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Behooved
by M. Stevenson
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
From birth, Bianca has been trained to as "how high?" when her parents tell her to jump - so when her parents tell her she is to marry the neighboring kingdom's heir in a bid to stave off war, she dutifully packs her bags and leaves everything she knows behind. Yes, Bianca grins and bears it - even when her new fiancé is cold and aloof; even amidst her own worries about her mysterious illness; even when what could possibly be the worst wedding night ever ends in an assassination attempt and her new husband turning into a horse. When the sun sets and her horse-husband Aric returns to his two-legged form, it's to find that Bianca has been framed for his murder; that there's a plot bigger than the both of them lurking in the background; and that they only have a few days (days being the operative word, since Aric returns to his horsey form during the day) to figure out how to reset everything before their absence spells war. With time, options, and possibly their hearts galloping away faster than the wind, Bianca and Aric have a lot of work to do.
I need some studio to pick this story up and turn it into a late 90s, early 2000s banger of a movie IMMEDIATELY - I'm talking "The Princess Bride", "A Knight's Tale", "Ella Enchanted" realness. This book has everything: the fairytale of a lifetime for the horse girl buried (or not buried, it's 2025 live your best life while you can); YEARNING; bookish soft MMC X chronic illness (literal) warrior FMC; queer rep; one bed/one stable; having to get over your first impression of someone and apologizing for it; parental angst; a sister who's a chaos junkie; forgiveness; and sassy back-talking to courtly idiots. I had so much fun listening to the audio for this book, it was a perfect road trip companion, and I wish there was a sequel to this story because I would eat it all the way up (something something hay is for horses). Can't wait for M. Stevenson's next book!
I need some studio to pick this story up and turn it into a late 90s, early 2000s banger of a movie IMMEDIATELY - I'm talking "The Princess Bride", "A Knight's Tale", "Ella Enchanted" realness. This book has everything: the fairytale of a lifetime for the horse girl buried (or not buried, it's 2025 live your best life while you can); YEARNING; bookish soft MMC X chronic illness (literal) warrior FMC; queer rep; one bed/one stable; having to get over your first impression of someone and apologizing for it; parental angst; a sister who's a chaos junkie; forgiveness; and sassy back-talking to courtly idiots. I had so much fun listening to the audio for this book, it was a perfect road trip companion, and I wish there was a sequel to this story because I would eat it all the way up (something something hay is for horses). Can't wait for M. Stevenson's next book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content