Rose in Chains, book 1 of the Evermore Trilogy, is an excellent example of a novel adapted from a popular fanfiction - author Julie Soto deftly retains the magic of the original, beloved work, while also creating something new and compelling.

Briony, our POV character, is excellently crafted, though - small quibble - maybe a bit too naive when it comes to love interest Toven. I loved the supporting characters, wishing we had more time with them, but the plot was propulsive, the story compelling. It was hard to put this book aside, and when I wasn't reading, I was anticipating my next chance to dive back into the world of Evermore. I loved the magic system - it's hard to create something that hasn't been done before, but I think Soto has done a great job with the heart and mind magic systems.

My one criticism is that I needed slightly more world-building. It wasn't until halfway through the novel that I realized this world included non-magical humans - either I missed that, or it wasn't mentioned. I think sometimes this is flaw of writers who come from fic, where the world they're writing in is often well-established. So, Bombard cold, Evermore warm. Okay, and? The costumes? The food? Give me all the details!

Again, the story was wonderful, very compelling, with enough romance and suspense to satisfy old fans and new readers. I thought the book concluded at a very satisfying place, even if the cliffhanger will have me waiting anxiously for book 2! Overall, an excellent book, and one I will be recommending to readers of romance, fantasy, and (ugh, this stupid portmanteau), romantasy as wekk.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the digital arc!

I am OBSESSED! This book was so good! From the very first page, I was hooked by the dark, magical world and high-stakes plot. It’s the kind of book that grabs you and doesn’t let go, it's got fallen kingdoms, stolen magic, and a fierce heroine fighting to reclaim her power!
Briony is everything I want in a romantasy lead: bold, resilient, and deeply layered. And then there’s Toven—mysterious, morally gray, and the definition of slow-burn tension. Their enemies-to-lovers dynamic is so well done, full of angst, banter, and complicated history. Tbh i think obsessed might be an understatement, I was living for the tension between them!
The world-building is rich and immersive, with a strong undercurrent of political intrigue and emotional depth. There’s also a really powerful thread of female friendships and inner strength that made me love Briony even more! And let’s talk about that ending—I need book two yesterday.
This was soooo good! It’s dark, it’s addictive, and makes me want more of this genre! If you’re craving something with magic, longing, and heartbreakingly good tension, Rose in Chains is a must-read!

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐫𝐞:
🌹 Enemies to Lovers
🌹 Slow Burn Romance
🌹 Forced Proximity
🌹 Dark Fantasy Setting
🌹 Political Intrigue
🌹 Morally Gray Love Interest

The kingdom has fallen, her family is dead, and Briony Rosewood is taken captive to be sold at auction to the highest bidder. Stripped of her magic, taunted, and abused, Briony awaits her fate with the other captured women of Evermore. The Bomard forces, and their all powerful Seat, Veronika Mallow, have ruthless plans and are hungry for magic. Briony is sold to none other than Tolden Hearst, former classmate and crush, and forced to live with his influential and ambitious family at Hearst Hall. Fearing for her friends, Briony tries to glean whatever information she can, but tensions run high between her and Toven as they navigate feelings from the past that may not have faded away. As Briony discovers more truths and uncovers secrets, she finds that all hope may not be lost, and help may be closer than she originally thought.

Julie Soto can do it all, apparently! This romantasy was gripping from start to end. I loved the flashbacks to the school days, giving glimpses into the way Briony and Toven's relationship started - teasing and taunting, flirting, constant rivalry, and truly enemies on the opposite side of a war - yet always that glimmer of wanting to protect one another. There was so much tension post-auction, rightfully so. I mean, he bought a human... But was it better than letting her go to someone else? She's his prisoner, but is there more to it? The scheming, the and the mixed feelings and the "she's mine" were gold. The world building and magic systems were simple and so effective. Briony was brave and clever and resilient. And the nerve of that ending!! If you're a romantasy fan, this is not to be missed!

*Slight disclaimer: I read this from the perspective of having read the original fic. That being said I’m not sure how I would have perceived this had I not read the original fic. There were times when I wondered if things weren’t properly explained but it didn’t bother me too much because I had, in a sense, already read this and had the context. I would be curious to see how someone not attached viewed this story.*

This was everything I expected and more 😭

In the oversaturated romantasy genre, Rose in Chains is truly refreshing. Combining elements of the original fic with brand new lore, a new world, and new characters, it is both addictive and immersive!

The “mind” and “heart” magic was super interesting and creative. It weaves into the plot so seamlessly.

Julie Soto gets us to care deeply about side characters we only briefly meet. This is done really well because in the original fic the side characters are ones we know and love already so to create entirely new ones and have the same connections and emotions evoked from their presence… that speaks to Julie Soto’s writing talent.

And let’s take a second for TOVEN!

I’m so excited to see where the series goes. The ending?? I can’t wait for the next one!!

Wow, this is what the romantasy genre was missing. If you loved fan fiction, Rose in Chains by Juloe Soto will be your newest obsession. If you want a Draco and Hermione retelling where Hogwarts has fallen this will fill the void. It's suspenfully written with romantic elements weaved throughout the story. I could not get enough. It's a slow burn everyone should put on their tbr. Highly recommend. 5 stars.

A MILLION STARS I could not put this book down!!!

Obviously perfect for Dramione + The Auction fans, but also any romantasy fan. I am so impressed and cannot wait for the next book. The flashbacks were all sprinkled throughout at the right moments and the banter was top tier.

Definitely check the list of TWs.

Okay so I'm reviewing this as both a Dramione lover and fan and also a fantasy/romantasy book lover and fan.

First up, as a Dramione girly, if you've read the Auction, you will love it and BE FED.

It follows the original plot enough for you to love all the nods to the fanfiction, but is also new enough that it keeps you guessing what's going to happen next. It was also fun trying to figure out who all the characters were as you met them. And the tension/romance? UGH, could not put it down!


As a fantasy/romantasy girly, I think that Julie Soto did a great job for her debut fantasy. I really loved her magic system, I thought what she came up with was simple and unique and I really enjoyed the gestures along with heart/mind magics.

That being said, there were a few very minor things that I thought could use some extra tweaking, but weren't serious enough to effect how much I enjoyed the book, which was VERY MUCH.

--The switching back and forth between flowery writing and more straightforward writing (with modern slang) was sometimes jarring. I don't know if she was trying something new or trying to appeal to the romantasy gals, but I kind of wish she had picked one and stuck with it. Phrases like "full stop," also took me out of the world.

--I also wished there had been a little bit more world building. As different places or people were mentioned, there was very little explained about them and I wanted more context. (i.e. where and who are in the Southern Camly?! lol)

Overall, great fantasy romance debut, and I can't wait for book 2!!

4.5 ⭐️

MY GOD, THE TENSION IN THIS BOOK 😮‍💨

I was not familiar with Julie Soto’s game but I apologize and watch me catch up with all of her other books because oof.

I’ve never read a Dramione fanfic, they’ve been on my tbr forever but I never got to them so when I saw this available to request on NetGalley I was like, why not! so here I am now, absolutely in love.

Toven what are you doing to me!!!!! The slow burns of all slow burns, the hot and cold, the enemies to lovers but not fully because THE SLOW BURN. and this entire book you’re like… WILL THEY?? WONT THEY???

and my girl Briony is BOLD. some of the choices she was making and words coming out of her mouth, some of the actions??? she was TESTING this man 😮‍💨

this was delicious and everything I wanted and didn’t really expected from this book. I can’t wait to continue with this story because up until today I wasn’t aware this is not a standalone (yes, I clearly can’t read, mind your business) and now I’m suffering because what do you mean I won’t know what happens next for whoever knows how long?!

I didn’t care much about the ending but we all know I’m here for the romance so don’t listen to me 😌

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever publishing for this ARC 🥰

An excellent read! Get ready for the long hall slowest of slow burns. Excited for Soto's first romantacy and it's sequels.

I devoured Rose in Chains—it pulled me in from the start and never let go. While there’s a lot to take in initially with world-building, that’s expected for a new fantasy series. Julie Soto did an excellent job adapting her popular Dramione fanfic The Auction into this novel, staying very faithful to the original while making it fresh and exciting.

Both Briony and Toven are complex and captivating characters, and their relationship is full of tension and steamy chemistry. The slow-burn pining between them is so well done, and I can’t wait to see how their relationship develops in the next installments of this planned trilogy. The dark themes are definitely present, so be sure to check out the trigger warnings.

The flashbacks really helped ground the characters’ motivations, making their actions feel believable. And that epilogue—I’m already counting down the days until the next book. Dramione fans are being fed this year, and I’m here for all of it!

In short, Rose in Chains is a must-read for fans of fantasy, complex characters, and slow-burn romance. I’m hooked!

Thanks to Forever for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!! What alchemy is Julie Soto putting in her books? I swear, everytime I pick one up, I absolutely can't put it down - I am consumed until the end! Rose in Chains is no exception! The writing is so lyrical, the world is so lush, the hurt and fear are so palpable as you go through Briony's story. The propulsiveness of its source material is not lost in translation, the yearning still lurking just beneath the surface. Briony is such a smart and witty and clever character to be following and the cast of characters around her only serve to give you more to like - even as the book gets into dark and difficult terrain, it's still moving and these characters still have so much heart. This book is setting up a series - my only complaint is that I'll have to wait for the rest! I can't wait for this to be the romantasy of the summer, y'all!

The song ‘Dress’ by Taylor Swift played in my head while reading this book. Well, that and one more song that is just as sexy and delicious as this novel. I heard it’s based on the author’s previous work as a fan fiction writer, but rest assured one does not need to be a fan of that couple or fandom to be utterly obsessed with Toven and Briony. The slow burn is worth it, and their banter was adorable!

I have a feeling Toven will be the book boyfriend of 2025!

While this story does deal with some difficult and heavy topics, the author has kindly provided a content warning on the first page, and I highly advise readers to take care of themselves while reading.
With that said, this lush romantasy will be staying with all of us way after finishing. Julie Soto has now become an instant buy author. 5 out 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC!

this had all the elements to be my next favorite fantasy book but at the same time had so much modern feeling to it that it would occasionally bring me out of the story. also, as someone who has not read the og fanfic i feel like i was left a bit confused by the magic systems and whatnot but that could be further developed in the trilogy(?)

overall, i feel like fans are going to eat this up!!

I am shook to my core!

Julie Soto has proved to be a true magician with her words. I was moved by this writing for so many reasons!

1. The way that she added complexity to each character was so refreshing and, I thought, powerful. In a world where there is so much conflict and pain, it was nice to see that reflected in those characters.
2. The plot line had me hooked. From the very beginning, I was locked in and didn’t want to step away from the world before my eyes. I thought the magical elements were easy enough to understand, but complex enough to still be compelling.
3. The detailed setting was breathtaking. It was so easy for me to envision Soto’s world from the detailed, yet concise, descriptions. I was able to follow without getting lost in “world-building,” while still imagining the outline of each setting.
4. The cliffhanger!!! I am on the absolute edge of my seat and I cannot WAIT for what’s in store in the books to come!

All in all, I recommend this book tenfold & probably won’t shut up about it for a very long time!

I understand the hype for the fic that this based off now 1000% but I still have so many questions!

The world building was incredible but my main question the entire time was, where is the romance?!

Briony and Toven have so much history and the way Julie slowly shows us this history, hit JUST right. I’m a sucker for some good flashbacks and I was EATING IT UP 👏🏻

Based off the ending, I’m assuming this is NOT the entire fic and was high key very disappointed that this has been split up….

If you’re a fan of Romantasy at all, this one is going to be a must buy for you!

I LOVED THIS

This book hooked me from the very first page and didn't let me go until the end. I am unwell.

I loved this book so much. I already knew I loved Julie Soto's contemporary romances, but I've never read her fanfiction, so this felt like new territory for me. This story is adapted from her HP fanfiction, The Auction, and while many of the characters will feel very familiar my official opinion is that you don't have to read the fic before diving into this book.

The story revolves around Briony (pronounced Bri-Oh-Knee, I presume)(god that was embarrassing for me realizing that I had been pronouncing Hermione wrong for literal years), and she and her twin are the prince and princess of a kingdom called Evermore. Their kingdom was at war, and they just lost. Her twin dies, and she and the other members of her court are rounded up and auctioned off to be used as essentially magical batteries for the high-up members of the other kingdom. And for what anyone buys another person for.

This setup is DARK, and I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. It is very toxic, and suffocating, and uncomfortable. But also, the yearning. The tension. The pining. I loved it.

Thank you, Forever Publishing, for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️ Julie Soto is quickly climbing to the ranks of auto buy/must read author. I read her YA thriller, The Thrashers and fell in love. I picked up Rose in Chains because I love her writing style and had high hopes for a new and good Romantasy series, since I am very picky about my Romantasy and honestly don’t read too many. For starters I loved this book and read it in about 3 sittings, it’s over 400 pages and I lost A LOT of sleep reading to almost 2 am two nights in a row. I am sure for a seasoned Romantasy reader this won’t be what you expect, this is a very slooooooooow burn, in that there is almost zero romance and spice in this book, I feel like she is setting this up for a lot more in the coming books. I am almost kicking myself for reading so early since this book doesn’t come out until July and who knows when the next book will follow. It will be an agonizing wait for me.

This book was originally a Dramione (Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger) fanfic story called The Auction, but the characters and world are completely redone in Rose in Chains. I did not read The Auction and haven’t read any Dramione fan fiction but I can see how those origins relate to the story but I am so glad it is its own story with new characters. This story is about Briony Rosewood, a princess of a land where people use mind magic, her twin brother, the King of Eversun, was defeated in a war with Bomard, a land where people use magic from the heart. They were once two lands living in peace, where their children attended magic school together. Now, Briony and the captured Eversuns are being auctioned off to enslavement to the people of Bromard. Briony, ends up with the last person she’d expect, her school rival and once object of her desire, Toven Hearst. This book does not shy away from darker topics, there is sexual enslavement and other dark atrocities one commits against another race of people they feel are inferior. This book starts off so good, I couldn’t get enough of the flashbacks to Briony and Toven at school, those were my favorite chapters, I wish there was more. The tension and banter is building the slowest, hottest burn ever. The middle drags a bit, it is a lot of forced proximity with Briony in her head and isolated a lot, I think it will be needed in the long run but I kind of wished more happened in this book. The ending was a great set up for the next book, I can’t wait to see how this series develops.

Overall, my initial love of this book is what is driving my high rating but again, seasoned Romantasy readers may find this book lacking in the romance department and the slow moving story. Honestly, even with my lack of Romantasy experience, I saw bits of other books mixed in — Toven’s house was eerily reminiscent of The House of Wind from ACOTAR and of course the magic school a la Hogwarts. I will still be first in line to read the next book, I am so in love with Briony and Toven. Also, special shout out to the side characters I loved, Larissa and Serena, I need more of those ladies! I can’t wait for my book besties to read this and can’t wait until this gets into the hands of the masses. Pre-order this now and Julie let me know when book two will be coming, no pressure, but I also need it so badly. 🤭

Read this if you like:
* Slow burns, like slooooooow
* Forced Proximity
* Enemies to Lovers
* Magic
* Dark Fantasy
* Feuding lands, rival kingdoms
* Series books (It’s going to be a hard wait between books)
* Julie Soto - she can do no wrong!

This was my 35th book of 2025
Format: Gifted ARC, Kindle

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever Publishing, and Julie Soto for this gifted advanced readers e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This book is set to publish on July 8, 2025.

4.25 stars

I absolutely DEVOURED this book. As a longtime fan of Julie Soto and her writing, I was ecstatic about this book being published and it will absolutely be one of this year’s top romantasy reads!

The romance between Briony Rosewood and Toven Hearst had me absolutely squealing! There was utterly DELICIOUS slow-burn tension between the two and I loved every single second of it. I thought the flashbacks were a great touch to be able to introduce the different relationships to the reader. I loved that Julie kept to main plot of The Auction and managed to include specific scenes as well, while still being able to create a brand-new world for it all to take place in.

However, the world-building in my opinion needed just a litttttle bit more. I felt there were certain things that were lacking; however, I understand this is the first in a trilogy and there will be time for more to be revealed later on. Overall, I really REALLY enjoyed it and cannot wait to see where Julie takes us with Book 2!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the e-ARC!

Rose in Chains (The Evermore Trilogy, #1) by Julie Soto

The war is over, the dark forces have won, and the hero who was supposed to save them is dead.

Captured as her castle is overrun by the enemy, Briony Rosewood knows that the world as she knows it is changed forever. The dark forces of Bomard have won and her people, the Eversuns, face imminent servitude, imprisonment or death. Her brother, fated to be heir twice over and unite the warring kingdoms, is dead.

Rating: *****
Feels: Apprehension, Anticipation, Enthralled, Invested
Style: Fantasy, Romantasy, Dark Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Adult Fantasy
First published July 3, 2025 Forever publishing: 464 pages, Kindle

After I finished this addicting book I already wanted to read it again. I went into this book blind and was not aware it was based off of fanfic and still thoroughly enjoyed it. The first few chapters are dark, I was not sure I would enjoy the read and then without even realizing it I was obsessed. The writing, story and plot are enough to fall into and never want to come out. Toven and Briony are just intense. The slow burn is slowwwww and chest crushingly painfully good. Did I mention Toven is hot? So may twists and we got thrown back and forth between the past and future all through the book. It was so delicious seeing Toven and Briony in the past as their connection grew and the present circumstances they find themselves in (scorching. ) I will be begging Forever for the next book and have already pre ordered this book because I want to stare at its beauty on my shelves. Only read if you are ready to sign up for therapy and join the obsession !!!

Favorite quote: Briony often wondered why she didn't want comfortable, safe, kind.

This book has:
(Everything to draw you in !!!)
Enemies to bitter enemies ....to Fake Lovers?
The Slowest of Burns (Its glorious)
Morally Grey MMC
Forced Proximity
Rebellion
Academic Setting
Unique Magic System
Political Intrigue
Dragon !!!!

This is exactly what I mean when I say I want "hurt/no comfort."

I just finished the book and immediately sat down to write a review because it was that good! While the story tackles incredibly heavy subjects and dark tones, Soto does an exceptional job of addressing them with both respect and honesty, never shying away from the reality of the situation.

As someone who was already a fan of the inspiration for this trilogy, I can confidently say that Rose in Chains not only lived up to the hype, but it exceeded it. Soto's world-building is masterful, never falling into the trap of info-dumping, and I loved the unique twists that set it apart from its inspiration. I highly recommend and I cannot wait to see where Soto takes the rest of the trilogy!