What do you think?
Rate this book
A Tale of Mirth & Magic
An elf jewelry maker finds herself on the run with a gentle half-giant in this spicy and cozy fantasy romance—perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes and The Spellshop.
Elikki may not have a family, but she has her fierce independence, boundless charm, and enough talent as a jewelry artisan to make a living on the road—unfortunately, she can’t yet manage to control her chaotic magic—or her temper.
Sweet, soft Barra lives a quiet life with his mas and three sisters, managing the books for his family’s business. All he wants is to blend in—a bit tricky, as a nearly eight-foot-tall purple half-giant.
When Elikki lands in hot water after dealing with a particularly rude customer, Barra finds himself helping her flee the constables. With a bounty on her back—and a severe crush forming on his end—they decide to travel together to the next town. So begins a journey filled with cozy inns, delicious meals, heaps of excellent sex, and a sprinkling of danger.
As their adventures bring them closer and the threat of capture rises,vthey find themselves changing in surprising ways. Together, they may discover unexpected, powerful romance and stronger self-identities—if the bounty hunters don’t get them first.
Elikki may not have a family, but she has her fierce independence, boundless charm, and enough talent as a jewelry artisan to make a living on the road—unfortunately, she can’t yet manage to control her chaotic magic—or her temper.
Sweet, soft Barra lives a quiet life with his mas and three sisters, managing the books for his family’s business. All he wants is to blend in—a bit tricky, as a nearly eight-foot-tall purple half-giant.
When Elikki lands in hot water after dealing with a particularly rude customer, Barra finds himself helping her flee the constables. With a bounty on her back—and a severe crush forming on his end—they decide to travel together to the next town. So begins a journey filled with cozy inns, delicious meals, heaps of excellent sex, and a sprinkling of danger.
As their adventures bring them closer and the threat of capture rises,vthey find themselves changing in surprising ways. Together, they may discover unexpected, powerful romance and stronger self-identities—if the bounty hunters don’t get them first.
283 pages, ebook
First published August 5, 2025
76 people are currently reading
12634 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 398 reviews
November 3, 2025
🍃 Bookish Thoughts
This was the perfect cozy fantasy! With a plus size FMC and a sweetie half giant MMC! I loved the pacing of this book because while it was slower paced, there was an adventurous quest vibe to the story. There was a fair amount of worldbuilding and just overall coziness.
Barra might be my new book boyfriend because he was seriously so sweet 😍
🧡 What to Expect
• Elf jewelry maker FMC
• Gentle half giant MMC
• Cozy fantasy world
• Found family
_ _ _
📖 Final Score: 4.5 stars
🎧 Audio Score: 5 stars
🎙️ Narration Style: Dual
📅 Pub Date: August 5, 2025
📝 Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.
This was the perfect cozy fantasy! With a plus size FMC and a sweetie half giant MMC! I loved the pacing of this book because while it was slower paced, there was an adventurous quest vibe to the story. There was a fair amount of worldbuilding and just overall coziness.
Barra might be my new book boyfriend because he was seriously so sweet 😍
🧡 What to Expect
• Elf jewelry maker FMC
• Gentle half giant MMC
• Cozy fantasy world
• Found family
_ _ _
📖 Final Score: 4.5 stars
🎧 Audio Score: 5 stars
🎙️ Narration Style: Dual
📅 Pub Date: August 5, 2025
📝 Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.
August 3, 2025
A cozy and steamy romance between a plus-size, bisexual elf and the half giant who falls for her hard!
A Tale of Mirth & Magic follows a jewelry artisan named Elikki who has to go on the run after she injures a creep who turns out to be a nobleman. Barra is a sweet half-giant who finds her beauty and bubbly personality dazzling tries to protect her and they end up on the road together.
I liked how this flipped gendered expectations- she just wants a casual hookup with no strings attached, but he can't get physical without his emotions getting involved. There's some commentary woven through about how Barra is treated by prospective love interests that mirrors the experiences of some biracial people, which is interesting. This was a light read that is both sweet and very steamy, without a whole lot of world-building. It's a solid debut and I would read more from this author! The audio narration is great with dual narrators bringing each character to life. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
A Tale of Mirth & Magic follows a jewelry artisan named Elikki who has to go on the run after she injures a creep who turns out to be a nobleman. Barra is a sweet half-giant who finds her beauty and bubbly personality dazzling tries to protect her and they end up on the road together.
I liked how this flipped gendered expectations- she just wants a casual hookup with no strings attached, but he can't get physical without his emotions getting involved. There's some commentary woven through about how Barra is treated by prospective love interests that mirrors the experiences of some biracial people, which is interesting. This was a light read that is both sweet and very steamy, without a whole lot of world-building. It's a solid debut and I would read more from this author! The audio narration is great with dual narrators bringing each character to life. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
October 29, 2025
A Tale of Mirth & Magic is a cozy romantasy full of charming characters, soft adventure, and lots of steamy moments. The story follows Barra, a half giant who has given up on love after never being put first, and Elikki, a vibrant and boisterous fae, who has learned that the only way to protect herself is by keeping people at arm's length. This was such a fun and sweet romance! Elikki and Bara were so good together, I loved how they fell for each other so fast. Their romance was a whirlwind, but with all the mutual attraction coursing between them, the instalust was enjoyable. If you're in the mood for a pocket sized adventure with all the cozy settings, this whimsical romance is the one for you!
June 5, 2025
A Tale of Mirth & Magic by Kristen Vale
Elikki may not have a family, but she has her fierce independence, boundless charm, and enough talent as a jewelry artisan to make a living on the road. Unfortunately for some, she also can’t yet manage to control her chaotic magic. . . and her temper. Sweet, soft Barra lives a quiet life with his mas and three sisters, managing the books for his family’s business. All he wants is to blend in and not make waves—a bit tricky, as a nearly eight-foot-tall purple half-giant.
Rating: ****
Feels: Warm, Adorable, Precious, Found
Style: Fantasy, Adult Fantasy, Cozy Fantasy
First published August 5, 2025 : 288 pages, Kindle
This book was an absolute pleasure to read and left me wanting to curl up with some tea and scones for more. Cozy and oh so spicy with some really fantastic open door spice scenes. I would love to keep Barra as my book boyfriend forever with how thoughtful, protective and overall adorable he was. He was all half giant lavender sweetness and just the most adorable man ever that I didn't know I needed in my book world. He could made me breakfast in bed, protect me , massage my tired feet and look at me lovingly any day !!! El is one lucky lady !!! Also can we just say I loved our curvy, sassy Elikki and getting to watch her slowly thaw and melt for our guy was oh so fun. I loved reading about these two on their cozy adventure as they realized how to heal and love each other. The storyline was just the right amount of adventure, fun and mischief for our crew to get up to. Loved all the characters we got to met along the way !! Really hope we get to see more from this author as I really enjoyed this read.
Favorite quote: Drowsy, I hummed my assent and let my mind drift. " Sweet. You're so sweet." As everything faded and I dropped off to sleep, I felt Barra wrap his arms round me with a sigh. He held me tight and said, "So are you, love."
This book has:
Cozy Vibes
Curvy FMC
Cinnamon Roll MMC
Magic
Queer Friendly Story
One bed
One horse :)
He Falls First
Elikki may not have a family, but she has her fierce independence, boundless charm, and enough talent as a jewelry artisan to make a living on the road. Unfortunately for some, she also can’t yet manage to control her chaotic magic. . . and her temper. Sweet, soft Barra lives a quiet life with his mas and three sisters, managing the books for his family’s business. All he wants is to blend in and not make waves—a bit tricky, as a nearly eight-foot-tall purple half-giant.
Rating: ****
Feels: Warm, Adorable, Precious, Found
Style: Fantasy, Adult Fantasy, Cozy Fantasy
First published August 5, 2025 : 288 pages, Kindle
This book was an absolute pleasure to read and left me wanting to curl up with some tea and scones for more. Cozy and oh so spicy with some really fantastic open door spice scenes. I would love to keep Barra as my book boyfriend forever with how thoughtful, protective and overall adorable he was. He was all half giant lavender sweetness and just the most adorable man ever that I didn't know I needed in my book world. He could made me breakfast in bed, protect me , massage my tired feet and look at me lovingly any day !!! El is one lucky lady !!! Also can we just say I loved our curvy, sassy Elikki and getting to watch her slowly thaw and melt for our guy was oh so fun. I loved reading about these two on their cozy adventure as they realized how to heal and love each other. The storyline was just the right amount of adventure, fun and mischief for our crew to get up to. Loved all the characters we got to met along the way !! Really hope we get to see more from this author as I really enjoyed this read.
Favorite quote: Drowsy, I hummed my assent and let my mind drift. " Sweet. You're so sweet." As everything faded and I dropped off to sleep, I felt Barra wrap his arms round me with a sigh. He held me tight and said, "So are you, love."
This book has:
Cozy Vibes
Curvy FMC
Cinnamon Roll MMC
Magic
Queer Friendly Story
One bed
One horse :)
He Falls First
November 15, 2025
A cozy & spicy romantasy.
This was a fun, quick, low stakes read - great as a palate cleanser and when you’re in the mood for fast burn and spice!
What’s to love…
- Queer MC’s (both fmc & mmc are bi/pan)
- fat FMC
- cinnamon roll MMC
- He falls first
- queer normative world
- anxiety rep
- fast-burn and insta-lust (complimentary)
🌶️- Fast burn, door is wide open. I read via audio so I may have missed a few chapters but… Ch. 6, 7, 12, 13, 17, 20, 24
Audio Narration: 4.5/5 Solid performance, I don’t really have any complaints. Pausing, pacing, inflection and character voice variation were all solid!
| IG | TikTok |
Thank you Forever for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
This was a fun, quick, low stakes read - great as a palate cleanser and when you’re in the mood for fast burn and spice!
What’s to love…
- Queer MC’s (both fmc & mmc are bi/pan)
- fat FMC
- cinnamon roll MMC
- He falls first
- queer normative world
- anxiety rep
- fast-burn and insta-lust (complimentary)
🌶️- Fast burn, door is wide open. I read via audio so I may have missed a few chapters but… Ch. 6, 7, 12, 13, 17, 20, 24
Audio Narration: 4.5/5 Solid performance, I don’t really have any complaints. Pausing, pacing, inflection and character voice variation were all solid!
| IG | TikTok |
Thank you Forever for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
February 26, 2025
Elekki is an curvy elf who travel around showing her handmade magical jewelry. When she gets an obnoxious customer, her temper flares (and with it her magic) and she accidentally breaks his wrist. A large lavender half-giant, Barra, sees the interaction, and breaks the man's other wrist. Turns out the nasty man is a noble and will set a bounty on their heads to get revenge. As they travel together, Barra really falls hard for Elikki, but she sees herself as a total free spirit with no desire for any commitment. Could she change? I enjoyed this spicy cozy fantasy, and loved that Elekki was described as a larger woman. Hoping there will be more books about Elekki and Barra and their world. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advance copy.
July 27, 2025
3 / 5 Stars
This is a cozy, and spicy fantasy about an anxiously attached half-giant and an avoidantly attached elf. When Barra, our half giant, sees Elikki, our elf, he thinks “I am intrigued by this elven woman because she is so alive and fierce and vivaciously herself.” When Elikki sees Barra, she thinks “I’mma climb that half giant like a tree.” And honestly, get it girl. Forced on the run together after pissing off a noble, Elikki and Barra have to deal with their feelings for each other and their difference in wants and needs.
You will probably like this book if you like:
💜 Sweet and horny fantasy
🤎 Soft boy MMC x independent tough girl FMC
💜 He falls first and harder
🤎 Traveling adventure
💜 Queer rep (both MMCs are queer and queerness is excepted throughout the world)
🤎 Anxiety rep
💜 Fast burn, insta-lust, insta-love (the trifecta)
The magical world is light and low stakes (beyond avoiding the bad guys). Elikki is a jewelry maker while Barra is a book keeper. They talk about their toad phobias and eat lots of desserts. Elikki has to learn to control her magic which has cool metal making abilities as well as murdering abilities (she’s trying to do more of the former and less of the latter). And there’s spice, early and often. Even the insta-lust, a trope I don’t usually enjoy, worked here because of how light everything was.
Ultimately, I didn’t love their relationship. I feel like they just really set themselves up for failure. These two are different sides of the same coin: both abandoned by their biological families in some capacity and now they either bend over backwards for love (Barra) or run before love happens (Elikki). Because of that, Elikki isn’t looking for anything long term because she has a nomadic lifestyle. Barra feels like people use him for sex and he has a tendency to get attached. Do they sound like a good match? Absolutely not. Even when they did talk to each other about their relationship, they didn’t get to the full conclusion. I felt kind of bad for Barra. He would constantly try to progress the relationship and Elikki would freak out and not want to talk about it, and his heart would break. They get to a happy ending because this is a romance but it’s hard for me to believe that they won’t just keep repeating this cycle. Maybe we needed a scene of them seeing the magical version of Dr. Orna from “Couple’s Therapy.” 🤣
Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for providing the eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: August 5, 2025
____________
Pre-Read Thoughts: I have kind of been striking out with the male main characters in my contemporary romances recently so maybe this purple, half giant, who has sisters, and seems to love math will get be back on track.
This is a cozy, and spicy fantasy about an anxiously attached half-giant and an avoidantly attached elf. When Barra, our half giant, sees Elikki, our elf, he thinks “I am intrigued by this elven woman because she is so alive and fierce and vivaciously herself.” When Elikki sees Barra, she thinks “I’mma climb that half giant like a tree.” And honestly, get it girl. Forced on the run together after pissing off a noble, Elikki and Barra have to deal with their feelings for each other and their difference in wants and needs.
You will probably like this book if you like:
💜 Sweet and horny fantasy
🤎 Soft boy MMC x independent tough girl FMC
💜 He falls first and harder
🤎 Traveling adventure
💜 Queer rep (both MMCs are queer and queerness is excepted throughout the world)
🤎 Anxiety rep
💜 Fast burn, insta-lust, insta-love (the trifecta)
The magical world is light and low stakes (beyond avoiding the bad guys). Elikki is a jewelry maker while Barra is a book keeper. They talk about their toad phobias and eat lots of desserts. Elikki has to learn to control her magic which has cool metal making abilities as well as murdering abilities (she’s trying to do more of the former and less of the latter). And there’s spice, early and often. Even the insta-lust, a trope I don’t usually enjoy, worked here because of how light everything was.
Ultimately, I didn’t love their relationship. I feel like they just really set themselves up for failure. These two are different sides of the same coin: both abandoned by their biological families in some capacity and now they either bend over backwards for love (Barra) or run before love happens (Elikki). Because of that, Elikki isn’t looking for anything long term because she has a nomadic lifestyle. Barra feels like people use him for sex and he has a tendency to get attached. Do they sound like a good match? Absolutely not. Even when they did talk to each other about their relationship, they didn’t get to the full conclusion. I felt kind of bad for Barra. He would constantly try to progress the relationship and Elikki would freak out and not want to talk about it, and his heart would break. They get to a happy ending because this is a romance but it’s hard for me to believe that they won’t just keep repeating this cycle. Maybe we needed a scene of them seeing the magical version of Dr. Orna from “Couple’s Therapy.” 🤣
Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for providing the eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: August 5, 2025
____________
Pre-Read Thoughts: I have kind of been striking out with the male main characters in my contemporary romances recently so maybe this purple, half giant, who has sisters, and seems to love math will get be back on track.
July 28, 2025
Thank you to @HachetteAudio and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
This one was truly lovely and heartwarming. I adored the characters, and the story was charming and lighthearted. Normally, I gravitate toward books with high stakes, but there’s only so much action one can take! This felt like a breath of fresh air—funny, endearing, and exactly what I needed.
I loved Barra as a character—not entirely comfortable in his own skin, a bit awkward and rough around the edges, but with a heart of gold and golden retriever energy from the start. I especially adored his blossoming connection with Elikki.
Every time I listen to an audiobook by Hachette, I’m impressed by their narrators, and this one was no exception. They did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life!
Goodreads rating: 3.75 stars
This one was truly lovely and heartwarming. I adored the characters, and the story was charming and lighthearted. Normally, I gravitate toward books with high stakes, but there’s only so much action one can take! This felt like a breath of fresh air—funny, endearing, and exactly what I needed.
I loved Barra as a character—not entirely comfortable in his own skin, a bit awkward and rough around the edges, but with a heart of gold and golden retriever energy from the start. I especially adored his blossoming connection with Elikki.
Every time I listen to an audiobook by Hachette, I’m impressed by their narrators, and this one was no exception. They did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life!
Goodreads rating: 3.75 stars
August 8, 2025
I went into this expecting a cozy fantasy romance, but what I got was a cozy and very spicy fantasy romance. This has a higher quantity of intimate scenes than I expected, but also longer and in more detail. No complaints from me, but just be aware that if you are expecting Legends and Lattes based on the cover and blurb, then adjust the expectations a bit.
I enjoyed the plot and the side characters we meet along the way; it was fun and lighthearted throughout. I did struggle with the FMC, though. I kept thinking, "if the MMC presented this behaviour, we'd all consider them highly unlikable or even unredeemable". As an example, the MMC makes it very clear on multiple occasions that he is not interested in one-night stands or easy, meaningless sex. That he is prone to connection and is looking for a life partner. But the FMC continually pushes past his boundaries for her sexual enjoyment and then runs the other way afterwards. I can't support that behaviour in real life, and I never got past it in this book either. Unfortunately, it had a large impact in my overall enjoyment of the book as a whole.
The audiobook was fantastic, and honestly, it was the reason I kept reading.
Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for an advanced listener copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I enjoyed the plot and the side characters we meet along the way; it was fun and lighthearted throughout. I did struggle with the FMC, though. I kept thinking, "if the MMC presented this behaviour, we'd all consider them highly unlikable or even unredeemable". As an example, the MMC makes it very clear on multiple occasions that he is not interested in one-night stands or easy, meaningless sex. That he is prone to connection and is looking for a life partner. But the FMC continually pushes past his boundaries for her sexual enjoyment and then runs the other way afterwards. I can't support that behaviour in real life, and I never got past it in this book either. Unfortunately, it had a large impact in my overall enjoyment of the book as a whole.
The audiobook was fantastic, and honestly, it was the reason I kept reading.
Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for an advanced listener copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 4, 2025
A Tale of Mirth & Magic by Kristen Vale
Paranormal romance.
Elikki is a wandering elf, selling her jewelry at local markets to earn a living. When a rude customer tries to cheat Elikki, she used her magic to send her hair pins and broaches and more to threaten and harm. She ends up breaking the man’s wrist and the authorities are asking questions.
Barra witnesses Elikki protecting herself and is impressed. He doesn’t expect her to offer him a night of passion at the inn that night but before he can do anything the authorities are in the bar trying to track her down. Barra helps her get out of town and they are soon traveling together with passion growing as they travel. He has to go home eventually but doesn’t know how to leave Elikki. He’s fallen for her.
🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook. The audiobook is performed with alternating POV chapters by Evan Elliot and Sarah McEwan. Both did a wonderful job of bringing their characters and personalities to life. I immediately understood Elikki with her live for today attitude and well as Barra’s careful demeanor walking through the market with the words from the page, but more for the performance I heard. Emotions were clear and timing was easy. I did listen at 1.5 and slightly higher so I could easily read along with the print copy.
This is adorable, steamy and delightful. Or for the wandering soul who also wants love.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Hachette Audio.
Paranormal romance.
Elikki is a wandering elf, selling her jewelry at local markets to earn a living. When a rude customer tries to cheat Elikki, she used her magic to send her hair pins and broaches and more to threaten and harm. She ends up breaking the man’s wrist and the authorities are asking questions.
Barra witnesses Elikki protecting herself and is impressed. He doesn’t expect her to offer him a night of passion at the inn that night but before he can do anything the authorities are in the bar trying to track her down. Barra helps her get out of town and they are soon traveling together with passion growing as they travel. He has to go home eventually but doesn’t know how to leave Elikki. He’s fallen for her.
🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook. The audiobook is performed with alternating POV chapters by Evan Elliot and Sarah McEwan. Both did a wonderful job of bringing their characters and personalities to life. I immediately understood Elikki with her live for today attitude and well as Barra’s careful demeanor walking through the market with the words from the page, but more for the performance I heard. Emotions were clear and timing was easy. I did listen at 1.5 and slightly higher so I could easily read along with the print copy.
This is adorable, steamy and delightful. Or for the wandering soul who also wants love.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Hachette Audio.
September 18, 2025
DNF @ 70%. This was so hard to get into. I had extremely high hopes but I just couldn’t do it anymore 😭
July 31, 2025
A tale of Mirth and Magic by Kristen Vale
ARC from Hachette Audio
release: Aug 5th 2025
-this book feels majestical, the descriptive writing had me delulu feeling like i’m in the book
-this was a really cozy fantasy book
-he’s so communicative and caring I love him also he is my favourite colour 👀
-she’s a badass business woman
-the spice was everything
-this book was a fun and cozy romantasy
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ARC from Hachette Audio
release: Aug 5th 2025
-this book feels majestical, the descriptive writing had me delulu feeling like i’m in the book
-this was a really cozy fantasy book
-he’s so communicative and caring I love him also he is my favourite colour 👀
-she’s a badass business woman
-the spice was everything
-this book was a fun and cozy romantasy
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
November 26, 2025
A Tale of Mirth and Magic follows Elikki, a magical jewelry artisan with unpredictable magic that is oft at the whims of her temper. After an incident involving a rude patron, she finds herself unexpected running from the law, and even more unexpectedly so, on the run with Bara, the handsome half-giant who helped her fend off the rude patron. Fiercely independent, Elikki had long sworn off love, having never received it from her parents she’s long lost hope for it from a partner. As for Bara, he’s content with his quiet and lonesome life, that is until his encounter with Elikki leaves him wishing for more. Together, they brave cozy inns, an annoying singing troupe in the forest and various foolish bounty hunters, growing closer together and uncovering more about themselves in the process.
Overall, the book is good, but nothing about it really stood out to me as anything exceptionally special. I did like the cozy atmosphere and also the queer normative world and finding out about the different fantasy races but I would have appreciated more worldbuilding to ground the story. There were some details about the world relating to the characters like where they came from and about their races/magics but given that there really wasn’t much going on in story at large, more detail about the world would have helped to make it more interesting. The characters were good as well, I liked both of their stories but would have liked a deeper exploration of Elikki’s magic, I liked Bara’s story and character better but still enjoyed their romance. Personally, I found the ‘spicy’ scenes rather jarring as the rest of the book was much more juvenile, this is probably just my own preference but I personally don’t like as much ‘spicy’ content in cozy books, but there was nothing problematic about any of these scenes and I did enjoy some of them I just felt that for the length of the book it was a bit excessive and seemed out of place with the rest of the book.
On that note, in my reading vlog for this book (I will come back and link it when I get to posting it) I described this book as ‘sexy Shrek’ and I still hold true to that statement. The general plotline is really similar to that of Shrek, although having recently rewatched that masterpiece of cinema, I feel personally that Shrek is better but is still a good comparison for the general tone and events of the book. I would have liked higher stakes as the impetus to action was just that some bounty hunters were after her because they wanted to question her for assaulting someone in the street, so it just kind of seemed like a rather minor issue at large and sort of seemed just like an excuse to get the characters to be together and helping each other rather than a deliberate plot, but once again, this book is largely about the romance, so maybe it was just my expectations going into it that were a little bit off.
Overall, A Tale of Mirth and Magic is a cute cozy romance perfect for anyone looking for an adult book reminiscent of Shrek.
Overall, the book is good, but nothing about it really stood out to me as anything exceptionally special. I did like the cozy atmosphere and also the queer normative world and finding out about the different fantasy races but I would have appreciated more worldbuilding to ground the story. There were some details about the world relating to the characters like where they came from and about their races/magics but given that there really wasn’t much going on in story at large, more detail about the world would have helped to make it more interesting. The characters were good as well, I liked both of their stories but would have liked a deeper exploration of Elikki’s magic, I liked Bara’s story and character better but still enjoyed their romance. Personally, I found the ‘spicy’ scenes rather jarring as the rest of the book was much more juvenile, this is probably just my own preference but I personally don’t like as much ‘spicy’ content in cozy books, but there was nothing problematic about any of these scenes and I did enjoy some of them I just felt that for the length of the book it was a bit excessive and seemed out of place with the rest of the book.
On that note, in my reading vlog for this book (I will come back and link it when I get to posting it) I described this book as ‘sexy Shrek’ and I still hold true to that statement. The general plotline is really similar to that of Shrek, although having recently rewatched that masterpiece of cinema, I feel personally that Shrek is better but is still a good comparison for the general tone and events of the book. I would have liked higher stakes as the impetus to action was just that some bounty hunters were after her because they wanted to question her for assaulting someone in the street, so it just kind of seemed like a rather minor issue at large and sort of seemed just like an excuse to get the characters to be together and helping each other rather than a deliberate plot, but once again, this book is largely about the romance, so maybe it was just my expectations going into it that were a little bit off.
Overall, A Tale of Mirth and Magic is a cute cozy romance perfect for anyone looking for an adult book reminiscent of Shrek.
August 22, 2025
Actual rating 2.5
Thank you to Libro.fm for the ALC
This felt like someone's LARP fantasy just got read to me. The modern language (and I mean words like 't*ts', 'p**sy', c*ck and the like) really took me out of the story. It's obviously something that isn't meant to be taken seriously but as I said, it really just felt like a bunch of cosplayers acting out at a fair and not a bunch of fantasy creatures living their best lives.
Thank you to Libro.fm for the ALC
This felt like someone's LARP fantasy just got read to me. The modern language (and I mean words like 't*ts', 'p**sy', c*ck and the like) really took me out of the story. It's obviously something that isn't meant to be taken seriously but as I said, it really just felt like a bunch of cosplayers acting out at a fair and not a bunch of fantasy creatures living their best lives.
July 21, 2025
This book is an absolute delight! A Tale of Mirth and Magic is charming from the very first page—full of heart, whimsy, and just the right touch of magic. Kristen Vale’s storytelling feels like a warm hug, and I adored getting swept up in this enchanting world. Perfect for readers who love cozy fantasy with a dash of mischief. ✨📚💫
Big thank you to Forever Publishing for the advanced physical copy!! 🥰
Big thank you to Forever Publishing for the advanced physical copy!! 🥰
August 5, 2025
2.5⭐️A horny elf pressures an adorably shy half giant into sex as they meander around the countryside evading a man who got embarrassed that a woman stood her ground. I had such high hopes for this story but it really fell flat for me. Even as a bodice ripper the scenes weren’t capturing me.
I received an ARC from NetGalley.
I received an ARC from NetGalley.
December 30, 2025
I really enjoyed the characters, story, and writing. Im not a fan of companion novels, but I think they’ve grown on me after reading this one. The one complaint I have is that everything did move fairly quickly with the MC’s relationship. Overall it was a fun and easy read. I hope this author writes more soon :)
August 3, 2025
3.5 stars
This cozy romantasy book successfully told a compelling story in under 300 pages. My favorite part was how it balanced both the funny and serious moments in such an organic way. On the surface, you could pass this off as a silly story, but it was so much more nuanced than that. It explored themes like abandonment, grief, isolation, and feeling unloved and unlovable—just to name a few.
I liked the dynamic between Elikki and Barra because they balance each other well. Elikki is outgoing and charismatic, while Barra is quiet and more reserved. Throughout the story, they brought out the best in each other, which is my favorite way to see a romantic relationship flourish.
Elikki is a plus-sized protagonist, and I loved how confident she was in her own skin. The entire plot didn’t revolve around this, and the story didn’t demonize being plus-sized—something that often happens when this topic is discussed. Body types are just as natural as height, eye color, or skin tone.
I wasn’t as attached to the characters or the plot as I would have liked, and I think it’s because the book was short, so I didn’t get to spend as much time with them. There was also a lot of telling and not nearly enough showing. I want to see why these characters do and feel the way they do—not just be told their motivations.
I listened to this on audiobook, and that was definitely the right choice, as the voice actors did a great job portraying the main characters and emphasizing their personalities throughout the story.
Thank you so much to Forever and Hachette Audio for gifting me an early copy of this book ahead of its official release!
This cozy romantasy book successfully told a compelling story in under 300 pages. My favorite part was how it balanced both the funny and serious moments in such an organic way. On the surface, you could pass this off as a silly story, but it was so much more nuanced than that. It explored themes like abandonment, grief, isolation, and feeling unloved and unlovable—just to name a few.
I liked the dynamic between Elikki and Barra because they balance each other well. Elikki is outgoing and charismatic, while Barra is quiet and more reserved. Throughout the story, they brought out the best in each other, which is my favorite way to see a romantic relationship flourish.
Elikki is a plus-sized protagonist, and I loved how confident she was in her own skin. The entire plot didn’t revolve around this, and the story didn’t demonize being plus-sized—something that often happens when this topic is discussed. Body types are just as natural as height, eye color, or skin tone.
I wasn’t as attached to the characters or the plot as I would have liked, and I think it’s because the book was short, so I didn’t get to spend as much time with them. There was also a lot of telling and not nearly enough showing. I want to see why these characters do and feel the way they do—not just be told their motivations.
I listened to this on audiobook, and that was definitely the right choice, as the voice actors did a great job portraying the main characters and emphasizing their personalities throughout the story.
Thank you so much to Forever and Hachette Audio for gifting me an early copy of this book ahead of its official release!
August 23, 2025
A Tale of Mirth and Magic is a delightful tale about a traveling elven jewler and a shy half giant , who learn to love themselves and each other.
I picked this book up at the used bookstore, entirely because of the cover. I didn't even read the back of the book until I got home.
This book has: Magic ✅️ romance ✅️ spice ✅️ drama ✅️ , and cozy inns ✅️. Its a read thats perfect for anytime of year - whether youre by the ocean in August, or by the fire in January.
I really liked the characters- both Elikki and Barra feel fully developed. They both have fully fleshed out histories that make them feel real, and fully fleshed out. With their relationship - its not so much a miscommunication trope, but more so "we dont really know how to compromise" deal, that often comes across as lack of communication. It was frustrating at times, but I cared about the story and kept reading because I knew the characters would work it out
Id love to have this book be a part of a series- I would love to see more of the magic this world has !
I recommend this book!
I picked this book up at the used bookstore, entirely because of the cover. I didn't even read the back of the book until I got home.
This book has: Magic ✅️ romance ✅️ spice ✅️ drama ✅️ , and cozy inns ✅️. Its a read thats perfect for anytime of year - whether youre by the ocean in August, or by the fire in January.
I really liked the characters- both Elikki and Barra feel fully developed. They both have fully fleshed out histories that make them feel real, and fully fleshed out. With their relationship - its not so much a miscommunication trope, but more so "we dont really know how to compromise" deal, that often comes across as lack of communication. It was frustrating at times, but I cared about the story and kept reading because I knew the characters would work it out
Id love to have this book be a part of a series- I would love to see more of the magic this world has !
I recommend this book!
January 12, 2026
This was a very cute and short romantasy book, with a lovable main couple! I found them to be really unique and I loved the bi4bi rep. The plot was very simple in a really nice way, which let me relax into the romance. Loved it!
🏳️🌈Queer rep: bi/pan female MC, bi/pan male mc. Secondary FF couple, MM couple, nonbinary character, NB/NB couple.
🏳️🌈Queer rep: bi/pan female MC, bi/pan male mc. Secondary FF couple, MM couple, nonbinary character, NB/NB couple.
August 20, 2025
Another cute, cozy fantasy in the books ☺️
July 12, 2025
I received a free copy from the publisher through Edelweiss and voluntarily reviewed it.
The cover of this book caught my eye when I saw it on Edelweiss and I was excited to get approved for it. I am going through a stressful time in my life currently and am reading a lot of cozy books, so I figured this would be a good fit for my current mood. And while it was indeed a light and cozy read, it didn't grip me as much as I wanted.
A Tale of Mirth and Magic follows the story of elf Elikki, a traveling jewelry maker. She's impulsive, charming and outgoing. She also has trouble forming deep bonds until she meets Barra. Barra is a super sweet half giant. Due to circumstances they end up traveling together for a bit on the run for bounty hunters who are after Elikki broke someone's wrist.
This book had a very light and cozy vibe, but it fell a bit too much to the whimsical and silly side for me. Which is not a vibe that often works for me and it didn't work for me here. The plot with the bounty hunters didn't feel very serious or actually dangerous and it made it hard to care about that part of the story. It al felt a bit silly and ridiculous, the type of plot that works great for a D&D campaign, but not as much for a book. At least in my opinion. There are jokes and made light of how Elikki broke someone's wrist as if that was a funny "oops I stepped on your toe" type of event instead of a serious injury. Only later we find out there are healers and this is something that can be healed for a price and even so it felt like they made too light of it and the way they joke about it just didn't sit right with me. Also the way they handled the bounty hunters, just was so whimsical and silly and it just took me out of the story.
I liked the way the two characters got established, they both had a clear personality from the first page, which was nice. I also liked the way they are different and their personalities mix together when they interact. But then when it comes to the romance I didn't really like their dynamic. Elikki wants to keep things casual and fun, while Barra knows he falls in love easily and mentions this to Elikki. She still decides to ignore that and just go ahead having fun with him and there was something about that dynamic that didn't sit quite right. Sure Barra never actually says no, but he does talk to her and explains things and she hardly opens up back about her feelings and also doesn't care about him enough to realize having fun with him could hurt him.
There is some sad backstory for why Elikki has trouble making connections, which did explain her character and action, but I still didn't really like it. And due to that I had trouble feeling their romance. Barra is an absolutely sweetheart and he is so kind and sweet to Elikki, he gives her everything she desires, upends his life for her and helps her out every time she gets into trouble. I just wish there were a few of those moments from Elikki too were she shows him how much she cares. And when the conflict hits, ofcourse it is Barra who has to reach out and resolve things, even though he was clear about his intentions and feelings from the start and it is Elikki who ran away from the conversation. The sex scenes didn't quite work for me, again because of the dynamic and the way Elikki seemed to use sex as a way to have fun and not talk about deeper things sometimes.
Despite my troubles with their dynamic, there were also parts I did like. There are some very cute and sweet scenes. I liked when Elikki actually opens up to Barra and tells him about her past. I also liked how Barra supports her and tries to get her to think and consider things and how Elikki changes a bit throughout the book. And how Elikki makes him see he doesn't have to always blend in and try to make himself invisible.
The world building is very minimal, there are some mentions of various races and magic, but it stays very light. This is mostly a romance set in a fantasy realm. There isn't any deep or vivid world building. There are some interesting parts that have some depth like the half-giants for example and other larger races and how they didn't always were able to find an inn or place to stay or shop that could accommodate their. There was also some parts about Elikki's magic which were interesting. But with all of this I just felt it stayed very light on the details and I wanted more.
To summarize: This is a sweet and cozy fantasy romance book. I like cozy books, but the whimsical silly vibes of this book didn't quite work for me. The plot felt a bit off with it not feeling as serious or dangerous as I had expected due to silly vibes and way things got resolved. I liked Barra, he's super sweet and kind. Elikki was an interesting character, but I didn't warm up as much to her. I didn't really like the romantic dynamic they had going on with Elikki just being there for some steamy fun while Barra wanted something deeper. Eventually they do build something real, but their dynamic made it hard for me to fully feel their romance. There are some sweet and fun scenes with the two of them and I liked how they bring the best out of the other and encourage each other. The world building is pretty minimal, there are some interesting elements, but it doesn't really go deeper or come fully alive.
The cover of this book caught my eye when I saw it on Edelweiss and I was excited to get approved for it. I am going through a stressful time in my life currently and am reading a lot of cozy books, so I figured this would be a good fit for my current mood. And while it was indeed a light and cozy read, it didn't grip me as much as I wanted.
A Tale of Mirth and Magic follows the story of elf Elikki, a traveling jewelry maker. She's impulsive, charming and outgoing. She also has trouble forming deep bonds until she meets Barra. Barra is a super sweet half giant. Due to circumstances they end up traveling together for a bit on the run for bounty hunters who are after Elikki broke someone's wrist.
This book had a very light and cozy vibe, but it fell a bit too much to the whimsical and silly side for me. Which is not a vibe that often works for me and it didn't work for me here. The plot with the bounty hunters didn't feel very serious or actually dangerous and it made it hard to care about that part of the story. It al felt a bit silly and ridiculous, the type of plot that works great for a D&D campaign, but not as much for a book. At least in my opinion. There are jokes and made light of how Elikki broke someone's wrist as if that was a funny "oops I stepped on your toe" type of event instead of a serious injury. Only later we find out there are healers and this is something that can be healed for a price and even so it felt like they made too light of it and the way they joke about it just didn't sit right with me. Also the way they handled the bounty hunters, just was so whimsical and silly and it just took me out of the story.
I liked the way the two characters got established, they both had a clear personality from the first page, which was nice. I also liked the way they are different and their personalities mix together when they interact. But then when it comes to the romance I didn't really like their dynamic. Elikki wants to keep things casual and fun, while Barra knows he falls in love easily and mentions this to Elikki. She still decides to ignore that and just go ahead having fun with him and there was something about that dynamic that didn't sit quite right. Sure Barra never actually says no, but he does talk to her and explains things and she hardly opens up back about her feelings and also doesn't care about him enough to realize having fun with him could hurt him.
There is some sad backstory for why Elikki has trouble making connections, which did explain her character and action, but I still didn't really like it. And due to that I had trouble feeling their romance. Barra is an absolutely sweetheart and he is so kind and sweet to Elikki, he gives her everything she desires, upends his life for her and helps her out every time she gets into trouble. I just wish there were a few of those moments from Elikki too were she shows him how much she cares. And when the conflict hits, ofcourse it is Barra who has to reach out and resolve things, even though he was clear about his intentions and feelings from the start and it is Elikki who ran away from the conversation. The sex scenes didn't quite work for me, again because of the dynamic and the way Elikki seemed to use sex as a way to have fun and not talk about deeper things sometimes.
Despite my troubles with their dynamic, there were also parts I did like. There are some very cute and sweet scenes. I liked when Elikki actually opens up to Barra and tells him about her past. I also liked how Barra supports her and tries to get her to think and consider things and how Elikki changes a bit throughout the book. And how Elikki makes him see he doesn't have to always blend in and try to make himself invisible.
The world building is very minimal, there are some mentions of various races and magic, but it stays very light. This is mostly a romance set in a fantasy realm. There isn't any deep or vivid world building. There are some interesting parts that have some depth like the half-giants for example and other larger races and how they didn't always were able to find an inn or place to stay or shop that could accommodate their. There was also some parts about Elikki's magic which were interesting. But with all of this I just felt it stayed very light on the details and I wanted more.
To summarize: This is a sweet and cozy fantasy romance book. I like cozy books, but the whimsical silly vibes of this book didn't quite work for me. The plot felt a bit off with it not feeling as serious or dangerous as I had expected due to silly vibes and way things got resolved. I liked Barra, he's super sweet and kind. Elikki was an interesting character, but I didn't warm up as much to her. I didn't really like the romantic dynamic they had going on with Elikki just being there for some steamy fun while Barra wanted something deeper. Eventually they do build something real, but their dynamic made it hard for me to fully feel their romance. There are some sweet and fun scenes with the two of them and I liked how they bring the best out of the other and encourage each other. The world building is pretty minimal, there are some interesting elements, but it doesn't really go deeper or come fully alive.
September 14, 2025
2025 reads: 252/300
i received a complimentary audiobook as part of libro.fm’s influencer program. i am leaving this review voluntarily.
elikki may not have a family, but she does have fierce independence, boundless charm, enough talent as a jewelry artisan to make a living on the road…and an uncontrolled magic that not everyone around her is fond of. barra, on the other hand, lives a quiet life with his mas and sisters. he hates drawing attention to himself, which unfortunately is very frequent for him as he is an eight-foot-tall purple half-giant. the two find themselves going on the run together after elikki gets in trouble with a rude customer. elikki has never wanted to give love a chance, and barra has given up on trying. as their adventures bring them closer together, though, they begin to question these principles.
this was cute! after my last read being so heavy, this was just the palate cleanser i needed. i loved seeing elikki and barra’s relationship progress. they both have reservations, not about each other specifically, but about relationships in general. elikki wasn’t given the best example growing up, and barra had his own past hurts. they worked through their issues in a very satisfying way. the audiobook was narrated by sarah mcewan and evan elliot, who voiced their respective characters so well! looking forward to more from kristen vale.
i received a complimentary audiobook as part of libro.fm’s influencer program. i am leaving this review voluntarily.
elikki may not have a family, but she does have fierce independence, boundless charm, enough talent as a jewelry artisan to make a living on the road…and an uncontrolled magic that not everyone around her is fond of. barra, on the other hand, lives a quiet life with his mas and sisters. he hates drawing attention to himself, which unfortunately is very frequent for him as he is an eight-foot-tall purple half-giant. the two find themselves going on the run together after elikki gets in trouble with a rude customer. elikki has never wanted to give love a chance, and barra has given up on trying. as their adventures bring them closer together, though, they begin to question these principles.
this was cute! after my last read being so heavy, this was just the palate cleanser i needed. i loved seeing elikki and barra’s relationship progress. they both have reservations, not about each other specifically, but about relationships in general. elikki wasn’t given the best example growing up, and barra had his own past hurts. they worked through their issues in a very satisfying way. the audiobook was narrated by sarah mcewan and evan elliot, who voiced their respective characters so well! looking forward to more from kristen vale.
September 7, 2025
I listened to the audio book and I thought both narrators did a great job at bringing the characters to life. Especially the female narrator’s voice fit perfectly with how I imagined Elikki would sound.
This is a pretty cozy, low-angst romantasy. Elikki, an elf, is an artisan who creates jewelry out of metal. After a run-in with a big ol’ meanie, she finds herself traveling with Barra, the purple half-giant who helped her flee the town. Barra is smitten with Elikki and pretends he’s headed in the same direction just to spend more time with her.
Barra is literally the sweetest, most understanding MMC I’ve probably ever read, and every single star is for him. I did have issues with Elikki, though. Barra is very upfront about having intimacy issues and only wanting to be with someone if mutual feelings are involved. Elikki is the exact opposite, and I felt like she didn’t take his standpoint into account or respect his feelings on intimacy for a large portion of the book.
—Thank you to NetGalley, Kristen Vale, and Hachette Audio for the ARC audio of A Tale of Mirth & Magic—
This is a pretty cozy, low-angst romantasy. Elikki, an elf, is an artisan who creates jewelry out of metal. After a run-in with a big ol’ meanie, she finds herself traveling with Barra, the purple half-giant who helped her flee the town. Barra is smitten with Elikki and pretends he’s headed in the same direction just to spend more time with her.
Barra is literally the sweetest, most understanding MMC I’ve probably ever read, and every single star is for him. I did have issues with Elikki, though. Barra is very upfront about having intimacy issues and only wanting to be with someone if mutual feelings are involved. Elikki is the exact opposite, and I felt like she didn’t take his standpoint into account or respect his feelings on intimacy for a large portion of the book.
—Thank you to NetGalley, Kristen Vale, and Hachette Audio for the ARC audio of A Tale of Mirth & Magic—
July 31, 2025
Updated Rating: 4.75/5
Cozy fantasies have my heart and, now, so does a purple half-giant named Barra!
This! Book! I had SUCH a fun time with this story - it made me want to squeal and kick my feet! I absolutely fell in love with it, and the audiobook narrators were phenomenal! They captured the emotion, humor, tension, and pace perfectly! I appreciated how they altered their voices for different characters without it being annoying and drawing me out of the story. I think that the dual POV/narration was a great choice for both the story and audio.
I fell in love with Elikki and Barra's relationship. Their romance started off as insta-lust, but I appreciated how it became SO much deeper, and both characters acknowledged this evolution. They both knew, at first, that they were just attracted to one another, but as they came to know each other and push the other to open up, they developed genuine (and deep, complex) feelings. As much as this story was fun, whimsical, and hilarious at times, it was also rich and layered because both Elikki and Barra have issues from their pasts that make them reluctant to 'give in' to their feelings and commit to a relationship with the other. There was so much introspection weaved seamlessly into the story in a way that made it more than a 'fluffy' read while, again, still keeping the fun, cozy feel of the story.
In general, I adored Barra the most! I actually found Elikki to be a bit unlikable at first (I honestly thought she was pretty sexually and emotionally manipulative, and in that sense hypocritical) but was really impressed by how, as her history unfolds, we come to understand her past as an explanation (NOT a justification) for how she acts. What made this impressive for me in the story is how Barra calls her out on it - just because her past explains why she acts certain ways, he (despite being a cinnamon roll) stands up for himself and tells her straight-up that she can't just use people like that. This made Elikki's character arc even more admirable and heartwarming as the story goes on and she learns about herself and her emotions (and subsequently about controlling them).
*** updated edit: I keep thinking about this book, and still loved it, but Elikki’s sexual manipulation/hypocrisy still just doesn’t sit right with me, though I do think it contributed to the story (perhaps could have been less prominent during the whole thing, though!).
I thought that the pacing was great, and I loved the bit of stakes/tension added by them being on the run from a ridiculously pompous, oily little man. The side characters were an absolute joy; they were so quirky and funny and ah - I just loved them! There are great descriptions of the setting and lots of fun little side-adventures through inns and the forest. Speaking back to side characters, the found family in this story was fun to follow as the story wrapped up.
I really enjoyed how the magic played a role in the story throughout, and wasn't just a 'side' element. Elikki's metal magic was interesting and contributed to her character development, too. I also enjoyed the humor, banter, and spice that was in the story. The writing itself was easy to follow without being 'simple' - it was still complex, but it was natural and flowed really well.
Shoutout to all of the great rep in here - sexuality, body size, and mental health/anxiety stood out to me!
I was truly invested in the story and characters from beginning to end!
I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this book to anyone in a heartbeat! A new favorite for me!
*Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an eALC of this [audio]book in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: August 5 2025
Cozy fantasies have my heart and, now, so does a purple half-giant named Barra!
This! Book! I had SUCH a fun time with this story - it made me want to squeal and kick my feet! I absolutely fell in love with it, and the audiobook narrators were phenomenal! They captured the emotion, humor, tension, and pace perfectly! I appreciated how they altered their voices for different characters without it being annoying and drawing me out of the story. I think that the dual POV/narration was a great choice for both the story and audio.
I fell in love with Elikki and Barra's relationship. Their romance started off as insta-lust, but I appreciated how it became SO much deeper, and both characters acknowledged this evolution. They both knew, at first, that they were just attracted to one another, but as they came to know each other and push the other to open up, they developed genuine (and deep, complex) feelings. As much as this story was fun, whimsical, and hilarious at times, it was also rich and layered because both Elikki and Barra have issues from their pasts that make them reluctant to 'give in' to their feelings and commit to a relationship with the other. There was so much introspection weaved seamlessly into the story in a way that made it more than a 'fluffy' read while, again, still keeping the fun, cozy feel of the story.
In general, I adored Barra the most! I actually found Elikki to be a bit unlikable at first (I honestly thought she was pretty sexually and emotionally manipulative, and in that sense hypocritical) but was really impressed by how, as her history unfolds, we come to understand her past as an explanation (NOT a justification) for how she acts. What made this impressive for me in the story is how Barra calls her out on it - just because her past explains why she acts certain ways, he (despite being a cinnamon roll) stands up for himself and tells her straight-up that she can't just use people like that. This made Elikki's character arc even more admirable and heartwarming as the story goes on and she learns about herself and her emotions (and subsequently about controlling them).
*** updated edit: I keep thinking about this book, and still loved it, but Elikki’s sexual manipulation/hypocrisy still just doesn’t sit right with me, though I do think it contributed to the story (perhaps could have been less prominent during the whole thing, though!).
I thought that the pacing was great, and I loved the bit of stakes/tension added by them being on the run from a ridiculously pompous, oily little man. The side characters were an absolute joy; they were so quirky and funny and ah - I just loved them! There are great descriptions of the setting and lots of fun little side-adventures through inns and the forest. Speaking back to side characters, the found family in this story was fun to follow as the story wrapped up.
I really enjoyed how the magic played a role in the story throughout, and wasn't just a 'side' element. Elikki's metal magic was interesting and contributed to her character development, too. I also enjoyed the humor, banter, and spice that was in the story. The writing itself was easy to follow without being 'simple' - it was still complex, but it was natural and flowed really well.
Shoutout to all of the great rep in here - sexuality, body size, and mental health/anxiety stood out to me!
I was truly invested in the story and characters from beginning to end!
I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this book to anyone in a heartbeat! A new favorite for me!
*Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an eALC of this [audio]book in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: August 5 2025
August 2, 2025
This was a cozy roadtrip, opposites attract romantasy debut that has two strangers traveling together and bonding as they try to escape the grasp of nefarious bounty hunters.
I loved that this book featured two very relatable and well written queer main characters. Elikki is a fat, short elf with anger and alcohol addiction issues whose magic gets out of control when she loses her temper and Barra is more of a gentle (literal) giant who struggles with anxiety and falling too hard too fast for romantic partners.
Both are somewhat lost and lonely souls and they come together in a beautiful way trying to help each other face their internal demons. Great on audio narrated by Evan Elliot & Sarah McEwan and perfect for fans of books like Tusk love, Behooved or The enchanted greenhouse.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
I loved that this book featured two very relatable and well written queer main characters. Elikki is a fat, short elf with anger and alcohol addiction issues whose magic gets out of control when she loses her temper and Barra is more of a gentle (literal) giant who struggles with anxiety and falling too hard too fast for romantic partners.
Both are somewhat lost and lonely souls and they come together in a beautiful way trying to help each other face their internal demons. Great on audio narrated by Evan Elliot & Sarah McEwan and perfect for fans of books like Tusk love, Behooved or The enchanted greenhouse.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
May 7, 2025
First, thank you to Lauren at Book Huddle, Orbit, and NetGalley for the ARC!
This cozy romantasy had a lot of charm and was a quick, enjoyable read. However, I found it a bit difficult to connect with the main character, and the plot felt somewhat disjointed at times. The story often focused more on meals and descriptions of food than on advancing the narrative, which left me wanting more substance and development. I didn’t love it, but could have if there had been a little more depth to the story and characters.
This cozy romantasy had a lot of charm and was a quick, enjoyable read. However, I found it a bit difficult to connect with the main character, and the plot felt somewhat disjointed at times. The story often focused more on meals and descriptions of food than on advancing the narrative, which left me wanting more substance and development. I didn’t love it, but could have if there had been a little more depth to the story and characters.
September 6, 2025
4.5 - Thank you SO much to Forever for the complimentary copy of this book!
Thank you SO much to Hachette Audio for the complimentary ALC!
This book is out now!
My goodness this book was so fun! This is the exact type of cozy fantasy romance that my wittle brain can handle. I am always skeptical going into fantasy type reads because of world building but this was perfect. Elikki and Barra don't have the most charming meet cute but are drawn to one another and end up traveling together. Elikki is a gnome with magical powers and Barra is an 8ft tall giant who cannot blend in. He is the literal definition of a giant teddy bear.
I am such a fan of road trip or traveling books so this really scratch that itch for me. The whole forced proximity of it all. I love seeing them travel together and getting to know. There was even a little action involved as they are running away from people who are after Elikki. As mentioned there is some fantasy element which got me a little muddled but not enough for me to be totally out of the loop.
Elikki is not looking for any sort of relationship. She is used to just having her way with men (she says she gets what she wants) but never stays long enough to get attached. But with Barra it is different. Barra fell hard for Elikki and is trying hard not to mess it up by moving too fast. Their chemistry is instant.
One thing I was not expecting was this to be so spicy! My husband is used to me listening to spicy books but I did not prepare him for this one as I was listening to out loud as I just truly was not expecting it.
I also paired my reading with the audio and I really enjoyed the narration done by Evan Elliot and Sarah McEwan. I am unfamiliar with both of the narrators and it looks like this was Evan's first romance! Sarah has done a bunch of romances just none that I have read. I thought they both portrayed their characters really well and I would listen to other books by them.
I had no idea this was the author's debut novel and I will read more from her! Looking forward to seeing if she stays in this cozy world or if it will be more contemporary. Either way I will be reading.
If you are looking for a cozy romance with a lovable giant and an independent gnome on a traveling adventure - this one could be for you!
Thank you SO much to Hachette Audio for the complimentary ALC!
This book is out now!
My goodness this book was so fun! This is the exact type of cozy fantasy romance that my wittle brain can handle. I am always skeptical going into fantasy type reads because of world building but this was perfect. Elikki and Barra don't have the most charming meet cute but are drawn to one another and end up traveling together. Elikki is a gnome with magical powers and Barra is an 8ft tall giant who cannot blend in. He is the literal definition of a giant teddy bear.
I am such a fan of road trip or traveling books so this really scratch that itch for me. The whole forced proximity of it all. I love seeing them travel together and getting to know. There was even a little action involved as they are running away from people who are after Elikki. As mentioned there is some fantasy element which got me a little muddled but not enough for me to be totally out of the loop.
Elikki is not looking for any sort of relationship. She is used to just having her way with men (she says she gets what she wants) but never stays long enough to get attached. But with Barra it is different. Barra fell hard for Elikki and is trying hard not to mess it up by moving too fast. Their chemistry is instant.
One thing I was not expecting was this to be so spicy! My husband is used to me listening to spicy books but I did not prepare him for this one as I was listening to out loud as I just truly was not expecting it.
I also paired my reading with the audio and I really enjoyed the narration done by Evan Elliot and Sarah McEwan. I am unfamiliar with both of the narrators and it looks like this was Evan's first romance! Sarah has done a bunch of romances just none that I have read. I thought they both portrayed their characters really well and I would listen to other books by them.
I had no idea this was the author's debut novel and I will read more from her! Looking forward to seeing if she stays in this cozy world or if it will be more contemporary. Either way I will be reading.
If you are looking for a cozy romance with a lovable giant and an independent gnome on a traveling adventure - this one could be for you!
July 16, 2025
If you are looking for a cozy romance, with a sassy FMC, cinnamon roll MMC, and some size difference look no further! I had such a fun time with this book. Elikki cracked me up the entire time and I loved her confidence and sass. I love that she was unashamed of her personality and her body, almost as much as I love how much Barra adores those things about her. Barra is quite simply adorable and must be protected at all costs. End of story.
The plot was nice and light with a few moments of actions. It’s a short read that will make you smile and I do believe this left room for a series to continue, which I am all for.
Sarah McEwan and Evan Elliot did a great job in the narration. They both were fun with their tones and easy to understand. I particularly liked Evan’s voice. It’s very soothing. I will probably be looking up other audiobook by both of them I’m the future.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this ALC opportunity! My opinions are entirely my own.
The plot was nice and light with a few moments of actions. It’s a short read that will make you smile and I do believe this left room for a series to continue, which I am all for.
Sarah McEwan and Evan Elliot did a great job in the narration. They both were fun with their tones and easy to understand. I particularly liked Evan’s voice. It’s very soothing. I will probably be looking up other audiobook by both of them I’m the future.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this ALC opportunity! My opinions are entirely my own.
August 20, 2025
3.75⭐️
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the listening copy in exchange for my review.
Super cute - spicy and cozy, low stakes fantasy! I don’t read or listen to a ton of fantasy, but I saw this one on NetGalley and thought the cover and premise were intriguing! It reminded me of a sexy version of Shrek in some ways. 🤣
If you are a fantasy reader looking for a sweet story that is hetero love, yet queer affirming, and takes place in an alternate universe where the entire world feels like a Renaissance Faire full of mythical creatures, than this is your book!
Duet audio narration was great! Two thumbs way up for the narrators! 👏👏
🧚🏼Dual Narrators /Dual POV
🧚🏼Queer affirming
🧚🏼Plus size FMC
🧚🏼Cinnamon roll MMC
🧚🏼Elf x Giant love
🧚🏼He falls first, she plays hard to get
🧚🏼Spicy, open door
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the listening copy in exchange for my review.
Super cute - spicy and cozy, low stakes fantasy! I don’t read or listen to a ton of fantasy, but I saw this one on NetGalley and thought the cover and premise were intriguing! It reminded me of a sexy version of Shrek in some ways. 🤣
If you are a fantasy reader looking for a sweet story that is hetero love, yet queer affirming, and takes place in an alternate universe where the entire world feels like a Renaissance Faire full of mythical creatures, than this is your book!
Duet audio narration was great! Two thumbs way up for the narrators! 👏👏
🧚🏼Dual Narrators /Dual POV
🧚🏼Queer affirming
🧚🏼Plus size FMC
🧚🏼Cinnamon roll MMC
🧚🏼Elf x Giant love
🧚🏼He falls first, she plays hard to get
🧚🏼Spicy, open door
Displaying 1 - 30 of 398 reviews