The most intense slowwwwwww burn 🔥 Omg the tension in this book had me pulling my hair out while screaming JUST KISS ALREADY! But it paid off in the end. Sort of. I have feelings about Tovin and his rules. I want to slap him and then hug the shit out of him. And Briony! Gosh that girl is a trooper! The things she went through in this book and she STILL holds hope in her heart. Hope for herself, for her family, for the world in general. My heart bleeds for that girl. I need book 2 ASAP!

I’m new to the world of Dramione and didn’t really know what to expect going in, but I can wholeheartedly say this blew every expectation out of the water. Huge thanks to Hachette Audio for the audiobook ARC. I devoured this in under 48 hours!

First things first: this world is brutal and vividly descriptive, so please check the trigger warnings before diving in. Julie Soto doesn’t pull any punches, which for me made the book even more compelling and devastating, but it could definitely be too much for some.

Read if you like:
🌹 Dramione fantasy
⛓️ Political intrigue
🌹 Realistic world building that doesn’t shy away from brutal imagery
⛓️ Gritty, sloooow burn
🌹 Dark enemies to lovers
⛓️ Addictive pacing
🌹 An effective magic system that doubles as social commentary
⛓️ ACOTAR, Spark of the Everflame, A Dance of Lies, The Bonds That Tie, Bloodwing Academy, A Fate Forged in Fire

My heart absolutely broke for Briony. Just when I thought she’d hit rock bottom, something else would happen to her. Despite all the darkness, there were these incredible moments of resistance and female solidarity that warmed my heart when I needed it most. Julie Soto’s writing made me feel so deeply for these characters; it was gut-wrenching in the best way.

This book tackles toxic masculinity and hypocrisy in such a nuanced and powerful way. The plot and world-building are layered and show the depravity woven through this society’s social and political structures.

The story unfolds in two parts: the present timeline and various flashbacks, which paint a fuller, more heartbreaking picture and kept me completely invested in these characters. My heart aches for Toven, who straddles the line between victim and instigator and is the perfect morally grey character.

I also really enjoyed the narration. Ella Lynch’s voice fit the tone perfectly, and she did an amazing job bringing both the male and female characters to life in a way that felt believable and immersive.

Overall, this was excellent and leaves the door wide open for what promises to be an explosive next installment. I’m so excited this is a trilogy. And once again, the curse of an ARC: now I have to wait impatiently for book two before book one is even out! 🤣

I genuinely think this will be a big hit once it’s released. Just make sure you check those TWs, then dive in. You won’t regret it.

The war is lost, the chosen hero is dead, and Briony is left to face a world ruled by dark forces. She is sold at auction to Toven, a high ranking enemy and the one she has long been secretly drawn to. The tension between them is intense and complicated. The world building is dark and immersive with a magic system that felt fresh and meaningful.

This book delivers enemies to lovers, slow burning obsession, and a fight for hope in a hopeless world. Briony is fierce and refuses to give up even when everything is against her. If you like morally gray characters, dangerous political games, and a heroine who stands her ground, this is the book for you.

I am officially obsessed and will be thinking about Briony and Toven for a long time.

An ancient prophecy, a school for magicians, a brutal war - written by popular author Julie Soto - Rose in Chains is a highly anticipated summer romantasy release. But for me, there wasn't enough to justify a high rating. Like, literally not enough substance to hold onto. There are some spoilers included in my review, but looks like most of it is included in the promotional materials so do with that warning what you will. Continue at your own risk!

So there is a war between these two factions of people, but only kind of? There is a big battle in which the main character's brother, who was prophesied to save them, is lost. Then everyone from that kingdom is captured and essentially sold to be sex slaves to boost the magic of the new regime who is this evil lady with vicious mind reading capabilities.

I just...don't get it. Almost nothing actually happens in the book. There seems to be a lot of angst, and well earned, but it's also largely just a bunch of orgy parties where some potentially useful information is traded...sometimes? Everything is shrouded in secrecy, which makes sense because of the mind reading...but still. We have almost no context of the war once Briony is in her new placement of what the war is, where it is, or why it is.

Instead we have flashbacks back to days at school where there were some interactions between the two lead characters, but still...seemed largely unnecessary? It was kind of a lot of flailing around by Briony while she tries to figure out why she is being treated differently than the other sex/magic drain slaves and what happened to her friends. The main concerns seem to be retaining Briony's virginity and ability to sire children in some unknown future while everyone else seems to be ultra-focused on Toven's de-flowering her and pulling in her magic.

There is heart magic and mind magic and they're totally separate, but also, pretty much all the characters can dip into each of them? Eh. Interesting, but kind of muddly in the execution.

But seriously, why is every single review of this book 5 stars with exuberant praise? To me everything it tried to do was mediocre at best. Is the idea of this seriously brooding unknown guy being halfway decent and protective that much of a draw that it can make up for having almost no plot to speak of? Really? I thought we could do better than that at this point in the romantasy novel timeline. Guess it's just me though.

I do like the cover, and the audiobook narrator did a great job, but this one just wasn't for me.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rose in Chains by Julie Soto is a fast paced romantasy that will leave you begging for more! This is a rework of the sensational Dramione fanfiction The Auction, a fanfic I have read and loved a few times over now. The main events of The Auction are written into Rose in Chains, but the characters and background are different.

This story was very captivating, and the ending did absolutely make me cry out for more! Julie Soto is an amazing writer and I cannot wait to read more of her work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an ALC of this book. I leave this review honestly and voluntarily.

I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get into this story at first. I started it three times via eARC and just couldn’t get very far. We’re dropped into the plot with a lot of back-and-forth between past and present timelines, which made it a bit hard to follow initially.

However, once I picked up the ALC and was able to immerse myself in the audiobook, I really got sucked in. I found myself wanting to know what was happening and why. While I can’t say I loved any of the characters, I did grow to enjoy both the FMC and MMC. The FMC comes off as a bit naïve, and even though the MMC’s motivations are fairly clear, she doesn’t seem to recognize them.

That said, I thought the world was unique and the storyline compelling. I’ll definitely be looking forward to the next installment. The audiobook narration was excellent and really helped bring the story to life.

Oh wow, where do I even start?! I LOVED this book. Not “I liked it” but I FREAKING LOVED IT!!!

At the start I was hesitant. There were clearly elements of so many other stories I’ve read before and I was uncomfortable wondering if it was going to take on a life of its own. It was around the 15% mark that it all fell into place and became its own story. Sure all of the elements of Dramione, SJM, Handmaids Tale, and a couple other books/series were there but it stopped feeling like a retelling and became an entirely new series that frankly had me in a chokehold.

First of all I “read” the audiobook and I did have to slow it to 1.00x because the British accent was harder for my American ears to follow at my typical higher speed, but once I adjusted, I loved it. The narrator did an amazing job. I loved her different narration voices for each character and it made it so easy to distinguish who was speaking at each part (super important when there’s so many characters and backstory).

Back to the book review itself. I was rapt at the flashbacks. Just completely enamored with Briony and Toven’s back story. I felt their tension as clearly as if I was seeing it through my own eyes in the hallways of their school and homes. It may have been one of the slowest slowburn books I’ve ever read, and it leaves you on the back burner for their romance, but my god when that tension finally snaps it’s going to be epic. During the attack on the school, when Tovin’s father found them hiding, I fell into a new dimension of adoration for his whole family. All of Briony’s female friends are suffering the worst atrocities and the men from her land are too, and I’m just waiting to see how they survive. And there’s a dragon who just wants to bond her adopted human. I just can’t even!!!! (Silent scream with wanting more!). This book made me fangirl hard and I don’t consider myself much of a fangirl. Julie Soto knocked it out of the park.

Once my preorder comes in I can’t wait to reread with my physical book. I want to own this story, read it again immediately, and I am having such a hard time silently respecting the timeline of whenever the next book will be released (like can that happen now Julie? Please?). J/k Julie, take your time and make it the masterpiece I know you will. I’ll be sort-of patiently waiting right here telling everyone I know about how amazing this book was.

I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get into this story at first. I started it three times via eARC and just couldn’t get very far. We’re dropped into the plot with a lot of back-and-forth between past and present timelines, which made it a bit hard to follow initially.

However, once I picked up the ALC and was able to immerse myself in the audiobook, I really got sucked in. I found myself wanting to know what was happening and why. While I can’t say I loved any of the characters, I did grow to enjoy both the FMC and MMC. The FMC comes off as a bit naïve, and even though the MMC’s motivations are fairly clear, she doesn’t seem to recognize them.

That said, I thought the world was unique and the storyline compelling. I’ll definitely be looking forward to the next installment. The audiobook narration was excellent and really helped bring the story to life.

I loved the unique magic system and the role it played in separating kingdoms and the main characters. I loved that the main characters are on opposing sides of the war, but flashback show that their feelings for each other was more than animosity. It had a good balance of flashbacks to explain the world and give context to the characters. Both Toven and Briony are idiots in love and oblivious to the obvious signs of affection both exhibit. Their banter was phenomenal and the bits of jealousy were everything. The final plot twist had me reeling and I cannot wait for the next book.

I thoroughly enjoyed the narrator and the production of the audiobook. The narrator sounded exactly how I pictured Briony to sound. The dramatized dialogue and the change of tone for each character really brought them to life and enhanced the listening experience.

one of my anticipated reads and it definitely lived up to what i hoped it would be :)

normally it takes me a little to get into a audiobook but i didn’t have that this time i instantly felt pulled in and just loved the narrator’s voice so much it fitted the story so well.

i absolutely love briony i just instantly felt invested in her and how this was all going to turn out for her because everything was still new for me as i didn’t get to read the auction before getting the arc for this and it was lovely to just dive into this world. i loved the magic system and the world they are set in and i think it was so smart to make the house magical.

as for the romance i absolutely adored the yearning and tension they had and seeing the flashback moments of them in school aswell. even tho the changes that have to be made they still gave me that dramione feel as a dramione girlie but it still beautifully stand on it’s own too ! on a side note i also love that toven has a fox as they are some of my favourite animals :’)

another character i really liked was serana and the way she cared and helped briony it was so lovely to read about that.

i feel like the ending was perfectly set up for the next book and i am so incredibly curious to see where this goes because i have so many questions especially about the dragon and rory.

i just really enjoyed this book and i can’t wait for everyone to read it !


thank you to julie soto & hachette audio for this arc !

I was completely hooked—thanks to the incredible plot, tension, chemistry, and immersive world-building. It’s a dark, steamy slow burn filled with political intrigue, longing, and rival kingdoms. But where this book truly shines is in the romance. If you're into slow-burn love stories that are messy, full of denial, and dripping with unresolved tension, you’ll be obsessed—just like I was. One moment they’re exchanging sharp words, and the next, they’re desperately drawn to each other. Absolute perfection. No notes. loved the narration!

I’m generally not an audiobook person. I always find myself getting distracted and not feeling the narrator, but this was an excellent audiobook. The narrator’s voice just felt like my own internal monologue rather than me listening to someone else speak. Her Tovin voice I was a little mixed on but I loved her Briony voice and I found this audiobook very engaging. I read The Auction years ago and found the spirit and characters to be very much carried through in this book, but I think I enjoyed this more as an audiobook than I would have as physical media. As a warning for readers, this is a dark romance and should be approached as such. I was under the impression it was just a general slow burn but it’s definitely a dark romance.

Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

I finished this and immediately want to start it over for a reread.

BRB with my review.

Review after a day of processing:

I went into this as someone who has The Auction downloaded on my kindle for years but has never actually read a Dramione fanfic because it intimidates me. Knowing Rose in Chains was based off The Auction, I found myself trying to draw connections to Harry Potter knowing that Briony was originally Hermione and Rory was originally Harry (based on what I've heard). This was so distracting in the beginning that I knew I needed to let go of that notion and simply enjoy the story for what it is now. I'm so glad I did, because I absolutely loved it!

I loved what Julie did with the magic system. It felt like a new and unique take on magic while still trying in some similar concepts like Legilimency. I also really enjoyed the diversion into a royal/political landscape with a touch of the Handmaids Tale in there.

It's so obvious that Toven has been pining for and protecting Briony for years (as much as she has been pining for him), and seeing it come to light as the story played out was *chef's kiss*. I already love these two and cannot wait to see where their story takes them next!

I tried not to race through this read, but I feel like there is still so much for me to garner from this book, so I already can't wait to read/listen again!

Ella Lynch felt like the perfect narrator for Briony. Briony is a character of multitudes and Ella captured every single one of them, while still delivering on the other characters as well. An A+ performance.

Thank you so much to Hachette Audio for the advanced copy of the audiobook.

ALC provided by @NetGalley — thank you! 💌

This book hurt in the best possible way.
From the very first chapter, Briony’s pain is palpable. She's stripped of everything; her power, her freedom, her home but she still burns with quiet defiance. I was glued to the story, needing to see her rise.

Toven is complex, infuriating, and magnetic all at once. The slowburn is delicious and emotionally heavy. Julie Soto doesn’t shy away from darkness, and it made every small moment of softness feel earned.

And that epilogue? It gave me hope. After everything, it was exactly what I needed.

This is not a light read. It's sharp, dark, and at times devastating. But it’s also beautifully written, deeply emotional, and unforgettable.

I was so excited to be pre-approved to listen to this audiobook. Julie Soto is an amazing author and I wasn't disappointed.
The book did start off with a lot of world building, and I'm always a bit impatient to get to the juicy bits, which didn't really happen... sort of. The ending was soo intense that I really wish the second book was coming out soon. You really get invested into all of these characters.
The female narrator did a great job. There were just so many characters that I thought it could've benefitted from a male voice for Toven. Just to add to the angst. This book will definitely do well on Libby, it'll be constantly on hold.

This was an awesome story. I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It could not put it down. Read it in one day. I did not realize that this book was going to be more than one. I don’t even know how many are gonna be in this series but I look forward to reading whatever comes next! I was lucky enough that I got to listen to the audio version of this book and the narrator does a fantastic job of bringing all of the characters to life. Thank you so much netgalley for giving me the chance to listen to this book.

I really didnt know what to expect from this as I had heard it was a Haryy Potter fan fiction. This was outstanding. The story sucked me in from the first sentence. I listened to this book in one day. This was actually my first experience with Julie Soto and now I am completely obsessed. This book does have sensitive topics so be responsible for yourself and do your research before reading. This was my first 5 star read of 2025, I was absolutely enthralled from start to finish.

Immersive romantasy filled with political intrigue, complex magic, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers dynamic. The world-building is vivid and the plot kept me guessing with its twists and layered secrets.

Ella Lynch’s narration is a standout—her emotional range and ability to give each character a unique voice made the story even more engaging. The pacing was strong, though at times the lore and character relationships could be a bit dense to track. Still, the emotional stakes and undercurrent of hope balanced the darker themes well.

Content warnings are important here: the story includes explicit sexual content, violence, and themes of captivity, so it may not be for everyone.

Overall, this is a compelling start to The Evermore Trilogy, and I’m eager for the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the advance audiobook copy in exchange for my honest review

I knew I was going to be obsessed with this book, but I underestimated just how much 💛

I was so fortunate to receive an ALC and safe to say i BINGE listened, the narrator was perfect and i literally couldn’t put it down, or take my headphones off.

Briony Rosewood is a Princess in the Eversun Kingdom, but her life falls apart when their enemy, Bomard, is victorious and she, along with several other women, are auctioned off to Bomardi nobility.

This is the epitome of a slow burn, the tension and yearning is done to perfection! We are fed crumbs but boy are they the tastiest crumbs ever 🥵
The developing relationship between Briony and Toven had me in a chokehold and that cliffhanger made me audibly gasp 😩
There are flashbacks to their time in school but it is easy to follow and gives the much needed background to their history.

There is a very interesting magic system, a refreshing take where evil has won from the beginning of the book and the darker aspects of this romantasy are handled delicately, but please check the trigger warnings as there are some very harrowing scenes depicted and hinted at 🖤

Sloooooow burn
Forced proximity
Captor x captive
Morally grey MMC
Flashbacks
Dark romantasy
Magic and spells
Cliffhanger
Politics and scheming

Thank you so much Hachette Audio, Julie Soto and Netgalley for the ALC.

This audiobook was great I really enjoyed it, I would say I think it would be better with dual narrators but I think the story was very good and I'm excited to continue the story