Actual rating: 3.5 ⭐

I don’t like when I finish a book only to realize at the very end that it’s just the beginning of a series. I know it’s listed as a series on Goodreads, but on NetGalley—where I requested and received the book—that wasn’t mentioned.

The book itself felt both interesting and boring at the same time, as paradoxical as that sounds. The premise was intriguing and I genuinely wanted to see what would happen next the entire time. But for a 464-page book, there definitely wasn’t enough plot. Some moments felt like they were repeating over and over again. The romance was also way too slow and only started to develop literally near the end of the book.

Also, right from the start, we’re introduced to too many characters, and it was really hard to keep track of who’s who. Even now, after finishing the book, if you asked me to name any of the side characters, I’d probably mix them up. The time jumps were also quite confusing at times.

I understand that the concept itself is intentionally dark, but I was honestly horrified by some of the behavior toward the female characters—it made me sick. If you don’t have a strong stomach, I wouldn’t recommend it.

My thoughts are all over the place, which isn’t that surprising considering how chaotic the book itself is. I’d like to know what happens next, but I’m also unsure if I’ll continue the series.

All in all, pretty confusing. Read at your own risk.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC.

3.5 stars rounded up

Let’s start with the standout: Ella Lynch's narration is fantastic. Each character has a unique voice, the production quality is solid, and even at 2.5x speed, the emotional inflection kept me engaged. She elevated the experience, and I’m not sure I would have enjoyed the book as much in print.

Now onto the story itself.

This one’s been buzzed about in fanfiction circles (especially with Dramione readers), and while I’m not usually a Draco/Hermione reader, I was curious. That said, it did affect my experience. I found myself spending more time trying to figure out what character relates to which Harry Potter character and it pulled me out of the story entirely. That's more of a personal note and a warning to those who get distracted easily by wandering thoughts during an audiobook.

This book sets the stage for a broader series, but like many "book ones" these days, it felt long and tedious and nothing happened. We get some world building, but that doesn't feel like enough for a first book. We could have lost some less important moments and swapped them for more story-driven arcs and it would have gone better. The final act and denouement feel disconnected from the main arc, and while the twist at the end was exciting and unexpected, it is doing all of the heavy lifting for my desire to read book two. A sequel shouldn't be anticipated just to resolve a cliffhanger.

What I liked
>Distinct characters. I had strong opinions (for and against) each one, which shows how clearly they were written.
> The twist was well executed and we get a novel shift in POV to someone unexpected
>The narration is really what brought this book to light and I highly recommend the audiobook!

What didn't work for me:
>Nearly every male character is hypersexualized to the point it's redundant and annoying. Dark romances include heavy themes, I understand that, but a villain needs more characteristics than just "horny" or "predatory." Toven stands out as being the one non-horny one but it just made the trend seem overdone.
>Pacing. There is an entire rebellion going on in the background and we're just told about it through scraps of newspaper and word of mouth. We spend the entire book in Briony's POV and while she's an okay character, the multiple scenes of her whining about the same thing over and over again could have been replaced with someone else's point of view. There are so many compelling, strong side characters that I'm dying to know ANYTHING about but we only are given scraps.

Overall it's a solid romantasy pick or just one of MANY Dramione fanfic rewrites being published this year (good for all of you long-time Dramione fans). If you enjoy darker elements and slow-burn setup/romance, just make sure you read the trigger warnings going in. And if you can, listen to the audiobook!

This audiobook was incredibly well performed. I love the narrator’s accent and inflection when performing, especially during highly emotional moments in the story. The cadence of her voice is almost hypnotic in a way, and I mean that as the best compliment. I was able to completely tune into the story and immerse myself into the world.
As for the book itself, I have to say that it is obvious that the book started out as a Dramione fanfic, but since I haven’t read The Auction yet, I don’t know how closely the traditionally published version is to the storyline of the fanfic. I’m glad I went into this not having read The Auction because I can comfortably say that Rose in Chains holds its own as a new story with a new world and new characters. I found the characters compelling, the plot intriguing, and the cliffhanger has me itching for the second book. Didn’t know this was going to be a trilogy going into it, but I like that the story (and the slow burn) is given enough space to develop without feeling rushed. The only thing I didn’t like was that I don’t feel that Briony questioned the Hearsts’ motivations enough. They were overly helpful to their “captive” and she was just kind of like “oh, that’s weird, he gave me my magic back. Oh, that’s weird, he doesn’t want to use me as his heartspring.” So it had me questioning the believability of Briony’s feelings on her situation. Like, where is the rage? The righteous indignation? The confusion when she’s not totally miserable? And for being such a smart girl and gifted magician, Briony is painfully dense about Toven’s true motives here. Anyway, I’m excited to read the source material and see how Rose in Chains developed from a fanfic, and I’m even more excited for the second book to be announced.

5/5 ⭐️

Julie what have you done to me! This book was absolutely BRILLIANT!! A must read. An edgy, witty, high-stakes slow burn that will keep you in your toes! I am OBSESSED! Especially with that cliffhanger, I immediately need the rest of the trilogy!!

This is my second Julie Soto read and she’s gained a forever fan! She is in her element as a Romantasy writer! Her talent for writing has really shown through with Rose in Chains.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the Arc in exchange for my honest review. I received the audiobook and the narrator on point. She did a wonderful job connecting to and portraying the characters. Well done! I highly recommend listening to the audio, it’s quite the ride!

This book covers a lot of heavy topics while also weaving together a story of resistance, magic, and second chances. I started it hesitantly, not sure if the content warnings would be too much for me. But I was captivated and immediately sucked into the audiobook! Don't get me wrong, it is a heavy story - make sure to check content warnings! There is a lot of discussion about rape (crude talk, discussing forced acts, etc) and murdering those who don't align with your viewpoints.

Beautiful storytelling and I can't wait for the rest of the series!

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for a honest review!

Content warnings:
-Gore
-Rape / selling individuals for magical power and sex

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC.

The narrator and production of the audiobook are fantastic! I would highly recommend if you are an audiobook listener.

I LOVED this book! From the first page I was pulled into the story and was engaged all the way through! I did NOT want to put it down! Both the world building and the magic system were very creative and well thought out. I was never confused or feeling like too much was being thrown at the reader at once. The appreciate the slow burn romance that is actually slow burning. So obsessed with the concept of the animal familiars as well. I highly highly recommend this book and cannot wait for the next book in the series!

Julie Soto can write anything she wants and I will devour it! Rose in Chains is the perfect romantasy to read and the narration took it to the next level! The narration feels immersive, palatable tension and so delicious. the narrator were perfect. they matched the character added so much life to the story. It felt like I was listening to a film and added so much emotion to the story!

I could not stop reading this the second I started, I could not put it down because the plot, tension, chemistry and world building is amazing. Slow burn, dark and steamy, political intrigue and lots of pining, tension and rival kingdoms? Oh I am obsessed. I love Julie Soto's writing but after this one? I need all the romantasy from her. It's witty, dark, full of tension and theres an auction? Briony and Toven were everything and I need them back immediately. I loved that we get to see how it all starts, the rivalry between the kingdoms, the lore of world and its world building, I love that it's easy to follow and page turner. Briony and Toven's dynamic and relationship and how it progresses had me down bad. I am in love. Highly addictive and a must read! You truly have to go into it blind and let it take you for a ride because it's so good! I am so excited for the rest of the series!

Unfortunately this one was just not for me. It didn’t hold my attention and I really struggled to get through it.

Thank you NetGalley, Hachette Audio, Forever Pub for the ALC.

⋆˚࿔ 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
3⭐️

I get that this book is supposed to lay the groundwork for the rest of the trilogy, but… we deserved more than this. So much was introduced with no real follow-through—it felt like I was being bombarded with random bits of worldbuilding or lore that were never explained or brought up again. Hello? Closure?

The repetition nearly drove me up the wall. How many times do I need to hear the same line rephrased before we move on?

And the plot? People were being lynched left and right while I was sitting there like 😃 because I had no clue what was happening. The world felt chaotic but not in a structured way more like disjointed and empty.

As for the romance—was there any? Because if there was, I must’ve blinked and missed it.

Toven had the personality of a door. I kept waiting for something to come out of him, and it never did.

And Briony? That girl needs someone to shake her shoulders hard or slap some sense into her whatever works.

I’m holding out hope that book two improves, because if it’s more of this, I’m not going to survive the rest of the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to listen and review the ALC! I legit gasped of joy when I saw this on my shelf!

Rose in Chains was one of my most anticipated books of the summer, and I am so happy to say it did not disappoint! I am offically a Julie Soto fangirl after reading this, The Thrashers and Not Another Love Song earlier this year.

It's been a while since I've finished a book, particularly a romantasy, where I can't stop thinking about the story, the characters, and where I generally feel unable to move on to my next read. Is this what a book hangover feels like? It's been a while so I can't remember. I truly loved this book, and it's killing me that I have to wait until next summer for more Briony and Toven.

For those that don't know, Julie wrote the popular Dramione fanfic, The Auction, and this is her retelling of that story. I haven't read the The Auction yet, but if you're familiar with any Dramione fan fic or HP in general, you'll see where those characters and that world comes through in this story.

But despite the original source of inspiration, this book is wholly original from any romantasy book I've read. The story centers around Briony and Toven, classmates in upper school from neighboring countries. She's the princess of Evermore and he's from an aristocratic family in Bomard. The two meet at school, where they harbor secret feelings for each other but act cooly towards one another. Fast forward to the present, and there is a new evil Queen B in power named Mallow, Bomard has won the war, and the Eversuns are captured and sold at an Auction. Briony is purchased by Toven for the highest price ever recorded, and what follows is a non-stop ride.

I loved both our FMC and MMC. Briony is resilient, strong, brave and brilliant, but also compassionate and empathetic. Toven is our tortured (secretly) sweet soul, forced to play a role and put on a facade opposite from who he really is. The pining and chemistry between the two of them was perfectly done, and ate up every single one of their interactions. I couldn't get enough of them, and you can just feel the pining and yearning dripping off the page when they're together.

"I'm not sure how many more times I need to say it. That heartspring is mine. Her mouth is mine, her magic is mine, her skin is mine. You will not touch her, under any circumstances."

While Toven and Briony are the heart of the story, there are plenty of other things going on to keep your eyes or ears glued:

✨ Family Secrets
✨ Wartime settting
✨ A secret rebellion
✨ Political scheming
✨ A dragon!
✨ Enemies-to-lovers
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Pining and angst
✨ "She is mine"
✨ A very slow burn (honestly, it's still heating up - not burning yet)
✨ A prophecy

I honestly can go on and on about how great this book is, but really you should just read it for yourself, become obssessed like me, and then suffer in the void while we wait for book two to come out next summer.

Audiobook/Narrator Review
I listen to A LOT of audiobooks and this is definitely one of the best performances I've ever heard. It's narrated by a single performer who does all the voices - Ella Lynch. This is the first book I've listen to her narrate, and I hope it won't be my last. She was incredible! Ever single character had a distinct voice, making it easy to follow along with the story. She perfectly captured Briony's strength and vulnerability, and her Toven voice...damn 🫠🔥 I wish we got a whole Toven POV chapter just so I could listen to her narrate it, it's that good. All of the side characters were flawlessly done as well - giving each their own unique flair and personality.

Another thing I appreciated about her performance was her speed, flow and cadence. She sped up in all of the thrilling, more intense parts, slowed down in the tender and emotional scenes, and was steady in the in between. If you are an audiobook person, I highly recommend this modality.

If you've gotten this far, you can tell that adored this book and all that's left to say is that you should go read it or listen to it as soon as possible (just be sure to check the TWs first because there are some heavy, difficult themes).

Bravo Julie! Thank you for giving us another book to obssess over!

I'm extremely sad I couldn't love this more, but somehow against all odd, the story didn't grip me like other romantasy books.

I really like the characters, their are well developed and their arcs are interesting. The mystery about the brother was well crafter and kept me going for most of the book. However, the romance wasn't my thing in this one, which is a surprise, since there's this impossible love going on with all dark romance vibes. But all that angst killed the vibe in my opinion.

What I liked most was the political intrigue and rebellion. I also loved all the I loved the flashbacks, they made the story really interesting.

I’m fine. 🥹🥹🥹

Perfect doesn’t even begin to describe this masterpiece. The angst, the tension, the little notes, everything. Inject this into my veins. I’m unwell until the next book. K thanks byeeee

“Rose in Chains” is an enthralling novel by Julie Soto. I will say I thought this was going to be another YA book from the author, but it was definitely more mature so I would label as “new adult”. I’m not a huge Romantasy reader, but I jumped at the chance for this eALC. The story was a VERY slow burn, but also kept me hooked. The tension between the two main characters was top-notch, but the aloofness to their feelings really annoyed me after a while. I get that it is building to more, but it just dragged a bit, especially in the middle of the story.

As for the narrator, she did a wonderful job. She gave an air of superiority and class to the main character that fit her role well. I will say that I wish I had gotten a physical/e-copy of this book. I think it would have benefitted me in following along with characters and the world-building of the story. I found that I could only listen to this when nothing else was going on or I was lost.

Thank you NetGalley for this eALC! I am looking forward to the other books in this series.

How would it affect a young woman... when the young man she developed a crush on back in school, the boy she thought maybe, just maybe... liked her back, turns out to have become a foot soldier of a ruthless usurper responsible for killing her father and twin brother?
How it would it affect this young Princess... when she is royalty no more, but a woman shackled, muted, confined in a cell with a group of other survivors – to be sold like cattle?
How would it affect this young survivor... to be purchased in a slave auction by that same young man... a young man who once had the key to her heart and now holds the key to her shackles?

Rose in Chains begins by turning Princess Briony Rosewood's world on its axis immediately: there's a war in Evermore, and her twin brother Rory – the King – has just been killed. Briony had been sure, so so so sure, that her brother would emerge the victor. It was prophesied, after all. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, Briony has no choice but to attempt to flee the castle, her home.

The first book in the Evermore trilogy has an instantly dark start, and gets even darker once Briony's captured and put up for human auction. (Take care of yourself and make sure to check the trigger warnings at the bottom of this review – please be advised that they are spoilers.) Julie Soto's writing is vivid and descriptive; reading about Briony's experiences through her point of view is compelling and heart-wrenching. Because we only get her side of the story, we are expected to read between the lines a lot, particularly when it comes to the motivations and actions of her eventual buyer/captor Toven Hearst and his family. Why did he buy her?

Us being kept in the dark along with Briony is a fantastic approach. Briony's fear and anger are tangible, and because we don't have all the information, moments of kindness are met with skepticism by both her and the reader. Because she still IS a captive who isn't told anything, and Toven sometimes treats her rather poorly, though one can hazard a decent guess at his not-so-nefarious reasons why. So at the same time, when these kind moments do happen, you can't help but share in Briony's hope.

Rose in Chains' lead character is complex and layered, at times naïve - complementing the mysterious, morally grey Toven Hearst beautifully. In a book with heavy themes and a decidedly serious tone, levity isn't always appropriate; hope and regard (seen in Briony and Toven, respectfully) are all the more necessary to carry a romance in this setting. There is a stunning slowburn (like, truly slooooow, snail slow, sloth slow) love story, its credibility aided by flashbacks focusing on the couple's dynamic over a span of 8 years.

Flashbacks aren't always welcome but THESE are - they give angst, they give yearning - and they give world building. Apart from providing us with that foundation for Briony and Toven's relationship, they give insight into the magic system and a timeline of how the war between Evermore and Bomard unfolded. The magic system allows heart- and mind magic (Toven being heart, Briony being mind) to bond together – another promising dimension to the romance between the leads. And the timeline of the war gives us the basics, including a skin-crawling introduction to a truly abhorrent villain, Veronica Mallow (I do love that she's female). All in all there's enough for it to be a proper set-up to a “first book in a trilogy”, with Soto holding back plenty of material for the books that are to follow. I reckon the plot – which is at a bit of a simmer in Rose in Chains - will be cooking nicely in future books.

I listened to the audiobook edition, narrated by Ella Lynch, a talented and engaging British performer. What impresses me most about her, is that she is able to provide several distinct voices for not only female, but also male characters. I knew whose dialog she was reading based purely on her voice. Furthermore, Ella is pleasant to listen to, with a clear and easy to follow English accent, perfectly suitable for Briony and for the story's setting. The audiobook narration also manages to weave in subtle emotions; I'm not sure these would have translated as well in text only. The audiobook narration, in my opinion, made one scene in particular (a scene which I cannot spoil) all the more impactful on the rest of the story. Ella Lynch's interpretation of Toven added depth to how I perceived his character, as well.

I'm interested in seeing how the rest of this trilogy plays out. Rose in Chains holds me by the throat: it solidly lays the groundwork for some thrilling, sexy, intriguing further story-telling.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Forever for generously providing me with a copy of this audiobook; all opinions expressed are honest, voluntary and 100% my own.

Trigger warnings (spoilers)

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Forced abortion (not to the FMC, or by the MMC), forced sterilization (not by the MMC), forced prostitution (not by the MMC), gore, gruesome deaths, rape (not by the MMC), sexual assault, sexual harassment, violence, slavery / human trafficking, abuse, confinement. My apologies if I've missed some.

Julie Soto’s words read by Ella Lynch are addictive! Even when I wasn’t listening I was thinking about what Soto has created within Rose In Chains. The story moved swiftly as I experienced Briony’s emotions along side her-fear, uncertainty, longing. Then Part Two brings so much delicious tension! The book may have its roots in fanfiction but it spreads its wings in romantasy with an entirely new magic system and multi-layered characters motivated by the universal emotions of greed and love. I was hesitant due to trigger warnings given at beginning but found these topics handled with sensitivity in a way that rings true to each character’s situation. Rose In Chains was one of my most highly anticipated reads and it did not disappoint. Honestly, Julie Soto never does. I am feral to have book two in my ears. And have already preordered a print copy for my hands! Thank you for the opportunity to review.

Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
Pub Date: 7/8/25
Format: audio/ebook hybrid

Big shout out to Forever Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced reading copies (both audio and ebook) for one of this year’s most highly anticipated romantasy reads! I am not a fanfic reader but was intrigued to see what all the fuss was about with this novel!

I want to start by saying I did not read this as a fanfic because of the characters and IP it was tied to. I understand that the terf who shall not be named doesn’t directly profit from fanfic, I still try to veer away from anything that will remind folks that she exists or platform her characters in any way.

That being said, as someone who grew up with that series I was highly intrigued and this book being traditionally published and disconnected from that IP felt like a great opportunity for me to check out the hype without giving a platform to you know who.

Why am I giving all these disclaimers? Because I want to be clear that I didn’t know what I was getting into before I say that this book was not really for me. There was something about it that just felt tedious to me. I’m a big fan of Julie Soto, so I’m guessing this type of book and I just don’t vibe, and I don’t think that it was at any fault of the author.

I did get through all 477 pages, but I don’t know if I would have without the audio to keep the momentum going. This was a lot of content for what felt like the setup for a story, not quite the story itself. Again, I understand it started and was originally published as a fanfic but I just don’t think this book felt like a published & finished book. I also have some concerns about the antisemitism I am seeing cited from Jewish book reviewers early on that was not edited out in the audiobook.

Understanding that I may not be the intended audience for this book, I will not be reviewing on my main book instagram but will like my review on Goodreads below.

This was a story full of secrets, and background pieces that help to move the plot along. As someone who read and devoured the Auction, I loved this.

The narrator did an excellent job

Actual rating 4.5*

Wow. I devoured this book.

Rose in Chains is a dark, twisty romantasy that had its claws in me from the first page—and still hasn’t let go. I’ll be honest, my brain had a hard time at first separating it from its Dramoine fanfic origins (if you know, you know), but once I let myself settle into the world Soto built, I was completely hooked.

The romance is haunting and addictive, the fantasy elements are rich and layered, and the characters are complicated in all the right (and wrong) ways. It’s dark—very dark—so please read the trigger warnings carefully before diving in. But if you’re into morally gray characters, obsessive love, and high-stakes magical politics, this one’s going to wreck you in the best way.

And that cliffhanger? It had me sat. Just staring at the last page like… how dare you, Julie Soto. HOW DARE YOU.

I cannot wait for the next installment. This series is going to live rent-free in my head for a long, long time.

For the audiobook, I reread Rose in Chains while listening to the audiobook. The performance and production were good. Some of the more difficult subjects to read in the physical book were not quite as bad while listening so I did appreciate that. Overall, this is a good audiobook to listen to.

For the story: oooooooh wow. I feel like I need to compose my thoughts. I loved this book. Did it make me very frustrated and emotional at things that were happening to characters I liked, yes. Did I want to keep reading it because it was really good and I needed to know what was going to happen to the FMC and MMC, also yes.

I really liked the FMC in this book: Briony Rosewood. She is an intelligent and strong FMC that was very likable. She made decisions that I understood and made sense to me. As for Toven…loved him. The enemies-to-lovers trope really is ENEMIES-to-lovers done right. With that being said, this is also a slooooooooow burn (which I love). Fans of Dramione will enjoy this book.

The magic system is very unique and took me a little bit to understand but I loved that Julie decided to do something a little different. On to the side characters!!! So good! There were characters I truly felt for and others that I grew to love and some that I literally cannot stand. Lastly, the ending! Great cliffhanger and I’m looking forward to book 2!!!

Some of the harder topics such as the objectification of the women in this story was heartbreaking and trigger warnings should definitely be reviewed before reading.

4.5 ⭐️
Rose in Chains is deliciously dark, in a way where some of the less savory elements of the story felt well-done and necessary to get a point across, rather than just shoved in for shock value. This is for the girls who love spicy political intrigue and gothic magical academies. I LOVE the war between being ruled by your head and your heart being literally interpreted into the magic system, that’s so clever! The romance is a verrrrry slow burn, which had me BEGGING for every little crumb of intimacy between our two main characters. The larger world building and conflict were also very intriguing. I can’t wait to read the next book!