I’ve been struggling with fantasies for about a year now so I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy The Rose Bargain. I was completely wrong to think this. Welcome to my first five star review of 2025. 

I wasn’t sure what I was going to rate The Rose Bargain until the last few chapters. When I tell you I was completely shocked and blown away by the story, I’m telling the truth. It broke my heart, stunned me and made me ridiculously happy, all within two chapters. I didn’t think I was too attached to the characters before this, but the latter half of the book changed my mind. I actually almost cried at one point because I was so upset about what was happening. It takes a lot for a book to physically affect me.

I’m a big fan of competitions and tournaments in fantasy books, especially ones that end in marriage. There's something about high stakes competitions where people are vying for the heart of royalty that I just love. The stakes are definitely high in The Rose Bargain. I hate how something as small as a chaste kiss would ruin a girl back in the day but this book takes it to another level. If the girl’s want to compete to marry the prince they must agree to never marry if they fail to win. Which is obviously a big deal in regency England. Ivy doesn’t see this as a risk though, she doesn’t want to marry. So straight away I love her. Ivy is a great main character; headstrong, clever and a little awkward.

I also loved the rest of the girl’s in the competition. You get to spend a single chapter with each of them which explain their background and reasons for competing to win the prince’s heart. Most of which are not for love. When you first meet them you expect them to stay pretty two dimensional and secondary to Ivy. But you learn so much about them in just one chapter. It’s pretty impressive how complex Sasha Peyton Smith made the entire cast of characters with just one chapter for most of them. 

The world in which The Rose Bargain is set is also super interesting. A fae twist on regency England makes for one hell of a setting. I can’t wait to learn more about the fae of this world in a second instalment.

I can’t comment on the romance side of The Rose Bargain without giving huge spoilers. It’s fairly obvious from the start who Ivy has the most chemistry with, but that doesn’t mean they’ll end up together. I did love their back and forth though, both platonic and flirtatious banter.

With all five star reviews I’m struggling to explain the reasons why I think this is such a great book. There are many elements that make The Rose Bargain a perfect read for me: romance, strong female friendship, flow of the story and all round great characters. I really can’t recommend this enough.

The Selection meets Bridgerton in this delightful and captivating fae romantasy. It has a little bit of everything I love: court drama and gossip, a bachelor type of competition for the prince's heart, fae lore, a little bit of a love triangle, a lot of secrets and forbidden love, fae curses, tricks and bargains. It was a quick read and it got me hooked from the very first page. I am so happy that The Rose Bargain is everything I was hoping for and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel!

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

I was pretty much hooked from the beginning with this one.
I enjoyed the romance, the angst, the competition and the bargains. The bargain aspect was different in my opinion and added to the story and I think made it more interesting, especially when tied in with the competition.

The ending was unexpected but also seemed a little rushed. Seemed like a lot happened in the last 10% of the book. Aside from it feeling rushed, I did enjoy the ending and that it was shocking/not what I was expecting.

I do plan on reading the next book as I am curious to see what happens next!

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars
Well, I didn't realize I was getting into a series. I will be reading the next book though!

This is comped as The Cruel Prince meets The Selection, which is a fair description. In my opinion, it's better than The Selection, but not as good as the Cruel Prince, though.

This book started off feeling a little too silly, contrived, and anachronistic for me, but I actually enjoyed it more and more as I continued the book. This book is trope-y but it's just the right kind for me, so I enjoyed it.

I would definitely say this is the perfect book for folks who enjoyed The Selection, The Midnight Bargain, Beyond the Filigree Wall, and/or Half a Soul. It's a fun Regency-inspired fairytale romantasy romp.

The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith is exceptional! I expected no less from Smith as her previous books have been just as great! If you have read The Selection Book series by Kiera Cass, are a fan of Bridgerton, and enjoy the fae- you will really enjoy The Rose Bargain!
Smith understands how to captivate her reader from the beginning with interesting characters, an intriguing mystery, and a fantastical world that you become immersed in. I didn't know I needed a book like this, a historial fantasy romance with a love/hate deep relationship between two sisters, high society, a complex political hieracy, an intense high stakes competition, and slow building romance.
While I enjoyed getting to know all of the ladies who are competing to be Bram's new bride, I really loved Ivy. Smith did a good job writing and developing Ivy's character development. She was a strong, determined, relatable, and likable main character. I did not really like Bram, team Emmett all the way for me! I found Queen Mor to be intriguing and I am looking forward to see where Smith is going to take this character in her next book. I especially loved Emmett and his dog Pig. I had a hard time understanding Ivy and her relationship with her sister Lydia. Her relationship is up and down, really all over the place. The only way to describe it is Ivy loves her sister deeply and also at times describes hating her. Their relationship started to make more sense as more information unfolded towards the end of the book.
The Rose Bargain holds many surprises, twists and turns, and will keep readers guessing. I didn't find much to be predicactable. The ending is the most surprising of all! I will be waiting anxiously for Smith's next book in this series! Hopefully readers will not be waiting long!
A big thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins Publishing, and to Sasha Peyton Smith for the advanced copy to read in exchange for my honest opinions.

What I liked:
Premise: I liked the idea of individual bearings, and I loved how the story played out with each of the six main side characters getting their chapter showing their motivations.
Pacing: While the very beginning was a slower start for me, the pacing after the first three or so chapters was generally excellent, and it made for an easy read.

What I didn't:
Plot: While interesting and layered, the plot hinges on a slightly obscure and occasionally mentioned riddle with more holes than Swiss cheese.
Content: The first half of this book felt YA in a way that many books haven't lately; it felt like it was written for 13-year-olds. I would have liked this a LOT at the age of 13, but as an adult, the writing comes off as very young and somewhat cheesy, with constant references to 18-year-old characters "growing up" or characters discussing that they don't feel like "grown-up." There were also FIVE pages where characters argued whether they wanted to kiss each other... What made this jarring and weird to me, though, was that despite the generally juvenile tone of the book, there was still an open-door sex scene that didn't seem like it had enough build-up in a book for a younger audience. It felt out of place and left me confused about who the expected audience was.

Despite the plot and content issues, I enjoyed the book enough to read the sequel, primarily because it is fast-paced and easy to read. However, the content tone issues and somewhat obscure plot make this book a solid three for me.

Who's it for? Anyone who wants a Bridgerton fairy collab and likes characters that seem very young. It's a skip if you don't like vague, open-door sex scenes, don't want a book with an unreleased sequel, or don't like YA that seems to be aimed at the tween demographic.

I received a digital review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was thrilled to be approved for this book since I really enjoyed Sasha's "The Witch Haven." "The Rose Bargain" is essentially a blend of "The Selection" and faerie lore. If you enjoyed "The Selection," this is a must-read. This story offers a traditional take on faeries, featuring an immortal queen, closed doors, magical bargains, and a darker portrayal of faeries than what is commonly seen in other books.

The plot follows Ivy, who is thrust into a competition organized by Queen Mor, the former faerie queen banished to the mortal world by her husband, for her son Bram's hand in marriage. However, this competition is not what it initially appears to be, as Queen Mor uses magic and threats to ensure the participants' cooperation. Ivy is desperate to win because her family has fallen from society's grace and can no longer afford to maintain their household. Partnering with Bram's human brother, Emmett, Ivy works to fulfill a prophecy and unseat the queen. True to Sasha's style, the story concludes with unexpected twists and betrayals.

I finished this book in less than two days. I truly enjoy anything that involves the lore of Faerieland, with its twisted magic and the cunning words of the faeries. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, particularly fans of "The Selection" and "The Hunger Games."

The Rose Bargain is one of those books I loved so much, I'm not even sure how to talk about it. This is beautiful historical fantasy, and I was swept into the story from the first page.

In an alternate England ruled by a fairy queen, all citizens are given the opportunity to make one bargain with their queen, and young ladies of the upper class are expected to bargain for something that will help them secure a good husband. Ivy Benton only wants to bargain to help her sister, whose secret bargain with the queen went terribly wrong, ruining her life and almost dragging their family into ruin; but the queen refuses to reverse her sister's bargain. When a contest for the fairy Prince Bram's hand in marriage is announced, Ivy knows she has to win no matter the cost to save her family. The competition is brutal and possibly deadly; but Ivy is determined to win. Unfortunately, her best chance of winning lies in allying with Bram's half-brother Prince Emmett, who has his own reasons for wanting Ivy to win the competition... and unfortunately, may be the brother she is actually falling for.

The Rose Bargain is a truly beautiful book. It is very character-driven, which I loved; but there is also plenty of action, and I truly couldn't stop turning pages. I loved the court politics, the relationships, the banter; I was terrified of the fairy queen; and I thought Ivy was a wonderful main character I found myself rooting for from the very beginning. This book is romantic, a little heartbreaking, and fierce, and I need the second book as soon as possible please!

I would recommend The Rose Bargain to readers who enjoy historical fantasy (even if you don't usually read young adult, you should give this one a try!), as well as fans of the Fae, forbidden romance, and court politics.

Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins for the arc! All thoughts & opinions in the review are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced copy!

Firstly, I will say that this is a great start to a YA series. That being said, adult readers should align expectations that this is a YA book. That doesn’t mean it exists free of critique from me.

This is a story set within a vicious monarchy where England is ruled by an elf queen. There’s a fun combination of the Cruel Prince + Bridgerton + The Bachelor with trials.

What this book got right: The fmc’s inner monologue never felt info-dumpy and was overall a pleasant place to be. She’s strong willed, and her motivations and actions aligned with her values. Plus, the tension and romantic banter was done quite well being geared for a younger audience. The trials made sense for the queen’s character and motivation, and luckily did not drag on. (though, not a personal favorite part of the book for me)

Where it missed: The writing itself flowed well, however, I noticed a few modern words and phrases that did not make sense for 1800s England. If you are particular over accuracies, this may bother you. The world building was quite good, but could have been great if I could visualize it more. This really could have amped up the tone overall.
There are some chapters dispersed highlighting the povs of a few other characters. This just seemed quite unnecessary (except for Lydia’s perspective) because they didn’t process the plot, or make the story that much more interesting. Anything revealed within these chapters was quite evident in the normal chapters.

Overall, I quite liked this book! I read it in a day, so that says quite a lot. I simply could not put it down. The friendships, romance and character developments were done quite well. Even though I had an inkling of potential plot twists, I still had a great time. Definitely would recommend picking this up!

Wow!!! This was so good! It was such a great time! I first heard about this at a conference in 2024 and I had such a fun time with this! I’m looking forward to reading more of the author’s work and CANNOT wait for the next book!

This was a quick read, I finished it in a single sitting!

That ending!? STFU and give me the next book right MEOW!

For once I agree wholeheartedly with the title comps…

This has some of the beloved elements from many of our favs, The Selection (a competition to marry the prince), Cruel Prince (political scheming, plots, and trickster fae), Bridgerton (regency era London).

This was an excellent YA fantasy romance!

What’s to love…
- Faeries/Fae of the folklore variety
- (slight) Love triangle
- political scheming
- reimagined regency era London
- THE TWISTS, THE PLOT REVEALS!?
- cruel competition to marry the prince
- FMC that will do anything to protect her family
- themes of friendship and family
- I HATE trials, why did I pick this book?! knowing there are trials?! idk I’m not perfect... BUT I totally didn’t mind the trials in this one! They don’t drag on and fit the theme of the book and the nasty Queen perfectly!

What’s not to love…
- personally I thought the pacing was just a hair off, but I’m fairly certain that’s more of a me problem. It felt like it dragged a bit and then the ending was SO intense! That said please recall that I finished this in one sitting!

A note to mature readers…
- This is a YA book, and while I absolutely had a blast reading it I think it might not be quite as fun for adult readers who are borderline fans of YA literature. The romance + the actions of this book fit the age and maturity level of the MCs (18). I will say that this book does NOT suffer from the dreaded over explanation that is sometimes found in YA literature.

🌶️ - This is YA, so there is no explicit content. There is however one scene where non-explicit love-making happens (Ch 29). Publisher website rates this ages 13+. I’d let my mature middle school niece read this.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

1000 stars omg!! This is now one of my favorite books that I've ever read. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The absolute perfect YA fantasy that I have been searching for!!

"When one makes a faerie bargain, one must be prepared to pay the price."

This book is set in London 1848 where an immortal fae queen rules the throne. Queen Mor grants each of her subjects one opportunity to bargain for their deepest desire. Ivy Benton is the first one to sign her name in blood when a competition for Prince Bram's hand is announced. With the help of the Prince's stepbrother Emmett, Ivy works to secure and win the Prince's favor, also competing in the queen's grueling trials at the same time.

I loved every second of this book. There was yearning, longing, desperation, and the romance was just amazing. The antagonists of this story were actually daunting and felt like real villains. The side characters were complex and layered, actually enhancing the storyline. It made me so happy that the author included a Japanese character, which I feel like is rarely represented in books. There were just so many twists, turns, and revelations that had me hooked throughout the book. I know my review does not do this book justice but if you take one recommendation from me, let it be this one!!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

4 stars because this was exactly what the synopsis promised!

I enjoyed following our protagonist Ivy as she attempted to win the affection of Prince Bram and save her family from ruin. Her inner monologue was quite funny at times, and I was able to understand the motivations behind her actions and decision-making, even if her choices could be ?? We also get POV chapters of the side characters which allows for more insight, although there's only one chapter per side character. I'm assuming we'll learn more about the other in the sequel. I didn't mind the other POVs, but I found that the transition between those and Ivy's chapters (as well as between scenes) to be sometimes disjointed. However, this might also be due to the layout of the eARC.

I loved the schemes and trickery including the bargains and their payments (e.g: Ivy's mom asked for a perfect memory in exchange for her pinky finger), and it was definitely interesting seeing how society functioned in this alternate England. I loved the competition part of the book best, as that's what captured my interest when I first read the synopsis. I really wanted more of the trials/games, just to cringe at the cruelty and admire the determination of the girls as they tried to survive and win. The writing style was easy to follow and made me want to keep reading! However, I did find that some of the wording could be repetitive (e.g: using 'confection' to describe a gown, sleeping 'fitfully'), and the mix of casual modern and high society language — which, to be fair, did allow for smooth reading — to be occasionally offputting. One example I remember was when the word 'technicolor' was used, which I think originates in the 1900s, while the book takes place in 1848 London. Moments like that unfortunately did take me out of the story, but it wasn't too bad.

The romance did progress faster than I normally prefer, though I acknowledge that this is a personal thing. Despite that, I did love and look forward to moments with Ivy and the MMC. There were many great quotes I highlighted, including silly moments, sweet moments, romantic lines, tension during flirting/kissing lessons and the 'only one bed' scene (this trope may be overdone, but I still giggle a bit when the characters huff around but eventually decide to share the bed). The love triangle situation was predictable, but I still felt for Bram and Emmett as Ivy grew closer to both of them.

The ending was a bit of a rollercoaster! I did guess some parts of the plot twist, but not exactly, so it still surprised me. A bit info-dumpy (?), but
still intriguing and I'll definitely read the sequel.

Overall, the book is perfect for a quick, fun read! Even though there were parts I didn't love, I still had a great time with it!

This was a wonderful first book for a trilogy. It was a different take on Fae than most I've seen before and I greatly enjoyed it. Have an alternate England under Fae rule and having the high stakes competition of winning the prince's hand in marriage made for a great and enthralling read. It was very enjoyable and really added to the story to periodically switch POVs between Ivy and the other characters. I am excited to see what plays out in the next book.

I cannot fully articulate how much I loved this book, and it is without a doubt one of my new favorite romantasies! The Selection was one of my all time favorite series growing up, and this book truly felt like its sassier, stabbier older sister. It brought me that beautifully nostalgic feel while creating something so new and unique. The trials and challenges added stakes, and the romance brought the wistful, airy feel. It's a perfect blend of magic, heart, betrayal, and friendship that created a binegable and delightfully-intoxicating read.

Sasha Peyton Smith creates such an alluring version of regency England riddled with magic and glamour but containing a secretly dark underbelly, yet it never feels difficult to follow or immerse oneself in. The imagery was just stunning, and everything felt gorgeous and ethereal, but it still remained very grounded and Bridgerton-esque. The rules and strictures of the time were also a factor, which created added tension and conflict in the perfect way and made for some amazing tension and pining.

The magic system was also both intriguing and comical in how it was approached and carried out. It was so simple at face value but unraveled into something darker and deeper, and some of the bargains were so bizarre and really characterized the queen and her mental state. Ivy, herself, was such an engaging FMC, and she felt so relatable in her struggles and desires. As for the other characters, this was such a beautifully-executed full cast novel. One of the most compelling elements was the relationships the girls formed with one another and their respective character journeys. They all were very distinct, including the two princes, and I found myself attached to each for their own specific reasons. I loved the inclusion of differing POV chapters where we got to see each girls' motivations and inner world, and it added so much to the plot and to the chemistry between characters.

Speaking of chemistry... This book had the perfect balance of yearning, tension, and banter, and created a love triangle that was truly interesting, not infuriating (a difficult task, honestly!). I was immediately drawn in and held emotionally captive from beginning to end. There was such a sweetness and natural chemistry to the romantic relationships (one in particular that I am obsessed with but won't share for spoilery reasons...), and Emmett specifically had such a perfectly effortless comedic side that worked well with Ivy and her personality. It was all lighthearted and clever but not cheesy, and it played with tropes in a way that was comforting in their familiarity, yet so alluring in their actual (perfect) execution.

All in all, I am wholly obsessed with this book, and after that *wild(!!!)* ending, I need the next book immediately. Until then, thank you to Sasha Peyton Smith, NetGalley, and HarperCollins and HarperCollins Children's Books for the chance to read this amazing ARC!

I have been anticipating this read since last year, and it met every one of my expectations. The romance, deception, magic, mystery, and chaos was perfectly blended together. I adored all the characters and their very human traits, the chaos that surrounded all of their lives that lead them to this moment of fighting for the princes hand in marriage. The battle of it all was so fun to read and the schemes being planned along the way had me invested in what happened next. As much as the ending of the book left my jaw to the floor it was a perfect way to get me excited for the next book

Not going to lie, I had pretty low expectations going into this book. I've been burned by YA romantasy a lot lately, so I was skeptical of this one despite the early buzz that it seems to be getting. But I'm an absolute sucker for Regency Fantasy, so despite my reservations, I found myself hitting 'request' on NetGalley.

I'm happy to report that I was very pleasantly surprised by The Rose Bargain!

Along with The Bachelor comp, this book feels strongly inspired by the recent Bridgerton craze. Combined with the wickedly tricksy fae that feel straight out of Elfhame, The Rose Bargain made for a fast-paced and juicy read that was difficult to put down.

I loved that this story was set in an alternate-universe England, where the War of the Roses ended with a brutal bargain with a Fae Queen. It's familiar yet fantastical, and Smith was able to create a darkly decadent world for our characters to inhabit, where members of the aristocracy are able to make a bargain with the Queen - for beauty, for wealth, for power - but always for a price.

My one complaint was that the first-person present-tense style was not my favorite. The perspective changes a couple of times and the voices for each of the characters didn't feel very distinct as a result. I found myself having to double check which character I was following several times. This is mostly a personal preference though, and it didn't impact my overall enjoyment of the story itself.

This was such a fun read and I can't wait for the next one!

This book was INCREDIBLE. It was the perfect mix between The Selection, Red Queen, The Cruel Prince, and Bridgerton but make it more of a dark fantasy. I could not put this book down and finished it in one sitting. For any fantasy lovers this is a must read.

This has everything I love in one book so when I read the blurb, I KNEW it was meant for me. Read it in one day!!! Couldn’t put it down. The perfect blend of Bridgerton + Powerless + The Selection. I thought the entire premise was so creative and the storyline was extremely fun to read.

okay so basically the last 10% was me just saying WHAT?! repeatedly because truly that took a turn i did not expect at all. its killing me not to say anything and maybe it was obvious but i genuinely didnt see that situation coming.

overall though this was definitely a book worth reading!! although it couldve helped that i went in with absolutely zero expectations because i requested this on netgalley on impulse so? but im glad i did because i had so much fun!! the trials were absolutely insane in the most crazy and interesting ways, im so used to fae in most books not being that scary (or the FMC just isnt scared of them) but here? oh theyre definitely *fae*... i actually kind of wish we got more of the trials but also its not a huge complaint because what we got was really good!!

honestly my favourite part of this book had to be the girls competing against one another to be bram's bride and their relationship with one another!! 1) it was so funny, and 2) it took a surprising turn that i really liked and i very much hope that this is explored more in book 2? although with the way book 2 is set up i dont think thats as likely but hopefully im wrong!

and then the romance !! okay so i will say that even though it couldve been developed a little more, THE ANGST?? THE LONGING?? omg. the having to share a room at an inn because they had no choice... the way they convince one another it means nothing😭 that whole scene was so >>>

also i could NOT stop picturing the MMC as one of those sad lost puppies with big eyes staring at you, truly he's so sweet. i liked the FMC's personality (though she did irk me at times with her decisions) but honestly i have to say after a certain point im soo curious about the FMC's sister, i need more than what we got !!

this was such a fast-paced and enjoyable read, i cant wait for the 2nd book (which will be awhile considering im reading an ARC of this💔) that ending really was insane!! I do wish it wasn't as rushed with all those plot twists (like for example getting the story we wanted behind someone) but I so need to know what happens in the next book ASAP


<I>Thank you HarperCollins for sending me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!</i>