I was a huge fan of "The Auction" and this was actually EVEN BETTER! I'll admit, the names threw me off quite a bit but once I got over that, this absolutely exceeded all my expectations. I read this in two days.

The character development was rich—enough that you wouldn't need to know this was originally a fanfic.

The story's romance development is SO well done that, even without any explicit scenes, you get the tingles and feel like you're right in Briony's silk dresses. You know exactly where it's going and you can't help but want MORE.

This ends on a cliffhanger and I am literally foaming at the mouth for book 2.

All the hype is worth it because this dark romantasy is the next big thing! Booktok is going to eat this Hermoine/Malfoy retelling UP! (It was originally a AO3 project)

Rose in Chains follows the journey of a princess of a fallen kingdom navigating the harsh new world of her captors who have “chained” her magic and auctioned her off to the highest bidder…her rival from school

Heads up, this is an ongoing series so no HEA and ends on a cliffhanger.

From the very first page, “Rose in Chains” by Julie Soto grabbed me and didn't let go! Be warned, though… this is a super slow burn. We're talking 95% of the book before even the most basic romantic gestures unfold. But trust me, it's worth every agonizing moment.

The premise immediately drew me in, and the world building was incredibly easy to follow, allowing me to fully immerse myself in Briony's harrowing journey. I was on the edge of my seat, caught in that classic reader's dilemma of wanting to race through to find out what happens next, yet also needing to slow down and savor every word. This book was truly un-put-down-able. The tension! The pining! My anxiety was at an all time high, leaving me utterly jittery with anticipation.

Briony is brave, resilient, and utterly captivating. And Toven? Oh, Toven. He's intelligent, witty, and so incredibly controlled. When he finally lets go of that restraint and we catch glimpses of his softer side, it's pure perfection. He embodies that irresistible "touch her and die" vibe, coupled with an almost unbearable "I won't touch her because I'm down too bad" internal struggle. To the surprise of absolutely no one, I am completely obsessed with him.

This book is as close to a 5 star romantasy as you can get for me. We’re talking “Fourth Wing” levels. My only wish was for more answers, more heat, just more of everything, but that just makes me desperately crave the next installment.

If you're a fan of dark fantasy romance featuring captor/captive dynamics, emotional trauma, and painfully slow burns that might just wreck you in the best possible way, then you absolutely need to add “Rose in Chains” to your TBR pile.

Listen I am a diehard Dramione lover and fic writer myself, but I don't think it was fair to have Rose in Chains release on the same day as The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy. While Rose in Chains is good, it wasn't my favorite and does not hold a candle to the other.

This book was chillingly good, and stayed with me long after I finished reading. Julie Soto has a gift for world-building, and also for writing flashback in a way that makes them feel visceral and lived in for the reader (not easy to do!). Briony and Toven's dynamic and relationship is also given the care it needs: it feels weird to say something NEEDS to be a slow burn, but I can't think of a better place for that to apply than here. It needs to be a slow burn, and Soto delivers on that front, with plenty of angst to keep us going. I can't wait for the rest of this series

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the *free* ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let me be clear: Rose in Chains did not gently hold me captive—it chained me to the floor and whispered “one more chapter” until I looked up and realized hours had passed. I am UNWELL, and I mean that in the absolute best way.

As a Dramione girlie and certified Julie Soto fangirl, I was already sold, but this book went above and beyond. Yes, the story will be familiar if you read and loved The Auction. Yes, there's war, captivity, and magic. But this is not just a repackaging. Rose in Chains takes the familiar and spins it into something wholly its own.

The war is over. The wrong side won. Briony Rosewood—spare heir & mind magic prodigy—is captured and sold to the highest bidder. Unfortunately for her (and very fortunately for us), that bidder is Toven Hearst, former school rival and heir to a notoriously cruel family of heart magicians. What follows is forced proximity, slow-burn tension, emotional whiplash, and an obscene amount of yearning.

Beneath the yearning and tension lies a story of what love looks like when it’s tangled in politics, power, and the unravelling of a girl who was never supposed to survive, let alone rise.

Briony is a top-tier heroine—smart, sharp, and impossible not to root for. I absolutely loved her. Her arc, from “my brother was the chosen one” to “maybe the world should fear me instead,” is deeply satisfying, and I can’t wait to watch her power—and this story—continue to unfold.

Toven Hearst is everything a romantasy love interest should be—morally grey, dripping with angst, and a certified yearner.

The Hearst family (and extended circle) are equally compelling—I’m especially obsessed with Serena and Larissa—and I can’t wait to dig deeper into their dynamics as the trilogy unfolds.

The magic system is well developed and easy to understand: mind magic vs. heart magic, with political and ethical implications that actually impact the plot and characters. There are no info-dumps; we learn more about the world as the story develops.

The plot itself is balanced like a dagger on a fingertip. Romance, politics, magic, trauma, and resistance all woven together.

This book does NOT shy away from darkness. There are real, heavy themes here—enslavement, bodily autonomy, inherited violence—but Soto handles them with care.

If you’re a fan of slow-burn enemies to lovers, complex moral grey areas, a little magical scheming, and a lot of repressed feelings set in a deeply built fantasy world: Rose in Chains is your next obsession.

Six stars. Book two, please. Yesterday.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Oh how it pains me to give my most anticipated release only 3⭐️

Ambitious and atmospheric, but struggles with pacing and emotional depth.

Rose in Chains blends slow-burn romance with a sweeping fantasy world, but the execution doesn’t quite live up to its potential. The story introduces a large cast of characters and a complex conflict early on, but offers too little worldbuilding to fully ground readers in the stakes. Emotional beats fall flat, and key relationships—especially between the heroine and her brother—feel more told than shown.

That said, the romance is a highlight. Though incredibly slow-burning, it offers moments of warmth and intrigue. The male lead shows glimpses of a layered backstory, but readers may wish for more moral complexity and earlier development.

Fans of fanfic-inspired romantasy may still find something to love here, but those looking for tight plotting or deep emotional resonance may find it a mixed bag. Book two might deepen this world—but this one doesn’t quite stick the landing.

My rating: 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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.

I loved this and I needed MORE!! I can't wait for the next book to come out, and this one isn't even out yet. I actually have not read the original fanfic that this book came from, but I found it online and was going back and forth comparing the two. I am so amazed at how well Julie Soto was able to take that source material and fully change it to make it new and fresh. I loved the world. The magic system was super cool and unique and not like the source material at all. The characters were swooney and exciting. I need more of it all! I had a perfect movie playing in my head the whole time while reading. Highly recommend to anyone that wants a fun swoon-worthy romantasy read <333

I loved this! I have not read the fanfic it was based on, so I came in blind. Incredibly dark but also deeply romantic, this book was such a wonderful surprise. It hit on all the things that I want from a romantasy without falling into the same overdone tropes. I loved Briony-- she never gave up, even in incredibly difficult circumstances. Toven is such a mystery, and I loved the extreme slow burn between him and Briony-- definitely on insta-love here. The world was very interesting, although perhaps felt slightly smaller than it could have. Still, I'm very excited to see it built out further in the sequel. I thought the magic system was very interesting as well. This is a very dark read, so definitely check the trigger warnings!

I have to say first and foremost that Julie Soto has range! This is probably my favorite work of hers to date. The world building was at just the right pace along with the character development. I was invested in the story that by the end i was very excited and am heavily anticipating book 2.

Now, i know this used to be a popular fan fiction, but i felt like this was very much able to create unique characters, story, and experiences that i felt like it was able to stand alone without the backbone of the original story and world it was pulled from. There were still some nods to the original and there were definitely themes and scenes that remain faithful to the spirit of fanfic that i think fanfic readers will appreciate and love.

I will definitely be recommending this one, even with the mature content and themes in this book. Obviously, please read the author’s note and content warnings in the beginning, but I immensely enjoyed this and will be waiting for the next one!

This was a really thrilling story, the tension was great. No spice, so if that's what you're into, you're not gonna get it here. I'm hoping book 2 will develop more of their relationship. I'm excited to see where they story goes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*Note: Please check the triggers of the book before reading ♡ Taking care of yourself and your peace is important.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book because I typically avoid darker books or ones with smut/sexual themes. I actually didn't dislike this book at all though.

Let's get into it. Our main character, Briony, is the newly captured princess of Eversun and faces a life of servitude as she is auctioned off with her magic stripped away. She is bought by our MMC who was both her rival in school and her old crush.

The premise alone would not be in my typical wheelhouse BUT this book delivers on its promises of intrigue, romance, and magic.

It was a tense read and at times, the triggers were a little too much for me but I felt myself utterly enveloped in the story, never wanting to set it down. The parts that interested me most were the beautiful ways Soto wove rebellion into the actions of the captured. There are these powerful moments of unity with the enslaved that just made me pause in awe and hope, much the way I think Briony feels in those moments. I felt angry and sad and so much more through this book and it really showcased Soto's way of connecting with the audience and making us feel.

I think this book was very well done and I will be reading book two when it comes out. I would definitely recommend this read but with caution as it is very intense and dark.

Review to come on IG (@seas.library) before pub date.

“I am accustomed to having the finest thing in the room, after all.”

୨⎯ 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒔 ⎯୧
rating: 5
plot: 5
characters: 4.5
writing: 4.5
romance: 4.5
spice: 1.5

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

“I’m not sure how many more times I need to say it. That heartspring is mine. Her mouth is mine, her magic is mine, her skin is mine. You will not touch her, under any circumstances.”

°•*⁀➷ what to expect
sloooooow burn
sexual tension
hate to love
enemies to lovers
magic
morally grey mmc
dramione
forced proximity
incredible world-building
fantasy politics
rebellion
manacled vibes
“touch her and die”
past and present timeline
cliffhanger ending
toven hearst, that is all!

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

“I suppose I never sought anyone who obeys easily.”

°•*⁀➷ my thoughts

this was absolutely amazing. i devoured this book and couldn’t wait to read more, at the same time trying to take it in knowing it’ll be too long before the next book.

i knew this was a dramione inspired story but i didn’t realize until midway that it was actually a full fanfiction trilogy on AO3. i am kind of glad i didn’t read The Auction beforehand because i would’ve been too busy comparing the two to truly enjoy it. it was honestly hard trying to compare it to HP fanfiction because it was its own fantasy world and characters, the only resemblance to HP was Briony and Toven, so i’m very impressed!

The story follow Briony Rosewood, aka ”the Rose in Chains”, and the captivity and selling of the Eversuns by the Bormardi once they have taken over control. In the last chapters we see the Eversuns and Bormardi in school together, their dynamics strained already while trying to remain peaceful and the growing interactions between Briony and Toven. Her brother, Rory, is the heir to the throne, basically given all the privileges while Briony is far smarter and stronger, she helps her brother out so much while he leaves her in the dust too often—what a kind twin he is!!!

The girl friendships grew a lot as the story progressed, even between enemies a small friendship could be formed, barely, and i’m intrigued to see just how farther it will grow in the series. Meanwhile, Tovens group of friends are disgusting, but he’s got to make face to stay in good graces with them and the villain of the story.

the fact that Julie Soto wrote romance books before publishing this and has a thriller published is also incredible, she has such a wide range of genres already and she’s just getting started. I can’t wait to follow her along with the journey.

the cliffhanger is so interesting though!!!! what does it mean, what’s going to happen now? will Briony and Tovens slow burn ever ignite in flames????? i need the second book asap!!!!

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“What manners? I’m no gentleman, I’ve been told.”

ᝰ.ᐟ thank you so much Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Julie Soto for the early arc, i’m so greatful to read it early and am absolutely obsessed. find me yapping about this book for the next few months!

unfortunately this one lost me. i don’t think the book was set up very well and lacked world building

okay the last 20% bumped this up to 4 stars cause WOW. toven is a new book boyfriend added to the list i don't care. briony just grew into herself through this book, i feel like we know her now, what drives her, what her goals are. this trilogy is gonna be SO GOOD!!! the banter, the magic, the world building, so well done. it took me some time to get into it but once i was in it - i was there.

highly recommend, thank you netgalley for the arc!!

The war is over. The world is forever changed. The dark forces of Bomard prevailed. Briony and the other survivors were auctioned off to the highest bidder and she’s sold to none other than Toven. A scion of a family known for their cruel control of Heart Magic and selfish objectives. The future may look dark but she’s not willing to give up the fight yet.

I enjoyed the main characters and tropes. You can’t go wrong with enemies to lovers and the slow burn makes it that much sweeter.

I adore Julie Soto and I’m so glad other readers will have a chance to discover her work. That said I’m a romance girlie and this one’s a bit to high fantasy for my taste.

That said I’m positive that more avid fantasy readers will enjoy this one.

Read this if you like
💜Romantasy
🫶🏼Forced proximity
✨Enemies to lovers
🔥Slow burn

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

Rose in Chains has everything I love in a good romantasy: romantic tension, enemies to lovers dinamic, a dramione coded couple and a solid world building. I loved to read all the adaptions made to make the fanfiction work as a traditionally published book without taking out the heart of the original work.

I had high hopes for Rose in Chains and Julie Soto delivered once again and did not disappoint. This is exactly what I want in a romantasy. This story definitely has a darker tone than other romantasy stories that I’ve read, and the story does not shy away from heavy topics (check trigger warnings). This story follows Briony and Toven, who are enemies in a world of warring kingdoms. This book has an interesting magic system and political intrigue, with a plot that was well-paced. The stakes felt high and the plot was addictive and kept me turning the pages to see what happens next. I loved the characters and the tension!

Briony and Toven are the best part of the story and it is a slow burn that is top tier and I was obsessed the whole time. I kept waiting eagerly for the characters to just tell each other how they felt. It had enemies to lovers, miscommunication, forced proximity, angst, banter, and yearning! Some of the situations that Briony and Toven had themselves in had me on the edge of my seat. I literally cannot wait to see what happens next with their relationship. And Toven! Toven was the perfect intriguing MMC being broody, mysterious, secretive and closed-off (but sometimes you get to see his real feelings and emotions slip through the cracks in his mask, and those moments were amazing). He is very protective and soft, but he hides it behind his mask of indifference. I cannot wait to see more of Toven in book 2 and see him open up more to Briony.

Rose in Chains definitely solidified itself as one of my favorite books read this year and I am eagerly awaiting the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever publishing for an eARC!!!

Rose in Chains is a story of Briony Rosewood who is the princess of Evermore. At the beginning of the story, she has so much hope as her family goes to war with the Bomard. From the start, it’s clear the Evermore are outmatched and we’re following Briony as the castle is stormed and she tries to escape but it doesn’t happen.

Briony is captured along with the rest of the other women. From there, they find out that they’re headed to an auction. They’ll be auctioned off to the highest bidder but not before being stripped of their Mind Magic and having their ability to have children completely removed. Sounds like a fate worse than death for some.

At first, it seems like Briony is going to someone else before Toven Hearst swoons in and gets her for himself. She is purchased with Larissa, one of her frenemies from school. We watch as Briony struggles with the loss of her brother, her freedom and the attraction she can’t seem to stop towards Toven.

As someone who didn’t watch the Harry Potter movies, I can honestly say that I did see glimmers of it but Rose in Chains stood on its own. However, if you like Harry Potter, I’m sure the connections will be much more obvious. While I adored all the character work Julie Soto put in, I have to say that it did take me a while to warm up to the romance between these two which makes sense. However, the romance was one of the aspects I’m hoping to see expanded in future books.

While this isn’t going to be my favorite Julie Soto, it does have me intrigued to see what she’s going to do with this world and these characters. The end of this book leaves a lot of questions unanswered, so it’s unclear where we’re going next.