I devoured this book in 10 hours because it was so gripping. Clever plotting allows for the action to take off right away with flashbacks to help the reader learn about 1) how they got to this point and 2) a different side to many of the characters. I’ll admit that there are a lot of characters to keep up with, which can be difficult with an audiobook, so I’m glad I have a copy of the book on the way soon! We are left with a cliffhanger, but this trilogy is on course for being pretty great. Ella Lynch narrates and offers a sophisticated voice to our FMC

HOLY TENSION.

All I knew about this book going in was that it derived from a dramione fanfiction. I didn't have any expectations and I also was in a fantasy slump. Then, Rose in Chains came into my life and I was HEALED. It cured my romantasy hangover and I am craving so much more.

Now this book is what I call a SLOW BURN. I feel like a lot of books get marketed as slow burn because it's a trendy thing nowadays, especially in romantasy, but this book was truly a SLOW BURN. The ache and the tension was burning through the words and the pages. Julie Soto is a writer I can trust my slow burns going forward. The plot was initially a lot of information, info-dumping fashion at the beginning of the book with world building terminology, but it was easier to catch on to about 20% in.

Now, this is DARK. I don't mind the heavier themes in the book, but I think Julie Soto's execution of it was clean and almost nonchalant in some ways which I appreciated. It helped with the world building and the state of the universe. I CAN NOT WAIT until book two!!! UGH

In terms of the audiobook aspect, I liked the narrator for the most part. Her Briony voice was very Hermoine-like which I thought was little nod/if-you-know-you-know moment. I wasn't sure if that was intentional, but I appreciated it! The other voices were okay, sometimes I got the ick but I think that was intentional because the characters were icky.

Huge thank you to Forever and Hachette Audio for an advanced copy of this book! You guys are the best!!!

LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS!!! The story, the characters, the plot. 5 stars all around!

Julie Soto is already an auto-buy author for me, so I was so excited when I got the opportunity to read this book with an advance listening copy! I am so thankful to Hachette Audio for the opportunity. The narrator for this was perfect! I thoroughly enjoyed the entire production.

I can’t wait to physically read this story again when it is published. It definitely lived up to my expectations as one of my most anticipated releases of 2025!

Princess Briony Rosewood's world is turned upside down when the prophecy that her twin brother would defeat Bomard and save the kingdom of Evermore turns out to be false when he dies on the battlefield. The castle is overrun and prisoners are taken and auctioned off for their bodies and magic. Briony is purchased by a former schoolmate, and she begins to learn that the war isn't over; there are still those in opposition to Mallow, the woman who holds the seat of the Bomardi line and whose followers are committing atrocities to Evermore prisoners. 

I was drawn in immediately. The characters were well done and the magic system was simple enough to understand but complex enough to always have more to learn. It conjured a lot of unease at times and I never knew what was going to happen. I am very excited for the next in the trilogy and was sad when this was over- I wanted to keep listening!
I'd recommend it for anyone who likes Romantasy, with a caveat that it is on the darker side.

I really enjoyed the narration a lot. It was easy to tell the characters apart, everything was clear, and the emotions were done well. Couldn't ask for more from an audiobook.

I rated it 4.5/5 rounded up to 5. 
Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC

4 1/2⭐️ narration - rounded up
4 ⭐️ story

I don’t even know where to start, I ended up loving this more than I thought I would. When I learned it was originally a HP fanfic that was rewritten I was hesitant, but having not read The Auction I was able to have a more open mind about the overall story. This is dark so check TW, and when it starts you are dropped right into the middle of a war. I enjoyed the dual timelines giving some glimpses of Briony and Toven’s history, and the build to where the book started and current timeline. The world building felt gradual, but like there is so much more to explore as well as the magical system, and I hope the author continues to build on both. This is definitely a slow burn, the yearning is so well done, and the cliffhanger at the end was almost painful. The narration by Ella Lynch was emotional and she brought each character to life, making you love or loathe them deeply. I honestly cannot wait for the rest of this trilogy.

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, and 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. This dealt with some HEAVY topics and themes and had me running through every emotion possible. I would have lovedddd dual narration, but Ella did a good job of using distinct voices so that you never got any characters confused and capturing their nuances.

I absolutely loved this book! I loved the series this was inspired by but I'm so happy it's by a different author. I have never read anything like this. Even though he bought her he made it clear to everyone she was to be respected and not to be touched. He seemed to be incredibly annoyed the situation he was in at all times and she was just trying to make it in this new world. She wanted nothing to do with him but slowly noticed he was infatuated with her. The spice was perfect and I'm so happy I had the chance to read this ARC. I will definitely be picking up a SE.

Story: 4 ⭐
Spice: 1/2🌶️ (I will go into more detail below)
Narration: 3 ⭐

This was read in a single narration with Ella Lynch. Ella did a great job when voicing the different female parts, you could feel the emotions through her performance, but I was having a hard time getting into the male voice she created. I really wished they did this as a duet because it would really been a spectacular performance but overall, the production was great, you were able to listen to Ella at high speeds and not lose any quality of the performance. She does make Briony sound a lot younger than she is (25) at least in my opinion, but it doesn't really change the story much for me.

I never read "The Auction" before it was re-written and traditionally published, but I did know going into this book that was a Dramione Fanfic. I also like to state that I'm not a huge Dramione fan (I've read only one other book) so I feel like my review can be more bias.

Knowing that this came from the HP world I could fill in what I wasn't understanding with the plot. If I went into this completely blind with no understand of the HP world, I would have been extremely confused as to what really was going on. I do like that the flashbacks help answer questions, but it takes a while to start understanding whats happening in world. For the first 50% of the book, I just kept asking myself, *Why are they fighting????* I would have really like to see more world building.

If you are a fan of an actual slow burn, then this is for you. It's book 1 in a trilogy and you really don't get any romance. So be prepared! With it being a slow burn, you do get the tension and angst between the characters and there are years of tension between them. There is some on page spice (of the dream/mind reality) but mostly it's what is being described at what's happening around the main characters. There's a lot of forced acts happening as a lot of the characters were auctioned to be owned by another. Please check your triggers as there is SA and other lewd acts.

I really hope I don't deter you from reading this, because even though it had its flaws and darker themes, it was a really good story. I couldn't put it down and rated it overall as a 4⭐ I just wanted to give some warning to what the book is actually like.

If you like dark fantasy romance, enemies to reluctant allies, slow burn, tension/angst and longing for years, war between kingdoms and a FMC fighting for her life and those around her than you will love this!

What an ABSOLUTE honor it was to get an audio ARC of this book 😭😭😭

This book deals with dark themes but is very thoughtful about how they are approached. If you are triggered by dark themes, I suggest visiting Julie Soto website for a full list of trigger warnings.

I really enjoyed the dual timeline where we get more insight into life before the school was shut down and kingdom split off in war. We also get to see moments to see the bond Briony and Rory share and better understand their sibling dynamic. My favorite scenes of the dual timeline were Toven and Briony and their rivalry at school.

I am OBSESSED with Toven and I need Briony to realize EVERYTHING he has done is not because he loathes her but because he loves her! Including the 4 deaths she is mad at him for - I have a feeling we will learn more about that in a future book 👀👀

This book has the SLOWEST burn and I am here for it! The lusting for each other was *chefs kiss*

Also the scene where he is in her mind?! 🥵😍 yes please!

As soon as I saw it was a trilogy I KNEW there was going to be an insane cliffhanger and of course I was right! When do we get book 2 & 3? 👀

Ella Lynch is a fantastic narrator! She did a great job with the distinct voices and bringing every emotion to life.

Thank you so much to Hatchette Audio, Julie Soto, Ella Lynch and NetGalley

Julie Soto does it again!!! Rose in Chains is one of the best romantasy novels I’ve read in a long time. From the very beginning, I was completely gripped. I actually listened to the entire audiobook in one sitting it’s that good.

The worldbuilding is rich and bleak (definitely check content warnings this story is dark), and I appreciated the snippets of history that gave insight into Briony and Toven’s shared past at school. Despite the darker tone of the world, Toven and Briony’s dynamic is full of care, trust, and consent, something that stood out and felt intentional. Toven never tries to intentionally cross a line, and their budding relationship is written with thoughtfulness and emotional weight.

And let me just say this is how you write a slow burn. The tension, the longing, the miscommunications, the ache it’s all deliciously drawn out. I’m not joking when I say they only kiss around 95% (genuinely what I want from a fantasy series). While the middle section is a bit light on action, I don't mind watching the characters live in their world. The pacing felt right for the emotional development. Action picks up around the 70% mark and doesn’t let go.

If I had one critique, it’s that I wished for a bit more clarity in the worldbuilding, magic system, and the overarching conflict. That said, it’s possible that some of that nuance was harder to follow in audio format.

The audio book was fantastic! Even though it’s a single narrator, the performance was dynamic and full of emotion. Every character, including Toven, felt distinct and alive.

And that ending? I'm unwell. I need the next book ASAP.

4.5 stars.

This was a good book. I enjoyed it. It was compelling. The characters were fun and different.

I wish I had gone into this without knowing the history. I don’t think I needed that, and I don’t think it really added to the story to know where it came from.

It is inspired by its source material, but only very loosely. The characters all have their own background, and the setting is totally different.

I will be picking up the sequel, and likely the audiobook, as I did really enjoy the narrator.

Thank you NetGalley for this ALC.

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

This book was the very definition of mid. From the world building (or lack thereof) to the boredom the FMC brings about, everything was just mid.

The worldbuilding had such potential. It was very clear that there was a deep world and lore behind it, but we weren't told any of it. The magic could have been done so well. The war could have actually had meaning. But we got none of that. Instead we got sexual sacral magic and a random war that we have no idea why it even exists or why these people hate each other enough to literally enslave one another.

The characters were flat and could not hold my attention at all. The flashback chapters were clearly meant to build a relationship between the MCs, but they were also flat and provided only to show the FMCs naivety without giving us any actual depth.

The only time I was ever actually intrigued was the very end, which was not nearly soon enough.

I personally loved every minute of this audiobook. The narrator was a perfect choice and really added to the story telling. As an avid Dramione fanfic lover this was everything I was hoping for and more. If you go into this world without the context of what this story originated as then it could be quite confusing to follow. Personally I thought the magic system was interesting and the world building was paced well. And the tension and yearning was top notch. Can't wait for the rest of the series!!

Thank you for the opportunity to review this ALC!

In a world where dark forces have taken over, Briony Rosewood is captured after her castle falls and loses her magical powers. With her brother, who was meant to lead their people, now dead, she is sold at an auction to Toven, a high-ranking enemy who she has secretly liked for a long time. As she adjusts to her new life with the cruel Hearst family, Briony learns that there might still be hope in unexpected places, even in her difficult situation. I loved the audiobook it brought so much depth and depiction to the story. This book was unique and addictive, I could not put it down. Its one of my favorite romantasy reads of the year. I cant wait to read the next one. There wasn't a typically ending and there is a lot left unfinished. I hope the story continues on! I did love the ending though. I love the dragon aspect of the world and the unique magical depiction.

Briony Rosewood has always lived with the knowledge that her twin brother Rory is the key to an ancient Evermore prophecy. It's why she's always used her mind magic to enhance his own and it never became more important than when tensions between the Eversuns (mind mages) and Bomardi (heart mages) intensify.

When war breaks out and fighting comes to a head, Rory is slain in battle and Briony is taken captive by the Bomardi. Subjugating the remaining Eversun sympathizers to captivity amongst the elite Bomardi families who will use them to syphon their magic to enhance their own, Briony is bought at auction by Toven Hearst - a former classmate with dubious loyalties.

Once Briony is instilled at Hearst Hall she is faced with more questions than answers and the mysteriously cold Toven is not forthcoming. Briony doesn't know who she can trust or if any help is coming, but she's not done fighting.

This book was one of those pleasant surprises where you don't want to put it down and you can't stop thinking about it. I love reading but it's not often that a story just consumes me and there's really no rhyme or reason as to why or when or what books. So when it comes around I just lean into it.

The audiobook narration was done really well. One narrator who had a lot of characters to account for. I wish the male characters had been a little more unique as I sometimes found myself unable to distinguish between the more secondary characters, but overall I was pulled into the story and the emotional moments of building tension were done very well.

I've read Julie Soto's previously released contemporary romances. So I was really excited to learn she was branching out into Romantasy.

It's a very slow to unfold story but that is due to the fact that it's the beginning of a trilogy. Julie Soto does great in setting the groundwork.

I like Briony's character because although she finds herself in such a dire sitution, having just lost her twin - her other half essentially - being kept, sometimes literally, in the dark, she continues to move forward. Is it a huge disservice that those around her are keeping things from her? Yes, because in the few flashbacks we get, we see that she is very intelligent and resourceful. She hasn't been a princess just sitting around being served. She's been observing. So I hope that we'll get more of her strategic input in the coming sequels.

Of course we have to talk about Toven and Briony. They are **chef's kiss**. It's very clear that they both, at first, underestimate the other. Part of the tension comes from this underestimation. But it's in the discovery these overlooked parts of themselves where they start to understand one another. I also really appreciate that even at the end, it's still very unclear what side Toven is on and what the ultimate endgame is for the Hearst family. The morally gray casting is done really well where he's concerned.

This story is told entirely from Briony's point of view. I understand this because it puts readers in the mind of not knowing what's fully going on either which helps to drive the momentum of the story forward. I do wish there were other POV's just because I love to see all the sides of a story.

There will of course be two more books so I think it's safe to say that the ending is very unfinished. Although I will say that it does not end on a huge heartbreaking cliffhanger so while I'm eagerly anticipating the next book, I am satisfied. I almost feel like this whole book was the prelude to everything we'll see next. It's certainly a delicious build up.

I cannot recommend this one enough. Just know if you have been eagerly awaiting this book, rest assured it delivers.

I must be one of the only ones that was deeply disturbed by the creepy obsession with the main character’s virginity. Going as far as to preserve it in a jar is CRAZY work. Darkness doesn’t equal depth. This was not romantic, this is the story of someone experiencing extreme Stockholm syndrome and is actually sad.

ALC Book Review—Rose in Chains by Julie Soto—Spoiler Free

Briony Rosewood ends up on the losing side of a war and is sold at auction to her school nemesis Tovan Hearst. Now, they’re stuck playing a part in a war over heart magic vs mind magic.

I enjoyed learning the unique magic systems of this world. The story is captivating and heart wrenching. The themes are very dark, but there’s still a feeling of hope and of “not being alone” throughout the story.

We learn a lot of the backstory of the two MCs and what led them to their current situation through flashbacks. I felt these were done nicely and didn’t make the story feel choppy.

As someone who read The Auction I was curious how this story would hold up on its own and if I would care about these characters. The story set up was done very well and I can say that I am excited for the next book to come out and find out what happens to our MCs. I think readers will enjoy this story as a brand new dark romantasy.

I felt the audio was well done. With just one female narrator I enjoyed the voice for Briony and felt like the sneering voice fit perfectly for what I imagined for Tovan. I felt like the speaking was clear and I was able to follow along on audio without text.

Overall, I’d highly recommend this to my friends and anyone looking for a dark, slow-burn romantasy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

Julie Soto throws you right into the action from the very start. Rose in Chains was absolutely angst ridden, sexy, and full of tension that I just ate up. The flashbacks were a great way to get a lot of history in small sections, so it never felt like it took away from the main plot. The flashbacks were placed in just the right spots to really enhance the emotions of moment.

This story is dark, the actions of some of the characters are cruel and unthinkable, but the balance with Briony and Toven's interactions was great. I am a massive fan of Raven Kennedy's Plated Prisoner series and I found that this had a similar impact on me. Not all is at it seems, and you never know who you can trust.

Briony goes through so much character development, even just in this first book. I really felt like she went from the smart, out of sight sibling who props up her brother, to a fearless, intensely strong character. She learns to stand on her own and I loved seeing that.

If you love a high-stakes, slow burn romance with amazing world building, female friendships, and twists and turns, this book is absolutely for you.

I could not get into this - every time I stopped listening to the audio version, it became harder and harder to want to listen again. The characters were flat, the world building non existent, the emphasis on purity/virginity annoying, and I have very little interest in enslavement (which is most of the book).

Story: Briony's kingdom is prospering - until a rival kingdom launches a surprise attack and quickly defeats them. The survivors are rounded up to be used as slaves - either sexual or to drain their magic. Briony, as a virgin princess with power, is the most valuable of the new slaves. She is bought by Tovan - a former schoolmate who she once thought she had feelings for. But she has never understood Tovan in the past and certainly hasn't any idea what he is going to do with her now.

I found Briony to be boring. On one hand, I like a heroine who thinks things through rather than just acting on impulse. But nearly half the book is Briony bemoaning her fate/feeling helpless or being threatened with sexual assault. There's even a plot device that causes even greater power of magic if done through sex, even forcibly. I wanted more intrigue and Briony outsmarting her captors rather than mooning over Tovan or bemoaning her fate endlessly. Similarly, Tovan is a cardboard cutout. Yes, he is supposed to be hiding his big attraction to Briony but even in the flashbacks he isn't much of a character. There is only one interesting supporting character but even she feels more like a construct rather than an organic person in the world.

The world building is never really shown. We only see inside her personal house or Tovan's, for the most part. Even the tragic event at the beginning in which her kingdom is taken passes by quickly and without us really getting a feel for any kind of build up, battle, or major event change in the world. I had no understanding of the magic system and was never really given a reason to care. We just get a very small bubble through which to view the world.

I think for the most part I found the novel distasteful. Briony gets a chance to be most impactful on her world (and is even freed from the shackles of caring for her brother) when she is enslaved. It's not a good message.

Of note, I listened to the audio version and did not care for the narrator. It felt very prissy and made the characters feel even more one dimensional. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Rose in chain by Julie Soto is the first book in The Evermore Trilogy.

Let me start by saying this: OBSESSED!!!

I’ve been chained by this book, it had me crawling for it in no time! This is a DARK fantasy please read your trigger warnings! This book is everything we needed, a new world with new magic and darkness, but is it that dark? From my point of view, NO. I would say that the elements of dark have highlighted even more this world and characters, shaped them and put them in so many different shades.

The MMC, Toven, is fascinating, grumpy and brooding but brilliant in every way, with a very very steamy sexappeal. He is very protective and cunning, so multilayer that makes him not only complex but also addictive.

The FMC, Briony,a princess, has a very interesting character development, initially she is the women behind a man, her brother, the one that can’t shine, then she becomes a toy in a long game, but underneath, is a badass FMC in making.

This is the slowest slow burn romance of my life so do prepare yourself to survive this enemies to lovers ! The banter will keep you at the edge of your seat squealing and giggling!
I love that this book is not predictable and will keep you guessing, what will happen next, as next in the story, next in the war , who is in danger and who is not.

This book ends in a cliffhanger … that’s had me growling , screaming and yelling! Ruthless and brilliant Julie!!!

Let’s talk a bit about audiobook as I got it as an ALC. This audiobook is performed by Ella Lynch, and man oh man she blown this performance out of the park! Wanna imagine how a princess or a noble talk? No need, this was the most accurate posh princess performance. She breathes life into the characters and captured their personalities to a T. As a third person POV she paid attention to every detailed and took amazing decisions that highlighted the story. The production was done by Hachette Audio and the team speared no detail or fault, is absolutely spotless and amazing!