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!

The ending had me shookith y’all! I need more!!

Thank you to Harper Collin’s and Netgalley for approving me to read this E-Arc, The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith 💗 I was so excited to when I received the email about this since this one was on my top this for this year 🫶🏼

It’s very true when everyone says this gives off The Cruel Prince and Bridgerton or The Selection because this book gave you all those goodies! I loved every second of this book which is why I gave this one a 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story takes place in London, 1848 where your Queen is a faerie where she hosts these trials in order for the ladies to win Prince Bram’s hand and marriage. However, Ivy catches herself catching feelings for Emmett, the Prince’s Brother instead of Bram along the way.. 👀

The trials were so good in here as it kept you on your toes and I was just so intrigued by this story! I loved Emmett a lot he was funny and sweet and flirtatious and I actually liked Ivy as well, her character was great. She had some moments where I questioned her a lot but overall still liked her lol.

My favorite part in this book was the scene with Bram, Emmett, and Ivy where Emmett was trying to teach Ivy how to flirt/talk to Bram and when she mentioned the Shrimp comment and Emmett looked at her all horrified with big eyes 😂

Would highly recommend this one guys it was so good and I think you would like this to especially if you’re into trials, the queen is fae, and where the vibes give off Bridgerton or The Cruel Prince!

This is being released on Feb 4th so mark this on your calendar’s and pre-order in advance! 🥰🫶🏼✨💗

I really enjoyed Ivy's quest to marry the prince while hoping she could discover what her sister bargained the queen for. Ivy would do anything to help her sister gain back her memories, even if it means she will forfeit her future if she isn't chosen to marry the prince. Though things started off rocky with the five other girls in the competition, I loved how they learned to trust one another and build a friendship as they maneuvered the dangers of palace life with an immortal queen. The last few chapters felt rushed with too much happening, but at least I didn't suspect the twist. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC, I am excited to read the next book in the duology.

This is one of those books that you don’t realize how beautifully everything was set up until it all comes together.

To the comparisons being made to the Folk of the Air, that is apropos. These are far more traditional fae folk than most of what’s popular today, one of the epigraphs is even from Yeats.

The book feels slightly off kilter the entire time you’re reading, like you never know where you stand, and given the subject matter that seems right.

Set in a NOT Victorian 1840s (Faerie Queen Mor has ruled England since the War of the Roses), every citizen is offered a bargain, for a cost.

But as with any dealing with faeries, nothing can be taken at face value.

What starts as a bridal competition for the hand of the faerie prince becomes much more, with much at stake.

I am not typically one for love triangles but the balancing act, and the reasons for it, held my attention.

Prepare for games you aren’t even aware you’re playing, buckle up, and enjoy the ride.

Absolutely looking forward to the sequel.

I read and listened to this one, and just holy crap! It hooked me from the very first chapter and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was whimsical, dark, and completely captivating

The description of The Selection meets The Cruel Prince is very appropriate. This is the story of Ivy joining a contest for Prince Bram’s heart in an effort to help her family. Along the way, we witness the Queen’s evil streak, Ivy’s soft spot for her recently returned from the missing sister, and the connection blooming with the princes brother.
This book combines a lot of themes I enjoy. A group of girls competing. A Bridgerton feel with the court and community. Fae and enchantments. The characters are well described and I could visualize most of the book happening. The last 20%, though, is a loud crescendo. Things are well paced and building and then BOOM. A ton of things happen in a short period of time and it didn’t match the pace of the rest of the story. There would be one big thing and I’d think this is the cliffhanger for the next book. But then there were like four more. So there’s definitely a lot to address in book 2!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing with me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The comparison to The Cruel Prince and The Selection is fully warranted. As The Selection is a series I go back to time and time again as a comfort read, I was of course very eager to read The Rose Bargain! Throw in an alternate 1840s England, sneaky fae dealings, and we’ve got a winner.

This was a really quick read and I had so much fun with it! I loved the setting, it was very atmospheric and my imagination could easily paint a vivid picture.

All the characters were great in their own way, but the chapters with the other girls pov really didn’t add anything to the story for me. I feel like those chapters could have been utilized by better developing the romance…While I adored the MMC and ate up the angst between the two, their romance definitely did feel a little underdeveloped. I hope we will see more interaction between them in book two!

The standout here really is the relationship between the FMC and her sister, Lydia. They have a strong but fractured bond that will be interesting to explore moving forward. I found Lydia and the mystery surrounding her extremely intriguing and can’t wait to see more of her story unfold!

And lastly, that ending! *mind blown* I truly didn’t see all of that coming and boy am I anxious for the next book now!

Overall, I thought this was a great beginning to what I expect will be a beautiful duology. It’s a fun, light read with just enough intrigue, that will have readers enamored.

Really enjoyed this one! I loved the courtly competition with the fae twist. It was fun to see all the bargains people were making and the repercussions to them. I think my favorite thing though was actually the relationships between the 6 girls and how they started as enemies and became friends throughout their shared experiences. I will say, the romance was a little 2D and I personally thought some of the romance was too adult for a YA book, but I'm definitely intrigued and can't wait for book 2!

The Rose Bargain
by Sasha Peyton Smith

A Victorian inspired romantasy that I couldn’t put down. I loved Ivy! She’s so brave and went after what she wanted. I also loved the bond between her and her sister Lydia! Family is so important and if you have a close bond with them, you are so lucky! The love triangle was crazy! It made the book so interesting! There was so much going on in the story, I was never bored. I just kept wanting more! I’ve never read a Victorian inspired romantasy so it was very cool to read something different. I’m looking forward to the next book!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Sasha and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the ARC!

Publication Date: February 4th 2026
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#NetGalley #TheRoseBargain