A Most Forgettable Girl

Brides of Karadok #7

by Alice Coldbreath

Cheerful Gunnilde Payne is hiding a bruised heart behind her bright smile. When her friend invites her to spend some time away from her provincial home, she jumps at the chance.
All is going well, until Gunnilde overhears herself rudely dismissed by two knights, as “nice, and eminently forgettable.” Poor Gunnilde is mortified.
Then, she decides to take her future in her hands and seize the chances life puts before her. She will go to the royal court in Aphrany. She will attract the attention of the Queen and become one of her ladies-in-waiting!
Little does Gunnilde know that at court she will attract the attention of someone else entirely… Someone disapproving, someone who thinks she is a flaunting, flirtatious creature but certainly not forgettable. No, not remotely forgettable.
And then, the Queen insists that Gunnilde marry him.

“A Most Forgettable Girl” is a stand-alone novel of over 130,000 words and is set in a medieval style landscape in the fictional kingdom of Karadok. Please do not purchase if you are offended by strong language and or sex scenes.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Medieval, Historical Fiction, Marriage Of Convenience, Adult

510 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 22, 2025

Reviews

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

MADAM COLDBREATH PLEASE
RELEASE THIS SOON YA GIRL IS SUFFERING

edit, 10/09/24: still no sign of this book... really suffering

edit 11/21/24 THE NEWSLETTER SAID NOT TILL MAY OF 2025????
suffering

edit 05/02/25 NOW NOT TILL JUNE SUFFERIIIING it's okay it's something to look forward to I need to calm down

edit 06/24/25 IT IS OUT NO MORE SUFFERING

finished reading 07/18 okay now that I have finished this I have to say I am a little sad, I think because the previous book was just so good like near perfect imho

[RLbooks (in and out) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it! It might be a 4.5 star actually, I just got a little miffed at some machinations by a side character and their angst over expressing their love when they could communicate so well about other points. It was so good though and I think I'll love it even more on reread as so often happens with this author.

Written in third person, dual POV. Slight ow drama with H being betrothed to someone else at the start, though neither feels anything for the other, and slight om drama when the H feels like other men are interested in the h. Both are inexperienced, dual virgins! The h is H's first kiss and he does ask her about the kisses she had previously shared with others.

Some tropes/themes:
☆ Opposites attract - reserved MMC with cheerful/enthusiastic FMC
☆ Forced marriage
☆ Dual virgins (she's even his first kiss)
☆ They support each other
☆ She puts him at ease
☆ His inner thoughts about her can be so swoony
☆ She's fashion forward and he's a musician
☆ Both are courtiers
☆ The Queen gets too involved again
☆ Jealous/possessive moments
☆ Excellent claiming scene in front of the court
☆ Abundance of side characters, including past main cameos and potential future hints

I had been waiting for Gunnilde's (h) book since she was introduced in the Vawdrey series and taken under Eden's wing. I'm very satisfied with how her relationship came together too. The prologue introduces a defining moment for her and then the story picks up a couple months later with her at court, trying to find her place. She's a budding fashion setter and matchmaker. Unfortunately, she disrupts James's (H) betrothal and the Queen decides that an appropriate response is to have them wed each other.

What could be a souring experience instead becomes this lovely pairing of opposites who make each other better. James has more simmering under the surface than he lets others see and Gunnilde is the most genuine and upfront character. He loves making her happy and she wants to help him succeed. Not that everything is smooth sailing because there's definitely some inner conflict at times given how differently each thinks. So much sweetness though and a focus on the relationship development.

Of course, as they're building that emotional intimacy and working on their union, they also explore their physical chemistry. I love this author's steamy scenes and in this one, he does something that's so funny and precious at the same time, I loved it. Dual virgins is always an excellent trope and here it played out so wonderfully on page. They're both also very into the other physically. Gunnilde is not a small girl and James is considered to be the most handsome man at court. He appreciates all of her buxomness and she thinks things like how it's good he's so pretty lol.

I mentioned the Queen in the list above, but it's worth mentioning again that she was so frustrating. Another friend pointed out in her review that Gunnilde doesn't even get satisfaction of something truly awful the Queen tries to pull. James handles the situation, but I'm hopeful that the next Karadok book just has the Queen hiding in her rooms or something. Other side characters are welcome to be all over the place of course. It was fun seeing prior couples and hyper focusing on possible breadcrumbs. Gunnilde's brother and his friends, plus James's brother were a hilarious crew. There is a cute animal sidekick adjacent element since the brother has a small dog on his person usually.

Loved the ending and how solid Gunnilde and James were, as well as seeing them feel confident. Both deserved their happiness and it was heartwarming. I'll definitely add this to my reread rotation and I do recommend it.

[readabookonce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alice Coldbreath knows how to write a man obsessed with his wife!

MAIN CHARACTER NAMES AND AGES
Gunnilde Payne (22) | James Wycliffe (25)

FEATURES
∘ medieval romance
∘ forced marriage
∘ distaste to lovers
∘ cold & awkward mmc / kind & charismatic fmc
∘ dual virgins 🤭

QUICK THOUGHTS
Although James and Gunnilde initially disliked each other, it was clear they both had affection and attraction to each other early on.

James seemed high-strung yet aloof, but through Gunnilde, we see his that he is considerate. James is my favorite type of character. He almost reminds me of a grumpy old man who loves to pretend to be bothered.

Gunnilde stood out to me. Ever since her introduction (longgggg ago), I’ve wanted her book. Alice Coldbreath makes all her side characters shine in a way that makes me need to see more of them. Even someone as “nice and eminently forgettable” as Gunnilde makes the impression of someone worthy.

The wait for more is torturous, but even a single chapter would be worth a year’s wait. Until next time 🫡

OW/OM DRAMA minor OW — James is betrothed (and jilted) in the beginning, but there are no feelings involved
|||
minor OM — James thinks Gunnilde is a bit of a flirt and gets (adorably) jealous when she brings up other men
CHEATING none
THIRD ACT BREAKUP none
ENDING HEA — five months later epilogue

POV dual / third person
SPICE LEVEL 4 / 5
RATING 5 / 5

[artsandgrace *ೃ༄ · Rating 4 out of 5]

24th JUNE 2026: IT’S OUT???!!!! OMG OMG OMGGGG



The day is 22nd August and we are nowhere nearing the publication of this book, NO NEWS EITHER 😞 Alice, ma’am, PLEASEEEEEE PLEASEEEEE PLEASEEEEEEE

✨✨✨✨

It’s 12 February and morale is getting lower without reading this book and NOT KNOWING WHEN IT WILL BE OUT 😞😞

****************

IS IT OUT YET OH NOOOO IT’S 1ST JANUARY 2024 AND SUDDENLY THE RELEASE DATE CHANGED NOOOOOOOO

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really beyond words excited for this book.

I don't know why anyone would give a 1 star rating for a book that hasn't come out yet so I am giving it 5 stars. Whoever gave this a 1 when I wrote my advance review seems to have removed it so yay. I need this book so bad.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

aLIcE wHy?!?!!?!
It
Was
So
Boring.
Nothing happened. There was no build-up. There was no tension. There was no banter. There was no YEARNING! I have NEVER been bored reading an Alice Coldbreath book. Even my least favorite ones have at least sustained me through the story.
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAPPENED. The queen said, "Get married," and they did and were instantly happy about it, and thats all. They didn't even have like fiery chemistry (or really any chemistry?) or great personalities or something to make it interesting... literally nothing happened and i was so bored. How dare ye ALICE!?!?!? I have read EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HER BOOKS and have been dYiNg for another medieval. And this is where it got me, shot right through the heart.

Anyway, will I read her next book? Yes.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh I just loved them !! These two did have a bit of a slower start, which I didn’t mind at all. Once they opened up to each other, it was so sweet! I loved it so much!

I loved that he pretty much deferred to her in every way. He let her coddle him and tell him how to dress and I don’t exactly want to say he was submissive to her, because she wasn’t dominant, but he was so ….i don’t even know how to describe it I just know I liked the way their relationship was because there aren’t many written like this.
For example, she often comforted him, fussed over him, sort of protected him, and just overall cared for him in such a way that I loved to read about. And he relished and indulged her actions!
Aaaaaand I loved that even though he was tight on money, he wanted to indulge her every want and liked to buy her stuff!

Lol I keep thinking of things I want to add about what I loved about this.
I appreciated that, in my opinion, it was a more relationship focused book. In some of ac books, while I still loved them, I would skim past all the court stuff bc I simply find that a little boring. In this book, I feel there was more focus on the relationship side of things, rather than focus on the h attending to the queen and being a lady in waiting. I was nervous before I started this that half the book would be spent attending to the queen, so I’m soooooo glad that wasn’t the case

———-

It’s out early yay!
—
Yay hopefully coming on June 27th!!!!

[Jen ♥]

It took me one week to finish this. It wasn't entirely bad; I liked the MCs and their romance. It's just that there were too many side characters and things happening with them as well. I feel like this came up to 500+ pages because of the other characters and their side plots with James (25) and Gunnilde (22).

I wish there was more focus on their relationship and how they progressed from strangers to lovers. Although they're married by force, I still wanted to see them spend time getting to know one another and really connecting. Their scenes were cute and sweet, but I craved more, and I felt like I didn't get enough. 🤷‍♀️

Overall, it was okay, but this was too long for my liking. But I pushed through because the MCs were really likeable, and I love them together. 💖

Safe and dual V!

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay i must be cursed at this point why did i get two back to back MMC almost married someone else bullshit................. tbf this one made me less mad than Roland's book. I love this one so much!!! my only gripe i did not give a f about the king and queen esp king spend the whole series cheating on her.

Gunnilde is our FMC and after hearing some mean comments about her, she becomes a matchmaker for the court. James is a heavy burdened by his parents to marry rich so when Gunnilde unknowingly encourages OW to marry and escape with OM the Queen matches them together.

James from the beginning is smitten by her and only notices her.

“Who the hells is that girl anyway?” James Wycliffe asked his brother irritably.
“Girl?” Neville glanced around, smothering his yawn. “Which girl?”
“The one with all that tow-colored hair!”
Neville eyed him with surprise. “Not like you to notice girls,” he remarked, then took a look in the direction his brother was glowering. “She seems to be some connection of the Portstanleys. I think her name is Payne,” he said, the effort of remembrance causing a pucker between his brows.

James snorted. “I don’t know where you got that impression. Just look at her!”
Neville cast a critical eye over the female. “Why, what’s amiss? It’s true she’s a little homely, but she makes the best of what the gods gave her, you have to give her that. She’s well-dressed enough and that hairstyle is really most up to date.”
“Well dressed?” James echoed. “Her surcoat is practically hanging off her in shreds it’s so... slashed about. Why, it shows off her—” Neville caught his eye, and James hastily changed the words he had been about to use. “Her undergown,” he amended swiftly, “to an almost unseemly degree.”
“My, my, you really have been taking a good look, haven’t you?” Neville commented with a smirk. “But as a matter of fact, open-sided surcotes are the very latest thing. They say the fashion originated in Kloberg.”
“Well, then it should have stayed there. It looks positively indecent.” “Indecent?” Neville looked startled by his vehemence.
“Come now, James. You must have seen some other courtiers wearing them that way.” “Where?” James scanned the room. “I see no one else parading around with their gowns falling off them.”

Their love and relationship is a very good slow burn even when their love is a slow burn like other of Alice's books unlike the rest they took their time sleeping together.

She stuck out her foot and contemplated her current choice in footwear, a flimsy-looking article with more cutouts than shoe leather. Catching sight of her crimson stockings, James felt his face flush. It was not just her upper arms that were shapely. “Don’t you think they are pretty?” she asked wistfully. Her calves? He panicked. “I wasn’t looking at them,” he lied. Instead of tucking herself back into her skirts like a modest woman, Gunnilde Payne nodded toward her raised foot.

Thinking of it now, he could not help but wonder if it was before or after the mention of Bevan’s name that Gunnilde had turned quiet and pale? He strongly suspected it was the latter. Nice, and eminently forgettable. Anyone who would describe her thus must be an arrant fool. “Who is he, this Sir Ned?” he asked bluntly.

He becomes very annoyed and jealous of OM and even though like i said he planned to marry rich and did not he does not allow her to spend less 🤣🤣🤣

“Oh.” She smiled at him again, and James had the strangest realization. She was not just pretty. She was damnably pretty. He had always known she was a tempting morsel, uncomfortably so in his opinion, with her shapely form and warm, alluring voice, but somehow, he had missed the fact that the features of her face added up to the perfect sum total.
The fact hit him now squarely in the eye. Then, too, there was all that abundant hair, and the sheer force of her personality. It seemed to radiate from her, all healthy, eager goodwill and enthusiasm. Arthur Conway must be an idiot, he realized, Douglas Farleigh too. For she had favored them, had doubtless bestowed her smiles on them, yet they had squandered them in favor of someone else. He was glad he had not acted with such stupidity.
She blinked at him. “You have not... before?” He shook his head. “Not ever?” she marveled. “But how can that be? When you are so...” She made a vague gesture in front of his face. James flushed. “I... was always very busy with my lessons,” he said lamely. Gods, he sounded pathetic!

The famous James Wycliffe was sat in a common inn, rubbing his wife’s stockinged feet. Anyone who did not know him would doubtless think it a loving gesture that spoke of great familiarity.

“I would love a miniature,” she said without thinking.
“Of me?” She nodded. “What would you do with it?” he asked, a pucker between his brows.
“I don’t know. Carry it around. Look at it whenever I felt doubt that I could possibly possess such a handsome husband,” she joked feebly.
“I won’t let you forget,” he answered. “I won’t give you the chance to let me slip your mind.”

“I already like you better than anyone else,” he corrected her. Gunnilde stared at him. “I do not... put myself out to please others or bestow my confidences lightly. However surprising it may be, it turns out I prefer your company above all others.”
“S-surprising?” Gunnilde stammered as she reeled over this confession.
“Yes, for I did not intend to like you. My initial impression of you was poor.”
“No, for I always thought you were beautiful,” she said defensively. She wished she had never started this conversation.
“We were not speaking of looks,” James said impatiently. “But if we were—”
“Yes?” Gunnilde lifted her chin.
“If we were then I would have to admit that I— I noticed your... personal charms long before anything else about you,” he said, turning bright red.
“Before I did not know... that is, I had no idea that I was attracted to... buxom women.”
“I scarcely remember. Something about your manner of dress being improper.” He sent an apologetic glance her way. “Then he told me what the bishop had said about women with horned hairstyles, tempting men from the path of virtue. I told him I could well imagine you did.”
“Tempt men?” Gunnilde asked in disbelief. “Yes, for you tempted me.”

She was so fucking pretty and kind and, well, remarkable really. It could not just be him that saw it, surely? It shone from her, like a sort of inner radiance.

he blacks out during their first time 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

His chest burned. “Gunnilde—” he gasped but he had left it too late for speech, and without more ado, he tipped over the edge and came so hard it stole the breath from his lungs, and the vision from his eyes. Her beautiful face shimmered and swam before him and James blacked out from the sheer overwhelming pleasure of it all.

“Hmmm,” she said thoughtfully, then came crashing back down again onto four. “Is’t possible, my lad, that you forgot to breathe when you were so caught up in the act?” she demanded forthrightly.

this is said about the OW when she comes to annul her marriage.

“He would have avoided Constance like the plague too, if he had ever married her,” Neville added distractedly. “Installed her at Wycliffe Hall and simply left her there. I cannot for the life of me see why Mother cannot fathom that! The whole time they were courting he looked as though he would as soon face an execution! But there, Mother does not care a rush for James’s happiness. Everything is about prestige and appearance and... and status with her.”
Gunnilde was warm and lovely where Constance was, well, he did not know precisely what Constance was, other than a little spoiled. He had not taken the trouble to get to know her on anything but the shallowest of terms. He had not cared to then, and he did not care to now.
It was plain she harbored kindly, even tender feelings toward Farleigh, he thought, scowling into the darkness, but she would just have to get over that. She was his wife and so she would remain. She might chafe about that in the years to come but he would just have to find some way to make the fact more palatable to her. She could dress him how she pleased, throw all manner of elaborate banquets, spend all his money on velvets and silks. He would deny her nothing.

“There will be no annulment of our marriage bond,” James’s words rang out clear as a bell.
Gasps and whispers had started toward the back of the room. Lord Schaeffer made a hushing motion with his hands that was largely ignored.
“In any case, there are no grounds,” James cut in smoothly. “Our marriage has been consummated. Many times, sire,” he added just in case there was any doubt on the matter.
then I will never hesitate as to my choice. I will choose her every time.”

“The music you wish me to write will never be written without her,” he continued. “The tales you wish me to commemorate mean naught to me without her interpretation. I have examined the tapestries you mentioned, and they conveyed precisely nothing to me.”

“You mean,” she said hesitantly, “that Gunnilde is your muse?” “I suppose you could put it that way,” he answered after a heavy pause. “Another way would be this.” He turned to draw Gunnilde close, wrapping possessive a possessive arm about her waist. “This woman is mine and I’ll take no other to wife while I live and breathe. This I vow.”

[Lis ~Cheese Fairy~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3, I’m deep in the AC universe now, stars

I know this was technically Gunnilde and James’ book, but the squires borrowed and never gave the plot back. Oddly enough, this felt like a support book for future couples. Instead of standing on its own, every past and future couple was kept in the peripheral…and you were never really allowed to forget. I don’t think that was the main point of A Most Forgettable Girl, but that’s the taste I’m left with. I did enjoy this, and will read every single future book from AC- let’s not be hasty here. I just felt our MC’s lacked the deep emotional connection that AC is famous for. Really hoping that there’s only one book left in this gen, because I’m incredibly excited for a revamped Brides of Karadok. Realistically it’s probably 10+ years out for all the HEA’s. 😭 I can be brave, I can do hard things and wait it out.


Pre-read: There’s a date! According to Goodreads- We have a date! Ahh, I’m so excited I could cry 🥹 June 27th, you can’t come soon enough!

[Inna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This was really sweet. My only complaint is that the ending felt rushed.

Can’t wait for this to be released on audiobook so I can enjoy the story again.

Safe
Both virgins 💕

[Viv “BookVixen” Gutierrez · Rating 3 out of 5]

almost perfect!!

This was an utterly enchanting and delightful read—with DUAL VIRGINS! Be still my swooning heart!!!

Both hero and heroine were likable and perfect together. The hero was stern, uptight and often awkward—it made it all the sweeter when the heroine melted him! And melt he did! The heroine was lovable and fun, with a full generous heart to go along with her full, generous figure! She was sweetness to the hero’s cranky, sunshine and warmth to his scowls and coolness!

My ONLY two complaint and the reason i didn’t give this 5 stars was:

The heroine believes she is betrothed to her neighbors son. So why in the HELLLLLL is she kissing other men if she thinks she is promised to another? That’s cheating and its gross. She kisses two other men besides the man she believed she was going to marry. Thankfully thats the extent of her physical contact with her other men, but it left a sour taste in my mouth.

No babies in the epilogue and it felt like a huge letdown.

Super safe. Both virgins, they belong only to each other. Heroine has kissed 3 other men, one being the guy she thought she was gonna marry. Hero has never kissed anyone else. No true om/ow drama. No cheating or sharing or abuse. HEA with epilogue but only a year out and no babies

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Medieval marriage of convenience romance (it's Coldbreath, after all) between a lord's lively daughter and a stuffy court musician.

In this one, Alice Coldbreath said: I'm not even going to PRETEND to come up with a good reason for these two to be arrange-married in this one. They ARE, ok?

A big reason Coldbreath works so well is that these are set in a fictional version of medieval England, Karadok, so she can make up all the damn rules she pleases. The court machinations feel real and developed because they ARE, because this is a fictional universe. There's something to that, I think, in these days when we are all trying to figure out what the future for historical romance looks like since traditional publishing seems to be abandoning it. Coldbreath just...makes up her own universe and her own rules, and self-publishes, and triumphs. Food for thought.

[Petra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable read. Exactly what I needed at this moment.
Easy going plot with not too much drama but a lot of fun and sweet feelings.
I lived the ending especially when James really comes into his own. And Gunnilde was such a straight talker she was really moving the relationship forward.
Loved it.

[Soft Nectarine ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

soft dnf @40% now I know why I always buy audiobooks for this author 😬

The writing style is a bit more reminiscent of 19th century style (think Pride & Prejudice), which distracts me from the plot. Maybe my ESL is showing but the re-reading of sentences got a bit old for me. While I enjoyed the plot I didn’t look forward to the mental workload to get through the reading so I decided to DNF for now.

I was salivating for the sudden arranged marriage plot and I enjoyed the main protagonists but I’m a bit iffy on all the court side characters. I will pick it up again once the audiobook is released!

[Blake Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot wait!

[Soph · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too slow and emotionally flat. The main couple felt sidelined in their own story, and the romance lacked spark for me.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

finished in one sitting! As always Alice Coldbreath had me hooked!!!

[daemyra, the realm's delight]

DNF at 67%. I love this series but haven’t been able to finish the last few books, Book 6 and 7. Good for readers who like sweet romances that try to be funny and light. Didn’t work for me.

The heroine is a lot of fun. She’s incredibly funny, particularly with how much she enjoys fashion. However, there is just no chemistry between her and the hero. Their pairing makes no sense. I can see where Alice Coldbreath is going with them but I don’t feel it.

Gunnilde overheard a knight call her a forgettable girl. This incident caused her so much embarrassment that she ran off to court to re-invent herself. I’m more than halfway through this book and it makes the opening incident unbelievable. Gunnilde is no wallflower. She is not shy or insecure. She seems to possess a healthy sense of self-esteem and takes things in stride. This is her albatross, but it feels forced. Her character is so brimming with good cheer, there are no undertones to her character that make referring back to the inciting incident meaningful to her character growth, even though we are told it is.

James is a handsome courtier who is not easy to get along with, not because he’s stuffy but because he’s just never been socialized with either men or women. He had a humourless upbringing.

What I was expecting was some angst, a delightful if a little clueless heroine, and a hero obsessed.

What I got was too much real-life domesticity. Good for these two if they were real but this is too safe for me.

Perhaps it is my dirty mind but it was giving maternal eroticism with Gunnilde as the fertile goddess and James her young male vibes. Gunnilde has huge breasts, and a curvy body. James is very handsome but he seems utterly clueless about life, like a little boy. I didn’t find it attractive. Gunnilde said she would tell him a story in bed. She pitied him for his joyless childhood. And it just gave doting mom rather than lover.

On his end, while James is a well-written character, he’s not the right one for this love story.

He seems to be considered an adult, compared to Gunnilde’s younger brother, knight-in-training, who comes to court with his friends for the Squires Revels. But he is inept when it comes to speaking to women and to men, which is explained due to his staid formative years.

I wanted to be charmed by him. I like that he immediately craves for Gunnilde’s good opinion, that he cares for her. But I wasn’t. He was so attentive to Gunnilde, listening to her, so responsible as the head of the family through little actions where he changes now that he has a wife.

It wasn’t enough. He never had a strong presence. There is countless mention of the previous couples, almost as though they were more fun to write about than the couple of the story.

There is a little bit of the failure to launch vibe to James too: heroes who either have no aim in life or seem stuck in Peter Pan mode. James has empty coffers but spends most of his time, head composing music. It’s just a strange bundle of characteristics. If he is the eldest, wouldn’t he be more concerned he is now wedded to a woman with an ok but not great fortune? And he is so obsessed with her chest. Go body positivity but with everything else, it just felt like a randy schoolboy.

It makes me wonder if the original hero was meant to be Sir Ned. I read somewhere that he might have been? It would have made more sense if he was.

[CountessKlair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth the wait!!!

Gunnilde my perfect sunshine girl you were everything and more!!! The relationship between her and James Wycliffe is so unexpected but darling, I enjoyed every moment of it. I adore the Payne siblings becoming figures of popularity at court and much admired, they’re just so charming no one can resist them and I can’t blame anyone for loving them when god knows I do too haha. Loved getting peeks and glimpses into past couples current lives and the continued masterful weaving of this cast of characters interconnections makes me so giddy to see how they all know one another. I also adored seeing all the pages, now a little grown up! And Raedan, I adored meeting the prince and I love that he and the pages become good friends it’s so deserved and wonderful. I’m endlessly intrigued by Ned and Fern and I can’t help but wonder what’s in store for them. For a lot of characters actually! This book has breathed fresh new life into the series and it was hardly lacking that to begin with!! There are so many that I want to see more of, to watch them develop and fall in love. I adored every minute of this book. Alice Coldbreath this book was everything I’d ever hoped it would be and more since you first hinted at the possibility of writing Gunnilde’s story. Every book you write I love more and more. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go read this again about a hundred more times.

[Cristina]

This one was sadly a miss for me. I had a hard time connecting with the MCs.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title is an appropriate description. Wow this was disappointing. I love this author, and am really sad about how utterly long and boring this was. There are about a thousand secondary characters, that had my head spinning. The main romance was flat, and I skimmed after the 30ish% mark.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Most Forgettable Girl is pure Alice Coldbreath magic. It was so wonderful to be back n Karadok again and immersed into court intrigue among the courtiers. Oh, how I loved the dual virgins story! James and Gunnilde took their time getting to know each other and their consummation was so sweet and funny. I laughed so hard when Gunnilde’s insisted James see a doctor after he passed out from pleasure!

The squires, Hal, Cuthbert, and Kit rush in to confront James and ended up pals with James and his brother Neville. Hal attempting to write a poem was hysterical. Gunnilde’s becoming a lady in waiting to the scheming Queen Armenal helped elevate Gunnilde at court and by extension, helped James. It was wonderful that AC showed there are different types of knights with James being a gifted musician.

I loved seeing Oswald and Fenella and get an update in their twin boys. I felt for Magnatrude Bartree and hope she finds love again to soothe their bruised heart.

If the next book is about Sir Douglas and Constance, I hope he makes that spoiled heiress attend all the country tournaments and have her sleep in a pavilion tent; she was so mean to devoted Sir Douglas and tried to besmirch Gunnilde’s reputation.

I loved this book and hope AC will continue the series. Highly recommended!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️

Gunnilde has made it to the very top of my favorite FMC's from Coldbreath. She is such a welcomed breath of fresh air, a character that isn't afraid to embrace her individuality or femininity. I LOVED her friendship with Bardulf, I wanted to see so many more interactions between them.

What pissed me off more than anything was how things went between Queen Armenal and Gunnilde. I was desperate to see some retribution on Gunnilde's part, at least the motions that displayed her displeasure in the queen trying to annul her marriage. Honestly, I thought I liked the queen in the past few books, but this book made me realize that she is nothing but a meddling selfish woman who isn't as smart as she thinks she is. I hope motherhood mellows her out.

As for the relationship between our MC's, LOVE. They were such a well matched pair and watching the two of them discover each other and fall in love was spectacular. I love double virgins (if you know me in real life... Eh I said what I said).

I highly recommend this series to anyone who is willing to dive into an entirely different type of historical romance. But, please note that I would not recommend reading these out of order because you will be so confused. Honestly I had to go back a few times and check who was being talked about because I couldn't remember all the characters names and their relationships to the characters.

[britta ⋆˙⟡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️ sweet read and Gunnilde is a delightful character but it felt slow at times

[Jessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, ho hummm.
Alas, despite being a much anticipated read, I‘m just gonna dnf it around 50% in.

The premise: Gunnilde, who thinks herself a little plain, overhears a knight’s hurtful comments; instead of wallowing, it spurns her to leave for the Royal Court, where she yearns to change perceptions of herself and make sure she’s never again referred to as „unforgettable“. It’s there that she meets (and clashes with) Sir James Wycliffe, stuffy man of the court and musician, and due to circumstances, they are forced to marry.

To put it bluntly, I just didn’t care for the couple, which ultimately defeats the purpose of the story as a romance. Gunnilde is an absolute delight of an fmc, and she was a bright spot throughout. She‘s bubbly and effervescent, and the way she stamps her presence in court through unconventional dress choices was so fun. Coldbreath has done cheerful fmc‘s before, but Gunnilde‘s love of weird fashion sets her apart in a great way, and I love how her arc is pushing through discontent to try and carve your own path.

I even liked James, honestly. I‘m a simple gal: i see a button-upped emotionally repressed man who‘s seething (from horniness, usually) get utterly undone, and it pleases my lizard brain. Sir James is a virgin (whoop whoop), and a struggling musician, who sees Gunnilde prance around court and disapproves, though it’s really because he thinks she‘s hot. It‘s a popular trope for a reason: grumpy/ sunshine, repressed/open, he-seemingly-hates-her-but-it’s-really-he‘s-fighting-feelings.

Unfortunately, the execution falls flat, and it sucks because it‘s difficult for me to elucidate why, when I was so excited for Gunnilde‘s story. I found out through another review (and the original blurb, which is a little misleading, imo) that Gunnilde was supposed to have another mmc (the aforementioned rude knight), and ultimately I think the story suffers from the change. Imagine the angst and the hurt and the groveling that could come from the original pairing, the growth, the remorse? There is none of that here; sure, James „hates“ Gunnilde and thinks she’s too much, but even the beginning bits in his chapters makes it clear that he doesn‘t. Sure, Gunnilde thinks he‘s got a stick up his ass, but she moves on from it very quickly, and realizes he‘s just shy. Sure, the initial conflict that results in their marriage sounds bad, but actually neither were particularly invested. They move into their marriage fairly quickly, overcome dislike easily, switch to support without much fuss, and while the result is a fairly sweet relationship, it was also boring and lacking chemistry and just not exciting. After the initial dislike, they don‘t have much conflict with each other beyond whatever Gunnilde wants to wear, and in a book that‘s over 500pages, it becomes fairly fucking trying to get through.

There is something to be said of low stakes, but I think the main problem is just that I never felt that Gunnilde and James belonged with each other. I liked the characters separately, but the relationship never bloomed for me, i wasn’t excited by it, and i found myself wondering why I was bothering with it. Part of it is likely because James was rarely mentioned in the previous books: he’s not there to hint at or latch on to, we never see them interact, and there‘s nothing to build up on between them. To paraphrase another review, it didn‘t feel like a love story between James and Gunnilde, it felt like it could‘ve been a love story between Gunnilde and anyone really, and James was simply slotted in. And when you don‘t care about the central couple, or the (really, lack of) conflict, Coldbreath‘s writing of the day-2-day minutiae of court life can quickly become tedious, even with fun side characters.

Fundamentally, Coldbreath can make whatever changes she wants to a pairing; it‘s her story, she should write what makes her happy, god bless. It just didn‘t work me :( this is the first and only book of hers i‘ve dropped, so it could very well just be an outlier that I might even revisit in the future; as it is, it‘s telling that the most I felt reading it, was relief when deciding to put it down.

[Callie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always excited to see a new book in this world!

I was looking forward to Gunnhilde’s book after seeing her before, and really liked her! I enjoyed that she became a fashion icon and made a place for herself in court while still remaining her kind self.

James was a cute hero as well, but honestly infinite points because he’s a virgin, never been kissed, and is so overcome by Gunnhilde he forgets to breathe… this is so much more pleasurable to me than a rake, authors take notes.

Their love was more quiet and slow burn, and I expected more angst or tension in the beginning, but there really wasn’t much. It was mostly growing respect and love.

Honestly, I don’t like the Queen character so I wasn’t thrilled that she’s so heavily in this one. I was hoping they did make some journey away from court, but alas, they didn’t. At least we got to see some other good side characters, her brother and his ragtag group, and even some couples from previous books which is always fun.

These books are never action packed. I feel like this could’ve been made slightly better by something with a bit more oompf - even the initial conflict of her overhearing bad things about her isn’t settled that satisfyingly? But I’ve come to expect that, and enjoyed it nevertheless.

Can’t wait for even more by this author!

[Anne in VA · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok 3-stars. I have a feeling if all mentions of characters from previous books that had NOTHING to do with the MCs in this book were left out, this would be a novella. There were SO many characters mentioned in this book--I couldn't keep up with who was who. It's been ages since I've read a brides of Karadok book, but i honestly don't remember Coldbreath's books constantly bombarding you with plugs for her other books in the series. Most of them I read so long ago that not only do I not remember them, but i just don't care for updates on their lives either. I did love what was happening with the MCs, but you had to wade through a lot of unnecessary stuff that lent nothing to the story of James and Gunhilde. They were sweet together, and one of my favorite tropes is when the MCs become best friends.

[Hannah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been waiting so long for A Most Forgettable Girl to come out, and it was absolutely worth the wait! Alice Coldbreath continues to blow me away with each and every book she publishes. Her leading ladies are the most vibrant and original heroines I’ve come across, and no two are ever alike!

Gunnilde’s character was such a refreshing surprise and wasn’t at all like how I expected her to be. She still has the sweetness and gentleness we know from Eden’s book, but since then she’s done a lot of growing up and has a fierce determination I never saw coming. Her kindness doesn’t make her a push over, and I quite often found myself cheering her on throughout the book when she stood up for herself. Her sense of style and willingness to speak her mind made her the most unlikely of friends, like the king of fashion himself, Viscount Bardulf. Such an unlikely friendship, that simply just works! It’s fun to imagine all the nonsense they must get up to when gossiping together in the Queen’s chambers.

I loved that Gunnilde stood on her own two feet at court and didn’t rely upon previous main characters to pave the way for her. She defied all my expectations of her, and I especially enjoyed the direction her love story took, where she learned to appreciate the finer things in life - like artists instead of knights. It’s the reversal of Eden’s arc, which made it even more fun for me.

Gunnilde’s leading man gave the readers a look into a different side of Karadok than we have seen before. While most of Coldbreath’s books focus on the rough and tumble aspect of the lives of knights, Wycliffe showed as a softer and more artistic side of the medieval men in Karadok. He was a much more conciliatory helpmeet than previous love interests, and for those readers who prefer heroes who are less gruff, he’s sure to steal their hearts!

One of my favorite parts of this book were the antics of Gunnilde’s brother and fellow squires. Cuthbert featured heavily in this book, and that was a pleasant surprise! The squires are at court to compete in the Squire’s Revels, and it’s great to see them without their masters. They are really starting to come into their own and have developed into full fledged characters with distinct personalities - ready for their own books once they come of age!

A Most Forgettable Girl is a book I certainly won’t forget anytime soon. In fact, I think it’s time to start my yearly reread of all of the books set in Karadok. Every book that comes out feels like another piece of the puzzle which makes the vibrant world that Alice created feel even more special. The interwoven connections and glimpses we see of past and future heroines and heroes in each book join together to weave a rich tapestry that’s beauty only expands with each new story.

[nat. ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 estrellas por el simple hecho de romper con mi bloqueo lector!! Okok, me gustó bastante, son muy lindos ambos😭💕 la declaración de amor?? Increíble, me encantó toda la escena.

Eso sí, si no has leído los libros anteriores te puedes perder con mucha facilidad y te aburrirías porque hablan mucho de esos personajes. Hay mucho de personajes secundarios, incluso más que en sus otros libros hmm, pero en general lo disfruté mucho ;)