Like 3.5 stars rounded up.

I’m… conflicted on this one. So this feels very inline with how I’ve felt about a lot of romantasy books lately. I like it enough to give it a solid rating but not enough to care to keep reading after book one. I didn’t like the avalanche ending - it was so abrupt and honestly, there’s no resolution. It just ends right in the middle of the conflict. Not a cliffhanger - it just legit ENDS without actually resolving anything? So fair warning, it kinda sucks because I also don’t care enough to keep going??

Here’s why: overall I liked the plot. It was pretty fun and interesting. But I wasn’t a huge fan of the main characters nor the romance. I didn’t really get any …. Romance vibes? It felt like I was told to believe these two people loved each other but I never got to actually FEEL it. They just suddenly were head over heels?? 🤨🤨🤨

I liked the side characters though, especially the other girls in the games! The best parts of this book were their individual chapters!! Such a great idea!!! I actually got sad when I had to go back to Ivy’s POV. 😂 Ivy wasn’t ideal. She was fine but didn’t really stand out much imo. I’ll forget her tomorrow.

So overall, is it worth the read? Hmmm 🧐 Tough call. I really enjoyed it until the end (which lowered it a half star) so maybe? 🤔 I think if you are fine with this book legit just ending without a good resolution, then sure. But I wasn’t happy with what felt like an “ending” right when I thought there should be 20+ more pages of action 😅

I really enjoyed this book. I read Sasha’s previous duology, Witch Haven, and loved the characters and storyline. I was excited to see a new world from her and lucky enough to receive it as an ARC.

The storyline and characters felt like it blended Bridgerton and the Powerless series - courting, 1800’s royalty and high society in London, along with trials and trying to win the hand of a prince.

The book easily held my attention with a likable FMC and the addition of other possible princesses’ chapters to give their perspective and backstory. Sasha wove in the other characters’ storylines seamlessly. The additional POV chapters added personality while not muddying or confusing the overall storyline.

There were 2 aspects of the book that really set it apart from other fae/fantasy books.
1. The added complications of the bargains given and granted by the queen.
2. The mystery of what happened to the FMC’s sister.

It was okay. I can see how Bridgerton fans would really enjoy this, but for me, it feels very low stakes and uninteresting. The story moves very slowly, despite there being plenty of action and drama, and I think it’s because the main character doesn’t reveal things or try to figure things out at all just for the sake of having a story.

This book was amazing! Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this early. This book has it all from romantasy to enemy to lovers and fae. I was impressed by the historical side of the book it’s always fun to imagine that time period especially with fantasy. I do wish it would’ve had more details and also the single chapters for the girls didn’t give enough details to understand that character growth. Besides those few issues it was a great read!

Love love loved this one! It was definitely a hunger games meets the selection with a dose of magic read. The main character joins a competition to marry the prince to help her family. Along the way she has several interaction with his broody brother in hopes to take down the evil Queen. Also, I love me a good one bed trope 💕 The world building and attention to detail was so good. I was hooked right from the beginning and couldn’t put the book down. This is going to be a great start to a wonderful series!

The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith is a Victorian-inspired romantasy that captivated me from the very beginning. Ivy Benton, the protagonist, is a determined and flawed character whose journey to save her family by entering a magical competition is both compelling and relatable. Her relationship with her sister, Lydia, adds depth to the narrative, highlighting themes of familial duty and self-sacrifice.

The world-building is rich and immersive, blending historical elements with a touch of magic that creates a unique and enchanting setting. The competition for Prince Bram's hand introduces intrigue and suspense, while the unexpected alliance with Prince Emmett adds complexity to the plot. The pacing is fast, and the story unfolds with twists and turns that kept me eagerly turning the pages.

While the romance subplot is present, it doesn't overshadow the main narrative, allowing Ivy's personal growth and the sisterly bond to take center stage. The inclusion of multiple perspectives provides a well-rounded understanding of the characters' motivations and enriches the storytelling.

Overall, The Rose Bargain is a delightful read for fans of fantasy romance with historical twists. Its engaging characters, intricate plot, and enchanting world make it a standout in the genre. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a story that combines magic, intrigue, and heartfelt relationships.

I loved this so much! If you love Bridgerton, definitely give this a read. It drew me in and I just ate it up!

Oh this was SO GOOD. When I read the comp of the Selection and Bridgerton I was a bit wary, because it could have been so formulaic, but I thought this story was perfect. Ivy was a great main character, vying for the crown to save her family's reputation. Both brothers were compelling, and my FAVOURITE part was the way this incorporated each other girl's POV chapter. They were all humanized, contextualized and given their own space, rather than just being a catty competition.

Amazing vibes, I can't WAIT for book 2!!

Thank you Sasha and Netgalley for this arc! I’m OBSESSED with this book! It’s SO GOOD!!! I felt like I was transported into this book. The plot is so interesting and it had my attention the whole time. The competition was so interesting and everything with the fae was so fun to learn about. I loved reading about these characters and seeing all their different motives for joining the competition. I enjoyed reading about Ivy and found her very relatable. The romance had me giggling and kicking my feet. It was so good and I loved every crumb we got of it. I wasn’t excepting to be crying my eyes out at 2am but I did. I had to put the book down multiple times because I couldn’t see through my tears. The emotional roller coaster I went on was crazy. The twists this that happened had me shocked and I can’t believe I didn’t see everything coming. The ending was incredible and I’m still recovering from the cliffhanger. I can’t wait for the sequel and I’m so excited to see where the story is going to go!

I must say this was a great book but just not for me. If you love a Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare you will love this. It’s very “old” faeries with the Seelie and Unseelie court which is not my favourite to be completely honest. However, I still enjoyed this book and I will say the romance will make you swoon. The ending is also a very good teasing for the next book.

This book started strong but ultimately left me feeling disappointed. It was like taking a ride on a steep slope—it started out promising and felt like it could really go somewhere great, but then things took a sharp turn for the worst and went downhill fast.

The start of the book was definitely its strongest point. The pacing was fast, and I found myself easily swept up in the story. I also really appreciated the regency-inspired atmosphere, which added a unique charm and helped set the stage for an intriguing world. Another one of the highlights for me was the side characters. I enjoyed how we got to learn their stories, which added depth to the overall narrative and made the world feel more expansive.

Unfortunately, the trials—one of the story's selling points—didn’t live up to expectations. They lacked tension and stakes, which made them feel like a chore to get through and whenever a trial began, I found myself wishing it would end quickly. It’s a shame because they had so much potential to bring excitement and depth to the story.

Even so, I was confident this would at least be a solid three-star read. But as the middle started wrapping up, things began to go off the rails. Relationships that felt barely developed were suddenly filled with “I love yous,” which made them hard to believe. The emotional weight just wasn’t there, and so all the confessions felt like more of a head scratchers than the usual satisfied feeling you get when characters admit their feelings for each other.

By the time I reached the ending, the story had gone so far off the rails that they weren’t even in sight anymore. The pacing became frantic, jumping from one scene to the next so quickly that nothing had a chance to resonate. Worse than that though, the plot took a predictable turn—the exact one I hoped it wouldn’t—which made the final twist feel underwhelming and, honestly, pretty eye roll worthy.

Not to mention there was a good old memory loss plot chucked in for no apparent reason other than to shock readers and create five minutes of angst before being resolved. That honestly should have been scraped completely because the story really needed the time to focus on the other things it was trying to pull off.

Overall, this book had a lot of potential, but it just couldn’t stick the landing. While I enjoyed the beginning and some parts of the middle, the story ultimately lost its way in favor of a twist I think I’ve seen attempted more times than I can count. If you’re drawn to the regency vibe or quick pacing, it might still be worth checking out, but for me, it fell short, and I’m honestly not interested in where the story will go from here as of now.


Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

~🅞🅥🅔🅡🅐🅛🅛 🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ . 75~

I really enjoyed this! After recently binge-watching Bridgerton, The Rose Bargain was just what I needed. Fans of Bridgerton will also enjoy this book, especially if they ever wished there was magic in the TV show or books. One thing that really stood out to me was the idea that the faeries were responsible for the outcome of the War of the Roses.
I liked our main character, Ivy, a lot, and the side characters, including the potential love interests, were great.

The Rose Bargain reads like nostalgic YA Fantasy, and I mean that in the best way. Fast-paced, addicting, with great characters-this is a book you'll want to have on your shelves. I loved the female friendship, the bargain magic, and of course the romance. I'm so glad I read this! This is sure to bust any reading slump.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for 2025 so I was really excited when I got approved for it. Although it was pretty good, it fell a little flat for me. I found most of the characters to be unlikable and the romance didn't feel authentic to me. It felt like one minute they didn't like each other and then as soon as they saw each other again they were immediately in love. There was no real buildup. Also, this was said to be an enemies to lovers book and I really don' t think it is. Like they mildly don't like each other in the beginning but it does not scream. enemies to me. The plot twist was pretty easy for me to guess BUT I think it was explained well and I think it will come as a shock to some. This book was fast paced and I wasn't bored at anytime through it although some parts didn't really offer much excitement. The one thing I didn't like is the POVs of the other girls. It's not that I don't think you can't have that in it, but I didn't see what it had to offer to the story other than their background. Plus it would happen in the most random places and would make the chapter feel out of place. I think this book is a really good first book if you want to start diving into books about faeries and it stays authentic to the myths.

The rose bargain:
“The fun of grace is to watch someone fall from it.”

Bridgerton meets the selection series sprinkled with magic. Overall I enjoyed this story and would likely read the next one.

The book had a good mix of characters. At first I didn’t particularly love when we started getting the POV of the other girls, but then it really became important to getting the whole view of the story. Especially Faith and Marion. What happened to Greer!?

I like how they mention other places in the world not ruled by this faerie queen. It helped establish the feeling that this occurred in the real world. The ending was a little hectic but was a good twist.

The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith is the first book in a duology, and I absolutely devoured it. I could not put it down.
The best way to describe this book is Bridgerton meets the Bachelor but with magic. There are only small bits of magic here and there throughout the book, but I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more magic in book two.
The Rose Bargain is based in England, which has had a fae as their queen for the last 400 years, and her fae son, that has only been in the human world for 4 years, is ready to take a human bride.
Ivy is one of 6 girls competing for his hand in marriage. But Ivy meet Emmett, Bram’s “brother” and things get messy.
This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and the twists are jaw dropping. I can not wait to read the next book; it will be a must read for me.

This is EXACTLY the kind of YA book I’m looking for!! I will be absolutely shocked if this doesn’t blow up in 2025 - it’s that good. The Rose Bargain has tons of whimsy, political intrigue, competition, and sneaking around. This story is incredibly unique and absolutely stands on its own despite the comparison to The Cruel Prince. We’ve got forbidden love, trials, courtly politics, and tricky fae all while trying to unravel a fae queen’s tyrannical rule. I will be biting at the bars of my cage until a sequel is released BECAUSE THAT TWIST AT THE END TOOK ME BY TOTAL SURPRISE AND I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!

Thank you to HarperCollins, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

This was quite a nice read. I loved the mixed elements of a period piece and fantasy. The characters were likable and it was cool to have a few chapters from the other characters point of view. The chemistry between the FMC and MMC was nicely done. I LOVED the riddles and games that were played but wish there were more of them. With all that said, the ending felt a little rushed for some reason. Some parts of the book felt drawn out, like it was too much rambling and build up to a point that then erupted only the last 5 pages. So I wish that part was more drawn out (if that makes sense). I don’t want to give anything away with specific examples. I really am excited to see how the story plays out in the next book and hope to learn more about some of the villainous characters, hearing from their point of view would be really cool!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the arc. This was…mediocre. Smash together every YA Fae fantasy romance and they basically just look like this one. It’s not doing anything new, and im tired. -2 stars

Unfortunately I don't think historical fantasy is for me. I struggle with that writing style. That being said, this has the best cover I've seen in years and hope it finds its perfect audience!