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.

this book had me so confused. I loved Julie Soto other books and I was excited to read her new one but it felt like we weren’t getting to know the world more than we should. I would have liked to know more about the world.

I know a book is good if I find myself changing my audio speed from 3x to 2x because I don’t want the book to end. It was that good. No going back on us Julie, this is officially your genre. If this book doesn’t get more hype than Fourth Wing, the system is rigged and I’ll scream. 10x better world building, characters, story, narrator and potential.

Briony Rosewood, princess of Evermore, has lost her twin brother and kingdom to the war. The remains of their kingdom has been captured with its people to be auctioned off. Briony is captured, put up for auction, and ends up in the hands of Toven Hearst, to be used as his heartspring where her magic will be siphoned to bolster his own.

Amid escape attempts, the resistance rising again, and Toven’s confusing treatment of Briony, absolutely flouting the norm and not using her as a heartspring, it is clear there is more happening than she is aware.

I received an ARC audio copy from Hachette Audio/Forever. The production quality was excellent, and I absolutely loved Ella Lynch as the narrator. Ella’s acting of Briony and her internal monologue was beautifully done.

I also quite enjoyed the story. I was captivated, and connected with both Briony and Toven. Their relationship was executed well, and the growth they both had made sense and worked to move the story forward. This was an excellent start to the series and i am looking forward to reading more in this world.

Briony is a princess. Her country is at war and her twin brother is leading her country in the battlefield. Her brother is killed and everyone who isn’t killed is captured, stripped of their mind magic and put up for auction. She is won by Tovin. she has been going to school with him since they were children, they were rivals. She has a crush on him but knows that he is ambitious and cruel. He and the other Bromardians weld heart magic.
Ok. I loved this. It was so exciting, I read it in 2 days but really wanted to read it in one sitting unfortunately, life got in the way. There is political intrigue, magic, a dragon and a slow burn romance between Toven and Briony. And when I say slow burn I mean the slowest burn but it’s done in a fantastic way that leaves you aching for more.
I loved so much about this book. I loved Toven’s mother Serena. I’m excited to see if we learn more about her and her magic in the books to come. I love the magic house that provides what you need. I would have like to see more of this. We really only get to see this come to fruition in the library. I loved Larissa and am still curious as to what made her father turn her in as an enemy. She is a Bromard yet she is auctioned off with the Eversuns.
The only cons I can come up with is that it’s too short and ends in a cliffhanger and since I read it early i will be waiting forever. Book 2 can’t come soon enough.
This book does have a lot of trigger warnings as it is a dark fantasy so you may want to check those out before you read it. I will be recommending this to all my friends. I have actually all ready started.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hackett Audio for providing me the audiobooks ARC in exchange for my honest review.

OH MY GOD!

First of all, thank you to Netgalley, Forever Publishing and Hachette Audio for both the e-ARC as well as the ALC.

Second, the only negative of this book is that I now have to wait to read the next one. When i heard that this story was being published I was so excited I mean come on Julie Soto? Romantasy? Dramione? Literally three of my favorite things. TBH I never read the original fanfiction this was based on and I'm actually really glad I didn't because I was able to go into this story completely blind. I loved every second of this book. The world is vast and interesting and I can't wait to see more of it. The relationship between Briony and Toven is full of tension and yearning and I'm I devoured the little bread crumbs of them that Julie gave us like a woman starved. I do think it's important to note though that this isn't a light fun romantasy story and please take the trigger warnings at the beginning seriously. This story is definitely DARK and there are themes that I know will be really difficult to some readers. A lot happens in this book but it doesn't feel overwhelming. The pacing is perfect and I love the flashback scenes we get every now and then to give more background to the world. Julie Soto has once again proven why she is one of my auto buy authors. I will not so patiently be waiting for the rest of this series because I know it's going to blow me out of the water.

I haven’t read Julie Soto’s other published works, but years ago I read the fanfic that eventually became Rose in Chains. Back then, it felt like a typical Dramione story — emotional, a bit over-the-top, but entertaining enough within the world of fanfiction. As a published novel, though, it simply doesn’t work.
The plot drags, the pacing is inconsistent, and the characters lack real depth. The romance feels contrived, and the “chemistry” between the leads relies heavily on fanon versions of Draco and Hermione, rather than being built authentically in the story itself.
One thing that really threw me off was the bizarre and almost absurd obsession with virginity. It felt outdated, unnecessary, and awkward — like a leftover trope from old fanfics that somehow made it into a professionally published book. It added nothing meaningful to the story and only highlighted how underdeveloped the character dynamics were.
And honestly, I think I’ve just outgrown fanfiction. What once felt dramatic or swoony now reads as excessive, juvenile, and overly reliant on the reader bringing their own emotional investment from the fandom.
This book is a clear reminder that not every fanfic needs to become a novel. What works in the context of fandom — with readers already attached to the characters — doesn’t always stand on its own.
I also kept asking myself: Would Dramione fanfics be this popular if Draco hadn’t been played by the incredibly charismatic Tom Felton? Because a lot of this story feels like it’s coasting on nostalgia and actor appeal, not strong writing or storytelling.
The prose is overwrought, the dialogue feels stiff, and the constant inner monologues are exhausting. It reads more like a padded-out draft than a finished novel.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, this one just wasn’t for me.

Synopsis: The prophecy was wrong and Briony's life has been upturned. Now she's at the mercy of those that have always been her enemy, and who killed her family. She's forced into the care, or ownership, of the Hearsts, specifically Toven, her rival at school whose sneers at her in the hallway didn't dim her curiosity in him.

I had very high expectations for this book ... AND IT EXCEEDED ALL OF THEM. Truly, Julie Soto continues to outdo herself and every book is better than the last.

The beginning starts off strong, the middle gets stronger, and the end made me SCREAM. Wow wow wow. Honestly from page 1 I was hooked. I'm fascinated, and impressed, by the world that Julie created. I really love the classic medieval vibes combined with academia then an overall dark tone. Honestly it's all my favorite things combined PLUS animal familiars, side characters I NEED more of, and a romance that is just beginning - this book was perfection for me. There are multiple flashbacks that I became more and more addicted to. I really loved Briony, she was a main character who felt very real to me. She makes mistakes, she hesitates, and yet she's brave and kind and takes risks.

Because it covers so many genres I think this is a book that so many people will enjoy. (I realize I'm biased as a long time fan of Julie's but I STAND BY THIS.)

I absolutely DID NOT see the ending coming and wowwww. I just sat there stunned for a few minutes when I finished.

Plus, the narrator did an amazing job.

I loved loved loved this book.

I received an audio copy of this book via NetGalley ( Thank you @HachetteAudio). All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved the storytelling done by Julie Soto. This book was so much more than I thought it would be, it went way beyond my hopes and dreams. I loved how the story bounced between the present and her past, I think it offered a lot of clarity and let us see how the characters were when they were younger. The cliffhanger at the end caught me by surprise, and I am super excited that this is a trilogy and I am ready for the next two books to come out in the future.

The narrator did an amazing job making me feel like I was right there in the story. I could easily visualize what was happening and feel all the emotions. I wanted to listen to the whole thing in one go and didn't want to stop the audio.