THIS BOOK DESTROYED ME!!!!!!! I have never devoured a romantasy faster than I did with this book. I truly hope Julie Soto continues to write in this space as she was born to write angsty hot villains.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for an ARC!

Wow! I absolutely loved Rose in Chains! The slow burn romance is exactly how it should be done, and I really loved how Briony started coming into her own. Toven is such a delicious mystery, and I can't wait to see where his and Briony's story goes. And that ending!!!??? I can't believe I have to wait so long for the second installment. A thrilling read that was hard to put down.

(4.75 ☆)

“Sometimes I have to act without your approval to do what’s best for my family! Not just you, all four of us!”

Rose In Chains by Julie Soto is a dark romantasy that follows Princess Briony Rosewood and high ranking bomardsun Taven Hearst.

The parallels between this and The Auction was astronomical. Julie had me on my knees the entire time because wow. Everything was chef’s kiss—the. Characters, the writing, the smut, etc.

If you can’t tell, this is a rewrite of the popular Dramione fan fiction The Auction, and I honestly didn’t think it could get any better but it did. Trust me it did!! It brought the vibes, the references, the scents, the quotes, and so much more.

Not going to lie there was a time where i started confusing the characters and places because so much was going on, but besides that everything was interesting. Julie wrote it in a way where she had you in a chokehold.

Forever grateful that I got to read this in advance, but sad at the same time because I have to wait even longer for the second book. Anyways, for all my Dramione lovers, be prepared for this one!! Also, if you get the quote, I literally love you <3

*Thank you to NetGalley, Forever Publishing, and to the author, Julie Soto, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*

I was so engrossed in this, hooked from beginning to end. It was such a unique and interesting world, and the tension on all fronts (romance, plot, otherwise) was riveting. That said, it's a very, very dark book that deals with sexual assault, slavery, etc from a kingdom that fell after a brutal war. Trigger warnings must be watched. I also wasn't aware it was a HP fanfic (I have never read or seen HP so was truly unaware). That does need to be taken into account. I'm glad it was completely removed from the book itself, though I do understand it's touchy when promoting fanfics because we never want money funneling back to JRK due to her transphobic rhetoric.

Rose in Chains was everything I hoped it would be—and more. As a fan of the original fanfic, I was so curious (and admittedly a little nervous) to see how it would transform into something wholly original. Julie Soto pulled it off beautifully. The world, the tension, the characters—chef’s kiss.

What truly impressed me was how quickly I became invested in Briony, Toven, and their world without relying on the nostalgic familiarity that came with the original fic. That’s a clear testament to Julie’s writing talent—she makes you care deeply, fast.

This is a true slow burn, but the romantic tension and clever use of mind magic for naughty images keep the pages flying. I’m not someone who often re-reads, so I was worried the story might not hold the same magic for me the second time around—but it absolutely did. It felt fresh, full of twists, and emotionally satisfying in its own right.

Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Soto and Forever Publishing for an advanced ecopy of this book. I will be giving my honest review.
It really pains me to write this because I was so excited for Rose in Chains, but unfortunately, I don’t think it was the right fit for me. To be honest, I considered DNFing it multiple times. I pushed through to the end mainly because of the hype and the premise, which had a lot of potential. However, throughout the book, I mostly felt uncomfortable, bored, or just confused. The alternating flashback chapters really disrupted the flow of the story, and I found myself wishing more time had been spent on world-building instead of introducing so many characters. It just didn’t come together in the way I hoped.

Can you hide your mind, hide your power, hide your love, if it means ultimately winning the war? Who is your friend and who is your foe?

This is the first book in the dark-romantasy genre that I've ever read and boy was it a doozy. The line "there is a lake with still waters" will haunt me for the rest of my days. Rose in chains by @juliesotowrites was an outstanding read. The biggest thank you to @readforeverpub for the gifted ARC.

Two countries at war because of their differences in belief systems on how magic should be used. Heart magicians believe that magic should come from the heart, but it is draining and devolved. Mind magicians have moved on from heart magic having realized that it doesn't drain the body and it's viewed as an elite form of magic. These two belief systems cause a war. Heart magicians winning, taken mind magicians as "heartsprings" which is basically a magical siphon, another source of power for them. But even when the villains win, a rebellion is always under the surface of a lake with still waters.

Definitely check your triggers, but this book was outstanding and a great introduction into the dark-romantasy genre.

Make sure to pick this one up July 8th!

4.75⭐️ 1.5🌶️

julie soto has done it again folks! she has firmly cemented herself as one of my auto-buy authors, i will read quite literally anything she writes!

this book is for all (dark) romantasy lovers who want nothing but tension and yearning between their MCs. in the wake of warring kingdoms and the rise of a dark ruler briony and others are sent to auction and sold to the highest bidder, toven hearst just so happens to be that person.

I thought the world building was easy enough to follow, nothing super complex, and the magic system unique as you've got those with heart magic and mind magic on two different sides of the war. you are kind of just thrown into things at the beginning but everything becomes much more clear as the story progresses. I thought the flashbacks were well done and placed throughout the book in a strategic manner helping the reader understand where the characters come from and how all the tension started. the writing was easily digestible and hooked me from the beginning. the romance is EXTREMELY slow burn so please don't go in expecting spice at 50%, this was all about the yearning and re-learning each other.

please please please heed the trigger and content warnings at the beginning of the book there are a handful and are present throughout.

overall i loved it and can't believe i have to wait for book 2 for so long...this isn't even out in the world yet!!!😩

thank you a million times over to the author and publisher for an early copy. i still can't get over the fact i was approved for this one🥹

4.5 stars ⭐️ thank you to NetGalley and Forever publishing for the ARC!

im actually sick to my stomach i got the ARC for this because i need the second book RIGHT NOW.

Julie Soto had me thinking 101 different things and i was trying to figure things out alongside Briony. The slowburn in this book?!!! Actually almost killed me and the fact it is STILL GOING ugh i NEED IT. TOVEN YEARNS FOR HER. And this is enemies to lovers/academic rivals. There are 57 questions i have after reading the ending and the epilogue so again im sick to my stomach because I need to know what happens! It’s also like I can feel the tension between Bormbard and Eversun like their people are suffering.

I was very invested in this book and again SICK i have to wait so long for the next. If i had to say one thing, it would be that i wish there was a bit more worldbuilding and that i have so many unanswered questions about everything and everyone. I wish i had more clarity on that but overall i ate it up and def will read the second!

I was so excited to get approved for this book as I loved another of Julie Soto’s books that recently came out. In the end I am glad I read it and enjoyed it for its solid writing. However, I think k I would have been more satisfied had I been a Harry Potter fanfic reader, but I have never read “The Auction” or any other Dramione stories.

It did take me a minute to get into and you have to be super focused due to the split timeline with a ton of information. Many will be unsettled with the slavery piece especially in the light the recent “Firebird” debacle but this was definitely different. I don’t want to give any spoilers so let’s just say that its approach and how it was handled was completely different and more socially/ethically acceptable.

I will say that Ms Soto has a way with words that grabs you and leaves you with an impression long after they are read. By the end of the book I was very engaged and now looking forward to the sequel as I have a feeling I’ll enjoy it even more with where the plot is and my personal enjoyment of topics.

This book comes out on July 8th 2025 with a gorgeous special edition and sprayed edges. So I highly suggest you pre order it now to ensure a copy.


I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary eARC from Forever Publishing through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Julie Soto has been absolutely crushing every book but unfortunately this one was the first misfire for me, which is disappointing for one of my most anticipated books of the year! I’ll admit that the Dramione of it all took me out of it a bit; I’d never heard of the fanfic but just knowing the inspiration made the already slower beginning that much harder for me to fall into.

Also, wow, this is DARK, and I wasn’t quite expecting the level it would reach. Many times it was just too much for me, so definitely note that trigger warnings include rape, sexual assault/violence, and forced sterilization. There’s obviously a very complicated relationship between the main couple that is not fully revealed (Toven and his family’s hidden motives lend some mystery) but even knowing that some of it was for show, some of Toven’s actions towards Briony just felt very yucky. Maybe I’m just not a dark romance girly.

I did enjoy myself at times though! The burn was slowwwww, SO slow that it made me realize I haven’t read any REAL slow burn couples in years. The yearning is freaking palpable, it’s insane. I also liked Briony’s friendship (?) with Larissa, and would hope to see that grow further. To be honest, I didn’t care for the whole war plot and couldn’t even tell you much about it. Have no idea about the worldbuilding or Mallow’s motives or really much of how society works?? It’s all a bit confusing. I’m slightly intrigued by the ending but I’m not racing to find out what happens next.

While reading, I felt every emotion from grief, hate, to fangirling over Toven Hearst. Without spoilers, this book follows a bright princess named Briony Rosewood, who has a strong affinity for mind magic. Her kingdom is invaded, and Briony and many other women are kidnapped and auctioned into slavery. The mysterious Toven Hearst, her former crush at school, purchases her at the auction. As the people from her kingdom continue to rebel, Briony has to find out where her friends are, and if there is any hope in escaping her new "home," Hearst Hall. The book switches between present day and flashbacks, and slowly unravels the characters' backstories and their relationships with each other.

For those who don't know, Rose in Chains is based off of Julie Soto's fanfiction, The Auction, which is one of the holy grails of the Draco x Hermione fandom community. The Auction was one of the first fanfictions I read when I was first getting introduced to Dramione, and it is one of my favorite fanfictions of all time. I feel like those who read The Auction will also love Rose in Chains. I wonder what inspired her new naming conventions as well (i.e. Hearst Hall vs. Malfoy Manor), and I'd honestly like to see a behind the scenes on how she went through editing this book. Getting to see this story given new life and new fans makes me so happy, and I'm so happy for Julie Soto. I already know this book is going to be a huge hit and I'm excited to see where it leads next.

I thought it might be weird seeing this story rewritten with a new cast of characters --- I felt the Harry Potter characters and universe was so crucial to the original story --- but I enjoyed meeting Toven Hearst and Briony Rosewood and seeing a new magic system take place. I loved seeing flashbacks of their academic rivalry and the scenes under the willow tree at the lake. The slow burn tension between them is SO good, and I love their dialogue banter. Toven Hearst is definitely being added to the list of book boyfriends (I have a soft spot for misunderstood, morally grey characters; bonus points if they're Draco Malfoy-coded haha).

Just a note: This book is not for the faint of heart. It deals with very dark themes, and essentially human trafficking/slavery. Trigger warnings for this book include: death, murder, bullying, confinement, drug use, misogyny, physical abuse, racism, sexism, sexual assault/violence, slavery, xenophobia/bigotry, trafficking, kidnapping, grief, sexual harassment, war, drug use, rape, torture, abortion, etc. Be warned!

There isn't spice in this book; however, I have a feeling there will likely be spice in the sequel. Julie Soto, you are amazing and I cannot wait for the next book in the Evermore Series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the advanced copy!

I have read all of Julie Soto’s books and this has been my favorite by far! I read this in one sitting - I quite literally could not put this book down. Be warned, this is a dark romantasy for sure, but there were small moments of rebellion that filled me with so much hope for the next books in the series.

I CANNOT WITH JULIE!!!

As an avid fan of her Dramione/AO3 beginnings, I knew the basic structure of what was going to happen but am so blown away with the creativity and dedication that it took to take the fic and turn it into something new!

The worldbuilding itself is quite intricate and unique and I found myself slightly lost at it in the beginning. While it’s straight forward the mind vs the heart magic, the lines and political worldbuilding is where I got the most confused at. But the further I read, the more I began to understand.

Similar to the plot of the original fic, the war is lost and we are in enemy territory. This ARC was graciously provided with the appropriate trigger warnings and was handled in a respectful manner. While not dark for me, the book had several immoral and disgusting practices that enforced the idea that the reader was in enemy territory. The Auction was simply disgusting but well written enough that the reader understood how evil and cruel the Bomardi were. The Friday parties were also an example of how terrible things have turned in the loss of the war.

I’m gobsmacked over the ending of the book and BEYOND RELIEVED that Rory is alive. While I honestly find him to be kind of annoying, given Briony’s POV, I have so much hope for better development for his character and the way the dragon felt connected to him? Oh Mallow is going to D I E! I’m also ready for Larissa to get her revenge and to see how she will play a larger role in this war. Cordelia, too, has been interesting but mostly a background character despite being Rory’s love. It’ll be interesting to see how her magic develops now that she has been “husked”.

As for Briony, I love her. I wish she had more confidence in herself and didn’t have to hide her intelligence and strength with her own magic. It’s unfortunate that her side of the war is a little more archaic and less tolerable of women in power. I think it highlights that both sides of the war have issues but clearly the Bomardi are the worst of the two. I liked that she keeps moving despite so much cruelty and injustice surrounding her. She has so much fight and I love that Toven brings it out of her. Once they stop fighting one another I think they will be a great force to reckon with

Toven…*sigh*. I would have noticed how much of a goner you were, even if I hadn’t read the original fic. I wish we had more time with him before the auction, but he was always out of reach from Briony. I like that he is loyal to his family and will do everything and anything for Briony, but he’s so stubborn in thinking only they can protect her. He’s seen what she’s capable of and yet he’s so afraid. Poor guy (in the sense his crush is completely oblivious to his feelings).

ALSO CAN I GET A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR SERENA AND ORION???? I’m so sorry about how much I love them despite them being kinda not good people (Orion more so) but I CANNOT WITH THEIR DEVOTION!! their son wants the enemy princess? here son here’s 65,000 gold coins, I think that while they are on the wrong side, it may not be for the wrong reasons. Serena is sooo interesting and I want to know more of her visions. 10/10 love her what a queen.

I think the pacing of the story was well done. I think things moved quickly and I’m intrigued on how the remainder of the trilogy will play out. Hopefully we expand to more POVs. I loved the flashbacks that we got as they explained much of Briony’s feelings as well as the background for the war and the battle they were fighting.

I think Julie did a phenomenal job and am so excited to see what book two brings!!

I didn't know this was Dramione fanfic before I requested. I was taken aback by how horrible the subject matter was, the hero hits the heroine, sexual slavery, r*pe, sexual assault. The plot was confusing and the character development was non-existent..overall I can't recommend this

TLDR: I think this wasn’t a bad book just not for me

Disclaimer: I am not a fan of ‘dark romance’ and so my review comes from someone who reads enjoys epic fantasy and romantasy so someone who enjoys that genre might like this more than me. Please review content warnings.

I haven’t read a dramione fic before but after learning what Manacled was about, I was surprised to find another popular dramione fanfic that will be traditionally published this year to also have the premise around Hermione being a sex slave bought by Draco.🤷‍♀️But I digress here is a list of things I liked and didnt:

Liked:
- the deep rooted history between the characters
- slow burn
- family dynamics
- the concepts of mind magic
- yearning
- easy and quick to read

Dislikes:
- I was so excited that the characters were 25+ but found that didn’t reflect in their dialogue/characterization especially since we see their POV from when they were 17… I think it was just used to make the book spicy
- the world-building…the set up to the current crisis is dont mostly in flashbacks scattered throughout and made it difficult to become invested
- the writing was repetitive and the book is far to long to be a first entry to a trilogy without any progress in the plot in those 400+ pgs (this is common in fanfic but I hoped it would have been edited for the traditional published version)
- I already mentioned i dont enjoy dark romance so I find any ‘progress’ in the romance between the main characters left a sour taste in my mouth given their situation and what has transpired

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review🤍

This is one I couldn’t put down! Different than Soto’s romances, this fantasy books has threads of romance that build a slow burn throughout, while adding all the world building elements needed for a great fantasy. The storyline kept me turning pages, and I love the strength of Briony throughout. The only issue is that the rest of the series isn’t out yet!

My life can be divided into 2 timelines.

Before I read Rose in Chains and After.

Briony is a princess with mind magic, a kind of magic that heart magicians don’t understand and judge. Because of course, people will find anything to try and make themselves feel better and superior. Because of a treaty between lands the mind and heart magicians have to mingle and go to school together even though the prejudices between their people still exist.

Briony’s brother Rory, is the heir to the kingdom and her twin. Also maybe there a prophecy about him. The heart magicians don’t love that and rise up to rid the world of mind magic once and for all. Attacking the magical school, killing their father and coming for Rory. Once he is killed they capture all the remaining Eversuns, and sell them at auction to be used for their magic. Briony, is purchased by her once forbidden crush, Toven Hearst.

This enemies to lovers, angsty slow burn had me glued to the freaking pages and screaming at them to give in already. The miscommunication, the misread cues. It was all just TOO MUCH. Julie edged us this entire book and I am unwell. What is this spell she has me under? I will never be the same. Especially because I read this months before it’s published and have no idea when I will get the rest of the story. I will stare out the window at a lake like Briony in perpetual agony until the next book is in my hands. And I can’t wait for everyone to experience this with me. 10/10 infinity stars.

Thank you Forever for this early copy and ruining my life. And thank you Julie Soto for putting these words on paper and creating this world.

If Julie Soto writes it, you know I’m reading it
I’ll admit, I was a little nervous to dive into Rose in Chains and see how it had changed from the original fic, The Auction—but I ended up loving it just as much.
The writing and world building were fantastic, and I especially loved the flashbacks—they added so much depth and emotion.
The tension, pinning, and angst between Briony and Toven were everything I needed. Rose in Chains is a slow burn that will have you screaming at 2 am. I devoured this book, I couldn’t put it down.
Is it too soon to ask for book two?
Julie Soto never misses.
I highly recommend this if you love:
🥀 Dark romantasy
🥀 Forced proximity
🥀 Slow burn
🥀 Enemies to lovers

This story was interesting but a SLOW slowburn, so make sure you're ready to scream at the characters to kiss with all that tension they have around each other! The magic system was very interesting and I look forward to reading book two!