Rose in Chains (The Evermore Trilogy, Book 1)

By: Julie Soto

Narrated by: Ella Lynch

THE INSTANT NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

HE'S HER GREATEST ENEMY … AND HER DEEPEST DESIRE

HE'S HER GREATEST ENEMY … AND HER DEEPEST DESIRE

'A dark fever dream of a fairytale. Rose in Chains is a heart-pounding, spellbinding, forbidden love story that kept breaking my heart and putting it back together again' Stephanie Garber, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Once Upon a Broken Heart

'Lush, complex, and utterly engrossing’ Rebecca Ross, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Divine Rivals

‘Absorbing, unique, and addictive’ Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

'A delicious, darkly tender slow-burn romance’ Brigitte Knightley, author of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy

‘The scintillating romantasy of my dreams. The all-consuming, captivating chemistry between Briony and Toven has changed my life’ Lindsey Kelk, Sunday Times bestselling author of Love Story

The war is over, the dark forces have won, and the hero who was supposed to save them is dead.

Captured as her castle is overrun by the enemy, Princess Briony Rosewood is stripped of her magic and auctioned off to the highest bidder.

She’s sold to Toven Hearst: scion of a family known for their cruel control of magic – and her long-time, and unresolved, infatuation. Yet despite the horrors of her new world and the role she must learn to play within it, all is not lost.

Help – and hope – may yet arise in the most unlikely of places…

New York Times bestselling author Julie Soto crafts a lush romantic fantasy that's filled with intrigue, magic, and an irresistible enemies-to-lovers romance.

‘An intoxicating tale of forbidden love’ Sarah Hawley, USA Today bestselling author of A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon

‘Dark and steamy, beautifully written, magical and nuanced, and completely unforgettable’ Thea Guanzon, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars

‘Captivating magical world, tension-filled intrigue, and riveting enemies-to-lovers romance’ Abigail Owen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Games Gods Play

'A darkly luscious, unputdownable romantasy debut. Soto weaves together a complex and captivating world of magic, lust and longing' Kate Golden, USA Today bestselling author of A Dawn of Onyx

*Sunday Times number 1 bestseller w/c 8 July

©2025 Julie Soto (P)2025 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

Praise for Julie Soto:

‘Julie Soto is my favorite writer, period. I'll read anything she writes – I loved every second’ Ali Hazelwood, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis and Bride

‘A spicy bouquet of thorns and roses … a triumph for those who love weddings and hot florists’ Abby Jimenez, New York Times bestselling author of Part of Your World

‘A sparkling gem of a romance. Swoony, sweet, and sexy, with heart-clenching moments and gorgeous prose. A stellar debut and the announcement of a phenomenal talent. Watch out, world – Julie Soto has arrived’ Sarah Hawley, author of A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon

'Like a balm made of all your favorite melodies, [this book] is the perfect cure for heartache. Julie Soto never misses! [And] the sexual tension is so palpable, it'll snag you by the chin and call you a good girl' Ashley Posten, New York Times bestselling author of The Dead Romantics

'100% pure romance magic' Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author

'Funny, moving and fan-your-face steamy' Rosie Danan, USA Today bestselling author

'An immediate five star read. Soto is a virtuoso at deploying swoons, spice and laughs' Julie Murphy and Sierra Simons, New York Times and USA Today bestsellers

‘Equal parts sexy and sweet’ Kirkus

‘Fans of the grumpy/sunshine trope will swoon’ Publishers Weekly

‘A funny, heartfelt love letter to the author’s hometown of Sacramento, that will interest readers who enjoy second-chance romance, fiery sexual chemistry, and grumpy/sunshine relationship dynamics’ Library Journal

Dramoine!

Loved the narrator, story line great, a little drag. However, its a world building to set the tone. Now I cannot wait for the next one.

Rose in Chains

Absolutely amazing, love this! Definitely a five star audiobook. Would highly recommend reading this book. Can’t wait for the next book.

Little too easy

I understand why this story have been separated into multiple books. However it felt very empty to me (and it might be because I know the story of The Auction).
Chemistry between Toven and Briony is not that appealing although I loved their bickering.
Veronica Mallow as a antigonist is very flat. Like I do not understand what motivates her. What motivates all the Bomardi. And the conflict with Eversuns seems forced to me.
I did enjoy it. But compared to The Auction it didn’t leave me feeling exicited.
I will defineteĺy read next book and we will see. The ending was a bit predicatble here but I love this dorectiom for sure.