To start, I am a big fan of Soto's previous contemporary works. I was excited to see that she was venturing into fantasy and thought that her ability to write tension would be interesting in a fantasy setting, but overall the novel fell flat for me. I think that I'm in the minority because I have not read the source material/ wasn't aware that this book is based off of Dramione fanfic. Although, I was unaware, I very quickly made the connections between the setting and characters to Harry Potter, so much so that I googled whether it was fanfiction to begin with. I like fanfiction and have even enjoyed other traditionally published novels that started as fanfiction, but I don't think that Rose in Chains is removed enough from the source material to be interesting. The story is extremely predicable not only because of its HP roots, but it also reads like every other fantasy romance book that you've already read. It was disappointing because I can see the potential, but in the end Soto is leaning heavily on world building, characters and magic systems that unfortunately (for better or worse) already belong to another series.

Thank you, Netgalley, for allowing me an ARC of this book! I started it wondering if I would enjoy my first book by Julie Soto! I loved it. So so many parts to still unravel… Did Toven really love Larissa and what is the full story behind all of that? Is Briony the true heir? I am SO sad I have to wait so long for the next in the series! However, I will look forward to a reread of this book.

Loved the characters. Enjoyed the twisting plot. Look forward to the next one and hoping it is the conclusion!

Kicking my feet at how much I enjoyed this one! Julie Soto never misses - romance, thrillers, fantasy - she can do it all!

Princess Briony Rosewood, stripped of her magic and sold into servitude after her castle is overrun, finds herself in the hands of the cruel Toven Hearst, a man she's long admired, in a world where dark forces have won and magic is controlled.

This one immediately kicks off with action and sets off on an adventure that, if you have an understanding of the fanfic background has connection feels familiar and easy to fall back into, but also stands on its own with unique but easy to understand world building.
It is more raw, horrifying, and intense than I expected, but it works in the context its in. A very cool magic system. And so much happens which lends it to it being a longer read (she thic!), but it all feels purposeful and methodical while being relatively fast paced and immediately intriguing that makes you want to keep going!

The characters also steal the show here! Great characterization. Briony is a princess who's not given much tools, but she's scrappy, thoughtful, intelligence, and unwilling to backdown but also knows when to pick her battles (she's not a typical dumb fantasy FMC who's just lucky!). She's easy to root for. And so is Toven. He's got layerssss yáll and I'm obsessed. And the flashbacks within this that showcase their backstories are well do; provide good context without us getting lost in the past. Also the tension and pining between these two!? Chef's Kiss!

Also casually obsessed with Toven's parents? Would love to read their story. Weird? Yes but speaks to the author's ability to write great side character's as well!

Didn't expect the ending but truly makes me so excited for the trilogy! Run, don't walk to get to this one!

READ FOR
- Warring Kingdom
- Hostile Takeover
- Women In Forced Submission
- Political Intrigue
- Fantasy
- HP Similarities

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fans of dark romantasy will devour Rose in Chains! It’s dangerous,, horrifying, and completely compelling. Rose in Chains begins on an eve of a battle where Briony (our FMC’s) twin brother Rory sets out to demolish the Bomardian forces threatening their kingdom. Rory and Briony, the Prince and Princess of Eversun, are confident they will succeed because of a prophecy foretelling Eversun’s heir’s victory. Things do not go to plan, and without giving too much away, Briony, and the surviving Eversun peoples, find themselves captured, incarcerated and auctioned off by the Bomardians who plan to use the Eversuns in unspeakable ways. With the war lost, what hope is there for Briony and the Eversuns?

I’m a fan of Julie Soto’s contemporary books, and found myself quite immersed in Rose in Chains. Briony is an incredible FMC, and the the conflict between Eversun and Bomard is fully realized. The slow burn romance is full of sparks, and I can’t wait to see where it goes. I definitely think this a romantasy not to be missed!

“There is a lake with still waters” is going to be my entire personality for the next few months 🙂‍↕️

WOW, this was a great read. A fun and addictive romantasy with a delicious slow burn, strong female protagonist, and darker elements that help set it apart from a lot of the fantasy books I’ve read before! Also, as a former fanfic enthusiast, it’s so cool to see fanfics reworked and traditionally published, go Julie!!

I loved almost everything in this book. I was hooked from the beginning to the end, the pacing was great. The main characters are strong on their own, and together, and there’s a slew of interesting side characters, Larissa and the Hearst family are some of my favorites so far, really excited to see what they do in the next books!

The romance though, AHHHHHHHH! I don’t seek out slow burns, but this was scrumptious. There’s a perfect amount of tension and yearning from both characters that had me giggling and punching the air, the relationship development was perfect, and while I normally prefer my books to be a little spicier and my romance to burn a little faster, I can tell the payoff will be really good. Really excited to see what the next books bring in terms of relationship development! 🥰🥰

Some other things I loved: the political intrigue 🤭🤭 i am an absolute sucker for these things and this book did it well, i was so invested in the ideologies of both sides, what everyone was fighting for, forming my own opinions, etc! I also loved the flashbacks interjected throughout. I also really loved how emotional this book made me. This book had me giggling, raging, tearing up, and everything in between, it was an amazing emotional rollercoaster! There are 2 scenes in particular that really stick out to me, Briony’s first visit to Biltmore and the final chapter of part 2. Just wow, those scenes had me raging in anger and tearing up respectively, the writing was great!

My small critiques: I liked the magic system but I didn’t love it, I think it’s interesting but it’s not my favorite and I kind of wanted more from it. I also felt that there were some fighting/action scenes that could’ve been written more succinctly than they were presented. These didn’t detract a whole lot from the story though, and seeing as it’s early on, I’m excited to see how Julie Soto develops on these aspects moving forward.

Lastly, THE ENDING!! THAT CLIFFHANGER!!! GAH! Yeah that was incredible, i had the fattest grin on my face before i hit the final page of the book and realized I’d have to wait a while for the rest of the trilogy to come out now.

Overall, a really incredible read! I adore this universe and I’m so eager to see what happens next, I have so many questions and things I want to see, I know this book hasn’t even been officially released yet but I’m already yearning for the next one! 4.25 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC! 🖤

An absolute masterpiece. Julie Soto is the best at what she does and this is the book of the year for me. I adore what this is based off of with my heart and soul and it being put out this way flawlessly is so special. I was locked in from the moment it started and never wanted it to end. I am so excited for the rest of the series and this now an all time favorite. I’m forever thankful for this early copy.

Five billion stars. All the stars. Ten trillion stars and a million shooting ones too. Favorite book from this year and probs last year. This book was freaking awesome.

I flipping loved this book. LOVED this book. It takes a miracle of a fantasy book to have me savoring every single word and not even THINKING of skimming and that’s this wonderful unicorn of a book. I know, you’re shocked, I’m shocked, but here we are.

From the very beginning I’m in it. I’m IN IT. Magic. Fallen kingdoms. Manacles that make you lose your magic. Auctions. Chains. A very stoic and reserved silver haired man who makes you question whether he’s actually good or bad. These are literally all of my favorite things and I flipping loved it. LOVED IT.

Is it very much a retelling of all of our favorite Dramione fanfics? YES. And I cannot even begin to express how much I absolute adore Manacled and I adored this even more because 1. It’s not 925 pages 2. I like the flashbacks and pacing here better. But still adore both.

And the ending and the torturous slow burn build up of my absolute heart. When a slow burn is done right y’all it’s freaking delicious and this is scrumdillyumtptious and that’s the first time I’ve ever used this word. So you have to trust me on this one.

I cannoooottt waaaaaiiitt to see what happens next!!!!!

I’m considering starting it over and rereading it. That’s how much I loved it. Tried to preorder an autographed copy and it’s sold out because the universe hates me but I’m going to order a special edition I’ll never ever read cause it’s hard back and gross who likes hard backs but I’m buying it anyway or maybe I’ll just buy the ebook, I don’t know guys! My mind is going a mile a minute!

Also this is my first from Julie Soto. Doesn’t that feel crazy now? Crazy.

Thanks to Addie Yoder for doing me a solid in internet friendship and recommending this to me and thanks for the ARC publisher. I will tell the world of this book’s greatness.

4.25 stars!!!
WOW! This book was fantastic! An extremely slow burn (not even sure it fully ignited but I loved it!). Great plot, beautifully written! Now I just need the next one!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄
🗡️ Enemies to lovers
🏠 Forced proximity
❤️‍🔥 Slow burn
🐲 Dragons
🪄 Magic

𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒
I have been desperate for a copy of this book ever since I found out the original work was being published traditionally. I first read The Auction in 2021 and it has lived rent-free in my head ever since. Although there were similarities and easter eggs (hello chaise lounge) between the original work and Rose in Chains, this story definitely took on a life of its own. I would have read this in under 6 hours if I didn’t have work the next morning. Also, the epilogue?????????? Completely caught me off guard.

As always, Julie’s writing is breathtaking and poetic and jaw-dropping. I felt completely immersed in the story and was heartbroken when I reached the end because I didn’t want it to be over. I will now be a shell of a person until I get the next book. ♾️/5⭐

Words cannot even describe how much I loved this book. Absolutely incredible.
Full disclosure- I have not read The Auction- but that just means that this book is incredible even if you haven’t! Thank the lord that this will be a trilogy because I NEED MORE!!

Thank you so much Forever for trusting me with this ARC, it means the world to me 🥹💕

🏰 World building
⛓️‍💥Politics and War
🔮 Interesting magic system between the mind and heart magics
🖤 The dramione-ness of it all
✨ Devastating and triumphant
🔥 Slow burn, angsty, forced proximity, enemies/rivals to lovers romance

The war is over. The hero is dead. The princess is sold.

Julie Soto’s Rose in Chains starts where most fantasy tales end—with total defeat. Briony Rosewood, princess of the fallen Evermore, is sold at auction to the enemy after her kingdom is crushed and her magic stripped. Her buyer? Toven Hearst, quiet heir to a brutal family and former schoolmate with secrets of his own.

This is a dark, high-stakes romantasy full of political intrigue, twisted power structures, a hauntingly unique magic system, and slow-burn tension so sharp it practically aches. Think enemies to lovers with serious bite.

Briony and Toven’s dynamic hooked me from the start. The flashbacks to their school days, which I usually hate in fiction, worked here. They add tension, depth, and a slow, careful reveal of hidden motives. The world is brutal, the stakes are real, and Soto doesn’t pull punches when it comes to the trauma and corruption woven into this universe.

But fair warning: this is not an easy read. Themes of coercion, ownership, and power imbalance run deep. Soto handles them with a critical lens, but not always flawlessly. At times, the tonal shifts between trauma and romantic development felt jarring, and some scenes (especially around consent) deserve a second look. Readers should check content warnings—this one doesn’t shy away from hard topics.

Where the book shines: tension, layered characters, and strong foundations for a bigger arc. Where it stumbles: pacing, an overwhelming number of side characters early on, and moments where emotional payoff doesn’t quite land.

Still, I couldn’t put it down. Rose in Chains left me eager for more—more chaos, more growth, more Briony becoming the force she’s meant to be, and yes… more Toven.

Content Warnings: war violence, sexual coercion (non-explicit), captivity, forced servitude, degradation, PTSD themes.

A bit of a disclaimer - I have not read The Auction fic that this was based on prior to reading Rose In Chains. So I am going in blind and judging this book as a totally separate entity. I have read Julie’s other traditionally published books Forget Me Not, and Not Another Love Song and loved them!

I have been a huge reading slump, specifically within the fantasy/romantasy space and have been DNFing books left and right. So imagine my surprise when FINALLY I could not put this book down. It felt so original, and at first there were parts I truly did not know what was going on as the world was being built, and plot twists I didn’t see coming. The pacing of the story was so good, and I am living for the slow burn/yearning. I can’t wait to see where this story is going in the next books, and the ending was the perfect setup.


<i>Thank you so much to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. </i>

I really enjoyed this book a lot, and was so glad I was approved for an e-galley! I love Julie Soto's writing style, and it was interesting to see her in the romantasy genre as opposed to contemporary. Going into it, I knew it was based on a fanfic, but I was glad that the characters were their own. I will definitely continue with the series!

Screaming, crying, throwing up. I love Julie Soto already but damn! Rose in Chains pulled me right in and didn't let go. Briony is a fabulous MC. Her love for her brother is so tender yet so infuriating. While I was rooting for her, I was also furious on her behalf for the way other people treat her. I love all the layers to Toven and discovering more and more about him through the book. The flashbacks are well spaced and add so much depth to both the plot and the character motivations.
I will likely add more review after it's released, but to all my romantasy girlies, preorder it!

I honestly was very confused for most of the book, and i'm still not sure what the book was about. I have never read the fanfic its about, but from what I read it was an okay book. I thought it would be more. Like have more character development and have briony and toven having more of a relationship. They obviouslt both have feelings for each other. I wish it was DUAL POV. but I actually couldnt stop reading it and I hope the second book is a bit more.

I enjoyed stepping into Julie Soto's latest book, and I had a hard time putting it down! The fantasy world is fairly accessible to those who don't read much fantasy which makes it easier to focus on the character dynamics. I wish there was a little more spark between the main leads, but I'm intrigued to see how their relationship progresses over the next book.

I loved every second of this. Harry Potter meets Handmaid's tale with the best of both. I don't even have words good enough to share how amazing this book is. I need to know when book 2 is coming!

AMAZINGGGG. This was literally everything I could have dreamed of! Julie Soto is THAT girl. I love living in a world where dramione fics are being published and I wouldn't want it any other way. The atmosphere, characters, and world were so well done and I just can't wait for everyone to get their hands on this. I need the next books immediately!

I need book two immediately! This was a dramatic, tension filled romantasy from start to finish. I was immediately invested in the characters. Can’t wait for more.

Thank you so much read forever pub for this arc!

I love Romance Julie Soto but fantasy Julie Soto is even better. The plot, the magic system, tension is too good. This book is definitely set up for the next two in the series!
This is such an interesting world and I need more! I love the flashbacks and the setup for the conflicts that will come in the future. Yess this was a dramione fanfic but Julie really made it her own such a refreshing romance fantasy. If you love enemies to lovers with a real extra slow burn you will eat this book up