i absolutely love julie soto’s story telling abilities. she really sets a scene and creates characters that are so dynamic that you can’t stop reading. i was able to meet her as well and she is so sweet and funny. i haven’t been able to start this one quite yet BUT i cannot wait to finally get my hands on another work by her

What in the cliffhanger??

What will I do while I wait for this next book?? This next book could possibly be one of my most anticipated books quite literally ever.

I am blown away. Julie Soto is going to wreck us all I fear.

Rose in Chains is a dark, emotionally charged entry into the romantasy genre, blending political intrigue, forbidden romance, and a richly imagined magical world. As the first instalment in the Evermore Trilogy, the novel introduces readers to a realm where the aftermath of war, when the enemy has won, has led to the conquering of the vanquished, setting the stage for a narrative steeped in tension and complexity.

The story centres on Princess Briony Rosewood, who, after her kingdom's fall, is stripped of her magic and sold into servitude. Her purchaser, Toven Hearst, hails from a family notorious for their oppressive control over magic. The dynamic between Briony and Toven is filled with power imbalances and unspoken histories, creating a slow-burn romance that unfolds amidst themes of captivity and resistance. I felt as though Soto handles this relationship with more nuance than others in the book, carefully addressing questions of consent and agency. That said, the premise, and some other elements of the plot, may push the boundaries of reader comfort. I’ll admit that certain aspects caught me off guard and I didn’t realize the extent of the darker content going in, and that’s on me for not researching more thoroughly.

That said, I did enjoy Soto’s writing style. The world-building is immersive, and the magic system is intricate without being overwhelming. The alternating timeline of shifting between Briony’s present and glimpses of her past was a particular highlight for me, enriching both the emotional stakes and the broader political backdrop. Soto’s prose is sharp and engaging, striking a balance between the bleakness of Briony’s reality and moments of quiet resilience and hope. Secondary characters, such as Serena, Orion, and the other captured women, are given sufficient depth to evoke empathy and investment in their fates. However, the single POV narrative limits insight into Toven's internal conflicts, and at times I found myself wishing for more insight into his thoughts and motivations. I was also left with a few unanswered questions that I hope (and assume) will be addressed in future instalments.

Though I haven’t read The Auction (the fan fiction that inspired this story), I could sense its origins. Certain moments and dynamics do carry that distinctly fanfic-like intensity and flair. Still, Rose in Chains stands on its own, and Soto clearly took care in adapting the original material into a fully realized novel.

The book ends with a major cliffhanger, setting up what promises to be an intense continuation in the series. While not every element worked for me, Soto’s command of world-building and character-driven storytelling is evident. For readers who enjoy darker fantasy with romance, moral greyness, and complex power dynamics, Rose in Chains will likely hit the mark.

This book was a rollercoaster in the best way. I am not a big fantasy reader but this book hooked me. The magic system was interesting and I liked learning more about heart and mind magic. Briony was a very engaging main character and I liked how we were along for the ride with her, gradually learning more about the world. I will note that there are mentions of sexual assault, harassment, violence and trafficking in this book and I would not recommend this to someone who may be uncomfortable reading about these subjects. That being said, I thought that the use of these dark themes were used appropriately to underscore the cruelty of the world. The ending had me desperate for the next book!

Rose in Chains completely drew me in with Julie Soto’s fresh take on fantasy. The worldbuilding is rich and dark, with a magic system that feels both inventive and deeply personal. It’s not just spells and powers—it’s magic that’s tied to identity, sacrifice, and consequence, which adds so much emotional weight to every choice the characters make.

The romantic tension is thick in the best way, and the slow-burn pacing made each development hit harder. The political undercurrents and morally gray characters give the story real bite, and I loved how nothing felt predictable.

Soto has created a world that feels dangerous, beautiful, and alive. If you're into lush, immersive fantasy with high stakes and characters that stay with you, this book is absolutely worth your time.

okay i’m speechless. no notes. perfect book. deserves more than 5 stars but review setting won’t allow it. buckle up friends && read those trigger warnings!

Pub Date July 8 2025

ARC provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley. Thank you.

review posted to NetGalley & Goodreads

Whew. Okay. This one is like if The Selection, Game of Thrones, and your worst Monday morning had a magically traumatic baby.

The war? Lost. The chosen one? Very dead. And Briony? Homegirl gets tossed into a magical Hunger Games version of Facebook Marketplace where she’s auctioned off to the literal enemies. (Like girl, blink twice if you need help- oh wait, she can’t. She’s shackled.)

Our princess ends up with Toven Hearst, whose family name might as well be “Red Flag.” And yet… he’s broody. Mysterious. Possibly a war criminal with a redemption arc? Say less.

The enemies-to-lovers vibes are STRONG, but so is the “I need therapy after this” energy. There’s court politics, twisted power dynamics, stolen magic, and enough tension to snap a chain (pun 100% intended).

But here’s the thing: I wanted a little more. The middle dragged in places and while the angst was angsty, sometimes it felt like it was doing laps in a fog of vibes instead of charging ahead with plot. Still, the writing? Gorgeously lush. And the potential? Massive.

I’m invested, I’m slightly emotionally damaged, and yes- I will absolutely be reading the sequel.

If you like dark romantasy with morally gray chaos and a dash of “why am I attracted to this man??” then you’ll want this one on your TBR. Just maybe prep a cozy blanket and a snack for emotional support.

Final verdict: 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4) and one very reluctant crush on a war criminal.

I'm so sad. I was so excited for this but I can not for the life of me get into the world here. I think there is world building happening but i also felt too thrown into the mix without enough lead up.

Julie Soto truly never misses!!!

First off, please check your trigger warnings because this was a lot darker than I expected.

Rose in Chains is an incredibly strong start to the Evermore trilogy; the characters, the world building and magic system was truly chefs kiss. Please inject this book in my veins because this pulled me out of a reading slump real quick. It was so action packed and incredibly dynamic.

This book has a past/present dynamic where you see our FMC Briony & MMC Toven first interact during their schooling and how that builds up their relationship in the present. For me, I’ll eat up yearning and tension ANY. DAMN. DAY. And you know who delivers that? Miss Julie. She had me biting my fist, kicking and, screaming at some parts of this book.

This book is mostly about how Briony navigates being captured and held for auction and how she faces the hardship. What I loved though was the thread of female empowerment when all hope seems lost. It really made me root for the underdogs and I can’t wait to see where they go in the next one.

Thank you for the arc.

This was a release that was talked about by many and I had to check it out. I went into this as not a dramione fan and without any knowledge of the original fanfic. I ultimately DNFed this book. I have no strong feelings against it or for it. It was just not my cup of tea. I'm sure some people will love it but I just personally didn't want to continue reading it.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

This is one of the best romantasies of the year. Yes, I have read the fanfic this is based on so I knew exactly what was going to happen, and I ate up every moment. This has been reworked but it still contains all of the wonderful, juicy, sexy, tense moments that made the fanfic an absolute joy to read. It also has some new elements woven in that will make reading this and finding out how it ends that much more enjoyable. I love Soto's writing, but something about this novel is just that much more special and addictive compared to her others.

I need the next book like I need to breathe, I swear. It was so so good.

I really wanted to enjoy this more, but after trudging through about 50% I made the choice to DNF. From the beginning, I felt as if there were too many characters and groups going on to keep track. I tried to just keep on keeping on as I do with many fantasy books hoping eventually it’ll make sense, it didn’t happen so much here. Knowing this came from fan fiction of Harry Potter, I felt these characters would have made more sense in that form as we would already be familiar with them.

The plot was action packed from the start with lots of action and things keeping me hooked. The action scenes were written well and easy to follow. I genuinely wanted to see where we were headed. Then we hit about of a third way through and slowed down a lot. Readers who enjoy the changes in plot pace would be ok here. At this point as well, I wasn’t connected to our main characters as much as I’d like.

I also felt like the flashbacks could have been done a different way. It’s helpful in other flashbacks when you get a notice or clue right away that you’re back in the present time. That wasn’t super obvious here. I saw what the author was trying to do with these flash backs, trying to give us that sense of history between our main characters but I felt they weren’t successful in that aspect.

Thank you for the chance to read. I will not be reviewing wide until 3 weeks after release as I do not want to impede on release day.

OH MY GOD THIS WAS AMAZING?!?! i have never read dramione fics or the auction so i had no expectations going into this. but this was so much better than i could have ever imagined. the magic system is unique and intriguing, and the women in this book are so strong even when the odds are against them. i am FIENDING for the rest of the series. i need briony and toven like i need AIR

This was the Dramione fanfic of my dreams. If you’ve read others it will feel slightly familiar while also maintaining a new and fresh perspective. I just loved to hate Toven right along with Briony, so let’s just say my emotions were INVESTED. The world building was super easy to follow and I loved the magic system introduced! This was a darker romance than I had anticipated and would 100% recommend checking trigger warnings. I will be first in line for book two when it comes out. Highly HIGHLY recommend this one!

Rose in Chains (Deluxe Limited Edition) by Julie Soto
A dark romantic tale with emotional depth and tension that simmers beneath every page. Soto brings angst, passion, and a touch of danger in a story where love and pain intertwine. This deluxe edition is a collector’s dream with its stunning presentation.

This felt very choppy. Also like she had a list of fantasy words that she had to use. Then u felt she kinda copied fourth wing with the dragon angle. I do think this will pick up and be a hit for as the series progresses and the author finds her footing. I didn’t realize it was hermonie and Draco fan fic. The cover is gorgeous.

This book is the very definition of romantasy. A mesmerizing blend of slow-burn desire, dark fantasy, and high-stakes political intrigue...I was SAT from page one.

The tension? Exquisite.
The magic? Spot-On.
The pacing? Absolute perfection.

In true Julie fashion, it is written so deliciously addicting that I NEED more. The fact that this is a trilogy scared me at first, but now I never want Evermore to end!!!
Let’s address the Hogwarts of it all—yes, this is a reworked Dramione fanfic, but it 1000% stands on its own. If I hadn’t read the Auction (1,000,000x), I never would have guessed that this was a re-work. The nods to its origins are subtle—perhaps a hint in character aesthetics or political dynamics—but ultimately, this world is entirely new, rich with originality and depth.

Why You’ll Love It:

🥀SLOW. BURN. PERFECTION.
🥀Dragons
🥀Tension so thick you could cut it with a dagger
🥀Pining, angst, longing—the holy trinity of romantic torment
🥀Political intrigue that keeps you on edge
🥀Rival kingdoms locked in a deliciously complex struggle
🥀Forced proximity (because what’s better than two people who shouldn’t want each other being stuck together?)
🥀Secrets
🥀The SHARPEST and SEXIEST banter
🥀A plot so perfect you won't stop reading
🥀AND DID I MENTION THERE’S A DRAGON?!

If you love fantasy with tension so electrifying it’ll leave you breathless, this book is an absolute must-read. Julie NEVER ceases to amaze me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC 🩷🩷🩷

This one is gonna be a DNF at about 40% for me. I enjoyed this when it was fanfiction, but the transition to mainstream fiction just didn’t work. The new magical system and hierarchy were over explained in dumps and flashbacks that were too much. The plot got soooo bogged down. At the same time, the characters felt UNDERDEVELOPED because, wuth fanfic, you are already connected to the characters and their personalities. I don’t think there was enough making them their own when things were transferred over. I was left trying to make connections to the original characters in order to figure out why certain people were and weren't important to our MCs.

It’s a shame, because the original fic felt so much better written than this story? Perhaps it’s just over analyzing because I read the fic as well? A letdown for sure, because I DEVOURED the fanfic version of this story and it is well over a thousand pages.

Despite my DNF, perhaps someone who hasn’t read “The Auction” will enjoy? I am giving it two stars on the assumption that this is a me problem and not a problem with the writing/story.

Pains me to say did not like this book. At all.

Flashbacks are all well and good but the way they pop up during the read is disjointed. The flow of the current narrative is abruptly halted when the author turns the reader to the past. There seems to be no reason why the author chooses at specific points to share past events.

Then there's the violence against women. Whether it's the physical by sexual assault or brutal with backhands to the face. This further is compounded by the subjection of the women at auction, tests of their virginity, and (literally) stripping them of their reproductive rights by sterilization.

If you are the reader that can stomach all of this, then read it. This is too 'dark' romance for me. Think it will appeal to that reader. It's essence reminded me of another popular author who showcases similar features (see: naked in a cage for prying eyes and in a sexual relationship with her captor) . Didn't like that book and don't like this one.

She's an incomparable contemporary romance author who puts the 's' in 'sensual' and 'sexy' (see: "Forget Me Not" and "Not Another Love Song" and a riveting YA mystery author (see: "The Thrashers") but this romantasy left a sour taste. When FMC characters are physically hurt during trials/challenges, as a reader I understand the brutality but when it's at the hand of the MMC, I cannot move past that. Just won't be reading this genre by this author but still a fan of her other writing.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#RoseinChains #NetGalley

Lush, rich with details, and gripping from beginning to end. Julie Soto knows how to craft a riveting world with fleshed-out, complex characters and compelling narratives. Rose in Chains is exactly what I look for in the fantasies I read. I can't wait to read more from the series!

Thank you, NetGalley and Forever for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.