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A review by bookishinorlando
Behooved by M. Stevenson
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a fun, low stress read with an entertaining premise. I’ve seen other reviewers mention this book is inspired by “My Lady Jane”, and I definitely see what they mean by that.
I listened to this on audiobook. Natalie Naudus narrates the audiobook and as always she kills it! She gives such outstanding performances. Good pacing, clear character voices, and easy to stay engaged with her speaking.
The main plot of the books starts out when Prince Aric turns into a horse on his wedding night due to magic neither him nor his new wife Bianca, the FMC can explain during an assassination attempt. They have to try to figure out what happened and who’s behind it, which leads them on a wild but fun *forced proximity* adventure.
The story is cozy romantasy mystery. Not a lot of deep worldbuilding, but enough to follow. But I really don’t want deep world building when it comes to cozy and lighthearted books so for me it was great. The mystery part isn’t subtle, there’s really only one suspect, and you start guessing at who that is right away, but that’s fine. The focus stays on the two main characters and their relationship.
Bianca the FMC, has a chronic illness (with symptoms that sound similar to mine so I related to her every time it was mentioned!), and it’s handled well. No magical fixes or cures which was a nice break from a lot of books that mention chronic illnesses. She’s not weak because of it, just tired of pretending it doesn’t matter or exist. Aric is awkward and a little closed off, but they’re both trying in their own way. It’s a forced marriage setup with miscommunication and slow trust.
Some stuff doesn’t make sense if you think too hard about it. But if you’re here for a soft cozy fantasy with solid characters and a lot laughs, this works. I’d read another book by this author.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this ALC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Publish date is set for May 20, 2025.
I listened to this on audiobook. Natalie Naudus narrates the audiobook and as always she kills it! She gives such outstanding performances. Good pacing, clear character voices, and easy to stay engaged with her speaking.
The main plot of the books starts out when Prince Aric turns into a horse on his wedding night due to magic neither him nor his new wife Bianca, the FMC can explain during an assassination attempt. They have to try to figure out what happened and who’s behind it, which leads them on a wild but fun *forced proximity* adventure.
The story is cozy romantasy mystery. Not a lot of deep worldbuilding, but enough to follow. But I really don’t want deep world building when it comes to cozy and lighthearted books so for me it was great. The mystery part isn’t subtle, there’s really only one suspect, and you start guessing at who that is right away, but that’s fine. The focus stays on the two main characters and their relationship.
Bianca the FMC, has a chronic illness (with symptoms that sound similar to mine so I related to her every time it was mentioned!), and it’s handled well. No magical fixes or cures which was a nice break from a lot of books that mention chronic illnesses. She’s not weak because of it, just tired of pretending it doesn’t matter or exist. Aric is awkward and a little closed off, but they’re both trying in their own way. It’s a forced marriage setup with miscommunication and slow trust.
Some stuff doesn’t make sense if you think too hard about it. But if you’re here for a soft cozy fantasy with solid characters and a lot laughs, this works. I’d read another book by this author.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this ALC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Publish date is set for May 20, 2025.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness