I am hooked! I cannot wait to see how this series unfolds. I think that Soto made the exact right amount of changes when adapting this work. I devoured this book and I am so angry that I have to wait to see what happens next!

3.75 stars! As my most anticipated read of the year, this was a great start to a trilogy! There were a lot of layers to the story and the morally grey MMC was my FAVORITE! Shout outs to Toven <3 I will say that half way through the book, I sort of lost interest for a good 10 chapters but after pushing though those few chapters, I was running through the book needing to know what happens next.

I'll be posting a new in-depth review on my bookstagram closer to release date!

Rose in Chains is out July 8th, 2025! It is a must read this year if you love romantasy and Dramione fan fic!

There are only 2 reasons I cannot give this book a 5 star. 1. It was not a one and done book. This is clearly going to be a trilogy and I hate that I NEED them all. 2. I do not like the writing style of going back and forth in time for every other chapter. I can understand once or twice in a book, but every other chapter drives me crazy!

That being said, this book was so good. I have not read the piece of fanfic this book was inspired by, so this is my first read of the character and plotline. The interaction between Briony and Toven was so beautifully crafted and I cannot wait to see the next book and how they handle their evolving relationship. Julie also has a way of writing in triggering events. I as the reader knew what was happening, or going to happen but then she moved through the actual triggering event without unnecessary details and then immediately into the reactions of the characters in the scene so it wasn't just swept under the rug. (hard to explain, but the dinner scene at Biltmore best describes what I mean)

I fear I am going to have to wait 4 years for this entire series to come out, but I will be waiting and enjoying almost ever minute of it.

I love when a story makes me feel like I’m teetering on the edge of something dangerous, something inevitable, and this book does exactly that. It’s betrayal and desire, cruelty and tenderness, power and resistance all wrapped into a slow-burn that keeps you breathless. I can’t wait for the next instalment already.

With my whole chest I will tell you that this was my most anticipated book of the year. And with my whole chest I will tell you that it exceeded all of my expectations.

This was the first book that I had the honor of reading the fanfic before it was reworked for publication. It is one of my all-time favorite fics and therefore I was JAZZED about this launch. I, like many, did wonder how the story would hold up without the fandom pieces in place. I don't know why we ever wondered because Julie does not miss. I had the time of my life finding the Easter eggs she left for the Saturday Girls, but if I didn't know the original story, I would have loved it just the same.

This slow-burn is not for the faint of heart. We have three books to go in total, so she is a SLOW BURN. But I absolutely gobbled up every second of book one. The tension was delicious. The pining, divine. The world-building and new magic system? Outstanding. The flashbacks creating a juicy backstory? Marvelous.

One thing you should know about me is that I am "here for the vibes" kind of reader. I envy the readers who can read a book or series and be theorizing like the Swifties, but that has never been my reader experience... except for Rose in Chains. This is my Fourth Wing. This is my TOG. My notes app thought I was going to start a dicertatcion. I traded many minutes of voice notes with a friend who was also blessed with an ARC of this book. It was an honor, truly, to get to read this early. I knew what I was getting into when I picked up this ARC, but having finished it a month ago and still thinking about it daily, I'm not sure how I'll survive the wait for the next book.

Julie, I cannot thank you enough for this ARC. She is my prized possession and I marvel at her on my shelf regularly. Do you need another blood sacrifice for book two or will devouring IWTV and live reacting suffice?

If you read The Auction and thought “I already know what will happen,” THINK AGAIN!

Julie proved again that she can write any genre and still master it with such skilled precision your brain chemistry alters forevermore. (see what I did there??)

She never ceases to amaze me, and boy did she keep me on my toes. Yes this felt like coming home. Yes you will recognize the beloved story that made you fall for Julie in the first place.

“There’s a lake with still waters.”

But the new world she created? OUTSTANDING. And the new intricacies she added in? SUPERIOR. The plot? Left me mouth agape. That cliffhanger? MA’AM?! The yearning the yearning the yearning the yearning the angst the angst the angst the passion the pain the mindfuck the AAHHHH!!

I absolutely LOVED the magic system that Julie created here and how seamlessly it woven into the original story, complementing it more with every pull of the strings. Briony was everything I wished she would be -- braver, less naive and a lot less oblivious to Toven's feelings! The man is DOWN BAD and can we for the love of all things talk about THAT scene where they share 'memories' or try to mess with each others' minds??? I WAS GASPING FOR AIR.

My mind is whirling and my heart is squeezed so tight and I fear this book isn’t even out that I already long for the sequel, so I’m not sure what to do with myself.

I couldn’t put Rose in Chains down. I started it and finished within two days because I was reading at every opportunity. The characters pulled me in, and the flashbacks really worked, giving insight into how things unraveled before the story’s present timeline.

The pacing felt a little uneven at times—sometimes we got tons of details in what was actually a short span of time, and other times, there were big jumps that caught me off guard. But overall, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment.

One big thing to note: check the trigger warnings. This book is real. It picks up after the main character has already lost a war, and it doesn’t shy away from showing what happens to the defeated side. A lot of fantasy books keep things lighter, with the reassurance that good will win in the end. That’s not the case here, and some moments were tough to read. I wouldn’t want someone to go in expecting a traditional fantasy or romantasy book and rate it lower just because they weren’t prepared for how raw and gritty it gets.

For some reason, I thought this was a standalone, so when I hit that cliffhanger, I was not ready. It’s been a week since I finished, and even after moving on and reading other books I still find myself thinking about it. I already can’t wait for the next book.

I already have the book preordered because I need a copy on my shelf and the first edition editions are beautiful!

I have a lot to say but first, *SMASHES FIVE STARS ONTO TABLE*

Julie, Julie, JULIE!!??? I have to preface this by saying I read The Auction long ago (may she rest in peace😌) and Rose in Chains met every single expectation I had and surpassed them all. Everything that was added, changed or twisted only served to make the story better and add depth. It completely stands on its own, and that is my very favorite thing. I will read everything @juliesotowrites forever 😌

Briony!! Sweet, headstrong, empathetic, intelligent. The women and their fortitude, the way they find ways to overcome in the midst of circumstances. THAT is a message I love.

Toven Hearst toes the line of “morally grey” extremely well. I liked that while these two characters “hated” each other, the thin line between loathing and yearning is *chefs kiss*. Political self serving vs being obsessed with the girl you’re supposed to hate??? I eat it up every time. Also the RESTRAINT. I love to see it.

I thought the pacing was great, this is the first book in a trilogy and the highs and lows served the story and the development of the characters and relationships. This IS slowburn, and while we get some delicious crumbs, I am not disappointed and SO EAGER for them pretend they’re not absolutely obsessed. The magic system was both complex and easy to follow and I believe it made the story even BETTER.

Anyways this was incredible. I loved it, and I will shrivel into a husk of myself until I have the next one! This is an adult romantasy and it does explore dark themes so make sure it’s right for you!

Thank you thank you @readforeverpub reading this early made my whole month!!!

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#roseinchains #bookreview #juliesoto #reader

It was dark but not as dark as The Auction. It ended SO GOOD!!! I cannot believe I have to wait for a second book. Ahhhhh! I will not survive. It took such a good turn. Differently than the auction. I haven’t been this wrapped up in a book for so long. Like PINING for a second. Oh. My.

All the stars!!!!

I went into this book initially trying to figure out who each character was based on but I urge you not to make that mistake. Go into it like you would any other fantasy/romance book because as soon as I let my brain stop looking for correlations to HP, I absolutely devoured this book. So much emotional tension (without much pay off) but I was 100% invested in this world and these characters. Definitely recommend and cannot wait to keep reading this series in the future.

4.5 rounded up

Another amazing book by Julie Soto! I devoured this book. I’ve read her other two books and loved them, so going into this I knew it would be another I was going to enjoy. It did start off a bit slow but I was hooked. This was the kind of book that I had to take everywhere with me and wanted to avoid all my responsibilities because I could not put it down.

I found the magic system to be really interesting and liked the world building. Julie Soto also has a way of writing in a way that transports you into her books. I felt as If I was right there with the characters.

The tension, slow burn, and yearning in this book!! I ate it up. I loved Briony and Toven. I was hanging on to their every word and moment. They are true enemies to lovers and I’m here for it. I can’t wait to continue to see their individual character and relationship development.

I had predicted a piece of what would happen at the end which had me even more excited to see how this series continues..This feels like a series I will be obsessed with.

Please make sure to check TWs at the beginning of the book as the book has dark/heavy themes.

Thank you Forever Publishing and Netgalley for the arc!

I’m still reeling.

It’s a love letter to fans of The Auction, packed with moments that will have you screaming, crying, heartbroken, squealing, gasping, and kicking your feet.

The world-building is nothing short of extraordinary. Soto crafts a universe that feels both vast and intimate, with a magic system that’s as intricate as it is enchanting. Every detail is deliberate, pulling you deeper into the story until you’re completely immersed.

Rose in Chains is a triumph. It’s a story that will wreck you, heal you, and leave you begging for more.

I am absolutely gobbsmacked.

To preface: I am a Dramione girlie, I loved The Rights & Wrongs series, loved The Auction. My expectations were through. the. roof.

And somehow, even those expectations weren’t only met, but exceeded.

This book is so *perfectly* The Auction, while also being the quintessential Romantasy book. If you love The Auction, you will be kicking your feet, screaming at the moments that are so special from that fic that are in this book. If you’ve never read The Auction, you will be kicking your feet, screaming at the absolute perfection that is this book.

The world is beautiful, thoughtful, creative, perfectly unique and immersive with an intricate magic system and equally compelling characters.

Our FMC, Briony Rosewood, is captivating, with a strength and fortitude that rivals our Golden Girl herself. Like the rest of the book, it is so obvious that she is inspired by Hermione Granger in The Auction, yet she stands alone, on her own merit and excellency.

Our MMC, Toven Hearst, is, in a word, delectable. He's witty, intelligent, and controlled, perfectly displaying one of my favorite characteristics in a MMC--restraint. If you somehow mix "touch her and you die" with "I'm not touching her because one I start, I'll never stop," you get Toven Hearst. Delectable, I tell you.

And arguably one of my favorite relationships in this book, SERENA & ORION! I was gobbling up CRUMBS from them as much as I was from Briony and Toven. Such a worthwhile addition to this book.

If you like…
- forced proximity
- dark fantasy romance
- rivals to lovers
- PINING
- political intrigue & fantastic worldbuilding
- dragons !!!!!!!!!!
- slow slow slow burn
…then you need to read this book. Even if you don’t like those things, you need to read this book.

Biggest thank you to Forever Pub & Julie Soto for an early copy of this book. I am beyond honored to have had the opportunity to read and review this book.

***Please read trigger warnings and take care of yourself first and foremost. This book is dark and handles deep themes that are at the heart of this story.***

I haven't read The Auction or any substantial fan fiction, really, but I was excited to read Rose in Chains and absolutely think it holds up as its own work of romantasy. Honestly, I felt more callbacks to the Handmaids Tale (the name Serena didn't help) than the Harry Potter universe. It's definitely a first book of a triology as the climax feels much more like a break into the second act rather than a true climax, but I will absolutely be tuning in for books two and three. Furthermore, I am absolutely certain that the diehard romantasy readers at our store will be obsessed. Characters were excellent, the writing was solid, and I didn't hate the flashback chapters like I usually do, so that's a 10/10.

I can’t believe I read this so far ahead of release day, because I will be suffering for the next four months wishing I could talk about this with my reader friends! Rose in Chains in a traditionally published version of Soto’s fan fiction, The Auction.

This story is set in a world with magical and nonmagical people, with the magical people divided into two factions who practice different types of magic. When one kingdom falls, Princess Briony’s life is going to be much different - and much darker. I won’t say any more because you need to read it for yourself.

I haven’t yet read The Auction, but I absolutely will be reading it soon! My only downside is that I didn’t realize that this is the start of a trilogy and now I’m desperate for more.

Whether or not dramione fan fiction is of you, you’re going to love this. It’s excellently written dark romantasy, and honestly, the wizarding world is so removed that without context, I don’t think I would have realized it was a dramione fic.

Thank you so much to the folks at NetGalley and Forever Publishing for granting me access to an advanced reader copy!

Another winner by Julie Soto! I do admit to reading the source material for this book, and I really like how she mirrored that story while also adding a lot of new elements. The magic structure was great and the tension between Briony and Toven was top notch. I will be highly recommending this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rose in Chains by Julie Soto follows a princess and her enemy who are thrown together during a war between their nations and their long-time chemistry ignites with their forced proximity.

I'm just going to say it--best read of 2025! As a huge fan of the Auction (the fanfiction this originally was), I had HIGH hopes going into it and Julie surpassed it. I'd say it's even better than the Auction. The scenes are cleaner, the tension between our two MCs is even higher, and the plot was faster paced and more cohesive. I actually really liked the magical aspect as well; it was such a fun exploration and felt very fresh and new.

I definitely don't think you need to have read the Auction to enjoy this, but I do think if you read the fanfic and loved it, you're going to be really happy with this revision. While there are a lot of favorite scenes that were revisited, there was also a huge twist/change at the end that wasn't in the original which I appreciated as it keeps the readers--even long-time fans--on their toes! Overall, a six-star read and absolutely my new favorite romantasy!

This is the best fantasy/romance/romantasy book I have read ever. I have never been so sucked into a book - making time stand still, but also pass so quickly. Reading Rose in Chains has put me into a reading slump like no other because of how fantastic it is. It reminded me of the fanfic I read at 13 where I would manipulate the AO3 filters in order to produce the most angsty piece of literature you could imagine. This is apt considering Rose in Chains started out as a fanfic.

I haven't stopped recommending Rose in Chains - which is a problem considering it doesn't come out for another four months. It is also a problem for me because I just want everyone I know to read it immediately.

Whenever I talk about this book, I quickly follow up with the fact that it has heavy themes of sexual assault and (sexual) slavery. This immediately throws people off, but I haven't quite worked out how to make that disclaimer, but also convey how special the book and relationships explored are. Like of course Briony and Toven have a special relationship that was so amazing to watch develop, but there are also the relationships between Briony and all the other women in the book, Toven and his allied, Briony and Toven's mother. The relationships in this book are so complex and worthy of praise and admiration.

I originally thought I would be reading Rose in Chains for the romance, but I actually became more fascinated with the plot. It was so strong and moved the book along so well. Don't get me wrong though, Briony and Toven's chemistry was INSANE. Literally had me gnawing at the bars of my encolsure... like... oh my god. But since this is book one in a trilogy, we don't really fully get into the romance (I'm also curious if there will really BE a romance).

I cannot believe how good this was. How much I loved it. I'm blessed to live in the same time as Julie Soto and her brain.

THE AUCTION AS ITS OWN FANTASY NOVEL IM SCREAMING!!!! The way this author was able to translate the story and the magic onto the page had me foaming at the mouth for more.

As a romantasy reader, I've noticed that there are many similarities between romantasy books. Although there were some elements that fell into the tried-and-true romantasy tropes, I thought Rose in Chains' plot was mostly innovative. I flew through this book! There were so many things that captivated me: the writing, the characters, the world, and the romance. Julie Soto's writing was fresh and easy to follow. I enjoyed the narrative and the way the main characters were written. The past chapters were sprinkled in appropriately and helped develop Briony and Toven's complicated past. A good part of the past scenes was set during Toven and Briony's school days. I wish their schooling was expanded on more. I felt like that aspect of the story was a little unclear. I just assumed it was similar to Harry Potter since this story started off as HP fanfic. One of my favorite school scenes was the willow tree chapter. Toven and Briony had qualities I like to see in romantasy characters. I liked Briony's character and her drive to save her people. The beginning of the book was very tough for her character and I liked her resilience. I did think that Soto could have expanded more on her grief. I wanted her grief to play more of a focal point in the story. Rory's death didn't play as big of a role with her character as I thought it would. Toven was brooding, protective, and mysterious. I ate up all of the information we got about him. Him having that green ribbon was adorable....I just wish there was a scene with the green ribbon. I imagine the future books will peel back the layers and mystery behind Toven and why he's resisting Briony. Enemies to lovers' fans will savor this book. There were a lot of side characters in this book. I did find it hard to track all of them at points. I liked the Hearst's, Larissa, and Finn. I did feel a little confused about Serena. Was she just in the house most of the time? Besides the stuff with her power, I wanted more clarification on what she was doing. I hope to see more of Larissa and Finn in the next book. There were times where Soto repeated plot points in the narration. Although it was a nice reminder of what was happening, it felt overdone at points. I found the magician world interesting. The politics of the world with the mind and heart magic was unique. The storyline with the Bombardi taking advantage of the heartspring was sad. I can't wait until everyone gets their revenge! I had some unanswered questions after finishing Rose in Chains. I still don't understand where non-magical people fit into the world. Are they all servants? I also thought the familiars could have been expanded on more. I would like the next book to have more information on familiars. I imagine we will learn/see more with that. I wasn't surprised by the ending of the book. I am eager to see what happens next. Despite there being some flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I will definitely be reading this book again and continuing on with the series. Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.