This is what a fantasy is made of…… the perfect amount of magic, plot, romance, heartbreak and it just left me wanting more and more!!!!!! The ending left my heart torn in two and I need more as soon as possible!!!!!

The Rose Bargain was one I knew I was going to love just by the description.
Even though we've seen a lot of royal competitions and fae bargains, here's what made this book stand out:

1) Ivy's competitors were not two-dimensional. Typically you have one character that's sweet, one that's mean, one that is secretive, basically just concepts of different character types. The chapter we get for each girl adds so much depth and explanation as to why they're all there and I appreciated it a lot. There was more to them then what you first saw.

2) I thought this was going to be a stereotypical FMC who just has every guy fall in love with her. For most of the book, this seemed to be the case. While I suspected Bram at times, I was NOT ready for how this book ended. That being said, I loved the twist. They were using each other and in a lot of ways, it's so poetically just.

3) Ivy makes the hard choice of letting Emmett go. Sure, this has little consequence by the end of the book, but I admired her resolve.

All I can say now is that EMMETT BETTER BE OKAY. And also I really hope this will be at least three books long!!

I think the concept of this book is really good. The Selection meets The Cruel Prince.

I was mostly enjoying this story, but somewhere in the middle the pacing got really slow for me and I felt like it was dragging. There’s some really good scenes with the characters and some of my favorite parts are all the girls!

I love how in the end all the girls are working together. I also really loved that we got multiple POVs to see things from their perspective and learn their back stories and motivations!

But the ending!!!! The last line, it made me absolutely want to continue with the next book.

Audiobook is very well done! Definitely would recommend this audio. 5/5.

I really loved this. I was feeling so tumultuous about the world and everything, but this book was such a sweet and well done romance with an interesting world and compelling characters. The BN edition is also stunning, and I had to get my own. I think that this is going to be a really popular YA book this summer--it has everything my teens at the library are always asking me for!

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for the chance to read the ARC. Really loved the beginning and the world building! It had such a strong intro, and the first trial had me hooked. Interested in seeing where the series goes next.

Fans of The Selection, The Cruel Prince, and Powerless you’ll eat this up.

The book has so many plot twists within its pages. It also is full of so many cliche and roll your eyes moments. I really struggled reading this one. It was advertised as The Selection meets The Cruel Prince. Which are two of my favorite trilogies ever. I was fully prepared to devour this book in one sitting. The last 5 chapters saved this rating. I never expected that plot twist and I’m not kidding when I said I screamed “what” while reading. If you love dating shows like The Bachelor, if you love girly things, if you’re a fan of Stephanie Garber’s style of writing think whimsical/enchanting, and don’t mind love triangles this is for you. I am looking forward to the second book in this series.

The Rose Bargain is a young adult historical fantasy about a group of young women vying for the hand of a fae prince.

Ivy Benton has spent her entire life in the shadow of her seemingly perfect older sister, but now it’s her turn to debut to the Queen of England and London society. However, the throne is occupied by a fae queen who tricked her way into power hundreds of years earlier, making this debut unlike any other. The young women must strike dangerous fairy bargains and compete for the hand of the queen’s son, Prince Bram. Over the coming weeks, the six contestants will find themselves entangled in twisted games meant to amuse the queen—while Ivy fights her growing feelings for the prince’s stepbrother, Emmett.

This is an exciting novel that explores the dark side of the fae, filled with court drama, forbidden romance, and plenty of double-crosses. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to the next installment.

Our main character Ivy has been through it. Her sister went missing and ruined her chances of securing a strong marriage or being accepted in society where a girl’s match is all she is worth. In this London, the Queen is one of the Folk, and the fae love to make a bargain. When her sister returns, her family prospects are still in irreparable dire straights. So when the Queen offers a challenge for this year’s society girls, Ivy feels she has nothing to lose.

I liked Ivy as a character, I do feel like she painted with broad strokes, her personality is a little hard to pin down that being said.

The pacing for TRB is very fast. It’s not hard to keep up or exceptionally complex, though don’t let the pretty cover fool you; there are darker layers. I actually wish the pacing was maybe a hair slower just to allow for each even to breathe a little more, but it does make it an easy read as a trade off. If you don’t squint at it too hard and enjoy it for what it is. I couldn’t help myself, I did have to squint on occasion. For example, why does Ivy hate the Queen? Before the competition starts, I have no idea why Ivy would hate the Queen. Especially enough to try and ***spoiler*** take the crown? After the trials I get it, but before? Not so much.

Emmett is introduced early on, and he’s your typical Lothario and ruiner of women by reputation. He has no reason to trust Ivy but he does instantly which I didn’t love. I understand once again this is very, very fast paced, and you have to bring these characters together. I just didn’t love that part.


TLDR;
Fast paced and enjoyable, just try not to look for plot conveniences.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins children for the ARC in enjoy for a review!

The Rose Bargain is a spellbinding blend of high society 1848 London, faerie bargains, and a forbidden love so achingly romantic it will leave you breathless. Sasha Peyton Smith delivers a lush, atmospheric fantasy filled with intrigue, danger, and longing that cuts deep—especially when stolen glances across a crowded ballroom speak louder than words.

Ivy Benton is a heroine to root for—clever, determined, and fiercely loyal to the people she loves. Her journey through the fae queen’s treacherous courtship competition is layered with tension, as every bargain comes with a devastating cost. And at the heart of it all? A romance built on whispered promises, unspoken feelings, and kissing for practice that is anything but pretend. The just one bed moment? Utter perfection.

But what truly sets this book apart is its female friendships—strong, complex, and deeply moving. Ivy’s bonds with the women around her are just as important as the romance, making the stakes feel even higher. With glittering ballrooms hiding deadly secrets and a fae prince who is both alluring and dangerous, The Rose Bargain is an irresistible mix of dark magic and decadent longing.

For fans of The Cruel Prince and Bridgerton with a wicked fae twist—this book is pure enchantment.

I really loved this!! I haven’t read anything by this author before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But it was great! Definitely had a lot of things that I loved. I’m going to buy a special edition with sprayed edges because the book was great and it’s so pretty! Excited to see more from this author in the future.

This is a fantastic YA historical fantasy romance! Fans of The Selection and The Cruel Prince will love this. While I can sometimes find historical books slow and boring, this book has some great twists and exciting moments that kept me engaged the entire time. The characters are well developed and interesting. The ending is mind-blowing and will make you want the next book asap. Highly recommend.

Wow, I loved this. The Cruel Prince meets The Selection is right. If you like YA fantasy, regency era England, faerie bargains, magical contests, secrets and mystery, court politics, and pining, this is the book for you. I was sucked in from the start.

I was truly surprised multiple times, and the banter was so well written. I also just really loved the format of the book with slow reveals of character backstories as the story unfolded. That ending was wild. I am going to be dying waiting for the next book to come out.

Thank you so much to the author and HarperCollins for the ARC opportunity!!

I really enjoyed this! The setting for this was a magical, alternate history 1800s and so much fun!

The Bachelor-esque competition à la the Selection series is a fairly common plot device these days, but I did enjoy how it worked here in context of the alternate history setting and all the bargains.

The romance parts weren't my most favorite, mostly due to limited development- I'm hoping there will be more development in future books.

It did feel like there were 3 different endings though...

Overall a very fun read though! Eagerly awaiting the next book! Excited to see what direction the story goes.

Good. Grief. I'm being honest when I say that I love everything to do with faeries. I'm intrigued by the magic and the ruthlessness of the court. And then I see this upcoming release endorsed by one of my favorite authors, so naturally I had to shoot my shot and request an ARC.

The Rose Bargain is set in 188os England, but not the England that we're all used to. England is ruled by a fae queen who allows her subjects one bargain, at a cost of course. It is Ivy's turn to enter society, only this year there's a twist. This year there will be a competition to win the hand of the prince. Ivy suddenly sees a way to help out her family and jumps at the chance, not knowing what she was about to face.

I am a slow reader, but this book had me so hooked that I read it much more quickly than I usually do. I was hooked from the beginning. I loved the character development with Ivy and the other women competing to marry Bram. The chapters are mostly narrated by Ivy's, but I loved that there were chapter interspersed by the voices of the other characters. It gave the story a lot more depth. The build to romance was done very well and did not overshadow the story. To date, this stands proudly as one of my favorite books I have ever read. I was left reeling by the twists at the end and can't wait for the next book!

This was an incredible YA romantasy. The premise had me so excited. Marriage competition & trials? The fae? Forbidden romance? Bridgerton vibes? Heck yes! I really enjoyed this one.

First and foremost, this is not a stand-alone. I'm saying that off the bat because I often look for reviews before starting a book for this exact reason, and no one ever says it. So here you go. This ends on a cliffhanger (and although not ridiculously panful, I am supremely upset I have to wait a year for the next one).

Not entirely sure how I feel about this book, but I'm still thinking about it a week after finishing, so I think that's a good sign. Thank you NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in return for an honest review.

It took me awhile to start the book, but once I got into it, I read it pretty quickly. I enjoyed the story and plot. The concept was fun and, although I never actually read the classic YA The Selection, I somehow think it probably had a pretty similar concept. The whole thing about a prince of Faerie finding a mate is classic, but the way the author made this very specific to her world and the trials and drama that come with it.. loved! The main character is endearing and I love her gentle yet resilient personality. I loved how she was comfortable fighting back but also pretty reserved and timid(?). The drama and sort of love triangle reminded me a bit of Once Upon A Broken Heart and it hit all the YA demands I had for this type of soft romantasy. I loved the push-pull relationship between the candidates and how we got a chapter for each character to learn a bit more about them! The romance was really satisfying and hit everything I wanted it to. The forbidden love and hidden moments of longing.. here for it!

I would have preferred for this to be a stand-alone, but the ending had me all tied up in knots and ugh, I am sooo impatient for the next book! If you like Stephanie Garber, I think this is the type of YA romantasy for you. Will definitely reread again when I need this particular romance vibe.

THOUGHTS

I liked this book so much more than I thought I would! My expectations weren't all that high, since it sounds, on the surface, like so many other books that have flooded the market recently. Books written to trend don't usually impress me. But the writing here grabbed me from page one. This book comes with more bite than a lot of the fae books on the market, and I loved that. Beware if you can't stomach a little bit of gore, but I found it a refreshing installment in 2020s fae fantasy.


PROS
Tantalizing: I found the writing in this book utterly absorbing from the first page. It's almost like a forbidden fruit, looking to suck you into the world and not let you go (even though you've got to work and really can't spend the rest of the day reading). It's been a long time since I was so immediately absorbed in a book!

Fiendishly Fae: A lot of the "fae" on the contemporary market just don't live up to their folkloric predecessors. Traditional fae are more than just beautiful people who are superior to regular old people (*cough cough*). And this book definitely takes inspiration from more, well, traditional lore. This fairy Queen isn't afraid to ask bloody prices when granting the bargain-seekers' desires. She isn't afraid to ruin lives. She takes some perverse delight in it even. She's also just bored (immortality and all that). So the competition these human girls find themselves in to win the fae prince's hand is cruel. It's wicked. It comes with a traditional-fairy-tale bite to it. And I liked that a lot.

Bad Bargains: You know what I liked best of all? All of the girls vying for the prince's hand are desperate. They're selfish and sometimes mean but really just desperate to escape the rigid expectations of their regency-style lives. And I appreciate that. I appreciate that they're not just a group of sweet and sappy love interests (with the exception of a main character who is, by contrast, Not Like Other Girls). And I appreciate that they're not all cruel and cunning for the sake of being cruel and cunning. They're desperate girls making cruel and selfish bargains to give themselves whatever leg up in life they can achieve, and that feels fresh and different in a YA marriage competition book.


CONS
Mature Audiences: YA should be a safe space for kids moving up from Middle Grade books or for older audiences who are just looking to relax and unwind. So it must be said that this book... isn't a safe space. It's not fade-to-black. In fact, it's very on-the-page, and while it isn't excessive, it does bear warning that this book isn't a closed-door romance like one might expect in a market meant for minors. All of these girls are... experienced. And some of that experience makes it onto the page.

Regency Trappings: Hey, it's escapism. I get that. And as I've said, the writing is engaging enough to really forgive a lot. But, on a technical level, I was left wondering. Because this fae Queen took over England centuries ago, so the weird pseudo-Regency that this book presents doesn't seem likely. Are you really saying that England would more or less develop in exactly the same way to create a Regency aesthetic? Because I don't buy that at all. And the not-so-Regency parts of this book didn't feel like intentional nods to an alternate history but like mistakes (like, you know, an author wanted to write "Regency" without researching Regency... or with only knowing Regency from romance novels, not reality). Was this a major detractor? No. But if you're wanting a well-crafted alternate history fantasy, this book isn't the right fit.

Chemistry??: I didn't buy the romance between Ivy and her prince(s). And that's kind of disappointing. Don't get me wrong. I could see how they could have jived. I could see the potential. I just didn't get enough of that on the page. It didn't feel like there was enough build-up in this romance for it to really make sense to me, not with a character as otherwise motivated as Ivy, and that was a shame. I wanted more from this romance than I got, but it is what it is.


Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
8/10

Fans of Keira Cass's The Selection will love this new group of cunning competitors. Those who liked Graham Joyce's Some Kind of Fairy Tale will like these fae royals who pull no punches.

Totally immerse fantasy!! I loved the Bridgerton/ historical fiction vibe mixed with the dark fantasy. The twists were fun and I didn't predict the ending!! I'll look forward to reading book two.

I literally read this entire book in one sitting, I just couldn’t stop. I received this as an arc months ago, and I sorely regret not reading it until now. I think I got approved finals week, so I just never ended up reading it until I started to hear other readers talking about it.. When people say this is the Selection Series x The Cruel Prince, they were being completely accurate. There was the aspect of winning the hand of a prince from the Selection, but the higher stakes and court politics from the Cruel Prince. Ugh I adored Emmett and the way he loved Ivy. I was unsure about him at first, but grew to love him. The slow burn was another thing I appreciated—how they gradually warmed up to each other. The part where they pushed each other away for their shared goal broke my heart, especially with the way the author wrote it: the writing was beautiful, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book. With the way it ended, I’m assuming it’ll be a series. So after reading this, I recommend checking out Sasha Peyton Smith’s other series! I read this last year and was equally invested. 5 stars ⭐️!

I really love stories that show the whimsy and magic AND the absolute horror of the Faerie, and this absolutely does. While not everything was explored as much as I would like, I dia enjoy the dynamics between all of the girls.
In short, it was like a hellish, supernatural season of the Bachelor, and I loved it lol
I actually kind of wish the book was a bit longer to better develop all the relationships and plots, because I really enjoyed it and wanted everything to be more fleshed out.
Regardless, I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next one!!