Thank you to NetGally and Hachetter Audio for an audiobook arc of this title for review!

I knew I would love this book, I loved the source material and Julie Soto’s 2 adult romance books so I knew this would be 5 stars. Just mind the TW (seriously though). There’s so many reviews about the content and I got the audiobook specifically so I’d like to focus on that.

I think the audiobook narrator does an excellent job with this story. I’ve never listened to anything with Ella Lynch and I think she has a really unique accent (her page says she’s British but she has a cool accent I haven’t heard before).

I think she gives Briony’s voice that naive sort of young sounding but spoiled princess vibe. It fits the character so well.

She does really well with the male characters too, not everyone can pull off both genders. If you’re familiar with the story you know how smarmy and lecherous some of the male characters are and I think she nailed it.

This would be a great title to immersion read to really enhance the story. 5 stars for the book, 5 stars for the audiobook, why not both? :)

Some was able to get the audio ALC for this and so am
So glad I did as it made me enjoy the book a bit more than my first read. It allowed me to get engaged a bit more and the parts where I struggled to stay focused the first time were smoothed out by the narration.

Ella Lynch did a great job with the narration. She has a sweet speaking voice with a clear English accent which adds to the enjoyment; for me at least. She spoke at a great 1x pace and handled the different voices well. She also gave enough emotion to enrich the prose but without going overboard and not affecting the readers ability to create their own picture in their head or make their own interpretations. I look forward to other books narrated by Ms Lynch.
I can recommend both versions equally but the audio does help enrich it a bit more so give it a go!

I was so excited to get approved for this book as I loved another of Julie Soto’s books that recently came out. In the end I am glad I read it and enjoyed it for its solid writing. However, I think I would have been more satisfied had I been a Harry Potter fanfic reader, but I have never read “The Auction” or any other Dramione stories.

It did take me a minute to get into and you have to be super focused due to the split timeline with a ton of information. Many will be unsettled with the slavery piece especially in the light the recent “Firebird” debacle but this was definitely different. I don’t want to give any spoilers so let’s just say that its approach and how it was handled was completely different and more socially/ethically acceptable.

I will say that Ms Soto has a way with words that grabs you and leaves you with an impression long after they are read. By the end of the book I was very engaged and now looking forward to the sequel as I have a feeling I’ll enjoy it even more with where the plot is and my personal enjoyment of topics.

This book comes out on July 8th 2025 with a gorgeous special edition and sprayed edges. So I highly suggest you pre order it now to ensure a copy.


I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary eARC from Forever Publishing and the ALC from Hachette Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

🎧🌹 Five Stars for the Audiobook Magic 🌹🎧

Okay, so Rose in Chain absolutely destroyed me in the best way, but the audiobook?? Took that destruction, wrapped it in velvet and fire, and whispered it directly into my soul.

First of all, the narration is perfection. The voice actor for Briony captures her strength and quiet fury so well, I wanted to cry half the time, and the other half I was blushing on the sidewalk like some sort of Victorian ghost widow. It’s the kind of performance that makes you forget you're listening to a book and instead feel like you’re living inside it. Which, honestly, terrifying.....but hot.

Every emotion hits harder in audio. The despair, the defiance, the insane chemistry between enemies who absolutely should not fall for each other but DO??? I was hanging on every word, pacing my house, completely gone for these two broken souls figuring out how to be whole again.

The production quality is crisp, immersive, and never pulls you out of the moment. Honestly, it gave the entire story an extra layer of intensity and intimacy I didn’t know I needed, but now I’ll never go back.

If you love dark fantasy, forbidden romance, and audiobooks that feel like spells, you need this in your ears immediately.

Arc received from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC for this as an audiobook and went into it completely blind. Ultimately I enjoyed my experience listening to this - the narration, plot, and world building were very engaging. It took me less than 2 days to finish, and I was genuinely disappointed when I realized I didn't have more story left to read.

However, at the halfway mark I was asking myself why this reads so much like a fan fiction. One of the best written fan fictions I've ever read, but still fan fiction. Sure enough, that's where the original story comes from. If you love that writing style, I'm sure you will absolutely love this book. And if you hate fan fiction then this may be a skip for you. I'm somewhere in the middle and still enjoyed it!

My only true complaint is that this book handles a lot of dark topics, but they are sometimes glorified or shown in a lighter way than what I would have liked. I've even seen a lot of reviews for this book that seem a little out of touch with the topics that it discusses. It's like if someone were to describe the handmaids tale as "sexy". Some of these things are obviously outside of the author's control, and I do appreciate the warning at the beginning of the book. However, there's moments in the actual book that just didn't sit right with me.

I will say that I loved the narration for the audiobook! I can be picky with the way voices sound, but this narrator was great. The voices for some of the "bad" characters occasionally came across a little silly sounding, but there's only so much you can do without a full cast audiobook.

Overall, a solid read. I really hope that future installments focus a little more on the interesting world politics and magic system as a way to work against the darker topics introduced in book one!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ARC!

4.5 ⭐️

What a ride! Rose in Chains is a romantasy that is (apparently) based on the same author's fanfic work The Auction, a "Dramione" (Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger) story, that I had not read. I am a fan of the Harry Potter world and could definitely see the connections in this book.

I was gifted an advanced listeners copy of the audiobook version and right away I was hooked. The audiobook was excellent, the narrator did a wonderful job taking an already good story and making it more enjoyable.

The story was well-written, with interesting characters and a fascinating storyline. It does end on a cliffhanger, and it appears there will be three books in the series (at this date, but know knows...) I started this book not knowing it was based on fanfic, but almost immediately was able to pick up that it was. I suppose for some people this could be a negative, I didn't have a problem with it. I wasn't totally surprised by the cliffhanger, there were enough breadcrumbs sprinkled in the book to take away the shock. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series and am disappointed I'll have to wait to read them.

Rose in Chains delivers the romantasy vibes I’ve been wanting for a while. I partially read the Auction and stopped once I knew that this book was being published with a revamped narrative. The changes made were fine with me.

The pace is fast and definitely has a hook to keep you reading. At first I didn’t really care for the flashbacks but the appeal grew later in the book. Do I think the narrative can be wrapped up in Book 2? I hope so because we have a lot of ground to cover.

Oh and yes this is a SLOW BURN. The slowest of slow.

The audiobook definitely leans into the Harry Potter notations (trying to sound like Emma Watson as Hermione? That’s a choice that I’m not sure how I feel about. At times it felt like a parody).

Anyways after failing to get a digital arc I want to thank Hachette Audio for audiobook!

This was not my cup of tea. I DNF'd this one at 35%
I am giving this read 2 stars because I know there are many people who will absolutely love this book.

Unfortunately, I went into this not knowing that it is a Dramoine fanfic?
While I love a good fanfic, this one should have stayed a fanfic.

I was struggling to listen to the audiobook, which is honestly surprising to me since audios are usually easy for me to get through even if I am not 100% invested.
I think there is definitely an audience for this book, as I felt that it was written fairly well. I simple found this read to be confusing and boring. I tried to push through but on my third day of listening to it, the simple idea of listening to the book caused me to grimace. I have learned that life is too short to read something I am not completely loving.

I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for a honest review.

First I want to thank NetGalley and Hackett Audio for the early copy of the audiobook.

I know this is the published version of the auction fanfic but I didn’t feel as much of an emotional connection as I did with the auction (I understand the need to change the characters and certain parts of the story). Overall the story is good I didn’t know it was going to be a trilogy. Writing is good however I felt very confused in the beginning of the story with all the characters (might be easier to follow if reading). The book took awhile to get going with flashbacks. I would say I wasn’t really interested in the story until about 60% in. Audiobook is not a duet (I prefer) but was still a good listen. I will give props to the voice narrator as she had to do multiple characters but felt like there wasn’t a lot of emotion or change in voice to the characters which made it a bit more difficult to tell when different characters are interacting (I also understand how this can be difficult as it’s not just two characters but multiple characters through the book). Overall the story and audio are good just maybe my expectations where to high based on the authors fanfic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the narration! Ella Lynch did an amazing job. I typically prefer duet narration but I really appreciated Ella's performance and thought it was just excellent. I thought the production was great, volume and quality was really well done. I listened to it in just over a day which is SO FAST for me in terms of audiobook listening!

Rose in Chains is quite dark and follows Briony, the twin to the slain king after their kingdom falls. All the captured nobles are sent to The Auction, where they are bid on to be used for their magic and bodies. Briony is purchased by Toven Hearst, a former classmate and member of the cruel Hearst family. The tension between Briony and Toven was so well done and his immense care and respect for her autonomy and choices despite the terrible circumstances just shows that he is not all he seems. The flashbacks and time jumps are well placed and completely advance the story whilst not giving everything and character motivations away.

I relistened to quite a few scenes as Ella Lynch really captured the emotion of the passage and I really felt it while listening.

Thank you Hachette Audio and Netgalley for the advance listening copy! I can't wait to read it when it comes out.

This was not my bag, if you catch my meaning. I enjoyed her other works, but this just is not for me.

Rose in Chains by JulieSoto
“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, the world as Briony Rosewood knows it is changed forever. Stripped of her Magic and her freedom, Briony and the other survivors are quickly sold off to the highest bidders in an auction and as Evermore’s princess, she fetches the highest price. After a fierce bidding war, she’s sold to none other than Toven Hearst, scion of a family known for their cruelty. Yet despite the horrors… help and hope may yet arise in the most unlikely of places.”

I ended up DNFing around Chapter 29. While the premise had strong foundation, I struggled to stay engaged for several reasons:
• As a fantasy reader, character depth and plot urgency matter most to me and I found both lacking. I didn’t feel emotionally connected or invested in the outcome.
• The book delves into very dark territory including rape, violence, and captivity but without the emotional weight or sense of urgency that such heavy themes deserve.
• The romantic/sexual tension between Briony and her captor felt uncomfortable and out of place, especially given the scale of atrocities unfolding. This made me realize that dark romance with captor-captive dynamics isn’t a genre I can embrace.

Audiobook Notes: Production and narration were solid. I personally prefer dual narrators for romantic arcs, but the narrator here performed well and didn’t distract from my reading experience.

Final Thoughts
This book wasn’t the right fit for me not due to quality or writing, but because I need emotional investment and momentum in fantasy. Fans of dark romance and “enemies-to-lovers” tropes might connect with Briony and Toven’s dynamic, but as someone who prioritizes deep character bonds and high-stakes plot, I couldn’t sustain my interest past Chapter 29.

I’d like to thank Hachette Audio for sending me this audio arc x I truly appreciate it.

Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🤩
Thank you so much netgallery and Hachette Audio!
This book I don’t even know where to begin. Tension in this book the yearning in this book!! Five stars is an understatement for this one. I did not read the fanfic that this is based on, but I went into it not knowing anything but what it was about and it was not disappointing. The narrator of this book did such an amazing job with the voices and having you identify who is who. I absolutely think she fit perfectly for our main character.I would give this 10 stars the relationship between our main characters in the dynamic that they are put in such a unique way of doing it. I absolutely adored our Briony and Toven. The story of this book kept me engaged the whole entire time. I was obsessed with all of it in the plot twist that just kept coming, had me so shocked and surprised. Briony is such a lovable character. Her growth throughout this book is beautiful and I absolutely can’t wait to see how much she grows in the next . That ending in the cliffhanger oh my gosh I cannot believe that I still have to wait until July 8 just for this to come out and who knows how much longer until the second book is out! I will definitely recommend this to everybody if you love romantic see with heavy plot I’d say this is right up your path! Make sure to go in pre-order it. It has a gorgeous deluxe version on Amazon and it comes out July 8th!


I will definitely be sharing to my Instagram @sky_loves_books!

Julie Soto is quickly becoming an auto read author for me, after reading my first book of hers “The thrashers” and really enjoying the mystery and paranormal aspects of the book, I wanted to give “Rose in Chains” a try, and I’m glad I did.

Julie’s writing in this book is so stunning, it has a poetic and almost gothic sense to the writing although the main character i would describe as bold, bright and colourful and the imagery descriptions are very vivid.

I’d recommend giving this a try. I’m excited to dig deeper into the authors profile and see what other books she’s released!

Thank you for the gifted copy,

Publish date is July 8th

Thank you Hachette and Julie Soto.

This was my first audiobook request/review with netgalley. I ran to request when I seen it was available....

Fist and foremost. Im a huge fan of Julie, originating from the love of her fan fics.

This story's original inspiration was from Julie's fan fic the auction, which again im a huge fan of.. I heard all the Easter eggs ... that made me giddy and made the audio feel familiar. Julie was able to keep the spark of her fic and create a great storyball in its own. I absolutely loved it.

Ps I might have cried when I got the approval.

I cannot wait to see what is to come.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for this ARC- I was so excited to read this as it is one of my anticipated reads for this year.

What a start to a series! This was phenomenal

This series was inspired by The Auction Dramione Fanfic, which I have read before, and it was a 5 star read for me. I can see the influences, but Julie Soto has remade this story completely her own.

The world building, the tensions, the villains, the slow burn and angst between Brioney and Toven are all 5 star.

This was so different from the other books I have read from her, and this is a dark romantasy with a lot of darker themes, so please check trigger warnings, but it was such a compelling read.

I listened to this an audiobook and the narrator was brilliant.

I am so excited to return to this world and read more from this series, as the ending had me gasping!

Also such a beautiful cover

Julie Soto is one of my favourite author, her range of genres and her writing is unmatched.

Stayed up all night to listen to this, purely additive.
Narrator did a great job with this one, genuinely could not stop listening!
In terms of the story, well paced, great back story build up that added to Toven's character and the depth of Briony's infatuation.

Some plot elements I really enjoyed :
The way that Toven's family cared for Briony and protected her was a great element to the plot, whether or not their motivations were to support their son rather than Briony or not may be up for debate but I loved this family unit.

Toven's character development from bratty school bully with a crush to full blown obsession was amazing.
Larissa was great, please more of her.

Some minor notes that didn't detract from the plot -
Briony, Toven could not possibly be more obvious with his obsession - how can you not see it!
Need less Friday night parties, more outside world development in the next book (which it appears to be setting up for)
The new leader's hypocrisy in noting how patriarchal Evermore was, while instilling the most toxic masculine culture in her own nation and failing to set up any major female players in her political system. Didn't seem to fit together too well,

I have read the initial online works which this book has been based on, I've got to say this is so much better, really great transition to make the story fully original while maintaining and improving on the general feel.

I was extremely fortunate to have read Rose in Chains as an ARC, but I was beyond excited to experience it all over again in audiobook format - I love listening to audiobooks when I'm busy or doing other stuff.
Rose in Chains is easily one of my favorite books of the year! Julie Soto has crafted a dark, hauntingly beautiful story that's also filled with hope. She managed to rewrite her fanfic into a story completely her own and it made me fall in love with her writing even more.
I'm more than obsessed with Briony & Toven and their slow-burn romance, the unique magic and the world-building, and I really won't know peace until I can read the sequel!
I enjoyed the audiobook so much - the quality is great, Ella Lynch does an amazing job narrating and portraying all of the different characters. She really shines as Briony, her voice is both soothing and expressive and she made the listening experience all the more immersive!
I can't wait for book 2 and I'll be reading ANYTHING Julie Soto writes next.
～Thank you so much to Hachette Audio and Forever for the ALC and ARC!

4.5/5⭐️ (rounded up to 5 on sites without half stars)
Rose in Chains is a fanfic reworked for trad publishing. I have read the original source by another author, but I have not read the fanfic this was reworked from. As far as reworked fanfics go, this one is by far the most obvious I’ve read. The lack of world building was not even noticeable to me because I’m so familiar with the world and characters it is based upon. And oh my goodness is this story a huge improvement! It’s so much more interesting, with a better message. However, Julie Soto had an easy opportunity to make a statement when reworking this for trad publishing. But she chose not to. The only queer character in this book is very negative, closeted and ashamed of himself. For that I am taking off half a star from my rating.

I loved the audio production and the narrator’s performance. Ella Lynch has the perfect voice for Bryony and perfectly captures the accent and inflections of the actress who played the corresponding character in the movie versions of the original work.

As others have said, the trigger warnings are appreciated and important. This is the start of a new series. I am eager for the next installment. Thank you to Hachette Audio for sending this audiobook for my review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for this ALC. Really enjoyed the book. A great start to the triology. Want to read other Julie Soto books now

🌹 5 stars | If this book doesn’t get more hype than Fourth Wing, the system is rigged!

🎧 This was an ALC read and let me tell you, I was slowing down my audio speed because I did not want to miss a thing, and Rose in Chains earned it. I didn’t want it to end. Julie Soto has officially found her genre. This is dark romantasy done right.

We follow Briony Rosewood, princess of the fallen Evermore kingdom. After her brother is killed in the war and her people are stripped of their magic, she’s captured and sold at auction to be used as a “heartspring” to fuel someone else’s power. Her buyer? Toven Hearst, who is a powerful noble from the enemy side, her former school rival, and the boy she's spent years trying (and failing) to forget. But instead of siphoning her magic, he keeps her alive and protected, and the tension between them is everything.

This book has:
✨ Enemies to lovers (slowest, burn, everrrr)
✨ Political rebellion bubbling under the surface
✨ An intriguing, original magic system (Mind Magic vs. Heart Magic)
✨ Flashbacks that add emotional weight (not filler!)
✨ A magical house that gives you what you need
✨ A rich world that’s beautifully fleshed out
✨ So much tension and longing, I was screaming

Briony is such a relatable, layered protagonist. She is strong in quiet, steady ways. Toven is a mystery wrapped in control, secrets, and subtle soft moments that hit hard. Their dynamic is complex and earned. And the audiobook narrator? She was phenomenal. Every voice distinct, every emotion palpable. 🎧 She made this already incredible story even better!

I also adored:
Serena (Toven’s mother): give me a spinoff
Larissa’s mysterious past
The slow unraveling of political alliances
The small, perfect romantic gestures that broke me
The way the flashbacks deepened everything in the present

💥 Trigger warning: this is a dark story. It deals with serious and heavy themes (war, trauma, captivity, systemic abuse, and more). Please check the content warnings beforehand. But none of it feels gratuitous, because it’s handled with care and intentionality.

The only con is that I read it early, and now I have to wait for the sequel like a commoner. The cliffhanger absolutely knocked the wind out of me and I need Book 2 immediately.

If you love slow burn, emotional, high stakes romantasy with a strong female lead and an even stronger yearning game, Rose in Chains is the book for you. Julie Soto’s writing is sharp, immersive, and gut punchingly good.

I already loved her previous books, but she is an auto buy author for me now.

Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Soto, and Hachette Audio for the ALC of this book.