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Cursed Brides
Death's Beauty: Robin Hood Retelling
What if you were cursed to die?
Before she was born, Fraya was cursed by a sorcerer to meet with death on her twenty-first birthday, unless she marries a prince.
When word gets out that a bridal competition has been announced, the king is welcoming women of non-noble birth to compete. Fraya chooses to take her chance in competing, with the possibility of being freed from the constant visions of her possible end, until she meets it.
Rial, the bandit of HoodenVale, the man who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. When he learns of the king holding a bridal contest for his son to find a wife, he also discovers that the king is plotting to tax his people more to cover the cost of the grand event. Making him all the more thrilled to sabotage the sheriff in his task of collecting from the poor for the king.
When a near accident occurs and she's rescued by the charming bandit of the forest of HoodenVale, Fraya finds the charming thief appearing during the competitions, helping her not only with the slight hints to do with the challenges, but also giving her the relief of help caring for those close to her who are struggling with the king's raise in taxes. All with the nearing of her twenty-first birthday.
Will Fraya win the bridal contest and be freed from her curse? Can Rial remain uncaught in his game of stealing for the rich? Will they both find they want something more that can't be had?
Death's Beauty is one of the eight novels in the Cursed Brides series, a standalone multi-author collection of no-spice fairytale retellings. Each book in this enchanting series tells the tale of a cursed maiden, who is forced to participate in a royal bridal competition, and of course, finds love. Can be enjoyed in any order!
Before she was born, Fraya was cursed by a sorcerer to meet with death on her twenty-first birthday, unless she marries a prince.
When word gets out that a bridal competition has been announced, the king is welcoming women of non-noble birth to compete. Fraya chooses to take her chance in competing, with the possibility of being freed from the constant visions of her possible end, until she meets it.
Rial, the bandit of HoodenVale, the man who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. When he learns of the king holding a bridal contest for his son to find a wife, he also discovers that the king is plotting to tax his people more to cover the cost of the grand event. Making him all the more thrilled to sabotage the sheriff in his task of collecting from the poor for the king.
When a near accident occurs and she's rescued by the charming bandit of the forest of HoodenVale, Fraya finds the charming thief appearing during the competitions, helping her not only with the slight hints to do with the challenges, but also giving her the relief of help caring for those close to her who are struggling with the king's raise in taxes. All with the nearing of her twenty-first birthday.
Will Fraya win the bridal contest and be freed from her curse? Can Rial remain uncaught in his game of stealing for the rich? Will they both find they want something more that can't be had?
Death's Beauty is one of the eight novels in the Cursed Brides series, a standalone multi-author collection of no-spice fairytale retellings. Each book in this enchanting series tells the tale of a cursed maiden, who is forced to participate in a royal bridal competition, and of course, finds love. Can be enjoyed in any order!
259 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 12, 2025
6 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 14, 2025
Fraya is kind and wants to help her grandfather with healing, but he’s too worried to let her (in my opinion). She’s been cursed to die on her 21st birthday if she doesn’t marry a royal, so she enters the bridal competition. That royal is horrible, and she keeps meeting a masked man in the woods who’s stealing from the rich to give back to the townspeople who are being overtaxed.
I really liked Rial, and even though I expected the twist with him, I also wanted the two of them to have more interactions without her collapsing during her visions.
*I received an eARC. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
I really liked Rial, and even though I expected the twist with him, I also wanted the two of them to have more interactions without her collapsing during her visions.
*I received an eARC. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
February 10, 2026
Imagine being cursed to die by your 21st birthday if you don’t marry a prince! That’s how Fraya felt. In revenge for something someone else hadn’t stopped, she got the pain. The king is hosting a bridal competition though so what could go wrong! Well besides taxing the people for it. This is a Robin Hood cursed bride retelling! I really enjoyed the character development and the romance storyline. It built wonderfully.
December 29, 2025
This was a good twist on robin hood, and I loved the concept of the curse. It has bridal trials, arrogant royals, masked bandits, and a strong and brave FMC.
did-not-finish
January 13, 2026DNF @ 25%
The romance was going was too fast with very little besides physical attraction, way too much of it too. So yeah, not for me.
The romance was going was too fast with very little besides physical attraction, way too much of it too. So yeah, not for me.
December 22, 2025
The vision curse was brutally brilliant, the secret identity twist was impressive, and the swoony romance was unparalleled! “Deaths Beauty” captured the essence of Robin Hood perfectly in a fresh and unique way! I can’t wait to read more from this talented author.
December 12, 2025
4.8/5
Genre: Fantasy/Fairytale retelling
🚨TW: mentions about death, being captured, anxiety, being bullied, threaten
Favourite Moments
🌷 Their first encounter.
🌷 Him being there for her and make sure that she is safe.
🌷 The challenges.
🌷 Them dancing together. (can’t spoil it)
🌷 They both risk their lives for each other.
🌷 Moments with her grandfather.
🌷 When he brought her to his hiding place and also the kingdom that he lives.
(lots more)
Swoony Moments
🌷 He protects and do whatever to keep her safe
🌷 He falls first.
🌷 He is always there for her to comfort her.
🌷 He cares for the people in HoodenVale
🌷 He helps the people in need.
Synopsis:
Because Fraya’s grandfather who is a healer didn’t manage to save the Queen after giving birth to the prince the king called his sorcerer to curse the unborn Fraya that she have to marry only royal if not she will be dead at 21.
Birthday approaching and she is desperate as she is also having nightmares and visions and the king is holding a Royal Bridal Competition and no matter how much she doesn’t like it she will have to join in to break the curse. Along the way, she met a handsome hooded thief with a hidden identity. Will she able to break her curse? Read Death’s Beauty to find out!!
Review:
Loving this story so much. Him being there for her and protected her everywhere she goes to keep her safe. Helping out in dropping hints for the answer of the challenges. For her, she is trying her best to break the curse however it is hard because the curse will be broken only when she marry a royal if not she will be dead on her 21st birthday. Love the scene during the masquerade ball that they dance together with mask on and love their heart for the children and people. He is the leader of the thieves that steals back what they don’t need to pay for the taxes that kept on raising higher and higher. He also had a secret identity. (can’t spoil it you will have to read to find out)
He is always there to comfort her when she had fainting spell which also made her uncomfortable and scared ( can’t spoil it will have to read it to find out) Love the moments with her grandpa and the people that he helped. Couldn’t stand the egoistic Prince, the king of HoodenVale and also the Chief. This book made me smile, laugh, cry, swoon and also it makes me want to learn archery.
P.S Really want to do archery again hehe
I was gifted complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own Thanks to @s.leepooleauthor for the ARC.
This is the 5th book of Cursed Brides series written by 8 amazing authors. It is a Robin Hood retelling. Can’t wait to read the rest of the books in the series.
You can purchase this book on Amazon and it’s available on KU.
Genre: Fantasy/Fairytale retelling
🚨TW: mentions about death, being captured, anxiety, being bullied, threaten
Favourite Moments
🌷 Their first encounter.
🌷 Him being there for her and make sure that she is safe.
🌷 The challenges.
🌷 Them dancing together. (can’t spoil it)
🌷 They both risk their lives for each other.
🌷 Moments with her grandfather.
🌷 When he brought her to his hiding place and also the kingdom that he lives.
(lots more)
Swoony Moments
🌷 He protects and do whatever to keep her safe
🌷 He falls first.
🌷 He is always there for her to comfort her.
🌷 He cares for the people in HoodenVale
🌷 He helps the people in need.
Synopsis:
Because Fraya’s grandfather who is a healer didn’t manage to save the Queen after giving birth to the prince the king called his sorcerer to curse the unborn Fraya that she have to marry only royal if not she will be dead at 21.
Birthday approaching and she is desperate as she is also having nightmares and visions and the king is holding a Royal Bridal Competition and no matter how much she doesn’t like it she will have to join in to break the curse. Along the way, she met a handsome hooded thief with a hidden identity. Will she able to break her curse? Read Death’s Beauty to find out!!
Review:
Loving this story so much. Him being there for her and protected her everywhere she goes to keep her safe. Helping out in dropping hints for the answer of the challenges. For her, she is trying her best to break the curse however it is hard because the curse will be broken only when she marry a royal if not she will be dead on her 21st birthday. Love the scene during the masquerade ball that they dance together with mask on and love their heart for the children and people. He is the leader of the thieves that steals back what they don’t need to pay for the taxes that kept on raising higher and higher. He also had a secret identity. (can’t spoil it you will have to read to find out)
He is always there to comfort her when she had fainting spell which also made her uncomfortable and scared ( can’t spoil it will have to read it to find out) Love the moments with her grandpa and the people that he helped. Couldn’t stand the egoistic Prince, the king of HoodenVale and also the Chief. This book made me smile, laugh, cry, swoon and also it makes me want to learn archery.
P.S Really want to do archery again hehe
I was gifted complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own Thanks to @s.leepooleauthor for the ARC.
This is the 5th book of Cursed Brides series written by 8 amazing authors. It is a Robin Hood retelling. Can’t wait to read the rest of the books in the series.
You can purchase this book on Amazon and it’s available on KU.
November 16, 2025
Death's Beauty is a creative story that combines a terrible curse, a bridal competition, and Robin Hood. The book begins with the death of a queen and the king taking revenge on the healer's grandchild who is still a baby. Rial is one of the best male leads. He is unconditionally supportive and all around nearly perfect. I needed his character to lighten the book the way he did because Fraya's curse is absolutely awful. The prince who can save her from her curse is almost as bad as his father, so that avenue is either hopeless or a frankly terrible fate. While there were times Fraya frustrated me, I can't judge her too harshly because I'm impressed that she's as mentally stable as she is after a lifetime of that curse. I'm not entirely sure how she is functioning as well as she is throughout the book, because if that were me, I'm pretty sure my mental health would be in complete shambles.
Honestly, this was a hard book for me to read. With all of Fraya's visions of her death and her impending demise looming over her, the tone and mood of this book are pretty grim. The people are oppressed by the king as expected of a Robin Hood retelling. The book is just kind of bleak. I wanted to like Fraya and root for her and Rial, but her curse interrupted nearly every sweet moment, which prevented me from really feeling their chemistry. Although there were a few too many plot holes and issues for me to fully connect to the book, I still found this book an engaging read with a writing style that appealed to me. I enjoyed the competitions, though I wish I had Fraya's ability to pick up a bow for the first time and consistently hit bullseyes... The death visions were vivid and showcased Poole's writing ability. Overall, I would rate this book as 3.5 stars. I would certainly recommend this book to readers who enjoy Robin Hood retellings, novellas, high stakes with a darker tone, and themes of justice.
*I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Honestly, this was a hard book for me to read. With all of Fraya's visions of her death and her impending demise looming over her, the tone and mood of this book are pretty grim. The people are oppressed by the king as expected of a Robin Hood retelling. The book is just kind of bleak. I wanted to like Fraya and root for her and Rial, but her curse interrupted nearly every sweet moment, which prevented me from really feeling their chemistry. Although there were a few too many plot holes and issues for me to fully connect to the book, I still found this book an engaging read with a writing style that appealed to me. I enjoyed the competitions, though I wish I had Fraya's ability to pick up a bow for the first time and consistently hit bullseyes... The death visions were vivid and showcased Poole's writing ability. Overall, I would rate this book as 3.5 stars. I would certainly recommend this book to readers who enjoy Robin Hood retellings, novellas, high stakes with a darker tone, and themes of justice.
*I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
November 22, 2025
WOW! I really enjoyed reading this book! Robin Hood retellings are one of my favourite fairytale retellings and this is an AWESOME retelling of Robin Hood.
The curse that Fraya suffered was very original and different, which I liked, and I admired how strong, kind, and compassionate she continued to be in spite of it! I really loved her relationship with her grandfather and I felt so sorry for him, thinking that it was his actions that caused his granddaughter to be cursed, even if it wasn't his fault.
Rial is such a great MMC! I love how protective and supportive he is of Fraya. Even though he loves her, he allows her to participate in the prince's bridal competition because that's what she wants (or not...).
The book was quite short. Almost 150 words. However, I feel like this book had the potential to be longer, to explore the characters and relationships better. I wish that S. Lee Poole had explored the relationship between Rial and his Merry Men more, as we barely got to see any interaction between them.
However, this book was really interesting! I loved the different trials of the bridal competition and I loved both of the main characters so much. The plot twists were rather easy to guess, but this is a very good book if you just want to read something for fun!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author. I was not required to leave a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
The curse that Fraya suffered was very original and different, which I liked, and I admired how strong, kind, and compassionate she continued to be in spite of it! I really loved her relationship with her grandfather and I felt so sorry for him, thinking that it was his actions that caused his granddaughter to be cursed, even if it wasn't his fault.
Rial is such a great MMC! I love how protective and supportive he is of Fraya. Even though he loves her, he allows her to participate in the prince's bridal competition because that's what she wants (or not...).
The book was quite short. Almost 150 words. However, I feel like this book had the potential to be longer, to explore the characters and relationships better. I wish that S. Lee Poole had explored the relationship between Rial and his Merry Men more, as we barely got to see any interaction between them.
However, this book was really interesting! I loved the different trials of the bridal competition and I loved both of the main characters so much. The plot twists were rather easy to guess, but this is a very good book if you just want to read something for fun!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author. I was not required to leave a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
November 10, 2025
I adored Death’s Beauty, the retelling of Robin Hood. The main character was so sweet and I wished I could take her curse from her. Fraya and her grandfather are such cinnamon rolls that I wanted to protect at all cost.
Fraya’s grandfather tried to help the queen give birth as safely as he could. He warned the king that childbirth would be a huge risk. Unfortunately, the queen had passed, leaving the king angry enough to curse his grandchild to dream of her death until her 21st birthday, where she would die unless she marries a royal.
Fraya feels that she has no other options than to enter the bridal competition to win the hand of the prince. Almost getting ran over by horses, she is rescued by the handsome Rial, our stories Robin Hood. With Rial and his merry men saving the people of HoodenVale from their outrageous taxes, he can’t help but be intrigued by the beauty that he saved.
I stayed up all night reading this story, it was totally worth it. I recommend this story highly, it’s absolutely phenomenal!! I have never read anything from this author before but I definitely am going to check out her other books. She did an amazing job retelling Robin Hood, this has to be my favorite retelling of Robin Hood.
I received a copy of an ARC for my honest review.
Fraya’s grandfather tried to help the queen give birth as safely as he could. He warned the king that childbirth would be a huge risk. Unfortunately, the queen had passed, leaving the king angry enough to curse his grandchild to dream of her death until her 21st birthday, where she would die unless she marries a royal.
Fraya feels that she has no other options than to enter the bridal competition to win the hand of the prince. Almost getting ran over by horses, she is rescued by the handsome Rial, our stories Robin Hood. With Rial and his merry men saving the people of HoodenVale from their outrageous taxes, he can’t help but be intrigued by the beauty that he saved.
I stayed up all night reading this story, it was totally worth it. I recommend this story highly, it’s absolutely phenomenal!! I have never read anything from this author before but I definitely am going to check out her other books. She did an amazing job retelling Robin Hood, this has to be my favorite retelling of Robin Hood.
I received a copy of an ARC for my honest review.
November 10, 2025
This was an amazing fairytale retelling of Robin Hood that I definitely recommend! There was a curse, secret identity, bridal competition, an evil King and his cruel son, a handsome rogue thief, and a swoony romance where he falls first and is very protective of her. I loved this spin on the classic tale, where the MMC steals from the rich and gives to the poor, the FMC is cursed and in a competition to break it, how he cared about her from their first moment, and he worked to discover, and help break her curse.
Fraya was born cursed, by the evil King's Sorcerer, to dream of dying every night until the curse claims her on her 21st birthday, unless she marries a royal. When the egotistical prince declares a bridal competition Fraya sees it as her only chance to break her curse. Reluctantly she enters, and with the subtle hints from the thief, Rial, that saved her life a few times, wins every challenge against all odds. That is until the final one is to turn in the thief and she refuses. Rial does everything in his power to protect Fraya and to discover her curse so it can be broken.
Will their love find a way to break the curse in time?
I received an Advanced Reader Copy with no expectation of a review.
All opinions are my own.
Fraya was born cursed, by the evil King's Sorcerer, to dream of dying every night until the curse claims her on her 21st birthday, unless she marries a royal. When the egotistical prince declares a bridal competition Fraya sees it as her only chance to break her curse. Reluctantly she enters, and with the subtle hints from the thief, Rial, that saved her life a few times, wins every challenge against all odds. That is until the final one is to turn in the thief and she refuses. Rial does everything in his power to protect Fraya and to discover her curse so it can be broken.
Will their love find a way to break the curse in time?
I received an Advanced Reader Copy with no expectation of a review.
All opinions are my own.
December 12, 2025
ARC REVIEW⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5/5)
This retelling of Robin Hood is an absolute gem! I can’t recommend it enough! Picture this: a captivating curse, hidden identities, a fierce bridal competition, a villainous King and his wicked son, a dashing rogue thief, and a swoon-worthy romance where he’s completely taken by her from the start and will do anything to protect her.
This fresh take on the classic tale is full of twists and turns. The male main character (MMC) is on a thrilling mission to steal from the rich and give to the poor, while the female main character (FMC), cursed from birth, enters a daunting competition in hopes of breaking her curse before her 21st birthday. Fraya’s quest is fraught with danger and drama as she faces the egotistical prince’s challenges, but her heart is fueled by the sly hints dropped by the enigmatic thief, Rial, who has saved her life more than once.
The stakes rise as she bravely refuses to turn Rial in during the final challenge! With time running out, Rial is determined to uncover the truth behind her curse and do everything he can to protect Fraya.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy for a review; all the thoughts expressed are entirely my own.
This retelling of Robin Hood is an absolute gem! I can’t recommend it enough! Picture this: a captivating curse, hidden identities, a fierce bridal competition, a villainous King and his wicked son, a dashing rogue thief, and a swoon-worthy romance where he’s completely taken by her from the start and will do anything to protect her.
This fresh take on the classic tale is full of twists and turns. The male main character (MMC) is on a thrilling mission to steal from the rich and give to the poor, while the female main character (FMC), cursed from birth, enters a daunting competition in hopes of breaking her curse before her 21st birthday. Fraya’s quest is fraught with danger and drama as she faces the egotistical prince’s challenges, but her heart is fueled by the sly hints dropped by the enigmatic thief, Rial, who has saved her life more than once.
The stakes rise as she bravely refuses to turn Rial in during the final challenge! With time running out, Rial is determined to uncover the truth behind her curse and do everything he can to protect Fraya.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy for a review; all the thoughts expressed are entirely my own.
December 14, 2025
This is an ARC read (sorry for the delay in posting)
Are you ready for an adventure filled enemy to lovers romance? (Ok maybe enemy is too strong of a word but still)
In a way when I first started reading this book it gave me a bit of an Ella Enchanted vibe (the movie not the book). Not in the way that their storyline is similar necessarily aside from Freya is trying to break her curse but in her first meeting with Rial gave me prince Char and Ella’s first encounter vibes.
He yanks her off the road and forces her to hide clamping his hand over her mouth to force her to be quiet till danger is gone. Sadly once they have a moment when they can talk her curse intervenes and they can’t. (Want more details? Well read the book I’m not spoiling this sweet romance for you!)
Throughout the book you can see references to the classic tale that this novel is based off of as Rial and his band off merry men fight the tyrannical king and his despicable sheriff. Meanwhile to break her horrible curse that has been inflicted on her since she was a child Freya is willing to give up her chance at love and happiness to try wed an insufferable prince whom she sees as her only chance to break her curse.
Are you ready for an adventure filled enemy to lovers romance? (Ok maybe enemy is too strong of a word but still)
In a way when I first started reading this book it gave me a bit of an Ella Enchanted vibe (the movie not the book). Not in the way that their storyline is similar necessarily aside from Freya is trying to break her curse but in her first meeting with Rial gave me prince Char and Ella’s first encounter vibes.
He yanks her off the road and forces her to hide clamping his hand over her mouth to force her to be quiet till danger is gone. Sadly once they have a moment when they can talk her curse intervenes and they can’t. (Want more details? Well read the book I’m not spoiling this sweet romance for you!)
Throughout the book you can see references to the classic tale that this novel is based off of as Rial and his band off merry men fight the tyrannical king and his despicable sheriff. Meanwhile to break her horrible curse that has been inflicted on her since she was a child Freya is willing to give up her chance at love and happiness to try wed an insufferable prince whom she sees as her only chance to break her curse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2026
I really enjoyed this Robin Hood retellings. I never cares much about Robin Hood when I was younger, but now that I have started to read retellings, I have found that Robbin Hood retellings are usually some of my favorite favorites!!!
I really liked both the FMC and the MMC. Freya is a likable heroine and cares about those around her. I think Rial had more depth and personality than Freya. He was caring and protective. I feel like the story was more plot driven than character driven, but thee characters are still enjoyable..
I enjoyed the curse aspect and thought the idea of her visions was very creative. The plot was engaging and I like that the trials were practical and not necessarily dangerous. Over all, a good read. :)
I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
I really liked both the FMC and the MMC. Freya is a likable heroine and cares about those around her. I think Rial had more depth and personality than Freya. He was caring and protective. I feel like the story was more plot driven than character driven, but thee characters are still enjoyable..
I enjoyed the curse aspect and thought the idea of her visions was very creative. The plot was engaging and I like that the trials were practical and not necessarily dangerous. Over all, a good read. :)
I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
November 11, 2025
***ARC Review***
This book is such a good retelling of Robin Hood!! I loved the characters, especially the fmc Fraya, and the fresh take to this classic that the book brought. Fraya is so sweet and Rial is such a charmer that watching their romance blossom was so fun. I loved Fraya's grandfather and their relationship with each other. The ending did feel a bit rushed to me and I would have liked it to be a longer read, but those are the only things I would change about this book and it is such a good read.
Definitely recommend if you like fantasy retellings!!
This book is such a good retelling of Robin Hood!! I loved the characters, especially the fmc Fraya, and the fresh take to this classic that the book brought. Fraya is so sweet and Rial is such a charmer that watching their romance blossom was so fun. I loved Fraya's grandfather and their relationship with each other. The ending did feel a bit rushed to me and I would have liked it to be a longer read, but those are the only things I would change about this book and it is such a good read.
Definitely recommend if you like fantasy retellings!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I wish this book was longer. I didn’t want it to be over. I love Robin Hood and this was such a fun retelling. It was an easy read that flew by.
I felt so bad for our FMC, the frequency of the visions were just awful. Poor girl couldn’t get a break.
Our MMC was the king of being supportive and patient. He was just so sweet and kind.
I liked all the nods to the original legend and wanted even more of them to be included. Overall it was great!
I received a voluntary ARC for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
No spice (just kisses)
No explicit language
PG violence/gore
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This was a fun retelling. I wish it was longer and more fleshed out but overall it was great.
I felt so bad for our FMC, the frequency of the visions were just awful. Poor girl couldn’t get a break.
Our MMC was the king of being supportive and patient. He was just so sweet and kind.
I liked all the nods to the original legend and wanted even more of them to be included. Overall it was great!
I received a voluntary ARC for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
No spice (just kisses)
No explicit language
PG violence/gore
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This was a fun retelling. I wish it was longer and more fleshed out but overall it was great.
December 15, 2025
Freya, is such an interesting character with a curse that is so different and the entire book I am feeling the pain and heartache the curse has put her through. I really like Rial the moment we meet him, he is a thief but has a heart of gold. I enjoyed this story and loved the twist on the Robin Hood Retelling. This was the first book by this author that I have read and I can’t wait to read more of this author's books.
January 8, 2026
Loved it!!
Death's Beauty was such a fun and unique Robin Hood retelling! I really enjoyed the twists that you weren't quite sure were coming. Fraya was a likeable character who was easy to root for, and I loved all Rial's flirting. I'm interested in reading more books from this author!
Death's Beauty was such a fun and unique Robin Hood retelling! I really enjoyed the twists that you weren't quite sure were coming. Fraya was a likeable character who was easy to root for, and I loved all Rial's flirting. I'm interested in reading more books from this author!
December 22, 2025
Such a cruel king
Freya's curse meant she had been tortured by visions of different (but all horrific) ways of dying all her life. Rial was a helpful thief. I loved all their banter and was very glad when they got their HEA.
Freya's curse meant she had been tortured by visions of different (but all horrific) ways of dying all her life. Rial was a helpful thief. I loved all their banter and was very glad when they got their HEA.
January 15, 2026
Short but sweet.
I loved the main characters, especially "Robin" (I kept picturing Aragorn but younger e) he was definitely my favorite character.
- he falls first
- Robin Hood retelling
Full review https://www.instagram.com/p/DTitW96FE...
I loved the main characters, especially "Robin" (I kept picturing Aragorn but younger e) he was definitely my favorite character.
- he falls first
- Robin Hood retelling
Full review https://www.instagram.com/p/DTitW96FE...
January 25, 2026
This is a shortish, sweet, Robin Hood retelling mixed with a princess tournament. Ally I can say is, I'm glad I don't have Fraya's curse!
This is a clean read. I received an ARC from the author. I was not required to write a review but chose to do so and the opinions stated are my own.
This is a clean read. I received an ARC from the author. I was not required to write a review but chose to do so and the opinions stated are my own.
December 1, 2025
Robin Hood has always been a favorite of mine, but this book exceeded my expectations by far. The complex characters keep the plot moving with real problems and goals. There is a continuous threat throughout, and the mix of keeping secrets, attempting to survive, and rescue those they love, this makes the perfect book! I loved the reimagining of a classic story with the unique twists that make it its own.
Thank you for the arc!
Thank you for the arc!
reviewed
January 18, 2026Genre: Fantasy, folk tale retelling [of Robin Hood]
Tropes: Bridal competition, curse, visions
Setting: Folk tale era
Writing style: Dual POV; female protagonist in 1st person, male protagonist in 3rd; past tense
Tone: Foreboding without being too dark
Character- or plot-driven: Plot-driven
Romance: Yes
Clean level:
• 1 mouth kiss including “tangling” fingers through hair, 1 with one-sentence description, 1 barely described, 1 with zero description
• 1 near-kiss with minimal description, including “tempting lips”
• 1 instance of man playing with woman's hair and watching her lips as they sit together
• 3 more instances looking at each other’s lips
• 2 head kisses, 1 hand kiss
• Regular physical contact (multiple instances of woman falling with her hands against man's chest; trailing fingers along face, arms, etc.
• 1 instance of woman imagining kissing a man, him kissing her temple
• Attraction
*See caveats below
Sensitive aspects:
• Woman trails her fingers down a horse’s neck, and its owner feels “envious”
• Woman notices man’s muscles and biceps
Favorite aspect of the book: The integration of a cursed girl into the original tale, adding a new layer
Thoughts on main characters:
Fraya is absentminded, constantly distracted and oblivious to everything around her. I wonder if it’s a side effect of her curse. Rial is protective of Fraya, always gentle with her when she has one of her constant fits. But he’s too forward in their early interactions — trailing a finger down her arm or face, lowering his mouth close to hers as if he might kiss her, though he never actually takes that liberty at least.
Beyond the cruel taxing, the king’s true evil lies in his punishing someone else for a risk he took. He has Fraya cursed to death before she’s even born because her healer grandfather couldn’t save the queen during childbirth even though he warned she couldn’t survive it even before the attempt to conceive. Not only did the king choose to put his wife in danger, not only did he blame the very person who told him not to do so, but he also condemned someone who had nothing to do with the whole scenario. Fraya’s torture is compounded by frequent dreams and visions of different ways she could die.
There’s a minor message in the book that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The girls Fraya grew up with mocked her for looking strange, though the narrative doesn’t specify in what way, and she sees herself as plain. But the moment Rial first lays eyes on her, he is stricken by what he repeatedly thinks of as her stunning beauty.
The story also touches on the issue of how much one kingdom can interfere with another. Is there a point at which ‘it’s not my place’ doesn’t cut it? When does respecting sovereignty become an excuse to eschew the moral responsibility to stand up for justice, wherever it may be?
____________________________________
This is the umpteenth time he has witnessed her curse. If he wasn’t scared away any other time, why would he be this time?
Favorite Quotation: It felt as though everything stopped. The musicians stopped their sound, the dancers stalled in their dance, and if I were to have looked, I was sure I could’ve found a small fly frozen mid-flight. The only sound that filled the room was my pulsing heartbeat that pounded in my ears.
(I received a free ARC of this book from the author and am gratefully—voluntarily—leaving a review.)
Tropes: Bridal competition, curse, visions
Setting: Folk tale era
Writing style: Dual POV; female protagonist in 1st person, male protagonist in 3rd; past tense
Tone: Foreboding without being too dark
Character- or plot-driven: Plot-driven
Romance: Yes
Clean level:
• 1 mouth kiss including “tangling” fingers through hair, 1 with one-sentence description, 1 barely described, 1 with zero description
• 1 near-kiss with minimal description, including “tempting lips”
• 1 instance of man playing with woman's hair and watching her lips as they sit together
• 3 more instances looking at each other’s lips
• 2 head kisses, 1 hand kiss
• Regular physical contact (multiple instances of woman falling with her hands against man's chest; trailing fingers along face, arms, etc.
• 1 instance of woman imagining kissing a man, him kissing her temple
• Attraction
*See caveats below
Sensitive aspects:
• Woman trails her fingers down a horse’s neck, and its owner feels “envious”
• Woman notices man’s muscles and biceps
Favorite aspect of the book: The integration of a cursed girl into the original tale, adding a new layer
Thoughts on main characters:
Fraya is absentminded, constantly distracted and oblivious to everything around her. I wonder if it’s a side effect of her curse. Rial is protective of Fraya, always gentle with her when she has one of her constant fits. But he’s too forward in their early interactions — trailing a finger down her arm or face, lowering his mouth close to hers as if he might kiss her, though he never actually takes that liberty at least.
Beyond the cruel taxing, the king’s true evil lies in his punishing someone else for a risk he took. He has Fraya cursed to death before she’s even born because her healer grandfather couldn’t save the queen during childbirth even though he warned she couldn’t survive it even before the attempt to conceive. Not only did the king choose to put his wife in danger, not only did he blame the very person who told him not to do so, but he also condemned someone who had nothing to do with the whole scenario. Fraya’s torture is compounded by frequent dreams and visions of different ways she could die.
There’s a minor message in the book that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The girls Fraya grew up with mocked her for looking strange, though the narrative doesn’t specify in what way, and she sees herself as plain. But the moment Rial first lays eyes on her, he is stricken by what he repeatedly thinks of as her stunning beauty.
The story also touches on the issue of how much one kingdom can interfere with another. Is there a point at which ‘it’s not my place’ doesn’t cut it? When does respecting sovereignty become an excuse to eschew the moral responsibility to stand up for justice, wherever it may be?
____________________________________
I twisted my fingers and frowned. Has my curse scared him away? Will Rial avoid seeing me... I cringed.
This is the umpteenth time he has witnessed her curse. If he wasn’t scared away any other time, why would he be this time?
Favorite Quotation: It felt as though everything stopped. The musicians stopped their sound, the dancers stalled in their dance, and if I were to have looked, I was sure I could’ve found a small fly frozen mid-flight. The only sound that filled the room was my pulsing heartbeat that pounded in my ears.
(I received a free ARC of this book from the author and am gratefully—voluntarily—leaving a review.)
Review of advance copy received from Author
I love this book! I enjoyed this Robin Hood retelling and loved the main characters, Fraya and Rial. The story is dual POV, easy to read and follow, and well written. I would recommend it as well as the whole Cursed Bride series.
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