Faint Hearted

Cursed Fae #2

by Leia Stone

An inter-connected romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. MaasWith the curse that’s plagued their lands for the last two millennia running out of control, the task now falls to the Fall Court princess, Aribella, to stop it from spreading further.

Genres: Fantasy, Fae, Romance, Magic, Audiobook, Romantasy, Enemies To Lovers

Audiobook

First published October 1, 2024

About the author

Leia Stone is the USA Today bestselling author of multiple bestselling series including Matefinder and Wolf Girl. She's sold over two million books and her Fallen Academy series has been optioned for film. Her novels have been translated into five languages and she even dabbles in script writing. Leia writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance with sassy kick-butt heroines and irresistible love interests. She lives in Spokane, WA with her husband and two children.


Follow her on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/leia.stone

Reviews

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing Cold Hearted, I immediately picked up this book.
Not because I needed convincing.
Because I was already completely invested 😭✨

These books feel like the fairytales I loved growing up, except they're written for the adult version of me. Princesses, curses, magical kingdoms, dangerous quests, impossible choices... I genuinely cannot resist this combination.
And honestly? Faint Hearted delivered exactly what I wanted.

One thing I loved was how connected everything felt.
This isn't one of those companion series where every book exists in its own little bubble. We get to see the aftermath of Dawn's story, revisit characters we've already grown attached to, and watch the larger world continue moving forward.

I also ended up loving Aribella.
She's stubborn, determined, and fully convinced she can accomplish the impossible — which honestly made her incredibly fun to follow ⚡

And then there was Stryker.
Because apparently I have a weakness for emotionally damaged men with tragic backstories and trust issues.
Who knew? 😭

While I had some of the same frustrations I experienced in book one, I still devoured this in a single sitting. The fairytale atmosphere, the romance, the adventure, and the emotional moments completely swept me away.

At this point, I was already reaching for Broken Hearted before I'd even finished writing this review 💖🌺

───♡─────────────

✧ rating: 4.5 ✧
✧ would I reread? yes
✧ will I continue the series? immediately
✧ emotional state: emotionally attached to another Ethereum Lord

✧ summary: Aribella, princess of the Fall Court of Faerie, becomes the next champion chosen to journey into Ethereum and steal a black heart in order to save her kingdom. Unlike the Summer Court, however, the Autumn Court has never sent one of their own before, leaving Aribella vastly unprepared. When she arrives in Ethereum, she lands directly in the hands of Stryker, the ruthless Lord of Easteria, who immediately throws her into his dungeons. As she fights to survive, hidden powers awaken, loyalties begin to shift, and saving Faerie may require more sacrifice than she ever imagined 🍂🗡️🌙

───♡─────────────

♡ THE GOOD:
• The fairytale atmosphere: the fairytale vibe returned in full force, and I was absolutely here for it ✨🌺
• The continuity: I adored how this book picked up right after Cold Hearted, letting us see the aftermath of Dawn's journey 🌸
• Queen Liliana: seeing her here warmed my heart. The way she wanted to save Faerie while still protecting her daughter's secret felt incredibly tender 🥺
• Aribella: such a strong-minded, determined heroine. I loved her grit and confidence ⚡

“‘It’s okay if you don’t believe in me, because I believe in myself,’ I started gently to soften the bite of my next words. ‘But know this, Mother, in less than a week’s time I will go to Ethereum. And the moment I land in front of the black-hearted lord, I will carve that organ from his chest.’ I growled the last part.”

• Stryker: a fascinating and layered character. His backstory genuinely hurt my heart, and every glimpse of vulnerability made me love him more 🥀

“I didn’t say a word, the truth was my heart hurt for the Ethereum lord. No wonder he didn’t trust anyone, no wonder I’d become so valuable to him.
The truth witch.”

• The enemies-to-lovers romance: my weakness. The tension and chemistry between Aribella and Stryker were exquisite 🔥

“When I finally felt as if I had myself under control, I glanced up into Stryker’s gray-blue eyes. So often Stryker’s face was shuttered toward me, but looking at him now was like reading an open book. It was all there, plainly for me to see.
Longing. Sadness. Concern. Desire.
I wondered if he realized how much he was revealing to me.”

• The emotional balance: this story carried such a beautiful mix of fear and courage, hopelessness and hope, hurt and healing 🌙
• The sisterhood: I loved seeing the connections between Dawn and Aribella's stories. Watching the Faerie princesses support one another was genuinely heartwarming 😌
• The freshness: despite repeating the same basic premise, this book somehow managed to feel unique and different from Cold Hearted 🍂
• The ending: once again, the authors wrapped up the main story beautifully while setting up the next book perfectly 🌺

✘ THE BAD:
• The rushed romance: this relationship felt even faster than the one in book one. The marriage proposal especially felt abrupt, like I had missed part of their emotional journey. 😳
• The mission conflict: once again, I struggled with how easily the princesses seemed willing to abandon their missions. I understand choosing love over duty, but the lack of remorse or deeper reflection about potentially dooming an entire kingdom felt unrealistic to me — even within a fairytale. 🌪️

───♡─────────────

xoxo, until the next trip to Faerie 🖤📖✨

「Cursed Fae series」
#1 Cold Hearted — 4.5 ✧
#2 Faint Hearted — 4.5 ✧
#3 Broken Hearted — 4.75 ✧
#4 Black Hearted — 4.75 ✧

[Tetyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

Принцеса Дон не повернулась з серцем темного лорда, тож цю місію доручають Арібеллі. Проте дівчина не готувалась до такої ролі, їй бракує навичок, досвіду і міцного здоров'я. А тут ще й потрапляє до найжорстокішого з лордів — Страйкера, який одразу ж її знешкоджує і кидає до в'язниці.

Мені сподобалась головна героїня. Вона добра, співчутлива, відважна і смілива. Тільки така дівчина змогла розтопити серце холодного і недовірливого лорда.

Страйкер грубий, емоційно закритий, владний чоловік, який має проблеми з довірою через важке минуле. Але під холодною зовнішністю ховається зранене, добре серце.

Ця частина сюжетно краща за попередню, тут події послідовніші і логічніші. Хоча вкінці авторки вирішили собі не зраджувати і наліпили їбєйших поворотів, що на голову не налазять. Я навіть трохи розпереживалась за героїв.

Хотілось трохи більше гумору, перша частина в цьому плані виграє. Тут же атмосфера вийшла більш напруженою та похмурою.

Хоча читалось так само легко і швидко. З нетерпінням хочеться дізнатися продовження про інших братів.

[Pandora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book so quickly! Which makes me sad knowing I now have to wait for book 3 to come out next year.
I loved the enemies to lovers slow burn tension between Aribella and Stryker. Seeing how grumpy he is on the exterior and how caring and kind he is on the interior, and how awfully people have been treating him makes it that much better to have Aribella come into his life.
I loved the introduction to the next two brothers and the little tidbits about their lives. No spoilers but I'm very keen to see how certain things are going to play out in the next book!

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4.5 Stars⭐️
Faint Hearted by Leia Stone is Book 2 in the Cursed Fae series and I liked this one even more.

This book was easily devoured, I absolutely loved this gorgeous fantasy tale. I’m so excited now for the next book in May 2025!

Aribella, Princess of the Fall Court is off on her quest to Ethereum to cut out the black heart of one of the dark Ethereum lords to save her people from a curse after the Summer Princess failed to do so in book 1.

The enemies to lovers was done with perfection. I loved Aribella’s strength of character and determination, despite her frightening health condition she never gave up. Her secret gift was also very entertaining.

Lord Stryker is brutal but also battling his own demons. On their first meeting he throws Aribella into his dungeon which I can’t blame him for all things considered. I enjoying seeing how his character develops throughout the story and it doesn’t take long to warm to him.

There’s a female character in this book who I’m sure will be in the next one, she gives me bad vibes, she’s recently engaged to one of the four Lords, I can’t wait to see what she is up to….

There are some fabulous romantic fun quotes throughout the book.

A fast paced, fun, exciting and whimsical read…. And it gave me the feels.

Publication Date 16 Oct 2024
Publisher HQ Fiction GB

Thanks so much Harlequin Australia for a copy of the book 💖

[DeannaK ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the first book, I devoured Faint Hearted. You get thrown straight into the story, with action, tension and quick progression. Enemies to lovers, one bed and grumpy x sunshine a little too! “I’m not a killer, Stryker. I’m just a bookworm with a weak heart.”

[* YANITA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Перша більше сподобалася 😏

[Milly · Rating 5 out of 5]

So gooood brooo.

I need the next book but it doesn’t release until April 2025 UGH.

I want to know what happens next with the engaged Lord and Isolde.

Loved this story.

5/5

[Chezza's life · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
Second book in this series, love how they're interconnected.

These are such a fun time and have got me out of a couple slumps already. The perfect fantasy pallette cleansers.

Also the stories/plot are just divine and keep me gripped. So easy to read that i fly through them

[Lara Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - again, just like the first book, it’s super fun and feels like a fairytale! Definitely not an overly serious book which I always enjoy. the ending was also great, so much happening and it’s made me excited for the next book to come out 💗

It did at times feel like a copy paste of the previous book in some ways, and I also enjoyed Dawn and Zander’s chemistry more than Aribella and Stryker’s, but overall, another fun, exciting read and I can’t wait for more!

[libraryofetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

So ready for Aribellas story 🩷 and it did NOT disappoint! Leia and Julie are literal perfection when together ✨

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Started off really strong but almost too instalove for my liking.

[Sasha (sashasbookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-3.75⭐️? Not sure how I want to rate this one😅

I enjoyed this book but not quite as much as book 1. It was super fun, quick and easy to read just like Cold Hearted was, but it felt like there was something missing for me? I think maybe I didn’t find Aribella and Stryker’s relationship as convincing. It felt a bit like they went from hating each other one moment to being completely in love the next almost? Like it was lacking that kind of transitional “I hate you but maybe I’m starting to realize you’re not so bad” phase. I don’t know if this was just me and maybe I missed something… because I don’t remember the first book being like that.

Despite that aspect though I really enjoyed this book! This series is so easy to consume, and I really like that it’s a series of interconnected standalones because I feel like that’s something you don’t see nearly as often in fantasy. I’m super curious about what book 2 will be like, Isolde seems like an interesting character and I’m excited to see how she handles the whole… situation (iykyk) I also love how involved the characters from book 1 were in book 2 and I hope that that will continue into books 3 and 4!

Big Thankyou to Harlequin for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review🫶🏼

[Ashley Hobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

great sequel

When Dawn, the Summer Princess, failed to return from Ethereum with the heart of one of the dark lords, the task falls to Aribella, the Fall Princess.

Born with a weak heart and power to control people’s emotions, Aribella is doubtful of her capability but determined to do her task in order to save her people and the rest of Faerie.

However, nothing goes according to plan as she appears through the portal in front of the most brutal, unforgiving, scarred, handsome Lord of Ethereum who immediately throws her into his dungeon.

Is there a possibility her magic can help her save her people?

This was a brilliant second book in this series. The FMC is so strong in her own way and so different from Dawn in the first book. You really feel for the MMC who has had to live thru life being betrayed and yet it’s so sweet the way it’s ended. It’s so quick and easy to read this series as I don’t want to put it down!

[Julie Fuentes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. quick, short and fast paced read, and good palette cleanser

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Initial Thoughts
I was looking forward to carrying on the series and started this one quite soon after finishing The Cold Hearted. I was so impressed that it was Shadow daddy Stryker! I knew I was going to love which ever princess was bound to him. I wasn’t expected it to be this one but poor Aribella got the raw end of the deal didn’t she!
Plot
The plot follows on perfectly from where book one finishes. The seamless continuation really works well for the plot and the change over of main characters worked really well. I enjoyed the adventure that both Aribella and her mission to break the curse and stealing the heart of Stryker. The grumpy x sunshine works so well with these two characters.
Characters
Okay so who’s heart did Stryker not steal when we met him in Cold Hearted? Morally gray? Wields shadows and is grumpy af. But he has strong touch her and be unalived traits and I generally love him for Aribella. The pair of them are polar opposite but work perfect together. Aribella is so underestimated. She gets thrown aside because of her weaken heart, which in turn gives her more strength and the love I felt for her character! She is definitely my favourite of the princesses so far, and I’m writing this while three quarters of the way through the 3rd book.
Recommend
If you’re a dark romantasy lover, pick this up. You won’t regret it. Although maybe start at Cold Hearted first.
Narrating
I really enjoyed the narrating, it flowed well and both voice actors voices matched that of what I imagined the characters to be like.
Overall Wrap up
This series is not disappointing me in the slightest! I am all here for breaking the curse on both kingdoms and I love that each book is from the next princess and lord! The fact the books flows so well from the end of book 1 into this one just makes the crossover to the next set of characters and the next quest that much more effortless. This is a first for me really enjoying a series on audiobook. But after all this is the series that started a love of listening to the words as the way of reading and giving my eyes the break they need. While still reading!!!!
Stars – 4.75 stars. This is a closed door romance.

Book Information – Faint Hearted by Leia Stone and Julie Hall.

Narrators – Narrated by Vanessa Moyen and Adam Gold.

Genre – Dark romantasy.

Length of audiobook – 7 hours and 53 minutes.

Tropes –
Shadow daddy.
Touch her and be unalived.
Forced proximity.
One bed.
Enemies to lovers.

Available on Kindle Unlimited – The Cursed Fae series is not available on kindle unlimited.

Available Formats – Available on kindle, paperback, hardback and on audiobook.

Publishing Information – Published on 10th October 2024.

Format in Which I Read – I enjoyed the book on audio.

Where my copy come From – My copy came from Borrow Box – My library service.

POVs – This is told in dual POV – Aribella and Stryker.

Single/Dual/Multiple Timelines – Told on a single timeline.

1st or 3rd Person – Written in first person.

HEA, HFN or Cliff hanger – Ends in a soft cliffhanger.

Series or Standalone – This is book 2 in Cursed Fae series.

Trigger Warnings – Please check content warnings before reading if necessary and please always remember that your mental health matters.

[Jaye Winkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

As with the first book this is an easy reading, fast paced fantasy and I absolutely loved it!!

I loved how the book followed on directly from the first one and we still followed Dawn & Zander as well as now following our Autumn court princess Aribella and her journey into Ethereum.

“I’m just a bookworm with a weak heart.” I FELT that🤣🤭

I also loved learning more about Stryker and following his character development…

“I told myself i would never fall again. But I don’t know how much longer I can resist you.”

I do feel like there could have been a bit more angst/enemies to lovers vibe between the 2 main characters however I still loved it!!

I cannot wait for Broken hearted in April!! such a fab series so far🫶🏻

[chenaey ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

my rating: ★★★★.5

aesthetic: 🧚🏼‍♂️🫀🗡️🖤☀️🌽📚🐉💎🔥⛓️‍💥

A whimsical tale of strength, love, and curses. This book takes you on a journey through the eyes of a young girl with a weak heart whose spent her life being coddled and underestimated, and the eyes of a scarred fae whose wounds run deeper than the ones visible on his face.

I’ll admit I was skeptical going into this sequel because although I enjoyed the plot in book 1 it still felt rushed to me, but I’m so glad I decided to continue because this book was incredible. The tension, the banter, the character(s) growth, the chemistry, and the overall intensity was *chefs kiss*

Aribella is the epitome of strength. She was born with a heart defect that causes her to faint frequently, so when it became her duty to end the curse spreading throughout Faerie her parents and summer court Queen deemed her unfit for the task. Her determination showed no end and she refused to cower and let her court suffer the consequences. She trained without anyone’s knowledge and learnt the limits of her ability to manipulate emotion all the while battling a weak heart that gave out the second she overexerted herself.

Stryker was the eldest of the four lords ruling over Ethereum, albeit the most scarred of the four as well. Being tricked into loving someone for them to attempt to assassinate him for his riches, it’s understandable that he constantly questions the loyalty and trust of those around him, including his brothers. He vowed to himself to never fall in love again, that is until Aribella appears before him in his dining room and turns his world upside down.

I loved their development together. Aribella’s strength and courage showed no bounds, and Stryker learned to love again and show forgiveness. Their desire for one another was unquestionable so when the f**k it moment hits it is EVERYTHING! The journey taken to save both worlds was so intense it had me gripping my seat. The incorporation of the previous characters and the foreshadowing was articulated so well that it builds a clear trajectory for the beginning of the third book without the series becoming repetitive. I cannot wait for 2025 to see where the rest of these series leads!

[Maaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so so happy I read books one and two back to back.

In book two, we follow the Fall princess Aribella, who prepares to go through the portal to hopefully kill an Ethereum lord. Unfortunately, she lands right on top of her lord's dinner and after a brief scuffle, she is thrown into Strykers dungeon. As these two come to a terse truce with Aribella's abilities being the one that can help Stryker, they grow closer and soon, feelings emerge. But can Stryker let go of the painful past that has caused him to close of his heart completely?

The second book continues the overall plot quite well and I love the new revelations we get about the curses and the world in general. We also get fantastic action sequences in this book as well and I love how they were executed. The love Aribella and Stryker have for each other was also done well and I adored seeing how it blooms.

The next book feels like it might be more emotional than these two and while I am here for it, my heart already aches for one of the brothers and how this all will play out. But I am definitely here for all four HEA's and an epic conclusion to the overall plot.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘It all boiled down to one simple truth Aribella was mine’

Love a possessive fae 😅

Another princess from Fairie & another Lord from Ethereum. Aribella from Fall Court in Fairie has began her training, assuming that Dawn, the summer Princess failed & is dead. The portal will open & Aribella will be sent to Ethereum to cut out the heart of a Ethereum Lord. The rules are, don’t let them speak, kill on sight & return with the heart to save their people & land in fairie. This lord, Stryker however is the most powerful & meanest of the four.

I really enjoyed this book. Stryker has been used by nearly everyone he’s ever known for his riches. when he learns of of Aribella’s powers, which can make people tell the truth, he decides to use her & vet all his men & staff. This takes them on an adventure together to stop some enemies of his & with it, grows complicated feelings & emotions. We get magic, battles, another visit to the wise ones & some other familiar characters also return. It’s an easy, fun and fast paced read.

[Anshul (stories.buddy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh wow, this world keeps getting more interesting with each book. The world created in book one takes a twisted turn in book two with new main characters and their life, union, kingdom and all the feelings that come with it all.

I enjoyed how Aribella made her presence in the new place and how strong she was throughout the book despite her health condition. Her nature is commendable. She is a loyal person and has an amazing personality to read about.

The story is fast-paced with all the needed details and the journey is to look forward to. Stryker was scary when he was introduced in the first book and getting to know him in this book is an understatement. He is fabulous. Now I am waiting for the next book as the title itself is heartbreaking and after reading the glimpse I can see why.

[amalia ✩‧₊˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 ⭐️🙌🏻💛

I loved this!!! Arabella was so lovely and had incredible courage. Her story really resonates with me 💗 Then Stryker… SWOON 🫠❤️‍🔥 I’m obsessed with the whole thing of him slowly opening up to her 🥹 and he cares so much, ugh I wish someone would love me as much too. They are perfectttt <3

The book had tension, romance, action, a battle and some magic of course✨ Definitely a great sequel to the first book and I’m very eagerly waiting for the last 2 books coming in 2025!!!

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this installment of the Cursed Fae series! This book was just as good as Cold Hearted. I loved following Aribella in this story and seeing how her relationship with Stryker developed. This was such a fun, quick romantasy read that had me smiling and rooting for the characters. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series when it comes out and I can’t recommend this series enough!

Read this if you like:

📖 Enemies to lovers
📖 Grumpy/sunshine
📖 Only one bed
📖 Closed door romance

[Ax · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8⭐️ the first book is so much better in my opinion. This just came out as bland and I get that the MMC has issues but like 80% of the book is just him pushing her away and then he saves her then coma for a bit. He was sweet towards the end but I just didn’t like the plot and their dynamic .
Would still read the next book tho.

[Bookish Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This is the second book in the new interconnected standalone series by authors Julie Hall and Leia Stone. Book number one, Cold Hearted, was amazing and book too is just as fun. Our FMC Aribella was strong willed and determined while also being warm and feminine which I enjoyed seeing in a genre filled with cut throat FMCs. Overall an enjoyable read/listen and looking forward to the next!

🔔Content Notes: mild infrequent language, violence, disability representation, trauma, closed door, innuendo

[Alessia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the concept of the series and the romance was cute (no spice) but both the plot and the storytelling were a bit too simplistic for my liking

[Sofia Gaevaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so so good. The world building between the two seperate kingdoms, the character building between each of the characters is just chefs kiss.
Had me hooked from Page 1

[Alisha Brook · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

[Rebecca L · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little book .

[Debbie Holtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect read in one sitting on to book 3 loved it all

[Ellie Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘I’m just a bookworm with a weak heart.’

Fantastic. Fantastic. Fantastic. I ate this up.

Did I feel their relationship was slightly rushed & could have had more lust & hate between them? 100%.

But I love this story & how it follows with each main characters. Finding their mates & fighting to save their land. I can’t wait for the next one & to finally find out what happens at the end for them all.