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Expected 26 Nov 26
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Return to a world sparkling with dark magic and desire with this highly anticipated sequel to the enemies-to-lovers romantasy sensation Rose in Chains…

Briony Rosewood escaped the worst of it – or so she tells herself. Though forced to serve the woman who gutted her kingdom, she has the protection of the powerful Hearst family. But even they have their limits. Now Briony must do the unthinkable: share her magic – and her heart – with Toven Hearst. Once her enemy…now her tentative ally.

Forced to travel to distant kingdoms to play the part of Toven’s adoring heartspring, their survival depends on Briony pretending to love the man whose family helped destroy her own. But the cruellest part is that her treacherous heart has always been his.

While she smiles for the enemy, behind closed doors Briony feeds the rebellion with whispered information and dangerous new alliances. And the Hearsts harbour secrets of their own – but none is darker than Toven’s shadowy, devastating gift.

When the lost daughter of Evermore finally chooses where her heart belongs, everyone will come to know the full force of their combined power – and her wrath.

560 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication December 1, 2026

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About the author

Julie Soto

8 books8,330 followers
JULIE SOTO is a USA Today bestselling author, playwright, and actress originally from Sacramento, CA. Her musical Generation Me won the 2017 New York Musical Festival’s Best Musical award, as well as Best Book for her script. She is a musical theater geek, fandom nerd, and the author of many spicy fan fictions. Julie now lives in Fort Bragg, CA, with her dog, Charlie. She is probably drinking coffee as you read this.

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5 stars
36 (66%)
4 stars
17 (31%)
3 stars
0 (0%)
2 stars
1 (1%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
Profile Image for DianaRose.
1,296 reviews512 followers
Want to Read
July 8, 2025
RAAAAAH THE COVER IS GORGEOUSSSSS🤩manifesting a tour for nyc...

——

ahhh julie released the title!! vine of hearts — cannot wait for december🙂‍↕️🤭

——

needed this yesterday after rose in chains' epilogue 🙏🏼 not to mention we’re getting toven’s pov 👀
Profile Image for brittany:).
334 reviews139 followers
Want to Read
July 19, 2025
I’m still not over this book! I just can’t believe I really have to wait 1.5years to read book 2?😢🥺……but in the meantime chapters in Toven’s pov would be amazing🫣🙏🏾
Profile Image for aqsa .
43 reviews31 followers
Want to Read
July 29, 2026
guys last night i had a dream that i got an ARC for this book. i am not even kidding. #manifesting! 🕯️🧎‍♀️🙈
Profile Image for HJ.
129 reviews
Want to Read
July 10, 2025
Julie has confirmed that we will be getting some of Toven’s pov in this one and I am READY
Profile Image for Lucie V..
1,443 reviews3,841 followers
series-to-continue
July 11, 2025
No title, blurb, or cover yet, but I am SO READY for this sequel. 🥲

Only one and a half years left to wait. 😭😭😭


1. Rose in Chains ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Profile Image for étoile.
137 reviews
Want to Read
October 5, 2025
i dont understand the publisher’s mentally with prolonging the release date THAT much. how do they want us to remember a FANTASY book after nearly two years gap????? it really kills the anticipation sm
39 reviews
Read
July 14, 2025
i’m seated. the bookstore employees are scared and asking me to leave because it ‘doesn’t even have a name yet’ but i’m simply too seated.
Profile Image for Sophie (lambsbooks).
759 reviews153 followers
Want to Read
July 11, 2025
VINE OF HEARTS

omg my heart

I’m on my knees 🧎‍♀️

Please
Profile Image for EM.
300 reviews125 followers
Want to Read
July 28, 2025
Desperately hoping that somehow, my eyes are playing tricks on me. The expected publication date is December 2026?! Are you kidding me?!
Profile Image for Ashley.
14 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 2, 2026
Speechless. 🤯

I finished this book in less than 24 hours. I was completely hooked and could not put it down. Honestly, I would’ve finished it even faster if I didn’t have to sleep. 😂

This was such an amazing sequel to the first book! I’ll admit, I was a little worried about how the story would continue, but those worries were completely unnecessary. The story took me in directions I wasn’t expecting, and I was completely invested the entire time.

I can’t say too much without getting into spoilers, but just trust me—this is absolutely worth the read! ❤️‍🔥
Profile Image for Ash ♡.
168 reviews19 followers
Currently Reading
May 9, 2026
toven's pov?? i think i may die of happiness
Profile Image for Ali Duggan.
398 reviews12 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 9, 2026
I am at a loss for what to say other than:
1. What a dynamic read
2. This lived up to every single bit of hype

You hit the ground absolutely running in Vine of Hearts with a first chapter that's a flashback from Toven's POV that sets the tone for the entire rest of the book. I loved it and was completely sucked back into the world we came to know in Rose in Chains. Julie Soto crafted this story in the same vein as the first in the trilogy in that it's a book you will do anything to avoid setting down until you've consumed the entire thing. She created so.much.tension!!! You know when what you’re reading has you on the edge of your seat and the chapter leaves you on a cliffhanger and then the author has the AUDACITY to begin the next chapter with a flashback and you want to lose your mind a little bit?! (In the best way! We love the tension!) Well, Julie did this but the flashback chapter was something that I've been wanting SO BAD from Rose in Chains and that was the most satisfying flashback ever, maybe? So I went from wanting to hurl my Kindle across the room (again: affectionate!) to feeling like we were given an absolute GIFT with the flashback chapter we got.

Things I loved so much:
-TOVEN HEARST and Toven Hearst's POV chapters
-Every single flashback scene we get this book - we are afforded SO MUCH additional understanding and context and I couldn't get enough
-Snarky, snappy Orion Hearst
-Julie's ability to craft such ambiguous characters & situations that aren't clearly black/white or good/evil
-Fake dating + vacation romance + one bed/cot
-All the times we get to see Briony be an absolute bad ass who comes into her own power
-So much lore!!!!

There is SO MUCH MORE I want to say about my love for this book but I will save it for after my second and third rereads :) to keep the spoilers to a minimum! ALSO: I already know this audiobook is going to be insane and fantastic and I absolutely can't wait.

Thank you so much to Forever Publishing for the digital ARC! All opinions are my own. JULIE. You are a gem and we are the luckiest!
Profile Image for 2raccoonsinacoat.
177 reviews22 followers
October 10, 2026
I love when a romantasy series actually hits, and this one does it for me in a big way.

Fun fact! I joined NetGalley in February after devouring “Rose in Chains” and feeling somewhat bereft at having to wait until December to read the sequel. So…I started requesting ARCs and reviewing with the sole purpose of getting this book early. And here we are.

Anyway, yep, this was great, and now I’m pissed I have to wait again.

“Vine of Hearts” is very different from the first book and much heavier on plot, but I didn’t mind. In fact, I was pretty impressed with the worldbuilding for what it is. There were definitely some plot elements that lost me, and parts of the middle dragged enough that I found myself a little bored, but the ending was a BANGER. If Soto can maintain that momentum, I think things are going to come together really well as the series progresses and I am excited to see it.

The romance does it for me. It’s indulgent, sexy, and plentiful. Toven is already up there with my top MMCs, and Briony is strong without being untouchable. Their relationship is sweet and full of yearning, with all the good stuff that keeps me coming back to romantasy in the first place. The communication issues got pretty close to pissing me off, but that’s a me problem (and also a trope I have very little patience for). I sometimes struggle with the writing and character development in romantasy, but I think Soto does a fair job with both and the plot/romance are strong enough that I can look past the squeaky wheels.

As my dear friend said when I started “Vine of Hearts”, the journey has come full circle. I joined NetGalley because I couldn’t stand waiting for the next book, and now I’ve finished this one and am right back to wanting the third. At least I’m consistent.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Norah Mayer.
25 reviews3 followers
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
October 5, 2026
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Forever for the eARC in exchange for an honest review (of my most anticipated book of the year)!

Vine of Hearts is so agonizingly good and even more devastating than book one, Rose in Chains.

Julie Soto gives you everything you want (a man who yearns more than anyone has ever yearned) and then leaves you dangling on a cliffhanger that makes you want to let go!! Though, I should have known it was coming.

The attention to detail is incredible. The characters are given even more depth, when they were already very flushed out. The pacing was consistent.

Toven makes me want to cry. I just want to given him a hug. Briony, as well. She is so sharp and feeling. Toven sees her and wants her safe.

As someone who read the original fanfiction that this is derived from, I believe that the world Soto created here stands so tall on its own. She has woven such an intriguing world and when we learn more about it, it never feels like info-dumping.

I'm positively devastated I do not have book three in my hands. Pick this up the second you can.

5 stars
Profile Image for Simona Stoica.
Author 19 books780 followers
Want to Read
August 21, 2025
CUM ADICĂ TREBUIE SĂ AȘTEPT PÂNĂ ÎN DECEMBRIE 2026???
Și capitole din perspectiva lui Toven? YES, PLEASE!
Profile Image for Rebeca .
310 reviews8 followers
Want to Read
April 19, 2026
oh I'm going absolutely feral
Profile Image for Ferchu Fray.
16 reviews1 follower
October 7, 2026
It doesn’t happen often that you finish a 560-page book only to go straight back to page 1 and start it all over again.The chapters from Toven’s POV were EVERYTHING. 😭 I absolutely cannot wait for the final book!

ARC courtesy of Forever
Profile Image for Lacey.
45 reviews4 followers
Want to Read
July 18, 2025
Foaming at the mouth for this
Profile Image for Victoria Jade Moss.
26 reviews3 followers
October 1, 2026
This is everything I could have dreamed and more. I’m ruined. Infinite stars.
Profile Image for Dani.
355 reviews23 followers
Want to Read
July 13, 2025
…December 2026? Oh, this wait will be excruciating. Please send help.
Profile Image for Shirley.
332 reviews97 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 9, 2026
This rating may change once I have time to process everything, initial thoughts:
- 3 stars for majority of the book (loved it and hated it)
- last few chapters bumped it up to 4

My memory of Rose in Chains was that it was addictive, but not a lot happened. There was a lot of miscommunication or a lack of communication between Briony and Toven - both loved each other but neither would admit it to the other and there was so much push and pull. To be fair the unequal power dynamic also muddled things a lot, but generally I enjoyed the yearning and back and forth 'I like him/her but he/she doesn't like me back' for the majority of the book. Also loved the school days told through Briony's perspective. The ending left me NEEDING more.

Now, generally I expect conflicts in one book to be more or less resolved by the next book (unless it's an over-arching arc but that should also be slowly revealed over time) so for me, I had expected the miscommunication to be more or less resolved by book 2 and the ending of book 1 to be expanded on in book 2. I did not get either until nearly 90% of book 2. There was SO MUCH unnecessary and repetitive kissing scenes that were all written the same way between Briony and Toven - they both wanted each other but neither knew how the other person felt and all the spicy scenes were performative (i.e they were putting on a show). There was honestly a scene every 20 pages or so and the scenes read like fan faction. I also felt like book 1's ending - knowing not all the important Eversun were dead - was forgotten about for the majority of the book as Briony began travelling around with Toven and Orion, being shown off as the golden heartstring and keeping up performances which involved a lot of intimacy and Toven. I had forgotten how intelligent and superior Briony's magic was but luckily towards the end we got the real Briony back. I also felt that this would've been a spectacular duology - if we consolidated all the important things that happened in books 1 and 2 and this was the ending of book 1, I think it would have been so much stronger.

Okay, now that the rant's over, can I just say that I genuinely did like this book and I'm so desperate to read book 3. I wanted so much for Briony and Toven to just ADMIT THEIR FEELINGS FOR EACH OTHER!! I don't know what Julie put in this book but it was so addictive, I couldn't stop reading.

I loved all the 'before' chapters from Toven's perspective; I feel like in the present day, Toven's a lot more controlled, aloof and unfortunately not very communicative with Briony and oh I miss Toven's schooling days as he had so much more personality. It was great to see things from his perspective - how strong he is, how much work he's had to put into shielding his mind and everything that we knew from Briony's perspective, it was great to read about some of them from Toven's perspective too. Also, I think every woman in the world needs Toven in their life. What he did for Briony at the auction and still does everyday for Briony, he's definitely risen to top 5 of book boyfriends!!

The last 20% was insanely good. I am DESPERATE for book 3 after that ending - I need to know what happens next and what does that ending even mean?!!? I'm so ready for more war, betrayals and surprises (but please don't hurt Briony and Toven).
Profile Image for MontanaInTheMargins.
98 reviews2 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 13, 2026
I had absolutely NO IDEA where this book was going at any given moment. The twists? Unpredictable. The revelations? Jaw-dropping. My ability to formulate a single accurate theory? Apparently nonexistent. I was completely and utterly hooked, desperately trying to piece everything together while simultaneously realising I was approximately seventeen steps behind whatever master plan Julie Soto has concocted.

Can we PLEASE talk about Toven and Briony?! Because I am so ridiculously, wholeheartedly, borderline unreasonably obsessed with these two. Their chemistry, their complexity, their relationship, EVERYTHING. I adore them beyond words, and I would happily read another thousand pages of their story without a single complaint.

What truly sets this series apart for me is the sheer depth and intricacy of the storytelling. The lore is phenomenal, the world-building is immersive, and the characters are so wonderfully layered that even the smallest interactions feel meaningful. Nothing feels accidental. Every detail, every revelation, every carefully planted thread seems to serve a greater purpose, and watching those threads slowly weave together is nothing short of extraordinary. There is so much thought, planning, and intention behind this story, and I am endlessly impressed by the way Julie Soto manages to make something so complex feel so effortlessly captivating.

The writing has completely consumed me. I'm not just reading about this world; I'm living in it, obsessing over its secrets, questioning everyone's motives, and becoming far too emotionally invested in fictional people who absolutely have the right to occupy this much space in my brain but might need to squish over a tiny bit and make some room for the grocery list.

Now I'm supposed to just... wait for book three? Carry on with my life? Pretend I have other interests? Absolutely not.
Julie Soto, whatever elaborate web you've woven here, I am hopelessly, enthusiastically, and irrevocably tangled in it.

An enormous thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Alex.
107 reviews7 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 6, 2026
I have been waiting for this one! If you enjoyed Rose in Chains, you will be so glad Vine of Hearts delivers as a worthy sequel.

I wasn't sure how I'd feel with the flashback chapters, but it does so much to make this less like an abusive Stockholm Syndrome situation and one where there was actually context to the Briony + Toven relationship. This sequel builds so well in context for both past and present, and the relationships are clearly and logically evolving for everyone.

I have grown to be so invested in the Hearsts, Orion included. The way everything and everyone is developed from the past rather than haphazardly cobbled together is enjoyable and makes every unraveling of the story so much sweeter. I would say this one is a bit lighter in tone but still just as bleak as the first novel.

But Briony + Toven... I devoured this in less than 24 hours and would have likely finished if work didn't block out some hours. I have been waiting for this one and am so stoked I was able to get an advanced copy while I eagerly await my preorder.

There is something so satisfying about this book on so many levels that made this worth the wait.

And I will continue to wait for the third, albeit impatiently after that last chapter!

So much thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the galley!
Profile Image for Haley Hylton.
236 reviews9 followers
October 11, 2026
he’s sooooooo down bad
I went into this thinking I knew what was going to happen and turns out I was SO wrong however still a fan
Profile Image for JazSara.
5 reviews
Want to Read
August 6, 2025
PLEASE I want this book RN. 😭Ended ROC yesterday now can't stop thinking abt what's gonna happen next My mind is going crazy with imagining scenarios 😭😭I'm looking forward to Rory and Briony scenes in next book please don't make brother and sister enemies HAHA it happens a lot in books and Briony and Toven's relationship progress 😁 Also I hope Briony will be able to find Cordelia I luv them 🥺
AND HOW CAN I WAIT UNTIL 2026 DEC.. 😭😭😭
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews