First I want to start by saying that my reading Rose in Chains by Julie Soto does not mean that I support J.K. Rowling, because I stopped supporting her financially several years ago. I do read fan fiction, but did not read the fanfic that Rose in Chains was based off of. So this review is going to treat the book independently of the source material and just as a book on its own. If you do not wish to read this post or just that review, I support you doing what you need to protect yourself and your peace. And for the record, trans rights are human rights and the government and transphobes really need to mind their own business.
Now that all that’s out of the way, I read an audio ARC of both Rose in Chains and The Enchanted Greenhouse, both of which are now out and I read an e-ARC of Between These Broken Hearts, which is also out. So shout out to the respective publishers for those review copies and to Netgalley for the ability to request said copies. But let’s dive into the actual reviews, shall we?
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
Rose in Chains is set in a fantastical universe where two factions of magical people are fighting because… they practice magic differently? I’m going to be honest and say that this piece of world-building is something that continually escaped my grasp, but I’ll admit that there are conflicts in real life that similarly make zero sense so I sort of shrug emoji’d past it. Anyway, the “good” side has lost and now many of the “good” side have been rounded up and are being auctioned off to people from the “bad” side. As any good romance set up goes, there is quite a bit of history between Briony and Toven, so obviously after a lot of really dark moments, Briony winds up at Toven’s home.
Ostensibly, this is a dark romantic fantasy, but the dark romance aspect is not because of the dynamic between Briony and Toven, which meant that it was a perfectly fine book for me to read. There are content notes and warnings, including sexual assault of a variety of types throughout the book, but that does not occur between our two romantic interests. I found myself very intrigued by the relationship between Briony and Toven, while simultaneously finding myself aggravated that Briony, who is supposed to be so smart, continually seemed to have zero political sense. I just wanted her to be a bit more politically savvy instead of being so reliant on Toven for knowledge. That said, the end of book one has a hook that has me extremely anxiously awaiting book two in this trilogy.
The Enchanted Greenhouse
by Sarah Beth Durst
If you read The Spellshop, I think your enjoyment of that book will tell you how much you’ll enjoy The Enchanted Greenhouse because the two are not at all the same, but the two do have the same type of vibe. They have a very contained magical world with a pretty set character list where there is exactly one potential love interest on the entire island and while it’s not exactly smooth sailing, it’s not exactly rough waters either.
What I liked a lot about this book is that the stakes are clear from the beginning. There are dying greenhouses and it’s not clear what is causing this to happen. Terlu was turned into a statue for doing magic, but now she’s on a deserted island being asked explicitly to do magic, which technically speaking, she doesn’t exactly know how to do. And Yarrow has been alone on this deserted island for years, so he doesn’t exactly remember how to human, but he’s desperate for help. The two of them slowly make inroads to both forming a relationship and figuring out the magic situation. The book is extremely cozy, and a small part of me did wish for a little more stakes. That said, this book did exactly what it set out to do and I would recommend it if cozy is what you’re in the mood for.
Between These Broken Hearts
by Lexi Ryan
I am so obsessed with this series, I cannot even begin to explain to you my love for it. First of all, when I realized there was a spin off to the original duet, I was ecstatic. Secondly, when I read book one in this duet, I was so, so grateful to have the ARC of Between These Broken Hearts because I had to know what was going to happen. So first, let me just say this, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that this plot is unguessable, because I’m sure it could be. There are tropes that exist in romantasy right now that drive me a little bit bananas because they’re everywhere. However, this book gave me so much angst and so much joy all at the same time. This romantasy has stakes and there are consequences to peoples actions. If you’re willing to have a good time, I definitely think this series is the series for you because it is truly compulsively readable and I am so glad I read it! I would also not be opposed to somehow having more in this world. Just in case anyone is interested in my opinion on the matter.
Closing Thoughts
I really enjoyed each of these books, but my favorite was definitely Between These Broken Hearts! If you’re a YA romantasy person, pick up the series if you haven’t!
xx
firewhiskeyreader 