lorj 's review for:

Rose in Chains by Julie Soto

5.0

dark hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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One of the darker books I've read in this genre. Actually genuinely dark and not "dark" meaning the MMC is a bit mean. I felt it depicted the brutality of war unflinchingly, especially how it affected the women left behind. The horrible things that happen in this book happen every day in warzones.

I wanted to drag this book out as long as possible. It had so much intrigue and tension.

That said, I do wonder why FMC wasn't more curious as to why MMC had saved her and

paid so much for her at auction

. She didn't seem to push him for an explanation as to what he was doing,

why he wasn't on board with Mallow and why he hadn't bonded to her

. As a reader, those questions were at the forefront of my mind. What was his motivation?

I thought this book was excellently written. I don't know if it came from fanfic but it felt original and fresh enough that I don't care. I'm just annoyed I'll have to wait for book 2 now!