I am not a huge romantasy reader but when I saw that Julie Soto was releasing one I knew I had to read it and wow did it deliver. It was such a good one. It was a very slow burn but man was it good. The world, the characters, everything was just perfect and I absolutely adored it. I cannot wait to continue this series.

h yes—this book didn’t just land, it waltzed in wearing a crown of thorns and a knowing smirk, and I was helpless to resist. I expected to be wrecked, but this story? It wove itself into my bones and whispered, “You weren’t ready.” And I wasn’t.

First things first: thank you to Forever Publishing, Hachette Audio, NetGalley, and the darkly brilliant author behind this magic for the audiobook copy. They gave me the keys to the kingdom, and I ran straight into the storm— every thought below is mine, honest and a little feral.

Now let’s talk performance: Ella Lynch? You devoured this narration. Clear, sharp, electric. When the book said Raven’s voice grated… I was already thinking it, and then you nailed it. You didn’t just read Toven, you became him. That portrayal is going to live rent-free in my head for a long, long time. And the sound quality? As expected from Hachette Audio, top-tier, crystal-clear, and polished to perfection.

⚠️ Trigger warnings front and center. This story pulls no punches. It tackles grief, rage, trauma, identity, and survival without flinching. But here’s the thing— it balances that darkness with snappy banter, dry humor, and just enough light to keep your heart pounding. If you’re craving a real dark romantasy, one that leans in and dares you to look deeper? This one delivers.

On the surface, you’ve got an epic, action-packed tale of a heroine who’s fallen hard, but refuses to stay down. Her rage is fierce, her heart unyielding, and the world she moves through? Lush, war-torn, and hauntingly magical. The imagery? Breathtaking. And the forbidden love subplot? Oh, it’s the slow-burn, ache-in-your-chest kind that feels like touching a flame just to see if it burns.

But beneath the sword fights and spellwork is something deeper. This book made me pause and ask: How many of my choices were truly mine? And how many were handed to me with a smile and an expectation? It’s not just a story—it’s a mirror held up to everything we’re told to be, and everything we quietly are.

I’m the kind of reader who loves going in blind— no spoilers, no summaries, just vibes and a whisper of tropes. And this book? It rewards that trust. Read the trigger warnings, of course. But if you’re in the right headspace? Let the story take you. Let it crack something open.

Now let’s talk spice. Is it steamy? A little. But the real seduction? That delicious, delicious tension. The kind that hums just beneath the surface, tight as a wire stretched between cliff edges. You could walk across it with bare feet and beg to do it again.

And yes, I’ve already pre-ordered the deluxe edition. Because obviously. Book two cannot get here fast enough… I’m ready, I’m waiting, and I’m bringing emotional armor this time. (Probably not tho.)

In short? This book is stunning. Challenging. Visceral. Thought-provoking. And absolutely unforgettable.

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the world and the magic system so much. It was really creative and unique. I got a little nervous with the servant/master thing and I think that was the only thing throughout the book that gave me the ick. I know it's important to the story so I'm glad that I powered through. The ending was amazing and I'm really excited to get my hands on book 2. I did not read the fanfic before reading this so I'm not sure how they compare but I think I'm glad I didn't because it would have effected my experience reading it. I had a lot of fun with this one and will be impatiently waiting for the next book.

This book starts off pretty slow—it didn’t really pick up for me until about 30% in, and the romance is *super* slow burn (we’re talking 90% slow burn with just little moments here and there). That said, I still really enjoyed it! I’ve got a soft spot for Toven, and the whole concept of the familiars and their bonds has me hooked. Solid 3-star read for me—excited for Book 2

I hate to say this but this because I was looking forward to this so much but this wasn't a hit for me. And look, it probably just wasn't meant for me. I have only liked one Jule Soto book and I didn't like 'The Auction' (he fanfic that this was based off of).
So, why did I think I would like this? I honestly don't know. I got caught up in the hype and the book is so dang pretty.
While the book fixed the major issue for me (why do these people like each other) it had so many other major issues.
The entire time I felt like I was reading a book that I have already read and didn't like so it just felt like it dragged.
I haven't decided if I will continue the series because of course the ending was a cliffhanger and I need to know what happens next.

I really enjoyed this narration - the complex accents were easy follow and the narrator did a great job between all the characters. Thank you for this ALC!

Actual Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thanks to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the audiobook!

I was looking forward to reading a Romantasy that took place in a completely new world from anything I've read. It coming from Julie Soto was simply a bonus. Rose in Chains is an interesting introduction into the world of Evermore, albeit a slightly over-complicated one.

I would describe the character development in this story not so much as 'development' but as discovery. There are a lot of hidden angles to the characters in this book, where I believe the payoff will come in the books to follow rather than being present in the current book.

Despite a lot of descriptors, and the book being over 16 hours in audio (450 pages), I still feel like I was missing some reference points. Certain settings felt unclear or muddy, characters felt like their motives weren't adjusting accordinly, emotional states seemed semi-irrelevant at times. Again, I think a lot of this feedback will come out in the wash throughout the rest of the series, but for now I'm left with a bit of a muddy view of where we are and who those around are as well.

While I was intrigued, and had moments of looking forward to the coming scenes, I'd say at least 1/3 of this book felt a little flat to me. Either way, I'll absolutely be reading the sequel, whenever that appears.

Julie Siri does it again! I love her writing and character building, and this book is no exception. I was right there with Briony throughout and fell in love with Tovan. Thanks for all your amazing books, Julie!

I’m not going to lie, I had to do an immersive read with this one. Keeping the characters and places straight in fantasy is just easier if I also have the book in front of me of me. I never read the auction, but I can tell it’s been reworked from a fanfic and I love that these authors found a way to monetize their fanfic writing. I love a good dramoine story, so this was a win for me. Thank you for the arc audiobook!

Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
🌟🌟🌟

I am so thankful to have received an audiobook copy of this books from Hachette Audio & NetGalley to review.

I was really looking forward to reading/listening to this one. It is my first book from Julie Soto.

Unfortunately it was a bit of a struggle to get in to. As an avid audiobook listener, I have become maybe a little spoiled and really enjoy audios narrated by multiple people. This was just a single narrator and although she did a good job, it wasn’t a stand out to me.

In this story we follow Briony. Twin sister of Rory, the heir prophesied to unite the warring kingdoms of the Bomard and the Eversuns. But when the battle starts and the heir falls, the Eversuns are quickly forced into a life of servitude. Briony is stripped of her magic and auctioned off to the highest bidder. Her new owner is none other than Toven Hearst, the Bomard boy she’s had a bit of an infatuation with for years. He is to use her for her power to boost his own and in any other way he would like.

When Briony finds herself in her new prison/home, it quickly becomes clear that not everything is as it seems.

While the concept of this story is very interesting, the pacing feels off. The world building is confusing at the start and painfully slow in the beginning. I actually put this audio down twice before I tried a third time and was able to finally get through it. I don’t know if it was me or the book, but it just failed to grab my attention.

Now that I’ve finished the book, I do have to say the ending was much better, the set up for what I’m assuming is a second book, was done very well and I may continue this series when that’s available. However the start was just so difficult to get through. Briony was fairly frustrating as a FMC, and her chemistry with Toven was barely there. We’ve been left with so many questions, particularly in relation to Tovens history and motives. I really did want to love this book, but it just didn’t hook me unfortunately.

This book is not what I expected! I have read the fanfic so I was a but sceptical when I received an ALC for this book. Let me start by saying that it was less darker than the said fan fic.

We start by the FMC who is a princess of a kingdom saying goodbye to his brother who is going for the last fight. Instead they lose so now she is a war prisoner and supposed to be sold to the enemy. Keep in mind they all grew up together and already knew each other.

We are also introduced to a new magic system where one country uses mind magic and the other uses blood magic. They both have their pros and cons. Here our FMC ends up being bought by her teenage crush who is now expected to treat her like she is worthless.

Their relationship includes developing trust, reminiscing about their school days and just the MMC protecting and providing for her. I enjoyed the book however, I expected better. If you’re a fan of dark romantasy with unique magic system, please give this one a try.

I had such a great time reading this book! It pulled me in right from the start and kept me turning the pages. The writing flowed so well, and I found myself completely invested in the story and characters. It’s one of those reads you just don’t want to put down.
huge thanks to the publisher for sending me an early copy!! I’m so glad I got to read it ahead of the release day and can't wait for the world to get to enjoy it too!!

“𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡."

𝕍𝕚𝕓𝕖𝕤:
🐍 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘥
🖤 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
⛓️ 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺
❤️‍🔥 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘸𝘸 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯
🤫 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 & 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴
‼️ 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴
👤 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘗𝘖𝘝

𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
This honestly had a little bit of everything- magic, mystery, suspense, tension, and some creative world building. I would recommend checking the trigger warnings before reading, as this definitely tackles some pretty dark themes that might be difficult to read about.

I also suggest going into this with an open mind, instead of just thinking of it as a re-worked Harry Potter fanfic. When I first started reading it, I tried too hard to compare/connect to familiar characters and plot points, which took me out of this particular story. I think 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 should be given the opportunity to stand on its own. That being said, I do think it relies a bit on the readers knowledge of ⚯͛ characters or the original fanfic when it comes to character and world development- there were some elements that fell a little flat for me.

However, that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the story. I loved Briony as an FMC- she was smart, loyal, and fierce. Don’t get me started on Toven. He was everything you’d hope for in a bad boy you hate to love. I can’t wait to see where the rest of this trilogy goes!

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄!

𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (𝟺/𝟻)

i mean, i like her narration. but the whole concept of the book me the creeps. also some of the characters are in their mid twenties, so why are they acting like kids???

and as much as i love the audiobook, the story is just isn't...

Yes. Yes. Everything about this YES.

I loved how Julie COMPLETELY reworked the characters & setting for this novel! The yearning was INSANE. I never read the fic, so I cannot truly say how comparable it is, but the way she wrote everything, it felt like a completely different world.

Toven. M'fn. Hearst. HOT. HOT.

The story is very heart-wrenching and dark. I would highly recommend checking your trigger warnings.

When evil forces have taken over, the people of evermore are captured some are sold into servitude while others are imprisoned or killed. Briony, the Evermore princess is set to go for an exorbitant amount due to the strength of her blood & magic. After back and forth bidding and a closed door exchange, Briony goes to Toven Hearst. Throughout the story, Briony has to navigate her confinement in the Hearst's household with the limited information that is given. Of course, this is a romantasy so even though she is enduring the many horrors of post-war life, she finds her self in an interesting circumstance.

The audio was so good! I always find it so impressive when there is one narrator that does an insanely good job at accurately portraying all of the different characters!

The majority of this book, I was waiting for Toven to reveal his secret love for Briony, and spoiler alert, that does not happen. The build-up was there and then it just...ended. I am not mad at it currently, though. This could be a multiple-book slow burn, which can be amazing. My feelings for this book kind of rely on the second book, which is not great but I am riding with it. Time will tell and for now, I just get to feel unsatified.

It bothers me a little that the cover does not portray how dark this book is. It looks cute and like a typical romantasy you see everywhere. This is not a cute book, it is DARK and the romance is minimal. We all know that books are judged by their covers, and I wish this one was not so misleading.

The accent used for the audio narration was a bit jarring for me at first and the book starts in a place that is a little confusing, so it was difficult for me to get started. I restarted the audio 3-4 times. I am glad I stuck with it though, because the audio version was entertaining.

Thank you to Netgalley, Hatchette Audio, and Forever for this ALC in exchange for an honest review

I couldn’t bring myself to care sorry. DNF at 19%

the story begins in the middle of a war. knowing that it's supposed to be enemies to lovers romantasy, this immediately unsettled me. people are literally dying and tortured and you're conflicted with your feelings toward an enemy??? an enemy who's your BULLY back in school btw. girl...

btw patriarchy is alive and well here, and the MC is actually very smart but demanded to "hold back" so her twin brother could shine better. but apparently she didn't only hold back, she actively HELPED him excel and impress their tutors. and he never bothered to thank her, sometimes he didn't even realize that SHE helped him. omg. i was so mad on her behalf i hate stupid incompetent men.

for the audiobook, I'm sorry I found the narrator’s voice kinda annoying... usually audiobook could help me push through a book i wasn't really enjoying, but not in this case...

Such a fun book! Julie Soto is fabulously talented. Thank you to NetGalley and the published for the audiobook.

I kept hearing about this book and when I saw that the audiobook was available I jumped on it.
I really enjoyed this story. I’m a sucker for flashbacks in books so I loved reading and discovering about them.
Sadly, I didn’t enjoy the narrators way to tell the story so it took some of the enjoyment I had in it. I’ll try reading the book instead of listening to it and I think I’ll enjoy it a little better.

⛓ Captive hearts and dark magic… but did it fully set my soul ablaze? ⭐⭐⭐

Title: Rose in Chains (The Evermore Trilogy, #1)
Author: Julie Soto
Format: Audiobook 🎧
Narrators: Ella Lynch
Narration Style: Single POV narration
Tropes: Enemies-to-Lovers, Captor–Captive, Dual Timelines, War & Political Intrigue, Dark Romantasy

Trophy Worthy: 🏆 (dark, moody, and intriguing, but not quite all-in)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶 (slow-burn tension, emotionally charged)

Author Review
I’ve read and enjoyed Julie Soto’s contemporary romances, so I was curious to see how she’d tackle dark romantasy—and she delivered her signature emotional depth and magnetic tension in a whole new world. Her prose is lush and atmospheric, and while this story is heavier on politics and world-building than her contemporary work, you can still feel her talent for layered character emotions.

Narration Review
Ella Lynch’s performance brought the story to life with distinct voices and an emotional tone that matched the story’s darker edge. Even when the pacing slowed or the dual timelines jumped, her narration kept me engaged and made the audio experience richer.

Book Review
The premise hooked me instantly—Princess Briony Rosewood, stripped of her power and sold at auction, ends up in the hands of Toven Hearst. The story unfolds across dual timelines: the present-day aftermath of war and the earlier magical academy days when Briony and Toven’s paths first crossed. I will say that there are a lot of people to track in this book but apparently was originally a Harry Potter fanfic so you’d be less lost if you were a fan. I have seen it but didn’t remember alot of it.

I loved the concept of heart versus mind magic and the political intrigue running through the plot, but some of the world-building felt a little thin in places, leaving me wanting more details. The romance is a true slow burn—so slow that at times it felt like it was waiting until book two to fully spark. That said, the tension between Briony and Toven was addictive, and the atmospheric writing kept me invested.

Overall Thoughts
⛓ Dark, moody romantasy with dual timelines
💔 Enemies-to-lovers tension done well
✨ Beautiful, atmospheric prose
⏳ Pacing can drag, romance payoff feels delayed

Thank you Julie Soto, NetGalley, and Hachette Audio/Forever for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.