Often fanfiction that is traditionally published is almost a copy-paste. While the essence of 'The Auction' remains and the much-loved Dramione tropes are present, 'Rose in Chains' still feels original. The enemies to lovers trope is always a favourite, but I feel like characters within this trope go from 'enemies' to 'lovers' too quickly; and this is the case with this story. There is an obvious attraction and some tender moments that occur prior to the beginning of this story and, while they are literally on opposing sides of a war, their relationship moreso resembles the rivals to lovers trope. Still, the backstory and world feel lived in, which is something I often find missing in fanfic-to-published romantasy novels.

The narration of the audiobook was also well-done, with Ella Lynch setting a compelling pace. It did get a bit difficult to keep track of all the characters; Lynch did a great job at giving each character their own voice, but the scale of the cast was rather large. This makes characters outside of the main duo to read like props rather than people; which feels antithetical to the plot where people are literally turned into props or property. Lynch's narration also helped with the pacing; quick in some parts and lingering in others, but always progressing at the necessary pace. This might be one of the few romantasy series' where I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel.

DNF. There was no trigger warning when requesting this book until I began listening to the actual audiobook. I did not realize there would be SA on page and selling of the characters. I also thought the obsession with the fmc's virginity was weird.

A very different read from a favorite author! I'm always intrigued when new genres are put out in the world and in true Julie Soto fashion, she took the time to weave a fantastical story with all of the necessary dark fantasy elements. The world was intricately built, the many characters introduced and story told in a way that kept me curious and turning the page, so to speak. This is a very slow burn, forced proximity, real enemies to lovers story. As a trilogy, go in knowing there is time being taken in this book to set the scene for upcoming segments - it ends abruptly, and perhaps a tad awkwardly.

While I enjoyed the story and narration was on point, I did switch over to reading, rather than listening to this story. The many characters were difficult to track and I found the book itself more digestible for my own reading enjoyment.

I cannot stress enough, please read the trigger warnings. I'm glad this book is being well received, I love Julie Soto's story telling, however this is likely a world I will not be revisiting.

Was so thrilled and honored to get an ALC of this:
I could not have picked a better narrator for this audiobook, she was perfection!
Briony and Toven…the slowest slow burn ever ♥️

The world building was never too much and the story always kept you engaged and wanting to see what came next!

The ending has me wanting the second one immediately.

AN EASY ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4⭐️
I loveeddddd this!

The narrator for this audiobook made this really enjoyable to listen to. I loved the tension between the MCs, the multiple time frames, the magic school, the overall plot line. I enjoyed how fast pace this was and how everything seemed to happen for a reason. So excited for the next book especially after that cliffhanger!! Highly recommend for people wanting a bingeable read/ listen🥰

Thank you NetGalley + Hachette audio for the arc!

How soon is too soon for a reread? Seriously. I just finished this incredible book and I want to immediately start it over and read it again. I loved every moment!

I don’t know if I’m a fan of dramione fan-fic yet since this was my first…. But I’m such a huge fan of this. I knew I would be. Julie Soto can do no wrong in my eyes.

Is it too soon to start begging for book 2? 👀

BUT DADDY I LOVE HIM!!! 😅😍🫶🏼

Expect 👉🏼 Romantasy, Dramione Vibes, Enemies to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Forced Proximity, Dual Timelines, Warring Countries, Multiple Magic Systems, Slavery

Briony knows her twin brother and heir to the throne is dead when his protection of the castle falls. She is captured, her magic is prevented and auctioned off to the highest bidder. Who just so happens to be the man who she was infatuated with throughout their academic years.

Did I already say I love him? Let me say it again. I LOVE HIM. I love his secrets and the way Toven treats Briony and how calculated he is.

I loved every moment in this world. I think I expected Toven to treat Briony worse… I’m not sure why. I know nothing about this fandom but it was perfect. I need a reread. And book 2. And to go buy up every foreign edition I can to do along with my preorder.

The audio was narrated by Ella Lynch and she did such a wonderful job. I had the hardest time pausing while having to adult 😆🫣

Wow. I’m riding such an endorphin rush from this book 😍😍😍

Go preorder it!!!!!!!

Thank you Hachette Audio for the gifted alc!

Wow—where do I even begin?
Rose in Chains was everything I hoped for and more! I’ve long been a fan of Julie Soto’s writing, so learning that she was traditionally publishing her original story The Auction had me beyond excited. She absolutely delivered.

The writing is stunning—rich, emotional, and layered in a way that brings each scene vividly to life. The way the story unfolds piece by piece kept me completely hooked, and the emotional depth throughout was incredibly moving.

I opted to listen to the audiobook, and I’m so glad I did. The narrator was a phenomenal choice—her performance added another layer to the story, capturing every ounce of emotion with nuance. She did an outstanding job differentiating the characters with distinct voices and tones, making it easy to follow and deeply engaging.

To say I’m eagerly awaiting Book 2 would be an understatement—I’m counting down the days!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to experience this ARC. This is one I’ve been anticipating for a long time, and it absolutely lived up to the wait.

This was so good, You can never go wrong with a Julie Soto book. The narrator was good, though some y the voices for different characters were very similar. I can’t wait for the next book.

Not me only realizing right now this is a TRILOGY! Ugh not looking forward to having to wait for each book.. I don’t have that kind of patience😅

Anyway, this was great… I didn’t want to put it down! As a fan of Julie’s fanfics, there were times where I struggled to separate the two, especially because there is not a ton of world building in this one. But it hooked me in from the start and I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the series and learning more… I have so many questions still!

I listened to the audio book and really enjoyed the narrator… would definitely recommend!

Julie Soto can do no wrong in my eyes! I’ve adored her romance books and seeing her branch out into the world of fantasy was a pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed this!! a true slow burn, sort’ve academic rivals to lovers, darker themes (please check trigger warnings), and an enchanting fantasy storyline filled with interesting magic systems and a huge band of characters. That ending had me at the edge of my seat and I’m excited to see what’s next for Toven and Briony’s story.

The audiobook is SO good, I can’t recommend it enough! As a huge audiobook lover, this is one of my favourite fantasy reads I’ve listened to. I will say the first 15% was overwhelming with the introduction of so many characters/world-building and not having a physical copy to refer back to, but once the story really starts then it was easy to follow along. Releases everywhere July 8th! Thank you Hachette Audio for the ALC <3

Such a fun story to listen to, I love this book in any format. The writing and story telling is as engaging as it's Dramonie roots with new plots and content to differentiate itself. The audiobook reader did a great job, they were clear and the different voices they used for the characters was enjoyable without being distracting!

***please read all trigger warnings for this book before reading***
Julie Soto, I love you and your brain.

I loved this book. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it nearly as much as I did, because I’m not really a romantasy girlie, but Julie Soto read it, so of course I had to read it. And I am so glad I did!

I did not want to put this book down from the second I picked it up. I mean truly, I almost skipped book club to keep reading this book. Because Soto hooks you from the beginning, you are instantly grabbed and immersed in the book.

I did not really know the premise of this book going into it, and I’m glad I went in not knowing anything. That being said, most people should probably read trigger warnings for this book.

I went into this book for the romance. Julie Soto writes romance like no one else. And she did it again. The flashbacks in this book (dual timeline, KIND OF) built Briony and Toven’s chemistry so well. It showed the young crush stage when you’re 16 and then we get to see how that develops at a 25 year old. I thought it was executed really well. I could go on and on about their chemistry/relationship

Something I was not expecting and LOVED was Briony’s relationship with Toven’s mother, Serena. They formed a bond very quickly and her maternal instincts are also to protect Briony, and I loved that aspect.

I am SO excited to see where the rest of this series goes. I will be sitting here waiting for book two.

This was just okay. It did NOT feel like enemies to lovers, more like disgruntled academic rivals who were actually pinning for each other the whole time. The plot dragged on a lot and felt oddly low stakes except for a few moments that involved Mallow. The flashbacks to their years in school together constantly made it glaringly obvious how Toven felt about Briony and she was ridiculously oblivious to THAT whole situation. While I'm on the subject, their names are equally ridiculous. I cringed inwardly for the first few chapters whenever someone said "Briony" only being saved by the fact that no one gave her a shortened version of her name as a nickname.

I was expecting a darker book on the whole from the description, the way it started, and how disgusting all the men were to the women during the auction. While there was the constant threat of sexual assault I never actually felt like Briony was in danger and never actually feared for her, unless she was in front of Mallow. Toven hitting her twice in front of people didn't feel like enough to make it a "dark romance" merely a "grim dark fantasy" setting. There were too many things he did or said that made him seem too much of a good guy. Their ruse would have been very obvious to anyone with a brain

For all the talk of Briony being the better magic user than her brother and how smart and well read she was, I didn't believe it. She was FAR too slow at putting pieces together about the Hearst family and their true intentions and loyalties. I think I predicted every plot twist or reveal in the first 20% of the book. The ending was VERY obvious as it REEKED of Brennan Sorrengail from the get go.

Despite the mediocre plot of the book, I felt like the narrator did a good job having an identifiable voice for every character and I never got confused who was speaking. I've listened to another book she's narrated and got excited when I recognized her voice right away.

I have once again fallen victim to reading something that I THOUGHT was a standalone, only to stumble into the ending with my hands reaching for a sequel that isn't available yet. This is truly the worst hubris I can experience after being so proud of how quickly I read Rose in Chains, because now I am tracking down her past works to tide me over in the interim. I am losing productivity at work!

As someone who is brand new to Julie Soto's works, I was excited to try Rose in Chains. Aware of its origins but new to the story, I was initially wary. There have been plenty of works published in the past year or two that clearly went through barely any editing or re-writes before release; one of the most common criticisms of these works was that it did not stand up on its own once the referenced source material is removed. I am pleased to say that for the most part, Rose in Chains has cleared the (admittedly low) bar in this regard. While not too original or innovative, the world building is comprehensive enough to grasp the geopolitics, the magic systems, and other details. The cast of characters is definitely too large from the very beginning, so I had trouble keeping track of most of the minor characters, but the inclusion of a Rosewood family tree and list of Bomardi Seats and heirs in the printed novel is helpful. Overall, it holds itself up sufficiently and can be enjoyed by anyone, with or without knowledge of the original inspiration.

The story itself is incredible. I am very particular about DARK fantasy and romance, but Soto gave us some true enemies-to-lovers slow burn in Toven and Briony. The world is bleak, horrific acts committed and even encouraged under the new regime, and the Hearst family are willing to do anything to make it out alive which I absolutely respect. Toven is my favorite kind of morally gray/"enemy" character: he will commit crimes, hurt others, even kill, all in the name of protecting his loved ones. His willingness to go to any length to protect Briony's dignity, rights, and safety even at the expense of his own makes him kind of impossible to hate. And Briony, while a little slow on the uptake due to her sheltered upbringing and history with Toven, is not so oblivious as to miss the clear contradictions that arise as the story progresses. We get so many heroines in romantasy books that are said to be intelligent, clever, or strategic, only to be incomparably stupid when it comes to the ML or some secret that is creating conflict. But Soto has created a situation where Toven has to hide his true nature from everyone, even Briony, for his and his family's safety. The reader gets enough information to figure things out before Briony, but not so early that we become frustrated with her, and even then we understand the barriers that keep the leads from just confessing their love and living happily ever after.

PLEASE check the trigger warnings and understand going in that this is a story where the forces of evil won the war already. Things are going to be terrible before they can get better. Although we do not see much explicit sexual content on page, it is referenced as happening off-page often to many characters. There is only one sexually explicit scene between Briony and Toven in this first book (and it technically isn't happening in reality), but we can expect this to change as their relationship develops. Briony is threatened and assaulted often by several characters (thankfully not Toven) but isn't r@ped, and this too could escalate in future books so be warned. Julie Soto isn't writing these dark topics out of perverse enjoyment, and she in no way presents them as acceptable or forgivable; she does not force us to read scenes for shock or disgust, and in my opinion she handles the content with care. Nevertheless, do not force yourself to read this book if the content would be upsetting or harmful to you.

As a librarian: This book would be firmly placed in the Adult Fiction section of any library, though I see no reason for it to be excluded from the collection if there is an identified demand from the library's community.

Freaking fantastic!! I’m already a fan of this author and I can say for certainty I will read everything she writes.
I got the alc and the narration was absolutely perfect. But the story, just wow! I never read the author even though I’m a huge dramonie fan. And I feel like it made it better cause I got to go in blind not knowing what it was about.
Ty to the author and hachette audio for the alc.

I am broken. Infinite stars.

This book was so much greater than I had anticipated. I should have known better though, I was caught off guard with the cliffhanger ending. 😭

Julie Soto, this will def be in my top 5 reads of for this year.

This audio was perfection. The narration by Ella Lynch was easy to listen to, and she did such a wonderful job bringing Briony to life. I

A rewrite of the fan fic The Auction? Sold.
Dramione? Sold.
Romantasy? Sold.

Enemies to lovers
Royal romance
Dark fantasy
Captivity / Forced proximity
Magic
Rebellion

Anddddd just like that, another book locks into my top ten. I'm obsessed. Absolutely obsessed with this series. I'm pretty sure I'd do unmentionable things to get my hands on the next copy of this series.

This has slow burn down to a science. The TENSION. The ANGST. I have been teetering on the edge with silver-haired MMCs but this book cinched the gap; we LOVE a silver-haired tortured soul.

This book had me rushing back to it any time I had to sit it down, giddy with excitement over what would happen next.

I am beyond excited that I got a copy of this amazing audio from NetGalley and Julie Soto, immediately preordering now!

An intriguing read from a favourite author, I'm glad to see Julie Soto spreading her wings with another genre. While I haven't read the fanfiction this existed as originally, I was aware of it going in, and can see where some of the changes have been made to make this into an original world. However unlike some fanfic-turned-tradpub entries, I feel that Soto did a great job here of creating an original world and magic system that doesn't feel like someone just subbed in different words than the ones we're accustomed to. Where this novel suffers in relation to be a fanfic is character development - outside of our leads, there are simply too many characters to develop them well, and I can see where that would've worked if you can assume your audience already knows them, it leaves things here rather unclear and makes for a large chunk of indistinguishable, less interesting characters. Aside from this, I was pleasantly surprised that most of the book did feel original. However I do think that we cannot repeat "check the trigger warnings" enough for this one, I want to shout it from the rooftoops - the first 40% and the last 20% were too traumatic to be at all enjoyable and I found my often appalled shock really pulling me out of this universe rather than creating sympathy for the characters - there's a fine line there and it made it difficult to stay in-world for me in particular.

Audiobook-wise, narrator was good though I'm not sure that choosing a British narrator helps this stay distinct from its source material. She did her best to make the aforementioned background characters distinct and keep things flowing. Briony felt a little whiny but I think that's in the text and not the narrator's fault!

Overall, I'm glad everyone's hyped, I hope everyone enjoys it, but I don't think I'll be making a return visit to this world.

4.5 stars rounded up. Let’s just say that if you got here from “the auction” like i did you will not be disappointed!’ This story retains the bones of the source materials’ narrative while dropping it into an entirely new world, and while there are some elements that feel very familiar to…that other book that must not be named, Julie Soto uses it to build something that new readers will be very excited about!! This is a *dark* fantasy and i do want to highlight that the romance here is a very very slow burn that i think will rightfully take until the second book to start unfolding.

I absolutely have loved everything I have read by Julie Soto. I am convinced if she published a grocery list it would be a best seller. I really enjoyed Briony and Toven's story. It is such a delicious slow burn and the end left me wanting more. I found it refreshing that this romantasy was different from so many on the market today in the way that it wasnt heavy fae/vampire/werewolf focused. This was the first Julie Soto book I have listened to and the casting of Ella Lynch was spot on. Ella's accent was perfect for this story and making it really feel like an alternative world. I also liked the emotion she put into Briony's character. I have already been recommending this book to all my romantasy loving friends....and I will be bugging them on July 8 if they have started reading it yet.