the more it becomes obvious that his cold persona is a façade that hides complex emotions and motives. It was not a secret for us readers that he had a crush on Briony at school; there were hints in the flashbacks, but I loved seeing him try to balance his feelings for Briony, his need to save her, his obligation to Bomard, and his desire to keep his family safe. Toven has many walls, and we could see Briony slowly, but surely breaking them as the story progressed. Toven is what I would call a lovable, morally grey character. He has to act a certain way in public and do certain things to keep Briony and his family as safe as possible. He is fiercely loyal to his parents, and I can’t wait to see how he will navigate his relationship with Briony, now that it’s about to become even more complicated.

❗️❗️Mild spoilers about Toven’s family dynamic in the next paragraph.❗️❗️
I can’t speak about Toven without also mentioning how much I love his parents. They are Bomardi elite, yet we can see that they do not adhere to everything Bomardis say or do against Evermore. I adored the layers both Serena and Orion had. Serena first appeared as this cold, aristocratic woman, but she ended up showing a sweeter side to Briony and cared for her as much as she could in her tough situation. Orion hates Briony for the complications she brings into their life because, just like Serena, he realizes what Briony means to Toven, and despite his desire to get rid of Briony, Orion would do anything for his family and his son’s happiness. This fragile balance of hidden sweet and caring moments from Serena and fiercely protective and brutal confrontations from Orion created a complex, but wholesome family dynamic.
❗️❗️End of mild spoilers.❗️❗️

There are a few flashbacks, and I am not usually a fan of those, but they were well integrated into the book, and there were not too many either. There also served a purpose besides showing us Briony’s time at the Academy with her brother and the Bomardis. The flashbacks showed us how exceptional Briony is, but how she would tone down her powers and erase herself to let her brother shine, but they also showed us the complex dynamic that was present between Briony and Toven from early on. Toven had to play the bully in front of his Bomardi friends, but when he was alone with Briony, he was not so bad. There was also a competitive strike between them from the start, and it was cute to see that despite the tensions between them because of Toven’s superiority complex, they were also able to share a few sweeter moments.

Didion was a comfortable choice. Safe. Kind. Her father would have been happy to see her married to Didion Winchester. Her brother, too. Briony often wondered why she didn’t want comfortable, safe, kind.

This is a slowburn romance, with a lot of sexual tension. Romantic-wise, nothing “real” happens between Briony and Toven until the very end of the book, but there was so much tension between them from the start. We could see through the flashbacks that they both had a crush on each other, but couldn’t act on it because Toven had to keep up the pretense in front of his friends who despised the Eversuns, and Briony would not admit to finding one of her bullies cute. Briony slowly learns to trust Toven, and in return, he slowly opens up to her during her time at the Hearst manor, but while it is obvious to us readers that they are both attracted to and have deeper feelings for each other, the way things were at the end of the book does not promise a smooth sailing romance for them. There is already some angst and pining; he is holding her at arm’s length to protect her, and she is desperate for some meaningful human interaction. I am very eager to see how they will navigate all these complicated feelings in the next book.

Female strong friendship is a theme that was more present than I expected in this book. Briony might be alone and captive at the Hearst manor, but whenever she would see other Eversun captives, they would find a small way to show each other support. To remind each other that they were not alone. This resilience in the face of adversity was admirable and very touching. Seeing that some Bomardi women were also willing to put their jobs, safety, and lives at risk to secretly help the Eversun captive showed another kind of strength and courage. It was a collection of small gestures, but those quick moments were what kept Briony going, what gave her some hope that there were good people out there, and that they would eventually find a way out of this horrible situation. I am also curious about Finn, because he was aware of Toven’s secrets, and played the game of the cruel Bomardi in public just like Toven did, but it is clear that he is not a cold and cruel man, and I am wondering just how much he wants to help the Eversuns, and just how involved he will be in the rest of the series.

I could go on for a while about this book. I devoured it and adored it. It’s been a few days, but I am still thinking about it, and it made me want to go back down the Dramione rabbit hole because of the dark vibe and the amazing but complex dynamic of Toven and Briony. If you are looking for your next dark romantasy, with a slow burn, a lot of pining and sexual tension, complex relationships, and a good mix of magic, romance, and politics, this is the book for you!


Follow me on Instagram 🙂

[Ray M. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio arc.

DNF @ 50%
Rating: 1/5

Sorry this is giving "I'm a good slave owner so love me" energy..... I'm not falling for that propaganda....

Also if you're not a fan of the fanfic or harry potter then you might not like this book.

It's probably my fault but I went into this book semi-blind as I really only looked at the Goodreads tags and cover. I knew it was based off of Harry Potter fan fiction which is.... already making me side-eye the author in itself but whatever... so when I started it and heard the triggers I knew this might not be the book for me. I'm not a dark romance/romantsy girly but I have free will and will read whatever I want so... to those who want to leave negative comments... fight me... I was expecting this to be kinda good as Julie Soto is a big name but I regret reading this book first as.... it was not good whatsoever...

The world-building was so.... inspired and it's almost like you can tell it's so unoriginal... Like I wish the editors made Soto flesh it out even more because it was just giving "unoriginal" to me.... The heart strings magic also just seems like it's an excuse to subjugate women into submission... which is weird considering the Bomardsun have a woman leader... like how does that work???? Also what even makes mind and heart magic different? I read through 50% of the book and I don't even understand the basics of the magic systems other than heart magic seems to be more "evil" because it's pulling magic from other living beings.... but what makes "mind" magic so different? Why is it better? It's like the author never explained that.

Not to mention the pacing of this book was so BAD. I was confused for the first 10% of the book because the transitions of the past and "present" were so damn confusing and just badly written..... It felt like it meshed together and with the past backstory being hashed out it was like I was being info-dumped by a whole bunch of characters I know and yet don't know at the same time... like honestly I was asking myself what I was reading for the first 10%......

Not to mention I feel like this book, while it may have a "handmaid's tale" story with women fighting for their freedom in the future... this book instead weaves the story of the FMC falling for HER LITERAL SEX SLAVE OWNER and almost romanticizes the slave x slave owner dynamic... It felt like I was reading a war crime of a book for women. Especially publishing this book in TODAYS UNITED STATED OF AMERICA POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CLIMATE?!?!?!?!? This book is so fucking TONE DEAF OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG. Like my rights as a woman are being violated and I HAVE TO READ ABOUT THE SAME REALISTIC SHIT IN THIS BOOK AND HAVE IT BE ROMANTICIZED TOO?????? Like bro I'm not even religious but God must hate me fr. Especially since there this content of the sex trafficking of the women were repeated almost every chapter... Like I, as the audience, get it.. you don't need to repeat that the women have no rights every 5 seconds....

Then let's move onto the MMC.... Why does Briony even find the MMC attractive? (I'm not saying his name disrespectfully) He almost contributes nothing and while being an absolute jerk (and this is me being nice). The AUDACITY this man has is fucking astounding. His character was giving "oh I'm so holier-than-thou because I have good intentions for PURCHASING A HUMAN WOMAN because I love her".... like bro what? No, you're still very much a piece of shit. It was giving very much performative savior and then torturer....

My last gripe about this book is Briony... she gives me the ick... nothing and the ick... she was such a weak character I feel like she can't stand well enough to just be on her own... like her personality is based off of her own brother so much throughout the "backstory" it was sad and then she was immediately turned into a sex slave. She also reads like a YA protagonist instead of an adult one... like why didn't see immediately try to escape the auction? Who cares if people die bro ur literally the "Queen" or "Heir" and you just give up? Bruhhh just sacrifice someone and escape bro... but nah you end up giving up and being attracted to a pathetic ass man....

I'm sad this was my first Julie Soto book but I'm glad I never have to see this series after today and will not be continuing it. I'll try her other works and hopefully that will be better.

[TheConnieFox · Rating 5 out of 5]

♥ My Thoughts & Rating ♥

This novel was amazing! I received the advanced listening copy of this book. The narrator Ella Lynch was perfection as well, she really brought this book to life. This is my second novel by this author, with the first one being “The Thrashers”. I will say that this book really exceeded my expectations. What initially drew me into reading it was the beautiful cover, the author and the hype surrounding this book. I was beyond thrilled to be one of the early readers of this novel.

This is a medium paced read that includes romance and fantasy. It is a new adult novel that is truly addicting! It is dark, tense, emotional, adventurous and mysterious. It is both plot and character driven, which is filled with rebellion! This book comes with a strong premise, a royal romance, and a forced proximity (captivity)! It is an enemies to lovers romance, where the flaws of the characters are the main focus. It is memorable, atmospheric, multilayered and believable! The tension of this slow burn dark romance was great! I really enjoyed the female main character of this story, the different timelines, the interactions between the main characters and the overall main story! I am so excited for the next novel in this series to come out! I rate this a high 5 out of 5 stars! It was excellent!

♥ Synopsis & Narration ♥

“Rose in Chains” is the first book in The Evermore Trilogy. It is a dark romance fantasy novel, where the protagonist Briony Rosewood gets captured and is sold into slavery. Briony gets stripped of her freedom and magic, as she gets sold at an auction to Toven Hearst. As the story unravels, Briony deals with her role in captivity and starts having unexpected feelings for her capturer, Toven. Flashbacks start to happen and we get to understand more of an insight into their relationship.

The narrator did an amazing job as I was listening to this audiobook! I give her a 5 out of 5 stars as well! I highly recommend this audiobook!

♥ Who I think would enjoy this book & Content Warnings ♥

I think fans of very dark romantacy novels, that contain complex power dynamics and forbidden love, would really enjoy reading this! The content warnings include violence, sexual assault, slavery, war, rape, abortion and death.

♥ Thank You ♥

Thank you to NetGalley, author Julie Soto, Narrator Ella Lynch and Hachette Audio | Forever for this ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

♥ Release Date ♥

This book is expected to be published on July 8, 2025! Publication dates can change at any time.

[brittany:) · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️⭐️
🌹✨ “I appreciate men who understand power but do not covet it…” ✨🌹

I am in shambles!!! Literally kicking!!! Screaming!!! Throwing up!!! Pacing!!! Doing all the things 😭😭😭 I had to put my pretty Fairyloot edition back on the shelf and switch to my Kindle because the amount of times I threw that thing is insane 💀 I fear I am now obsessed!!!

This is a dark romantasy with all the goodness
🖤 enemies to lovers
🗝️ captive/captor tension
📖 past/present dual POV
🔥 excruciating slow burn (1 chili pepper 🌶️ but the tension?? devastating omg)
🎭 political intrigue
✨ and yes the reason most people picked it up… it’s Dramione fanfic inspired !!!!

So I’ll be honest!!! I’ve only seen the Harry Potter movies!!! Never read the books (I will eventually) but I’ve taken a million quizzes and learned I’m a proud Slytherin 🐍 That’s as far as I go into the lore. So learning about Dramione and how it’s a whole movement was eye-opening!!! I’ve been in a deep TikTok rabbit hole adding fanfics to my TBR like crazy 😵‍💫

That said I’m coming into this as a romantasy lover and this book was EVERYTHING !!!

It gave me major Handmaid’s Tale vibes too!!! That comparison clicked immediately for me because I’ve read and watched that series and this felt like that but with magic ✨

I am absolutely obsessed with the magic system!!! The tension!!! The pain !!! And let’s talk about TOVEN 😩
The care he showed Briony even in the beginning unbeknownst to her made me love him even more 😭
He is my new book boyfriend and applications are CLOSED 🫶🔥

The angst was top tier !!! The writing addictive !!! The world heavy and raw but still beautiful !!! I couldn’t stop reading
It gave me everything I wanted and needed !!! It broke me and I liked it 😭🖤

Please check your TWs before diving in ⚠️ It’s dark and layered and raw and I wish someone could do mind magic on me so I could read it again for the first time 🪄

“Fill the pages and close the book.” 🥀

Thank you Forever Publishing for the ARC and Hachette Audio for the audio ARC 🎧📚
*all opinions are my own*

[kitkat (semi-hiatus ♡︎) · Rating 4 out of 5]

~ currently rereading ~
i forgot the plot, so im rereading 😭😫

~post read~
update: i just realized what book this reminds me of: rain of shadows and endings (the legacy series)
it wasn’t… mind blowing. the beginning was really good, but it kind of slowed down around halfway

~ currently reading ~
oml the slow burn im dying. im at 94% (NINETY FOUR PERCENT) and theres been no action. kill me now.

the secondhand embarrassment is actually crazy rn 😭😭 i physically had to put my phone down several times

~~~~
… i realized too late that this was a published dramione fanfic, but IVE NEVER READ HARRY POTTER-

im currently binge watching the movies right now (ik the books are supposed to be better, but fuck it 😩😩)

>> thank you to netgalley and forever publishing for an arc <33

[Aya ☕︎ · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 45%

The female audiobook narrator’s voice was a bit too high-pitched for my ears, but oddly enough, her narration fit this awful story.

My face was in a constant state of sucking on a lemon.

The way females were treated in this book—like actual cattle, being bid on, sold, and branded—was horrifying. I’ve never understood the appeal of Dramione, and I really wanted to feel what everyone else does… but once again, I just didn’t get it.

The MMC was foul. The setting? Vile. The constant emphasis on virginity was bizarre and deeply uncomfortable. The MMC literally put a collar around the FMC’s neck to suppress her magic, called her 'his property,' backhanded her, and belittled her. Then—suddenly—he’s kind? Feeding her with his hands, checking on her while she’s sleeping -which is creepy, btw-, and stroking her hair. Like… DUDE, pick a lane.

I think this is my sign to stop giving Julie Soto another chance.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

Another day another book..... Thank you so much Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC 🫶🏻

Find my review on Instagram

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

“When the sun shines at night, he who will bring an end to war on this land shall be victorious. He shall be an heir, twice over, and a rightful sovereign over the continent.”

this is a story about a 25 year old princess who has grown up in a world that feels like her twin brother is the prophesized hero. yet, our princess, briony, has had to help him with his magic all throughout their lives. in this world there is mind magic and heart magic, and depending where you pull your source from, you can form a bond to help give magic. and this is something that the magic users on the other side would like to weaponize for themselves, but there are laws in place to make that illegal. there are also magical animals that you can bond with to help your magic powers, too! and this book truly starts out with the world learning about a new leader, who has bonded with a dragon who hasn’t bonded with anyone in 600 years, and she brings war to the land, and allows her followers to lay claim to power that was never intended for them. through slavery, captivity, and immense abuse.

and briony is very sought after for being the daughter of the king and for having a great well of magic inside her. her family is killed inside the walls of her castle, she is captured, and auctioned off to wealthy magical men, alongside her friends whom she has grown up with. and toven, who she has had a bit of a rival infatuation throughout school with, is one of those men in the audience bidding on her, her body, and her magic.

i do think this start of this story does stand on its own, and has taken a lot of care to attempt to divest itself from the cursed nostalgia ip. i truly think there will be people who will pick this up and have no idea that it started as a fanfic, especially the last half of this first book. But it does follow, almost story beat for beat, scene for scene, the original material (especially that first 50%) - which i think can be a positive or negative for readers who have previously read the fic. For me, it didn’t feel as much fun to read as i wish it did, and i think that obviously impacted my reading, but i for sure left this story how i felt leaving the fic at this point, which was just meh. so, for better or for worse, i think you should go into this book expecting that.

the only thing i will say that felt lesser to the fanfic was that i cared a lot less about the side characters. even though julie soto has really made strides at rewriting this world, the big bad, and the conflicts within this story, there just isn’t enough time or pages to write about every relationship with the main characters and their time with the side characters. which, with the fic, you extra didn’t need because most of us have grown up alongside these original characters.

overall, this really feels like a true 2.5 read for me, just right in the middle where i didn’t really dislike anything, but i also didn’t really love anything. and i won’t be continuing on with this series. i didn’t love the fic, so i really should have known better, but i was curious, and received an arc in my email, and here we are with a lackluster review. but the epilogue was for sure the best part of this story, and felt very new and fresh, so hopefully for the last book you all won’t have to read 100+ pages of courtroom discussions.

trigger + content warnings from the author: explicit sexual content, mentions of non-consensual sex, sexual assault, sexual assault of a POV character, buying and selling of humans into captivity, forced sterilization, forced termination of a pregnancy, minor character deaths, suspense and violence, torture and gore

additional trigger + content warnings i found while reading: loss of family / loved ones in past, talk of loss of mother during childbirth in past, insinuation of magical animals being experimented on and death, blood, forced medical examinations, murder, misogyny + sexism, talk of weight / body image very briefly, grief, depression, slavery, captivity, self starvation, drugging, execution (which is still as insane as it was in the fic), self harm to get blood, injured animal companion (fox)

blog | instagram | youtube | wishlist | spotify | amazon

♡ The Auction

[shaelinslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy hot damn this is the best book i’ve read in a MINUTE! SIX MF STARS BITCH!!!

This is what I want all my romantasy to give me: SO. MUCH. YEARNING.

And not only that, but the characters are soooo multi-layered. The FMC is one of my absolute favorites, she may not be physically strong but she is a tough woman nonetheless.

I also LOVE Toven as the MMC, I love a secretive, broody type that is SO into her… and add in that she doesn’t see it at all. That is my literal lifeblood.

The world was so cool, and the atmosphere was well built-out imo. I can’t wait until we get more of the world and magic system in the upcoming books.

10/fucking10. I need this book tattooed into my frontal lobe, and I already want to reread it again, holy shit!

[Kristina Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars

I REALLY was not expecting to love this book as much as I did—but wow, this absolutely consumed me. Rose in Chains is one of those stories that sinks into your bones and refuses to leave, and it is the kind of story I already know I’ll be thinking about forever.

I somehow went into this without realizing it was inspired by Hermione/Draco fanfic, and it honestly took me until part two to fully clock it 😂 which just proves how well done this was. The inspiration is clearly there, but the story stands completely on its own in the best possible way.

This was an amazing start to what I am fully convinced will be a top-tier trilogy. The romance is the slowest of slow burns, in a way that feels truly agonizing yet incredibly satisfying. It may honestly be too slow for some readers, but I personally enjoy the torture, so I devoured every second of it.

What really surprised me was how fast-paced and tense the plot was. While the romance unfolds slowly, the story itself absolutely does not. I was completely gripped from the very beginning. The world-building and magic system were fascinating and refreshing, especially in a genre where so many romantasy books tend to blur together. This one felt genuinely unique.

And lastly, there is Toven Hearst, who completely stole the show. He is controlled, morally complex, and quietly devastating in the way he protects, restrains, and loves. Every action carries weight, and that restrained intensity makes him impossible not to fall for. He is officially one of my top book boyfriends, and I will not be taking questions at this time.

If you love slow-burn romance, high tension, rich world-building, and stories that completely take over your brain, this one is a must. 🌹⛓️

[aeryn rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

You know what? Julie Soto, I am SO glad I gave you another chance because this was AMAZING! The fact that she can write a fantasy this good is crazy work and I am here for it.

I truly did love every character in this book. Briony was such a fiery character but she didn’t actually start out that way. I was really impressed with her character growth and her mentality changes as the story progressed! It was kinda hard to read the parts where she was a complete push-over, but I understood that that was just because it needed to seem that way to advance the plot. I liked Toven, but I wasn’t in love with him. I thought that 80% of the time he was acting like a petulant child who would throw a tantrum when he didn’t t get what he wanted. The other 20% he was deep down a nice-ISH guy. These 2 were the definition of what an enemies-to-“lovers” romance should be. The rough childhood history mixed with him “owning” her when he buys her at the auction; *chefs kiss*. It leads for such an interesting story with these 2. The side characters were lovable for the most part but I did have conflicting feelings on whether I should like some of them or not. They really added so much to the story whether I did end up not caring for them and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My absolute FAVORITE part of this book was the plot. Trust me when I tell you that it was so interesting and it had me in a chokehold. I wanted to read this every time I had a thought about it and every time I was in the middle of reading I didn’t wanna put it down. Julie Soto had such a way with words and storytelling that just hooked you and sunk its teeth into you with an addictive venom. It was memorable and fun and exciting; exactly how I like my fantasy books to be. The only main issue I had was that this was extremely predictable. I knew a majority of what was going to happen by the end of the book but that’s okay. The book was totally worth it.

Please keep in mind that if you want to read this book and have specific triggers, look up the warnings!! This book can be very graphic at times and I think could be triggering to those who might just be looking for an engaging fantasy to try out. While there’s no like graphic graphic scenes, it is very much a heavier fantasy that delves into sensitive topics.

Overall, I had such a good time with this book and I would definitely say that Julie Soto has earned my respect back. She did so well for her first fantasy and I think she has a solid story to go off of. The next book gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. You best believe I’ll be hopping in my car to Barnes when the second book comes out. Anyways, the hype around this book is real and valid. I tend to struggle with over-hyped books, BUT I feel like this actually deserves more hype!! It has beautiful writing, a compelling plot, and characters you want to root for all the way through. What more could you want? 🤭💜

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭:

Julie Soto…I’m giving you another chance mainly because this book sounds so good and it’s been on my mind for days 👀👀
I hope that this lives up to its hype 💜💜

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing pains me more than sitting down to write this review. This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I was SO SURE I was going to be obsessed with this. I have not yet read the fan fiction this is based off of, but going in I know this was taken from a Dramione fan fic story.

From the beginning, there were SO MANY characters thrown at us, and honestly not enough world building for me to fully grasp what was going one. What was this war? When did the king die? Who all were the bad guys? Why did they even take over? Why do people not like Mind Magic? A few of these things were answered throughout the book, but I felt pretty detached from this world and these characters. I think we were supposed to feel attached to certain characters that bad things happened to, but I barely knew them, so I was never super emotionally impacted in any of those moments. The heroine is super close to her brother, but we're entirely told they're close, and I never felt that bond between them. I needed more development there.

I did enjoy the romance, while super super slow burn, but I almost wish the hero was...MORE morally gray? It was clear to me he was actually really nice, and some of the flashback scenes a bit earlier would have been great to see a bit more into him as a character and what he's done in the past.

I'll definitely still pick up this next book, this just ended up falling flat for me.

[Farda Hus · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

How could you, author?!!! You kept me awake till 2 AM and gave me a cliffhanger. And this book isn’t even officially published yet!!! 😭 😭

This was originally a Dramione fanfic (yes, that one—The Auction), and it’s now been rewritten and published as an original novel. Funny thing: I DNFed The Auction despite all the Reddit recs. It’s still sitting in the corner of my Kindle, unfinished. But when I heard this new version was getting published, I got excited to try it again. And here I am, not disappointed and loving this one!!! I’m actually happy I didn’t read the fanfic, because the author kept me in the dark. I didn’t know what would happen until it happened, and I loved that.

I enjoyed the world-building, how the world is divided into the Summer and Winter realms. Loved that. Honestly, I was so curious how the author would weave the story and the magic, knowing this started as a Harry Potter fanfic with such incredible world-building and magic. Well it didn’t disappoint. But I really needed more details, though. I would’ve loved it if the mind barrier part had been more fleshed out, like actually showing how Briony trained for it, not just thinking about the lake, reading a book, and then boom, she’s suddenly specialized in it.

The characters are definitely Dramione-coded. I love my Dramione, so I absolutely loved Toven and Briony.
AND GUYYSS THE TENSIONS!!!! The tensions between them. Oh I love how the author teasing us. The slow burned really burning guys, I mean i waited for like eternity for them to finally touched sexually and it is in the briefesttt of momeeent. I want mooooreee.

Oh, and I didn’t cringe. Not even once. Zero cringe. Nonexistent!! If you know me, you know how much that matters to me lol.

Note : Huge thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for sending me my dream ARC. I’ll be impatiently counting the days until the next book drops.

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 4 out of 5]

A ROMANTASY BY JULIE SOTO!!!!!!

*Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

4.25 out of 5 stars!

This book surprised me in the best way possible. 😳

Before reading this book—or rather, listening to the audiobook—I had only read one other novel by Julie Soto, her debut, and I remember enjoying it very much.

So, when I saw the announcement that she was releasing a romantasy inspired on ship Dramione from Manacled—even though I haven’t read that one yet (the page count still intimidates me)—I knew I had to add Rose in Chains to my TBR as soon as possible. I’ve heard nothing but glowing praise about Manacled, and knowing that this book drew inspiration from it sealed the deal for me.

And wow... it did not disappoint.

Rose in Chains is dark, intense, emotional, and completely addictive. Julie Soto somehow manages to balance morally gray politics, heart-wrenching slow-burn romance, and a gripping fantasy world without missing a beat. I found myself completely immersed in the dual timeline structure—especially the flashbacks, which added such depth to Briony and Toven’s connection. The tension between them is so palpable, you can feel it crackling off the page (or in my case through your headphones).

The worldbuilding is layered and haunting, the emotional stakes are sky-high, and Briony? One of the most resilient and complex heroines I’ve read in a long time. And Toven... don’t even get me started. Love him, hate him, want to shake him—sometimes all at once.

If you love dark romantasy with political intrigue, forbidden longing, and characters who are as broken as they are brave, then this one’s for you.

****************************
It's not even July yet and here I am getting hyped up for next year's July book release.

[✨Julie✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✩ 4 stars ✩

What to Expect:
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Forbidden Romance
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Captive x Captor
➼ Morally Gray MMC
➼ Dual Timeline
➼ Hidden Motivations
➼ Dark Romantasy
➼ Narrated by Ella Lynch
➼ Third Person POV

Alchemised will be released tomorrow (yes this will be relevant), so I feel like it’s time to finally write this review. First off, yes this is a different book now and not the fanfic anymore, yada yada… just want to get that out of the way before someone feels the need to say it in the comments. 😆 Yes, I know, I get it, but I AM going to talk about the fanfics for a minute.

So anyway… I always planned to read The Auction, but never got around to it. I had heard a little about it here and there and I knew on a basic level that it was similar to Manacled, but I was honestly a little put off by just how similar this book was to it. I’m a die hard fan of Manacled. I honestly think it might be the best thing I’ve ever read, so instantly I was kind of outraged for the author of Manacled, and then I realized how silly that was since both authors had borrowed so much from other authors. And then I googled the date when each fanfic was published, and THAT is what really threw me for a loop, because The Auction was actually published first. 😳 So yea… apologies to Ms. Soto for that whole spiral. This was kind of shocking to me though, so I did need to sit with my thoughts and this review for a bit after realizing all of that.

The actual Handmaid’s Tale book is pretty dry, but the premise was equal parts compelling and terrifying. My mind was so divided on the topic. One side screaming at me that we could so easily head in a similar direction and the other side assuring me that nothing like that would ever happen here. When these authors included those themes with their more modern writing styles, it made this kind of future feel even more possible.

These characters were trapped in a society built on the oppression of others and were each fighting back in the ways they were able. Reading this really made me stop and consider what I would be willing to do to keep the people I loved safe. Would I be able to play the role I needed to play if the stakes were this high and my morals and boundaries would be tested? The idea that he would save her by making her his own captive is extremely loaded and I’m sure many people have mixed feelings about it. The questions this kind of plot brings about are essentially, is it okay to do something you believe is wrong if it prevents something even worse from happening?

Yes, the Harry Potter world was removed from this, but the Dramione vibes were still very much alive and well. Like everyone else, I’m a sucker for enemies-to-lovers and those aspects of this story were extremely well done. If you like slow burn angst, this is the book for you! Now that the world building is out of the way, I honestly think the second book will be even better. I’m gonna try so hard to let Alchemised be a separate entity, but I doubt I’ll manage it considering how much I compared this one to the fanfics when I’d never even read The Auction. Definitely a memorable book and one that made me think! Looking forward to continuing this series.

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: I don’t have the energy to read The Auction first. Hope I don’t regret it…

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

Connect with me on Instagram

[Charity (Booktrovert Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose in Chains is a gritty, dark fantasy romance inspired by the Dramonie fanfic The Auction. The story dives deep into emotional tension and morally gray relationships, with a heroine who won’t easily break. While I noticed some moments where the plot felt a bit cut and paste and some confusion about characters, overall it kept me hooked. Definitely read the trigger warnings before diving in. Fans of intense fantasy romances and complex characters might find this one worth the read!


Read My Honest Book Review on My Blog:
Rose in Chains

Connect With Me:

BLOG ⟫ INSTAGRAM ⟫ NEWSLETTER ⟫

[ariyel ⊹ ݁ · Rating 1 out of 5]

‎ ⟆ ⊹ 1 star ꒱ ⟢
⭑ contains spoilers ⸝⸝

“for those among us who have loved have done so with our hearts, yes—but through a willing fault of mind as well.”

⠀ ── ⋆˙⟡ ⠀

⤿ ⌗ ୭౿. ⌇ my thoughts . . . 🗡️
✦ shit book. like this was so not what i thought it would be. honestly i don’t even know what i was expecting, but it wasn’t this. i’ve been wanting to read this for months, and for me to finally pick it up and be this disappointed?? yeah. annoying. i mean, i was literally bored from the first chapter. nothing about this ever caught my attention. not once. i was at 30% and it felt like the plot hadn’t even started yet. this book just did a whole lot of nothing.

✧ like the world building? what world building. we’re told there’s heart vs mind magic and this whole long history between bomard and evermore, but it never feels fully explained. the concept could’ve been cool but nothing felt developed. the whole prophecy setup, the war, the cultural divide—it’s all just background noise. the magic system had potential but we barely learned how anything worked. like what are the rules? the limitations? how does any of it actually function??

✧ and the plot? practically nonexistent. part one alone dragged on forever and accomplished literally nothing. and the flashbacks??? i cannot express how much i hated the flashbacks. they added nothing. they were supposed to build the romance and deepen the connection between the mcs, but it didn’t work. it tried to convince us they had something without actually building it.

✧ this was just not a good reading experience. not fun. not interesting. not even dramatic in a way that entertained me. by page five i already knew this wasn’t gonna work for me.

⠀ ˖ ࣪ ⊹ ⠀

⤿ ⌗ ୭౿. ⌇ characters . . . 🕊️
⟢˚◜ briony rosewood. ꕀ ‎ oh my god. i think i actually might hate her. she was just so… passive. like everything was happening to her and she was just going along with it. and she’s supposed to be a princess?? one of the last remaining heirs of evermore?? and she never even learned how to fight?? she said she didn’t need hand to hand training because she had guards. that?? is?? insane?? her reactions made no sense, especially after being taken to hearst. she just adjusted to her new reality with barely any resistance and then spent every other chapter thinking about toven. it was annoying.

⟢˚◜ toven hearst. ꕀ ‎ okay. let’s start with the fact that he literally bought her. i’m supposed to accept this man as the love interest? seriously? the book tries so hard to soften him and show him doing nice things to make us forget how messed up the situation is, but it’s so transparent. and then there’s the fact that he hit her. like??? what are we doing here. the story acts like that moment just didn’t happen. they just move on.

⟢˚◜ side characters. ꕀ ‎ hated most of them. the few who weren’t awful were just there. no one stood out. no one felt worth remembering. i kept forgetting who was who because none of them mattered.

⠀ ˖ ࣪ ⊹ ⠀

⤿ ⌗ ୭౿. ⌇ romance . . . 🥀
✦ this was genuinely terrible. i can’t believe this was marketed as enemies to lovers. briony has been into him since the very beginning. there was no hate. just obsession. and her obsession with him made the whole thing unbearable. she thought about him constantly. in every scene. during important moments. during traumatic moments. during random moments. it was so exhausting.

✧ and not only was it annoying, it didn’t make any sense. he literally bought her. he owns her. and she’s wondering if he wants to touch her?? feeling jealous when other women talk to him?? like. she has no reason to like him. they have no emotional bond. the book just tells us she feels something and expects that to be enough.

✧ and of course, everything in this book revolves around sex. not just between them—the entire story. every plot thread comes back to sex, sexual violence, sexual threats, or sexual tension. how am i supposed to root for anything in this book??

⠀ ˖ ࣪ ⊹ ⠀

⤿ ⌗ ୭౿. ⌇ extras . . . ♟️
⟡ the plot had no urgency. or stakes.
⟡ the magic system sounds cool until you realize we barely learn how it works.
⟡ the flashbacks were so repetitive and so unhelpful.
⟡ the pacing was atrocious. nothing happened for 70% of the book.
⟡ hated the writing. too much and not enough at the same time.
⟡ the war, the politics, the rebellion… all fell flat.
⟡ i genuinely don’t get how this was supposed to be romantic.

⠀ ˖ ࣪ ⊹ ⠀

⤿ ⌗ ୭౿. ⌇ overall . . . 🐉
✦ this was bad. like actually bad. i was bored the whole time, hated the characters, didn’t believe the romance, and got nothing from the plot. i don’t even care what happens next. i’m slightly curious, sure, but not enough to suffer through another book. i’ll read a summary or something. this series is not for me.

··················
☆ 🖇️ pre-read 𖥻 ＜꒱ — ❪ 0377 ❫
pt 2 of starting books i said i would read four months ago
╰┈ ok i’ve heard good things, bad things, and things that made me go “huh???” but i actually have no idea what this is about. like i’m going in blind blind. wish me luck because i genuinely don’t know what i’m about to walk into.

[Mai ༊*·˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 ★— Writing this review doesn’t feel great. I wanted to love this book - it was one of my highly anticipated releases, especially as someone who read and enjoyed the original fanfiction years ago. Unfortunately, Rose in Chains ended up being a huge disappointment for me.

The beginning was intriguing enough: you’re thrown right into the plot, and I enjoyed that fast start. But as the story unfolded, the momentum sputtered. I found myself dreading picking the book back up because, truthfully, it felt like it was dragging me along while 70% of the time… nothing substantial happened.

I have so many gripes that I feel like I need to break them down into sections just to make sense of them.


Characterization
The characters in Rose in Chains felt disappointingly flat.

Briony Rosewood, the FMC, remained nebulous from beginning to end. Halfway into the story, I was still waiting for her personality to shine through… and it never really did. She felt like a scared lamb throughout the story, passive and whiny despite being relatively safe compared to the trauma happening around her. It’s not that a heroine needs to be physically strong or fierce to be compelling, but there has to be something interesting about her, something that makes the reader want to root for her. Briony didn’t have that spark. She mostly just existed in the story, a passenger princess watching events unfold while dramatically reacting to things happening around her. She’s extremely naive at 25, and while I understand that’s due to her circumstances, it didn’t make her enjoyable to follow as a heroine.

Toven Hearst, the MMC, didn’t fare much better. I was supposed to swoon over his protective actions and hidden feelings, but instead I just felt boredom and frustration. His pining was obvious but unearned — why did he even like Briony? Because she’s pretty? Because she’s self-sacrificing? The book never made me believe in his feelings or their connection.

Even the side characters blurred together. The naming choices didn’t help. So many names were pretty and stylized to the point of feeling distracting and pulling me out of the story.


Romance
This book should have been catnip for me:
Yearning.
Years of unspoken obsession.
Denial of feelings.
Obliviousness.
Emotional tension.

These are the tropes I live for and yet none of it landed the way it should have.

The romance didn’t feel fleshed out. Flashbacks tried to show the depth of Toven’s feelings, but it never felt organic or convincing. The connection between Briony and Toven felt hollow, like I was being told about their chemistry rather than feeling it. Their interactions were meant to drip with tension and suppressed desire, but instead, they felt empty and unremarkable.

The book constantly telegraphed their feelings for each other - subtly, overtly - but without a solid emotional foundation, the pining and gestures just fell flat.


Plot Structure and Pacing
The structure of the book severely disrupted the reading flow.

Flashback chapters were sprinkled throughout, told out of order, and often felt random rather than natural. Instead of enriching the main plot, they made me impatient to get back to the present-day storyline, only to realize the main story was also stalling.

Much of the “main story” consisted of Briony being passively locked away, confused, and sad. It was repetitive and slow, with little forward movement. Chapters blurred together, and my frustration only built as nothing substantial seemed to happen.

Yes, I get it - she’s a rose in chains, I understand that this is how the storyline is supposed to go, but reading this was actively dreadful and boring.


World Building
The world building was another letdown.

There were so many names thrown at the reader - kingdoms, leaders, royal lines - and almost none of them felt relevant or memorable. We were told about the political structures and titles through flashbacks, but they barely played a role in the actual plot.

The kingdoms, ranks, and lore felt hollow, like window dressing that wasn’t meaningfully integrated into the story. Instead of feeling immersed in a rich fantasy world, I just felt overwhelmed by a list of names and titles with no emotional or narrative weight behind them.


The Ending
Things did pick up as the book neared its end. Suddenly, there was movement: plot developments, action, the FMC finally asking questions and becoming a bit more active. I did perk up during these last sections. But by then, it was too little, too late. The ending couldn’t undo the earlier slog or change the hollow impression the book had already left on me.


Final Thoughts
I’m honestly surprised at how much I didn’t enjoy this. As someone who read The Auction years ago, as someone who loves fantasy romance packed with yearning, angst, and emotional tension — I should have loved Rose in Chains.

Instead, it was an experience of unfulfilled potential:
Flat characters.
Hollow romance.
Disruptive structure.
Weak world building.

I walked away feeling nothing for these characters, this world, or their love story, and that was the biggest disappointment of all.


Audiobook/Narration note
While Rose in Chains didn’t land the way I’d hoped, I do want to highlight that the audiobook narrator was fantastic! She brought the characters and emotions to life in a way that really enhanced the story for me. Her performance of the male characters in particular was especially well done and the voices felt distinct and believable, which made the dynamic between the characters much more engaging. I do feel like listening to it after having read it in print made for a much better experience. Really, the narration added so much more life and energy to the story.


__________________________________________________

Thank you to Edelweiss and Forever Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
And thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Forever for the ALC.