Bound to the Wild Fae

Fortune Favors the Fae #3

by Tavia Lark

Hiding from the fae isn’t an option anymore.

Folly is a fortune teller, according to the sign outside his tent. Actually, he’s a nervous wreck and a total fraud. His golden eye might be magical, but Folly doesn’t see the future. He sees the dangerous, beautiful creatures lurking in the shadows between realms. Avoiding the fae keeps Folly safe—

Until a misfired curse binds him to one.

Yarrow is a wild fae. Half fae, half other, and all seductive confidence. He’s on a quest to slay a monster and earn his place in the summer court. An easy task for a warrior like Yarrow.

Not so easy when the monster’s curse tethers him to a terrified human.

Now, Folly and Yarrow can’t leave each other’s proximity without agonizing pain. Folly is desperate to return home, but to break the curse, he has to follow the intimidating Yarrow into a world full of the creatures he’s spent his life hiding from.

And Yarrow’s familiar homeland seems far deadlier when he has a tiny, fascinating human to protect.

Bound to the Wild Fae is a part of the multi-author series Fortune Favors the Fae. From spicy to sweet, zany romps to epic adventures, there’s something for everyone in this mystical series. Discover destiny and true love and follow the coin on its fickle journey to the next world and a new magical adventure.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fae, M M Romance, Magic, Paranormal, Queer

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 13, 2024

About the author

Tavia Lark writes m/m fantasy romance and erotica. Her favorite romance tropes include hurt/comfort, sharing a bed, and enemies to lovers. She writes from a sunny little apartment with the constant "help" of her fluffy cat. He just really likes typing, okay.

Join Tavia's mailing list for announcements about new books (plus a free story!):
https://tavialark.com/list

And check out Tavia's Patreon for bonus stories, behind the scenes content, and weekly chapters from new WIP novels:
https://www.patreon.com/tavialark

Plus, there's a Facebook group!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/tavia...

Reviews

[Iz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freaking lovely.
Tavia Lark, the writer you are!
"Bound to the Wild Fae" was literal joy in book form.
Now, THIS is how you write a lighthearted, funny, heartwarming romance without sacrificing emotional depth, feelings and character development. I know I've said this every single time I've reviewed a Tavia Lark book, but she's seriously one of the best fantasy writers out there.
Her books feel like they were made for me, and her latest gem is no exception.
I had the time of my life: Yarrow and Folly stole my heart and soul, and I never wanted to leave them and I never wanted to leave Elladar, despite the monstrous plants, the sneaky fae and the evil shapeshifters. The world-building was so vivid! I'm seriously hoping we'll be back in this world ASAP, because there's so much more left to explore; and there are quite a few interesting side characters that have "MAIN CHARACTER" stamped on their forehead.

Yarrow and Folly are both fabulous protagonists. Yarrow stole my heart, with his wit, his flirty and hilarious self-confidence and I also adored seeing his more secret, vulnerable sides too; and Folly was a delight. He's an anxious mess, but he's also brave and good and the sweetest man ever. Their relationship stole my soul, and their chemistry and dynamic were top-notch, truly, no notes, just absolutely *chef's kissing sounds* delicious.

I think I might have underlined half of their interactions. Plus, the steam was STEAMING. Gah, I don't know how Tavia Lark does it, but *fans herself* I desperately need more of this.

< “Fucking spirits,” Yarrow breathes, staring down at him with something dangerously close to adoration. “I want to…” Folly lifts his chin, baring his throat in surrender. “What do you want to do?” Yarrow leans down. His hair spills over Folly’s shoulder, and his words hook into Folly’s soul. “I want to tie you up and fuck you for hours.” >

There's nothing I love more than a touch-starved, anxious mess of a person finding their very adoring, very "I've no pride, I just want to worship you", soulmate. Bonus points if said soulmate is A HUNK (and Yarrow is definitely that; plus, he has horns, and a whole lot of stamina. He had me kicking my feet and twirling my hair the whole time *sighs*)

I enjoyed this book so so so so much. The plot was an absolute delight: pesky curses and forced proximity, dangerous magical forests and sentient trees, scheming faes, quests and a whole lot of secret reveals. I seriously never wanted it to end.
But, oh god, that ending was beautiful. Absolutely, 100% satisfying, and I'm already looking forward to re-reading this.
I can't wait for Tavia's next masterpiece!

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tend to enjoy this author and her lighter takes on mm fantasy, but this didn't do it for me. I didn't think the characters had much chemistry, nor did the build between them really feel natural. Folly's traumatic history wasn't really explored in any kind of depth, and Yarrow went from a playboy to committed in the blink of an eye. Meh and phoned-in.

[Jane aka Coughy019 (Safety info included) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tropes: hurt/comfort, human/fae, forced proximity
Feels: 4.5/5
Steam*: 2.5/5
Kinks: bondage
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: past coercement/indentured servitude, dangerous deals with the fae, silence, absentee parents (but Yarrow's mom Crocus is delightful)

4.5 Stars

Folly is 24, a human. He has a mysterious gold eye that allows him to see magical things and see the fae. He doesn't know how he got it, he's had it since he was a child. Some would consider it a gift, but it's made him a freak to those around him and caused him a lot of trouble. He works as a fake fortune teller in a circus because of his oddity. He's been downtrodden on during his life. His boss is manipulative and has forced him into basically indentured servitude. One day a creature named Moriath stumbles upon him and wants to hurt him and take his power. Coincidentally, a Fae, Yarrow, has been tasked with hunting and killing Moriath and stumbles upon them right in time to save Folly. But Farrow and Folly end up accidentally bound to each other, unable to go more than 20 ft apart and then pain strikes them at the separation.

Yarrow has lived a wild and free life, flitting around from one place to another, seducing anyone he fancies. He's 77 which is young for Fae years. He wants something from the fae queen (that will give his mother who's been banished from the court some social justice) in exchange for killing Moriath. They have to rely on each other to break the curse, kill Moriath. Along the way, they start to really care about each other and they have to figure out a way to stay together too.

This was a delightful book. I picked this up because a Goodreads friend (Iz) recommended it as one of her favorites from the series. It was a great rec! The thing I liked the best about it was that Folly the human was the brains, he kept on being the one that came up with such smart ideas, who figured out some mysteries and outwitted certain powerful folks and had the wiles to get the best of others. You don't always see the puny human in this rule. And I also loved how Yarrow saw Folly as so precious from the very beginning. Folly had no self-esteem or sense of self-worth, but to Yarrow he was everything and so desirable in many ways. Yarrow had such tenderness towards him, he wanted to ravage him of course, but he also got so much contentment just from looking at him, having him within touching distance, just getting to hear Folly talk about anything and everything made him so happy. And Yarrow was so protective of him and put him first! Book boyfriend goals!

I loved the twisty plot and the creative solutions that the MMCs came up with for their problems. There was some great moments of comedy too. I loved the conclusion of this book, it was very satisfying as an ending. And I liked that Folly got to get some justice with Roland.


Some notable moments:

"“Are you taking a shit?” Yarrow asks from twenty feet away. Folly hates everything, from himself to the gilded trees. “Will the plants... get angry about this?” Instead of laughing like Folly expects, Yarrow says seriously, “That’s a great question. No, these ones won’t.” The specification is not reassuring. “Awesome,” Folly mutters, and musters his nerve."

This little moment reminded me of Doctor Who, fond association! "“Um, are the trees supposed to move?” Folly asks quietly. The rustling leaves suddenly sound sinister. This could either be a fun educational opportunity or a disaster. “Plenty of trees move.” Yarrow shifts, readying himself for movement. “This is an important question. What color are its leaves?”"

"Folly’s only worn the tunic once. Hummingbird will be furious if Yarrow ruins it so soon. Her priorities are skewed, of course. The scarlet silk is worthless compared to the treasure beneath. Folly’s wiry muscles, the sparse hair on his chest, the freckles. When did Folly get sun on his belly? Why wasn’t Yarrow there to see it?"


*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.

**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.

[Bizzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think maybe I need to stop reading books in multi-author series because 90% of the time they’re a big step down from the author’s usual work, and unfortunately, this book was no exception. I thought Lark did a good job creating an interesting fae world (the magical plants were probably my favorite part of the story, honestly), but everything else fell flat.

I didn’t feel a connection between these characters at all, and they both felt like cardboard cutouts compared to characters in Lark’s other books. Folly is anxious and awkward, but his thought processes are insufficiently explained, and his anxiety goes away whenever the story needs it to. And Yarrow is just a dude with an axe who likes to fuck. Lark has written some fun himbos and uncomplicated fighter characters in the past, so I’m not sure why it didn’t work here. I’m not sure why any of this didn’t work, because it seems like it should have, but the normal Tavia Lark magic was missing.

And although “magical coin that travels between stories” is a pretty good through-line for a multi-author series because it gives the authors a lot of freedom, the coin in this story didn’t do anything! It felt pointless and unnecessary. It plays a role in the characters’ last decision before the epilogue, but I feel confident they would have come up with the same idea without the coin’s presence. I really wonder how this would have turned out if Lark hadn’t had to spend time including the coin in the first place.

[Alexia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

"Concentrating on his scuffed boots, Folly counts out two dozen breaths. Then another dozen. Being scared is all right. He can do it anyway."

This was fun,it was a very warm and cozy story.
I saw myself so much in Folly,the way the author described anxiety here was exactly how I feel every day.
It doesn't matter if you did a task a million times already,it will still fill you with dread.
The aspects of BDSM that the author implemented here were done with care and respect.
Dominance and Submission is a very hard relationship to write about since you have to understand first that the power rests in the person how is a sub and not in the person how is a dom and I think the author understood that.
Yarrow was in the beginning an airhead and he didn't much think before he jumped into into any task but by the end of the book he learns that to protect Folly he needs to stop and think about the consequences and that was a well written character development.
The relationship between them was wonderful to read about,it was light and very healthy and I loved that they always talked openly and honestly with each other.
The sex scenes were done well,they have a dom/sub relationship in the bedroom and it was written with sensibility.
The only thing that made me rate this 3.5 stars was the ending.
It felt very rushed.
I was expecting more from the magical eye that Folly had and the way it was so easy to kill the villain was a let down.

[Bekka]

Yarrow is shallow. Ooh it rhymes :)
And well Yarrow stays kinda shallow and doesn't have much depth - he's there to provide Folly with patience and care.

I picked this up for bingo thinking it would probably provide a only one (not a) bed situation and it kinda does - they have to share a tree :D - but thought it would also do well for a fantasy/paranormal read which it did. It was sweet and I enjoyed the storyline but I felt like the characters could have been more fleshed out and more in love like I've seen in other books by Lark.

A bit exhausting to read with a metric-programmed brain since I had to keep computing how many metres their binding allows them to be at now.

Tags: accidental bond, MC has never felt safe or loved, mention of a pumpkin, only one tree, outcasts building their own world

NSFW infos
- 24 year-old smol human who is fae touched (has only had sexual experiences in the past that weren't fun like offering body for place to live)
- 77 year-old big fae-satyr with white hair and horns who is a playboy and hasn't really found his purpose in life yet (tops)
- coming from only penetration

[Jess Grayson (bookspastbedtime) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE BONDING TROPE !! I LOVE FAE !!! I LOVE GAY !!!

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Well, I read a Tavia Lark book that I was disappointed in. Then read one that I loved. And now this one which was good not great. Ah well, maybe I'll try another one at some point and see where it lands. I didn't realize this was a book that's part of a large multi author series that follows one magical coin. I have read books with a concept like this and they're fun so maybe I'll try a few more from this one.

This book is the very definition of forced proximity. Folly, the fae touched human and Yarrow, the wild fae end up cursed - bound together. The curse makes it so that they experience blinding pain if they travel more than 20 feet away from one another. A fun little plot device.

I actually am low key obsessed with Folly. He is the most anxious of anxious bois and he was so relatable. His social awkwardness and his overthinking and catastrophizing... ugh I just wanted to burrito him in some blankets and give him hot chocolate and pets! But he was also brave and clever and I just loved him! He spent his whole life feeling like a "freak" because of his fae touched eye - he never belonged.

Yarrow was sort of a himbo golden retriever and I really liked him too. He was flirty and over confident but he was also very gentle with Folly and treated him with kindness and respected his boundaries. He also helped bolster Folly's self confidence by telling him all the great things he liked about him - and he can't lie. Yarrow also felt other - half high fae and half satyr he didn't belong in the summer court.

Not a lot of plot going on but weirdly also not a lot of relationship development either. I wish the story had taken place over a longer period of time so that we could have seen the two of them actually get to know each other and come together a bit more. Also, the sex had the potential to be delicious - I love restraint and D/s dynamic. It would've worked so well with Folly's need for someone else to make the decisions and his desire for praise and for Yarrow's love of rope work and his desire to take care of Folly. Instead we got like 2 very brief scenes that didn't show enough of the dynamic that I wanted for them. Disappointing. What was not disappointing was the lovely way these two found a place to belong with each other.

All in all, a decent fun little read but I won't be thinking about it after and I probably wouldn't reread it.

Nicknames: sweetheart, little human

“I’m Folly.” Yarrow grins. “That’s an ill-omened name.” “It’s a nickname.” Folly winces. “My parents named me Philostrate.” “Folly’s a great name,” Yarrow amends.

I’m not gorgeous.” “One of us only speaks the truth, and one of us lies.” Yarrow retrieves the tankard. “Who should we believe?”

“I know you’ll return to your home. I know we won’t be bound together. But fleeting as this is—tonight is important to me.” He leans in for a kiss. “You’re important to me.”

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Safety (may contain spoilers)

SA/rape: None though Folly's employer continuously harasses him.
Other person drama: No others. This is one of those where one of the MCs is a playboy and they talk about how much sex he has which I dislike but that's a personal thing.

[Ronie Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever read a series involving a sassy fae coin. Every book after...waiting for it it to let out the snark. Only to preen when it gets a compliment

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine?

Nowhere near the quality of the author’s usual work but still enjoyable enough to finish without feeling rage.

I didn’t feel a single ounce of connection between the characters, but I enjoyed the plot and the world the author built.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, that was fun. Great characters, great worldbuilding, intriguing plot, loved the ending. Tavia Lark delivers another winner!

[Cindaren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freaking loved this. Folly and Yarrow are delightful, oh my goodness. And I loved how the little bits of the story all wove together with the surprising twists and turns. Loved it.

[winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a lot of lines that cracked me up. Yarrow reminded me of Edin (from Lily Mayne’s monstrous series) crossed with even more Thor-like banter and swagger somehow. Tavia Lark’s books are always cute, so this was fun.

Spice: 2-3/5
Angst: 2/5

[Adaline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always so weary about multi author series, but this is Tavia Lark so I couldn’t not read it.

Solid 4 stars. I wish we got more books from her about this. Cause I love the way Lark develops a multi book series and the world that comes with it.

[Cadiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent world building makes up for the writing tense

35*

This definitely grew on me, the world building was excellent, even if the third person present tense was an annoying narrative choice.

As with the last book, Coin is hardly present in this story too, until the very last section and, while I liked how it chose to interfer at that point, it didn't really make it feel like it was necessary to do so.

Folly and Yarrow were both interesting people, I liked the slow burn nature of them getting to know and trust each other, even if Yarrow's twist from wild fae playboy to someone wanting to commit to a human in spite of the difficulties, seemed a tad abrupt.

The other big twist I found interesting, rather than annoying, although I could see how it could also evoke that feeling in the reader.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy, sweet read. The main characters are adorable and, despite forced close proximity, they aren't instantly madly in love. They take some time, talk, get to know each other, and learn to appreciate each other.

Points off for spelling/grammatical errors.

Points on for the twist at the end that I didn't see coming.

This next point will contain slight spoilers so, be warned!!




SPOILERS!!!!



Did I miss something or did the coin have absolutely no affect on this? I mean, in the first two books, the coin was a decent part of the storyline. In this one....not so much. I mean....okay, at the end, it helps them figure out where they live....by disappearing and making them come up with a different option. There was so much magic going around and yet the coin, what connects all of these books, was barely there. It occasionally got brought up, was seen as magical, but....it does so very little....and I guess that kind of disappointed me.

Not a bad book, but not great. I am curious to see what happens in the next book. I'm pretty sure I'll be continuing on with this series throughout the summer.

[Natalie H · Rating 2 out of 5]

August 2024
Kindle edition

Fortune is not favoring the fae so far. The second one in a row I couldn't get into. Folly's eye was interesting. The close proximity could've been entertaining, but Folly was jaded and Yarrow was a bit self absorbed. It was more the journey instead of the destination quest. Folly grew in confidence at the end and Yarrow mellowed out, but I didn't really get romance from them. Best bit was the mother and her antics. Coin didn't do anything this time around.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lighthearted for the most part, I found the characters loveable! I feel both characters showed growth and I really liked them as a pair. The world was interesting and echoed many of the stories we know about fairies but in a way that felt fresh.

[Valleisu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cutesy patootsie

[nisie draws · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adorable romance!!! Love Yarrow's immediate need to protect his small human!!!

[Demian Grimm · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐

[•:*´¨binx ¨`*:• · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 ✨
If Tavia Lark writes it, I’m gonna read it and I’m gonna have the best time, every time !!

[Christina]

2.5 Stars

[ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

°˖✧✿✧˖° bound to the wild fae by tavia lark °˖✧✿✧˖°

rating : ★ ★ ★ ★

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

﹒⟢﹒tropes ﹒⟢﹒

✨misfired curse
✨fae/human
✨journey to break the curse
✨realms, memories and magic

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Tavia Lark writes such cozy, lovely and light mm fantasy romances. Folly and Yarrow are so cute together. Folly a nervously human is scared of fae and Yarrow is a fae and so so confident. They are polar opposites yet when a curse binds them together, Yarrow is so sweet and caring to Folly.

The book takes us on a journey with them to find who cursed them and find a way to break the curse. The journey is scary but Yarrow and Folly fit perfectly in each other’s world. They learn about each other’s kind from the other.

Folly is so clever once he is comfortable around Yarrow and it is Yarrow which is so fascinated by it all. The clever human, his clever human. And how they do not want to leave each other when the curse breaks.

The last scene when they get lifemarked together and are forever bound to each other. They are so sweet.

All the credit for them being together goes to……*drum roll* THE MAGIC COIN 🪙

A COZY ROMANTIC READ WITH LOW HEAT AND LOW STAKES BUT WILL STILL LEAVE YOU HAPPY.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

BOOKS READ FROM THE SERIES

Bound to the Wild Fae - Book 3 - 4 Stars
Fae for Pay - Book 9 - 3.95 Stars

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE Tavia Lark's story - and I was SO HAPPY that her story in this multi-author series is a brand new one definitely NOT related to any of her other series (authors tend to use their previously established universe in multi-author series, and sometimes it annoys me when I know nothing about that world before)

Bound to the Wild Fae features a human that desperately need taking care of, a confident wild half-fae half-satyr, and a curse the bound them together (close-proximity trope!!). I loved reading the progress in Folly's character. He's so fidgety before, and he lacks confidence. Folly doesn't think that he's good enough, beautiful enough, smart enough. THANKFULLY that he met Yarrow, eventhough it was under a curse.

Yarrow is definitely good for Folly. But I think Folly is good for Yarrow too - because he starts to really care about this human. And I loved how they work together to beat the villain.

I seriously don't mind if Tavia Lark makes this a series in the future :)

[Kazza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I pre-ordered this book, was really looking forward to it, but it's taken me weeks to finish it.
I'm used to Lark's characters being fully realised but Folly and Yarrow just... were. There was nothing bad about the MCs but there was nothing that made me gravitate toward them either. I'll likely forget their names within the week, and I'm not used to that with this author.
There were different fae and fae adjacent characters, it was interesting enough development of a world but only if the characters were strong within it.
I can't give it any less than 3 stars because it's not bad it's just slow, and, at most, two-dimensional.

[Malina Ran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute

A little predictable and the conflict resolution was a bit anticlimactic but overall it was a cute story. Lots of sweet fluff.

[Amparo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lark is a good writer, but this was a disappointment. The plot was threadbare, the characters were two-dimensional, and the setting was an uninteresting generic fantasy land.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

fabulous story, outstanding characters,great cover

Rating: 5🌈

Honestly, this series is making me deliriously happy. Outstanding authors, fantastic theme, and the storylines are just so excellent. It’s really spoiling me for any other multi author series to come.

That mischievous little otherworldly Fae coin is now interfering with the lives of two intriguing people. One, a wild fae, Yarrow, whose been given a mission by his Queen to kill a mysterious shapeshifter in order to return to her court. The other is a man in the human realm, one terrified of the Fae, who has a Fae’s golden eye that he was “given” one night as a child.

Tavia Lark, an auto read author, starts immediately weaving her tale of two men on a collision course with each other, and Lark does so in a way we get a definitive impression of each character’s personality.

From his actions to his thoughts, it’s clear how unsettled the human Folly is in his current situation. He’s hiding, and it’s not just the fact that he has a golden eye that’s kept hidden under an eye patch, it’s more than that. Lark’s creating a glimmer of Folly’s past for the reader to see by allowing his fears, his reliance on lies and mistrust to build a portrait of his history as something painful and unreliable. Outstanding work. What an incredible character.

Yarrow will turn out to be just as compelling as Folly, albeit in a different manner. His issues are tied to his parentage, how it’s affected his mother and her relationship to the Court. He’s light hearted and exuberant yet feels emotions deeply.

Lark creates several realms for Folly and Yarrow to travel through on this dangerous journey to complete Yarrow’s mission and break the curse they’ve been set with.

I’ve read several of Lark’s series and her characters are all so beautifully written. Just as Folly and Yarrow, but it’s seen through smaller but equally intriguing beings that are essential to the story and their mission. They pop up, make huge chunks of emotional impact, and the reader wants to know more about them, especially when we meet up with them again at the end.

The plot or plots are entertaining, well layered with mysteries, and full of magical elements and creatures. I was absolutely absorbed by them, this couple, and the story every bit of the way.

And I found myself thinking about how it would be a great start to a new series as well for the author. I’d love to see more about this universe and the characters we met.

Bound to the Wild Fae (a Fortune Favors the Fae Book 3) by Tavia Lark is a fabulous tale of magic, adventure, mystery and love. It’s an amazing book and a must read.

Love that cover!

Fortune Favors the Fae - 15 books:
- [x] A Fae Coin Transported Me Into Another World and Now I'm the Gay Holy Maiden by AJ Sherwood #1❤️
- [x] The Wolf's (Un)Lucky Fae by Michele Notaro #2 ❤️
- [x] Bound to the Wild Fae by Tavia Lark #3 June 13❤️
- [ ] The Sorcerer’s Thief by Lee Colgin #4 - June 20, 2024
- [ ] The Fae Menagerie by Edie Montreaux #5 - June 27,2024
- [ ] Never Darling by Sam Burns #6 - July 4,2024
- [ ] Prince of Poison by Alice Winters #7 - July 11,2024
- [ ] Grave Misfortune by Nazri Noor #8 - July 18,2024
- [ ] Fae for Pay by Meaghan Maslow #9 - July 23,2024
- [ ] Kisses at the Crossroad by Morgan Lysand #10 - August 1,2024
- [ ] Smoke and Mirrors by Kai Butler #11 - August 8, 2024
- [ ] Siren in the Rain by Chloe Archer #12 - Aug 15,2024
- [ ] I Destroyed the Elf Prince’s Harem by Jocelynn Drake #13 - Aug 22,2024
- [ ] A Fae Called Wylder by Michelle Frost #14 - Aug 29,2024
- [ ] Lucky or Knot by Eliot Grayson #15 - September 5,2024

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bump the coin, I wanna know what's goin' on with Tansy and Hummingbird

I honestly feel really bad for not liking this book, especially since there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's an adventure fantasy rom-com that's actually funny and you don't have to be a high fantasy connoisseur to enjoy it. But if I'm being honest, I was pretty bored reading this.

First up, compliments because there are many. I love the imagination here. This is a Fae world that feels very lived in and is just different enough from what we expect that it's interesting. There are little nods to typical genre convention but this does feel like its own thing and I liked that. The descriptions are rich and lush without being flowery. I know a lot of people don't love the fish out of water trope but I happen to like it. It allows us to learn about our world without info dump. 

Speaking of Folly, I liked him a lot. He went from this scared debt ridden fake fortune teller to hero. I love his arc and the growth felt very natural. I also really like how we're not just told he's smart and clever, were shown. The same goes for Yarrow. Playboy fae with a heart of gold, we love to see it. He's confident at the right times and vulnerable when it matters. He's also very kind and we see that throughout the book. It's clear as day how these two fell for each other.

I get why people like this book. I wanted to like this book, but I just felt.... nothing. 

Something about this book, and subsequently all the books I've read by this author, feels hollow. I don't think it's my inability to suspend my disbelief and fall into the story, because I can do that and I have. This was more like going through the motions and checking boxes. It's funny but there weren't any laugh out loud moments (at least for me). The action isn't heart stopping because you know this characters aren't in any real danger. While the twists were cool and I didn't see them coming, they left the ending feeling anticlimactic (Plus that thing at the end with the coin was stupid, I'm not sorry). The romance was sweet but I didn't swoon because I didn't feel any intense passion. As for the smut, it's built up to be something sensual and hot but it's there and gone so fast, it barely gets a passing grade. This could have been closed door and it wouldn't have made a real difference. I mean, I wouldn't have bothered reading this if it was closed door so maybe that's why it's not.

A lot of people like this author and I want to but I just... don't. Like, my favorite parts of the book where the world and the twist, not the romance. As much as I liked Yarrow and Folly I wanted to know more about Tansy, the fox fae and they're literal traveling hotel. I wanted to spend more time with Hummingbird and her dress shop, who was black by the way. I'm pointing it out because there's very little diversity in fantasy books so it was much appreciated here. That casual diversity makes me feel even worse for not loving this because I should! But when I'm more interested in things outside of the actual romance, when I feel absolute apathy about it, that's when I know something's not for me. This author isn't for me and that's okay because there are a lot of people out there who they are for and I think that's beautiful. For me it's three stars but have no doubt a lot of people will enjoy this book. It's definitely worth checking out. Just skip that thing at the end with the coin, it's dumb and not worth it.