The Rose Bargain
-
-
4.1 • 40 Ratings
-
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
*An instant New York Times bestseller!
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.
“If you’re looking for the next YA sensation, here it is.” —Adalyn Grace, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Belladonna
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 wrong: 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 ally: 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.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Haven comes a tale that will leave readers eager to bargain for a sequel.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Teenage Ivy wasn't supposed to be the family breadwinner; that was her older sister Lydia's job. But Lydia hasn't been the same since the night she briefly vanished, an unexplained incident Ivy is certain was caused by the mysterious bargain Lydia made with faerie Queen Moryen, something all girls must do when they come of age in Ivy's alternate Victorian London home. Shadowed by her sister's tarnished reputation, it's up to Ivy to find a wealthy husband and save her family from ruin. When Queen Moryen announces that the prince is seeking a bride, Ivy enters the competition to win his hand, but she isn't the only debutante desperate for the match. Now Ivy must use her wits and form unlikely alliances if she hopes to survive this dangerous game. A simmering romantic plot is sharpened by searing comparisons of girlhood and war—a Maypole dance is a blood sport and readying for a ball is preparing for battle. Smith (The Witch Hunt) delves beyond familiar palace intrigue and mystical romance to explore themes of classism, complex family dynamics, gender disparity, and the unbreakable bond of sisterhood in this compelling fantasy. Major characters cue as white. Ages 13–up.
Customer Reviews
Great
This book was really good, I was hooked. I’m so excited for the sequel to come out!!!
Interesting ideas but not satisfying
First 25% was amazing, I was hooked!
Then it more and more got away from polished and into early draft territory. The characters made decisions or pivots from one line to the next, without cause or motivation.
The queen was meant to be terrifying, but after about 1/3 of the book, no one’s choices supported true fear of her. They all just did whatever they wanted!
The main character plots sedition with like two sentences of encouragement. Really?! Gonna overtake an immortal queen as an ally to a guy you just met who you think is a jerk?! Perplexing.
I NEVER say this….but I wanted it to be longer. I needed more atmosphere, more dread, more build up. ‘A floor slippery with blood’ was used to convey fear MANY times. Give me more creepy bargain details! More about the teeth ppl gave the queen!
I liked the plot but overall the characters were just uneven, and the consequences of the world didn’t hold up. If someone is supposed to be scary, make me scared of them. If the main character is supposed to be brave, have her do brave things! Not just impetuous things.
Ok, my rant is done. I probably would not have been so frustrated had my hopes not gotten so high in the beginning 😭