Thank you Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. WOW! This book blew me away! I finished it in basically 24 hours because I could not put it down! It reminded me of the feeling I had when reading heartless hunter and how you just kept coming back for more. I love Ivy as a main character she is so cool! The friendships that she makes are so sweet even though they are in a competition they put aside their differences. I loved the little chapters that were thrown in showing other characters perspectives and giving you insight into other aspects of the story. It was a really cool way to get backstory of the other characters without having to info dump. Especially since the story is in first person and it makes it hard to tell what everyone else is thinking. I’m not usually a big fae book reader but the way this one was done was just amazing! The bargains and the magic were so cool! Plus weaving a little bit of actual England history into it as well. The end of this book had me gasping and I can’t wait for the next one!!!

Really enjoyed this one! It's YA Fantasy set in Regency England with court intrigue, rumors ruining girls' futures, and magical fae bargains costing everyone a finger, a toe, or a tooth (or similar).

At the center is Ivy, second daughter of a family struggling financially after her older sister's Season went badly. Ivy and her sister are close and genuinely care about each other, and it was so sweet to see.

Ivy competes at the palace to become the Fae Prince's bride against 5 other girls, complete with beautiful gowns and accessories, etiquette lessons, and a chaperone for time spent with the Prince. It was a very pleasant surprise to me how well fleshed-out these secondary characters and how developed their backstories are, including that each had a narrating chapter of their own.

⭐️ 4.5

Okay, this is so cute. The Rose Bargain is the perfect mix of sugary sweet and darkly magical. The prose was great and the setting is just realistic enough to keep you grounded but with that super fun fairy twist. I couldn't help but keep reading to find out what happened next! I really enjoyed the characters, their motives, and how, in particular, the girls interacted with each other. Sometimes these types of bachelor-esque competition books have cattiness between the female contestants that doesn't sit right with me and that's not there here. My only gripe is that the pacing of the romance did seem to stumble and then go too quickly towards the middle but that's a minor nitpick. Otherwise it was a delightful and suspenseful romance with the Bridgerton-like drama you'd expect from the synopsis. Also...there's an intense cliffhanger so I'm very excited for the next book in the series as well!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

this is EPIC and i love this. i'm a huge fan of faerie stories and all that and this romantasy really pulled off that aspect of the chars. the MMC and FMC are awesome, the trials are interesting, and the twist is cool. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I was craving a read that would sweep me away and into a fantasy world where I would fall effortlessly into the story, hooked and absorbed in the world and mystery, and The Rose Bargain delivered that and more.

In a fantasy version of England where faerie bargains are made for a price and reputation is essential in high society, a group of debutants enter the season expecting a barter with the faerie queen for social standing, but when the queen offers a competition to win the heart of her son, the prince, every girl must out wit, maneuver and outlast the other, but at what cost?

This book took me by surprise in the best way! It’s described as The Cruel Prince meets The Selection but also add in elements of A Court of Thorns and Roses and Bridgerton as well, and it’s one great dark fantasy novel brimming with romance. It was such a quick read I couldn’t help but feel entranced by Ivy’s story right from the beginning. With elements like found family, sisterly bonds, forbidden romance, and faerie mythology, it was a great start to a new addictive YA series. (Plus the romantic banter and tension!! *chef’s kiss*)

4.5/5

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

**3.5 STARS**

+ This story has an interesting concept – alternate English history with a Fae Queen ruling. Now Prince Bram is looking for a wife and there is a competition for his hand in marriage. I thought the bargain people made with the Queen was fascinating – what would you give up for the thing you want?

+ Ivy’s trying to marry Bram, but all the girls are trying to marry him to help their families in some way. But Ivy meets Bram’s half-brother first, Emmett, and they have a lot of chemistry and it’s nice to see Ivy be herself around him as the story progresses. I thought maybe there would be a love-triangle with how some things were playing out – but there is a twist on that.

+ I thought it was nice getting to know the other girls even though some don’t get along. They eventually become like a found family during this competition.

+ There is quite a plot twist at the end of the story. I can say it wasn’t expected at all and I was quite surprised at what was taking place.

~ The trials were pretty weak. I think I wanted something more thrilling.

~ So this story is told mainly through the main character, Ivy Benton. But each girl remaining, the top six, tells their POV also, which at times got me confused until I realized what was happening and had to check the chapter to see which character was speaking.



Final Thoughts:

I thought this was more like The Selection than The Cruel Prince as this is being advertised. I thought the ending was a good twist in the story and I liked seeing what bargains people made with the Queen. I did wish the trials were more thrilling and I did get sometimes confused on who’s POV I was reading (if I didn’t pay attention to the chapter names) but other than that, I thought it was entertaining, especially the ending.

The Rose Bargian

It's been a long time since I hoped a book would never end.

It's the Bachelor meets regency England with fae. And I was addicted to every moment. It's got the drama, the tension, and the twists.

Even though these genres are saturated, mixing them together added a fresh new take. Yes, there were some clichés but they were done well enough that they didn't feel that way.

The romance had my heart melting and made me all giddy.

Minor LGBTQ rep
Content: vauge open door, violence, death

A super quick read that will be a good fit for my library's fantasy section. The ending though!!!! I need book 2!

Overall The Rose Bargain was a fun, quick read! The setting felt magical and fun! Ivy’s relationship with her sister was a beautiful focus of the story and overall gave a lot of depth to her character. The only real issue was pacing and the verbiage used through out the story. The pacing at times felt a bit too fast which ruined the depth of character interactions as well as the romance. If the pacing would have been a bit slower, I would feel more invested in the friendships and relationships built in this story. Certain terms felt too modern and did not feel true to setting. The story was however very interesting and I cannot wait till the sequel comes out! If you enjoyed the bachelor premise in The Selection and if you love the politics and scheming of The Cruel Prince this book is for you!
Thank you Harpercollins and NetGalley for this Arc!

Centered around a competition for the fae prince’s hand in marriage and set in 1848 London, The Rose Bargain has elements of fantasy, romance, and even a bit of mystery. The magical bargains made with the fae queen along with the lessons behind the scenes of the competition were unique, although I would have liked to see more of them. The rivalry among the main group of girls was well done and I enjoyed getting to know each girls story and family dynamics through their eyes.

On the romance side of the story, I did not like the gaslighting that occurred around Ivy Benton (the main female character). It made sense within the story, but I think detracted from the budding relationship and made it harder to root for the couple.

Overall this was a fun historical romantasy and I am looking forward the sequel.

Thank you HarperCollins for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

The Rose Bargain is set in Regency London where gates to the Fae World have been closed and a Fae Queen has sat on the throne for 400 years. Our FMC enters a competition to win the hand of the fae prince in marriage. This book has been comped with The Cruel Prince, Bridgerton, and The Selection, and I actually completely agree with those comps. It has a lot of similar vibes to each of those books, without feeling like it's a clone of any of them.

This read super quickly and was really enjoyable. Being set in London required less worldbuilding for the world itself, allowing the author to focus on fae elements and magic. The main magic that the humans are exposed to is bargains with the queen - every person can make one bargain with her in their lifetime. This book has decent combo of plot and building of the relationships - although I wasn't as invested in the romantic relationships. The relationships I was really invested in were those between the competitors as well as learning their backstories.

There was so much that happened in the last 10% of the book (almost reminded me of SJM books in that way) - I'm really intrigued to see what happens next!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book!

This book has the potential to be my top read of 2025! I loved every moment. the twists the turns the YEARNING. Sign me up for waiting impatiently for book 2. Sasha really is out here stealing the 2025 stage with giving us Ivy and Emmett!

I'm so happy to have another book from Sasha Peyton Smith to add to my shelf. Her Witch Haven series was perfection and The Rose Bargain lives up to those incredibly high standards.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital arc.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC of this book!

I am OBSESSED with this book and I cannot stop thinking about it! There are so many amazing moving parts in The Rose Bargain — so many interesting characters too.

One thing Sasha Peyton Smith does really well is WRITING. Her writing is absolutely phenomenal, and honestly it really pushed the book to new heights. I don’t always do comparisons but as someone who loved Bridgerton and loved The Cruel Prince — this book is a delightful combination of them both. Also, a slightly alternate history which is something I adore.

This book essentially is a warped timeline of what happened if the Fae took over during/after the War of the Roses and ruled? The book takes place during “regency” period, with debutante balls (albeit with a bit of a bloody twist) and fae. Another good comparison might be Olivia Atwater, though this one is firmly older YA.

Ivy has definitely slipped into my heart and I cannot stop thinking about her! She has easily become one of my favorite FMC! She is so strong, and I love her care for her sister and her friends. She’s so, so lovely. I also love the romantic relationship in this book, but if. you know me I love a good banter. (And this book definitely has some amazing banter in it).

Aside from the romantic relationship I really loved the friendships and the bonds that formed between the girls in this book. I feel like a lot of times we get books where all the female main characters are “enemies” and I suppose in this they are too — but it was done in a way that made me SO happy.

The final relationship that I adored and could wax poetic about was Ivy. and Lydia’s. Ivy and Lydia’s sisterhood felt so natural and real. I loved how Smith showed the complexities of how you can love someone but can also at the same time still have problems.

Honestly, this book was SO good and I cannot believe I have to wait for the second book to come out. This book had absolutely no low points for me, the plot, the pacing, everything was on fire from beginning to end.

Okay, I don’t want to say anything else other than I can’t stop thinking about this book.

This was a trip and I was there for every minute! If you ever wondered what Bridgerton would look like, with the added competition of The Selection, and a pinch of fairie wickedness, then this is definitely the book you should pick up!!! The characters were all so amazing. You will feel something for every single one of them and especially the bond that the main 6 girls create! There was great tension, and that ending! I’m excited to see what book 2 is going to bring!

This was SO GOOD!!! The description of The Cruel Prince meets The Selection is PERFECT. This book instantly hooked me and very fast paced, I liked all of the characters and the occasional multi POV made it even more interesting! This book is all plot and court intrigue, I really loved it and the ending was fantastic. I definitely suspected there was more to the story but honestly didn’t see the plot twist. I can’t wait to read the next book, will definitely be continuing this series.
Thank you to NetGalley for my eARC.

What a fun YA read.

This hits the mark of a romance meant for the High School demographic while scratching the all too popular fairy subgenre itch.

I think I liked it as much as I did because it is vaguely reminiscent of The Selection by Kierra Cass only with the added use of fairies and a Regency-esque world.

Although the pacing definitely could have used some work it works well for a YA title and will work it's way into the teen reccomends for my branch.

I really enjoyed this book. If you love the Selection, this story will really resonate with you. I love the trials. I love the fae elements. Ivy is a strong female lead and I can't wait to see where Ms. Smith takes her character in the books to come.

This book reminds me of Bridgerton but with fae, magic, and trials. It was a little slow getting started, but once it picked up, I couldn’t put it down. I did start to get a little bored after the 60% mark, but then the ending came and surprised me. I would recommend reading if you like Bridgerton, The Selection, and/or books with fae in them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was amazing from start to finish, and I cannot wait to see what the next book brings! The author does a wonderful job world building, creating a duality of earth and the Otherworld of the Fae. Although this is a common plot line, Smith brings a refreshed perspective. The characters are all entertaining, and you get to know them well throughout their development. The tension and romance are well done, and readers will find themselves rooting for relationships throughout. If you are a fan of fantasy and romance, this is a must read!