I’m obsessed. I’m a devastated, shell of a human who needs the sequel immediately. You would never guess this was a fanfic previously. It’s beautifully written with immaculate world building. The characters are so real, they have so many layers. I was hooked from chapter 1 and stayed on the edge of my seat!
Thank you NetGalley, Julie Soto and Hatchaudio for this audio ARC!!
Characters: realistic and multi layered, strong relationships, imperfect, morally ambiguous
Setting: dark, dystopian, magical
Writing style: emotional, descriptive, flows well, clear plot
Tropes: reluctant allies, enemies to lovers, prisoner/captor
Narrator: emotional tone, unique/distinct voices for characters

Thank you to the publisher for the advance listening copy.

I was excited to hear this story narrated by Ella Lynch, whose work I hadn’t experienced before. She did a great job giving the two main characters distinct voices, which helped keep me engaged.

The story is told in a third-person limited POV, and while I appreciated the forced proximity setup and some of the emotional beats in the second half, the first part didn’t fully click for me. Much of the plot was told rather than shown, which made it difficult to connect with the characters early on.

I did appreciate how the narration captured the main character’s self-perception—she made some bold choices, and things consistently worked out for her, whether they should have or not. The plot was fairly straightforward overall. Despite references to past sexual assaults throughout the book, it’s not a spicy read (though it does include one scene). There were trigger warnings mentioned in the beginning and I appreciated that.

I think the tension could have been more deeply developed, and I would have preferred if some of the flashbacks were introduced earlier for more context. By the time I connected with the characters, we were already deep into the story. I do think me finishing this book as quickly as I did (under 3 days, was due to the work Ella put in to make the characters not sound insufferable

Thank you, Hachette Audio & Forever Publishing, for this early listening copy via netgalley!

I am not exaggerating when I say Rose in Chains was my most anticipated read for this year. And it was perfection 🥹

Julie Soto did such an amazing job writing this story; the world, the magical system, the politics and characters, that even if you aren't familiar with/ or haven't read The Auction, you can't tell that this story existed differently!

The story immediately sucks you in, and while I usually don't prefer flashbacks/dual timelines, this book really benefits from it!

Honestly, i am still living the high of finishing this book that all i can really say is that this book is worth the read. I know I will be doing a reread as soon as this book comes out!

Rose in Chains releases on July 8th!

Check your trigger warnings, though, because this story has some dark themes! Dark Romantasy, Morally Grey mmc, forbidden romance, forced proximity, and a slow burn 🔥

Synopsis a k a world building:
There are two warring kingdoms, whose people are known as Eversuns and Bomardsuns. They use two different kind of magic - heart and mind, mind magic is something that came later and the use of which is illegal in Bomard.
This story starts when Rory Rosewood, the heir to Evermore, who was supposed to unite the two kingdoms according to a prophecy is now dead and dark forces of Bomard are capturing everyone in Evermore, and stripping them if their magic and pushing them to servitude to strengthen their own magic and selfish purposes.
Briony Rosewood, the twin sister is also auctioned and sold to Hearsts, like all other suitable females and males of Evermore. Hearsts are high ranking Bomardsun and the heir, Toven Hearst is Briony's school crush.
While she finds herself entangled in the horrors of this new world, she also finds some hope as she finds out Hearsts are not as terrible as she thought they might be and there might be other allies if a rebellion arises.

Thoughts:
Initial:
I was really intrigued when I heard it is a fanfic turned into an actual published novel. As a fan of HP, I was really excited especially when the author tainted the whole series, but now I can rely on these books.

What worked:
As the first installment of a series, this definitely builds up an interesting world.
Told in two timelines, we get glimpses into their academic years and present time through Briony's eyes.
There is tension and camaraderie between the two main characters.
It was slow in the beginning, but it picked it up towards the ending.
The details were definitely horrific and tragic, and the graphic display of some parts was difficult to read, as expected for a war aftermath story.
I am interested in the rivals to lovers romance plotline
The ending was interesting

What didn't work:
The slow pace in both present and past kind of bored me. I felt it was repetitive.
The narration was good, but not so much for the male narrations.
There are so much I don't understand, but I hope to get answers in the sequels.

Overall:
I am intrigued enough to continue the series, but I wasn't in love.

ROSE IN CHAINS by Julie Soto is the second book I read by the author and I absolutely loved it.

The narration of the audiobook was done beautifully.

Filled with political intrigue, action, power dynamics, tension, yearning, and a slow burn love. From the very first chapter I was completely drawn into story absolutely captivated by it. Though it was dark, each scene was satisfying.

it was beautifully written; the plot, the world-building, the
romance, and the characters were paced really well.

Briony and Toven were everything!!

Briony character development was done really well. She is stubborn, smart and ambitious. The way that had to dim her light and strength for her brother "the chosen one" was heartbreak and displays the realistic reality of a woman's day to day life surround by men and appeasing their needs first.

Toven, the man that he is!! there was so many layers too him that he hides from the world and Briony. The way that he comes undone in front of Briony is mesmerizing. There is no hiding his true nature from her.

Both such complex characters, there was so much complexity and depth to them both. And their interactions and chemistry was out of this world. I loved how they pulled back the layers they were hiding and saw the true depths of each other. i was swooning by how they would get under each other's skin

i also loved the flashback scenes of past event that led up to the present time events they characters are objectified to, they were so good!! They really helped with the development of the plot.

Overall, this was an amazing start to a new series and that ending!! I'm excited to see what will happen in the next book.

4.5
One of my most anticipated books of the year!! It did not disappoint; the slow burn romance, the enemies to lovers, and last but not least, the forbidden romance. I loved that it starts off in the middle of the action and alternates between past and present. I can't wait for the sequel, and this one hasn't even come out yet!

A huge thank you to HachetteAudio and NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to @HachetteAudio for the ARC of this book!
This is a 5-star about 100 times over!! You know the feeling when you finish a book and think, 'I would give anything to read this for the first time again.' I've been thinking that ever since I read the fanfiction this story is based on. Being able to revisit this story with the characters, magic system, and world all being reimagined gave me the best feeling. I got lost in the world and could not stop being immersed in it all. I didn't want to finish it cause I couldn't stand the thought of it being over. I can't wait for the next book in this series to be out!

The first things you need to know about me:
1. I absolutely love Dramione fanfic and inspired romance
2. I love Julie Soto’s books

So it should come as no surprise that I am now obsessed with this story for the foreseeable future. The dystopian oppression, the rebellion, the flashbacks, the slow building romance, the found family. Everything was perfectly executed.

Rose in Chains has a magic system that relies on both Heart or Mind Magic. The opposing Bomard and Evermore, possess different magic than the other. After the Bomard win the war, the Eversuns are auctioned off to individual Bomardsuns. Our FMC, Briony, is sold to her childhood antagonist/ infatuation, Toven Hearst. However, things are not what they seem.

I was pleasantly surprised with the portrayal of Toven’s parents, Serena and Orion Hearst. They were some of my favorite characters in this story, and I’m excited to see what happens next.

The audio production, along with the narrator (Ella Lynch), did an absolutely fantastic job! The narrator was the *perfect* choice, and fit the story seamlessly. I would highly recommend listening (or reading the physical/ ebook) when it releases on July 8, 2025.

Thank you Hachette Audio (via Netgalley) for gifting me with an ALC, all thoughts expressed are my own.

I was giving the opportunity to listen to Rose In Chains in an advanced listing copy. Thanks to Netgalley, Machete audio and ofcourse Julie Soto.

First off I did not read the fanfic this book originated from however I have read several dramoine fanfics. you do not have to have read any fanfic to understand or love this story. The story stands on it own.

From the first few chapters the story takes you and does let go. You should check the trigger warnings ⚠️. Some of the things that happen are very,very dark. They made me mad. They are necessary though.

In the story we follow Briony, a Princess of Evermore. Things go horribly wrong and she is sold at an action. Who of here friends are still alive? Why did he buy here? And why is she treated so differently then other people of here realm. You get Briony's POV in current time and flashback. The flashback helps with the understanding of the magic and the world building. I also loved the explanation of how the MMC view and look of Briony is build up.

It's hard to explain everything without giving to much away but I want to say pick up this book and you will not be disappointed. It's fast passed, twists and turns and the slowest of slow burns 🔥.

I’m a big Julie Soto fan, and forget me not is one of my faves, so when I found out she was writing a romantasy, I was so ready.

The origins of this book arising from dramione fan fiction are strong, but it doesn’t detract from the story; if anything, having the understanding of where they came from helped me have a deeper insight into what (most likely) the political and social ideologies being fought over and exisiting in the society were rooted in.

Brioney is one of the first fmc I’ve read that is possibly a realistic interpretation of what happens when everything you know to be is tossed aside and destroyed, and you are essentially thrown to the dogs. With no spoilers, it’s refreshing to be taken on a journey of self discovery, growth, and the mental health roller coaster she had to go through to learn her place in the scary new world to her. And it was scary. This book had dark themes (all disclosed at the beginning) that I personally hadn’t come across before in books, and whilst confronting and horrifying, they weren’t shied away from, but was dealt with right in front of the reader. It was terrible and sickening, but really added to the storyline in bringing in the emotion. Some parts were hard to listen to, but I was engrossed as it was done in such a captivating way.

The enemies to lovers was absolutely real, and the slow burn match was pulled out from a box in the neighbors cupboard ready to be struck, it’s that slow.

Thanks for hachette audio for the arc. All views are my own.

As someone who has already read the fanfic The Auction before, I enjoyed reading Rose in Chains.
The base plot was pretty much the same but it had it's own uniqueness and I loved it.

This audiobook was incredible. The book and story are so unique to what i have read that i enjoyed it so much. I loved the dual timelines and the easter eggs.

The synapses of this book is perfect. I dont want to give anything away more than the author chose to. The FMC was easy to resonate with. The MMC was insufferable and loving at the same time.

This book is a masterpiece. 5 stars. Review pit in goodreads.

I am very intrigued to find out where this story goes next.

Julie Soto. Romantasy. SAY LESS.

This was her romantasy debut so if you go in looking for flaws, you’ll find them. I, however, had a real good time!

Briony + Toven 🤝🏼 Tension
When it comes to enemies to lovers and slow burn, Ms. Julie understands the assignment. Always.

As for almost all of the other characters, this didn’t give enough for me to be invested in them quite yet. I’m hoping that will change in book two.

At this point, I’m interested in the world and magic system and am invested in seeing those expand and where things go in the next book. But really, the way I NEED book two immediately and this one hasn’t even released yet…

The audiobook? Beautifully done. I was hooked from the very beginning and entertained the entire time.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Forever for the ALC.

I’ve been so excited for this book. I love Julie Soto and was really eager to see how she worked this into a new original world. This book is dark romance, you need to go into this understanding that. There are no rainbows and butterflies. Trigger warnings are listed at the beginning.
The world is interesting and the background of the two sides is well laid out. I know this is going to be a trilogy, but I do wish we would have gotten further in book one. There was a lot of set up, and I wanted just a bit more action. I enjoyed the timeline and how there were flashbacks to give us more on not only the juxtaposition the two sides, but how quickly the events progressed. The romance is budding and cannot wait to see how the relationship grows over the next two books.

On the fanfic side of things -
If you are a HP fan or read Dramione fanfic, you can tell which characters were based on who, where personalities were pulled from , etc. This did give me a little pause because then I started picturing everyone in traditional character form instead of as new originals. This didn’t really take away from the story though.

The narration was great! The voice was very believable for the FMC, her tones for different characters were never overdone, and she was very enjoyable to listen to. The emotion was perfect for the scenes, especially tense ones.

This will be my favorite book of 2025, because nothing can top this perfection. The story? The pining and YEARNING? The characters? Julie gives us the slow burn angst EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. No one is doing yearning and obsession quite like Julie Soto, and I eat it up in every book. I am a long time lover of the original story, and Julie’s other stories sit amongst my favorite books. Rose in Chains is everything. I want to shake these characters to communicate and I’d like to shake down Julie for the next part of this story. The cliffhanger was so good. Perfection of the highest order. Worth 66,000 galleons.

And the audiobook performance? Absolutely impeccable. Ella Lynch fully encapsulated Briony for me. I love her style, and I will be specifically looking at her other audiobook narrations for future purchases.

PSA that this is not a standalone…. I’m dyyyyying to read the next book!

I listened to the ALC via NetGalley.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(4 stars)

This book reads like fan fiction and I can’t decide if it is working or not. I LOVE fan fiction so I appreciate the pacing (and the slow burn.) The character development is the main characters is in-depth. When I’m in their world, I get lost in the story.

…. The problem I had throughout is the lack of worldbuilding. I feel like the magic system was well-done. I didn’t feel like the politics/world was as deep as it should have been to explain the extreme events that take place in this book. I wanted more backstory of Evermore and from Mallow. I honestly failed the understand her motives. I hope we learn more about her as are series progresses because my jaw dropped when I realized the villain was female. (I support women’s rights and women’s wrongs.)

The narration is brilliant. I felt immersed in the story. Pacing was perfect. I honestly can’t think of any critique… I forgot I was meant to be paying attention to narration details because it was so well performed that I always felt immersed in the story.

Overall, I think Book 1 leaned more on the romance than fantasy. Luckily the slow burn was perfectly done! I hope the next books dive deeper into new characters— I felt like the circle of rich characters was small in this one. I want to know more about Briony’s father for example. Oops, I’m getting sidetracked — This was an enthralling read that kept me hooked until I panicked at the end because I have to wait for future books.

By far 10/10 and one of THE BEST READS OF THE YEAR!!!!!!! The twists and turns and natural progression of the story was truly PHENOMENAL!!!!!!!!!The magic in this book was unique and fresh and the bonds I loved! Briony and her brother were true siblings in every sense of the word. A perfectly written pair! Normally having a preference for physical books I ate this story up with the narration and even though I do not care for longer audiobooks this SURPASSED ALL MY EXPECTATIONS! Constantly moving and never slowing I had the most emotions! Happy, sad, moments of humor! Our Villian was almost written excellently and had me plotting her death as well! I can’t not wait for however many installments as I need the next part yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!I AM IN LOVE!

I’m honestly not okay. Julie Soto owns me. I was already obsessed with her writing, but Rose in Chains completely took over my brain. I listened to the audiobook and I refused to press pause. I would have finished it in one sitting if life didn’t get in the way.

Briony and Toven are everything. The tension, the flashbacks, the slow burn—it was all perfect. Julie somehow makes every moment feel intense, even the quiet ones. The world is dark and heavy in all the right ways, but still full of hope and fight. And that ending? I need the sequel immediately.

I already loved Julie Soto for her contemporary romances, but seeing her crush it in fantasy too? I’m even more obsessed now. The way she builds tension and emotion is unreal. The story, the characters, the magic—it all just worked.

This is easily one of my favorite reads of the year. I’ll be thinking about it until book two drops.

Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy.

The world-building was pretty thin, and there were just so many characters being thrown in constantly—most of them didn’t leave much of a mark. The romance was meant to be a slow burn, but this one DRAGGED, and the character growth felt like it kept circling the same points.

I’m really thankful for both the audio and e-ARC, but I ended up switching to my Kindle because I couldn’t handle the narration. Who thought it was a good idea to give the male character a voice that sounded more like a woman than anything else. It was distracting, to say the least.

That said—the cliffhanger was actually good and the many questions unanswered in book 1 is the main reason I’d consider picking up the next book.

Absolutely, yes!

I'm going to start off by saying that I have not read any of the dramione fanfics, including the The Auction, that this is based on.

The book bounces back and forth between past and present following Briony Rosewood who story start with lineage of a royal family, the death of her twin brother, the heir to their kingdom, then eventually leads her to being captured by another kingdom and auctioned off to basically be a a magical slave to take power from her.

Despite the premise of the book, the FMC and MC are primarily a slow burn romance throughout that book. However, there still are darker themes in this book that should be taken into account when going on this adventure with #RoseInChains including: SA, graphic violence, explicit sexual content, mentions of non-consensual sex, buying and selling of humans into captivity, and death.

Overall, the story that Julie Soto brought to our pages and our ears through Ella Lynch's narration was captivating. I cannot wait to see where the story will lead and what will happen next.

Thank you to Hachette Book Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.