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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
3.5⭐ rounded up to 4. The miscommunication trope is a strong pet peeve of mine. I also tend to dislike books where plot seems to have been written around popular tropes. That being said, this was a short (only 10 hours) and easy-to-listen-to audiobook that made me laugh and kept me entertained. The voice actor was also great!
Note: I received an advance audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback.
Two things made me kick my rating up a notch:
1. the last 30% (which were fast paced and where the MCs *finally* stopped hating each other), and
2. the horse/riding puns and *accidental* innuendos (which made me cackle a few times).
I disliked how the FMC was needlessly offended by eeeeeeveryyyything the MMC did for most of the book. It felt like an attempt at creating drama and extending the slow burn. I also didn’t feel much chemistry between the MCs---it seemed like physical attraction and similar trauma were the only things uniting them. Still, I liked the disability / chronic illness rep, the LGBTQ rep as well, as the MMC’s sweet, bookish disposition. (Justice for fair-haired walking green flags who like to read!) Some of the side characters were also great. (Looking at you, Tatiana!) And while Ialwaysoften cringe at male voices from female narrators, Natalie Naudus delivered a solid performance here. Finally, I feel like mentioning again how I loved all the horse/riding puns. Because they were amazing. Seriously.
If you enjoy short and easy reads, romantasy standalones, cozy fairytale vibes, disabled / chronically ill MCs, horse and riding puns, and characters in their mid and late twenties, this book is for you! However, if you can’t stand the miscommunication trope, it might be a skip.
Tropes to expect: forced marriage, magic misfire, cursed prince, wrongfully accused, only one bed, only one stall in the stable (!), grumpy x grumpier, slow-burn romance.
❤️ Chronic illness rep (although a predictable plot twist lessens the impact)
❤️ Funny innuendos and horse puns
❤️ Voice actor
❤️ The last 30%
❤️ Aric and Tatiana
❌ *All* the miscommunication
❌ Abrupt shift in romance between the MCs about 70% in
❌ Predictable plot twists
❌ Spoonfeeding / repetitions
❌ Wonky telepathy system
❌ Bianca
Trigger warnings: chronic illness, emotional abuse, animal cruelty, violence, death, murder, blood and gore, vomit, poisoning, injury and injury detail, ableism, self-harm, etc.
Follow me on Instagram: @bibi.reads.writes
Note: I received an advance audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback.
Two things made me kick my rating up a notch:
1. the last 30% (which were fast paced and where the MCs *finally* stopped hating each other), and
2. the horse/riding puns and *accidental* innuendos (which made me cackle a few times).
I disliked how the FMC was needlessly offended by eeeeeeveryyyything the MMC did for most of the book. It felt like an attempt at creating drama and extending the slow burn. I also didn’t feel much chemistry between the MCs---it seemed like physical attraction and similar trauma were the only things uniting them. Still, I liked the disability / chronic illness rep, the LGBTQ rep as well, as the MMC’s sweet, bookish disposition. (Justice for fair-haired walking green flags who like to read!) Some of the side characters were also great. (Looking at you, Tatiana!) And while I
If you enjoy short and easy reads, romantasy standalones, cozy fairytale vibes, disabled / chronically ill MCs, horse and riding puns, and characters in their mid and late twenties, this book is for you! However, if you can’t stand the miscommunication trope, it might be a skip.
Tropes to expect: forced marriage, magic misfire, cursed prince, wrongfully accused, only one bed, only one stall in the stable (!), grumpy x grumpier, slow-burn romance.
❤️ Chronic illness rep (although a predictable plot twist lessens the impact)
❤️ Funny innuendos and horse puns
❤️ Voice actor
❤️ The last 30%
❤️ Aric and Tatiana
❌ *All* the miscommunication
❌ Abrupt shift in romance between the MCs about 70% in
❌ Predictable plot twists
❌ Spoonfeeding / repetitions
❌ Wonky telepathy system
❌ Bianca
Trigger warnings: chronic illness, emotional abuse, animal cruelty, violence, death, murder, blood and gore, vomit, poisoning, injury and injury detail, ableism, self-harm, etc.
Follow me on Instagram: @bibi.reads.writes
adventurous
fast-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
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was expecting a fun silly book about a woman who's husband turns into a horse. Instead I got a heartfelt and genuine book about disability, parental neglect, and unconditional love where a woman who's husband turns into a horse.
It was relatable in ways I never could have expected and possibly one of my best reads of the year for how much it impacted me personally.
It was relatable in ways I never could have expected and possibly one of my best reads of the year for how much it impacted me personally.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I picked this up on a whim for a trip and it was very light and cute! It's part of the new wave of disability fantasy rep (celiac, in this case, which isn't really a spoiler if you know anything about celiac), but the characters were sweet (love a princess who's clear-eyed about politics and marriage) and there were plenty of horse shenanigans. I did appreciate how quickly the initial misunderstanding gets cleared up once the horse magic happens, which meant a lot less sniping and more bonding than I had expected from the summary.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
A fun, slightly spicy cozy romantasy! Perfect for the mood I was in. Loved the characters and the world building.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Behooved is a standalone cozy-ish romantasy by M. Stevenson. Bianca is sent off to marry the ill-reputed heir of a neighboring kingdom in order to stave off war. Their first meeting confirms all of her worst fears about Prince Aric, and things go from bad to worse on their wedding night. An assassination attempt leads to a spell going awry, magically transforming Aric into a horse. Accused of his murder, Bianca runs away with her stallion husband who only turns back human at night. Now they must work together to unravel the curse, uncover the assassination plot, and save the throne just in time for Prince Aric’s coronation.
The moment I read the description, I knew I had to pick it up because of just how ridiculous and campy it sounded (in the best way). And I’m happy to say it delivered exactly that. The book knows how silly it is and absolutely leans into it with charm and confidence. It is fast-paced and a light read with a cozy vibe despite the not-quite-low stakes. It’s an enemies-to-lovers romance with miscommunication and only-one-bed tripes. There’s a bit of spice and even more banter.
Bianca and Aric make for a fun pairing. Bianca can be frustrating at times with how self-critical and judgmental she is, but it’s rooted in understandable insecurities stemming from her upbringing and chronic illness. Meanwhile, I adored Aric with his grumpy stubbornness and unexpected tenderness. I do wish we got chapters from his perspective too. Also, I’m a sucker for awkward magical hijinks (of course he’s naked when he transforms), and this book delivers those moments perfectly.
Behooved is a breezy steamy romantasy that fully commits to its horsey chaos. A genuinely fun read, whether or not you were a horse girl.
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I guess this one is for all the horse girlies, of which I am not.
I dunno. This was just boring for me.
It was uninspiring; the characters and worldbuilding were not terribly involved, the plot was weak, and I found myself anticipating the end just for my reading experience to be over.
It’s a cozy romantasy and it was not my cuppa tea.
I dunno. This was just boring for me.
It was uninspiring; the characters and worldbuilding were not terribly involved, the plot was weak, and I found myself anticipating the end just for my reading experience to be over.
It’s a cozy romantasy and it was not my cuppa tea.
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Hodder & Staunton, Netgalley and the author for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was super whimsical, beautifully written and really intriguing. The hidden disability / chronic illness rep was handled sensitively and I loved the message of inner strength and power, in spite of physical setbacks and familial judgement.
The rest felt like a tale of two halves personally, I loved the magic system and the setting, and wanted to see more from the world building, as aspects felt quite rushed and pieced together haphazardly. The romance between the two main characters also fell flat, as it was super slow burn up to around 60-70%, and then all of a sudden was a full relationship and expressions of love. I did love Aric and his character was very sweet, but I wanted more from our two MCs.
Finally, the conclusion came together very quickly, and whilst the lead up was slow, the last 25 pages sailed through the wrap up super quick which left the pacing very stilted. All in all I did enjoy this read, and it was a cute, cozy story with plenty of sweetness.
This book was super whimsical, beautifully written and really intriguing. The hidden disability / chronic illness rep was handled sensitively and I loved the message of inner strength and power, in spite of physical setbacks and familial judgement.
The rest felt like a tale of two halves personally, I loved the magic system and the setting, and wanted to see more from the world building, as aspects felt quite rushed and pieced together haphazardly. The romance between the two main characters also fell flat, as it was super slow burn up to around 60-70%, and then all of a sudden was a full relationship and expressions of love. I did love Aric and his character was very sweet, but I wanted more from our two MCs.
Finally, the conclusion came together very quickly, and whilst the lead up was slow, the last 25 pages sailed through the wrap up super quick which left the pacing very stilted. All in all I did enjoy this read, and it was a cute, cozy story with plenty of sweetness.