For 400 years, England has been ruled by an immortal faerie, Queen Mor. To keep the peace and entertain herself, she offers all of her subjects a magical bargain. Ivy is preparing for her debut and to make her bargain with the Queen when it is announced that her son, Prince Bram, is looking for a wife. After her sister disgraced her family making a mysterious bargain and then disappearing for weeks, Ivy knows the only way to repair their reputation is to enter the competition for Bram's hand in marriage. As the competition goes on, she comes to learn that Queen Mor is not as benevolent as she seems and that Ivy might have developed very real feelings for the wrong prince.

This was an incredibly fun read. I found the writing style to be really engaging, I enjoyed all of the characters, and the plot was mysterious enough to keep me guessing what was going to happen next. Most of the chapters are told from the perspective of Ivy, but the other main characters have their own chapters sprinkled in, which helps to give some backstory for them. The competition aspect was interesting, if a little bit repetitive, and I enjoyed the way that the faeries were portrayed. This will be a great read for fans of The Selection, the Bachelor, or really anyone who enjoys romantasy.

You're kidding the last 20% was insane and I’ll be needing the next book immediately! It was so fast-paced. I knew as soon as I started sobbing at the letter that I was more attached to these characters than I realized. My jaw was on the floor for the rest of the book after that. I loved this book!

What in the dark, fantastical, regency-era, bachelor nation did I just read?! Pure perfection! I was so immersed and invested in this book from the first few pages, and I could NOT stop reading!

While this is definitely YA, the slow burn was hitting and the dark/suspenseful elements added to the thrill of the read for me. I absolutely fell in love with our FMC, Ivy, and the whole band of debutantes. Each girl had their own unique strengths, and I loved to see them get uncovered and forge their identities & bonds with one another.

And can we talk about that plot twist/cliffhanger? I knew something had to be afoot since this is to be a series, but I definitely hadn’t suspected the entirety of the twist! It was so well done, and I need book 2 STAT! I have my hopes for what will happen, but only time will tell…

What you can expect:
🌹Trials
🌹 Fae/Human Romance
🌹 Political Intrigue/Royalty
🌹 Only One Bed (YA, but still 😉)
🌹 Found Girl Gang (né family)


Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley for the digital ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review after reading.

I finished this last week and forgot to put in my feedback so here we go!

The Rose Bargain’s comp titles (the selection, the cruel prince, and Bridgerton) are SPOT on. It’s the perfect blend of all three and does not disappoint on this front.

For the most part, I thought the pacing of the novel was amazing, but then the car hit the gas and we went ludacris speed in the last 30% that had me kind of scrambling to understand what happened. I don’t know if I enjoyed it, BUT I did enjoy how the book ended. I did not see most of those twists coming and it did help tie everything up for me, because the book almost lost me for a second.

I will also say the romance between Emmett and Ivy was not well developed, in my opinion. Sure they had moments together, but their chemistry lacked, which in turn did not make a lot of the stronger points that revolved around their relationship a big emotional impact. Ivy had more chemistry with Bram, someone she didn’t have feelings for. I would have appreciated more attention to building up a convincing relationship.

I am curious to see where the series goes, as I enjoyed the little breadcrumbs coming together. Excited to see where Lydia’s story takes us too!

The Rose Bargain is marketed as The Cruel Prince meets Bridgerton, and it did not disappoint! I've read Sasha Peyton Smith's other books, and while I enjoyed the others, this one is definitely my favorite.

What if the Queen of England and her eldest son were fae? As part of their coming out, members of the ton make a bargain with the queen to make them more attractive to potential partners. (A finger for a better nose. Memories for talent on the piano forte.) Ivy, who's prospects are poor, enters in a competition to marry Bram, the Prince of Wales, or resign herself to her family's ruination and impoverishment. (Her sister made a mysterious bargain with the queen and then disappeared. Only to return with no memory of where she'd been.) Just as Bram seems to find her charming, her head is turned towards his human younger brother and his political ideals. The Queen is cruel and wreaks havoc on the ton (and on those competing for her son's hand). Ivy begins to wonder if there's a way to stop her. If only she could find the perfect accomplice.

This book had all the things I like in a YA fantasy: political intrigue, a charming prince, characters whose motivations are hard to deduce. And while parts of the book were predictable, the book didn't suffer for it. It helped feed into that sense of dread. And fear that Ivy wouldn't be able to weasel her way out of the trouble she was digging herself into.

The Rose Bargain is fast paced and a quick read. I'd found myself struggling recently with every book I picked up, unable to connect with the characters or gain my interest enough to finish. But this book pulled me out of my slump, which is really the highest praise I can give a book!

The Rose Bargain is perfect not only for fans of Bridgerton and Cruel Prince but also fans of The Selection or The Bachelor. If any hint of a love triangle is not your thing, this may not be the book for you.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy. I eagerly await the next installment in the series! All thoughts are my own. And yes, my copy is already preordered.

The Rose Bargain is the first the series. I am unable to find the name of the series, but it ends in a cliffhanger. This is a kiss of death for me. I love series but hate cliffhangers. The premise sounded interesting but lost me in the first few chapters. I stuck it out only to find the end was missing.

This is a romantasy story of unlikeable characters thrown together for the sole purpose of winning the hand of Prince Bram in marriage. The characters have no depth, and the story has too many gaps that do not help to weave a story together. This was not a story that I can recommend to anyone.

4.25 stars
Ivy is ready for her debutant season in London. She knows that the outcome of this season will determine her family's future. Her sister Lydia failed to find a husband during her coming out and then disappeared for two years. She has since returned but doesn't know what happened or where she was. English society now avoids the whole family and their shame.

England has been ruled for the past 400 years by Queen More, an immortal fairy. One of the traditions of the debutante season is that all of the young women will make their 'bargain' with the Queen prior to the first ball. Most of them request something related to their looks, in order to help them find a husband. Before this year's bargaining begins, Queen More announces that this season her son Bram will be taking a wife chosen from this year's debutantes. In order to be considered, they must each sign a contract in blood, that if they are not chosen, they will never be married. Ivy realizes that this is the chance she was waiting for and signs first, knowing that this will bring invitations to her and her family for all of the balls and parties and may help her family be accepted again. This begins a competition for the Prince that is fierce, as well as involvement in a plot to de-throne the Queen.

I really didn't know what to expect from this book, but was immediately sucked into the story. The characters are so well written and the story just flows. The end felt a bit rushed to me, but maybe that is just because I was enjoying the book so much. I haven't looked to see, but the end is written in such a way that I expect there to be at least a sequel. If you like a character driven story, with fantasy elements and intrigue, I highly recommend this!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I think the comp of Cruel Prince x The Selection is bang on for this book. I loved that the faeries are cruel and a little evil, but most just bored with their long life span and outsized power. I enjoyed the twists, even if the big one was fairly predictable at least in some form. Finally, I was absolutely rooting for the main relationship, and while I would have loved a lot more time and development on that, I do understand why it didn't fit.

The one thing I struggled with a bit was the shifting from POV to POV; while I really appreciated the additional insight into other events, I felt that the voices of each character were very similar and hard to differentiate. I also felt a little odd about the spice level; this would have worked just fine as an adult novel, the way Regency novels are, aged up just a little (or maybe just left as is) and maybe even with an extra scene added in. As it was, I'm not sure I would feel comfortable recommending it to all YA audiences, so it sort of straddles the line in a way that felt unnecessary for the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this ARC. I chose this book because I have read and enjoyed the author’s previous two historical fantasy books. This book is the story of Ivy, a teen debutante in England who enters a competition to win the hand of the prince who is fae. His evil mom the queen creates somewhat terrifying challenges for the girls vying for his hand. Oh, and his hot stepbrother is around with his own agenda.

I couldn’t put this one down honestly - and it is not my typical genre at all! I am not a fantasy-fae-this girl isn’t like other girls-brooding 18 year old prince type of reader but this held my attention. I’m unsure if the book’s setting (Regency England) really worked. Plus the authors used a lot of language that was not in use then and that kind of threw me off sometimes. Plus I don’t think the fashion was correct either.

However, I wanted to see how it ended and I will read the next one.

3.5 stars

LOVED. These characters are so messy but I ate it up. The Rose Bargain is The Selection meets The Cruel Prince. I want to give this 5 stars because the energy really was there but I just felt like things jumped around so much I kept having to go back a page to make sure I didn’t miss something. Overall I had a great time reading this so once I started I genuinely couldn’t put it down.

The Rose Bargain was the perfect mix of a period piece and the fae lore that we know and love in Romantasy. Brimming with all the emotions of a British High Society Season and the dire consequences of making bargains with the fae, this book truly lives up to its Bridgerton x Cruel Prince claims.

The story follows Ivy as she sets out to reestablish her family's good name and in the process find answers to her sister's recent scandal. What she doesn't expect is to find herself in the middle of a dangerous competition stuck between the affections of two princes. The Rose Bargain is an epic tale of the internal battle to follow one's heart or one's duty. A must read if you are a fan of extravagant balls, court intrigue, classic yearning and the chaos that only the fae can bring.

Being set in England, I loved the rich history and real locations woven into the story but sprinkled with the otherworldliness of the fae. The chemistry between the main characters had me absolutely giddy the entire book. But I will say, being a Young Adult book, there was a scene that I felt did not match the maturity level portrayed throughout the rest of the book, and I might be cautious with readers on the younger end of the YA age range.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, the writing, atmosphere and storyline kept me captivated throughout and I am excited to read the sequel when it comes out.

The Cruel Prince meets Bridgerton? Say freaking less!

I absolutely devoured The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith, and loved every minute of this Bachelor-esque competition with it's deliciously cruel cutthroat tasks and it's ridiculous girl drama. The idea of a vicious and crafty Fae queen granting bargains that can alter your entire life--if you're willing to pay whatever twisted price the she demands, made this unlike any fairytale I've ever read before!

And that ending?! Holy cannoli! I need a sequel asap!!!!

"The Rose Bargain" by Sasha Peyton Smith is a delightful and captivating read, a true testament to the power of slow-burn romance and intriguing world-building. Smith has crafted a unique and enchanting world, rich with detail and a touch of dark magic that kept me utterly engrossed. The story unfolds beautifully, revealing layers of mystery and intrigue that had me eagerly turning the pages.

What truly made this book shine for me was the relationship between the two main characters. Their connection felt genuine and earned, developing at a pace that allowed me to truly invest in their journey. I found myself rooting for them every step of the way, captivated by their interactions and the undeniable chemistry between them. Smith expertly navigates the complexities of their budding romance, making it a central and compelling part of the narrative.

"The Rose Bargain" is a fantastic start to what promises to be an unforgettable duology. The combination of compelling characters, a richly imagined world, and a romance that sizzles with potential left me absolutely breathless. I finished the book with a serious book hangover and am now counting down the days until the final installment!

Ivy Benton is unapologetically herself, in a way that is very much like other girls. The Rose Bargain is about sisters, the ones you were born with and the ones you find along the way. And sisters fight with each other but ultimately come together in support.

At times, I was kicking my feet, giddy with how cute Ivy and the princes were being. This book was so much fun and I desperately need a sequel in my hands right this second. Especially with that ending.

A massive thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this before it hits shelves on Tuesday. But good news for anyone reading this, it’s out in a couple of days and then you get to experience this masterpiece.

𝐅𝐚𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬, 𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬?! Sign me up! ✨👑

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 is what happens when 𝐵𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑜𝑛 meets 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞, sprinkled with a little 𝐵𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑟-style drama and cutthroat competition. 💐💔 I mean, imagine living in a world where one bargain with the fae queen can change your entire future… and sometimes steal the best parts of you in return. 😨

Ivy Benton is thrown into the 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫—a battle for Prince Bram’s heart. But this is not your typical fairy tale. Dark secrets lurk beneath the glittering ballrooms, and let’s just say… the price of a bargain is never what it seems. 😏✨

𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞?🔥 𝐎𝐡, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝. Between the broody Prince Bram and his charming brother, Prince Emmett, I was 𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔. 😮‍💨

Twisty. Devastating. The tension? 𝐎𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬. The fae bargains? 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. The romance? 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. And that 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠?! 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲. 🤯🖤 𝐺𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑙𝑢𝑐𝑘 𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛!

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚, 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒔, & 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝑨𝑹𝑪 💕

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review. This review contains some minor spoilers. This book was a 4.5/5 stars for me.

The book begins with a brief historical background, which I thought was a great way to introduce the Victorian-era setting and explain why the characters live under the rule of an immortal fae Queen. In this world, people can make a bargain with the Queen, but every wish comes at a price. While many seek beauty, talent, or wealth, Ivy Benton’s main goal is to help her sister Lydia and her family.

At the start of the book, Ivy is preparing to make her debut in society. This season, the Queen announces that her son, Crown Prince Bram, will choose a wife, sparking a competition for his hand in marriage. The twist is that any woman who competes but isn’t selected will be forbidden from marrying anyone else and must live as a spinster. Ivy enters the competition, hoping to improve her family’s social standing, as the Benton family is facing financial ruin and dealing with a recent scandal involving her sister Lydia.

The comparison to The Cruel Prince meets The Selection is spot-on. The book blends political intrigue with a “Bachelor”-esque competition for the Crown Prince’s affections. I initially thought I might get bored of Prince Bram spending time with each contestant, but the pacing was well done, and I didn’t find it too repetitive. As the story progresses, you begin to understand why each of the contestants entered the competition, and there are even chapters from the other contestants' POV, which adds depth to several side characters.

Prince Emmett, the second prince, is a notorious rake who wants to help Ivy get closer to Prince Bram and win the competition. While Emmett has his own reasons for wanting Ivy to succeed, Ivy is motivated by her desire to help her family. As Ivy works with Emmett, she grows closer to him, but she is also developing feelings for Bram.

Themes of sacrifice, personal growth, and navigating difficult choices are central to this story. There’s an underlying sense of mystery throughout, and the last few chapters had me on edge. I’m eagerly awaiting the next book to see what happens next!

Wow! What an intense ride! The Rose Bargain is like The Selection meets Bridgerton meets The Cruel Prince, and I was swept up into this dark fantasy so fast! The main character, Ivy, is very easy to root for, and I liked the others in the competition too. The story has a love triangle, which isn't a trope I typically enjoy, and I didn't love it in this one. Initially, I really disliked the fact that it would pit the brothers against each other, but it ended up working well. I liked both brothers and could see Ivy falling for either of them,

I would say this is a darker romantasy, with a cruel fae queen ruling over England and creating pain, humiliation, and havoc all over the place. Oof, this female stressed me out with her manipulations and machinations. But there are other big bads just as vicious as the queen, and they had me in a chokehold!

And the twists! Whew! The plot is good, and I definitely didn't see a few of those shockers coming! It has a ton of political intrigue, suspense, some interesting world-building, and bargaining with the fae that takes a dark and twisty turn.

The Rose Bargain follows Ivy Benton who wants nothing more than for her sister to come back to her and for her families fortune to be confirmed. When her sister shows back up not knowing what happened, she decides to make a bargain with the fairy queen to try to help her sister. Instead she finds herself in a fierce competition for the hand of the crowned prince and tied up in a plot with the other prince of the realm. As mysteries unravel, she finds herself pulled into a plot that is bigger than she ever expected.
I thought this was a pretty good book and a really quick read. This book is set in 1800's England but in an alternative history where a fairy queen has taken over the crown during the Wars of the Roses and has been ruling since then. Every year she gives favors to every person who reaches the age of eighteen and creates a dangerous game for that years debutantes. This book was very much giving historical romance in the fact of we see the ton and balls and parties a lot. However, it also had that twist of the fact that we are seeing this very dangerous competition for the princes hand happening.
The way Sasha Peyton Smith intertwined the historical world with the fantasy elements was really well done and I found myself really drawn into this book when I was able to sit down and read it. The writing flowed very easily and wasn't overly flowery in its delivery. I really liked Ivy as a main character and seeing the point of view of other characters in this book really felt like it rounded out the story well.
I wasn't absolutely obsessed with this story and I do think the love story element of it was a little rushed but this is going to be a duology so I can understand why it was that way. I did find myself wanting to read this when I had a minute but it wasn't one I was thinking about all the time.
Overall, a pretty solid start to a duology and I can't wait to see what Sasha Peyton Smith has in store for the next one. I definitely think this book is a must pick up as it was really good and a quick read.

This book had me in a bit of a chokehold. I'm honestly surprised I read this in less than 24-hours. And after all the excitement found within its pages, I find the biggest afterthought to simply be: Is this a standalone? Surely, it can't be a standalone... It's not flagged as a series though. If this is a standalone, then the ending is just cruel.

Overall, I am in love with the six girls who compete. For a while, I also loved both princes. I'm normally really good at picking up some foreshadowing, so I was genuinely surprised when we learn about Bram's truth. I do have to wonder, how can there be two queens of the Otherworld? He married Lydia, did he not? Honestly, I'm a little confused on how Ivy could be considered Queen of the Otherworld when her sister currently is. Are they allowed to have more than one?

I love the concept of the trials and I love the rose bargains. They're perfect examples of fae cruelty. I also enjoyed the POV of each of the girls; including Lydia. These POVs helped me feel more connected to the girls. I just don't understand why we would go through their POV, only for the biggest takeaways to come to light in the next Ivy chapter. I felt that could have been handled better.

At the end of it all, I'm genuinely rating this 3.5 stars. I have too many questions regarding the future of this book (series?) and the integrity of the fae courts/bargains. I fell out of the fantastical and wound up pondering too much of the rational, which ruins the reading experience for me.

I can't stop thinking about this book after finishing it. Set in an England ruled by a manipulative, immortal fae queen, the story follows Ivy Benton, a young woman desperate to get revenge. With a high-stakes competition for the prince’s hand, Ivy’s involvement in a dangerous bargain with the queen leads her into a web of political maneuvering, secret alliances, and the looming cost of faerie magic. The atmosphere is rich with tension, and Ivy’s journey is one of both personal growth and moral dilemmas.