The Rose Bargain is a Fun YA Romantasy Romp: The Bachelor, but Make it Regency London + with Fae
I’ll admit, the cover got me at first. How stunning is The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith?! Both the Fairyloot and standard editions are so gorgeous. But when I realized it was historical fiction fantasy set in an alternate regency England, I was sold. This story is a mix of The Bachelor meets Bridgerton. A faerie queen rules England, and this social season, her son’s engagement will be announced. The catch? Anyone who wants to vie for his hand will never be able to be with anyone in the future if they’re not chosen. So basically, win or be a spinster for life. But the fae are cruel, and after living so many years, the Queen loves to play with her human subjects. Oh, and in this world, ever person has the opportunity to make a bargain with the Queen. They may give up their most cherished memory for a prettier face, or their fingernails for better teeth, or maybe your little finger for a photographic memory. It’s a bit grotesque, but so are the traditional fae in folklore. And our FMC is determined to win the prince’s hand and restore her family reputation, but along the way, she also decides to take down the Queen. It’s definitely a mishmash of things you’ve read before, so it doesn’t feel particularly new, but still a fun read. This is perfect for people who want something that’s not too deep, with a bit of romance, and a few twists and turns.
Things to Know:
The Bachelor meets Bridgerton
Regency era
Alternate History
Historical fiction fantasy
Faeries
Minimal spice/Upper YA
Ivy is the younger sister, and as such, she had set all her hopes in her older sister to marry well, and provide for the family. Unfortunately, her sister disappeared after she made her bargain with the Queen, and showed up much later, disheveled and shell-shocked with no memory of what her bargain was. With her reputation ruined, it’s up to Ivy to find a match this social season and secure their family’s rocky financial situation.
On the day when all the young ladies are meant to make their bargains with the Queen, there’s an unexpected announcement: the prince will be choosing a bride this season. And only those who sign up have the chance to vie for his affections. But there’s ALSO a human prince in the mix. And yes, things get messy.
I enjoyed Ivy’s character. She’s strong and confident, but she also gets frustrated and isn’t perfect. You also get POV chapters from the other girls participating in the selection, and I found those chapters to be a bit weird because they kind of came out of nowhere, so it definitely messed with the pacing of the story. I think it was meant to give you better insight into each character, but because we really didn’t get to know them in depth, it felt odd to have POVs from them.
Now the human prince…sigh…I won’t give any spoilers, but you’ll love him. Probably. While none of this story felt very new or innovative, I’m definitely still looking forward to book two (I do hope it’s a duology and not a trilogy). I do wish we would have had a bit more depth to each of the characters—at times, things felt very surface level. And even Ivy’s relationship with her sister could have had more airtime. Perhaps we’ll get that in book two though!
You can find the audiobook on Audible or Libro.fm (protips: You can get three months of Audible for $0.99/month right now, and two free audiobooks on Libro.fm with the code SWITCH right now).
And look how pretty the sequel cover is going to be?! They just recently did a reveal of The Thorn Queen:
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