What do you think?
Rate this book
Predestinada
UMA VIAGEM MÁGICA POR UM MUNDO ENCANTADOR . . .
Bianca sempre teve a consciência de que suas responsabilidades eram mais importantes do que seus sentimentos. Assim, quando a sombra de uma guerra se aproxima, ela concorda em se casar com o herdeiro do reino vizinho. Porém, nem todos os casamentos reais são como os contos de fadas. O príncipe Aric, seu prometido, é um homem frio e distante, que parece desprezá-la desde o primeiro encontro. O que deveria ser uma união para promover a paz entre os reinos rapidamente se revela uma prisão emocional.
E UMA MALDIÇÃO QUE A PERSEGUE TODOS OS DIAS . . .
Na noite de núpcias, um atentado transforma Aric em um misterioso cavalo. Forçada a agir, Bianca monta em seu novo "marido" e busca refúgio, sem imaginar que isso é apenas o começo de uma grande aventura. Com o pôr do sol, Aric retorna à forma humana, mas os perigos não acabam por aí. O atentado contra ele é parte de uma conspiração sombria que ameaça o trono, e Bianca se vê sendo acusada de um crime a tentativa de assassinato do marido.
Enquanto lida com essa inesperada dinâmica – ora acompanhada de um cavalo durante o dia, ora do homem irresistível à noite –, Bianca precisa provar sua inocência. Em meio a segredos e perigos, um romance inesperado floresce... crescendo em meio ao caos.
Bianca sempre teve a consciência de que suas responsabilidades eram mais importantes do que seus sentimentos. Assim, quando a sombra de uma guerra se aproxima, ela concorda em se casar com o herdeiro do reino vizinho. Porém, nem todos os casamentos reais são como os contos de fadas. O príncipe Aric, seu prometido, é um homem frio e distante, que parece desprezá-la desde o primeiro encontro. O que deveria ser uma união para promover a paz entre os reinos rapidamente se revela uma prisão emocional.
E UMA MALDIÇÃO QUE A PERSEGUE TODOS OS DIAS . . .
Na noite de núpcias, um atentado transforma Aric em um misterioso cavalo. Forçada a agir, Bianca monta em seu novo "marido" e busca refúgio, sem imaginar que isso é apenas o começo de uma grande aventura. Com o pôr do sol, Aric retorna à forma humana, mas os perigos não acabam por aí. O atentado contra ele é parte de uma conspiração sombria que ameaça o trono, e Bianca se vê sendo acusada de um crime a tentativa de assassinato do marido.
Enquanto lida com essa inesperada dinâmica – ora acompanhada de um cavalo durante o dia, ora do homem irresistível à noite –, Bianca precisa provar sua inocência. Em meio a segredos e perigos, um romance inesperado floresce... crescendo em meio ao caos.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 20, 2025
592 people are currently reading
29410 people want to read
About the author
M. Stevenson
6 books196 followersM. Stevenson is a writer, educator, and naturalist with degrees from Brown University (BA, Geology-Biology) and the University of Idaho (MEd, Environmental Education). An avid swing dancer, she’s often found dancing Lindy Hop or wandering the woods talking to plants and birds. She is based in the Finger Lakes region of New York.
** I am only on Goodreads to leave the occasional review. Please reach out elsewhere if you have questions! **
** I am only on Goodreads to leave the occasional review. Please reach out elsewhere if you have questions! **
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,724 reviews
May 24, 2025
save a horse ride your husband (who happens to turn into one)
for the my lady jane girlies
thank you to edelweiss and the publisher for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review
Bookstagram | Blog
for the my lady jane girlies
thank you to edelweiss and the publisher for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review
Bookstagram | Blog
March 18, 2025
I think a fun time can be had with this book in which a prince suddenly turns into a horse on his wedding night, but only if you're really along for the ride (ha!) and turn your brain off a little while reading. Otherwise this will be a frustrating read, and I'm speaking from experience. I know it's a weird thing to say about a fantasy book that shouldn't be taken too seriously, but there is no logic to be found here. Bianca is married off to the neighboring kingdom so war may be avoided. Her parents kinda hate her, but she is an ever-dutiful daughter who wants to protect her country and quickly accepts her fate. Even though her betrothed is rumored to be a murderer. Their first meeting is cold, and their wedding night would have been too, if Prince Aric hadn't suddenly turned into a horse during an assassination attempt. They gallop away into the night and the rest of the book is about them trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Me too, because there is so much I didn't understand:
- Bianca heard the rumors about her future husband and knew this wouldn't be a union of love, but she still is so very offended by literally everything he does. Like, he asks her to join him for breakfast via letter, and she simply cannot believe he wouldn't come and ask her that in person. Girl, he is the ruler of this kingdom?
- Bianca brings a dagger to her first meeting with Aric when there's literally a war at stake?
- And is it really enough to only send one woman and her staff to a foreign kingdom to ensure an alliance?
- Aric thinks that Bianca sent the assassin although she was in danger too. Honestly, they belong together if they misunderstand each other on purpose every time.
- The way they were trying to figure out who actually sent the assassin when there was a great total of like 3 characters introduced by name, and only one who would benefit from Aric's death.
- The world building doesn't go beyond: There's this country where magic is strictly regulated and that country where magic roams freely, and they better don't make war.
- Speaking of the magic: Everyone with magic potential has to be trained for NINE years, so that they are not a danger to the public. But Bianca's sister can do what she wants, just because, I guess?
- Said sister gave Bianca a spell that she might use when she's in danger. It's a spell that turns an attacker into a horse. It turns an attacker into a horse while they still have full conscience, giving them a super heavy body with which they may kick or trample Bianca to death even better. Wouldn't it be smarter to turn them into a guinea pig or something?
The list goes on, but I think that these are enough examples to illustrate my frustration with this book. The romance gave nothing either. Let me tell you how their relationship developed:
Step 1: Miscommunication
Step 2: Banter
Step 3: Love
Mind you, it's been like 5 days. And don't forget the never-ending traveling during step 2 where every inn along the way had of course only one bed. You know, the bed where the spice can happen. The entire book reads like YA, but of course it's actually not, we have to check off the popular tropes.
Take my review with a grain of salt, this book was clearly not for me. There were some things I liked, like the chronic illness representation or the way how gender didn't matter in this world, but that's really not enough to sing praises for this book.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Hodderscape for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
- Bianca heard the rumors about her future husband and knew this wouldn't be a union of love, but she still is so very offended by literally everything he does. Like, he asks her to join him for breakfast via letter, and she simply cannot believe he wouldn't come and ask her that in person. Girl, he is the ruler of this kingdom?
- Bianca brings a dagger to her first meeting with Aric when there's literally a war at stake?
- And is it really enough to only send one woman and her staff to a foreign kingdom to ensure an alliance?
- Aric thinks that Bianca sent the assassin although she was in danger too. Honestly, they belong together if they misunderstand each other on purpose every time.
- The way they were trying to figure out who actually sent the assassin when there was a great total of like 3 characters introduced by name, and only one who would benefit from Aric's death.
- The world building doesn't go beyond: There's this country where magic is strictly regulated and that country where magic roams freely, and they better don't make war.
- Speaking of the magic: Everyone with magic potential has to be trained for NINE years, so that they are not a danger to the public. But Bianca's sister can do what she wants, just because, I guess?
- Said sister gave Bianca a spell that she might use when she's in danger. It's a spell that turns an attacker into a horse. It turns an attacker into a horse while they still have full conscience, giving them a super heavy body with which they may kick or trample Bianca to death even better. Wouldn't it be smarter to turn them into a guinea pig or something?
The list goes on, but I think that these are enough examples to illustrate my frustration with this book. The romance gave nothing either. Let me tell you how their relationship developed:
Step 1: Miscommunication
Step 2: Banter
Step 3: Love
Mind you, it's been like 5 days. And don't forget the never-ending traveling during step 2 where every inn along the way had of course only one bed. You know, the bed where the spice can happen. The entire book reads like YA, but of course it's actually not, we have to check off the popular tropes.
Take my review with a grain of salt, this book was clearly not for me. There were some things I liked, like the chronic illness representation or the way how gender didn't matter in this world, but that's really not enough to sing praises for this book.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Hodderscape for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
June 13, 2025
Save real horses, ride your husband
July 6, 2025
This enemies-to-lovers romantasy, full of tropes like miscommunication and only-one-stall/bed, was so charming, I loved it! Indeed,
I am spellbound by this
– and this is not surprising. The cover? Gorgeous. The premise of an arranged marriage and a prince cursed to be horse by day and human by night? Compelling. Horse puns? Galore. My mood? Unstable, this was quite a ride hehe ahem sorry.
[ Contains some spoilers ]
PLOT SUMMARY
26-year-old duty-bound Duchess Bianca Liliana of the kingdom of Damaria is to wed 28-year-old Prince Aric of Gildenheim as an agreement to cease war and unite the realms. The late Queen passed and Aric is to be crowned. Bianca is considered a disappointment to her family as she has a chronic illness and is unable to do magic, unlike her older sister Tatiana. Aric is known to be a cold and cruel man. Before Bianca leaves, Tatiana gifts her a magic locket and tells her to use it if she is in danger.
Bianca’s journey to and arrival in Gildenheim are far from ideal: from seasickness to falling into the water to being met and escorted to meet Aric instead of him coming to meet him, she already resents the heir apparent. When they do meet, Aric prefers reading to dancing and he is very distant towards her. This suits her fine as she herself has been trained never to conceal her own feelings.
An assassination attempt on their wedding night changes everything. In a bid to save them both, Bianca opens the locket and her husband is caught in the crossfire, turning him into a horse. This makes it look like the assassination is successful and that she murdered Aric. Now on the run (or, more accurately, ride), Aric and Bianca must work together to find Tatiana and break the curse.
When it is apparent that neither Aric nor Bianca initiated this marriage, it begs the question: who did? Who benefits the most from Aric’s death? And is there more to the Queen’s death than initially thought?
This is told from the first-person past-tense POV of Bianca.
OVERALL OPINIONS
Stevenson’s narrative was teeming with magical and gorgeous descriptions, decent pacing and the world-building was nothing short of excellent. There was a good deal of political intrigue, general mystery, magic and of course romance. Moreover, this is an exceptionally brilliant debut and I am sure we shall see more great things from her! While many aspects of the plot were very predictable which is the reason for my 4-star rating, I think many will still enjoy this.
As someone who knows people with chronic illnesses, the representation was done very well here through the main character having an unknown condition inspired by the author’s own struggles with celiac disease. This was a wonderful inclusion that shows anyone can be a hero, and I think those with chronic health conditions will both relate to and appreciate this. In her author’s note, Stevenson says the following:
The best part of this story is the relationship between Aric and Bianca, which has both hilarious yet very tender moments. I am not a fan of the miscommunication trope but it was done just fine here and is essential to the plot. The lovely thing is their parallels: both Aric and Bianca both come from households with huge expectations that they follow their duties rather than their hearts; they both feel like a disappointment to their parents because Bianca has had ableist views pointed to her her whole life and Aric does not fight and prefers studying (the latter which I like because it makes a change from the stereotypical main male characters). It is beautiful that they help each other see their own strength and worth.
It reminds me a bit of The Emperor’s New Groove because of Aric being turned into an animal and him thinking she has something to do with it – it’s like Pacha and Kuzco “Why would I kidnap a llama?” “I don’t know you’re the criminal mastermind, not me!” haha.
<< Positives >>
🠚 The cover is so pretty I could stare at it all day! I like that the kingdom colours are swapped (Bianca has green behind her; Aric has blue behind him), foreshadowing Bianca and Aric trying to understand each other.
🠚 Very strong main female character.
🠚 Chronic illness representation.
🠚 The dialogue was so amusing, I didn’t want to put it down because I wanted to read more of the jokes! I especially laughed at the idea of chickens and puffins delivering messages to Bianca.
🠚 I like the colours and names of the kingdoms. Damaria means “Divine” or “Beloved”, ironic perhaps for Bianca as she is not beloved in her kingdom; Gildenheim means “Golden Home” which is a great choice, giving this sense of prosperity. The blue colour is for Damaria (associated with security, loyalty, wisdom yet can be seen as sadness and coldness), fitting for the fact Bianca is not happy with the situation and is trained not to let people know her real feelings. The green is for Gildenheim (symbolic of nature, growth, balance and hope yet associated with inexperience and greed) and is perfect for the fact they are greatly tied to nature and magic but Aric is inexperienced as a ruler and there is greed via who wants to become the new ruler.
🠚 Aric and Bianca’s relationship as mentioned before is lovely!
🠚 The spice is lovely and sensual.
🠚 Bianca and Tatiana’s bond as sisters was a beautiful thing that was explored. You get the usual annoying but beloved sister, which is realistic and for me relatable. But I also like that it turns out both of them envied the other: Tatiana jealous of how their parents always expect Bianca to follow duty that they would never ask her to do; Bianca jealous of how their parents never expected Tatiana to follow duty.
🠚 The concept of the magical locket was really cool.
<< Negatives >>
🠚 A lot of the narrative is very repetitive. Same doubts from both the main characters and same soothing about it, same choice of words like “our eyes met” and same puns about her “riding” her husband (expected, but please switch it up).
🠚 As mentioned, a lot of the plot was incredibly predictable. For example, the stuff about Marya and her bond with Aric, who was responsible for wanting them dead, Tatiana not being able to reverse the spell. The only thing I did not anticipate was who the assassin is.
🠚 Aric’s reputation of him being a cold and cruel prince – I think some examples should have been presented there (other than the idea that he could have killed his mother to get on the throne). Where else does he get this reputation? What else has he done? Supply this and then consider how he could debunk these claims.
🠚 Some unnecessary cringey innuendo moments too, when Bianca is talking about “eating” and flusters over it. It also feels inconsistent compared to the time she talks about “sword” when she is dancing with Aric which was very confident.
🠚 I thought some mentioned elements would come more into play, such as the green fire greenwitch spell, Bianca’s skill with a rapier that is never shown, the creatures like the birdfish, the terms of endearment that she mentions but never uses any of them.
🠚 Listen! Their first time being when she is literally recovering from wounds cannot have in any way been as comfortable. And then “I’d forgotten my injuries” – gurl how? That’s why you are in that place recovering, that’s why your husband is there comforting you!
CHARACTERS
-ˋˏ ꒰ Bianca꒱ ˎˊ-
↳ She is so kind, strong and brave especially because of her condition. I love the moment where she writes the letter saying Aric “might deign to ask her in person” – yasss Queen!
-ˋˏ ꒰ Aric꒱ ˎˊ-
↳ Save a horse, ride a prince – or should I say save a prince, ride a horse? I love that Aric is aspiring to become a good ruler, giving equality to everyone; his desire to teach everyone to read particularly captured my heart. His treatment to Bianca is so sweet and I love that he wants to help her with her chronic health condition.
FAV QUOTES
• whoever my betrothed proved to be, I would learn soon enough, and I would match him. Blade for blade. Move for move. Perhaps even heart for heart
• Our eyes locked, his the cold blue of a winter sky. The air went static between us, like the feeling just before lightning strikes.
• The horse turned its head to glare at me over its shoulder. *His* shoulder. The expression dissipated my doubt, though not my shock. That cold annoyance was definitely Aric’s, bizarre though it was to see it on an equine face.
• The sunset colors cast the scenery as something magical, fleshing the world with color like an artist painting over a sketch. My first impression of Gildenheim had been grey and grim, but I realized now that I had seen only an unfinished portrait. The palette of this land wasn’t ugly, merely different.
• I’d let my mask slip—showing Aric too much of myself. There was something about him that found all the chinks in my armor—worse, made me wonder what it would be like to set it aside.
• He’d softened, like dawn breaking over the sky. Talking of things you loved could do that to a person.
• The heat from his palms lingered on my skin like the last notes of a song.
• I squirmed towards Aric and nestled myself against the warmth of his side. Aric stiffened. His muscles were frozen, but his warmth was like a personal hearth, welcome and melting. I sighed and pressed closer, resting my cheek on his chest. Aric’s heart thrummed beneath my ear, a beat as comforting as the familiar swash of the sea. He lay without moving, barely breathing, long enough that he might have turned to stone. Then, just before I crossed into sleep, his arm crept around my waist, so lightly I probably dreamed it.
• “Stay awake, Bianca,” Aric snapped. “They can’t have you. You’re not allowed to die. I *order* you not to die, understand?”
• Before I could lose my nerve, I seized him by the collar with both hands, pulled him in close, and kissed him. Aric froze, his entire body rigid with surprise. Then, all at once, he softened into me, his mouth matching perfectly to mine. I’d thought Aric cold, like stone or steel. Now I realized how wrong I was. He burned like untamed magic, like the slice of a blade against skin. His kiss sang through my veins, lighting every nerve in my body with a cascade of sparks.
• “Say it again.” His voice was hoarse. “That you want me.” | “I want you, Aric.” I drove my gaze into his, showing him the truth. “I want you even if it breaks me, too.”
• She smelled of lavender and bergamot, the scents of home. The softness of her embrace was a familiar comfort. My sister, trying to care for me as always, in whatever chaotic way she could manage.
• I had never desired someone solely because I found them beautiful. Beauty was hollow. It was Aric’s inner life that I loved. The way he’d been gentle and patient, never guilting me when my body needed rest. The way he glowed with passion when he talked about the things he loved. The way he’d opened his heart to me, showed me his scars, the words that had made him bleed—even though I could have used his trust to hurt him more.
• Choosing what I wanted was a risk. Discarding my armor and revealing my heart was a danger. But as Aric kissed me in the spring sunshine, I was finally ready to be brave. I would no longer take the safe road that behooved me, but run instead along whichever path led to the man I loved. It was worth the risk, for now and always.
══════════ ⋆★⋆ ══════════
I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and I’d like to thank M. Stevenson, Hodder & Stoughton, and NetGalley for the opportunity. This has not affected my opinion in any way.
Riding towards the border astride the husband I’d accidentally cursed, I felt the farthest thing from flawless. I wasn’t a weapon. I was a hairpin, easily bent and readily discarded.
Yet Aric hadn’t discarded me when he saw my flaws. Instead, he’d seen a different sort of strength in me, one I’d never realized I possessed. And his acceptance disarmed me more than any opposition could. He’d reached past my defenses, and I had let him, welcomed him, against the logic of everything I’d been taught. I knew that wanting him was a blade that could be turned against me. To love someone was to throw down your shields, lay your heart bare, and watch as it was cut in two.
[ Contains some spoilers ]
PLOT SUMMARY
26-year-old duty-bound Duchess Bianca Liliana of the kingdom of Damaria is to wed 28-year-old Prince Aric of Gildenheim as an agreement to cease war and unite the realms. The late Queen passed and Aric is to be crowned. Bianca is considered a disappointment to her family as she has a chronic illness and is unable to do magic, unlike her older sister Tatiana. Aric is known to be a cold and cruel man. Before Bianca leaves, Tatiana gifts her a magic locket and tells her to use it if she is in danger.
Bianca’s journey to and arrival in Gildenheim are far from ideal: from seasickness to falling into the water to being met and escorted to meet Aric instead of him coming to meet him, she already resents the heir apparent. When they do meet, Aric prefers reading to dancing and he is very distant towards her. This suits her fine as she herself has been trained never to conceal her own feelings.
An assassination attempt on their wedding night changes everything. In a bid to save them both, Bianca opens the locket and her husband is caught in the crossfire, turning him into a horse. This makes it look like the assassination is successful and that she murdered Aric. Now on the run (or, more accurately, ride), Aric and Bianca must work together to find Tatiana and break the curse.
When it is apparent that neither Aric nor Bianca initiated this marriage, it begs the question: who did? Who benefits the most from Aric’s death? And is there more to the Queen’s death than initially thought?
“And what if, should you come to understand me, you don’t like what you discover?”
My next words could shatter the thin ice we walked on, sinking us both. And while I could tell myself I needed to understand Aric for my country’s advantage—the unnerving truth was that I simply wanted to. Because he fascinated me, like the endlessly changing swell of waves on the shore. A current that could all too easily pull me under.
“In our vows, I promised to care for you,” I said. “Can you truly care for someone you don’t know?”
This is told from the first-person past-tense POV of Bianca.
OVERALL OPINIONS
Stevenson’s narrative was teeming with magical and gorgeous descriptions, decent pacing and the world-building was nothing short of excellent. There was a good deal of political intrigue, general mystery, magic and of course romance. Moreover, this is an exceptionally brilliant debut and I am sure we shall see more great things from her! While many aspects of the plot were very predictable which is the reason for my 4-star rating, I think many will still enjoy this.
As someone who knows people with chronic illnesses, the representation was done very well here through the main character having an unknown condition inspired by the author’s own struggles with celiac disease. This was a wonderful inclusion that shows anyone can be a hero, and I think those with chronic health conditions will both relate to and appreciate this. In her author’s note, Stevenson says the following:
In Behooved, I wanted to show a fantasy heroine who has symptoms like me—and who still gets to have epic adventures and a happy ending. Disabled people belong in fantasy, just as much as we belong in the real world.
The best part of this story is the relationship between Aric and Bianca, which has both hilarious yet very tender moments. I am not a fan of the miscommunication trope but it was done just fine here and is essential to the plot. The lovely thing is their parallels: both Aric and Bianca both come from households with huge expectations that they follow their duties rather than their hearts; they both feel like a disappointment to their parents because Bianca has had ableist views pointed to her her whole life and Aric does not fight and prefers studying (the latter which I like because it makes a change from the stereotypical main male characters). It is beautiful that they help each other see their own strength and worth.
It reminds me a bit of The Emperor’s New Groove because of Aric being turned into an animal and him thinking she has something to do with it – it’s like Pacha and Kuzco “Why would I kidnap a llama?” “I don’t know you’re the criminal mastermind, not me!” haha.
<< Positives >>
🠚 The cover is so pretty I could stare at it all day! I like that the kingdom colours are swapped (Bianca has green behind her; Aric has blue behind him), foreshadowing Bianca and Aric trying to understand each other.
🠚 Very strong main female character.
🠚 Chronic illness representation.
🠚 The dialogue was so amusing, I didn’t want to put it down because I wanted to read more of the jokes! I especially laughed at the idea of chickens and puffins delivering messages to Bianca.
🠚 I like the colours and names of the kingdoms. Damaria means “Divine” or “Beloved”, ironic perhaps for Bianca as she is not beloved in her kingdom; Gildenheim means “Golden Home” which is a great choice, giving this sense of prosperity. The blue colour is for Damaria (associated with security, loyalty, wisdom yet can be seen as sadness and coldness), fitting for the fact Bianca is not happy with the situation and is trained not to let people know her real feelings. The green is for Gildenheim (symbolic of nature, growth, balance and hope yet associated with inexperience and greed) and is perfect for the fact they are greatly tied to nature and magic but Aric is inexperienced as a ruler and there is greed via who wants to become the new ruler.
🠚 Aric and Bianca’s relationship as mentioned before is lovely!
🠚 The spice is lovely and sensual.
🠚 Bianca and Tatiana’s bond as sisters was a beautiful thing that was explored. You get the usual annoying but beloved sister, which is realistic and for me relatable. But I also like that it turns out both of them envied the other: Tatiana jealous of how their parents always expect Bianca to follow duty that they would never ask her to do; Bianca jealous of how their parents never expected Tatiana to follow duty.
🠚 The concept of the magical locket was really cool.
<< Negatives >>
🠚 A lot of the narrative is very repetitive. Same doubts from both the main characters and same soothing about it, same choice of words like “our eyes met” and same puns about her “riding” her husband (expected, but please switch it up).
🠚 As mentioned, a lot of the plot was incredibly predictable. For example, the stuff about Marya and her bond with Aric, who was responsible for wanting them dead, Tatiana not being able to reverse the spell. The only thing I did not anticipate was who the assassin is.
🠚 Aric’s reputation of him being a cold and cruel prince – I think some examples should have been presented there (other than the idea that he could have killed his mother to get on the throne). Where else does he get this reputation? What else has he done? Supply this and then consider how he could debunk these claims.
🠚 Some unnecessary cringey innuendo moments too, when Bianca is talking about “eating” and flusters over it. It also feels inconsistent compared to the time she talks about “sword” when she is dancing with Aric which was very confident.
🠚 I thought some mentioned elements would come more into play, such as the green fire greenwitch spell, Bianca’s skill with a rapier that is never shown, the creatures like the birdfish, the terms of endearment that she mentions but never uses any of them.
🠚 Listen! Their first time being when she is literally recovering from wounds cannot have in any way been as comfortable. And then “I’d forgotten my injuries” – gurl how? That’s why you are in that place recovering, that’s why your husband is there comforting you!
CHARACTERS
-ˋˏ ꒰ Bianca꒱ ˎˊ-
↳ She is so kind, strong and brave especially because of her condition. I love the moment where she writes the letter saying Aric “might deign to ask her in person” – yasss Queen!
I didn’t know what game my intended was playing, but I was not a woman he could insult with impunity. I was her Grace, Duchess Bianca Liliana, flower of Damaria and scion of my House. I was not some petitioner to be addressed at his leisure and granted the boon of his attention when he felt it convenient. I was the representative of the Council of Nine. His future wife. His equal. And if Aric thought he could insult me without consequence, I would soon show him otherwise.
-ˋˏ ꒰ Aric꒱ ˎˊ-
↳ Save a horse, ride a prince – or should I say save a prince, ride a horse? I love that Aric is aspiring to become a good ruler, giving equality to everyone; his desire to teach everyone to read particularly captured my heart. His treatment to Bianca is so sweet and I love that he wants to help her with her chronic health condition.
“You terrify me, Bianca.” Aric was close enough that I could feel the whisper of his breath. “I can’t stop wanting you, even if it breaks me.”
FAV QUOTES
• whoever my betrothed proved to be, I would learn soon enough, and I would match him. Blade for blade. Move for move. Perhaps even heart for heart
• Our eyes locked, his the cold blue of a winter sky. The air went static between us, like the feeling just before lightning strikes.
• The horse turned its head to glare at me over its shoulder. *His* shoulder. The expression dissipated my doubt, though not my shock. That cold annoyance was definitely Aric’s, bizarre though it was to see it on an equine face.
• The sunset colors cast the scenery as something magical, fleshing the world with color like an artist painting over a sketch. My first impression of Gildenheim had been grey and grim, but I realized now that I had seen only an unfinished portrait. The palette of this land wasn’t ugly, merely different.
• I’d let my mask slip—showing Aric too much of myself. There was something about him that found all the chinks in my armor—worse, made me wonder what it would be like to set it aside.
• He’d softened, like dawn breaking over the sky. Talking of things you loved could do that to a person.
• The heat from his palms lingered on my skin like the last notes of a song.
• I squirmed towards Aric and nestled myself against the warmth of his side. Aric stiffened. His muscles were frozen, but his warmth was like a personal hearth, welcome and melting. I sighed and pressed closer, resting my cheek on his chest. Aric’s heart thrummed beneath my ear, a beat as comforting as the familiar swash of the sea. He lay without moving, barely breathing, long enough that he might have turned to stone. Then, just before I crossed into sleep, his arm crept around my waist, so lightly I probably dreamed it.
• “Stay awake, Bianca,” Aric snapped. “They can’t have you. You’re not allowed to die. I *order* you not to die, understand?”
• Before I could lose my nerve, I seized him by the collar with both hands, pulled him in close, and kissed him. Aric froze, his entire body rigid with surprise. Then, all at once, he softened into me, his mouth matching perfectly to mine. I’d thought Aric cold, like stone or steel. Now I realized how wrong I was. He burned like untamed magic, like the slice of a blade against skin. His kiss sang through my veins, lighting every nerve in my body with a cascade of sparks.
• “Say it again.” His voice was hoarse. “That you want me.” | “I want you, Aric.” I drove my gaze into his, showing him the truth. “I want you even if it breaks me, too.”
• She smelled of lavender and bergamot, the scents of home. The softness of her embrace was a familiar comfort. My sister, trying to care for me as always, in whatever chaotic way she could manage.
• I had never desired someone solely because I found them beautiful. Beauty was hollow. It was Aric’s inner life that I loved. The way he’d been gentle and patient, never guilting me when my body needed rest. The way he glowed with passion when he talked about the things he loved. The way he’d opened his heart to me, showed me his scars, the words that had made him bleed—even though I could have used his trust to hurt him more.
• Choosing what I wanted was a risk. Discarding my armor and revealing my heart was a danger. But as Aric kissed me in the spring sunshine, I was finally ready to be brave. I would no longer take the safe road that behooved me, but run instead along whichever path led to the man I loved. It was worth the risk, for now and always.
══════════ ⋆★⋆ ══════════
I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and I’d like to thank M. Stevenson, Hodder & Stoughton, and NetGalley for the opportunity. This has not affected my opinion in any way.
June 9, 2025
Brain: off ✅
Marriage: arranged ✅
Husband: horse ✅
She’s really into swords, he’s really into books. This is the bisexual agenda
Marriage: arranged ✅
Husband: horse ✅
She’s really into swords, he’s really into books. This is the bisexual agenda
July 23, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC. It hasn't affected the content of my review.
This was SO DISAPPOINTING. I CANNOT CAPSLOCK THIS ENOUGH. I suppose it's my own fault. A great, enticing premise does not a good book make. Okay, actually, the author has some share of this, also. She wrote the thing. But your own expectations are never a good thing to put on a book, regardless of the book's quality. Still, I went and did that. HOWEVER. Even without those expectations, this book would still have been Not Great. I just wouldn't have been so butthurt about it.
The premise here that I was so drawn to was an arranged marriage between two people, but the man turns into a horse on their wedding night, whoopsie. Aside from this being an extremely whimsical idea that just tickled my fancy, the reason I was so excited for this is that I have already read a book with this exact same premise, plus or minus Lady Jane Grey and some historical anachronisms (My Lady Jane, read if you haven't already). So my Expectations here (beyond just that the book be coherent in form and plot, sadly also too much to ask for the most part) were largely created by how delighted that book made me. I wanted an adult version of it. I wanted that very badly. But what I got was . . . this. Thing.
Aside from the writing itself being just kind of lackluster, and not really connecting to the characters (see: lackluster writing), the worldbuilding and plotting was A MESS. That premise I loved so much? The reason given for it in the story? Asinine. (I feel bad for being this harsh, but I cannot fathom how it got past editors, plural, or an agent, or anyone. It makes no sense.) This book honestly reads like a shitty first draft.
I read an article somewhere on the internet recently that talked about how traditional publishers have changed how they edit works in the last handful of years, cutting out significant pieces of the editing process, and that article totally makes sense to me in the context of this book, because there was something here, or there could have been with a lot more work. On character, on worldbuilding, on the structure of the story, on the dialogue between any of the characters, but especially between our two lovebirds. (Lovehorses?)
Anyway, I'm salty about it, sorry if this like your favorite book or whatever. I might read another book from this author, but it's going to need heavy vetting first. Sad :(
This was SO DISAPPOINTING. I CANNOT CAPSLOCK THIS ENOUGH. I suppose it's my own fault. A great, enticing premise does not a good book make. Okay, actually, the author has some share of this, also. She wrote the thing. But your own expectations are never a good thing to put on a book, regardless of the book's quality. Still, I went and did that. HOWEVER. Even without those expectations, this book would still have been Not Great. I just wouldn't have been so butthurt about it.
The premise here that I was so drawn to was an arranged marriage between two people, but the man turns into a horse on their wedding night, whoopsie. Aside from this being an extremely whimsical idea that just tickled my fancy, the reason I was so excited for this is that I have already read a book with this exact same premise, plus or minus Lady Jane Grey and some historical anachronisms (My Lady Jane, read if you haven't already). So my Expectations here (beyond just that the book be coherent in form and plot, sadly also too much to ask for the most part) were largely created by how delighted that book made me. I wanted an adult version of it. I wanted that very badly. But what I got was . . . this. Thing.
Aside from the writing itself being just kind of lackluster, and not really connecting to the characters (see: lackluster writing), the worldbuilding and plotting was A MESS. That premise I loved so much? The reason given for it in the story? Asinine. (I feel bad for being this harsh, but I cannot fathom how it got past editors, plural, or an agent, or anyone. It makes no sense.) This book honestly reads like a shitty first draft.
I read an article somewhere on the internet recently that talked about how traditional publishers have changed how they edit works in the last handful of years, cutting out significant pieces of the editing process, and that article totally makes sense to me in the context of this book, because there was something here, or there could have been with a lot more work. On character, on worldbuilding, on the structure of the story, on the dialogue between any of the characters, but especially between our two lovebirds. (Lovehorses?)
Anyway, I'm salty about it, sorry if this like your favorite book or whatever. I might read another book from this author, but it's going to need heavy vetting first. Sad :(
May 22, 2025
Save the Prince, Ride the Horse! 😉🐎
If you're like me and love the One Horse Trope in fantasy books, This here is your new obsession because the MMC is the horse. I repeat: THE MAN. IS. THE HORSE. 🐴✨ And that’s somehow everything I needed after the My Lady Jane cancellation.
This book was such a cozy and fun read. All the horse puns sprinkled throughout? Cheesy and silly but I loved it anyways.
Bianca and Aric are royals from neighbouring kingdoms who are forced into an arranged marriage to stop a war. But things go sideways really quick when an assassination attempt on their wedding night ends with Aric being cursed into a horse. Yup. Bianca has to mount her new husband (get your mind out of the gutter, he's technically a horse now 😂), and together they go on a quest to break his curse and uncover the mystery behind the attempt on their lives and oh yeah save the throne too!
I loved the dynamics between Bianca and Aric! Chef’s kiss! Bianca is sword-wielding and headstrong and Aric is the soft boy bookworm who just wants to stay in his library. I loved that she had to keep saving him, and that his gentleness was never mocked or made to feel less of a man and just accepted and admired him for it. I LOVED THAT! The spice? Just the right amount. Enough to heat things up without ever taking away from the plot.
The world of Gildenheim and their magic system sounds so fascinating, I just wish it went into more detail especially with Tatiana’s magic and I would have loved to see more of her character. Tatiana’s powers sounded so cool and honestly, I wish we got more of that side of the world and more of Tatiana in general.
As far as I know this is a standalone, but the hints dropped in the end feels like there could be a possibility for a sequel, maybe with a different character from the same world? I would so read that!👀
If you loved My Lady Jane and the one-horse trope then quit horsing around and PICK THIS UP!
Thank you to Bramble/Tor Publishing Group for this ARC!
If you're like me and love the One Horse Trope in fantasy books, This here is your new obsession because the MMC is the horse. I repeat: THE MAN. IS. THE HORSE. 🐴✨ And that’s somehow everything I needed after the My Lady Jane cancellation.
This book was such a cozy and fun read. All the horse puns sprinkled throughout? Cheesy and silly but I loved it anyways.
Bianca and Aric are royals from neighbouring kingdoms who are forced into an arranged marriage to stop a war. But things go sideways really quick when an assassination attempt on their wedding night ends with Aric being cursed into a horse. Yup. Bianca has to mount her new husband (get your mind out of the gutter, he's technically a horse now 😂), and together they go on a quest to break his curse and uncover the mystery behind the attempt on their lives and oh yeah save the throne too!
I loved the dynamics between Bianca and Aric! Chef’s kiss! Bianca is sword-wielding and headstrong and Aric is the soft boy bookworm who just wants to stay in his library. I loved that she had to keep saving him, and that his gentleness was never mocked or made to feel less of a man and just accepted and admired him for it. I LOVED THAT! The spice? Just the right amount. Enough to heat things up without ever taking away from the plot.
The world of Gildenheim and their magic system sounds so fascinating, I just wish it went into more detail especially with Tatiana’s magic and I would have loved to see more of her character. Tatiana’s powers sounded so cool and honestly, I wish we got more of that side of the world and more of Tatiana in general.
As far as I know this is a standalone, but the hints dropped in the end feels like there could be a possibility for a sequel, maybe with a different character from the same world? I would so read that!👀
If you loved My Lady Jane and the one-horse trope then quit horsing around and PICK THIS UP!
Thank you to Bramble/Tor Publishing Group for this ARC!
January 28, 2025
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to Tor and Bramble for providing me with a physical ARC for early review!!. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
This one is for the Barbie in Swan Lake girlies. This is for the Bella Sara girlies. If you owned a Breyer horse stable and loved the Princess Bride growing up, *this will be your book of 2025.*
One of my autistic special interests is horses, especially magical horses, and I'm also a huge lover of cozy fantasy. So when Behooved came across my radar, I knew it was my sacred duty to get my hands on it. And low and behold, this is probably going to be my favourite book of 2025. No one is surprised.
Behooved tells the story of Bianca, dutiful daughter and Duchess of Damaria, a country which has made great strides in technological advancement towards weapons of war and destruction via their Adept guild of magic users. She concedes to be married off to the heir apparent of Gildenheim, Aric, after the mysterious death of his mother, the queen. However, neither of them have any blinders on when it comes to the reality of the situation; this is a forced marriage, and it will not be a happy one.
On the night of their wedding, Aric is attacked and Bianca is left with her husband, now a horse, and a royal plot to assassinate the heir of Gildenheim. During their travel across the country, Bianca learns that the cold, frosty exterior of her husband hides a warm, kind, and anxious soul who has been put down his whole life for not being someone more assertive and cunning. And who knows, maybe the two royals can find love in their hearts after all...
LISTEN. The tropes of this. Cozy fantasy. Forced marriage. Only one bed. Only one stall in the stable. Grumpy x grumpy. I can't even express how tailor-made this book was for me! The horse puns. Them both being terrible at communication. The eventual enthusiastic consent (WE LOVE!). And above all, the incredible attention put on Bianca as a person with chronic illness. While not stated by name in the text, Stevenson confirms in the notes explicitly that Bianca is meant to have celiac disease. There's no magical cure for it, Bianca doesn't get "fixed" by witchcraft or sorcery even though magic is inherently present in the world. She struggles with it every day and night and has to deal with flares and bad episodes throughout the story. I've literally never read a fantasy where I felt like the character was so human. Listen. Her tummy hurt and she was so brave about it. Brave to the point of literally standing up to four grown adults with weapons during a bad flare in order to try to protect Aric. Bianca is twenty six years old and has spent her entire life being told that her condition makes her weak and that it is a weakness she must not show at all costs. And every single step she takes in the story proves that she's the strongest person in the entire book.
Speaking of Bianca being twenty six, Aric is twenty eight! I feel like we rarely get to see characters in this age demographic as main characters. It was so refreshing and it made their romance feel so much more mature and believable. Even though I don't think I can classify this as slow burn. They knew each other for like, max, three weeks!! But it was meant to be. Tatiana making dirty jokes about Aric turning into a horse had me giggling like a child. The supporting cast as a whole were wonderful. Juliana and Catalina and Marya all felt super well-charactetized but Tatiana takes the cake.
The attempted-murder mystery isn't really very veiled--- we're only given one real suspect for whodunnit and it isn't a super complex reason. And it almost felt like there was an epilogue missing where the rest of the assassination plot got resolved. But with a happily ever after as sweet as the one given, it behooves me to be lenient.
Overall, I am so pleased and tickled pink to have been given the chance to review something that speaks to me on so many levels. I can't wait to see more from Stevenson!
This one is for the Barbie in Swan Lake girlies. This is for the Bella Sara girlies. If you owned a Breyer horse stable and loved the Princess Bride growing up, *this will be your book of 2025.*
One of my autistic special interests is horses, especially magical horses, and I'm also a huge lover of cozy fantasy. So when Behooved came across my radar, I knew it was my sacred duty to get my hands on it. And low and behold, this is probably going to be my favourite book of 2025. No one is surprised.
Behooved tells the story of Bianca, dutiful daughter and Duchess of Damaria, a country which has made great strides in technological advancement towards weapons of war and destruction via their Adept guild of magic users. She concedes to be married off to the heir apparent of Gildenheim, Aric, after the mysterious death of his mother, the queen. However, neither of them have any blinders on when it comes to the reality of the situation; this is a forced marriage, and it will not be a happy one.
On the night of their wedding, Aric is attacked and Bianca is left with her husband, now a horse, and a royal plot to assassinate the heir of Gildenheim. During their travel across the country, Bianca learns that the cold, frosty exterior of her husband hides a warm, kind, and anxious soul who has been put down his whole life for not being someone more assertive and cunning. And who knows, maybe the two royals can find love in their hearts after all...
LISTEN. The tropes of this. Cozy fantasy. Forced marriage. Only one bed. Only one stall in the stable. Grumpy x grumpy. I can't even express how tailor-made this book was for me! The horse puns. Them both being terrible at communication. The eventual enthusiastic consent (WE LOVE!). And above all, the incredible attention put on Bianca as a person with chronic illness. While not stated by name in the text, Stevenson confirms in the notes explicitly that Bianca is meant to have celiac disease. There's no magical cure for it, Bianca doesn't get "fixed" by witchcraft or sorcery even though magic is inherently present in the world. She struggles with it every day and night and has to deal with flares and bad episodes throughout the story. I've literally never read a fantasy where I felt like the character was so human. Listen. Her tummy hurt and she was so brave about it. Brave to the point of literally standing up to four grown adults with weapons during a bad flare in order to try to protect Aric. Bianca is twenty six years old and has spent her entire life being told that her condition makes her weak and that it is a weakness she must not show at all costs. And every single step she takes in the story proves that she's the strongest person in the entire book.
Speaking of Bianca being twenty six, Aric is twenty eight! I feel like we rarely get to see characters in this age demographic as main characters. It was so refreshing and it made their romance feel so much more mature and believable. Even though I don't think I can classify this as slow burn. They knew each other for like, max, three weeks!! But it was meant to be. Tatiana making dirty jokes about Aric turning into a horse had me giggling like a child. The supporting cast as a whole were wonderful. Juliana and Catalina and Marya all felt super well-charactetized but Tatiana takes the cake.
The attempted-murder mystery isn't really very veiled--- we're only given one real suspect for whodunnit and it isn't a super complex reason. And it almost felt like there was an epilogue missing where the rest of the assassination plot got resolved. But with a happily ever after as sweet as the one given, it behooves me to be lenient.
Overall, I am so pleased and tickled pink to have been given the chance to review something that speaks to me on so many levels. I can't wait to see more from Stevenson!
May 12, 2025
This book got a big sad sigh from me. How amazing is that cover and premise?? This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I was so disappointed it didn't deliver. Y'all, I love cozy fantasy but this one suffered from several problems, the main one being that I wasn't feeling the main characters or their chemistry. So much in this book felt flat and forced instead of whimsical and charming.
April 5, 2025
Cute and cosy. I had a fun, easy time with it, though I was more invested in the first half than in the second. I wanted more from the world, the magic system, and the romance. Swan Princess meets My Lady Jane vibes but with less tension.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the arc.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the arc.
June 17, 2025
This was a gigantic plothole. I was also promised slow burn but I swear this romance was a race! It took 5 DAYS.
This started out as a cute fairytale with a gentle FMC… but the tone COMPLETELY shifted at chapter 6.
The FMC was completely inconsistent! She was SO DRAMATIC and not the funny kind of dramatic because she was serious. One chapter she was saying she didn’t care if he hated her because she was just fulfilling her duty and the next chapter she was all like 😭😠. And the miscommunication omg 🙂. Why did no one ask questions? So many things didn’t make sense.
I loveeeee Cozy fantasy but that doesn’t mean they need to be nonsensical! And the assassination mystery 🥴 we had met 3 characters. It couldn’t be more obvious even if it tried.
Look, I tried to turn my brain off at some point but evidently - even if it’s a *just for fun* book, it needs to make sense or be a little bit believable at least!
This started out as a cute fairytale with a gentle FMC… but the tone COMPLETELY shifted at chapter 6.
The FMC was completely inconsistent! She was SO DRAMATIC and not the funny kind of dramatic because she was serious. One chapter she was saying she didn’t care if he hated her because she was just fulfilling her duty and the next chapter she was all like 😭😠. And the miscommunication omg 🙂. Why did no one ask questions? So many things didn’t make sense.
I loveeeee Cozy fantasy but that doesn’t mean they need to be nonsensical! And the assassination mystery 🥴 we had met 3 characters. It couldn’t be more obvious even if it tried.
Look, I tried to turn my brain off at some point but evidently - even if it’s a *just for fun* book, it needs to make sense or be a little bit believable at least!
May 26, 2025
The second I saw the cover for Behooved I knew I was going to pick it up. The cover is not only gorgeous, but also promises whimsy. I love fantasy books that deal with curses, magic and bargains, so I knew I would have fun with this story. And while I did really enjoy the overall premise of this book, as well as the chronic illness representation, the writing really fell through for me. The overarching story of Behooved is quite silly, but in an endearing way. On her wedding night, a woman's husband turns into a horse. They work together to break the curse during the night time hours, when he is back in his human form. It's very reminiscent of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, but a bit more goofy (I mean this in a good way). And though this plot was good and fun, it wasn't enough to carry the book on it's own. It needed strong writing to match it. Unfortunately, I found the writing of Behooved very shallow. The main character felt like a template for any generic 'romantasy' protagonist. The enemies-to-lovers romance felt rushed and based on nothing other than physical proximity. And the themes of self-image, insecurity, and duty, though all good themes in theory, felt very blunt and surface level. So overall, I'd recommend Behooved as a fun palette cleanser between heavier reads, but don't go into it expecting too much from the politics or characters. It's just a fun little story, and that's okay.
Thank you to MacMillan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to MacMillan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!
April 16, 2025
This book had such a promising start - a fun premise about a man who is cursed to turn into a horse, chronic illness representation, a strong FMC who isn't also a warrior assassing type...and it fell so so so so short.
Before I dive into the details, my overall impression is that this story would have been much better served as being written and marketed as a YA. Instead of the main characters being in their mid 20s, make them 18 and 19. Take out the (unnecessary and kind of cringey) sex scenes and given the romance more time to breathe (don't put them together until the very end). Instead of having them get married early in the story, keep the arranged marriage aspect but don't finish it until the end. Spread the action out over a few weeks or months, instead of days - give us time to see the characters together and establish a dislike or enemy vibe before forcing them together. Give us more interactions with side characters - Bianca spends a lot internal monologue worried about her retinue, but we as readers have no reason to care about them (and Bianca's reasons feel weak). A lot of the main character's internal dialogue is very focused on things like growing independence from her parents, overcoming self doubt and being strong in the face of hardship - all of which I think of as being quintessential YA themes. I kept kind of comparing the story to Ella Enchanted, as I feel like the type of adventures and the character dynamics had some similiarities. The story and magic system also don't work if you look too closely - a lot of illogical decisions made by characters and built into the story. While I'm not saying that YA stories shouldn't also have tight in-world logic, the focus can be elsewhere and the details more hand-waving.
Some other positives - I think the chronic illness is represented well, as something that is constant and enduring, but is not magically solved or just ignored. The society is queernormative, which is also always nice to see in fantasy, especially ones that still fit a lot of the western medieval type vibes.
And the negatives - (light spoilers)
So much of the details of the magic system, how the curse worked and even the plot just don't make sense if you think about it for more than a second. The whole "who tried to kill the king" political intrigue is overly drawn out, when there is an obvious answer, and the ending doesn't make sense (we learn that FMC's parents and the governing body of her home country were involved, but somehow she is under the impressin that making her sister the ambassador to their kingdom will be fine? Like, we are just completely ignoring the fact that your home life/country is toxic af?). The magic system doesn't make sense, or the rules seem loose when it suits the plot. Bianca's sister is a great magician, except when she's not. Why can she hear Aric's voice in her head, but no one else can, but when he happens to be muzzled but nearby, he can't communicate with her? He also does a lot of things very naked (since he loses his clothes each time he transforms) and it made my uncomfortable to think about (I'm sorry, but a guy riding a horse bareback naked cannot be a fun thing).
Speaking of the romance - the two main characters have the chemistry of paper dolls. Bianca spends 75% of the story purposefully miscontruing every single thing Aric says or does as meaning that he hates her....even after it starts to become very obvious that he is just awkward and doesn't hate her. And then suddenly, after 4 days, they are madly in love. They go from being awkward allies to having sex with no build up . We also get a lot of whining about Bianca's previous crush/relationship with her guard captain. Except that it was 10 years ago and we eventually learn that they kissed once before Bianca supposedly broke Catalina's heart at 16? Like I'm sorry, but I think she's over it by now. I would get it still be a sore spot if they were only 17 or 18, but its been 10 years. It felt so unnecessary to the plot, especially since we only see them interact on page once before all the chaos happens.
Related to above, the timeline makes no sense. It took Bianca several days by boat to get to the castle to marry Aric, but then it is only a couple days ride to the border? .
Finally - Bianca's internal monologues are exhausting. Maybe it was because I listened to it on audio, but they are so repetitive. Every single decision she makes, she spends 10 minutes talking about how her parents hate her and how she's not strong and how Aric hates her, how her sister is so much better than her etc. And while I get being caught up a storm of your own thoughts, it happened constantly and I would find myself rolling my eyes with how ridiculous they were. We don't need to hear it every single time, especially when it does nothing to move the story forward. And I swear, the amount of times we hear about the fact she wore a dagger up her sleeve when they first met - like....get over it already. Its not that weird!
Overall, I feel like this is just barely serviceable writing and plotting, strung along by a collection of romance tropes (which are overused....how many "they only had one room" moments can you have in a single story?!"). I would not recommend if you are like me and get easily distracted by incongruent details, or above the age of 30.
Thank you to NetGalley for access to an advanced audiobook of this upcoming release.
Before I dive into the details, my overall impression is that this story would have been much better served as being written and marketed as a YA. Instead of the main characters being in their mid 20s, make them 18 and 19. Take out the (unnecessary and kind of cringey) sex scenes and given the romance more time to breathe (don't put them together until the very end). Instead of having them get married early in the story, keep the arranged marriage aspect but don't finish it until the end. Spread the action out over a few weeks or months, instead of days - give us time to see the characters together and establish a dislike or enemy vibe before forcing them together. Give us more interactions with side characters - Bianca spends a lot internal monologue worried about her retinue, but we as readers have no reason to care about them (and Bianca's reasons feel weak). A lot of the main character's internal dialogue is very focused on things like growing independence from her parents, overcoming self doubt and being strong in the face of hardship - all of which I think of as being quintessential YA themes. I kept kind of comparing the story to Ella Enchanted, as I feel like the type of adventures and the character dynamics had some similiarities. The story and magic system also don't work if you look too closely - a lot of illogical decisions made by characters and built into the story. While I'm not saying that YA stories shouldn't also have tight in-world logic, the focus can be elsewhere and the details more hand-waving.
Some other positives - I think the chronic illness is represented well, as something that is constant and enduring, but is not magically solved or just ignored. The society is queernormative, which is also always nice to see in fantasy, especially ones that still fit a lot of the western medieval type vibes.
And the negatives - (light spoilers)
So much of the details of the magic system, how the curse worked and even the plot just don't make sense if you think about it for more than a second. The whole "who tried to kill the king" political intrigue is overly drawn out, when there is an obvious answer, and the ending doesn't make sense (we learn that FMC's parents and the governing body of her home country were involved, but somehow she is under the impressin that making her sister the ambassador to their kingdom will be fine? Like, we are just completely ignoring the fact that your home life/country is toxic af?). The magic system doesn't make sense, or the rules seem loose when it suits the plot. Bianca's sister is a great magician, except when she's not. Why can she hear Aric's voice in her head, but no one else can, but when he happens to be muzzled but nearby, he can't communicate with her? He also does a lot of things very naked (since he loses his clothes each time he transforms) and it made my uncomfortable to think about (I'm sorry, but a guy riding a horse bareback naked cannot be a fun thing).
Speaking of the romance - the two main characters have the chemistry of paper dolls. Bianca spends 75% of the story purposefully miscontruing every single thing Aric says or does as meaning that he hates her....even after it starts to become very obvious that he is just awkward and doesn't hate her. And then suddenly, after 4 days, they are madly in love. They go from being awkward allies to having sex with no build up . We also get a lot of whining about Bianca's previous crush/relationship with her guard captain. Except that it was 10 years ago and we eventually learn that they kissed once before Bianca supposedly broke Catalina's heart at 16? Like I'm sorry, but I think she's over it by now. I would get it still be a sore spot if they were only 17 or 18, but its been 10 years. It felt so unnecessary to the plot, especially since we only see them interact on page once before all the chaos happens.
Related to above, the timeline makes no sense. It took Bianca several days by boat to get to the castle to marry Aric, but then it is only a couple days ride to the border? .
Finally - Bianca's internal monologues are exhausting. Maybe it was because I listened to it on audio, but they are so repetitive. Every single decision she makes, she spends 10 minutes talking about how her parents hate her and how she's not strong and how Aric hates her, how her sister is so much better than her etc. And while I get being caught up a storm of your own thoughts, it happened constantly and I would find myself rolling my eyes with how ridiculous they were. We don't need to hear it every single time, especially when it does nothing to move the story forward. And I swear, the amount of times we hear about the fact she wore a dagger up her sleeve when they first met - like....get over it already. Its not that weird!
Overall, I feel like this is just barely serviceable writing and plotting, strung along by a collection of romance tropes (which are overused....how many "they only had one room" moments can you have in a single story?!"). I would not recommend if you are like me and get easily distracted by incongruent details, or above the age of 30.
Thank you to NetGalley for access to an advanced audiobook of this upcoming release.
April 28, 2025
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Behooved starts off as an intriguing chicken-or-the-egg thought exercise. Was the novel's premise formulated before or after the title's conception?
I found a pleasant experience built on the foundation of a horse pun. Behooved feels reminiscent of lighthearted fantasy films like Ever After and The Princess Bride. However, its closest resemblance to My Lady Jane is... hard to ignore.
I didn't want to make any accusations about the similar plots of My Lady Jane and Behooved (light fantasy romance in which a royal man turns into a horse by night and is a man by day). It's not like Cynthia Hand owns the concept of man-horse transformation romance, but is it a common enough trope? Does it harken back to folklore? We all know of Swan Princess, in which a woman lives as a woman by day and swan by night. Are there Horse Boys galloping across history?
Short answer: Not really.
Long Answer: This question led me down a research rabbit hole. I read about a Chinese folktale about the Origin of the Silkworm - the result of a marriage between a woman and a horse (no transformation, just all horse). I read about Scottish kelpies - water horses who could turn into young men (no love story, much more schemey and seductive. Ties to water like the Swan Princess intrigued me. But kelpies can shift any time. This is another rabbit hole).
Look. I know I'm putting way too much thought into this. I'll take any excuse to research fairy tales and folklore, but I mean. Two stories. Men by day. Horse by night. Is this a case of generous plot point borrowing? Or are we witnessing the formation of our own mythologies? Hear me out.
A common theme among romance novels today is... it needs a name... The Leashed Monster. The Restrained Villain. I'll workshop it. These men are able to hurt women, sometimes want to even, but by sheer force of will they keep themselves in check. The woman ultimately has the control, but the plot's tension hinges on a man's possible transformation from human to Other. It's an interesting evolution from the Swan Princess or Beauty and the Beast - the woman transforms into a symbol of grace and purity. The man transforms into a symbol of power and independence, but a bridled horse is at the will of its rider.
So maybe we should write more books like this. What could happen over time? Maybe these Horse Men will become a lesson in masculinity and equality in partnerships. How to be reliable while literally and metaphorically "handing over the reigns."
OR the author thought of the word behooved, chuckled, and started writing.
Sources
"The Woman Who Married a Horse"
The Tale of Water-Kelpies
Horses, Lakes, and Heroes
Behooved starts off as an intriguing chicken-or-the-egg thought exercise. Was the novel's premise formulated before or after the title's conception?
I found a pleasant experience built on the foundation of a horse pun. Behooved feels reminiscent of lighthearted fantasy films like Ever After and The Princess Bride. However, its closest resemblance to My Lady Jane is... hard to ignore.
I didn't want to make any accusations about the similar plots of My Lady Jane and Behooved (light fantasy romance in which a royal man turns into a horse by night and is a man by day). It's not like Cynthia Hand owns the concept of man-horse transformation romance, but is it a common enough trope? Does it harken back to folklore? We all know of Swan Princess, in which a woman lives as a woman by day and swan by night. Are there Horse Boys galloping across history?
Short answer: Not really.
Long Answer: This question led me down a research rabbit hole. I read about a Chinese folktale about the Origin of the Silkworm - the result of a marriage between a woman and a horse (no transformation, just all horse). I read about Scottish kelpies - water horses who could turn into young men (no love story, much more schemey and seductive. Ties to water like the Swan Princess intrigued me. But kelpies can shift any time. This is another rabbit hole).
Look. I know I'm putting way too much thought into this. I'll take any excuse to research fairy tales and folklore, but I mean. Two stories. Men by day. Horse by night. Is this a case of generous plot point borrowing? Or are we witnessing the formation of our own mythologies? Hear me out.
A common theme among romance novels today is... it needs a name... The Leashed Monster. The Restrained Villain. I'll workshop it. These men are able to hurt women, sometimes want to even, but by sheer force of will they keep themselves in check. The woman ultimately has the control, but the plot's tension hinges on a man's possible transformation from human to Other. It's an interesting evolution from the Swan Princess or Beauty and the Beast - the woman transforms into a symbol of grace and purity. The man transforms into a symbol of power and independence, but a bridled horse is at the will of its rider.
So maybe we should write more books like this. What could happen over time? Maybe these Horse Men will become a lesson in masculinity and equality in partnerships. How to be reliable while literally and metaphorically "handing over the reigns."
OR the author thought of the word behooved, chuckled, and started writing.
Sources
"The Woman Who Married a Horse"
The Tale of Water-Kelpies
Horses, Lakes, and Heroes
May 25, 2025
Finally a book that answers the question “would you still love me if I was a horse”
May 27, 2025
“Was it better riding him as a horse or as your husband?” Girl I’m glad someone said it lmaoooooooo
May 26, 2025
May 20th update: One of my best reads of 2025 so far. A cute arranged marriage miscommunication-to-lovers story between a daring, but chronically ill and insecure Bianca, and bookish, slightly anxious, androgynously handsome Aric. There are also horse puns and badass lesbians in this one. But most importantly, it's finally a romantasy where the mmc is allowed to be pretty, long-haired, combat-averse and even a lil' bit cowardly and still be the target of ladies' desire. It's a bit similar in its vibe to another book I loved, Wooing the Witch Queen, so if you liked that one, pick this one asap, but while Felix/Fabian was kind and bookish, he wasn't very androgynous in presentation. It warms my heart to see a mmc like Aric in a MF relationship that is happy and even a lil' bit spicy.
Original review below:
Couldn't put this book down. I got drawn into it because of the cover (long-haired blond bishonens are the love of my youth) and because the author said on her socials this is a bi4bi romance. However, in the book, Aric's (mmc) sexual preferences are never discussed. Bianca (fmc) has an ex-girlfriend so she's clearly presented as bisexual. There are at least 3 lesbian side characters (one of them is fmc's ex, another is fmc's sister, 3rd one appears a bit later and I don't wanna spoil). Bianca has a chronic illness that resembles an allergy / auto-immune disease (as per author's note, it's meant to represent Coeliac disease), and her parents implanted ableist beliefs in her that she's weak, incapable and undesirable because of it - a big part of the plot is untangling the internalized ableist beliefs and inferiority complex.
A dominant theme across the plot and the romance is the protagonists facing their inferiority complexes over not living up to expectations. Bianca because of her illness and presumed lack of magic, Aric because of his bookishness and not being into expected masculine interests like politics or military. He's smart but not much of a fighter or schemer and he was judged for it both by the court and by his late mother. I will always adore a MF romance where the important plot point is that mmc is "not masculine enough". We don't have enough romantasy showcasing women attracted to other kind of men than muscular alphas and brooding shadow daddies, and the truth is that there's a much wider spectrum of preferences and attraction than just 1-2 kinds of "most desirable man". Aric is kind and caring and insightful, but he worries it's a weakness and vulnerability.
And the truth is, it made the bonding scenes so much more believable when both protagonists struggled with vulnerability, fitting in, having to choose between duty and self-expression, parental and societal judgement, etc.
I also liked Bianca's development from thinking the country she's coming to is very "backwards" to acknowledging it has some advantages over her own, and Aric also admitting some of the truly backwards things could be something he should improve if he becomes the king.
The horse curse plot reminded me of the old historical fantasy movie called Ladyhawke where a couple was cursed that the woman was a hawk at day and the man was a wolf at night. The horse can telepathically communicate with Bianca, but only with her - presumably a part of their magical marriage bond. It has a few other fairy tale references, for example its own version of "seven league boots".
For some unknown reason, I've seen this book advertised as "cozy romantasy" and I'd swear this is even less "cozy" than Wooing the Witch Queen because everyone is trying to kill Bianca from assassins to bandits to villain's soldiers. Not counting her own illness and stubbornness. And tbh good for this book to not be cozy, last time I picked a truly cozy fantasy I got bored to sleep. I think the only reason both books are marketed as "cozy" is because the romance is more wholesome and non-toxic and low angst?
Bianca and Aric fall under "miscommunication to lovers" and arranged marriage trope. I saw the miscommunication setup from a mile and I didn't really like the part where Bianca acted very entitled and offended by everything just to plant the miscommunication grudge. As a person relating to her struggles with inferiority, I couldn't imagine her not blaming herself for every shortcoming and mishap since she arrived to Aric's country and blame him for snubbing her rather than worry she's at fault somehow.
Luckily they weren't digging their heels too deeply and dragging this miscommunication too much. They turned towards understanding and supportive discussions reasonably fast.
There are 2 open door spice scenes and 1 vaguely mentioned. The protagonists are mid-20s of age. Bianca is around 26 because it mentions her break up with her ex 10 years ago when she was 16. She does read fairly young though, but that's likely because she was sheltered by her parents who saw her as too weak to live a proper life.
I must say the assassination plot was very predictable, (warning: spoilers for the resolution)
To sum it up, the romance was very sweet and cute and the plot had enough of mounted dangers combined with time pressure that I kept turning the pages. The chapters were short, breezy and often ending on cliffhangers to invite the reader into a "one more chapter..." dare. Very well done debut. I enjoyed this one immensely, and the theme of seeing your own strengths rather than weaknesses and caring about people who appreciate you more than about the people who harshly judge you was very timely and relatable.
Thank you Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton / Hodderscape for the ARC.
Original review below:
Couldn't put this book down. I got drawn into it because of the cover (long-haired blond bishonens are the love of my youth) and because the author said on her socials this is a bi4bi romance. However, in the book, Aric's (mmc) sexual preferences are never discussed. Bianca (fmc) has an ex-girlfriend so she's clearly presented as bisexual. There are at least 3 lesbian side characters (one of them is fmc's ex, another is fmc's sister, 3rd one appears a bit later and I don't wanna spoil). Bianca has a chronic illness that resembles an allergy / auto-immune disease (as per author's note, it's meant to represent Coeliac disease), and her parents implanted ableist beliefs in her that she's weak, incapable and undesirable because of it - a big part of the plot is untangling the internalized ableist beliefs and inferiority complex.
A dominant theme across the plot and the romance is the protagonists facing their inferiority complexes over not living up to expectations. Bianca because of her illness and presumed lack of magic, Aric because of his bookishness and not being into expected masculine interests like politics or military. He's smart but not much of a fighter or schemer and he was judged for it both by the court and by his late mother. I will always adore a MF romance where the important plot point is that mmc is "not masculine enough". We don't have enough romantasy showcasing women attracted to other kind of men than muscular alphas and brooding shadow daddies, and the truth is that there's a much wider spectrum of preferences and attraction than just 1-2 kinds of "most desirable man". Aric is kind and caring and insightful, but he worries it's a weakness and vulnerability.
And the truth is, it made the bonding scenes so much more believable when both protagonists struggled with vulnerability, fitting in, having to choose between duty and self-expression, parental and societal judgement, etc.
I also liked Bianca's development from thinking the country she's coming to is very "backwards" to acknowledging it has some advantages over her own, and Aric also admitting some of the truly backwards things could be something he should improve if he becomes the king.
The horse curse plot reminded me of the old historical fantasy movie called Ladyhawke where a couple was cursed that the woman was a hawk at day and the man was a wolf at night. The horse can telepathically communicate with Bianca, but only with her - presumably a part of their magical marriage bond. It has a few other fairy tale references, for example its own version of "seven league boots".
For some unknown reason, I've seen this book advertised as "cozy romantasy" and I'd swear this is even less "cozy" than Wooing the Witch Queen because everyone is trying to kill Bianca from assassins to bandits to villain's soldiers. Not counting her own illness and stubbornness. And tbh good for this book to not be cozy, last time I picked a truly cozy fantasy I got bored to sleep. I think the only reason both books are marketed as "cozy" is because the romance is more wholesome and non-toxic and low angst?
Bianca and Aric fall under "miscommunication to lovers" and arranged marriage trope. I saw the miscommunication setup from a mile and I didn't really like the part where Bianca acted very entitled and offended by everything just to plant the miscommunication grudge. As a person relating to her struggles with inferiority, I couldn't imagine her not blaming herself for every shortcoming and mishap since she arrived to Aric's country and blame him for snubbing her rather than worry she's at fault somehow.
Luckily they weren't digging their heels too deeply and dragging this miscommunication too much. They turned towards understanding and supportive discussions reasonably fast.
There are 2 open door spice scenes and 1 vaguely mentioned. The protagonists are mid-20s of age. Bianca is around 26 because it mentions her break up with her ex 10 years ago when she was 16. She does read fairly young though, but that's likely because she was sheltered by her parents who saw her as too weak to live a proper life.
I must say the assassination plot was very predictable, (warning: spoilers for the resolution)
To sum it up, the romance was very sweet and cute and the plot had enough of mounted dangers combined with time pressure that I kept turning the pages. The chapters were short, breezy and often ending on cliffhangers to invite the reader into a "one more chapter..." dare. Very well done debut. I enjoyed this one immensely, and the theme of seeing your own strengths rather than weaknesses and caring about people who appreciate you more than about the people who harshly judge you was very timely and relatable.
Thank you Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton / Hodderscape for the ARC.
March 18, 2025
I would like to thanks the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of "Behooved" by M.Stevenson.
2,5⭐️
I didn't have a lot of expectations for this book; the summary sounded fun, reminding me of " The Swan Princess," even though here it's the prince who turns into a horse. I was really surprised by the beginning; while I thought the writing lacked descriptions and depth, I found myself very invested in the story. The first 145 pages (40%) were very good: fast-paced but with a strong foundation of world-building. Despite the seriousness of the story (arranged marriage), there were fun moments (I laughed a lot). And then... I don't know what happened; maybe I had expectations, and that's why I was so disappointed with how the story evolved.
One of my biggest problems is the target audience of the book; it's written and reads like a YA, but it's not. The MCs are 26 and 28 years old, yet they acted like horny teenagers to me. There is a lot of emphasis on physical appearances and attractions. I wasn't expecting any spicy scenes, and while they weren't very detailed, it was so cringe-worthy... I am not a big fan of spice, but that doesn't mean it can't be well written; however, here... I almost died from embarrassment.
The romance lacked feelings, emotions, and a real bond between the characters. It was flat; I felt like they just liked each other because they appreciated how they looked . The focus was too much on fleshly desire. When I am told a book is a slow burn, I am expecting yearning, longing, and not sex scenes at not even 50% of the book. I gave up on a swooning romance when Bianca said to Aric (not even halfway through the book): "I always wanted you," because at the beginning, she said again and again that she despised him. It's an arranged marriage; they spoke once before marrying, so explain to me how she could want Aric from the moment she laid her eyes on him . This is not romantic feeling, but physical attraction.
Bianca was fine at the beginning; the representation of her chronic illness is good , but it doesn't make for a strong FMC. For someone 26 years old, she thinks like a 16-year-old and is too focused on the feelings of Aric's body against hers . Also, she is badass, and it's the kind of FMC I like the least because strength isn't just about how you wield a sword. It's a shame because I really liked her background and her relationship with her family. On the other hand, I liked Aric a lot. He is kind, compassionate, passionate, and funny (even though he is described as cold and aloof in the summary). I loved his way of thinking, and it's a real change from all the love interests you can find in romantasy.
As for the plot , it was somewhat predictable. I wasn't surprised at all, and since I had enough of Bianca, I just wanted it to end soon.
It's the first book by M. Stevenson, and while it wasn't for me, I think it will be enjoyable for people who like romantasy and want light reading. There were good ideas, but it lacked enough depth and investment on my part to really love it (plus the cringe sex scenes).
2,5⭐️
I didn't have a lot of expectations for this book; the summary sounded fun, reminding me of " The Swan Princess," even though here it's the prince who turns into a horse. I was really surprised by the beginning; while I thought the writing lacked descriptions and depth, I found myself very invested in the story. The first 145 pages (40%) were very good: fast-paced but with a strong foundation of world-building. Despite the seriousness of the story (arranged marriage), there were fun moments (I laughed a lot). And then... I don't know what happened; maybe I had expectations, and that's why I was so disappointed with how the story evolved.
One of my biggest problems is the target audience of the book; it's written and reads like a YA, but it's not. The MCs are 26 and 28 years old, yet they acted like horny teenagers to me. There is a lot of emphasis on physical appearances and attractions. I wasn't expecting any spicy scenes, and while they weren't very detailed, it was so cringe-worthy... I am not a big fan of spice, but that doesn't mean it can't be well written; however, here... I almost died from embarrassment.
The romance lacked feelings, emotions, and a real bond between the characters. It was flat; I felt like they just liked each other because they appreciated how they looked . The focus was too much on fleshly desire. When I am told a book is a slow burn, I am expecting yearning, longing, and not sex scenes at not even 50% of the book. I gave up on a swooning romance when Bianca said to Aric (not even halfway through the book): "I always wanted you," because at the beginning, she said again and again that she despised him. It's an arranged marriage; they spoke once before marrying, so explain to me how she could want Aric from the moment she laid her eyes on him . This is not romantic feeling, but physical attraction.
Bianca was fine at the beginning; the representation of her chronic illness is good , but it doesn't make for a strong FMC. For someone 26 years old, she thinks like a 16-year-old and is too focused on the feelings of Aric's body against hers . Also, she is badass, and it's the kind of FMC I like the least because strength isn't just about how you wield a sword. It's a shame because I really liked her background and her relationship with her family. On the other hand, I liked Aric a lot. He is kind, compassionate, passionate, and funny (even though he is described as cold and aloof in the summary). I loved his way of thinking, and it's a real change from all the love interests you can find in romantasy.
As for the plot , it was somewhat predictable. I wasn't surprised at all, and since I had enough of Bianca, I just wanted it to end soon.
It's the first book by M. Stevenson, and while it wasn't for me, I think it will be enjoyable for people who like romantasy and want light reading. There were good ideas, but it lacked enough depth and investment on my part to really love it (plus the cringe sex scenes).
July 2, 2025
What a silly little cozy fantasy I just loved it!! It’s not a new favorite but it made me so happy and I was constantly giggling. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and idk sometimes you just need something a little ridiculous.
December 18, 2024
Bramble stays having different and fun romantasy books and I'm here for it! This book was fun we have the main characters that have to get married in their respective countries. The mmc is turned into a stallion by a spell on the wedding night. On that same night, there is also an assassination attempt on the mm who is the future ruler so the main characters have to deal with finding out who wants him assassinated and how to break the spell. There is some travel and political intrigue and I liked how the main characters started by not liking each other getting to know each other and see the good side of each other. The fmc is strong and a warrior she has a chronic illness similar to Celiac disease so I thought that was a good rep. The mmc is a softie and shy, he loves reading and books which I always like in a book. There are plots, magic, coup attempts, and political intrigue that comes to a headway in this cozy romantasy. Thank you Bramble for this arc.
February 1, 2025
BEHOOVED takes a time-worn trope - arranged marriage with a mysterious foreign king - and sparks it with new life by turning that man into a horse. This is a book that's fully aware of its (somewhat ridiculous) premise, going all in on the horse jokes, and it's fabulously fun. The banter was a delight. I loved seeing Bianca as an openly and unapologetically bisexual woman, as well as chronic illness rep that was an essential part of her character from page one. And of course, I'm endlessly weak for a soft boi male love interest, who'd rather cozy up with a book while his wife does the stabbing.
Want to read
May 10, 2025reminding me of my lady jane and who doesn't like some whimsy romance
Want to read
April 20, 2025this one sounds like fun 🐎 ✨ 💘
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1645808644i%2F7494844._UX200_CR0%2C6%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
dnf
July 11, 2025DNF at 11%
I wanted to enjoy this because of the bonkers sounding plot, but as with a lot of romantasy books, the writing style and I just did not jive.
I received an ARC from NetGalley
I wanted to enjoy this because of the bonkers sounding plot, but as with a lot of romantasy books, the writing style and I just did not jive.
I received an ARC from NetGalley
March 20, 2025
The perfect novel for every horse girl!
This story follows Bianca, the princess who is to be wed to a king of their opposing kingdom. When things go awry, the king to be is turned into a horse and the two must figure out a way to reverse the spell.
I loved the adventure and romance between the two! The buildup and the way they cared for each other and made up for each others weaknesses. I actually hope we get a second book with Tatiana as the MC!
Also omg He picks her up bridal style carries her to bed after she falls asleep!
As few complaints I had were why did they have their first kiss and immediately bone? Like she was still healing did they really need to consummate it RIGJT NOW? Give it a little time for the romance so sink in we didn't need to go 0-100
I also wish we followed up on the politics at the end of the novel! So much was revealed about the truth of the treaty and their true reasons for having to be married I really wish we saw what happened between their kingdoms and her possibly finally standing up to her parents! Again I would read tf out of a book 2
This is an arc but this quote had me rolling:
"Stubborn ass, no- horse."
This story follows Bianca, the princess who is to be wed to a king of their opposing kingdom. When things go awry, the king to be is turned into a horse and the two must figure out a way to reverse the spell.
I loved the adventure and romance between the two! The buildup and the way they cared for each other and made up for each others weaknesses. I actually hope we get a second book with Tatiana as the MC!
Also omg He picks her up bridal style carries her to bed after she falls asleep!
As few complaints I had were why did they have their first kiss and immediately bone? Like she was still healing did they really need to consummate it RIGJT NOW? Give it a little time for the romance so sink in we didn't need to go 0-100
I also wish we followed up on the politics at the end of the novel! So much was revealed about the truth of the treaty and their true reasons for having to be married I really wish we saw what happened between their kingdoms and her possibly finally standing up to her parents! Again I would read tf out of a book 2
This is an arc but this quote had me rolling:
"Stubborn ass, no- horse."
April 21, 2025
firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!
this was a fun, quirky, and a little corny, romcom in which our mcs bianca and aric are thrust into an unwanted arranged marriage to stave off war between their countries. nothing goes as planned when an assassin is sent to murder aric on their wedding night, and bianca unleashes a spell from her sister to protect them, accidentally changing aric into a horse…
as for the audio, i always enjoy natalie naudus!!
this was a fun, quirky, and a little corny, romcom in which our mcs bianca and aric are thrust into an unwanted arranged marriage to stave off war between their countries. nothing goes as planned when an assassin is sent to murder aric on their wedding night, and bianca unleashes a spell from her sister to protect them, accidentally changing aric into a horse…
as for the audio, i always enjoy natalie naudus!!
May 22, 2025
The nitty-gritty: A spell gone wrong turns a prince into a horse in this funny (at times) fantasy where the horsey antics are the best part of the story.
“Virtue of Mercy. I was married to a horse.”
Behooved is a fun and silly romantasy that offers a lot of laughs and some feel good moments, however I found it to be rather formulaic in regards to the world building. I also didn’t care for the characters much, as they come across as flat and sometimes annoying. But I did love the idea of a man who turns into a horse at sunrise (and back into a man at sunset), and the author didn’t hold back when it came to horsey puns and double entendres, so despite my issues, this was an entertaining story and I’m glad I read it.
Bianca is a young woman from House Liliana, one of nine noble Houses in the kingdom of Damaria. When her father informs her that she's to be married to the prince of House Gildenheim in order to prevent a war, Bianca dutifully agrees to the arrangement, even though she’s never met her husband-to-be. Bianca’s first duty is to her family, and she’s determined to make her father proud.
Unfortunately, when Bianca meets Prince Aric, the wrong sort of sparks begin to fly. He seems to be angry at her, and on their wedding night, when Bianca expects him to demand they consummate the marriage, Aric simply wants to “get it over with.” But before anything can happen, an assassin bursts into the room, intent on killing Aric. Luckily, Bianca’s sister Tatiana gave her a magic charm to use in case of emergencies, and Bianca figures this is definitely an emergency. But when she activates the charm, she’s shocked to see that the magic has turned Aric into a white stallion!
With an assassin on their tail and the fate of the kingdom hinging on whether Aric makes it to his coronation in a week’s time, Bianca and Aric must figure out how to break the spell, uncover the identity of the assassin, and try to get along.
Let’s start with the good. The second half was a lot of fun, with lots of funny dialog and fast-paced action. While I didn’t like Bianca and Aric in the first half of the book, as they get to know each other, their characters become much more likable. Aric starts out as a grump, but as he and Bianca are forced to hide from the assassin, who is supposedly still after them, their true personalities emerge and shine. Aric isn’t your typical main character/love interest, and I liked him more because of it. He’s short, almost frail in appearance (well, until he takes his shirt off, at least!) and loves nothing more than to settle in with a good book or two. He doesn’t want to go to war with anyone, but instead has dreams of everyone in the kingdom being able to read. And let’s face it, I absolutely loved the times he was in his horsey form. There were so many awkward moments when Bianca is talking about “riding” him, I found myself laughing out loud.
I also liked some of the themes and messages the author addressed. Bianca has a “condition” where she gets frequent stomach aches and nausea, and the author reveals in her Afterword that she based the condition on her own struggles with celiac disease. Bianca has been taught by her parents never to show fear or pain, and it reminded me of my own issues with migraines and working through the pain no matter what.
But I did have a few issues. First, the sex. Sigh. There are a few spicy scenes that just didn’t fit the tone of the story. Obviously this is being marketed as a romantasy, and sex scenes seem to be a prerequisite for the genre. But the sex here is awkward and goes on way too long, in my opinion. Also, the author’s language harkens back to old fashioned romances and was frankly a bit embarrassing (“A hard length pressed against my backside. How intriguing.”) This is one instance where closed door scenes would have worked much, much better, especially since the chemistry between Bianca and Aric was almost nonexistent. And forget about a slow-build romance—the couple goes from zero to sixty in about half a page! The best scenes were when Aric is in horse form and the two are clumsily commenting on the situation (“Right. Almost time for me to ride you.”) LOL. And before you ask, no, there is no beastiality in this book!
The world-building is fairly standard and (other than Aric turning into a horse) didn’t wow me. This is a world where some people can wield magic (like Bianca’s sister, who created the protect charm that went spectacularly wrong) but the author never goes very deep, so very little was explained. I wanted more from the characters as well, especially Bianca, who mostly ended up annoying me. And I would have been fine if Aric had just stayed in his horse form!
Stevenson wraps everything up neatly at the end, which I appreciated, and even gives readers some feel-good moments. If you’re a horse fan, and you’re looking for a fairly quick read with some laugh-out-loud moments, Behooved just might be for you.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
“Virtue of Mercy. I was married to a horse.”
Behooved is a fun and silly romantasy that offers a lot of laughs and some feel good moments, however I found it to be rather formulaic in regards to the world building. I also didn’t care for the characters much, as they come across as flat and sometimes annoying. But I did love the idea of a man who turns into a horse at sunrise (and back into a man at sunset), and the author didn’t hold back when it came to horsey puns and double entendres, so despite my issues, this was an entertaining story and I’m glad I read it.
Bianca is a young woman from House Liliana, one of nine noble Houses in the kingdom of Damaria. When her father informs her that she's to be married to the prince of House Gildenheim in order to prevent a war, Bianca dutifully agrees to the arrangement, even though she’s never met her husband-to-be. Bianca’s first duty is to her family, and she’s determined to make her father proud.
Unfortunately, when Bianca meets Prince Aric, the wrong sort of sparks begin to fly. He seems to be angry at her, and on their wedding night, when Bianca expects him to demand they consummate the marriage, Aric simply wants to “get it over with.” But before anything can happen, an assassin bursts into the room, intent on killing Aric. Luckily, Bianca’s sister Tatiana gave her a magic charm to use in case of emergencies, and Bianca figures this is definitely an emergency. But when she activates the charm, she’s shocked to see that the magic has turned Aric into a white stallion!
With an assassin on their tail and the fate of the kingdom hinging on whether Aric makes it to his coronation in a week’s time, Bianca and Aric must figure out how to break the spell, uncover the identity of the assassin, and try to get along.
Let’s start with the good. The second half was a lot of fun, with lots of funny dialog and fast-paced action. While I didn’t like Bianca and Aric in the first half of the book, as they get to know each other, their characters become much more likable. Aric starts out as a grump, but as he and Bianca are forced to hide from the assassin, who is supposedly still after them, their true personalities emerge and shine. Aric isn’t your typical main character/love interest, and I liked him more because of it. He’s short, almost frail in appearance (well, until he takes his shirt off, at least!) and loves nothing more than to settle in with a good book or two. He doesn’t want to go to war with anyone, but instead has dreams of everyone in the kingdom being able to read. And let’s face it, I absolutely loved the times he was in his horsey form. There were so many awkward moments when Bianca is talking about “riding” him, I found myself laughing out loud.
I also liked some of the themes and messages the author addressed. Bianca has a “condition” where she gets frequent stomach aches and nausea, and the author reveals in her Afterword that she based the condition on her own struggles with celiac disease. Bianca has been taught by her parents never to show fear or pain, and it reminded me of my own issues with migraines and working through the pain no matter what.
But I did have a few issues. First, the sex. Sigh. There are a few spicy scenes that just didn’t fit the tone of the story. Obviously this is being marketed as a romantasy, and sex scenes seem to be a prerequisite for the genre. But the sex here is awkward and goes on way too long, in my opinion. Also, the author’s language harkens back to old fashioned romances and was frankly a bit embarrassing (“A hard length pressed against my backside. How intriguing.”) This is one instance where closed door scenes would have worked much, much better, especially since the chemistry between Bianca and Aric was almost nonexistent. And forget about a slow-build romance—the couple goes from zero to sixty in about half a page! The best scenes were when Aric is in horse form and the two are clumsily commenting on the situation (“Right. Almost time for me to ride you.”) LOL. And before you ask, no, there is no beastiality in this book!
The world-building is fairly standard and (other than Aric turning into a horse) didn’t wow me. This is a world where some people can wield magic (like Bianca’s sister, who created the protect charm that went spectacularly wrong) but the author never goes very deep, so very little was explained. I wanted more from the characters as well, especially Bianca, who mostly ended up annoying me. And I would have been fine if Aric had just stayed in his horse form!
Stevenson wraps everything up neatly at the end, which I appreciated, and even gives readers some feel-good moments. If you’re a horse fan, and you’re looking for a fairly quick read with some laugh-out-loud moments, Behooved just might be for you.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
May 28, 2025
Not for Me ₊⊹⁀➴ 2.5
─..★.──────────
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Reallllly wanted to love this. I've been craving some good horse girl whimsy lately and My Lady Jane (tv adaptation, yet to read the book) was a hit, but something about Behooved just didn't come together in the way that I had hoped.
Bianca is a solid protagonist, the chronic illness rep was such a good choice for this story and I neeeeed to see more of it on my shelves, but Behooved had a hollowness to it that sucked a lot of the emotional impact of her struggles out of the reading experience.
I was expecting whimsy, silliness, a ridiculous number of horse puns - and they are there! - but it doesn't lean hard enough into the romcom genre to give it that popcorn appeal, and it equally doesn't have the narrative depth to keep my interest with intrigue or suspense. The storytelling is neither playful nor serious, occupying a somewhat awkward middle ground. Ultimately I just wasn't invested in the protagonist's quest or the romantic pairing.
─..★.──────────
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Reallllly wanted to love this. I've been craving some good horse girl whimsy lately and My Lady Jane (tv adaptation, yet to read the book) was a hit, but something about Behooved just didn't come together in the way that I had hoped.
Bianca is a solid protagonist, the chronic illness rep was such a good choice for this story and I neeeeed to see more of it on my shelves, but Behooved had a hollowness to it that sucked a lot of the emotional impact of her struggles out of the reading experience.
I was expecting whimsy, silliness, a ridiculous number of horse puns - and they are there! - but it doesn't lean hard enough into the romcom genre to give it that popcorn appeal, and it equally doesn't have the narrative depth to keep my interest with intrigue or suspense. The storytelling is neither playful nor serious, occupying a somewhat awkward middle ground. Ultimately I just wasn't invested in the protagonist's quest or the romantic pairing.
April 11, 2025
For the Spirit girlies 🐴✨
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,724 reviews