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

Julie Soto is one again branching into a new genre! Following her debut YA novel The Thrashers, she makes her first foray into fantasy and dark romance with her highly anticipated novel Rose in Chains.

As someone who spent far too much time in my teens reading all the Harry Potter fanfic I could get my hands on, I am stoked by the trend of getting to read novels adapted from fanfic of my favorite series.

I was a bit apprehensive going into my first “dark” romance book. The list of trigger warnings at the beginning of this book almost made me instantly DNF, however I decided to give it a shot and I will say I was pleasantly surprised that the topics mentioned were not presented in a shock value sort of way.

I still found the topics unsettling (as you should…) but not in a way that made it impossible to read the story.

In fact, my main complaints with this book have nothing to do with the dark content and everything to do with the world building. I typically am able to absorb and understand the lore of a universe rather quickly, but I was unable to fully understand much of the lore. I felt like a bunch of titles, families and information was thrown at me and hard to keep up with.

Despite this, I still felt like the majority of the book dragged on. Lots of waiting for things to happen and characters being told to hurry up and wait. When bit emotional moments happened? I felt as if I didn’t know the characters or circumstances enough to truly care in the way I wanted to.

Also, knowing this was a reimagined fic made it hard for me to not constantly try and figure out who was originally based on which character… I really tried to judge this as a stand alone universe and novel but with the lack of world building and the heavy marketing ? It made it impossible not to do.

I really wanted more from Briony. She had so much potential and at times I felt as if she elected to let the circumstances around her make her destiny instead of taking charge for herself.

The romance between her and Toven had some glimmers of hope, but I felt like we never quite got the time to explore their connection as enemies or as lovers.

I did not know that this was the first in a series and I would give the next book a try. Perhaps Julie Soto will continue to grow into writing in the fantasy realm and give a story with so much potential the TLC it needs to truly bloom and grow!

Thank you to Net Galley, Julie Soto & Hachette Audio for this Arc!

🌹Rose in Chains by Julie Soto is a masterclass in worldbuilding, emotional depth, and slow-burn tension that sinks its claws into both your heart and your mind — and never lets go. ❤️

✨From the very first page, you’re thrown into a vividly imagined world of powerful mages, clashing kingdoms, and a prophecy that casts a long shadow over it all. The dual timeline — past and present — reveals a layered history of friendship, war, and betrayal, and only heightens the tension. And the villain? Truly evil! 😈

💕There’s no pairing quite like Briony and Toven. Their relationship is a complex tangle of suppressed feelings, loyalty, and the deep ache of forbidden love. It goes way beyond the usual enemies-to-lovers trope.
Toven is brooding, fiercely loyal to his family, and possessive in the most ugh, yes way. I need his POV in the next book, please and thank you.👀

This is a slooooow burn — the kind that has you kicking your feet, screaming into your pillow, and still begging for more. I’m fully obsessed.❤️‍🔥

The magic system is original — heart magicians 🫀 mind magicians🧠, enchantments, prophecies, seers, familiars, and yes, there is even a dragon. Every detail is rich, and the world just feels so alive.

🎧The audiobook is exceptional. One narrator carries the entire cast with incredible range — from Briony’s regal tone to Toven’s deep, dangerous growl — special mention to the muffled voice effect. Huge thanks to @hachetteaudio and @netgalley for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

📚 Tropes & Elements:
• 🖤 Political intrigue • War • Prophecies • Betrayals • Strong villain
• 🔮 Unique, layered magic system (🫀 + 🧠)
• 💔 Forbidden love • Enemies to lovers • Painfully slow-burn
• 🐉 Mages • Familiars • Dragon (!!!)

This book wrecked me — and I loved every second. I need Book 2 yesterday. Honestly, I’m ready to hit replay and reread it right now. ♾️⭐️

Please sir may I have the next one? I ate this audiobook up! I never got around to reading The Auction so I don’t have a back and forth comparison, but that being said I think this stands incredibly well on its own. I did have issues trying not to think of who this was in the original story or how this scene was accomplished with wands, but I was able to suspend that and lose myself in this world as well. Ugh the only bad thing about reading a book early is you have to wait even longer for the next one!!

I knew I was going to become obsessed with this

I’m actually foaming at the mouth for the next one! Absolutely LOVED how this was written. I haven’t been dissapointed by the books I’ve read by Julie and this one is just a testament to how AMAZING she writes. The longing, the tension, the angst - it’s all just SO GOOD. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for all ghe characters involved!

I devoured Rose in Chains in 48 hours. This book completely took over my life!! I was literally ignoring every single responsibility just to keep reading. It’s a very slooooow burn, but I was hooked from the start and desperate to see how everything would unfold. Now I’m frothing at the mouth waiting for book two!!!

The story follows Briony Rosewood, a captured princess in a world where the dark side has already won. Stripped of her magic and freedom, she’s sold at an auction to none other than her former classmate and sworn enemy, Toven Hearst. But not everything or everyone is what it seems.

Was it perfect? No. The worldbuilding and characters were confusing at times. But honestly, I haven’t been this consumed by a book in a long time, and that experience alone makes it a five-star read for me!!

I know this is based on Julie Soto’s popular Dramoine fanfic The Auction, but as someone who has never read a Dramoine fic (and has never even read or seen Harry Potter), this stood on its own as a darker, addicting romantasy. There are definitely heavy themes, so check the content warnings before diving in, but I went in prepared and came out obsessed.

Julie Soto, you’ve got me in chains. Literally.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the e-arc!!

If you told me I would be reading a dark romantasy book with the list of TWs that included many things I usually nope out of, and if you told me I'd LOVE IT, I would probably have thought you were out of your damn mind. However, Julie Soto has had an excellent track record with me, and I trusted her with her craftsmanship.

She did not disappoint! Rose in Chains was DARK and twisty, and the beginning was definitely a rough start not so much because of the writing, but because of the dark themes that ultimately surround this story. Briony and her friends are literally auctioned off at the very beginning, and it was difficult to sit here listening to the voices of men I so desperately want castrated, husked, and then burnt to a crisp by dragonfire.

Whatever the case, though, I absolutely loved the pacing and fight that Briony Rosewood brought to the table. I loved the flashback countdown of how her situation came to be (I felt this really added to the character development between Briony and Toven). I loved the Hearsts in general, like seriously, Serena is absolutely queen. And I loved loved LOVED Toven "Not-A-Gentleman" Hearst. This man's character gets fleshed out SO WELL despite his often cold/aloof actions. But omg the banter between Briony and Toven. THE TENSION. THE SLOWEST BURN SOFTNESS.

Ugh. I binged this audiobook because it was absolutely addicting. I was screaming crying throwing up flailing like a lunatic, ESPECIALLY in those last few chapters. Because OF COURSE this is a trilogy, and Julie, PLS I NEED BOOK 2 NOW.

I went into this book knowing it was adapted from fanfiction, and already having read the fanfiction that was originally posted. I was so looking forward to this, but unfortunately, it didn’t meet the mark for me.

I think the biggest problem about this book is that it was adapted from fanfiction. It felt very apparent the entire time I was reading that all of these characters were 100% based on Harry Potter characters with very little changes made.

It also made it really hard to follow this story because it’s written as though we already know and are familiar with the world building and magic system and lore. However, it’s changed enough in this book that it really doesn’t make sense and feels a lot like we, as the reader, were just dropped into the middle of a story with missing information.

I really wanted to love this, but the longer I kept reading the more frustrated I became. I’m sure there are people out there that will love it, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.

Currently reading, accidentally uploaded the wrong review. I am loving it so far but still working on it!

This book had me hooked from the very beginning—I didn’t want to put it down! Briony’s story is full of tension and intrigue, and I was completely drawn into the world. Her situation is intense, and it was so interesting to see how she handled everything going on around her.

Toven, the morally grey classmate who buys her at an auction, is such a fascinating character. I really enjoyed the flashbacks that gave us a deeper look at their past and how it shapes their complicated relationship now. Their dynamic kept me turning pages (or rather, kept me hitting "next" on the audiobook!).

The magic system in this world is also super cool—especially the contrast between heart magic and mind magic. It added a fresh, compelling layer to the story and really shaped how characters interacted with power, emotion, and control.

Speaking of the audiobook—it was fantastic. The narrator did an amazing job bringing each character to life with distinct voices and great pacing. Her voice felt like a perfect fit for Briony, and she made the whole experience so enjoyable.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Julie Soto for the ALC! I’m so excited for my physical copy to arrive. Grateful I got to listen early—and I will continue reading everything Julie Soto writes. She’s currently gone 4 for 4 for reads I’ve loved by her!

This book was a rollercoaster. You go back and forth between past and present events. Navigating Briony's journey in this new world. Who can she trust? Who SHOULD she trust? The end?!? 🤯

I've never read anything by Julie Soto before and I enjoyed her storytelling. The world building was amazing. This is book one of three and I cannot believe I have to wait for the conclusion. Truly a remarkable start to what I think will be an incredible trilogy.

Enemies to lovers
Magical prophesies
War between two magical groups
Dark themes throughout

Where do i begin on how good this book is?? Firstly Julie Soto can do no wrong in my eyes. This book was so well written it the fact that every science had its place, never did I feel like it dragged or boring the story continued to build all the way to the end. It wasn’t until then end when I realized every back in time scene was strategically added and when it all clicked it was an awestruck moment. I love love loved this book and can’t wait for the next.