24. The Rose Bargain

 

24. The Rose Bargain. Sasha Peyton Smith. 2025. 400 pages. [Source: Library] [YA Fiction, YA Fantasy, YA Horror, YA Romance] [3 stars]

First sentence: King Edward's face was streaked with mud and blood when the woman first appeared at the tree line. His sword hung by his side, limp, in a single moment of pause, and then he fell to his knees.

Premise/plot: The War of the Roses "ends" when a fae queen, Queen Moryen, murders King Edward and assumes the throne of England. The novel properly begins almost four hundred years later--give or two a decade. Ivy Benton, our heroine, knows better than some how risky bargaining with the fae queen can be. Her sister, Lydia, disappeared and returned with many of her memories just gone--including the memory of exactly what her bargain was. There's always a cost--a heavy price to pay--for bargaining with Her Majesty. However, it is almost expected that sooner or later every single subject will. Be careful what you wish for...and all that.

The new season is about to start, and Ivy Benton will be one of the debutantes. The queen announces that this year is the year her (fae) son will marry a bride. She's offering a choice, if you will. Volunteer--pledge by blood--to be in the competition to be his bride. Obviously, if you're the one, you'll be royalty. You will seemingly 'have it all.' If you lose, well, just know that you've pledged away your right to every marry anyone at all. Ivy knows that if she doesn't find a husband this season--and it's perhaps doubtful since her family has fallen on hard times financially--her family will be ruined regardless. So she is the first to pledge...

The competition begins...and the ladies have plenty of opportunities to spend time with both the fae prince (Prince Bram) and the mortal one (Emmett, a stepson). There's training and competitions as well, elimination rounds, etc.

While she is competing to win Bram's heart, it may just be the other brother who wins her heart. 

My thoughts: I am SO conflicted. ALTERNATE HISTORY. It's been a long time since I've read fantasies with faeries or fae. But there was a time when probably half of YA was faeries and the other half were vampires. So though it's been a while, I soon found myself hooked on the story--particularly the premise. STEAMY ROMANCE. Here's where I'm conflicted. Is it too steamy???? Maybe. Maybe not. Every reader is different. But expect things to get GRAPHIC. For some readers that may be a plus. For others not so much. MULTIPLE POINTS OF VIEW. Again, every reader is different. I've been reading--skimming--through the GoodReads reviews. Some love, some hate, everyone has opinions. I personally did not care for the multiple points of view at all. I think because they seemed RANDOM and BIZARRE. Okay, I'll try to clarify. This wasn't an every-other-chapter dual narration. You might have half a dozen chapters of Ivy's point of view and then suddenly be thrown into someone else's head for one chapter and one chapter only. I would have preferred to see Ivy's point of view alternating with either Emmett OR one of the other ladies. But trying to get most/all of the competition to have one chapter each was offsetting. THE TWIST ENDING. It's like you spend 98% of the book with it firmly being a SMUTTY, SMUTTY YA romance with fantasy undertones. Like very steady, predictable, formulaic, both feet planted in steamy romance. Then the last two percent is like you are thrown--crashed??? tossed????--into the complete opposite genre. The contrast is so SUDDEN. And the ending is so abrupt. Not even a pause between BIG, BIG REVEAL and boom it's over.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

7. Today, Tonight, Tomorrow

Today Tonight Tomorrow. Rachel Lynn Solomon. 2020. 364 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: The text jolts me from sleep a minute before my 5:55 alarm, three quick pulses to let me know my least favorite person is already awake. Neil McNair--"McNightmare" in my phone--is annoyingly punctual. It's one of his only good traits. We've been text-taunting since we were sophomores, after a series of morning threats made both of us late for homeroom. 

Premise/plot: Rowan Roth and Neil McNair are fierce (and feisty) competitors (and classmates). Only one can be valedictorian, both desperately want it. Today Tonight Tomorrow is the story of their last day of high school. (Or perhaps their last weekend before graduation on Sunday.) They'll spend much of this day together...

The jacket copy reads, "Today, she hates him. Tonight, she puts up with him. Tomorrow...maybe she's already fallen for him." The premise is 100% predictable. Competitive classmates turned love interests. 

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one mostly. I think Rowan and Neil make a cute-and-compatible couple, for the most part. I think they are capable of bringing out the best in each other. Granted, they haven't always been thoughtful or kind. This is definitely a YA romance. It would make a fun rom-com as well. 

One of Rowan's big things is her obsession with romance novels and her desire to write (and publish) romance novels herself. So much of the text of Today Tonight Tomorrow is a defense of--an argument for--romance novels. She asserts that romance novels are essentially feminist and empowering. In a world where women are objectified so often, so blatantly there are romance novels where women are never objectified. I'm not sure I completely buy her argument. [Though you could argue that they are more balanced perhaps--men are objectified too.] Perhaps it's an author by author, book by book, series by series, publisher by publisher, decade by decade thing. I can certainly think of plenty of examples of UNhealthy relationships--abusive, manipulative, etc--depicted in romance novels. There were decades were it was okay--more than okay--for the "hero" of a romance novel to VIOLENTLY assault the heroine of the novel only to have her swooning over him and falling head over heels in love with him a few encounters later. I've certainly encountered romance books where women are objectified. Though perhaps the romance novel was calling out objectifying behavior without condoning it. For examples, books where heroines are saved by heroes from dangerous situations. Rowan, however, seems to have grown up reading different kinds of romance novels--or perhaps she has a blind spot or two. She loves how reading romance novels makes her super-comfortable and honest with all the sex-talk and sex itself. 

I should have been suspicious of all this romance novel talk to see where this one would eventually end up. So much of the novel is on the "light" side. Not clean exactly. But more on the sweet-and-flirty side and not the steamy side. But. By the end of the day my giddy-making, sweet rom-com had turned graphic--very. 

Again, I'll mention for the millionth time that I know I am completely in the minority. So don't let this dissuade you from reading the book itself. For those looking for a sex-positive YA rom-com with well-developed characters...then this one may prove a great fit.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

24. How Not to Fall In Love

How Not to Fall in Love. Jacqueline Firkins. 2021. [December] 239 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: I'm kneeling in front of Frosty the Snowman's lesser-known and more flamboyant cousin, Fluffy the Sparkle Monster. Buried inside Fluffy is a very slim, very non-fluffy bride-to be. 

Premise/plot: Harper, our heroine, is skeptical when it comes to romance. Her next-door-neighbor/best friend, Theo, however, is all in for romance. He falls in love on the first date no matter how that first date goes. Harper wants to protect Theo's heart from his thousandth break-up (I am definitely exaggerating on the number). The set-up is simple: 1) can Harper date her crush, Felix, without falling in love??? 2) can Theo learn to read the signs better and not fall head over heels especially when it's not reciprocated. 

Meanwhile, while all these dates, near-dates, and non-dates are happening, Harper has to help manage her mom's bridal shop.

My thoughts: Keep two things in mind really, 1) I have not read all that much YA romance in the past few years. I did read a good bit of YA romance a decade ago. But not lately, so maybe a LOT has changed. 2) Reading is subjective obviously. 

Predictable Tropes. Possible issue #1. This isn't my issue, mind you, but one I've seen addressed generally speaking when talking about romances. This one makes use of both the boy-next-door that-I-never-noticed AND best friends to lovers. Harper and Theo's togetherness is inevitable from page one. Everyone knows it.

Love Triangles. Possible issue #2. This can be a little more problematic for me generally speaking. In this one, there is a definite love triangle--or a very weak love rectangle. Harper is lusting after Felix and Theo. Theo is lusting after Harper, but, "dating" the people he's matching with on an app. And also Harper's friend/co-worker, Pippa. Felix has eyes only for Harper, at least so far as we can tell as readers. But Harper, as I mentioned, has eyes for multiple guys at the exact same time. Perhaps because she doesn't believe in love and romance?

Smutty content. I would imagine that 90% of readers would not find the content problematic. I know without a doubt that I am in the minority here. I speak up because even though I'm not in the majority, I don't think I'm completely alone either. Sometimes when you're trying to decide if a book is for you or not for you, it helps to find reviews that mention the level/degree of "smuttiness" for lack of a better word. 

What I liked: The premise has potential. This could be a cute/adorable teen rom/com with film potential. You can almost hear the soundtrack. You know every step of the journey before the opening credits are finished, but you are left with a big smile on your face. Did you notice my use of "could"? I think the potential was there. And I think some/many/most might enjoy this one exactly as is.

The biggest strength is the characterization of Theo. She does a great job in showing (not telling) exactly why Harper falls head over heels in love with him.

I also appreciated that Felix was never rejected because he was "bad" or "a jerk." So often with love triangles, one is "better" than the other. Perhaps one is controlling or has a temper or is neglectful or is narcissistic, or is pushy/demanding. Felix has a certain amount of swoon-factor going for him.

What I didn't like: I tend to think of romances as being on a spectrum. 0 being no sexual content. 10 being might as well be a movie. 5 being PG-13. I found the novel to be VERY graphic. I'd rate it somewhere between an 8 and a 9. As I said, some readers may be HURRAY, bring on the steamy-steam! I'm not the right reader for this one. Romance doesn't have to equal bare skin.

© 2022 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews