Characters: 3.5/5
Overall, I was pretty lukewarm on all of the characters. I love a flawed character, and these characters had flaws, and often acknowledged them. However, I felt like they didn’t do much to… you know… work on those flaws. I personally didn’t feel much chemistry between the FMC and the MMC. I could be a bit biased here, in that I am not a huge fan of love triangles in the first place, and this story just kind of cemented that for me. What the author did very well, I think, is the relationship between the 6 girls. I think she did a great job writing the development of their bond throughout the entirety of the book. And I loved the few chapters in each girl’s point of view. It made them sympathetic, and gave me a look into their motivations all the way from the beginning of the book. Those friendships are what got me through the whole book.

Setting 4/5
The author did a good job helping me envision my way through her world. Descriptions were beautifully written, in my opinion. The worldbuilding was intriguing.

Plot 3/5
I think that the overall plot, minus the love triangle, was very well written. I was hooked in the beginning, I felt like the character’s goals were very well set up, and explained. There were a couple of “plot convivence,” situations, which I don’t mind because there was enough actually working their way out of problems otherwise. Again, I loved the plotlines of the 6 girls, and their bond. The overall plotline… I couldn’t see the exact execution coming, but I had inklings of where we would end up.

Themes 3.5/5
I love a good, solid theme. Double points if I can apply it to my own life. I think a big theme in this story is loneliness, which is something I can personally relate to. I just read a different story with a similar theme, and I was going to say that the previous book I read, executed this theme better than The Rose Bargain did. However, thinking deeper about it, I realize that they are two sides of the same coin. In the book I liked better, the main character struggled with her loneliness, and dealt with it by locking herself up and avoiding others, only valuing and chasing love from one person. In this story, the MMC deals with his loneliness, by searching for it everywhere, and being desperate for it. So I think that this theme of The Rose Bargain was executed at a mid level, however I acknowledge that I am bias as it didn’t completely resonate with me so I struggled to relate to it.
I loved the themes of sisterhood, and the struggle of being forced to grow up when you feel you aren’t ready.

Emotional 3/5
I felt the most emotion when the conflicts surrounded the hardships of living as a woman in that time period - everything resting on you being a good match for another. I didn’t feel sympathy for the love triangle participants, and I will rant farther down in a spoiler area lol.

Enjoyment 3.75/5
I honestly think I enjoyed nearly every aspect of this book, with the exception of the love interests, and that whole plotline. I enjoyed the author’s rendition of faeries, the history she tied in, how magic works for them, and like I said, I loved her execution of the friendship between the 6 girls. I think she wrote a true “enemies-to-sisters” story here, and I wish it had gotten more time in the light.

SPOILER RANT
So… we are told 10 million times that Bram is a good man, a good brother, a good prince, and a gentleman. We are given examples of how much Emmet loves him, all of the things Bram did for him, and how guilty Emmet feels for betraying him by having feelings (and acting on them) for Ivy. Their plan in the beginning, was that if the Queen didn’t choose Ivy, then they were going to make sure Bram was so in love with Ivy that he would elope with her, right? So, at the end of the book, (and I cannot stress this enough, SPOILERS AHEAD), Ivy is told she has lost. Pack up girl, you’re going home, no Bram for you. Ivy goes to Emmet, tells him she lost, and they decide to do “the thang” if you catch my drift. (Which I thought was pretty tastefully written as a person who doesn’t like a ton of spice). Reading this scene I was like, “okay, what does it matter, the Queen has told Ivy she lost. I bet she lied and this will come back to bite them, but whatever, they think they are in the free and clear to be with each other”.
Then, they complete their chosen activity to express their undying love, Ivy gets dressed and is like, “Okay, I am off to ask Bram to elope now, by forever Emmet” and he is like “This really sucks, hate that we betrayed my brother who was like the only friend I have had for years, but you know, love is love so I had no choice. It will suck seeing you on his arm, but whatever, bye!”
I’m… I’m sorry? I was reading this scene under the impression that you two had given up on Ivy marrying Bram!? I know that the “twist” at the end makes it seem like it is okay, because Bram actually sucks, but THEY DON’T KNOW THAT! They are FULL ON cheating! On a man who, to our knowledge at this current time, one of you loves like family, and you both claim to respect!
I think this is why I am not a fan of love triangles, because it drives me crazy the justifications authors use to make cheating okay. “Oh, it is okay because he was actually bad,” “oh, it is okay because they LOVE each other!” No it isn’t! Cheating is cheating. I realize this is a fantasy, fiction, not real at all novel, but COME ON! What are we teaching our readers here? It is okay to cheat on your boyfriend with his brother, because he is emotionally stunted and hot? I realize that Bram was also “dating” the other girls as well, but that is so not the same thing. Ivy and the other 5 chose to enter that competition knowing full well what would happen. I think I would have had a lot more sympathy and respect for the characters and their feelings for one another, if they weren’t so freaking selfish and chose not to act on their feelings. Then, when it is revealed that Bram sucks, I can actually root for them! Make us see that he sucks first, then let them go for each other, not the other way around because when it is done that way, it makes your characters seem impulsive self-centered, and like they haven’t learned anything thus far in the plot.

The Rose Bargain - Likewise Book Reviews

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