Book Summary and Reviews of The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith

The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith

The Rose Bargain

by Sasha Peyton Smith

  • Critics' Consensus (11):
  • Published:
  • Feb 2025, 400 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

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 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.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"This fast-paced romantasy with an abrupt cliffhanger ending has a depth that sets the stage for a wild series to come…. Familial duty unfolds into an exploration of desires and self-sacrifice in this promising series opener." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A simmering romantic plot is sharpened by searing comparisons of girlhood and war… 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." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Both lush and dangerous, like flower petals tipped with poison. With twists, secrets, and stolen kisses, I was riveted through every page—The Rose Bargain is a masterful and enchanting entry into the canon of romantic fantasy." —Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

"A deliciously dark and romantic fantasy. Full of clever surprises, twisted secrets, and bad decisions. Like the dangerous fairy bargains inside of its pages, The Rose Bargain delivers on its promises in heart-pounding and unexpected ways. I absolutely devoured this book!" —Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Once Upon A Broken Heart

This information about The Rose Bargain was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

Sasha Peyton Smith

Sasha Peyton Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of fantasy novels for young adults, including The Witch Haven and The Rose Bargain. Her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages worldwide. She lives in a one-hundred-year-old house in the mountains of Utah, with her husband and (allegedly) two ghosts, though she has yet to see them. 

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