I really liked this despite having a few complaints. Dark romance isn’t usually my thing—I feel too deeply to enjoy stories with cruelty—but this one hooked me. Ella Lynch is a solid narrator, though her voice leans very child-like. Paired with Briony’s behavior, which felt more like a 13-year-old than someone in her twenties, it made the romance (and especially the sexual assault elements) pretty icky to sit through. I had to keep reminding myself this character was supposed to be an adult.

Now for the positives: I loved Toven. He’s basically a hot, emotionally tortured Professor Snape type—gruff, distant, trying to protect Briony by treating her terribly. I totally get why she liked him, even if the reverse took more suspension of disbelief. Still, I couldn’t stop listening, and that’s always a good sign.

This is an absolute dark romantasy hit. I binged this audiobook in less than 24 hours while still having to participate in normal life activities. Given that this is a dark romantasy, I recommend checking trigger warnings before starting your read. I think Soto handled the darker elements of this story well. As a whole, Rose in Chains is incredibly well written and will have you begging to know what happens next. The plot moved at a good pace, and there’s solid political intrigue mixed with a delicious slow burn romance. The tension and yearning was top notch. The characters were fantastically written — they’re richly developed with complex back stories to the point that certain characters kept you guessing as to their motives throughout the entire story. The magic system is very interesting as well. Fair warning, though, this ends on a cliffhanger. I enjoyed the audiobook in general. The narration was crisp and easy to understand. I felt that there was adequate emotion throughout the story, and it also kept me engaged. I do wish it was a little darker/grittier to match the dark vibes of the story. Overall, I am obsessed and can’t wait for the next installment.

As someone who read the original Dramione fanfic, I went into Roses in Chains fully expecting to know what was coming—but Julie Soto completely threw me. She didn’t just adapt it, she transformed it. The world is darker, more layered, and emotionally loaded in a way that felt totally new. It stands fully on its own, and honestly? It might’ve hit me even harder than the original.

Briony (Rose) is such a vulnerable, quietly powerful protagonist, and the tension with Toven is magnetic. It’s slow-burn, it aches, and when it finally breaks—you feel it. Soto doesn’t rush anything, and that patience pays off.

Now let’s talk audiobook: Ella Lynch was BREATHTAKING. Her voice gave this story soul. She captured Rose’s turmoil perfectly and Toven’s restrained yearning? Devastating. It genuinely felt like Briony was reading me her own story.

Soto’s writing is lyrical and emotionally raw, and the title? So clever. I was fully hooked and left a complete wreck by the end.

I’m going to be thinking about these characters for a long time. And after that ending?? I’ll be over here not-so-patiently waiting for book 2.

Thank you NetGalley, Julie Soto & Hachette Audio for the ALC—what a ride. 4.5 ⭐️

As someone who usually adores Julie Soto’s work, I went into Rose in Chains with high expectations—especially with how much buzz it’s getting. The premise had real promise, and I couldn’t help but feel echoes of Manacled with the dark, intense setup and emotionally fraught tension. I was ready to be wrecked in the best way.

But this one left me... unsure.

The slow burn is really slow, and while I get that it’s the first in a series (and that build-up is essential), it felt like I was waiting a little too long for emotional or romantic payoff. The MMC’s refusal to admit or even fully confront his feelings got frustrating after a while—especially since we don’t get much interiority from him. I craved more intimacy, more vulnerability, and honestly, more spice. The tension is there, but it never quite catches fire in this installment.

That said, Soto’s writing is still strong, and the worldbuilding feels like it's leading somewhere rich. I’ll probably pick up the next book just to see if the emotional and romantic arcs get the depth they deserve—but I’m hoping for a lot more heat and heart moving forward.

Julie Soto, taking two five-star reads from me and it’s only June? Damn, she might be an auto-buy.

This book was gripping. I did not want to put it down. I constantly wanted to know what would happen next, and I kept thinking about it when I wasn’t reading. I only found out midway that it’s supposed to be a trilogy, and suddenly the pacing made more sense. There were moments when nothing seemed to be happening. Nonetheless, I will be seated for the next book. I need to know what happens ASAP. Julie better have already written it.

Briony was such a good heroine, I liked her a lot, and I need to get into Toven’s head, like, yesterday. I need to know what happens to every single character, OMG. I also liked their slow burn and banter and spats. And the Everhearts family? They are so ajkgakfgaf (that’s my brain short-circuiting with obsession). I need the next book. Immediately.

Thank you, Hachette Audio.

2.75/5

This was kind of very disappointing to me. I had so much hope and excitement for this book ever since it was announced. And I think everyone can agree with that sentiment! But this did not hit for me. Really at all.

This is definitely a Dramoine fanfiction situation but in a way that does not feel original. It feels like this author read Manacled and then did that. It felt so close to Manacled at times, it just felt too familiar. (And I didn't love Manacled, so maybe those that did will love this more than I did.)

I did not like these characters and the plot felt rather random and half-assed at times. It was so strange. None of these characters really had any personality. I get the feeling that the whole Dramoine thing was supposed to carry most of this book. But you cannot rely on your inspiration to give your work meaning, you have to put that in the book yourself.

And OH MY GOD. I know her name is inspired by Hermione, but Briony??? It reads as "briney," like a pickle brine. It is awful. How no editor caught that and made her change it is beyond me.

I do like being immediately brought into the story, I like a fast-paced start to a book, but this is not the way to do it. You are thrown into the middle of the drama and never really given any context. At least explain what is going on when you do that, you are allowed a bit of info-dumping just to get me up to speed if you throw someone into the middle of a dramatic situation.

But that is the only fast-paced part of this book, the rest is very strangely paced and drags a lot.

I was just so disappointed in this. I'm sure there are other people who will love this book, I'm sure some people aren't nearly as picky about certain things as I am, but now you have this information. Do with it what you will.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

4.5/5⭐️
Prefacing this by saying, I’ve never read the fanfiction this originated from, so I went in completely blind and honestly, you’d never know. It absolutely stands on its own.

From the very first chapter, I was hooked and completely immersed. The magic is beautifully described, and the atmosphere feels both haunting and grounded.

This is a dark romance, so please check content warnings before diving in. That said, if you're into slow-burn tension that builds and builds, you're in the right place. There's so much longing and intensity, and it’s perfectly balanced with political intrigue.

The flashbacks in the book are super well done, they add just the right amount of context and backstory without ever feeling like they’re dragging the plot down. They are always timed to deepen your understanding of the characters and their pasts.

Each of the main characters are layered, no one feels one-dimensional. Something I really loved was the genuinely strong female bond that runs through the book. The FMC isn’t totally isolated, which I always appreciate in darker stories.

Audiobook notes:
 Overall, I really enjoyed the narration, great emotion and pacing. The only minor issue was that some audible breaths were a little distracting in a few places. Nothing that pulled me out completely, just something I noticed.

Thank you Hatchetteaudio, NetGalley, and Julie Soto for this ALC!

*♡Thank you to to Julie Soto, Hachette Audio and Netgalley for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion♡*

4.5⭐
Wooooow!! First of all, Ella Lynch did a fantastic job of narrating the audiobook. She fully immerses you into the story and I adore all of her voices!
If you are a fan of Manacled and The Handmaids Tale you will enjoy this. There is so much heartache and grief portrayed by Briony and her subjects that I genuinely feel guilty for enjoying this as much as I did! The slow burn is soooo tense and there still wasn't a satisfying conclusion, hopefully that will come in book 2 🤭 you will definitely add Toven to your list of book boyfriends, that boy has some angst that I wish was directed at me!
Warning ⚠️ this book ends on a cliffhanger 😭💔

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook arc. While I absolutely love Julie Soto and could not wait for the release of this book I just could not get into the audiobook, the narrator was not for me and the jumping back and forth on a timeline was confusing. I definitely think that this book would have benefited with a dual narration.

Amazing amazing amazing!!! Julie Soto has crafted a masterpiece that pulls you in from the very first page and refuses to let go. The slow burn romance is exquisitely paced—every glance, every moment, every word charged with tension and longing. It’s the kind of build-up that makes the payoff all the more satisfying.

The world-building is rich and immersive, with layers of intrigue, magic, and emotion that unfold beautifully. The characters are complex, compelling, and unforgettable. Whether you're drawn to fierce heroines, morally gray love interests, or intricate political dynamics, this book delivers it all.

As someone who hasn’t dipped into fantasy in years, Rose in Chains felt like coming home. It reignited my love for the genre in the best possible way. If you’ve been thinking about diving back into fantasy—or trying it for the first time—start here. This book is a triumph.

This book was GLUED to my hand for three days. I woke up at 5 am so I could fit as much reading time into my day as physically possible. When it was wrenched from me for frivolous responsibilities like work or errands, all I thought about was Briony and Toven. I’m not surprised, though, because Julie Soto’s books hit EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way—Briony and Toven were scrum-didly-umptious. The burn was burning, the banter was bantering, the mind-reading was JAW-DROPPING. Historically, I get antsy with books that take longer than fifty-percent for a first kiss, but of course Julie Soto’s got me eating scraps from Briony and Toven like it’s a five-star restaurant. The push and pull from them was exquisite, and I loved that the flashback chapters really added symbolism and depth to a lot of their interactions. Their relationship and all the tension that came with it was enough to keep me hooked and ready to sell my first-born for the next book.

But I was also pleasantly surprised by how immersive the world-building was and how interesting I found the plot. It’s no easy task to take a work inspired by a famous book series literally known for its masterful worldbuilding and to make it your own, but I found the concept of mind magic versus heart magic, and heartsprings, and Briony and Rory’s whole dyanmic with their family all really captivating. I found myself turning the pages faster not only to get to their first damn kiss, but also so I could uncover little mysteries sprinkled through the plot. Looking back at the beginning of the book, I’m also amazed by how much has already changed and happened in just 400-odd pages. Like I’m kind of rooting for Larissa and Briony to become besties now even though I hated her in the beginning. Or how much Serena ships her son and Briony together. And I MUST know Orion’s side of things.

This was very close to a five-star read for me, and there’s really only two nitpicky things that kept my heart from being able to give five stars. That is (1) The big reveal at the end. It felt cliche and honestly I was expecting it from the very beginning of the book, but I’m not going to hold it against Julie Soto when she wrote this book years ago as a fanfiction likely before this trope was … well, a trope. And (2) By page 400 I was ready to knock Briony and Toven’s heads together. These two are just so thick. They have to know they’re both in love with each other after how much of the book is just them throwing moony looks at each other, I mean, come on. You can mastermind treasonous secrets, hoodwinking a mindreading tyrant, and becoming an advanced magician at the top of your classes, but you can’t figure out you both want to bang each other? Get real.

That said, this book is one of my new obsessions. I’ve already started recommending it to my friends, and I will be first in line for Book 2 where—godwilling—Toven and Briony will make it to second-base.

This isn't just "another Dramione fanfic." Typically they don't impress me BUT THIS ONE was everything. I was so beyond thrilled to be granted access to the alc for Rose in Chains. I loved every second. Ella Lynch did an amazing job narrating this.

Briony was such a good heroine, I liked her a lot, and I need to get into Toven’s head, like, yesterday. I need to know what happens to every single character, OMG. I also liked their slow burn and banter and spats. And the Everhearts family? They are so ajkgakfgaf (that’s my brain short-circuiting with obsession). I need the next book. Immediately.

Thank you Hachette Audio, I did a full immersive experience, and it was so good. Ella Lynch was a phenomenal narrator and made the experience so worth it.

I’m obsessed. I’m a devastated, shell of a human who needs the sequel immediately. You would never guess this was a fanfic previously. It’s beautifully written with immaculate world building. The characters are so real, they have so many layers. I was hooked from chapter 1 and stayed on the edge of my seat!
Thank you NetGalley, Julie Soto and Hatchaudio for this audio ARC!!
Characters: realistic and multi layered, strong relationships, imperfect, morally ambiguous
Setting: dark, dystopian, magical
Writing style: emotional, descriptive, flows well, clear plot
Tropes: reluctant allies, enemies to lovers, prisoner/captor
Narrator: emotional tone, unique/distinct voices for characters

Thank you to the publisher for the advance listening copy.

I was excited to hear this story narrated by Ella Lynch, whose work I hadn’t experienced before. She did a great job giving the two main characters distinct voices, which helped keep me engaged.

The story is told in a third-person limited POV, and while I appreciated the forced proximity setup and some of the emotional beats in the second half, the first part didn’t fully click for me. Much of the plot was told rather than shown, which made it difficult to connect with the characters early on.

I did appreciate how the narration captured the main character’s self-perception—she made some bold choices, and things consistently worked out for her, whether they should have or not. The plot was fairly straightforward overall. Despite references to past sexual assaults throughout the book, it’s not a spicy read (though it does include one scene). There were trigger warnings mentioned in the beginning and I appreciated that.

I think the tension could have been more deeply developed, and I would have preferred if some of the flashbacks were introduced earlier for more context. By the time I connected with the characters, we were already deep into the story. I do think me finishing this book as quickly as I did (under 3 days, was due to the work Ella put in to make the characters not sound insufferable

Thank you, Hachette Audio & Forever Publishing, for this early listening copy via netgalley!

I am not exaggerating when I say Rose in Chains was my most anticipated read for this year. And it was perfection 🥹

Julie Soto did such an amazing job writing this story; the world, the magical system, the politics and characters, that even if you aren't familiar with/ or haven't read The Auction, you can't tell that this story existed differently!

The story immediately sucks you in, and while I usually don't prefer flashbacks/dual timelines, this book really benefits from it!

Honestly, i am still living the high of finishing this book that all i can really say is that this book is worth the read. I know I will be doing a reread as soon as this book comes out!

Rose in Chains releases on July 8th!

Check your trigger warnings, though, because this story has some dark themes! Dark Romantasy, Morally Grey mmc, forbidden romance, forced proximity, and a slow burn 🔥

Synopsis a k a world building:
There are two warring kingdoms, whose people are known as Eversuns and Bomardsuns. They use two different kind of magic - heart and mind, mind magic is something that came later and the use of which is illegal in Bomard.
This story starts when Rory Rosewood, the heir to Evermore, who was supposed to unite the two kingdoms according to a prophecy is now dead and dark forces of Bomard are capturing everyone in Evermore, and stripping them if their magic and pushing them to servitude to strengthen their own magic and selfish purposes.
Briony Rosewood, the twin sister is also auctioned and sold to Hearsts, like all other suitable females and males of Evermore. Hearsts are high ranking Bomardsun and the heir, Toven Hearst is Briony's school crush.
While she finds herself entangled in the horrors of this new world, she also finds some hope as she finds out Hearsts are not as terrible as she thought they might be and there might be other allies if a rebellion arises.

Thoughts:
Initial:
I was really intrigued when I heard it is a fanfic turned into an actual published novel. As a fan of HP, I was really excited especially when the author tainted the whole series, but now I can rely on these books.

What worked:
As the first installment of a series, this definitely builds up an interesting world.
Told in two timelines, we get glimpses into their academic years and present time through Briony's eyes.
There is tension and camaraderie between the two main characters.
It was slow in the beginning, but it picked it up towards the ending.
The details were definitely horrific and tragic, and the graphic display of some parts was difficult to read, as expected for a war aftermath story.
I am interested in the rivals to lovers romance plotline
The ending was interesting

What didn't work:
The slow pace in both present and past kind of bored me. I felt it was repetitive.
The narration was good, but not so much for the male narrations.
There are so much I don't understand, but I hope to get answers in the sequels.

Overall:
I am intrigued enough to continue the series, but I wasn't in love.

ROSE IN CHAINS by Julie Soto is the second book I read by the author and I absolutely loved it.

The narration of the audiobook was done beautifully.

Filled with political intrigue, action, power dynamics, tension, yearning, and a slow burn love. From the very first chapter I was completely drawn into story absolutely captivated by it. Though it was dark, each scene was satisfying.

it was beautifully written; the plot, the world-building, the
romance, and the characters were paced really well.

Briony and Toven were everything!!

Briony character development was done really well. She is stubborn, smart and ambitious. The way that had to dim her light and strength for her brother "the chosen one" was heartbreak and displays the realistic reality of a woman's day to day life surround by men and appeasing their needs first.

Toven, the man that he is!! there was so many layers too him that he hides from the world and Briony. The way that he comes undone in front of Briony is mesmerizing. There is no hiding his true nature from her.

Both such complex characters, there was so much complexity and depth to them both. And their interactions and chemistry was out of this world. I loved how they pulled back the layers they were hiding and saw the true depths of each other. i was swooning by how they would get under each other's skin

i also loved the flashback scenes of past event that led up to the present time events they characters are objectified to, they were so good!! They really helped with the development of the plot.

Overall, this was an amazing start to a new series and that ending!! I'm excited to see what will happen in the next book.

4.5
One of my most anticipated books of the year!! It did not disappoint; the slow burn romance, the enemies to lovers, and last but not least, the forbidden romance. I loved that it starts off in the middle of the action and alternates between past and present. I can't wait for the sequel, and this one hasn't even come out yet!

A huge thank you to HachetteAudio and NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to @HachetteAudio for the ARC of this book!
This is a 5-star about 100 times over!! You know the feeling when you finish a book and think, 'I would give anything to read this for the first time again.' I've been thinking that ever since I read the fanfiction this story is based on. Being able to revisit this story with the characters, magic system, and world all being reimagined gave me the best feeling. I got lost in the world and could not stop being immersed in it all. I didn't want to finish it cause I couldn't stand the thought of it being over. I can't wait for the next book in this series to be out!