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.

3.5 stars

This was my first time reading this author, and I went back and forth on my rating the entire time. On one hand, I genuinely enjoyed it. It was more entertaining than I expected, and my teenage self was fully here for the love triangle and all the fantasy elements. On the other hand, once I stepped back and looked more closely at the story, the plot holes and missed opportunities became hard to ignore. In the end, it landed at a solid middle-of-the-road rating. It’s a pretty average story, but I still had fun with it, and I can absolutely see the appeal.

Content-wise, there’s some mild language, but not much. For spice, I’d rate it about two peppers. There’s one heavy make-out scene and one open-door scene that isn’t especially graphic and could easily be skipped. There’s also a lesbian couple worth noting.

What really held my attention was the vibe. It felt like The Selection with a layer of magic, faeries, and forbidden love, which I enjoyed. That said, it leaned more New Adult than YA to me, especially with the darker themes and added spice. I wouldn’t recommend it for younger teens, but older readers could probably handle it fine.

This is labeled as historical fantasy, but I could have used much more world-building. I had to keep reminding myself it was set in the Victorian era because it rarely felt that way on the page. I wanted more atmosphere—lavish parties, balls, and details that really ground you in that time period.

The same issue came up with the magic system and the fae elements. The queen and others are supposed to be faeries, but it never fully came across. There’s very little description or sense of magic, and I often forgot they weren’t just regular humans. I wanted more—more magic, more distinct fae qualities, more immersion.

The trials were entertaining in the moment, but looking back, they felt low-stakes and fairly tame. I kept waiting for more tension and higher stakes, something that would make those scenes feel intense and gripping, but it never quite got there.

As for the characters, they felt pretty flat overall. No one really stood out, and I didn’t get a strong sense of personality from most of them. I did like the occasional POV shifts to the other contestants, which added a nice layer, but I wish there had been more drama and conflict among them. It felt like a missed opportunity, especially given the competition for the prince’s hand.

The romance didn’t fully land for me either. I didn’t feel much chemistry between Ivy and Bram or Ivy and Emmett. I usually love a good love triangle, but this one left me wanting more. I was also a bit thrown off by the level of spice for something categorized as YA. It reads much more like New Adult and would probably be better suited for an 18+ audience.

The writing itself felt a bit awkward at times, with more telling than showing, but it was easy to follow and quick to get through. The pacing was decent, though I kept wanting things to escalate more consistently. The story does pick up toward the end, but I would have loved more action and momentum throughout.

Overall, the idea is strong, but the execution didn’t quite live up to its potential. There’s a really good story in here somewhere, but it feels like it was left on the drawing table.

I really wanted to love this, and while I didn’t, I ended up liking it more than I expected. Despite all its flaws, I kept wanting to pick it up, and I was invested enough to care about what happens next. I’ll definitely be continuing with the sequel, especially with that cliffhanger ending. If the premise appeals to you, it’s worth trying; just go in with low expectations.