This is absolutely the next big YA Fantasy. If you loved Heartless Hunter & Rebel Witch and you were left wanting more, look no further (except now I can't wait for the sequel to this book, too).

Set in an alternate 1848 London ruled by an immortal fae queen, this novel is a mesmerizing mix of court intrigue, deadly bargains, and high-stakes romance. For centuries, Queen Mor has kept England under her control, offering each subject a single chance to make a fae bargain in exchange for their heart’s deepest desire.

But as Ivy Benton prepares for her debut season (very Bridgerton-esque if you love that!), she knows that not even magic can fix her family’s crumbling reputation... so when the queen announces a competition for the prince’s hand, Ivy sees her chance to claim a crown instead.

From the very start, this book pulls you into a world that is both dazzling and sinister. The glittering ballrooms and royal court set the stage for a competition that’s far more dangerous than it appears. Ivy is a compelling MC... ambitious, determined, and willing to take risks, even when the cost of losing could be devastating.

Then there’s Prince Emmett, the charming but unpredictable younger brother of her intended, who offers to help Ivy win…for a price. Their dynamic crackles with tension, making every interaction between them layered with intrigue and unspoken motives.

What makes this book stand out is its balance of romance, political scheming, and the ever-present danger of dealing with magic. The queen’s trials become more ruthless as the competition unfolds, and the deeper Ivy gets, the more she realizes that winning a prince’s hand is the least of her worries. The writing is immersive, the pacing is sharp, and the twists come at just the right moments to keep you hooked.

If you love books with high-stakes romance, cunning heroines, and a world where every choice comes with a price, this one is a must-read. It’s dark, addictive, and filled with just the right amount of danger to keep you turning the pages late into the night. I listened to the audio of this one and it was wonderful and immersive!!!

The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith is a beautifully written, magical story with a gripping plot and a strong heroine. The atmosphere is rich and eerie, making it a great read for fans of historical fantasy.

Illegal cliffhanger.

This book definitely gives vibes of The Selection, Bridgerton, and The Cruel Prince. There were a couple times I had to re-read to understand what happened, like a certain spicy scene that was kind of luke warm. All of a sudden things were happening and I was like where did that come from.
Now that being said, I was thoroughly entertained. The last few chapters were a whirlwind and I can’t wait to see what happens next for Ivy. She better get her HEA with a certain someone…

This book is an excellent mix of historical fiction and fantasy. The way that bargains that a fae queen makes with each member of the English aristocracy ties in with the series of trials for the prince's hand makes this an extremely compelling story that I didn't want to put down. Ivy having to learn to navigate through these trials, as well as form alliances within the court and the other competitors to try, and solve the mystery about what is going on with her sister all weave together to form a braid that makes the reader want to know what happens next. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am excited to see where the story goes from here.

Again, this was another almost 4-star read. It was pretty solid for the most part except the romance was a bit too detached for me, not too many moments really focusing on interactions between either Prince Bram and Ivy, or even Prince Emmett and Ivy (since this was a squiggly love triangle, in a way). Prince Bram x Ivy was pretty obvious, that it wasn't true and meant to be. She never even truly liked him, but I don't think she did enough to really grab his attention, as this was a competition to win his heart. The whole premise of these girls being pitted against each other to win his heart, and Prince Bram getting to move freely between all the girls was a bit icky for me. I didn't care for that at all as it doesn't give off the idea of true love. It's a very superficial way of simply finding a pretty wife that meets the mold. But I did like some of the moments where the girls stood their ground as a unit, even if it felt cheesy at times. The 6 girls were most definitely unique in their own way, as well as the two princes and Queen Mor. The prose/writing style was pretty good, and I very much enjoyed it. This was also very funny! I found myself laughing out loud and chuckling at some of the moments.

One of the biggest issues I had with this book was the timeline. It wasn't very consistent. There were multiple moments where Ivy "passed out" or "felt sick" and had to lay down for days at a time, and it felt like a cheap trick to make it seem like 5 weeks had passed (that's the entire timeframe of the book). There were also some scenes that really zipped by and felt too quick, like some of the trials, and dear god that sex scene. In all honesty, that really didn't need to be in there. It was so bizarrely placed, it literally made me for sure knock it down from 4-stars.

The Rose Bargain was a book I had on my TBR and is my first book from Sasha Peyton Smith. What intrigued me most of all was the description The Cruel Prince meets the Selection and I just knew I had to read this.

I rate this book a 4.25 ⭐️ .

I was immediately engaged in the story and loved the work building- it felt familiar (real places in England) but unique . This was a fast paced easy read for me and the last part had me on the edge of my seat (I'm just sad I have to wait for the next book).

The competition elements and the banter and tension between the two main characters had me wanting more.

I can't wait to read more from Sasha Peyton Smith. (I have this.a few versions of this book).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of The Rose Bargain. I though this was a solid start to a series(?). I enjoyed the regency setting, the forbidden love, the secretive magic and (extremely) morally gray faeries. As a fan of Holly Black's faeries, and The Courting of Bristol Keats, and the Emily Wilde books, this was a fun exploration of similar worlds and lore. This book is definitely YA and the main character, Ivy, makes a lot of questionable judgement calls and there were several plot points and drama that could have easily been prevented. I personally found this frustrating, but to be fair, I have kids closer to her age than I am. I do feel though, that there were some miscommunications that could have been easily prevented at any age. I had a hard time staying engaged through parts of it, and the ending was predictable, but also what I was hoping for. Overall the plot moved quickly though, the pining was perfect, and I really liked the ending and how it set up the rest of this series.

I found this book very easy to read quickly, but everything felt very surface level. I read maybe 60% of it on a plane ride home, then when I took a short break from it, it all sort of drifted from my head. The plot and world building are interesting, but the characters and romance feel one dimensional, which detracts from the overall reading experience. I would have liked to see more development from all the characters to make them more complex.

This book is everything I have ever wanted in a Young Adult fantasy novel. Sasha Peyton Smith checks ALL of the boxes! Amazing heroine, fun love triangle, mystical and magical world and story. I cannot wait for the second book in this duology!

This book was SO FUN. It reminded me of The Selection with trials to win the hand of the prince, but darker with magic and a dash of fae. I read a review that said The Selection + Bridgerton + The Cruel Prince. And I’d AGREE! 👏 Definitely a fantasy book I’d recommend!

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I THOROUGHLY enjoyed Sasha Peyton Smith’s The Rose Bargain. I devoured this book and read it in 24 hours. The Rose Bargain is a unique look on the current fae phenomenon. My favorite aspect of this book was the focus on all of the female characters. The other women competing for the prince’s hand were fully fledged characters with their own personalities and desires. This is especially due to the inclusion of chapters from their points of view. The other women were not side characters with the only purpose of furthering the plot. The stakes are high in this book and I could not be more pleased. The plot was very compelling and had me on the edge of my seat.

I cannot wait for the sequel!

Thank you Epic Reads, Harper Collins, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I absolutely loved this one - such a fun alternate universe/romantasy take on Victorian England. In a world full of romtansy, pick this one up.

OKAYYYY. It’s been awhile since a twist shocked me. I did not see the end coming. I will be reading the sequel. My only gripe…the romance was kinda instalove which isn’t my fav, I didn’t necessarily 100% but the romance- and twice they had the line “aching clavicles” to which I could NOT get past. BUTTTTT this was fun and original

DNF @ 39%
This started off SO strong. I was absolutely invested and then it went downhill in my opinion. This story moves so fast. Is that a bad thing? Not always, but with this story, there are so many characters and it is hard to connect (let alone remember who is who) with any of them when the plot is full speed ahead. It just started to feel quite messy and I couldn’t keep up. This ended up not being for me, but you could enjoy this! It felt like Bridgerton but with Fae and make it YA.

This book had it all. The most adorable sister dynamic, a grouchy MMC with a soft heart, female friendships, ballrooms and tiaras, only one bed, and kissing practice lessons. I couldn’t put this down. If you like Bridgerton, the Selection, faeries, witty characters and a plot that has you on the edge of your seat, you won’t be able to put it down either.

Also that ending?? I need the sequel in my hands NOW.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!

4.5 ⭐️ Books like this are why I love YA fantasy!! This book very much gave The Cruel Prince x The Selection x Bridgerton and I ate up every page. The world was fascinating, whimsical, and magical and I loved being in this setting. The political side of the story was also engaging and low key had me stressed. The premise was fun and entertaining and I was never bored. The story was constantly entertaining and I was on the edge of my seat wondering where things could be going. I absolutely loved the female friendship dynamics and their character growth together. The romance 😭 the romance was so good with the tension and the yearning and the secrecy of it all. I was rooting for them so hard and was so scared of what could happen. Maybe I should’ve expected the plot twist at the end but I didn’t and it has me ACHING for book 2!!! I’m so distraught that I thought this was a standalone. Loved every aspect of this story and can’t wait to continue.

pitched as bridgerton x the bachelor x the cruel prince, there was a lot going on in this one. i think it had some really interesting aspects, such as having a group of 6 girls vying for the hand of the prince, and seeing friendships form among them. i do think it should have just been an adult novel, as it has an on-the-page sex scene... pretty bizarre IMO.

what worked for me:
the pacing, the chapter lengths, the intermittent chapters of other character's POV
the bargains and prices of them

what didn't work for me:
foreshadowing was like.. rubber hammer to the head BONK
the aforementioned scene
essentially insta-love dynamic

are faeries played out?? im kind of over them but i am evil and contrarian so idk. i will still be reading the second book.

thank you to netgalley & harper collins YA for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Holly Black's The Cruel Prince and The Selection are perennial faves in our library, so I'm quite excited to find another book to recommend to our readers that have the best parts of these two books. Sprinkle in a bit of Bridgerton as well, and you have a hit of a book! It's fast paced, and engrossing, and perfect for readers who are just wanting to get into fantasy (but might be feeling a little intimidated). Highly recommend.

I devoured The Rose Bargain! A good combination for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Selection, this book will be so easy to book talk to my Fantasy and Romance readers. Unexpected plot twist and likeable characters makes for an amazing ride! Will be looking out for book 2!!