A kingdom in ruins, a princess sold at auction, and the mysterious family who buys her. Rose in thorns was a fun ride, with high stakes and depravity around every corner. The mysteries and reveals were engaging and left me wanting the next book immediately. The slow burn romance is also intriguing and you really get sit in the romantic tension with two enjoyable characters who are burdened by the society and war surrounding them. While this story was heavily rewritten to distance itself from its origins as a Dramione fanfiction, it’s still fairly obvious. This story still feels like an Ao3 fanfiction, with its long, drawn out plot and no clear structure. It’s clear that this is only part of a continuous story. While this structure struck my nostalgia and entertained me, it may feel strange to read for an audience with less experience reading fanfictions. But overall I personally enjoyed this (very dark) story, and patiently await the next book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Julie Soto/Estelle Hallick for an early copy!