This was amazing?? I went in very blind to what the story was about and I’m so glad I did. I loved the characters and the story was so different and interesting. The world building was so well done and not confusing at all. Briony was a great main character who was very well crafted and complex and I’m really excited to follow her through the rest of the series. Toven, my man, I love him and thought his character was ALSO super well done with making him secretly good and his family is so nuanced. Even though it was originally a fanfic, I can see where the characters stemmed from but the plot is SO different and better in my opinion. I will be screaming about this book until it comes out and beyond then too.

Rose in Chains is a captivating and immersive fantasy that blends dark, high stakes romance with a complex world of magic and betrayal.

Briony Rosewood is a heroine who is both vulnerable and strong, and her journey from captive to player in a game of political and magical intrigue is truly engaging. After her kingdom is overtaken and her life turned upside down, Briony’s resilience shines through as she faces both external enemies and internal struggles. The world-building is fantastic, with the distinct magical systems of Mind and Heart Magic adding layers of depth to the story.

The romance between Briony and Toven is filled with emotional conflict and a mix of attraction, frustration, and forbidden tension. AND BOY IS THIS A SLOW BURN IF IVE EVER READ ONE.

The only reason it's not 5 stars is due to the fact it felt repetitive at times and possibly slightly dragged in the middle, although I appreciate the scene has to be set and the world and magic and politics explained, especially as this is the first book in a series. I will be intrigued to pick up book 2 to see where this story goes as I think this was a GREAT set up but things are going to start getting juicy in the next books.

I've read the fic that is based on but whoa Julie Soto, I am DYING. The tension was perfect, the angst, I just can't stop raving about this book. The world building could be a bit stronger but everything else makes up for it. FIVE STARS.

Wow!! I devoured this book in just a few short days ( lost lots of sleep over it but so worth it )

Rose in Chains by Julie Soto is an amazing book!! I thought I knew what to expect since this is based off of The Auction - but Julie did such an amazing job with her writing and made this story so original! She did an amazing job keeping what we all loved from The Auction, but scaling back and refining some of the scenes that were redundant or not needed.

I loved that she included flashbacks! This made the chemistry between Briony and Tovan make so much more sense! I loved the romance/tension! Loved that he is so respectful and protective towards her!

I also loved Tovan's parents! I can't wait to read more and will be counting down the days until the next book!

Thank you so much Netgalley and readforever for this eARC!

Hello??? I loved this. This book was so dark and twisty, totally not what I expected or knew I was in for. I read this whole thing in an afternoon. I just needed to know how it would end.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, and it did not disappoint!

I called off work because I was up all night devouring this and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. This is one of those books where as soon as you start you can't stop because of how quickly the story sucks you in.

This story is a rework of one of the classic Dramione fanfics, The Auction. As someone who read the fanfic and absolutely loved it, I was a little nervous about how this book would hold up. But let me tell you, this book was everything I loved about the fanfic and so much more. Plus, there are so many little call backs to the fanfic that you’ll see within the story that made it even more exciting to read.

Julie did an absolutely fantastic job at taking the fanfic and using it as a foundation to build and create such a unique fantasy world with so much depth, with the characters, storylines, political aspects, and even the magic system. Speaking of which, the magic system was one of my favorite things, especially with the different kinds and how they are used and intertwined with one another. It’s interesting the divide that the magic causes between Evermore and Bomard and their ideas of how the magic should be used and by who.

This is a darker story, so make sure you are checking your trigger warnings. But with that said, Briony and Toven have some of the best chemistry and banter I’ve ever read. They are very much the slow burn, enemies to lovers pairing, so if you enjoy that along with a lot of sexual tension, trauma, and witty banter, this is the perfect book for you!

The only downside of this book for me is that in the beginning, there are a lot of names and characters being brought up. At first, it was a little challenging to remember who was succeeded by who, which place in line they were, which territory they belonged to, and so forth. There is a guide that helps, and I did have to refer to it a few different times, but by the middle of the story, it got a lot easier to place and follow where each person was from and where/who their loyalties lie with.

Overall, this is the perfect story for anyone who enjoys a darker, more suspenseful fantasy book that is full of tension, slow-burn romance, political intrigue, dragons, a unique magic system, royalty, and so much more!

This has easily become one of my most favorite reads of this year and will be one that I re-read over and over again while waiting for book two!

I never thought I would be lucky enough to have received an ARC for this and I almost fell out of bed when I saw the email.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Forever for this eARC!

This book was a journey! Overall, this was a really interesting book. This is apparently related to another book The Auction which I haven’t heard of or read. I was seeing a lot of hype surrounding this so I naturally had to jump on the chance to read it. The world and the characters were pretty incredible.

This is pretty intense at times and kind of dark. It’s got a very heavy human traffíckíng vibe. For this review to make sense the jist is the FMC is being sold at an auction to the highest bidder. In my opinion it’s kind of a Romantasy/fantasy/dark Romantasy vibe. This is different from anything I’ve read and I really appreciated that aspect. The entire book is pretty action packed and exciting with a lot of things happening. The only thing negative I have to say an out his book is the chapters seemed long and it took me 3 weeks to read(I was sick). I predict this is being a very popular book!

⚠️possible trigger warnings

Thank you to @readforeverpub for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!

This is going to be one of my favorite Romantasy series, I already know after just the first book. How you may ask? Well I read the initial fanfic that inspired the book, and it became my entire personality from that point forward. To this day, it has been a benchmark story for me.

I honestly loved everything about this book, the pacing, the magic system Soto created, the romance, the banter, the stress..... honestly I'm annoyed with myself fangirling. My only complaint, in quite the Michael Scott fashion, is that it wasn't long enough (because it needed to be broken up into a multi-part book).

But seriously, Juli Soto's writing is so enjoyable. The flow of the book felt really natural and understanding her magic system wasn't overly difficult, which for me can happen often with fantasy novels. The romantic tension between the main characters was literally palpable, I was giggling and kicking my feet every time Toven tried to save Briony, or when Briony would try and practice the physical aspect their facade and he would push her away - literally ferallllll,

I want to immediately re-read it, so I'm going to be doing that very soon. Have I already re-read the entire fanfic universe this is based on? Yes.

Thank you to Julie Soto and Forever for an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. As someone who read it in its original fanfic format, I was super excited! I loved Briony and loved the romance part of this story. However, I felt that the world-building felt flat. It is hard to translate a fanfic based on multiple books into this. It felt condensed and I really could not get into the world as much as I have in other romance/fantasy, and wanted more from it. If Soto had given more time on world-building, not to try to trace the original fanfic, it would have been far more convincing for me.

Still, Soto is a talented writer that continues to impress.

I really wanted to love this one but I think it was just too constrained trying to stay in line with the fic. I wish she had just kept the concept instead of a more literal interpretation. The world building was also just a bit too clunky and choppy for the beginning so took me a bit to get into it. I still liked the characters a lot just didn't like the pacing of the plot.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have a lot of feelings about this book and not all of them will be popular. Actually maybe none of them.

I love Julie Soto's work. Her romance novels are wonderful, and her writing is beautiful.

So it pains me to say that this one... is lacking. The world building is extensive and interesting, the politics are intriguing, the characters themselves are fleshed out and complex. But the MC. Maybe it's because I know the source material for this particular work and therefore am biased, but if Briony is meant to be HG coded... I think the mark is missed. How is she brilliant and yet clueless? People have consistently talked about plans right in front of her and she still has an air of confusion.

(SPOILERS)

This man spent a literal fortune and apparently traded something unspeakable for her and she doesn't understand why? She has her own room, consistent meals, clean clothes, AND bodily autonomy, yet never questions why this is? He cannot look at her, touch her, talk to her too much, and yet has saved her from an unspeakable fate, and she can't read between the lines? There is a very big difference in being sheltered as a princess and being comically naive. Her fellow schoolmates and friends are being drugged, SA'ed, used as magical batteries and she just... reads. There is no way a person who consistently fights for the oppressed is given all these privileges without asking nonstop questions and fighting for answers. She is perfectly fine to just accept the answers as they are given to her on a silver platter, and to me that is the opposite of her origin character.

Again, maybe I'm basing too much of this on what I know of HG. But lets be real. Even as her own character, Briony needs to get a f*cking clue.

umm, where do I even begin? Prepare to be sick of me with this being my whole personality. Julie can already do no wrong but MAN, I was enthralled the whole time. I am so dang excited that this is becoming a trilogy because I am obsessed!
The tension, chemistry, slow burn.... were EVERYTHING.
I am so invested in Briony and Toven's forbidden romance and I cannot freaking wait to see where this series goes.

Thank you for the review copy! I want to state that I deeply appreciate the trigger warnings at the start of this book. I made it to chapter 8 before I no longer felt comfortable reading the book. I want to emphasize that that is a me thing, and in no way should reflect negatively on the book. The trigger warnings are there for a reason and I urge everyone to read them.

Briony Rosewood's brother and heir to the thrown of Evermore is dead and she has been captured. They have loss the war and there is nothing she can do about it. Stripped of her magic and sent into auction Briony tries to keep her head high for the other survivors. However, during the intense auction Briony is sold to Toven Hearst, a former classmate known for his family's cruelty. Just as all hope seems lost she begins to find beacons of hope and rebellion all around her. A fire is reignited in her to fight this dictatorship from the inside, and her allies may be closer than she ever imagined...

Soto has created an intense and dark world full of secrets, power plays and deception; I hung on to every word. Briony while a captive never lost her strength nor her fight. She does not need a dark cloaked prince to save her. She is intelligent, witty and so lovable. I throughly enjoyed her character development as bits of her history were revealed. Toven Hearst is determined, cunning and intentional. He has set expectations, plans and does what he thinks is best for those he loves. Together they are a powerhouse, but this isn't just a romance, it's not even mostly a romance. This is the story of two characters who are fighting for those they love and for what they believe in. I am so excited to see where their story goes next, I already know this will be put on my re-read shelf.

I have emerged from Rose in Chains absolutely unhinged. Julie Soto has officially ruined me, and I am so, so grateful.

From the very first page, this book had me in chains—obsessively turning pages, breathlessly devouring every lush, decadent, and tension-filled moment. The stakes? Sky-high. The yearning? PAINFUL. The slow burn? DIABOLICAL. I was on the verge of throwing my Kindle multiple times, but I was also clutching it like my life depended on it.

This book delivers EVERYTHING.
🔥 Enemies to lovers (with a history)
🔥 Political intrigue and shifting alliances
🔥 Banter so sharp it could cut
🔥 Forced proximity that had me screaming
🔥 DRAGONS.

Julie’s storytelling is magic. The world-building is immersive, the characters are flawed yet irresistible, and the romance??? The kind of gut-wrenching, all-consuming pining that leaves you wrecked in the best way.

And THE CLIFFHANGER??? I am feral over it. I need book two like I need air. If anyone needs me, I’ll be in a corner, rereading and spiraling.

Final verdict: Read this. Lose sleep over it. Join me in my suffering. You won’t regret it.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Julie Soto, and the publisher (Read Forever Pub) for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

I ate this book up.

Rose in Chains attempts to adapt a wildly popular Dramione fanfic into an original IP, and mostly pulls it off. This book tackles some very heavy themes, so I would recommend checking the trigger warnings before diving into the story.

Where this book really excels is with the romance plot. If you’re someone who loves your romance to be slow burn, messy, where they’re both down bad but won’t admit it, you’re going to LOVE this, like I did. One second, they’re trading barbs, and the next, they can’t keep their eyes or hands off of each other. Chef's kiss, no notes.

The world-building in this book wasn’t great. The great part about writing fanfic is that you don’t have to develop the world because it already exists based on the existing IP you’re drawing from. When adapting a fic to an original work, you need to essentially rebuild the world from the ground up, and Julie Soto didn’t really do that. The world exists just barely enough to allow the plot to move forward. I’m hoping that, going into future books, we get to learn and see more of the world.

The main villain does not translate well from the fic (Voldemort). Nothing happens that justifies how this person was able to essentially take over the kingdom or why they evoke such fear and loyalty from people. I think this also stems from the fact that these characters needed a lot more backstory than what we ultimately got. This book doesn’t have the luxury of an eight-book series to pull context from.

If you’ve read The Auction or HP fanfics, you’ll enjoy this a lot. If you haven’t, I think the amount of enjoyment you’ll have will depend on how much stock you put in world-building and character development.

I really enjoyed this book. I think Julie is a brilliant writer. Will be ordering for our library. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this arc!

Where do I start? This book is magnificent.
If you love a mysterious, plot-heavy slow burn, read this book.
If you love a secret yearning, broody, protective MMC, read this book.
If you love a headstrong, capable, somewhat dense FMC, yep. Read. This. Book.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review one of my most anticipated reads of 2025!
Rose in Chains is an upcoming fantasy romance novel, the first in a trilogy by Julie Soto. Two kingdoms, each with a different primary style of magic: heart magic where our MMC lives, and mind magic where our FMC lives. The MMC (Toven) lives in the kingdom of heart magic, where a new ruler has come to power on a platform of propaganda that FMC’s (Briony) kingdom’s mind magic is a form of brainwashing. Briony is the princess of her kingdom, and when it falls she is sold at auction to Toven - a boy she knows from the magic school where both kingdoms sent their magical children to be trained. Briony navigates her newfound situation while Toven rises in the ranks of power in his kingdom, and they fight the feelings they’ve denied since their school days….

This is a very dark, sloooooow burn enemies-to-lovers story that doesn’t get very spicy in the first book. (Have faith, I know from the source material that that burn will absolutely EXPLODE when we get it.) What do we get? Top-tier 🥵fantasies; delicious tension; yearning; chemistry; forced proximity; secrets; political intrigue; and a DRAGON. Before you read the book, review the trigger warnings if you’re a sensitive reader.

As a huge fan of the source material, I can confidently say that I am MORE than happy with this adaptation. After a month-long reading slump, I finally cracked Rose in Chains…then barely set it down for two days. Not only does this book fulfill every “Saturday Girls’” expectations, it gives us a whole new setting, new magic systems, and intriguing new plotlines to keep the adapted version from feeling redundant. Not that we would have cared. 😁

Every scene and “Easter Egg” you could hope for is here, guys! The way I kicked my feet and squealed out loud so many times haha 😍If you loved The Auction, you’re going to love this book. If you’ve never read The Auction, you’re still going to love this book.
I thought Briony was a much more polished character (and less annoying) in this version. I really like her. Toven is perfection, just like his OG version. Toven’s parents, Serena and Orion, are just as wonderful as their OG versions as well.

I do wish the magic system was a little more sophisticated, but I suppose we still have time to see it develop. The ending had something I expected and something new that I never suspected–which left me gasping for more. I’ll be eagerly anticipating the next release!

*screams in I didn't realize this was a trilogy*

As a Julie Soto fan and a former Harry Potter fanfic writer, I was thrilled to read this. I also went in fairly blind, which was both great and terrible. Generally, I knew too much to be able to forget that this was based on HP, which distracted me from an otherwise interesting and very dark storyline. I also thought we would see more romance in this book since it's being marketed as such. Instead, it was a slow burn that went nowhere and I have to deal with that until a second book arrives. Or until I read the fanfic it was based on. Either way, I look forward to the conclusion and will be impatiently waiting until then.