A review by mikasana
The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith

dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This is literally YA Bridgerton mixed with some Fae shenanigans and court politics (think Cruel Prince). 

I loved the romance in this one and particularly felt the pang with some of the angst. The pining and the hints at the burning of forbidden romance? Umf!

A little predictable but it was easy to get into with loveable characters. I made some guesses about how the ending would play out and I guessed a lot of them well. I did not guess some of the surprises throughout the rest of the story though, which kind of surprises me now.

I did particularly like that even though we are mostly in Ivy’s POV, we got some bonus POVs from many of the other characters to learn their truths/motivations. Almost felt like a bit of a mystery/investigative story as well.