The Rose Bargain was the perfect mix of a period piece and the fae lore that we know and love in Romantasy. Brimming with all the emotions of a British High Society Season and the dire consequences of making bargains with the fae, this book truly lives up to its Bridgerton x Cruel Prince claims.

The story follows Ivy as she sets out to reestablish her family's good name and in the process find answers to her sister's recent scandal. What she doesn't expect is to find herself in the middle of a dangerous competition stuck between the affections of two princes. The Rose Bargain is an epic tale of the internal battle to follow one's heart or one's duty. A must read if you are a fan of extravagant balls, court intrigue, classic yearning and the chaos that only the fae can bring.

Being set in England, I loved the rich history and real locations woven into the story but sprinkled with the otherworldliness of the fae. The chemistry between the main characters had me absolutely giddy the entire book. But I will say, being a Young Adult book, there was a scene that I felt did not match the maturity level portrayed throughout the rest of the book, and I might be cautious with readers on the younger end of the YA age range.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, the writing, atmosphere and storyline kept me captivated throughout and I am excited to read the sequel when it comes out.

The Cruel Prince meets Bridgerton? Say freaking less!

I absolutely devoured The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith, and loved every minute of this Bachelor-esque competition with it's deliciously cruel cutthroat tasks and it's ridiculous girl drama. The idea of a vicious and crafty Fae queen granting bargains that can alter your entire life--if you're willing to pay whatever twisted price the she demands, made this unlike any fairytale I've ever read before!

And that ending?! Holy cannoli! I need a sequel asap!!!!

"The Rose Bargain" by Sasha Peyton Smith is a delightful and captivating read, a true testament to the power of slow-burn romance and intriguing world-building. Smith has crafted a unique and enchanting world, rich with detail and a touch of dark magic that kept me utterly engrossed. The story unfolds beautifully, revealing layers of mystery and intrigue that had me eagerly turning the pages.

What truly made this book shine for me was the relationship between the two main characters. Their connection felt genuine and earned, developing at a pace that allowed me to truly invest in their journey. I found myself rooting for them every step of the way, captivated by their interactions and the undeniable chemistry between them. Smith expertly navigates the complexities of their budding romance, making it a central and compelling part of the narrative.

"The Rose Bargain" is a fantastic start to what promises to be an unforgettable duology. The combination of compelling characters, a richly imagined world, and a romance that sizzles with potential left me absolutely breathless. I finished the book with a serious book hangover and am now counting down the days until the final installment!

Ivy Benton is unapologetically herself, in a way that is very much like other girls. The Rose Bargain is about sisters, the ones you were born with and the ones you find along the way. And sisters fight with each other but ultimately come together in support.

At times, I was kicking my feet, giddy with how cute Ivy and the princes were being. This book was so much fun and I desperately need a sequel in my hands right this second. Especially with that ending.

A massive thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this before it hits shelves on Tuesday. But good news for anyone reading this, it’s out in a couple of days and then you get to experience this masterpiece.

𝐅𝐚𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬, 𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬?! Sign me up! ✨👑

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 is what happens when 𝐵𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑜𝑛 meets 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞, sprinkled with a little 𝐵𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑟-style drama and cutthroat competition. 💐💔 I mean, imagine living in a world where one bargain with the fae queen can change your entire future… and sometimes steal the best parts of you in return. 😨

Ivy Benton is thrown into the 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫—a battle for Prince Bram’s heart. But this is not your typical fairy tale. Dark secrets lurk beneath the glittering ballrooms, and let’s just say… the price of a bargain is never what it seems. 😏✨

𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞?🔥 𝐎𝐡, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝. Between the broody Prince Bram and his charming brother, Prince Emmett, I was 𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔. 😮‍💨

Twisty. Devastating. The tension? 𝐎𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬. The fae bargains? 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. The romance? 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. And that 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠?! 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲. 🤯🖤 𝐺𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑙𝑢𝑐𝑘 𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛!

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚, 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒔, & 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝑨𝑹𝑪 💕

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review. This review contains some minor spoilers. This book was a 4.5/5 stars for me.

The book begins with a brief historical background, which I thought was a great way to introduce the Victorian-era setting and explain why the characters live under the rule of an immortal fae Queen. In this world, people can make a bargain with the Queen, but every wish comes at a price. While many seek beauty, talent, or wealth, Ivy Benton’s main goal is to help her sister Lydia and her family.

At the start of the book, Ivy is preparing to make her debut in society. This season, the Queen announces that her son, Crown Prince Bram, will choose a wife, sparking a competition for his hand in marriage. The twist is that any woman who competes but isn’t selected will be forbidden from marrying anyone else and must live as a spinster. Ivy enters the competition, hoping to improve her family’s social standing, as the Benton family is facing financial ruin and dealing with a recent scandal involving her sister Lydia.

The comparison to The Cruel Prince meets The Selection is spot-on. The book blends political intrigue with a “Bachelor”-esque competition for the Crown Prince’s affections. I initially thought I might get bored of Prince Bram spending time with each contestant, but the pacing was well done, and I didn’t find it too repetitive. As the story progresses, you begin to understand why each of the contestants entered the competition, and there are even chapters from the other contestants' POV, which adds depth to several side characters.

Prince Emmett, the second prince, is a notorious rake who wants to help Ivy get closer to Prince Bram and win the competition. While Emmett has his own reasons for wanting Ivy to succeed, Ivy is motivated by her desire to help her family. As Ivy works with Emmett, she grows closer to him, but she is also developing feelings for Bram.

Themes of sacrifice, personal growth, and navigating difficult choices are central to this story. There’s an underlying sense of mystery throughout, and the last few chapters had me on edge. I’m eagerly awaiting the next book to see what happens next!

Wow! What an intense ride! The Rose Bargain is like The Selection meets Bridgerton meets The Cruel Prince, and I was swept up into this dark fantasy so fast! The main character, Ivy, is very easy to root for, and I liked the others in the competition too. The story has a love triangle, which isn't a trope I typically enjoy, and I didn't love it in this one. Initially, I really disliked the fact that it would pit the brothers against each other, but it ended up working well. I liked both brothers and could see Ivy falling for either of them,

I would say this is a darker romantasy, with a cruel fae queen ruling over England and creating pain, humiliation, and havoc all over the place. Oof, this female stressed me out with her manipulations and machinations. But there are other big bads just as vicious as the queen, and they had me in a chokehold!

And the twists! Whew! The plot is good, and I definitely didn't see a few of those shockers coming! It has a ton of political intrigue, suspense, some interesting world-building, and bargaining with the fae that takes a dark and twisty turn.

The Rose Bargain follows Ivy Benton who wants nothing more than for her sister to come back to her and for her families fortune to be confirmed. When her sister shows back up not knowing what happened, she decides to make a bargain with the fairy queen to try to help her sister. Instead she finds herself in a fierce competition for the hand of the crowned prince and tied up in a plot with the other prince of the realm. As mysteries unravel, she finds herself pulled into a plot that is bigger than she ever expected.
I thought this was a pretty good book and a really quick read. This book is set in 1800's England but in an alternative history where a fairy queen has taken over the crown during the Wars of the Roses and has been ruling since then. Every year she gives favors to every person who reaches the age of eighteen and creates a dangerous game for that years debutantes. This book was very much giving historical romance in the fact of we see the ton and balls and parties a lot. However, it also had that twist of the fact that we are seeing this very dangerous competition for the princes hand happening.
The way Sasha Peyton Smith intertwined the historical world with the fantasy elements was really well done and I found myself really drawn into this book when I was able to sit down and read it. The writing flowed very easily and wasn't overly flowery in its delivery. I really liked Ivy as a main character and seeing the point of view of other characters in this book really felt like it rounded out the story well.
I wasn't absolutely obsessed with this story and I do think the love story element of it was a little rushed but this is going to be a duology so I can understand why it was that way. I did find myself wanting to read this when I had a minute but it wasn't one I was thinking about all the time.
Overall, a pretty solid start to a duology and I can't wait to see what Sasha Peyton Smith has in store for the next one. I definitely think this book is a must pick up as it was really good and a quick read.

This book had me in a bit of a chokehold. I'm honestly surprised I read this in less than 24-hours. And after all the excitement found within its pages, I find the biggest afterthought to simply be: Is this a standalone? Surely, it can't be a standalone... It's not flagged as a series though. If this is a standalone, then the ending is just cruel.

Overall, I am in love with the six girls who compete. For a while, I also loved both princes. I'm normally really good at picking up some foreshadowing, so I was genuinely surprised when we learn about Bram's truth. I do have to wonder, how can there be two queens of the Otherworld? He married Lydia, did he not? Honestly, I'm a little confused on how Ivy could be considered Queen of the Otherworld when her sister currently is. Are they allowed to have more than one?

I love the concept of the trials and I love the rose bargains. They're perfect examples of fae cruelty. I also enjoyed the POV of each of the girls; including Lydia. These POVs helped me feel more connected to the girls. I just don't understand why we would go through their POV, only for the biggest takeaways to come to light in the next Ivy chapter. I felt that could have been handled better.

At the end of it all, I'm genuinely rating this 3.5 stars. I have too many questions regarding the future of this book (series?) and the integrity of the fae courts/bargains. I fell out of the fantastical and wound up pondering too much of the rational, which ruins the reading experience for me.

I can't stop thinking about this book after finishing it. Set in an England ruled by a manipulative, immortal fae queen, the story follows Ivy Benton, a young woman desperate to get revenge. With a high-stakes competition for the prince’s hand, Ivy’s involvement in a dangerous bargain with the queen leads her into a web of political maneuvering, secret alliances, and the looming cost of faerie magic. The atmosphere is rich with tension, and Ivy’s journey is one of both personal growth and moral dilemmas.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A Delightful, Twisty Read with Bridgerton Vibes!

The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith is a captivating blend of historical romance and fantasy intrigue, perfect for fans of Bridgerton with a magical twist. From the very first page, the lush atmosphere and sharp-witted dialogue pulled me in, making it impossible to put down.

The world-building is beautifully done, immersing readers in a society where secrets and bargains hold as much power as status. The romance is filled with tension and longing, giving that perfect slow-burn feel. And just when I thought I had the story figured out, that plot twist hit—completely unexpected and brilliantly executed!

The only reason this isn’t a full five-star read for me is that I wanted a bit more depth in certain areas—some moments felt like they could have been explored further and sometimes I felt a little bit lost. But overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I’ll definitely be recommending it to fellow fans of historical fantasy and romance. I can't wait for the next book in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

The Rose Bargain takes everything I love about a marriage competition for a prince and added faeries (my fav) and believable political agendas and pathways with a dash of Bridgerton vibes. I was immediately hooked by the questions in the air regarding the MC Ivy’s sister Lydia’s disappearance and mystery bargain. Her sister doesn’t remember what she bargained for or what happened to her, and that was enough to get me interested enough to stay up too late that night. Ivy is an incredibly likeable character – though not without flaw – and her emotional maturity is refreshing. She demonstrates early on an understanding and intellect that so often isn’t present in YA stories where the (seemingly main) plot involves competing for a royal marriage.

“An immortal queen letting English high society still have our little rituals is like an indulgent parent handing their crying child a toy” (loc. 400 in the ARC) is a great example of her awareness and maturity. This is such an astute observation of what is happening, and it gives the reader a bit of insight into the idea that, though there is peace, and everyone is happy, that maybe that’s just a façade.

The Queen and her son are trapped in the human realm – Queen Moryen came to the human realm and bargained her way into eternal rule of England. The girls in competition for Prince Bram’s hand are put through a series of, rather alarming, tasks. This book has the perfect touch of darkness that I so often want and don’t get in YA, and embraces the dark, cunning fae lore that I love.

I very much enjoyed it and will be eagerly awaiting what comes next!

thank you to Harper Collins for the eARC
4.5 stars

this is unpretentious fun fae YA romantasy. I had a lot of fun reading this, and it was easy to get absorbed in. fairly tropey and requires you to suspend some disbelief, but the characters are lovable and develop and the book progresses, there are enjoyable friendships and romances, and a solid fantasy plot too. very holly black-style fae (aka they’re mean and bored and enigmatic), and the backdrop of a sort of regency era but with some deviations in the history. it manages to feel fresh despite using some well-trodden plot elements and tropes.

if you’re looking for something that is particularly spicy or even for mature characters, this won’t be what you’re looking for. but I would say it’s a well-executed YA romantasy. it felt like a better version of the vibes of OUABH

I looooooooved this!! The Cruel Prince meets Bridgerton. I just ate this up in like a day?! No notes. Such a great YA fantasy romance. BRAVO.

When I saw Stephanie Garber rave about this book, I knew I needed to read it IMMEDIATELY. Thank you so much for this e-arc, I’m beyond thankful!

This book was SO. MUCH. FUN! I loved the romance subplot, the world, and the writing. Everything was so so good. I cannot wait for this book to hit the shelves next week, so I can secure myself a physical copy. This was immaculate in every sense of the word. Obsessed!

I don’t remember when or why I requested this one, but it was so surprising in the best way! What starts out with the glitz and glam of Bridgerton slowly shifts and layers until the warm & fuzzy giggles turned into soft tears.

Anyway, really, really excited to see where the next book goes!

If you love high society, debutants in the ton, fae, and the book series The Selection, do not hesitate to read this book. I absolutely devoured it. I have always been a sucker for regency era fae novels, AND a group of young women competing to marry a prince. SIGN ME UP. Loved the story, loved the writing style, loved the characters. I also thought the Queen's premise was unique, and I absolutely loved this book.

I absolutely loved this book! A great young adult fantasy that reminded me of The Selection and Bridgerton. The story keeps you engaged from the start. I definitely recommend if you love romance, fantasy and fae!



Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

“I didn’t plan on being a wife. I planned on being a painter, or a pirate, or a poet.”

Bridgerton but with faeries? Say less 👏 The Witch Haven made Sasha Peyton Smith an auto-buy author for me and The Rose Bargain was just a reminder of why.

I love the characters she creates. From Ivy to Faith and Marion and Emmett, there was so much depth to each of them that casts a new light on this time in history. When I watch Bridgerton, I’m of course swept away in the balls and the yearning, but then there’s the other side of it. How being even slightly different could mean total family ruin. How you have to give up who you are to fit in, and she showed that part so well.

I think in a Bachelor-esque type competition, it would’ve been easy to pit all the girls against each other. While they definitely didn’t always get along, I love that the strength of sisterhood, in whatever form it comes in, was present throughout. Every girl is unique and while this will be a duology, I would love to see more from each of them. This whole world honestly. England ruled by a faerie queen? There’s nothing more I could ask for. Especially when it heightens the already vain personalities of the Ton.

“Men never do understand. The slow death of being cast out of society is a fate few are strong enough to bear.”

I was yet again swept away by all the glitz, yearning, and scheming that I didn’t totally see the end coming. I had a small ‘what if’ inkling but that’s as close as I got. I’m excited to see what the revelations bring. I have a feeling it will be unhinged in the best possible way.

This is YA fantasy at its best and I can’t wait for more people to read it when it’s out on Tuesday!

I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait for the release of book two! This dark fantasy romance was everything I wanted—magic, mystery, and political intrigue woven into a high-stakes competition that pits England’s elite society girls against each other for a chance to win the Prince’s heart.

Ivy Benton is a resourceful, determined protagonist, fighting not just for her family’s status but for something far more personal—her sister’s stolen memories. The fae in this story are exactly as they should be: eerie, mischievous, and dangerously alluring. Every bargain comes with a cost, and the author does an incredible job of building suspense around these twisted deals.

And then there’s the love triangle—deliciously angsty and full of tension. Ivy is caught between Prince Bram, the fae heir at the center of the competition, and his human brother, Emmett, whose sharp wit and reputation for dalliances make their dynamic even more complicated. The banter between Ivy and the brother crackled with chemistry, and there was a constant push-and-pull, a lingering should they, shouldn’t they energy that had me completely hooked. This dynamic read more 'older teen' in the Young Adult audience, so I think a lot of adult readers will also enjoy it.

The worldbuilding was rich, the stakes were high, and the competition itself was filled with tension and deception. If you love Young Adult dark fantasy with a touch of romance and a ruthless fae court, this book is a must-read. I’m already counting down the days until the sequel!