Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Soto and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to listen and review this book early.

This book captured my entire heart- once I started listening, I couldn’t stop. The narrator did a fantastic job with this story and really kept my attention.

This book had such complex characters (didn’t seem so at first, but growth happened!), an awesome magical system that is unlike others I’ve read, and such a compelling story often keeping you at the end of your seat. Was it at times slow to get there? Sure. But that is not always a bad thing because it made me keep listening so I can find out what happened next.

And the morally grey/enemies to lovers… I’m sold. I am excited for the next installment

Have you ever wanted to dive into a dark and romantic fantasy world? Well, buckle up, because the Rose in Chains written by Julie Soto audiobook is here! Narrated by the talented Ella Lynch, this audiobook is a captivating journey that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The audio is about 16 hours long, so it’s a commitment, but trust me, it’s worth it. Lynch’s performance is nothing short of amazing. She brings each character to life with such nuance and depth. Briony’s raw strength and vulnerability are palpable, while Toven’s cold restraint is both intriguing and unsettling. The story is filled with political intrigue, forbidden romance, and a unique magic system. It’s set in a world with shifting timelines between past and present, which adds to the complexity and suspense.

Overall, the emotional payoff and unexpected twists at the end make up for it. If you’re a fan of emotionally intense fantasy with a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers arc and expertly executed narration, then this audiobook is definitely worth checking out.

I want to express my gratitude to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for providing this book for review consideration through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

Amazing book, perfect blend of fantasy and romance. Highly recommend. Especially appreciate the narration and audiobook version.Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the audio ARC!

I generally enjoyed my listening experience with this book. I liked the narrator and thought the story had a lot of interesting/intriguing elements.

I didn’t find the world-building to be clunky or confusing (like I have heard a lot of others complain about), in fact, everything felt pretty digestible and straight-forward to me. This is a lot darker than I think the cover or synopsis suggest, so definitely check TW and go into this knowing that it is pretty drab, depressing, and whatever the opposite of empowering is. This is also a super long book. And it feels long. Every detail is explained and everything is super fleshed out. This is a positive for some people, but for me it just felt like we were spoon-fed a lot of the story. I will say, the audiobook helped this go by faster, and I would definitely recommend listening to this (especially if you are having these same thoughts).

As for the romance, I assume it will build up throughout the series, but this book was not very romantic. The MMC purchases the FMC in an auction, so she is essentially his prisoner. But, the author wants us to fall for him because he doesn't abuse or SA the FMC (like his friends do with their “slaves”)... like…

When I reached the end, I didn't really feel anything. I am intrigued to see what will happen in the next book, but this one didn't evoke any strong thoughts, opinions, or emotions from me. It definitely isn't something I will be thinking about often and I can already tell that the story is pretty forgettable.

This was a great story albeit incredibly slow. the audio narrator was almost chipper in a lot of he treading, making me not understand that this was actually a dark story.

I do wish there was some kind of clarity between Briony and Tovin, but it kept going round and round with no insight.

many thanks to Hachette audio and forever Grand Central publishing for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Rose in Chains by Julie Soto completely swept me away!

Julie Soto has been one of my favorite authors for years, and I’ve been eagerly anticipating this book. Thanks to NetGalley, I got the audiobook just before release—and wow, what a ride! The world Julie has built is dark, lush, and utterly captivating. Briony, Evermore’s princess, finds herself in a realm on the brink of war, only to be sold at auction to the enigmatic and dangerous Toven Hearst. Auction? YEP—and from that moment on, the tension and intrigue never let up.

This story is emotional, intense, and beautifully written, with just enough edge to keep you breathless while still delivering a romance worth rooting for. While it does come with trigger warnings, I personally wasn’t triggered—instead, I was completely immersed in this gorgeous, heartbreaking, magical world.

If you’re looking for your next must-read Romantasy, make it Rose in Chains. I cannot wait to see where Julie takes this series next!

Big thanks to NetGalley for the early listen—I’m already counting the days until book two.

#JulieSoto #NetGalley #HachetteAudio #booktok #bookstagram #books #booklover #bookrecommendations #bookish #bookworm #reading #bookreview #bookaddict #booknerd #readersofinstagram #bookcommunity #romancebooks #bookblogger #romance #bookshelf #bibliophile #reader #bookrecs #kindleunlimited #booksofinstagram #bookclub #bookphotography #booklovers #realtorreads #soldbyjori #livingonthehill

Best read of 2025! I will be recommending this forever to everyone I know. Julie Soto is an auto-buy author for me!

I will admit that I did listen to the first 5% of this audiobook. However, I will respectfully not be providing specific feedback to the plot of this audiobook as I no longer wish to listen anymore after learning about the current discourse online re: JKR's beliefs on transgender individuals. With that being said, from the portion I did have a chance to listen to, I thought the narrator did a great job!

Audiobook performance: 5 stars.
Absolutely loved the intonation and pace of the narrator. She did a wonderful job, and made the story even more engaging. I could listen to her voice all day!

Book rating: 4 stars.
Rose in Chains was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it delivered with a heavy dose of longing and suspense. I loved the easy to understand magic system, and the really dark and heavy topics were handled with care. Rose in Chains set the stage for so much more we'll discover in the second book, and I can't wait! The only reason I took off a star was because the pacing sometimes seemed very slow - I know Soto was aiming to develop the characters and the backdrop of the war setting in depth, but I felt like so many things could have been quickly solved and moved along with a simple conversation. However, I cannot wait to see what happens in the coming books!

What a great way to start this summer filled with Dramione-inspired books!

Briony Rosewood is a princess of Evermore. After the fall of her kingdom and the death of her brother, the king, she and her fellow citizens - Eversuns - are auctioned off to the highest Bomardsun bidders to be used in whatever way they please. Mistress Victoria has taken the throne. Darkness has risen, and Briony can't do anything against it. Is all hope lost, or is there still a light at the end of the tunnel?

I loved this dark romantasy book! It was such a good read, and I enjoyed the world the author had created from the fanfic source material. Mind you, the story is tragic, so if you're sensitive to some topics, I'd check the trigger warnings for this book before reading. It contains lots of problematic topics (it is a dark romantasy), which might not be for everyone.

There are alternating timelines in the book, switching between the past and present from Briony's POV. I liked the magic system of having some people who use Mind Magic (the Eversuns) and some who use Heart Magic (the Bomardsuns). Briony was so witty, and Toven so mysteriously angsty. And the slow-burning romance and yearning, I ate that up!

By the end, I felt this book had the potential to be a 5-star read. However, my final score ultimately came out a bit lover, at 4.75. There were a few things that lowered my score for this book. Firstly, the beginning of the book was a bit slow, and it picked up pace 2/3 way through. Secondly, some of the name choices weren't the best in my humble opinion. Every single time the narrator said Briony, I heard brownie. Toven's name doesn't suit either, since to me the name sounds like he could be a gym bro. And then the main villain is just called...Victoria. Which is just...meh. But I feel they're pretty minor complaints.

I did love the narrator of the book. She did such a good job giving all the characters their voice and bringing Briony's inner voice to life. But I'd love Toven to get a separate narrator for the next books in the series :)

But overall, I really enjoyed the book! I can't wait to read the next books and see more of the world and worldbuilding!

Thank you to Netgalley and HachetteAudio for providing me with an ALC copy of this book!

4.5⭐️

So good! The audio really brought the magic to life. I love Julie’s contemporary romances and her first foray into published fantasy did not disappoint! Julie did an excellent job creating a new world, new characters and a new magic system whilst still maintaining the intricate plot. The tension between Briony and Toven was electric!! And this was a slowburnnnnn. Can’t wait for book 2!!

I really enjoyed this one. Solid plot line and amazing romance. There's a lot of controversy on this book right now but dont let it sway you. This is an amazing fan fiction turned novel!

This book pulled me in quickly and kept me enthralled. Sometimes with fantasy and romantasy, there is world building and it can often move slowly in the beginning but that was not the case with this storyline. The author does a wonderful job parlaying information in a way that feels natural and is wrapped into the story. It never felt like an information dump.

The characters are well written and easy to connect with. The storyline is well developed and well thought out. I enjoyed that not everything is as it seems and the author keeps back a few surprises;. The plot of the princess being help as a "captive' by her enemy who bought her in an auction was a pretty fun one. Even though this is a very slow burn, there is a great deal of heat between Briony and Toven. I look forward to seeing how their relationship develops in the next book.

I was given an early copy of an audiobook and I really enjoyed being able to listen to this story. It was easy to get lost in the story. The narration was quite good and helped the flow of the book. Thank you to NetGalley for this early listening copy.

I went into this audiobook not knowing what to expect. I wasn’t aware of it being an adaptation of The Auction.

But… this has become a fast favorite.

The narrator’s voice had me hooked within the first few lines and the maddeningly beautiful writing/story kept me tied to my ear buds for the 16 hours.

Briony and Toven’s stories are so wonderfully detailed and articulated from their school days as teens to their current situation of master and purchased heartspring.

I was fully immersed in the world Julie Soto created, as well as the unique mind and heart magic system with familiars.

I may have looked like a crazy person during the last few chapters as I cried while walking my dogs. I could feel Briony’s pain at using her first heart stop, and how betrayed she felt at Toven for insinuating intimacy with her was a mistake that shouldn’t have happened. Especially after 15 hours of maddening tension between the two of them!

I’m riveted and can’t believe I have to wait until December 2026 for book 2.

10/10 recommend the brilliant audiobook. The narrator’s voice does a fantastic job of altering her voice for the different characters without it coming off as odd/weird.

Thank you NetGalley! ❤️

Ella Lynch did a fantastic job narrating this audiobook and bringing Briony's voice to life. However, I do wish a second narrator was cast for Toven's parts. It always breaks the immersion to hear a woman narrate a man's parts (and vice versa).

I previously read The Auction and was very curious how things would change to make traditional publication possible. To my surprise, I found Rose in Chains to be even better than it's predecessor! My biggest concern was the characters lacking history or chemistry since there weren't previous books to build on. However, the flashbacks did an amazing job of solving this issue. They felt very organic and were a great way to introduce characters and worldbuilding. I don't want to share too much as it would spoil things for those who are new to the series, but I will say that despite the plot being very dark, it was still binge worthy; I couldn't put it down.

The only thing stopping this from being a 5 star read for me is that some of Briony's inner monologue was repetitive. There were 2 specific instances where I went back and checked if I accidentally re-read something because it sounded so similar. Regardless, I still devoured this book and am eagerly awaiting the second installment!

First, a big thank you to Hachette and NetGalley for the opportunity to experience this title early.
Briony’s world is shattered when her country is destroyed, her family is taken from her, and her people are handed over to their enemies. The women, who are valued for their magical abilities, are sold to the highest bidders at an auction. The result is a tale of survival at the hands of a destruction enemy and dark secrets amongst the influential families.
The audiobook runs approximately 15 to 16 hours, and the production quality is excellent. The audio was clear throughout, and the narrator was perfect for the story. Her performance brought depth and I felt the emotion during certain parts.

Wow. Okay… so when I say I LOVED this audiobook, I truly mean it. It was gripping, immersive, interesting, and emotionally charged. The story held my attention from the very first chapter, and I found myself completely invested in Briony’s journey. The worldbuilding is great, the plot is intense, and the themes are both thought-provoking and emotional. It’s one of those stories that lingers in your brain long after you’ve finished. I honestly can’t stop thinking about it. It’s been months since I’ve had a book that has held my thoughts like this.

My only real complaint is the ending. It closes on a major cliffhanger. Okay, I guess that’s not really a complaint. I’m just desperate to know what happens next! Ha! I genuinely hope the sequel is coming soon because I will be first in line to read it. Like for real, I wills skip any others to read the next one. This might be the best book I’ve listened to this month, if not in my top books this year.
Needless to say, I am now a huge fan of Julie Soto. Her writing is to the point, emotional, and captivating, and I’ll definitely be reading whatever she writes next.
If you enjoy stories with magic, strong female leads, and dark fantasy themes, a fan of Harry Potter, magical stories, then do yourself a favor and add this book to your TBR.
Thank you again to Hachette and NetGalley for this unforgettable listen!

Just like physically reading it I loved this so much. I think the narrator really put me in the story. I think because it was an advanced audio it’s not always perfect so there were some weird sounding parts but overall this was a great audiobook and I could really feel the emotions from the narrator. I’m so grateful I received both audio and ebook from NetGalley

IYKYK Julie Soto by some previous works under a different name, then you know where this book originated from. As always, when a fanfiction gets crafted into a novel, there can be concerns for lack of worldbuilding, character voices, etc. This did not have those issues! In fact, it still held all the deep, dark, emotional weight as the original source material.

It was an intimidating listen at 16 hours, and I was a little lost in the amount of characters in the beginning, but it all levelled out and it was really enjoyable. The narrator was fantastic and very engaging! I was gripped in the dual timeline, epic political fantasy, and forbidden romance!

🖤 Bookish Thoughts
I wanted to love this so much. I’m usually a fan of dark romance, but this one just wasn’t a fit for me. There wasn’t anything wrong with the book, but the tone made me feel anxious and sad while reading. It was very bleak, and even though I normally don’t mind that, this one hit harder than expected.

That said, the writing was fantastic and the world building was incredibly immersive. I think this will absolutely appeal to a lot of dark romantic fantasy readers.

Also, the audiobook was excellent. The narrator gave a really strong performance.

📖 What to Expect:
• Enemies to lovers
• Dark romance
• Magical captivity
• Bully Romance
• Political unrest

🎧 Audio Score: 4.5 stars
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo
📅 Pub Date: July 8, 2025
Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I’m so happy to say it didn’t disappoint!

As someone who did my due diligence and read the original version (if you know, you know), I was delighted to see how Julie Soto blended familiar elements with fresh twists. It honestly felt like a fun literary scavenger hunt trying to match up who was who while reading and listening. While I didn't feel the same level of stress or emotional tension as I did with the original (likely because I knew the major beats), I was still deeply invested in the characters and their journey.

I’m really enjoying how Julie is building out the world and magic system here. I know some readers might not be totally sold on it, but personally, I'm just here for the vibes—and they are very good. The romance delivers in classic Julie Soto fashion: secret pining, enemies-to-lovers tension, and that delicious touch her and die energy that never fails to hit.

The twist at the end caught me off guard in the best way. It’s something new that wasn’t in the original, and I’m super intrigued to see how it develops in the next installment.

I’m not someone who tends to analyze every detail or look for deeper meaning—I just want a swoony, angsty, well-written romance—and Rose in Chains absolutely delivered. I’m impatiently counting down the days until book two.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!