“The boy who hesitated when his Father told him to leave her there.”

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This was dark, but not as dark as Manacled.
(I haven’t read The Auction, but I can only imagine)
I probably should’ve so I could compare the two, but I still enjoyed this, I love a slowww burn 🔥

As for a captive, girl- It could be way worse for you ☠️ I just don’t think she realizes that sometimes. And for Toven… I might’ve not been able to get into him as much ‘cause the narrator, he just sounded so pompous, but in like a Barbie movie way lmfao. Which is totally not Ella’s fault, but I wish they had did a duet for this though, like I’m sure they had budget.
(Also, the names are so weird to me lmfao. Briony & Toven 😩 I can’t. They sound like horses)

Story wise it was fun, I was always at the edge of my seat like girl 👁️👄👁️ Play the role… Just blend in, like I was fr shaking in my boots, but at the same time- Let me try that elixir real quick…

*Inserts Joker meme here*

The ending was… Whewww 🥵 Gave just enough to want the second book, but for the reveal… It was tea, but I wasn’t as gagged as I would’ve wanted to be. I think it was more like, ok. We got that confirmed 🙂‍↕️
Overall, I always eat up some Julie Soto. The Thrashers was my ish & this is a close runner up!!

This book! Wow. I never wanted to stop reading “Rose in Chains.” It is dark and addicting, and the slow burn romance kept me so locked in to this story. Please check the content warnings on this one. It is a dark story and the content is difficult to read at times. This story starts with the enemy kingdom winning. It’s a hard but beautiful tale to see those in captive begin to rise from the ashes. The world building was so well done. Julie Soto is a powerful writer. I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the sequel.

For those who love:
💟 Forced Proximity
💟 Enemies to Lovers?
💟 Mutual Pining
💟 Dramoine
💟 Slow Burn
💟 High Stakes Fantasy

The audiobook format is a great option as well. The narrator fits well with the story.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.