Writing this review doesn’t feel great. I wanted to love this book — it was one of my highly anticipated releases, especially as someone who read and enjoyed the original fanfiction years ago. Unfortunately, Rose in Chains ended up being a huge disappointment for me.

The beginning was intriguing enough: you’re thrown right into the plot, and I enjoyed that fast start. But as the story unfolded, the momentum sputtered. I found myself dreading picking the book back up because, truthfully, it felt like it was dragging me along while 70% of the time… nothing substantial happened.

I have so many gripes that I feel like I need to break them down into sections just to make sense of them.

Characterization
The characters in Rose in Chains felt disappointingly flat.

Briony Rosewood, the FMC, remained nebulous from beginning to end. Halfway into the story, I was still waiting for her personality to shine through… and it never really did. She felt like a scared lamb throughout the story, passive and whiny despite being relatively safe compared to the trauma happening around her. It’s not that a heroine needs to be physically strong or fierce to be compelling, but there has to be something interesting about her, something that makes the reader want to root for her. Briony didn’t have that spark. She mostly just existed in the story, a passenger princess watching events unfold while dramatically reacting to things happening around her. She’s extremely naive at 25, and while I understand that’s due to her circumstances, it didn’t make her enjoyable to follow as a heroine.

Toven Hearst, the MMC, didn’t fare much better. I was supposed to swoon over his protective actions and hidden feelings, but instead I just felt boredom and frustration. His pining was obvious but unearned — why did he even like Briony? Because she’s pretty? Because she’s self-sacrificing? The book never made me believe in his feelings or their connection.

Even the side characters blurred together. The naming choices didn’t help. So many names were pretty and stylized to the point of feeling distracting and pulling me out of the story.

Romance
This book should have been catnip for me:
Yearning.
Years of unspoken obsession.
Denial of feelings.
Obliviousness.
Emotional tension.

These are the tropes I live for and yet none of it landed the way it should have.

The romance didn’t feel fleshed out. Flashbacks tried to show the depth of Toven’s feelings, but it never felt organic or convincing. The connection between Briony and Toven felt hollow, like I was being told about their chemistry rather than feeling it. Their interactions were meant to drip with tension and suppressed desire, but instead, they felt empty and unremarkable.

The book constantly telegraphed their feelings for each other — subtly, overtly — but without a solid emotional foundation, the pining and gestures just fell flat.

Plot Structure and Pacing
The structure of the book severely disrupted the reading flow.

Flashback chapters were sprinkled throughout, told out of order, and often felt random rather than natural. Instead of enriching the main plot, they made me impatient to get back to the present-day storyline, only to realize the main story was also stalling.

Much of the “main story” consisted of Briony being passively locked away, confused, and sad. It was repetitive and slow, with little forward movement. Chapters blurred together, and my frustration only built as nothing substantial seemed to happen.

Yes, I get it — she’s a rose in chains, I understand that this is how the storyline is supposed to go, but reading this was actively dreadful and boring.

World Building
The world building was another letdown.

There were so many names thrown at the reader — kingdoms, leaders, royal lines — and almost none of them felt relevant or memorable. We were told about the political structures and titles through flashbacks, but they barely played a role in the actual plot.

The kingdoms, ranks, and lore felt hollow, like window dressing that wasn’t meaningfully integrated into the story. Instead of feeling immersed in a rich fantasy world, I just felt overwhelmed by a list of names and titles with no emotional or narrative weight behind them.

The Ending
Things did pick up as the book neared its end. Suddenly, there was movement: plot developments, action, the FMC finally asking questions and becoming a bit more active. I did perk up during these last sections. But by then, it was too little, too late. The ending couldn’t undo the earlier slog or change the hollow impression the book had already left on me.

Final Thoughts
I’m honestly surprised at how much I didn’t enjoy this. As someone who read The Auction years ago, as someone who loves fantasy romance packed with yearning, angst, and emotional tension — I should have loved Rose in Chains.

Instead, it was an experience of unfulfilled potential:
Flat characters.
Hollow romance.
Disruptive structure.
Weak world building.

I walked away feeling nothing for these characters, this world, or their love story, and that was the biggest disappointment of all.

Audiobook / Narration Note
While Rose in Chains didn’t land the way I’d hoped, I do want to highlight that the audiobook narrator was fantastic. She brought the characters and emotions to life in a way that really enhanced the story for me. Her performance of the male characters in particular was especially well done — the voices felt distinct and believable, which made the dynamic between the characters much more engaging. Listening to it after having read it in print made for a much better experience; the narration added so much more life and energy to the story.



Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Forever for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

2/5 ⭐️

Before I get into this I would like to say that I know this isn’t written for me, I have read many romantasy novels and as a genre I struggle with them. I have read Soto’s adult romances and enjoyed them, giving me hope that I would also enjoy a romantasy by her.

Now, this isn’t all doom and gloom; like in her romance novels the quieter scenes between the FMC and MMC is pretty good. Soto is excellent at creating sexual tension in her books, to the point that I’ve called her writing “horny”. That is just as present here as with her other works and I do not want to take that away from her.

Outside of the enemies slowly becoming lovers I really has trouble with nearly everything else. Starting with the plot structure, having never read The Auction I don’t have a full reference for this but it being built as a trilogy made this book feel like it ran in place for 80% of the book, limiting the story to essentially a couple rooms and a ballroom. In these locals there is very little outside over exaggerated talk and suggestion of debauchery, sexual harassment, and thrown insults from one of the most deplorable and uninteresting cast of characters I’ve read. Nearly everything interaction the FMC had with a male character was hyper focused on sexual abuse and degradation, something that extended to the MMC by association.

I‘m so grateful that I got to listen to this book before its release date! Thanks to netgalley and the publisher!!
Julie Soto is one of my favorite authors, I‘ve loved all her books and Rose in Chains is no exception. This was way darker than I expected it to be, the stakes are freaking high in this, its so sad to see what all these women have to go through just because of some disgusting people. I felt so much all of them because of the shit they have to endure!
The magic is also so interesting and I already can not wait to get my hands on the next book to see how the magic, the world, this story and the characters continue!! Hopefully we‘ll get to know why some specific people act the way they do! I can‘t wait to read more about Briony & Toven, all the others and their world!
Thank you Julie, for dipping your toes into so many different genres and continuing to be one of my favorites!

Julie Soto truly has done it again. I just finished and I am speechless! The cliffhanger has me prepared to beg Julie Soto herself for more. As I write this review one question keeps coming to mind and that is what can I possibly say about Rose in Chains besides that it was amazing? The cover is as gorgeous as the story within. The narrator did a wonderful job bring the story to life. The storytelling, the world building, the magic, and the characters were all so well done. The slow-burn enemies (??) to lovers (??) had me at the edge of my seat. I finished this within 48 hours and it would have been quicker if I was not traveling. This was the perfect first book in a series and I cannot wait for the next one. I’m already planning a reread once I have the physical copy in my hand.

4.5⭐️2.5🌶️

Dark Romantasy
Non-linear timeline
Flashbacks
Magical schools
Rival kingdoms
War
Political intrigue
Dragons
Failed prophecy
Enemies to lovers
Secrets
Rebellion
Slow burn
Forced proximity
High stakes


Tw: grief, war, SA, human trafficking, murder, enslavement, forced sterility, forced termination of pregnancy (off page), non-consensual relationships, misogyny, gore

*note- trigger warnings are not reflected in spice rating. Read responsibly.


I love Julie Soto’s highly bingeable writing style, and as a fan of her contemporary romances, I was thrilled to be approved for the audiobook galley on NetGalley!

Many readers will recognize her from AO3, where she’s widely respected for her fanfiction. While those familiar with the source material may notice a few parallels, the story here stands firmly on its own. The changes are creative and distinct. You’d never know it was a reimagining unless you were looking for it.

The audiobook was fantastic! The narrator’s pacing, inflection, and melodic tone were spot-on, and each character had a clearly defined voice. Even at 1.75x speed, the narration felt perfectly paced and immersive.

The magical system and historical elements felt fresh and well-developed. Some aspects of the world were repeated a bit more than necessary, but not enough to pull me out of the story.

The plot was compelling and the tension, especially the romantic tension, was absolutely top-tier. There’s just something about a character quietly pining for someone they shouldn’t that always lands. While I’m not usually a fan of flashbacks, the ones to their school days were effective. Scenes occasionally replayed from different POVs or slightly altered timelines, which added depth, though the repetition was noticeable.

This is a dark fantasy romance, and the themes are heavy, particularly around human trafficking. It’s handled with care, but definitely worth noting.

This is a very slow burn. At times I wondered if any spice between the main characters would happen at all in this book… but the tension was so deliciously drawn out that I didn’t mind one bit.

Briony and Toven are wonderfully developed, and I loved seeing the slow reveal of Toven’s parents. However, most of the other characters felt less fleshed out—likely due to the story’s secluded setting. I especially wished for more development in Briony’s relationship with her twin brother, which felt underexplored.

I really enjoyed this and can’t wait to explore more of the characters, world, and magic in future books. A strong start to what promises to be a gripping series!

Thank you NetGalley and Hatchett Audio for the ARC.

I want to start that I didn’t read the auction, so I don’t have much background to what the original plot was when this was a fanfiction. However, I feel that some of the original book does bleed through on this book especially in the world building and character development. Each fantasy book does world building a bit different, but I feel like this book drops you in the middle of the world and assumes you know what is going on. I think there was quite a few minor characters that were thrown at us that I could barely remember why they were important.

This is a heavy read. The topics are addressed well, but readers may be triggered by it. There was a trigger warning in the beginning, but readers should be aware of it.

I feel like she did a good job establishing a different magic system. The slow burn through the book had me BEGGING for more. The plot twist at the end has me craving the second book.

The narrator was fantastic especially at 1.25 speed. She even did a great job at Toven’s voice! I really enjoyed the narration.

Rating: ⭐⭐ (2/5)

Well... this was certainly something.

I went into Rose in Chains expecting a dark, slow-burn romantasy with political intrigue and complex magic. What I got instead was a confusing mash-up of way too many places and palaces, way too many characters, and a romance so uncomfortable that it honestly disturbed me.

Let’s start with the FMC, Briony. She’s no Hermione Granger—despite the Dramione fanfic whispers floating around this book. Briony spends most of her time helping her brother achieve laurels while growing up or later getting emotionally tangled with her captor. Yes, the "romance" here feels more like Stockholm Syndrome than enemies-to-lovers. It made me uneasy, not swoony.

Toven, the MMC, is… well, permanently grumpy and has the personality of a rock. Zero charm. Zero development. I kept hoping he’d surprise me. He didn’t.

Add to that human trafficking, magical tattoos that electrocute prisoners if they try to escape (yikes), and a female villain Mallow who weirdly lets all the gross sleazy men in power run free. The book felt like a chaotic blend of magic systems from Harry Potter, ACOTAR, Twilight, and Grishaverse—but none of the ingredients really came together.

The world-building? Overwhelming. Too many places, names, titles—I gave up trying to keep track by chapter five.

To be fair, the prose has its lush moments, and the premise could have worked. But the disturbing power dynamics and heavy themes were handled in a way that made me deeply uncomfortable.

That said... credit where it’s due: the audiobook narrator did a fantastic job. Her performance kept me engaged even when the story itself lost me.

Final thought:
If you enjoy super dark, morally messy fantasy with heavy themes and don’t mind questionable romance dynamics, maybe this will work for you. But for me? This was not the vibe.

⚠️ Content warnings: human trafficking, slavery, sexual violence, captivity, abuse, extreme misogyny.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette audio for the Advanced listener copy!

First of all the narration was amazing. I loved this narrator so much. I kind of wished it was a duet narration because I’ve been loving those recently but this narration was truly amazing.

Now onto the book. All I knew going into this was it’s based off of a certain FF. I never read it or knew anything about it. So I went into this with a blank slate not knowing anything. I really enjoyed this. I usually don’t like when books jump around between past and present but I loved the chapters in the past. The mind and heart magic was so interesting. I really like Briony and she does go through some difficult things. With saying that this book does have dark themes and elements so I’d definitely check the trigger warnings. But like I said again I really enjoyed this. I cannot wait for the sequel. I need to know what’s going to happen!!!

What a ride. I super enjoyed the start to this new series, even the wicked cliffhanger. I was treated to the audiobook and while it was very well done, I would have loved it to be multi-cast. Also this is one of those stories with a lot of rules, connections, and preliminary world building, so I think I would have benefited from reading along with the physical book to keep everything straight (didn’t affect rating. Just advice if you’re like me and need extra help processing). But well done, Julie Soto, well done !!

First of all, I am a fanfic reader and absolutely love The Auction.

Narration/listening experience:
I did not love the narrator. Ella Lynch has a very breathy, airy voice, that almost made me dnf early on. I was able to push through it though and finish the book, though I was pulled out of the story multiple times by some of the male voices she did. There were a lot of characters, and Ella was able to make distinctive voices for them, so that’s a positive even if I didn’t connect well with the performance.

Story:
I love Julie’s writing, I think I would’ve been able to connect to the story with a written form better, so I’m excited for a reread with my preordered copy.
There are a lot of flash backs. Though I think they add important information, I think it gets a little repetitive and could do with less. I can’t help comparing the book to The Auction: you can definitely tell who the character were “inspired by” (directly are). I thought the magic systems were an interesting addition. The book pretty much followed the fic, though it felt a bit clunkier.

I am excited to keep reading the rest of the trilogy, and hope it is able to pick up a bit more since the groundwork has been laid.

I'm unwell! Rose in Chains is a DARK (definitely read trigger warnings) Dramione fanfic. The romance is painfully slow burn. We get SO MUCH TENSION and SO MUCH lack of communication between the main characters that I felt like I wanted to shake them. The villains are written so well, I can't help but hate them and fear them as viscerally as the Briony does. I wanted more of an explanation of the magic system and maybe a more concrete timeline of things (the story jumps around) because parts felt underdeveloped, but as a whole this book flowed really nicely and was a wild ride. Definitely wasn't expecting the dragon! I can't wait to see where the series goes from here, thanks Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the audiobook!

What in the Handmaid’s Tale, Stockholm syndrome, sexist crap is this?! This is so tone deaf with current events. Today women all around the world are at a higher risk for sexual abuse along with having their human rights taken away. The amount of blatant sexual harassment, disgusting and repulsive behavior towards women in this book is astounding. I had to quit at 60% for my own sanity. I’m all for reading whatever you want but I cannot believe this is being published, especially targeting a younger demographic. Glorifying incel ideas about women as property/slaves and dressing it up as enemies to lovers is low.

The world building was underdeveloped and magic system not explained clearly. There were a lot of characters and an attempt at creating political intrigue, but it was too difficult to keep track of - all tell, no show. So much fluff, using a lot of words to say a whole lot of nothing. Name inspirations courtesy of r/tradgedeigh and characters were killed off early on and no one grieved anyone or showed any emotion. The FMC was flat and robotic, there was no chemistry between her and the MMC, it was an abusive master/slave situation. I’m just so confused about the plot and how a woman came to be in power, yet all the men abuse women they see as inferior like it’s the norm.

A lot of questionable writing used to fly back in the day with fanfiction, it’s 2025 and time to retire these ideas for good. Also it’s weird that at some point these characters were modeled after children’s books…

The audiobook production was good, the narrator has a British accent but has a very juvenile sounding voice, it just made the whole book feel YA but the themes were dark and violent.

Disappointing - I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this book to anyone.

4.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was exactly the kind of dark, slow-burn fantasy romance I love. I went in blind—knowing only that the story was based on a Dramione fanfic called The Auction—but even without reading the original work, the influence is clear and compelling. And let me just say: don’t let the cover deceive you. This book is darker and more intense than it looks, and it never shies away from the grittier aspects of the world it builds. I’d definitely recommend checking content warnings beforehand.

The world-building swept me away from the very first chapter. The fictional universe Julie Soto has created is layered and immersive, filled with rich history, an intriguing magic system, and powerful atmosphere. I particularly loved the past chapters—they weren’t just informative, they deepened the emotional stakes and brought the characters’ histories into sharper focus.

Briony Rosewood is a phenomenal heroine. Fierce, flawed, resilient, and intelligent—she’s had to live in her twin’s shadow for so long, and it’s deeply rewarding to watch her find her own voice and power. I truly admired her strength throughout the story.

Toven Hearst is equally compelling. Once a school bully, he’s now a complex, layered character whose cold exterior hides deep emotional nuance. Watching his façade crack and his motivations emerge was one of the story’s highlights.

The interactions Briony has with the Bomardis family are harrowing and powerful—I genuinely loathed them, which speaks volumes to Soto’s ability to evoke strong emotions through her writing.

The romance is a true slow burn and absolutely brimming with tension. Soto makes you work for it, and the payoff will be worth it in the end. Every flashback gave me a better understanding of Briony and Toven’s complicated relationship, and I was constantly desperate for the next emotional breadcrumb. Their chemistry was off the charts, and the protective moments had me swooning.

The audiobook narrator was phenomenal. Her voice acting made the characters come alive, and I think her performance played a huge part in how emotionally connected I felt to the story.

This book had everything I want in a fantasy romance: dark themes that are explored with care, unforgettable characters, immersive world-building, high stakes, and romantic tension that makes you want to throw the book across the room (in the best way).

Julie Soto has definitely won me over with this one. It was my first book of hers—but it won’t be the last. I’m already counting down the days until the sequel!

For fans of Gild by Raven Kennedy (think powerful female lead, toxic beginnings, and eventual empowerment) and On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn (hello, enemies-to-lovers with a morally questionable MMC). This is absolutely one for your list. Rose in Chains is for those who want to ache a little, yearn a lot, and root for a heroine who refuses to stay powerless.

First, a huge thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review an advance copy of Rose in Chains by Julie Soto.

To say I've been waiting for this release with bated breath would be a gross understatement. Ever since I learned The Auction would be reimagined and published as an original work, I've been counting down the days to hold it in my hands. And I'm so excited to say: this book still feels just as special and maybe even more so.

Julie Soto, the woman that you are! These characters, this world, this romance.. it felt tailor-made for the reader I am. Rose in Chains is a dark fantasy romance that leans heavily into the romance, rather than high-concept worldbuilding. But in this case, that's exactly the point. This is not Game of Thrones. This is a story for readers who want to fall headfirst into a morally grey world where no one is truly good or evil, only shaped by survival, greed, power, obsession, and rebellion.

For those unfamiliar with RIC, we follow Briony Rosewood, captured after the murder of her father, the Eversun king, and her prophesied brother, Rory. With her family slaughtered and her kingdom lost to the Bomards, Briony and her people face imprisonment, servitude, or death. Her magic stripped away, Briony is sold at auction to Toven Hearst, a powerful Bomard son and her long-time, impossible infatuation.

Told through dual timelines, the story explores how Briony and Toven's complicated dynamic unfolded over the years and how it's now being forced into an even more tangled new reality. Their chemistry is intense, layered, and loaded with history, tension, and pain.
As Briony uncovers the brutal truth of this new world, her desire for justice and freedom grows. What follows is a slow-burning revolution, with Eversuns and Bomards alike forced to confront the price of power and the cost of hope.

This first book sets the tone for what promises to be an addictive trilogy. We've been given just enough to fall deeply in love, and now I can't wait to see where the next book takes us. I'm especially excited to see Briony step more fully into her power and what role her magic will play in freeing the Eversuns.

Aside from the story, I really enjoyed this audiobook. The production gave me goosebumps when I first pressed play. The ethereal music used in the intro really set the tone for the story and made me so much more excited to get wrapped up in it for the 15+ hours. I actually listened to the full thing on default speed, which I never do.

The narrator did an incredible job at voicing the characters and making them all sound distinct from one another. I did think that Briony's voice sounded a little young, considering that she is 25 years old, but you get used to it very quickly. The narrator's storytelling kept me engaged overall, and I would definitely listen to the whole series on audio if I wasn't desperate to annotate a physical copy, too!

Quotes I loved:

"Not alone."

"If you insist on forgetting your manners, Rosewood. Then maybe I'll be tempted to forget mine..."

"There is a lake with still waters," Toven whispered.
"A mountain range surrounds it. The waters are deep with hidden secrets, but the water is still."

"They're going to pay for what they did," she vowed, her voice hollow and misshapen.
His grey eyes stared down at her. He moved a curl behind her ear and he nodded."

"It was disgusting really. To want someone who thought so little of you."

"Tell me princess, do you want a gentleman?"

I devoured Rose in Chains on audio and was completely hooked from the very first chapter. Julie Soto delivers a dark, emotional, and fiercely compelling story—but it’s the audiobook that truly brought it to life for me. The narrator nailed the tone, capturing every ounce of tension, vulnerability, and slow-burn intensity that this story thrives on.

The narration was pitch-perfect—smooth, expressive, and immersive without ever feeling overdone. Every character had depth and nuance, and the emotional weight of the story hit even harder because of it. I couldn’t stop listening.

If you’re into morally gray characters, intense emotional stakes, and a bit of spice with your angst, this one will live rent-free in your head. The performance takes an already strong book and turns it into a full-body experience.

Highly recommend the audiobook version—it’s the kind that makes you want to cancel your plans just to keep listening.

Phenomenal, everything I wanted and more.

This was a masterpiece and solidifies in my mind to Julie Soto's genius. The book is that perfect level of differentiation from its inspired work whilst still maintaining that familiar warmth and sense of familiarity. This is not to say the novel doesn't stand on its own, it does. The book is unique and carries itself phenomenally well. The world building is not overly complex making the book easy to come absorbed and entranced in.

The book deals with complex and upsetting topics with grace and respect. The narrator brought the story to life in exceptional ways.
The tone and delivery were perfectly executed at all the right moments. That scene at around 85% between Toven and Briony literally had me shaking it was so impactful. Lynch embodies and captured the personalities of our characters with amazing grace and I would recommend a joint or solely audio read for anyone who wants an immersive experience of this book.

I am already anticipating my reread when my physical preorder arrives.

Huge thankyou to Netgalley and the Publisher for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

a VERY easy 5⋆｡°✩

julie soto I will forever bow down at your altar 🧎🏻‍♀️‍➡️

briony & toven’s story is an absolute treat for fans of slowburn enemies to lovers who love getting their heart ripped to shreds at every single turn! (but PLEASE check those trigger warnings and take them seriously)

the transition from fanfic to published work was truly seamless. this had so many beloved elements of the original fic intertwined with a brand new fantasy world; along with all of that immaculate longing, banter & tension that soto shines so brightly in.

the og will forever have my heart, but this story created a beautiful world for new fans to fall in love with while honoring so many lovable qualities, moments & easter eggs for fans of the original work.

the flashbacks?!
the whiskey scene?!
CHAPTER 32?!?!
the ENDING?!?!

I will simply never recover, and I am on the very edge of my seat for what’s to come next in this trilogy 🤭

thank you so much to hachette audio for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of this incredible story!

*Enemies to Lovers
*Forced Proximity
*Bonded
*Unique Magical System
*Academic Setting

Well, this just might be another infinity star read for me! I could not put this book down and was sucked in for page 1, or I guess within the first 5 minutes of listening to the audiobook! I knew this book was inspired by Harry Potter and a twist on Hermione and Draco and I was soooo here for it! I have been waiting for this book to come out since last year when it was first announced! This was my first time reading a Dramione inspired book and it did not disappoint! I cannot wait for the next book to come out and need it ASAP!!! If you decide to listen to the audiobook (which I highly recommend) the narrator was fantastic! I loved the British accent and it just blew my mind away! Thank you Netgally, Julie Soto, and Hachette Audio for allowing me to listen to this beautiful master piece!

Thank you, Hachette Audio, the author and netgalley for an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start my review by saying that I haven’t read the original fanfiction, The Auction, and I haven’t read any of Julie Soto’s other novels, so I can’t actually compare or evaluate them in relation to each other. This book was… meh. Nothing nothing to love, nothing to hate.

Let’s start with the excellent aspects: the audiobook narration was incredible. Ella Lynch did an amazing job with the accents. The male voices were distinct and deep, and each character had its own rhythm and depth. It felt like a full-cast narration. I was able to follow the story really well, I was never distracted, even while doing chores around the house.

Now for the less excellent parts...

The plot was quite convoluted, unnecessarily so, I think. There’s a dual timeline (past and present), but there didn’t seem to be any real rhyme or reason to how the author structured the plot. The past scenes didn’t add anything important to the story, and only frustrated me more because I just wanted to get back to the main plot. Also, I was bored at times.

I didn’t like the FMC. She had no spine at all. She’s supposed to be skilled in magic and combat, she’s powerful, and yet she gives up so easily. She felt passive the entire time, and I couldn’t really root for her. Toven was ok, I guess, just another morally grey love interest. Nothing new. I did appreciate the slow burn and the lack of smut, though. For some reason, I thought this was going to be super spicy (more spice than plot), and I was honestly relieved that wasn’t the case. Still, there are some heavy topics discussed, including sexual ones, so please check your trigger warnings.

The ending was intriguing, and if the narrator stays the same, I’ll probably continue the series in audio.

Book: 2.5
Audiobook: 4.5
Total: 3.5 stars, rounded down

Book: 5⭐️
Audiobook: 5⭐️

Absolutely OBSESSED.

I was already a huge fan of The Auction, so I went into Rose in Chains with high expectations—and it completely BLEW ME AWAY. From the very first chapter, I was hooked. The writing, the characters, the worldbuilding—everything was so well done I literally couldn’t stop listening. I devoured this book in less than two days because I just had to know what happened next.

Briony is such a strong and complex protagonist, and her journey hit me right in the heart. Watching her navigate the ruins of her world and try to survive in enemy territory—while also dealing with Toven, who is just as infuriating and magnetic as I remember—was everything I wanted and more. The tension, the magic system, the emotional depth, the slow burn—I was living for all of it.

And let’s talk about the audiobook. The narrator was phenomenal! She brought the story to life in such an engaging, emotionally rich way. Her pacing, delivery, and voice acting were perfect—she made every scene feel so vivid and easy to follow. I honestly don’t think I would’ve enjoyed it quite as much without her performance.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC! I nearly screamed when I saw the approval email—I couldn’t believe I got my hands on an early copy of a book I’d been so excited about.

Now I’m just counting down the days until book two. I need more Briony. More Toven. MORE EVERYTHING.

This book means so much to me and I will never be grateful enough for this opportunity 🤍