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dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence
Moderate: Rape
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Please be aware of all TW before reading!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Trafficking
Minor: Death, Rape, War
dark
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first few chapters of Rose in Chains were agonizingly clunky to the point that I almost DNFed multiple times. The only reason I pushed through is because some of my friends who’d also gotten an advance copy assured me that it did get better. But those first chapters? The writing was stiff and stilted and the characters were flat and monotone. I did not believe for even a second that any of these people liked each other, which is rough given that two of them were twins.
There are also just so many names being used in the beginning and it is overwhelming because there isn’t much context for who these people are and why I should keep track of them (spoiler, I’ve given up on trying).
The book finally found its footing after the auction, when there was time to focus on Briony, Toven, and a few supporting characters rather than spend every other paragraph full-naming every single named character.
If you’re wondering does this read like a fanfiction? The answer is yes and no. Yes, because it felt like more of a serial polishing than a serial filing. No, because the first 20% of the book could really have used some fanfic magic of already caring about the characters to make it palatable.
I wish that the marketing was less focused on the IP that the fic was originally based on, especially given how much of a shitshow that author is, and that the book had done a better job of distancing itself from that original IP.
Will I continue on with this series? Probably. Am I going to be getting any of the five bajillion special editions? No.
Even though I did end up enjoying the majority of the book, because of how many times I nearly DNFed and how much the series didn’t even try to pretend that it was an original story instead of a fanfic with renamed characters and magic, I cannot in good conscience give this anything above a 3 star rating.
Thank you to Forever for the arc, I’m sad I didn’t like this more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape, War
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In this highly anticipated new trilogy, princess Briony Rosewood has been taken captive along with all of her remaining fellow Eversuns. She is to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, and she is highly desirable to her enemies. One of her greatest enemies is now her owner and in charge of everything she does- Toven, the man associated with her enemies, with a dark past, and who she couldn’t help but be intrigued by while they were growing up. In Toven’s home, Briony finds things may not be as they seem and she may have allies in unlikely places.
I am a fan of Julie Soto’s romances but haven’t read her fanfic that this was based off of. However, I was very curious to read it and I’m so glad I did! She has proven to be such a talented writer. I absolutely loved this and devoured it, which I’m now regretting because I can’t read it anymore and I have to wait for book two. This is a dark book with upsetting themes and I’d encourage readers to take care and check content warnings, because it isn’t a light read. It is also quite a slow burn, but it’s well developed and focused on the characters’ pasts with chapters in both flashbacks and the present. I am so eager for the second book and absolutely loved this one!
Thank you so much to Julie Soto and Forever publishing for the arc and opportunity to be an early reader and reviewer.
I am a fan of Julie Soto’s romances but haven’t read her fanfic that this was based off of. However, I was very curious to read it and I’m so glad I did! She has proven to be such a talented writer. I absolutely loved this and devoured it, which I’m now regretting because I can’t read it anymore and I have to wait for book two. This is a dark book with upsetting themes and I’d encourage readers to take care and check content warnings, because it isn’t a light read. It is also quite a slow burn, but it’s well developed and focused on the characters’ pasts with chapters in both flashbacks and the present. I am so eager for the second book and absolutely loved this one!
Thank you so much to Julie Soto and Forever publishing for the arc and opportunity to be an early reader and reviewer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment
Forced sterilization
Wow! I went into this expecting a straight up romantasy, which it was a little and I think the series for sure will be, but there was so much more to this than just romance. I loved that it didn’t shy away from the heavy topics of the book. Definitely check the trigger warnings because it was heavier than I realized. I really really loved this, and I’m so excited for the next book (and devastated that this book doesn’t even come out until July and THEN I have to wait for the next book in the series to be released). I highly recommend, but do be aware that this is the first book in a trilogy so don’t go into it expecting a resolution.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a tough read, not because of being bad but because I didn’t anticipate the dark themes in it. Of course when reading the TWs, I was warned but reading it in the moment was a different feeling.
I rated this five stars because of one main thing being our FMC Briony. Wow was her story hectic. Not only did she have to adapt to being in the shadow of her twin brother, the heir, but also had to adapt to a war and then adapt to being owned and paraded by people. And she still stayed strong, of course there were emotional moments but in this book, that emotion is very much needed.
I loved how the story and plot had me so hooked from early on. We get some flashback chapters, which I appreciated, but most of the time I craved going back to the present to know what was next. It was also very haunting that this was a very very slow burn. And them faking their relationship was entertaining. This book will keep you at the edge of your seat wondering what’s next and is Briony going to survive this. One comment about the end, wow was I so happy to read that epilogue :)
I rated this five stars because of one main thing being our FMC Briony. Wow was her story hectic. Not only did she have to adapt to being in the shadow of her twin brother, the heir, but also had to adapt to a war and then adapt to being owned and paraded by people. And she still stayed strong, of course there were emotional moments but in this book, that emotion is very much needed.
I loved how the story and plot had me so hooked from early on. We get some flashback chapters, which I appreciated, but most of the time I craved going back to the present to know what was next. It was also very haunting that this was a very very slow burn. And them faking their relationship was entertaining. This book will keep you at the edge of your seat wondering what’s next and is Briony going to survive this. One comment about the end, wow was I so happy to read that epilogue :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual assault, Violence, Trafficking, Stalking, Sexual harassment, War
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
TL;DR: This should have stayed fanfiction.
Source: NetGalley - many thank so the publisher!
Source: NetGalley - many thank so the publisher!
Plot: Our main character is capture after a failed rebellion and sold to a school enemy.
Characters: They were very clearly Harry Potter characters with changed names sadly. So I can’t say much to this.
Setting: This had promise! But it couldn’t care the rest of the story.
Fantasy/Romance: Just me but I’m not going to be into a guy who harassed me for years and then humiliates me and allows his friends to sexual harass me. JUST ME MAYBE THOUGH.
Characters: They were very clearly Harry Potter characters with changed names sadly. So I can’t say much to this.
Setting: This had promise! But it couldn’t care the rest of the story.
Fantasy/Romance: Just me but I’m not going to be into a guy who harassed me for years and then humiliates me and allows his friends to sexual harass me. JUST ME MAYBE THOUGH.
Thoughts:
My initial interest in this was purely due to Julie Soto’s name. I have read some of her contemporary work and liked it! I heard whispers it was based on fanfiction she’d written I felt it was strong enough that the work stood on it’s own. This one I had no idea was fanfiction till close to receiving an arc and even then I hoped. But I was sadly and deeply disappointed.
The way in which this is so obviously Draco & Hermione fanfiction is a bit insulting. Names have been changed, friends are now sisters and brothers, and the setting is different but it’s very much using the cast of the franchise and I fear if you take out the elements that can be similar you have nothing there. Fanfiction often relies on you the reader to be familiar with established relationships and politics, and without that understanding this I do not think would stand well.
The romance, the driving point of this plot, is also one I simply cannot stand behind. I’m not a Dark Romance reader most days so this could simply not be to my taste. However, I struggle to find the appeal of a hero like this. Allowing his friends to touch and harass you? Forcing nudity in front of others and locking you in a room for days? It’s not for me my friends. I would be looking for a way to commit murder, not finding him appealing. No matter our history.
So this is a hard no. And a rare one star for me. These special single stars I reserve for my most disliked, offensive, or upsetting books and we’ve found my first for 2025. I felt gross and sick reading this and I truly wish I could have those hours back. Additionally this needs a LOT of triggers for enslavement, sexual assault (on page to the PoV character), violence, the list goes on. Flashbacks attempt, poorly, to establish history but just serve to reinforce that this is Harry Potter reskinned. I don’t recommend, and I am sorry if this is your cup of tea. It’s just not mine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Kidnapping, Grief, Sexual harassment, War
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
oh wow I loved this. Absolutely devoured it. I haven’t read the fanfic version (yet!) but the corresponding characters were pretty obvious. The worldbuilding changes tho…. Woof!!! Stunning. Spectacular. I am all in on Evermore. I didn’t realize until 3/4 of the way through this that it was gonna be a TRILOGY so I’ll just be here waiting, twiddling my thumbs until book two. 🙏
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape, Violence
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Such an incredible read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.75 rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review. I have never read anything by Julie Soto and I went into this book not realizing at first that it was a rewrite of her Dramione fanfic, The Auction (which I haven’t read), so the beginning felt a bit disjointed and I found it really hard to keep my interest engaged at first.
The world-building felt underdeveloped to me and magic system felt difficult to follow and seemed contradictory at times. I felt that there was an assumption that the reader should know a lot of the background info and world-building already because this started out as a Harry Potter fanfic and once I confirmed with a friend that this was a rewrite of The Auction, a lot of it clicked into place in my brain because I then had previous background info from knowing the HP characters/world.
The pacing of this book also felt off and as I said, the beginning felt disjointed. I attribute a lot of this to the flashbacks, and while I think this was Julie’s attempt to give us background info while also foreshadowing events in the upcoming chapters, it disrupted the narrative and took me out of the flow of what what happening in present time. The flow seemed better once we got less of the flashbacks, and I think it would have been better if this had been rearranged chronologically. The epilogue with the dragon also felt out of place because we have next to zero info on the dragon throughout the whole book, and then we get the epilogue from her POV when there was never a POV change in the rest of the book? I think it would have been more impactful if it had been from Rory’s POV, but I guess it would have ruined “the big reveal”, even though it didn’t feel like one.
This is just a personal issue, but I also had a hard time with some of the names as they did not seem to fit and also took me out of the story. Biltmore Palace was a bit on the nose with The Biltmore Estate and made me think of North Carolina. Didion’s last name of Winchester made me think of Supernatural, even though I haven’t watched anything beyond the first season. Liam Quill kept reminding me of Starlord (Peter Quill). Mallow kept having marshmallow popping into my head. And while Julie had no way of knowing this, my local art studio is named Rosewood, so I kept getting distracted. Again, I understand this is a me issue.
I definitely think this could use some refining, but overall I enjoyed this and I will continue the series. I also plan to listen to the audio when it is available as that may change my opinion.
The world-building felt underdeveloped to me and magic system felt difficult to follow and seemed contradictory at times. I felt that there was an assumption that the reader should know a lot of the background info and world-building already because this started out as a Harry Potter fanfic and once I confirmed with a friend that this was a rewrite of The Auction, a lot of it clicked into place in my brain because I then had previous background info from knowing the HP characters/world.
The pacing of this book also felt off and as I said, the beginning felt disjointed. I attribute a lot of this to the flashbacks, and while I think this was Julie’s attempt to give us background info while also foreshadowing events in the upcoming chapters, it disrupted the narrative and took me out of the flow of what what happening in present time. The flow seemed better once we got less of the flashbacks, and I think it would have been better if this had been rearranged chronologically. The epilogue with the dragon also felt out of place because we have next to zero info on the dragon throughout the whole book, and then we get the epilogue from her POV when there was never a POV change in the rest of the book? I think it would have been more impactful if it had been from Rory’s POV, but I guess it would have ruined “the big reveal”, even though it didn’t feel like one.
This is just a personal issue, but I also had a hard time with some of the names as they did not seem to fit and also took me out of the story. Biltmore Palace was a bit on the nose with The Biltmore Estate and made me think of North Carolina. Didion’s last name of Winchester made me think of Supernatural, even though I haven’t watched anything beyond the first season. Liam Quill kept reminding me of Starlord (Peter Quill). Mallow kept having marshmallow popping into my head. And while Julie had no way of knowing this, my local art studio is named Rosewood, so I kept getting distracted. Again, I understand this is a me issue.
I definitely think this could use some refining, but overall I enjoyed this and I will continue the series. I also plan to listen to the audio when it is available as that may change my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting