This romantasy surprised me in a great way. While the cover art initially made me hesitant to pick it up (yes, I do sometimes judge a book by its cover), I’m glad I gave it a chance. The story tackles some very dark and heavy themes—including rape and other sensitive topics—so definitely check the trigger warnings listed at the start.

The world-building was clear and easy to follow, and the magic system felt fresh and distinct. The pacing kept me engaged overall—I actually looked forward to getting back into it each time. The romance is a slow burn, but the tension throughout was well done and held my interest.

The narration was solid—not incredible, but it got the job done. I’d rate it around 3.5⭐️ for the audiobook performance. What really stood out was the final 20% of the book—it kicked up the intensity and ended on a strong cliffhanger that definitely left me excited for what’s to come in the series.

Altogether, this felt like a strong start to a new romantasy series, and I’ll absolutely be picking up the next installment.

Thank you for the opportunity to review.
When I saw that I was approved for this audiobook I was giddy. This has been on my radar for a very long time and I’m happy to say that it did not disappoint. The character building was fantastic as was the world building. I was so entranced by the narration that I’d forget to eat. I am definitely recommending this to everyone!

Oh my goodness wow. This book was incredible! It’s on the darker side so please look up the CW, but holy crap this was such an addictive read! The narrator did an amazing job!

I honestly don’t know what to say. I was in a constant state of anxiety and fear for things to happen. I felt a roller coaster of emotions. Briony and everything that happens to her is gut wrenching. Toven is just GAH! I loved him. THE TENSION between them. OMG it’s everything my little slow burn heart longs for.

From start to finish I was completely captivated. I am drooling for more honestly. I just want the next books now.

Thank you Hachette Audio for the ALC.

This book absolutely exceeded my expectations (which were already quite high)! I'm not usually much of an audiobook person, but I quite enjoyed Ella Lynch's narration. Her voice kept me engaged and I didn't find my mind wandering away like I usually do with audiobooks.

Before reading this story I would recommend checking the trigger warnings.

I enjoyed Julie Soto's writing and the story itself immensely. Honestly the only thing keeping me from reading this book in one sitting was the fact that I had to go to work. I liked the pacing and didn't feel like it was too slow or too fast. The flashbacks to pre-war times felt well placed and provided more information about the world and the characters/their relationships.

I really like Briony and felt that her thoughts and feelings were realistic for most of the situations she found herself in. Toven and his parents were interesting, but I do wish we'd maybe had a little more character building for them. The main issue that I think I had with this story is that there are a large number of characters who are mentioned by name but get very little development or page time. So I sometimes had a difficult time remembering who was supposed to be who when they'd be referenced later on. I think if there had been fewer characters they could have been better developed and more memorable. This is the first book of a trilogy, so I do expect that we get more out of the characters and the world as it goes on.

The world building itself is also a little shallow, with different concepts being mentioned but never quite fully explained. Honestly though, I don't usually read romantasy expecting in-depth world building, so I'd say that the lack of it doesn't bother me that much.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this book and I'm already so excited for the sequel! I would highly recommend to anyone looking for an engaging, slow-burn romantasy.

My first fanfic and it was magnificent! Julie Soto never misses!
Loved it so much and it had me hooked from the beginning, and the slow burn was slow burning and the only reason it took me days to finish it was because I had the audiobook and I’m not so great on ‘em.
Such a great romantasy, the story is so special and engaging, there’s magic, good tension, and dual timeline, I can’t wait for the second book and to see how everything ends already.
The narrator is alright, although I do prefer dual narratives, I think everything worked out for me just fine, but I still think that I would’ve loved reading it more.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Julie Soto has done an impeccable job taking this story from must read FanFic to must read published novel. I devoured the story of war torn magical lands with a brave and headstrong FMC looking for answers and justice. I need the sequel yesterday.

I consumed this book so fast! I was mad when I had to leave work and the audiobook wasn't finished. I am obsessed, this is my first retelling of dramomine and I cannot wait for book 2. Which is so far away but for how good this series is I can wait.

Briony Rosewood, a princess who not only lost her father, but her twin brother, a ruined prophecy and now a prisoner. She is smart, courageous and in love with someone she shouldn't be. Toven, is our morally grey MMC who does questionable things but also protects Briony as much as he can. His obsession is clear from day one. And the slow burn between these two ... I was screaming at them to just kiss already.

There is so much going on that we don't know and I just want to be let in on everything. I wish we had a POV from Toven so we could learn more about what is happening and get his true feelings.

Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Slow Burn
Prophecy
Magic (mind and heart)
Familiars (dragons, foxes, etc.)
Morally Grey MMC

I received an advance review copy audio version. Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio, for the opportunity to listen to this book. Ella Lynch did an amazing job narrating this audiobook. Julie Soto, a true work of art, thank you for letting us have this book.

This book altered my brain chemistry. When I wasn’t reading it, I wanted to be. When I was reading, I wanted to go faster. And when I finished? I wanted to experience it for the first time all over again. This was lush, addictive, and darkly romantic.

The audio was SO enjoyable. The voice actor’s range differentiating characters was insane, and her accent adds a side of innocence to the haunting, dark whimsy of this royal tale. This is slow burn done perfectly– I devoured every single page. From the very first line, I was hooked. The writing is rich and atmospheric, the world and lore deeply immersive, the tension unbearable in the best way. It can be rare to find a romantasy where I’m equally obsessed with the plot and the romance, but queen @juliesotowrites nailed both. 🧎‍♀️

(BLURB) The war is over. The dark forces have won. The hero who was supposed to save them is dead. Captured as her castle is overrun, Briony Rosewood is stripped of everything she had. Auctioned off to the highest bidder, she’s sold to Toven Hearst– her long-time, ill-fated infatuation. In a world ruled by power and fear, help—and hope—might still rise in the most unlikely of places. 🏰

I adored the connection between the past and present chapters. Briony is a compelling, complex heroine, and Toven is the perfect brooding, sharp match. Their dynamic had me screaming– the chemistry, the yearning, the push and pull that utterly KILLED me. I loved every second.

I already know this is going to continue to ruin me. Originally a dramoine fanfic I reminisced my Wattpad/AO3 days. An absolute instant recommendation from me, I can’t wait to sell this to every customer that walks in the door.

This story is a dark one, so definitely read the trigger warnings beforehand!

4.5 ⭐️ Oh WOWWWWW!!!
Huge thank you to NetGalley for the ALC, and then fairyloot for the physical copy that came a couple of days later 😭
Loved the magic and types/abilities in this one.
Our main MMC has white hair, … that’s it, that’s the review lmaooo jk jk

I don’t want any spoilers in this one, but if you liked Julie’s fanfic you would prob die with this because the TENSION?! My god. This book is not spicy, it’s a slooowww burn and you gotta WAIT.
I would def categorize this as a dark romance only because of certain triggers and it was giving Handsmaids tale at times.. the other characters do some slimy shyt that will make you cringe/wince (wishing it wasn’t you on the other side).

With that said…
Story was easy to follow on paper. I was lost during the audio in the first 100 ish pages and had to start all over with an immersive read.
We have a princess who gets captured by the enemy, then gets sold at an auction…. You can only guess what the men do to these girls once they obtain them.. But her brother is missing, and she will do anything to try and find him. The man who bought her is extremely hard to read, so it makes you question: will he end up saving her or being her worst nightmare?…

I can totally see who our Draco, Hermoine, and Voldemort is…
& now I must read The Auction and other Dramoine fanfics hehe

Read this if you like..
-Princess x strongest opponent soldier
-Enemies to lovers (I would say more like frenemies to lukewarm lovers lol)
-Political intrigue
-Prophecies
-Dual timelines (I really appreciated reading/listening to their past!!)
-Magic
-Dragons
-Yearning
-Tension
-MINE
-Possessive


I’m debating on 4-4.5 ⭐️…. This is categorized as a romantasy, however, it felt very YA in terms of romance.
I would say it’s “romantasy” and dark romantasy only because of the triggers in the plot.
I don’t want to say the romance fell flat because the tension and yearning was pretty well executed, but I wished there was more romance (please Julie, we need more!!)

Also, book 2 comes out summer 2026? … straight to jail! Lol jk ily

so here’s the thing. i knew what i was getting into with this book, and it wasn’t quite as bad as i was afraid it would be. i knew there couldn’t be anything romantic about the “romance” considering the very premise of the book, and don’t get me wrong it was bad, but some of the other books in this vein are much worse.

rose in chains relies so heavily on having previously been a fanfiction that it’s almost hard to rate this. there’s minimal character development, because in the original there didn’t need to be. the dynamics are all straight out of a harry potter au, and the flashback scenes barely even have the names changed. i can see why people who liked the original would enjoy this, because it doesn’t really stand on its own.

however, it was also incredibly addicting. enough so that i want to give it 3*, i really do—it’s just that the third act conflict is so absurd that it feels like a sick joke, so i’m deciding to round down.

since i had the audio arc, i’d be remiss if i didn’t say a few words about the audiobook itself. frankly, the narrator seriously decreased my enjoyment of the book—she over acts, and her voice is so distinct as to pull you out of the story. it honestly makes this hard to rate, because i do think i would’ve at least had more fun had i read the ebook.

4.5 ⭐️(rounded up)

Hook you in and leaves you wanting more.

📚 forced proximity
📚 slow burn
📚 romantasy
📚 morally grey MMC
📚 single POV
📚 dual timeline
• he doesn’t share

🌶️

|Thoughts|
Was so excited to be able to pick this one up after loving The Auction (the Dramione fanfic this novel has been adapted from). Whilst it took me a bit to stop thinking as the main characters form the original story (Draco & Hermione), the new world and motivation of these characters are unique and well developed.

“You know I don’t share” - Toven

The frustration I continued to felt over Briony’s power being quashed and used to hold up her brothers limitations. Did enjoy that we get treated to flashback of their time in school together. And these don’t just feel like filler but add more dimension to the story which I just loved.

“The general and your brother have gone on ahead”…
“Why wasn’t I informed?”…
“It had to be done quietly. There are defectors hiding in every corner these days.
“And do they think I am the liability?”
“You know the genersl. It was privilege information”
General Mears did what ever he could to cut her out of the tactical meetings’.

She is overly naive about Toven and the motivation behind his actions. Does add the suspense and this truly feels like a slow burn. The way he pines for her is top tier.

“What is your problem? We’re practicing”
“You cannot be this dense”

Enjoyed the audio narration, which was an easy listen. Do feel this story may benefit further form a character guide in order to simplify the cast of characters.

““See how close you and Toven have gotten”
“We’re not close”
“Yeah?” He lifted an eyebrow at her. “When’s my birthday Rosewood?”

Even though I’ve already read The Auction, the Dramione fanfic this story is adapted from, I am desperately waiting for the sequel.

“My family is in jeopardy Rosewood…Sometimes I have to act without approval. To do what’s best for my family. Not just you. All four of us”

Rose in Chains in the first book in Evermore Trilogy.

“When the sun shines at night, he who will bring an end to war on this land shall be victorious. He shall be an heir, twice over and a rightful sovereign over the continent”

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

You could knock me over with a feather after this one.

Julie continues to slay the game no matter what genre she’s rocking.

The ending was awesome and if I had’ve been paying more attention I might’ve picked up on it but like Briony I was kinda distracted. You know, what with being sold into magical servitude and playing mind games every 10 seconds!! The pressure.

Briony was such a sympathetic main character, overlooked by her father & to an extent her brother, relegated to a role she never asked for and then her kingdom is overthrown & her people enslaved. But through all of that she is warm and fierce. And when it comes to her Eversun kin she looks for ways to help them, fights for them and they never leave her thoughts.

Now Briony & Toven - the most cautious and tender slow burn (which is still kinda slow burning) I’ve read in awhile. Obviously he held a candle for her for YEARS but she could not see it. All he wanted to do was protect her, in any way he could. I could cry.

I cannot WAIT to see what’s in store for the next book. Specifically to peel back more of Toven’s layers and see Briony use more of her power. Also some proper magical battling is in order!

Ella Lynch’s narration had me literally up at all hours and waking early to blaze through this, I was hooked. And props to production as well!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to listen to this ALC. I’m one lucky gal!

4.5

BOOK REVIEW
Julie Soto has done it again !
I can't express how much I loved Rose in Chains by Julie Soto. As someone who adored the original version this book is based on, I went in with high expectations—and somehow, Soto still managed to exceed them. She took an already beautiful story and layered it with even more depth, emotion, and polish, creating something truly unforgettable.
Briony and Toven are the kind of characters that stay with you long after the final page. Their dynamic is so emotionally charged, so incredibly well-written, that I found myself feeling everything they did. One of my favorite aspects of the book is how utterly blind they both are to each other’s feelings. It’s almost painful to watch them circle around each other, so obviously connected and yet so unaware of the depth of their bond. The tension between them is just off the charts—in every conversation, every glance, every quiet moment. You can cut it with a knife, and it’s delicious.
Even though I had a general idea of where the story was heading from reading the original work, I was still completely absorbed. I found myself eagerly listening to the narrator, fully encompassed in their world. It didn’t matter that I could guess what was coming—the emotional journey, the nuance in their interactions, and the beautiful prose made it feel brand new.
Julie Soto’s writing is tender, tense, romantic, and emotionally honest. She knows exactly how to capture longing and vulnerability without ever making it feel overdone. Her characters feel real and flawed and full of heart. Briony and Toven’s story is full of quiet moments that hit like a freight train, and I know I’ll be thinking about them for a long, long time.
If you love slow-burn romance, unresolved tension, and characters who break your heart before putting it back together, Rose in Chains is a must-read. Five stars, no question.
Only question is- how am i going to wait for the next novel in this trilogy!

AUDIO REVIEW
As someone who normally races through books, Rose in Chains was my first audiobook — and honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I love immersing myself in a story quickly, but listening forced me to slow down, and that turned out to be such a gift. It gave me the space to really take in the emotions, the characters, and the atmosphere. And much of that is thanks to the narrator, Ella Lynch.
Ella’s narration is absolutely outstanding. What impressed me most was how seamlessly she shifted her voice for each character. It wasn’t just different tones or accents — it was the way she became each person. From the strength and vulnerability of the heroine to the deeper, more intense voice of the love interest, she gave each character a distinct identity. There was never any confusion about who was speaking — her range and control made everything so clear and engaging.
Beyond just character voices, Ella Lynch’s emotional delivery is what truly makes this audiobook special. You can feeleverything in her voice — the tension in a quiet moment, the ache in a line of dialogue, the softness of an unexpected connection. There were moments where her performance gave me chills. She doesn’t just read the story — she lives it. And as a listener, you feel like you're living it with her.
This audiobook has made me a believer in the format. Rose in Chains is a powerful story on its own, but with Ella Lynch’s narration, it becomes something even deeper. It’s emotional, intimate, and beautifully performed. For anyone curious about audiobooks — especially those who love character-driven stories — this is a phenomenal place to start.

ALC - 4.5 stars

I went into this story blind and was thrown straight into it. Because I listened to this, I haven't attempted to spell the two factions on either side of the coup. I also read this without having read the Auction so I can't compare the reworked version with the original but I can say this version was fantastic (though darker than I realised)

To start with, the narration was fantastic. The narrator had great pacing, and made the storytelling sound very natural. She managed to make the voices distinct and recognisable without being too over the top in changes in tone and inflection - it was just right. I really enjoyed listening to this book and wouldn't hesitate to listen to a book narrated by Ella Lynch again, she's an excellent narrator.

The story itself gets straight into things and we meet Briony as she is experiencing a massive upheaval, politically and within her family, due to a coup where she is taken hostage and auctioned off as a magical source to the MMC, Toven. We get a glimpse of two timelines, pre-coup and post-coup, and it gives us some insight to Briony's complicated feelings about Toven (because come on, his family hold her captive after he purchases her, that's a lot!).

The world building and magical system in this book was great - it felt original but not too complicated. The cast of characters did feel a little hard to keep up with at times, there are a lot of them, between Briony's missing family and friends and the members of the new ruling faction, I did get a bit lost here and there (this also could be because sometimes I struggle to focus on the details when reading via audiobook).

The content can get quite dark so pay attention to those trigger warnings.

Erm, excuse me, this was GOOD!!! Like, really good. I know that reads as a surprise, and whilst
I’m not surprised, I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this early!

This was such a slow burn, in story and romance. It started really steady, unfolding at the perfect pace, letting the chemistry simmer. The banter is sharp, the emotions feel real, and the buildup kept me listening late into the night. It’s one of those books that gives you butterflies and makes you ache for the characters to finally get together.

Toven is an EXCELLENT character. I want to peel back all those layers and study him under a microscope! I’m also super intrigued by Serena, his mum, because she is fascinating!!

This was just the right amount of dark for me. Soto’s writing is atmospheric and evocative, immersing you in a world where passion and pain are beautifully intertwined. Rose in Chains is a must-read for anyone who loves slow-burn romances filled with intensity, angst, and characters you can’t stop rooting for!

The narration was good, I wasn’t sold on the narration of Toven at first but my issues subsided pretty quickly.

This is my first Julie Soto book and I enjoyed the adventure that the characters went through. The production is great. At first I was not really into the story, but as the stakes got higher, I enjoyed it. I do not like Toven's friends at all. Toven's character remains a mystery to me. This is an absolute slow burn. They were really in the gray area the entire time. Some of the magic system is not explained and readers can get lost. Please be aware that there are mentions of sexual assault in this book. Some topics might be too graphic for some readers. Overall, I have a fun time reading this book.

Ohhhhh I ate this up. A smart and powerful FMC. A broody morally grey MMC. Forced proximity (literally...). Slowwwww burn tension. Politics and plot twists. I honestly couldn't get enough of this book and didn't want it to end! I cannot wait for the next book to see where everything goes next.

It's a dark romantasy, and definitely contains some heavy themes so have a look at the trigger warnings if you need to before jumping in. As many people know this book was adapted from a fanfic (The Auction), which I haven't read and I didn't find that impacted my experience, all the worldbuilding made sense to me and there was no feeling of being in the deep end with no context.

The audiobook narration and production were really good! The narrator gave all the characters distinct voices, and switched between them seamlessly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the audio review copy!

I went into this book without having read the Auction so the direction of the story was unknown to me though I knew the original inspiration.

The beginning of the story was captivating and set up the high stakes quickly and effectively. However, I found the political regimes to be overly complicated with too many characters “in the line” to keep track of.

I enjoyed the flashbacks as a tool to develop the relationship between Briony and Toven as well as Rory and other side characters.

The pacing in the middle was slow for me. The amount of time spent locked in the house with Briony was exhausting, and I found myself stepping away from the audiobook many times during this part of the story.

I was relieved once Briony was taken out of the house since things started to progress both with Briony’s knowledge of what was happening with the other women as well as her romantic relationship with Toven. Though, again, there were too many characters to keep up with.

Overall, there were a lot of good elements in terms of an interesting magical system, unique world building, and well developed characters. However, inconsistent pacing derailed the story, and the ending was disappointing because it felt like nothing actually happened either romance wise or rebellion wise.

Ella Lynch’s narration as Briony was excellent. Her voice easily bridged the age gap between the characters as adults in present day and older school aged minors in the flashbacks. Her male voices and other character voices were good as well. It was easy to distinguish between characters through her differing accents and tones.

Lastly, huge thanks to Julie Soto, Hachette Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC, which allowed me to listen to the book and voluntarily provide an unbiased review.

I have never read the fanfiction this is based off of, so I was going in mostly blind. It sounded promising as a dark fantasy by itself, and I'm a sucker for forbidden romance, political intrigue and magic. I felt disconnected from the characters and the world they inhabit, so I couldn’t quite get fully invested in the story.

I did like the way Julie Soto wrote about female friendships and how resilient the women are in the face of adversity. Briony is an interesting character, she’s brilliant, courageous, and lives constantly in the shadow of her brother even though she is the more powerful sibling. I do wish that dynamic between them was given a deeper introspective.

I think the world building and magic system could have been explored more because it feels like you are supposed to know everything already, and I understand as a fanfiction that would work, but as its own universe, I wanted it to be expanded upon. Although, I was able to visualise the descriptions, so I think the author was able to bring each scene to life.

A slow paced book can be great to help build tension and draw you into the world, but I was frustrated more than compelled to keep reading. The slow burn for Briony and Toven felt forced, even with the flashbacks, there was just something missing that couldn’t quite make me believe why Toven is drawn to Briony.

For the most part I did enjoy the story. The cliffhanger at the end was interesting, and the narrator was ok. I found her voice a bit too high and girlish for my liking, but it did kind of fit with Briony’s character.

Oh my gosh! That cliffhanger 😭😭 I really loved the fic this book started as and was really keen to read this reimagined book. It’s so good! Easy to follow, suspense and intrigue. I absolutely cannot wait for the next 2 books.

Thank you Hachette for the ALC