You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

A review by lkbookss
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

4/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ For the first 60% of this book, I could not put it down. If it weren’t for the whole “being an adult with responsibilities” thing, I probably would’ve finished it in a single day. That’s 400 pages, like I zoomed thought this book. 

I absolutely loved the angst and the slow burn between Briony (though let’s be real, I just call her Bri because that name does not roll off the tongue easily) and Toven. And when I say slow burn, I mean sloooooow. I know spice levels are super subjective, but while I’ve seen people rate this anywhere from a 2 to a 4, I’d personally give it a solid 0.5. That said, the tension, the yearning, and the emotional buildup are 100% there and absolutely keep you turning the page. The payoff is shaping up to be so worth it.

It’s also worth mentioning that this is a dark romantasy. If you’ve read Manacled, imagine that, but maybe 20% more tame. I’m not sure which came first, Manacled or The Auction, but they definitely share some similarities in their dark themes, at least in my opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed Rose in Chains and I’m genuinely excited to see where things go next. I never got around to reading The Auction on AO3, so I’m curious to see how the story unfolds from here!