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!!

* will be posting the review to the blog soon*

I flew through this book! As a sucker for fae and court life, this seemed right up my alley. I became entranced by the atmosphere, the court, and the bargains. The bargains were unique. The Queen really put these girls through hell just for her amusement. The level of viciousness in some of the queen's actions was sometimes shocking. Speaking of shocking, the plot twist towards the end surprised the hell out of me.

I liked Ivy well enough. The relationship between her and her sister Lydia was done well. It showed how complex relationships dear to you can be. Ivy had resentment but also love for her sister and seeing her go back and forth with it was humanizing. Along with that relationship, the bond between the girls competing for the prince was also well done. They came a long way from jealousy and backstabbing to coming together against the queen and also developing relationships.

We got a few chapters in POVs of the other girls vying for Bram and it was a good added touch. You got to know them more and learned their reasons for accepting this deal and also the more complex issues they were dealing with.

You're probably wondering why I didn't rate this five stars. That's because of the romance and it not being marketed as a duology. From the blurb, you could tell there would be a love triangle of sorts and it was. It was easy to see who Ivy would be with and I have to admit that relationship was BLAND. The author even added an on-page sex scene and I'm still looking for the chemistry to this day.

Also, I didn't realize that this was going to be a duology until I got to the end and was like where's the rest? I first saw this on Netgalley back in August of last year and it wasn't marketed to be more than a standalone at that time.

Overall, if you like fae court and mind games then pick this one up. After the ending of this one, I might pick the next one up.

The Rose Bargain is a great example of why I continue to read YA fantasy at my age. It’s absolutely beautiful. Ivy is the younger of two daughters. But after her older sister mysteriously disappears only to return months later under questionable circumstances, it now falls to her to restore her family’s reputation and status through entering a competition to marry the Fae queen’s son.

While the plot is clearly a 19th century “Bachelor ” I was not prepared for how many twists this book would take, each one raising the stakes and pulling me in further at every step. Sasha Peyton Smith’s writing is immaculate, plunging you into all the aesthetics of a Victorian era romance, but with an evil Fae Queen at the helm to cause chaos and angst.

But the true highlight of this story is the character depth achieved in such a short novel. Not only is Ivy someone who brings us instantly into empathy and understanding of her impossible position, but Sasha peppers the narrative with a POV chapter for each of her fellow contestants, humanizing each of them in the midst of such a dehumanizing spectacle, and allowing the themes of the novel to find an impressive feminist root that takes the themes of the story to another level, all without overstating the case or pulling us out of the world.

And yes, there are not one, but two princes, and the love story itself is a slow burn love triangle executed with perfection (at least in my humble opinion). Think a mix of The Cruel Prince meets Emily Wilde with the lyrical prose of Rebecca Ross.

Books like Divine Rivals, A Study in Drowning and the The Rose Bargain are precisely why I continue to read YA fantasy. They may not hit as often as I’d like, but when they do, it’s like nothing else.

An AMAZING introduction to this author for me. To be able to write a cast of characters who are ALL individually complex and layered is no easy feat and Sasha does so seamlessly while also driving the plot forward in an interesting and engaged way. I cannot WAIT for book 2 and I think this book can (and should!!) be read by those of all ages regardless of its YA category.

EDIT (wanted to rave even more):
Sasha Peyton Smith you absolute GEM.
Smith's writing perfectly encapsulates the beauty of writing and the joy of storytelling in an accessible and humble way. She took a cast of characters and gave each of them such distinct voices and histories and still managed to have a perfectly paced plot and story and I am in awe of how well I feel I know these characters in just under 400 pages.

I love me a sad boy and Emmett..... you have my heart. I wish I had better words to describe how big my feelings feel about Ivy's relationship with the girls and her sister and Emmett. All I can come up with is that I finished this book feeling like I was there with her and every character I met. I cannot wait for the next book.

I really enjoyed it. Wasn't anything ground breaking, but I stayed interest and it's nice when they bring back the fae that are more evil than beautiful. Makes me happy

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.5/5)

I went into The Rose Bargain expecting a solid YA romantasy, and it delivered! This book has a little bit of everything—intrigue, romance, high-stakes games, and a heroine who has to navigate a world full of deception. If The Cruel Prince, Bridgerton, and The Hunger Games had a bookish baby, it would look something like this.

The plot kept me engaged, with twists and turns that made me want to keep flipping pages. I loved the courtly drama mixed with survival elements, and the tension between the characters was fun to read. The romance had its moments, though I wanted a bit more depth in some places. The writing style was easy to get into, and the world-building, while not groundbreaking, had enough intrigue to keep me invested.

Overall, The Rose Bargain is a great pick for fans of YA fantasy who enjoy scheming royals, slow-burn romance, and a heroine who refuses to back down. While it wasn’t a perfect read for me, I had a good time with it and would definitely check out more from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I really enjoyed the concept of the book. I felt that the connection between the two characters was a bit rushed but I loved the plot twist at the end. I will definitely be picking the next one up as soon as I can. Thank you to the publishers for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for providing me with an ARC Kindle copy of "The Rose Bargain" by Sasha Peyton Smith, in exchange for a sincere review.

The Rose Bargain started with a lot of promise—especially with its premise and the initial chemistry between Ivy and Emmett. I was drawn to Ivy’s character from the start. She’s strong, cunning, and determined, which made me excited to see her navigate the high-stakes competition. However, as the story unfolded, I felt that the romance between Ivy and Emmett didn’t fully deliver. While their banter was enjoyable early on, the lack of buildup between them made their connection feel flat. Despite some chemistry in the beginning, the lack of emotional depth and chemistry throughout the story left me feeling like Ivy’s romantic choices were driven more by plot than genuine character decisions, which was a bit of a letdown.

The plot itself was fast-paced, and the writing style was engaging enough to keep me hooked, despite some of the underdeveloped elements. While I appreciated the easy readability, I was disappointed with the way the trials, designed to test the girls' worthiness, fell flat. Although the stakes were undeniably high, the trials didn’t match the intensity I expected from the plot. This led to some frustration as the story’s tension seemed to fizzle rather than build. However, the twist at the end—though somewhat predictable—did offer a satisfying moment, and I can’t deny that it left me intrigued for the next book.

One of the book’s weaknesses was the underdeveloped fae world. While the setting in England made sense for the story, it didn’t feel immersive, and the fae were presented in a way that didn’t bring anything new to the genre. It felt like a missed opportunity to create something unique and layered, and I’m hoping the transition to the Otherworld in the next book will offer a more fleshed-out, compelling world. The lack of strong world-building made it difficult to feel fully enveloped in the story, but there was just enough description to picture the scenes, even if the setting didn’t quite draw me in the way I’d hoped.

Overall, The Rose Bargain was a fun, easy read, but I was left underwhelmed by its potential. The characters, while likable, lacked the development and depth I had hoped for, and the plot didn’t live up to its premise. While the writing itself was smooth and engaging, the emotional connection between the characters and the world-building were areas that fell short for me. That being said, the twist at the end has left me curious about the next book in the series, and I’m hopeful that the transition to the Otherworld will bring more intensity, richer character development, and a more immersive setting.

If you’re a fan of The Cruel Prince and enjoy a quick, easy read with some romance and intrigue, this book might still be enjoyable for you. However, if you’re looking for more depth and emotional complexity, this might not fully meet your expectations.

This was brilliant. I couldn't put it down. The combination of fae and history and the tension of bargains known and unknown made things so tense and propulsive. I was riveted the whole time and each of the girls had a compelling motivation and flaws that made them relatable. I can't believe I have to wait for the next book *cries*. Thank you to net galley and the publisher for this early copy. My thoughts are my own.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ummm hello?! Miss Sasha Peyton Smith, MA’AM. You're just going to do us like that. Likeee I need the 2nd book yesterday!

🌹Plot: Every English citizen can make one bargain with the immortal fae queen. High in society wealthy ladies often bargain for qualities that will help them find suitors. Introducing MFC Ivy Benton her debut season includes a competition to win the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram, but Ivy’s sister, Lydia has done something to make them the talk of the town so rather than Ivy asking for a bargain she’s not there to play games, she wants to know what happened, and in order to do that she’s going to need some help from the inside, AHEM AHEM enter Emmet, the brother of prince Bram, it should be easy right? He helps her win his brother's hand everything turns out good and in return... well Emmet gets nothing...hmm well that just won’t do.

🌹What to expect: Slight love triangle. Political scheming & PLOT TWISTS

🌹TW’S: One scene in Ch 29 (non-explicit lovemaking occurs)

🌹 Age rating: 18+

🌹 As always thank you to Sasha Peyton Smith for this ARC stay blessed everyone 😊🙏

Thank you to @harpercollins Children’s Books for a gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

“When one makes a faerie bargain, one must be prepared to pay the price. There is one silver lining. I have nothing to lose.”

Let’s be for real, if it’s written by Sasha Peyton Smith I’m going to read it. You better believe I ran to @Netgalley as soon as I saw this was available. The only thing I regret? Not reading it sooner.

This book had everything I love - faeries, a competition, even better it was a competition to marry the prince! Bargains, questionable camaraderie, lessons 🧐…the list goes on and on. And I get it, that’s a lot. Some of which you wouldn’t expect to work well together, but this was SO GOOD! I’m already ready for a reread and biting at the bit for the next book. I can absolutely see this being a comfort read.

While this is book one in a duet, and it leaves questions unanswered, the end does not leave you with an excessive book hangover. 💃🏼

Read if you like:
🥀London in the 1800s
🥀Young Adult
🥀Faeries
🥀Romance Lessons
🥀Strong Female Lead

I enjoyed everything about this book. Was it perfect? No. But was it perfect for me in the time I read it? Oh, yes. I absolutely loved the whole idea of the bargains--it kept giving throughout the whole book. The characters were great. Each of the girls was their own person, and their friendship was one of my favorite parts of the story. Ivy was angry, and I liked that about her. Her simultaneous love and rage for her sister felt very true. The romance was sweet and felt like it came about naturally. And the ending? Look, I knew it was all too good to be true, but I was still shook at the way it all played out. The true depth of betrayal went far beyond what I had guessed. I can't wait for the next book!

In the beginning I thought perhaps I wasn’t going to enjoy this book as much as I ended up liking it. In a genre that is far too over saturated at times it felt very original and I am looking forward to reading more by this author and hopefully in this series too!


Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my review.

Goodness but this was an addicting read! A darker version of The Selection but make it the Regency Era, this book was filled morally grey characters (I trusted NO ONE lemme tell you), unlikely friendships, and a splash of forbidden romance!

Loved the eerie faerie bargains, and watching the mysteries unravel as I devoured the pages. The ending felt a little rushed til I realized it was going to keep going into another book which Im gonna need, like, yesterday.