“There are two truths I didn't know then that I know now.
The first: there is no greater insult to a faerie than tricking him.
The second: once they love you, they will not let you go.”

If you love bargains at a price, cruel fae, a regency setting, high-stake competition, politics, and forbidden romance, then definitely put this book on your TBR. This book captured my attention from the beginning, and the last 25% had me staying up all night to finish.

In this alternate history (1840), England is ruled by an immortal Fae Queen, and its citizens are granted one bargain with her for a price. Ivy Benton’s debut season has arrived, and she is determined to save her family from ruin. As the season is set to start she learns that there is a twist this season. There will be a competition to secure the heart of the Fae Queen’s son, Prince Bram, but this competition may be more than she bargained for.

"There's no possible universe in which my sister's heart stops beating and I keep on living, unaltered."

I found Ivy to be loyal, determined, and strong, with a deep love for her family, especially her sister. She would do anything to protect them, but navigating this world of deceptions and tricks may prove to be more difficult than expected.

“Somewhere, across time and space, there's a version of me and a version of you, wearing matching rings, tangled up in front of a fireplace, together.
“In another life, it would have been us, but not in this one.”

I adored this romance and how it developed. We get a touch of forbidden love, and you can just feel the tension and longing between them. But these are two people who would sacrifice themselves to do what is right. Side note, I just want to give Emmett a hug.

Throughout the story, the author incorporates a single chapter from each girl in the competition's POVs. I love this because it added so much value to the story. It helps the reader learn about each girl and form a connection. It helps to understand the friendship that forms between them all.

I did guess some elements of the plot twist, but it didn’t deter my enjoyment of the book, and there were enough surprises that I deeply enjoyed it.

Final thoughts, I loved so many elements of this book. It’s an enchanting story with well-developed characters, strong female friendship, great banter, a dark political plot, and the romance was just the chef’s kiss.

“Know how desperately I love you.”

ARC Review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith

The Rose Bargain is a YA fantasy romance set in an alternate 1840s England. Prince Bram is in search of a wife this season and the Queen holds a competition for the girls interested in becoming his bride.

This was a really cute book! The competition aspect kept me interested, and it helped the pace flow nicely. The competitions themselves, were twisted but a little bit silly. I loved the fae bargains and could read about those endlessly. By the end of the book, I had an idea where it was going, but still enjoyed how chaotic it became. The romance was very sweet, and I’m interested to see where it goes. My favorite aspect was the relationship between the competitors and I hope we get more growth there. I cannot wait to pick up book 2 in this duology.

The Rose Bargain comes out today! February 4th, 2025

Thank you #netgalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this earc.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and Ms. Peyton Smith for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

There's fairies, and then there's fae. I picture fairies as sweet and cute and magical, whereas fae wield beauty and cunning like knives. I feel like fae (of late) have migrated far from their (occasionally) bloodthirsty roots: they talk a big game but they're reasonable, fair and - under their sharp-edged exterior - cinnamon rolls.

Not these fae.

The fae in the Rose Bargain are bored, cruel and diabolical; I got some Cruel Prince vibes for sure. A bargain made with England's fae Queen Morlen costs you something: your childhood memories, a toe, your ability to smell flowers. The price is decided purely by Morlen's whim and caprice. Ivy, who as part of her debut is attending an audience with the Queen to ask for her bargain, is instead given the opportunity to compete for Morlen's fae son Prince Bram's hand in marriage and thereby redeem her ruined family. She has nothing to lose and enters the competition, except, nothing is really as it seems.

I really loved the portrayal of the fae here. These are not kindly Others who enter into an even-handed partnership with humans. No: humans are their cattle, their toys, their afternoon's entertainment. There's also a lot to enjoy in the relationships between the competing girls. Girls/women can so often become adversarial in a really petty way and while things start off that way, the dynamic between the girls changes fairly quickly.

The twist at the end was really well done. I'm sure a reader who likes to parse out the plot will figure it out faster than I did, but I was fairly surprised. I would have liked a little bit more of Lydia's story to have been fleshed out but that's a very minor quibble.

Overall this was *really* good, and I'm very much looking forward to the followup.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am so glad that I will be getting a special edition of this in a book box because this is my new found OBSESSION!

I will admittedly say as a level 10 love triangle hater I was weary of this one but it was phenomenal. I’m so so excited to see more from this author.

hmm i feel a bit conflicted. while it was entertaining, i felt like we could’ve gone DEEPER into the politics, deception, and romance plotlines. it felt like something was a bit lacking the entire time, giving it a flimsy feel *but* i enjoyed it for what it was and i will be checking out the sequel!!

The Rose Bargain is an absolute delight—combining romantasy and historical fiction for a story that feels like two familiar paths crossing and taking you somewhere unexpected.
It has the Bridgerton aesthetic with all the held breaths of dealing with the fae, knowing their bargains always come with a cost. It made me think of The Man in the High Castle, but make the what ifs about the fae ruling England for 400 years. How does one fight absolute tyranny? A timely and important question.
The setup is great, it’s like the Bachelor meets Queen Mab’s trials. So, you get all the lace and giggles and tension of a regency drama but unknown tasks and cruel consequences all while six girls try to win the hand of the Fae Prince. And lurking around every corner is the rakish and charming human Prince Emmett with a plan or two up his sleeve.
I love unravelling the mystery of the fae, the trials, and the relationship between the six girls. The princes have you swooning and asking all the questions about what’s really going on. The girls are all delightfully messy and endearing.
I await book two with my whole heart! Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Sasha Peyton Smith for an advanced copy for review.

I finished this book a few days ago and have been struggling to find the words to convey just how much I loved this story. I initially requested the ARC because I had been hearing a lot about it from friends and it was going to be featured in a book box that I subscribe to, I figured it was worth a shot but I didn't expect it to blow me away. Boy was I wrong.

The Cruel Prince x Bridgerton x Red Queen with Stephanie Garber vibes is the best way I can think of to describe it...but better. The setting of 1800s London is a favorite of mine, but you don't really need to understand a lot about that era due to the magical realism aspects of the story with Queen Mor and the "Others".

The way that Smith portrays the faeries is such a breath of fresh air in a time when we're inundated with bat boy fae (which, don't get me wrong, I also adore them as well). It's nice to go back to fae roots with manipulative and game loving fae from old time myths and lore.

All of the characters were interesting and dynamic - I loved reading their chapters to get a small insight into why they were doing the things they were doing, it really added an extra level to the story.

The relationships between Ivy and the boys (Emmett/Bram) as well as Ivy and the girls (the competitors/her sister) were interesting and each had something different to bring to the table. I loved seeing Ivy break down Emmett's walls and get him to open up to her, seeing Bram look at her as though she was special (when she was used to Lydia being the special one), and then seeing Ivy bring together a group of girls that were supposed to hate each other given the nature of the competition they were in.

The concept of the bargains is really intriguing to me and I really love the way the author did them - at a certain point with an immortal being there truly is nothing but entertainment and boredom so why not just do whatever you feel like doing? And bargains are a way to do that. I am SO excited to see where some of that storyline goes in book 2.

I don't want to spoil anything for others, but I LOVE where the story went and I cannot wait to read the next book, I will absolutely be stalking the author and publisher pages for an ARC of it.

If you haven't preordered this book, you need to. I jumped and ordered 3 different editions when I was around 30% through because I knew that it was going to end up being that special. No regrets.

I really enjoyed this and gave it a 4.5. This book was a lot of fun with the marriage competition, Fae and a historical reimagining romantasy of England that was taken over by a Fae queen. Something I liked about this book was the marriage competition which is unusual for me as sometimes it can feel a little redundant at this point and all the other girls are just portrayed as backstabbing and catty. But this book while there is some competition and at the start some underhanded maneuvers by some of the girls what this book did was actually give you the POV of each of the competitors of which there was 6. This showed the motives and the through process and life of each other girls and made them into actual people who are trying to do the best that they can as it pertains to their circumstances. And the girls quickly realize that while they may be in competition, they need to work together to survive the competition.
This book actually focused on a lot of relationships. One being the relationship between all the competitors but also between Ivy our FMC and her sister. Ivy's sister who came out ahead of her has become a recluse and had dragged the family down socially due to her disappearing and not remembering where she was. So, elevating her family's status now falls to Ivy forcing her to grow up because she essentially relied on her sister to do the grown-up thing and marry so that she wouldn't have to and could continue living her life just under her sister roof. But you also see Ivy's sister later confront her about all the pressure her and the family forced on her and how she never had the chance to make mistakes and be a kid because she always had to be perfect. Overall, their relationship felt real because they both acted and treated one another throughout the book including their confrontation.
The romance in this book at times felt like a subplot but towards the end it pushed forward to the front, but I didn't mind because I was enjoying the competition and the competitors. The ending had a lot of surprises that I did not see coming and does leave on a cliffhanger that makes me excited for the next book.
This book is about Ivy who is coming out this season and she is not excited about it. She never really wanted to come out and had hoped that her sister would make an advantageous marriage so that she didn't have to. But during her sister's coming out debut she created a scandal when she disappeared without a trace only to turn up with no memory of where she was or what had happened to her. This plus her families dwindling fortune has made them social pariahs. But with their titles still in hand they hope to fix everything with Ivy being the one to make the advantageous marriage now. When she and the other debutants present themselves to the Fae queen in order to make their deals, (Here subjects can make deals with the queen to change their fortunes or themselves in exchange for whatever the queen wants, a finger, a tooth or whatever strikes her fancy) they find out that from their group of debutantes one of them will be the bride of her son the prince. So, she signs her name in blood to join the competition never thinking she really has a shot but surprisingly she ends up being the front runner catching the prince's eye. But to make sure she stays in the lead and wins the prince's heart she has an unexpected ally who is none other than the prince's brother Prince Emmett. But as the season progresses and she survives the queen's bloody and painful trials she starts to realize there is more at stake than marrying a prince and that while every deal has a price, she may not have truly understood the cost until it was too late.
I received an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was talking to someone recently and I mentioned how I will always ALWAYS be sat for some sort of magical competition in a book. Extra points if that magical competition has a betrothal at the end of it. So a book like The Rose Bargain was always going to be catnip for me. It helps that the main character, Ivy, is smart and clever and brave and an overall delight to be with as she navigates this alternate history world while also trying to help her family and forge her own path in this world where a woman's worth is who she is married to. When the opportunity to compete in a competition for the royal fae prince, Bram's, hand in marriage comes up, Ivy jumps at it. The fae queen allows all her subjects one bargain and Ivy knows just what she wants. I love how the book really seems to understand the way these fae bargains work and how sometimes if you live forever, all you want to do is cause some chaos.

The other girls in the competition with Ivy are just as interesting and I really liked how for the most part they grew close even if they were competing together. And did I mention that Bram also had a very handsome, rakish brother? I don't think any of the things in this book are particularly unique concept wise but they are tried and true for a reason and I had so much fun with this book. Even though I somewhat guessed a lot of the twists that happened at the end, I still read the last hour of this book in one sitting because I was so invested. There is a really great set up for the next book, too, and I'm excited to see what happens!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Rose Bargain was a quick simple read. It's a house of horrors, games of deceit, and a commentary on the responsibility children feel to their families. I appreciated the loose reminder to stand against rules set for the enjoyment of others and complexity of our actions. Overall, this story gave the feeling of a prequel or introduction to a sequel and set the stage for a story that might allow for deeper world building.

Oh I loved this one! It’s like Hunger Games meets Bridgerton! Eventful, fun and unique! I can’t wait for the next book! I wish I had it now! So good! Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

The Rose Bargain is Sasha Peyton Smith’s latest enchanting story! I loved this take on a magical regency world where a fae queen holds power. Ivy Benton is ready to make her debut into society, but struggles to overcome the scandal of her older sister’s debut. When a mysterious betrothal contest is announced, Ivy risks it all to end up with a crown. As the contest intensifies, Ivy must decide whether she will choose love or power.

The Rose Bargain was fantastic! I loved the cast of characters, especially Ivy and Emmett. As Ivy gets to know both Bram and Emmett, she learns more about her sister’s secrets and the whims of the fae. I really enjoyed the intricate system of magic that comes with a price. The twist at the end took my breath away and made me eager for the sequel! The Rose Bargain is perfect for readers who wish The Cruel Prince and Bridgerton were combined. Readers who love dangerous competitions, costly magic, and excellent characters will devour The Rose Bargain.

Thank you to Sasha Peyton Smith, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

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.