Fresh Fridays: On Friday, I review a brand new series (ie. only has one book released so far) to see if the series is worth keeping up with. Here is this week’s offering:
The Rose Bargain Series
Other books planned to be in the series:
Synopsis for The Rose Bargain (from Goodreads):
Vying for the hand of one brother.
Falling in love with the other.
A new Victorian-inspired romantasy, perfect for fans of Bridgerton, The Selection , and The Cruel Prince.
London, 1848—For four hundred years, England has been under the control of an immortal fae queen who tricked her way onto the throne. To maintain an illusion of benevolence, Queen Mor grants each of her subjects one opportunity to bargain for their deepest desire.
As Ivy Benton prepares to make her debut, she knows that not even a deal with the queen could fix what has gone Her family’s social standing is in shambles, her sister is a shadow of her former self, and Ivy’s marriage prospects are nonexistent. So when the queen announces a competition for Prince Bram’s hand, Ivy is the first to sign her name in blood. What a bargain can’t fix, a crown certainly could.
Ivy soon finds herself a surprising front-runner—with the help of an unexpected Prince Bram’s brother, the rakish Prince Emmett, who promises to help Ivy win his brother’s heart…for a price. But as the season sweeps Ivy away, with glittering balls veiling the queen’s increasingly vicious trials, Ivy realizes there’s more at stake than just a wedding. Because all faerie bargains come with a cost, and Ivy may have discovered hers too late.
Author: Sasha Peyton Smith
Series: The Rose Bargain
# of Books: 2 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Chronological
Complete?: No
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Romance, Fantasy, Faeries, Alternative History
Heat Rating: Warm
Point of View: First Person, Multiple
Publication Date: February 2025 – ongoing
Source & Format: Public Library–Audiobook
Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:
I randomly stumbled upon this when looking for new audiobooks at my library and the synopsis sounded great! I love historical romances AND I love faerie stories but I’ve never read a book with them combined so I could not wait to see how this would all unfold!
What I Liked:
–The World–
I truly adored the blending of the Victorian Era and the fae world. It’s just such a cool take on a period of history that gets written about so much.
I always felt like this story was adding layer upon layer as Ivy learns more about the fae. But I also appreciated the POV chapters from other characters that are interspersed throughout; it just gives that like extra look into the world, the competition and the side characters. It just rounds everything out.
–The Premise–
I love reading about romance competitions. I just think they can be so fun and dramatic; always something on the go to keep my attention!
–Sweet Romance–
Steamy romantasy is all the rage right now and I get why. As society shifts to being more about out sex in modern media, people want. But here, I appreciated the sweetness of the romance. The slow burn and tender moments that just added to the story and its plot versus fan-service sexy times.
What I Didn’t Like:
–Comparisons to The Cruel Prince—
This story doesn’t get as dark as The Cruel Prince but the manipulation of the fae on the human world is similar enough for fans to enjoy it and I could see why it is billed as a similar read. But anyone who has read any fae book ever knows the manipulation they are capable of. This is just tamer. And while Ivy is strong like Jude, she isn’t as cunning so it gives the narration a different vibe.
My Audiobook Experience:
This was a great audio production. Every character had a distinct voice that made me feel like I was listening to a good soap opera.
My Expectations for the Rest of the Series:
I’m loving the duology trend for books lately and am so eager to see how this will all wrap up in the sequel after that last quarter!
My Rating: 4/5
The Rose Bargain 4/5 | Book 2 TBP
For those looking to dive into the world of fae or fans looking for a fun spin on a classic historical romance, this is a great one to grab!
Read if You Like: fae, world-building, romance competitions
Avoid if You: dislike fantasy, dislike historical romance
- The Selection by Kiera Cass (The Selection Series #1)
- Caraval by Stephanie Garber (Caraval Series #1)
- Curse of Shadows of Thorns by L J Andrews (The Broken Kingdoms Series #1)
