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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I liked this book but I don't think I'm a contemerary romance reader.
adventurous
funny
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In this queer Anastasia retelling, a descendant of the Ibaranian Royal guard makes it her life mission to track down the missing heir and clear her family’s name. Makeda Hicks has been told her whole life that she is a princess after her grandmothers affair with a runaway prince, but being a princess hasn’t been working out for her. Now, she loses her job and her girlfriend in one day, and the last thing she wants is a reminder of the infamous tale that has ultimately ruined her life. Beznaria Chetchevaliere, who works the World Federation of Monarchies, is assigned the task of tracking down the missing heir. When Bez, breaks into Makeda’s life (literally), a deal is struck for her Makeda to return to Ibarania to claim her spot, involving a sketchy plan, a fake marriage, and lots of tension.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t love this as much as I was expecting. I have adored Cole’s previous books but something about this one fell flat to me. I really enjoyed the main characters and their chemistry, but the overall plot felt a little all over the place and... boring— only to pack the resolution into a rushed finish that did really surprise me! But overall wasn’t exactly what I wanted. I just didn’t connect with the story like I usually do with a romance and at some points I found myself wanting to skip ahead. I think the slow burn aspect was a little too slow for my liking and the conflict between them felt somewhat repetitive. I was hoping to learn more about Ibarania too. Overall, it just isn’t a stand out story for me personally. I loved the representation, especially how normalized the queer rep was, and there was some funny banter and good steamy scenes. I’ll still be reading more of this authors work for sure!
Rating: 3/5 Stars
*thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t love this as much as I was expecting. I have adored Cole’s previous books but something about this one fell flat to me. I really enjoyed the main characters and their chemistry, but the overall plot felt a little all over the place and... boring— only to pack the resolution into a rushed finish that did really surprise me! But overall wasn’t exactly what I wanted. I just didn’t connect with the story like I usually do with a romance and at some points I found myself wanting to skip ahead. I think the slow burn aspect was a little too slow for my liking and the conflict between them felt somewhat repetitive. I was hoping to learn more about Ibarania too. Overall, it just isn’t a stand out story for me personally. I loved the representation, especially how normalized the queer rep was, and there was some funny banter and good steamy scenes. I’ll still be reading more of this authors work for sure!
Rating: 3/5 Stars
*thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Abandonment
Minor: Toxic relationship
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Makeda Hicks loses her job and her girlfriend in the same day. Reeling, she's forced to move back with her grandmother and help out at her bed and breakfast. Being back with Grandmore means hearing more about when Grandmore supposedly had a passionate affair with the Prince of Ibarania--leading to Makeda's mother. Makeda has no patience for this story, as her mother's obsession with being a Princess dominated Makeda's entire childhood. When it never panned out, she disconnected from life (and Makeda), receding into alcoholism and forcing Makeda to grow up fast. When Beznaria Chetchevaliere, an investigator for the World Federation of Monarchies shows up at the B&B, claiming to be looking for Ibarania's missing heir, Makeda wants nothing to do with it. But the beautiful and chaotic investigator is surprisingly persuasive. Can she convince Makeda to go with her--and is Makeda indeed the heir to Ibarania?
"No adventures, no drama, and always there to lend a helping hand, even when her hands were full, that was Makeda."
This was one of my #Pride reads for June, and it sounded so cute. There were definitely funny and enjoyable moments, and I'm always glad to see queer romances in the world, but overall, this one didn't really work for me. I am a sucker for a good Hallmark movie, but even I couldn't get into this crazy idea--an unhinged royal investigator, a reluctant heir... and eventually a lot of fakedating and a cargo ship. It was all too much.
It's hard to believe the instachemistry between Bez and Makeda, especially as we do not get a lot of backstory on the two women. Makeda's "will I go with Bez or won't I" takes an inordinately long time--it was incredibly frustrating. Just decide already! Things are repeated over and over, making the story feel inordinately long. Being unable to get into the characters or their romance, it was just hard to really love this one. The pacing and timing always seemed off. I wound up skimming the last half just to find out what would happen, otherwise it would have been a DNF.
"No adventures, no drama, and always there to lend a helping hand, even when her hands were full, that was Makeda."
This was one of my #Pride reads for June, and it sounded so cute. There were definitely funny and enjoyable moments, and I'm always glad to see queer romances in the world, but overall, this one didn't really work for me. I am a sucker for a good Hallmark movie, but even I couldn't get into this crazy idea--an unhinged royal investigator, a reluctant heir... and eventually a lot of fakedating and a cargo ship. It was all too much.
It's hard to believe the instachemistry between Bez and Makeda, especially as we do not get a lot of backstory on the two women. Makeda's "will I go with Bez or won't I" takes an inordinately long time--it was incredibly frustrating. Just decide already! Things are repeated over and over, making the story feel inordinately long. Being unable to get into the characters or their romance, it was just hard to really love this one. The pacing and timing always seemed off. I wound up skimming the last half just to find out what would happen, otherwise it would have been a DNF.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What I Liked:
- I liked the plot concept - the book was described as a "queer Anastasia retelling" which I definitely got.
- The character arcs between Makeda and Bez were really well fleshed out - it was very clear to see the growth each character had and the reasons these characters ended up where they did.
- I really liked the ending - it was a little rushed, but it was completely unexpected which was a nice change of pace for a romance novel.
- Fantastic representation!
What I Didn't Like/Wanted More of:
- Pacing was too slow and ending felt rushed.
- I didn't "get" the chemistry between the two women.
- Side characters were incredibly interesting but fell incredibly flat overall. I wanted more about them.
- I didn't find myself liking the characters enough, mainly Bez.
You Should Read if You Like:
- Anastasia
- Slow-burn romance novels
- Great queer representation