The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith
High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them suitors: a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.
But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking twist: a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin… and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.
Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart—and at the center of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything Ivy knows.
Sweepingly romantic and deceptively enchanting, this alternate history romantasy will enthrall readers of Holly Black, Stephanie Garber, and Adalyn Grace.
Review: This had such an intriguing premise! Ivy Benton is one of the high society girls in 1840s London entering her debut season to try to secure a husband. But this year, society is shocked to find out that Crown Prince Bram will be marrying one of the eligible girls. Ivy knows this could save her family from financial ruin and also save her sister from a bargain she made. For Bram's mother is an immortal fae queen. And every subject is granted one bargain, but the deal is not always what it seems.
This felt like a fun mashup where Bridgerton meets The Selection. I found it very refreshing that although this is a fantasy that features immortal fae, it is set in a recognizable historical setting. With the characters referencing and visiting recognizable London locations like Kensington Palace and the Tower of London, it helped made the fantasy elements seem more believable. I appreciated the way it grounded the plot in reality.
I also really liked that this follows a young girl who is being forced to consider marrying for the good of her family. Historically, this felt accurate and believable, and the tension between what Ivy wants and what she feels like she must do is palpable. To add to this is her concern for her sister and the mystery of what bargain she made that has altered her so greatly.
This is technically young adult, and I do think most of the book fits the bill, especially since most of the characters are teenagers. However, the writing felt somewhat juvenile to me. I also had a hard time buying into one of the central tensions of the plot, where Ivy is interested in someone other than Prince Bram. I know it was more complicated than that, but I just kept thinking they could work it out and be together the whole time and that the tension was a bit contrived.
This was well done on audio. The book certainly ended on a cliffhanger so curious to see where the plot goes in the next book.
Stars: 3.5
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