utterly captivating & all consuming !!!!!!!!!!!!!

i genuinely don't even know how to write this review. this book left me in AWE, staring at the wall, wondering how i was supposed to function in normal life. julie, the QUEEN of writing captivating & addicting books, had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. i COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!!! this is about to be everyone's romantasy obsession !!!!

toven & briony's chemistry & tension is actually unmatched.... also talk about a SLOW BURN OH MY GOD. julie left no crumbs!!!!!!

I LOVE TOVEN I LOVE TOVEN I LOVE TOVEN I LOVE TOVEN I LOVE TOVEN

gnawing at the bars of my enclosure for the next book !!!!!! it cannot come soon enough oh my god !! this is all i'm going to be able to think about !!

thank you ReadForever Pub & Netgalley for the arc. this is my honest review.

This book was absolutely amazing. Such wonderful storytelling and world-building! This is perfect romantasy, with so much tension and an absolutely gripping storyline. I couldn't put it down, and finished it in two days!

I would rate the spice pretty low at this point in the story. It is a SLOOOOOW burn, for sure. But I think it is building beautifully to be an amazing trilogy, and I really just cannot wait for the rest to be released!

LOVED it!

As a reader and fan of The Auction I knew I was going to enjoy this story but Rose in Chains absolutely surpassed all of my expectations.
Julie Soto's writing is incredible. I'm devastated I can't read the second book immediately.
Julie, please don't keep us waiting too long. I beg of you.
I need to know what happens next.
Everyone needs to run out and read this book asap.
Thank you so much to Forever for the arc.

YES YES YES WE HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE BACK BABY

♾️⭐️

oh my god this book has reawakened my love for fantasy books i am OBSESSED .

this book was so addicting from start to finish i never wanted it to end. i had been holding off on starting the auction until i could read this book as i didnt want to go into it with any form of preconceived notions, i didnt want to have the ability to nitpick any aspect of the plot of this book and oh my god all it did was make me even more excited to start my journey with the fic like i have been VIBRATING with excitement for it 😂

as this is the year of dramione fics getting reworked and trad published the big question on everyones mind is “will the book be able to stand on its own without the previous bones?” and i am so excited to say that rose in chains ABSOLUTELY knocked it out of the park where this is concerned!! what i loved about the fact that it feels completely original is that you could still pick up on some vibes are far as characters go, it made it really fun for me when someone new was introduced and i got to contemplate “is this person actually xyz?!”.

i loved that this book kept me guessing as to what was going to happen and who was actually on what side of this war, there were so many times i felt conflicted on what i should feel towards certain characters. the book had me in shambles constantly on the edge of my seat 😩

and the romance my GAAAWD, julie had me devouring any little crumb of them she was willing to give me 🤭 it is a SLOW burn (like mariana zapata levels of evil slow burn LOL) so do prepare yourselves on that. this is a true enemies to lovers (but they’ve always harbored secret feelings bc of course), a “we shouldnt be doing this”, forced proximity, YEARNING LIKE NO OTHER 😭😭 the tension was so palpable between them through out the entire book, i literally have the zoomies just thinking about how their relationship will develop movies forward in the other books 🤭

the cliffy at the end had me SCREAMING as i had been hoping for what occurred since about 1/3rd into the book and i was extremely gagged by the information we gleaned from the scenario made me so giddy, i am just gnawing at the gates on my enclosure to somehow magically get my hands on book two as soon as possible 😩

I really struggle with books where women just seem to suffer, and a lot of this book is that, but more-so the main character's friends/people than herself(though she also goes through some deep shit in this). Just the way we see this all from her perspective is so painful. I do like the romance aspect and where it's heading, and I liked the twist at the end. I hope this girl does get her vengeance in the next book, it will be satisfying when it finally happens.

thank you so much to the author, julie soto, and forever pub for an arc of rose in chains! i absolutely devoured this book! soto’s witting is absolutely captivating and beautiful and sexy!!!!!!!! i love a good enemies to lovers and this was perfect!

I could not put this down. I went in thinking I would know what to expect and it would feel too much like a retelling or too familiar. I WAS WRONG. WRONG. Also, super into auctions these days.

I told my friend Angela that this book is: Battle at school. Princess gets captured then sold at auction. She's purchased by the guy that she "hates"....and then.....

This story has be itching for the next book. The steam is handled so well. The story is written in a way that just keeps you craving more from all of it. The side characters are great. The world is fantastic. The cliffhanger is real. Bring on the rest of this series.

Julie Soto delivers a dark, gripping romantasy in Rose in Chains, packed with high-stakes tension, slow-burning attraction, and a richly developed magical world. At its core, this is an enemies-to-lovers romance with forced proximity, simmering tension, and just enough hints of hidden feelings to leave you desperate for more.

What to Expect:
• Enemies-to-lovers with all the intensity and longing you could want
• Forced proximity in the most high-stakes way possible (he literally owns her...this is a DARK romance!)
• Single POV, but enough subtle clues about Toven’s feelings to make you ache for a full confession
• A fiercely protective love interest—he might argue with her, but he’d burn the world before letting anyone else touch her
• Dark fantasy elements (definitely check trigger warnings), though the FMC is shielded from most of the worst
• A fascinating magic system and new world to explore!

For hardcore Dramione fans, this book is of course adapted from The Auction, one of Julie Soto’s most beloved fan fictions. But even if you’ve never read the original, Rose in Chains completely stands on its own. The changes she’s made—from the magic system to the worldbuilding—make this feel fresh and immersive while still delivering everything I love about a slow-burn, high-stakes fantasy romance. I already need the next book, because this one leaves on an INCREDIBLE cliffhanger that I never saw coming!

Wow…

What a breathtaking, enthralling and addicting start to this universe. Julie Soto is just one of those authors who ALWAYS gets it right for me.

We enter into this book heavy hearted, defeated with the weight of Brionys’ and people with magic just like hers, new reality. It’s dark, suffocating and has you wanting to scream at the page for these girls. I will say it was difficult to read, as I’d expected, and that those picking up this book be warned it’s dark and follows traumatic themes.

Centered at the start of the end of a war resulting in an auction of the loosing sides people, Rose In Chains brings forth a dark setting. The flashback scenes in between current chapters offer the reader context in which helps decipher the new and mysterious relationship between Briony (our main character) and the Hearst family.

I’m not afraid to admit I was addicted to this book. The more it went on the faster I read to get to answers I so desperately wanted alongside Briony. Julie did an amazing job at introducing this new world full of magic, powerful families and secrets. You will not want to put it down until you’ve uncovered as much as the plot offers.

Now, the romance, or should I say budding romance.. between Briony and Toven is a forbidden masterpiece. Because this is just the beginning of the trilogy, you’re left with just enough crumbs to keep you on the verge of full. It’s suspenseful, slow-building and formed between childhood insults turned into adult longing. Longing for something neither of them will admit aloud.

I am absolutely so seated for the rest of this trilogy.

You’re KILLING me, Julie! This was truly delicious and the sexual tension was so my cup of tea I am actively angry I have to wait for the next installment. Read this in a little more than a day because Julie will have you by your throat for chapters. Ugh. Idk what to do right now.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review 🙂

I am a lover of romantasy and I enjoyed the other Julie Soto book that I read, so I was excited to give this one a try!

This is a perfect read for dark romantasy fans who like the enemies-to-lovers trope. The romance in this story is very much a slow burn - the romance itself is barely there, but readers have an idea where things are headed. But don't mistake slow burn, for meaning there aren't spicy things happening in this story. The magic system is interesting and the world building is there in a subtle way without getting too deep into it.

This is a dark romantasy, and I think readers should definitely look into trigger warnings before reading.

I really enjoyed the story and I'm already eager to read the next book!

Thank you to #NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this as an arc
I'm not sure what my final rating is and To be completely honest these were my thoughts while reading the book:
-too long
-more of the same
With 5is being said, also keep in mind that l'm in a reading slump and that affected my reading experience for sure!
There was a point where I just wanted to skim through it because it was always jumping times I didn't care for it
Just a final note: I didn't feel connect to the characters to a point that I didn't care who lived or died throughout the book and the finale although interesting, it just reminded me of the fourth wing ending

Thank you to Forever Publishing and Julie Soto for trusting me with this ARC.

I'll open this review up by saying I read the fanfiction this is based off of - The Auction - back when it was a weekly/monthly updated fic on AO3, so I did carry that with me while reading. However, I do think that this book will be widely loved, even by people who didn't read that fic as it was so, so loved by me.

Briony is a Mind Magician and the princess of Evermore. She is almost constantly underestimated and pushed aside in favor of her brother - Rory, who is set to not only be the King of Evermore but the Heir Twice Over. He is foretold to be the only person who can put a stop to the war between the Mind Magicians and the Heart Magicians, who reside primarily in Bomard. Veronika Marrow - the first owner of a Dragon familiar in centuries - claims that Mind Magic is dangerous and unnatural and leads the Bomardi people to war with the people of Evermore. On opposing sides of that war are Briony and Toven - her school crush and the flirtatious boy who bullied her. The story opens as Rory is killed and the Bombardi people have taken hostages - including Briony - to siphon them of their magic and use them for other nefarious purposes.

This book was un-put-down-able. I feel like I ate, slept and breathed it from the moment I turned the first page to the acknowledgements at the end - which I rarely ever read if I'm being honest but I felt the need to read these because I didn't want it to be over. The characters are so lovable and multi-faceted and with the story primarily being told through Briony's eyes, we're just as lost as she is when it comes to Toven's character and motives, as well as those of his family. Their wit was sharp, the banter was on point and I'm almost positive that Julie Soto invented the word 'yearning' at this point. All that being said, buckle up for a SLOWWWWW BURNNNNN.

The only bad part about getting an ARC of a book you've been anticipating for a year is that the wait to book two is so much longer in a lot of ways, and with a cliffhanger like this one.... I need book two STAT.

4.5 stars. this absolutely blew me away. I physically could not put this down. I do not know how I am supposed to wait for the next book to come out. There were so many twists and turns. As a lover of all things Harry Potter, this was absolutely giving me the same vibes. The magic system was so much fun and easy to understand. Toven was such a misunderstood king and was playing his role perfectly. An incredible masterclass of romance and fantasy.

My rating: 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tropes:
- dark romantasy
- forbidden romance
- enemies to lovers
- forced proximity
- sloooow burn

❗️ The book contains triggers, please review them on the author's website before reading.

I’m thrilled by Julie Soto’s writing style. I haven’t read the original work (The Auction) and I'm not a fan of Dramione, but I really liked this story.

When her castle is taken by the enemy, Briony Rosewood realizes that her world has changed forever. The dark forces have won, and her people are faced with a choice: enslavement, imprisonment, or death.

Deprived of her magic and freedom, Briony, along with the other survivors, is sold at auction. After a fierce bidding war, she is bought by Toven Hearst, a scion of a family known for their cruelty.

I liked that, despite the presence of cruelty and numerous triggers in the story, they are not detailed enough to cause disgust.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Forever for the advanced reader copy!

𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 is a masterfully crafted dark romantasy! While it was adapted from a Dramione fanfiction, it shines brightly on its own and only draws inspiration for character personalities.

Evermore has lost the war, and its people are broken, separated, and enslaved. Its princess, Briony, is auctioned for a record sum to her childhood enemy, Toven, and sent to live in his mysterious, menacing mansion. Desperate to regain her freedom and reunite with her loved ones, she exhausts what little resources she has to uncover the truth of what's happening both outside the walls - and within the Hearst estate.

There's tension and yearning while Briony and Toven are forced to conform to their roles, leading to a complex web of emotions. For the most part, it's very well-written, and I didn't want to put it down despite its heavy premise. I was transported into another world brimming with magic, war and politics, and I enjoyed the flashbacks for context. I'll admit I wasn't surprised by a reveal at the end, and I had guessed it from very early on. It's a common twist in fantasy, and I was a bit disappointed as it made the end feel anti-climactic and formulaic.

It's definitely a slow burn romance, and it appears to mainly be providing background on Briony and Toven's relationship that will continue to develop over the rest of the trilogy.

I enjoyed the mind and heart magic system, and it was probably my favorite aspect of this story. (Other than the hint of dragons!)

Due to its dark nature, I struggled with how I ultimately feel about this book, because it does involve terrible treatment of women, amongst other dark topics. It's good - just be warned that it's dark and can take an emotional toll to read. Please research triggers ahead of time.

Things that stress me out about Dramione fan fics becoming novels: they’re dark! And the threat of rape is always so close.

The slow burn needs to contain a burn, people!! This story did not deliver that to me. A lot of build up for almost nothing. We don’t get a full romance until book 2? I’m raging!

I just don’t think this is my thing.

I still say, the story progression and writing was amazing. I just had problems with a similarity of stories in this specific fantasy category and the overall lack of delivery on the romance aspects

Rose in Chains 🌹⛓️‍💥🐦‍⬛🏰🕯️
♾️⭐️
2🌶️

Rose in Chains was my most anticipated release of 2025 when it comes to fantasy and OMG did it deliver and live up to its expectations.

This book was everything that you would hope for in a fantasy. Soto weaves an intricate magic system, builds a lush world, and developed extremely well-rounded characters. Her storytelling skills are on full display in “Rose in Chains” and she supplies the quintessential fantasy experience.

This book does have some incredibly heavy triggers that aren’t mentioned in the synopsis, so please reach out to me if you would like a short overview of them.

Without giving away any spoilers, this book was truly incredible and I loved every single word of it. I loved the world, the characters, their interactions, the backstory, and the fact that it started off as Dramoine fanfiction makes this one of my top reads of 2025.

This was so good! Julie Soto is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I loved all the magic and world building. Briony and Toven had a great slow burn with so much tension. I already can’t wait for the next book!




Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the eARC!

This was a fast-paced story with lots of angst. Briony has to shield and hide so much of her self and be lesser than she is all for Rory her heir brother. But she never had to hid herself from Toven. Toven is Toven and I don't know how I fell about him yet. He is the enemy but is he. I gave this book five stars cause I loved the story so much but I think I would have loved it so much more if I hadn't know it started as a certain fan fiction. That pulled me out of some of the moment and made me question certain things. I love the magic system and how the different magics are either perceived as good and evil. I can't wait to see where this story goes and how it will play out.