The Flame in the Frost : A Dark Epic Fantasy Romance

by Olivia Boothe

When a cursed Winter Prince and a royal guard with a forgotten bloodline are bound by an ancient prophecy, they become the only ones who can stop a rising enemy—if their forbidden love doesn’t destroy them first.

They tried to silence their bond, but the gods had already sung their fate into the heavens.

In the frostbitten kingdom of Skadgard, Sylvanna Isenwulf has finally claimed her mantle as Captain of the Guard, but her loyalty to the crown is tested when Prince Jökullson “Jack” Drakmyr—her best friend and heir to the Frostbound throne—is forced into an arranged betrothal with a princess he’s never met and an alliance that could ignite war across the northern realms.

Ordered to accompany Jack on a dangerous envoy through the cursed Wildlands, Sylvanna is thrust into a perilous journey filled with ancient magic and deadly creatures. But it is another kind of danger that threatens to unravel their friendship...

Bound by an invisible tether that has pulled at their hearts since childhood, Sylvanna and Jack must not only confront their deepest secrets and darkest desires but choose between the love consuming them at their core or the duty binding them to their kingdom.

And when a ruthless enemy rises, threatening to tear Sylvanna and Jack apart, The Frost Prince must decide to either honor the crown that has caged him his whole life or unleash the deadly monster dormant in his veins—a winter storm fiercer than anything Skadgard has ever faced.

Enough to topple kingdoms. Enough to shatter fate.

The Flame in the Frost is a Norse-inspired Friends to Lovers Jack Frost reimagining romantasy intended for readers 18+. Reader discretion is advised.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Dark Fantasy

Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 30, 2026

About the author

REAL LOVE AS IT IS. MESSY. COMPLICATED. AND SINFULLY ADDICTIVE.

Olivia Boothe has always been drawn to stories that blur the line between devotion and destruction. She writes emotionally charged romance infused with dark fantasy, magic, and high-stakes desire—where love is never simple, heroes are beautifully flawed, and passion can be as dangerous as it is intoxicating.

Her novels are known for their deep, layered plots and slow-burn intensity, because for Olivia, romance isn’t about the first kiss or the happily ever after—it’s about everything that happens in between: the longing, the sacrifice, and the moments that change you forever.

When she isn’t writing, Olivia can be found devouring books across every genre, binge-watching her latest TV obsession, or hosting Tuesday-night wine and junk-TV therapy with her girlfriends. She lives in Northern New Jersey with her husband, three sons, and her mini Aussie writing companion, Rosie.

Reviews

[Bookishness]

Received an ARC copy… a Jack Frost retelling!! A dark romantasy with a slow burn that tortures, forbidden love, intense yearning, and a badass FMC—see a pattern here?? These are my absolute weakness!

[Berry ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Olivia Boothe, Three Brothers Press, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3 / 5 ⭐️

I had such a fun time reading this, and I was so overjoyed when I got the ARC! Like, a Norse Inspired, Jack Frost retelling, hello?? How could I not?

I loved the worldbuilding and the aesthetic of this book so much! Olivia Boothe's writing felt very magical and it was so easy to get sucked into this fantasy world!

I really enjoyed it being heavier on the romance than the fantasy, too.

I loved Jack and Sylvi alone, but I CRAVED each time they were together on page. I felt that they really meshed well together! Their chemistry was sooo good.

That being said, I found the first 30% of the book a bit slow to get through.. as well as the romance between Jack and Sylvi very "push and pull." Don't get me wrong, it was still enjoyable, but I did find myself struggling to push through, and groaning each time they pulled away from each other or something forced them away from each other.

And the ENDING? Such a diabolical cliffhanger UGH I must read the next book!

♡ pre-read ♡

A JACK FROST RETELLING omgggggg. I live for this, hehe. I'm so excited!!

[⊹₊⟡⋆Mandy Darling⊹₊⟡⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars

I jumped at the chance to read The Flame in the Frost because the second I realized this was a dark romantasy with Jack Frost as the MMC, I was gone. Done for. Sold immediately. As someone who has always had a soft spot for Jack Frost, this concept felt like it was basically handcrafted for me. And then you throw in the Norse-inspired elements too? Yeah. There was no way I was not picking this up.

One thing this book does really well is world-building. There is so much history woven into this story, along with rich backstories, fascinating locations, and characters that actually feel dynamic and important to the world around them. It felt immersive in a way that made me want to keep turning the pages just to learn more. I love when a fantasy world feels layered and alive, and this one absolutely did.

Sylvi was also such a strong FMC. She had that perfect balance of being capable and fierce without losing her femininity, which I personally love seeing. She felt powerful, but still soft in the ways that mattered, and I really appreciated that her strength never came at the cost of her womanhood. She was such a good heroine to follow.

And Jack and Sylvi? My heart was absolutely gone for them from the beginning. Their best friends to fated mates dynamic was so sweet and precious, and it gave their relationship such a pure emotional core. That made all of the tension, longing, and yearning hit even harder. There was something so tender about them that had me rooting for them the entire time.

Also, let's talk about how this book managed to leave me with approximately one million unanswered questions. Because wow. This first installment opened the door to so many things that still need to be explored, and that ending absolutely did not give me peace. That cliffhanger has me out here needing the next book to be announced, released, and placed directly into my hands immediately!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[BookishKB]

❄️ 💙The Flame in the Frost💙 ❄️

A Norse-inspired dark fantasy romance

📖 Bookish Thoughts
I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.

🔥 What to Expect
• Friends to lovers
• Cursed prince
• Captain of the guard FMC
• Forbidden love
• Arranged marriage
• Norse inspired world
• Magic and deadly creatures
_ _ _
📅 Pub Date: June 30, 2026
📝 Thank you to Three Brothers Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for my early copy of A Flame in the Frost. When I started this, I thought it would just be a cozy Jack Frost retelling, but it ended up being so much more. The world building and plot were so complex and rich. I didn’t want to put this book down. This book made me realize that I love friends to lovers as much as I love enemies to lovers. The tension and yearning were top notch and I loved these characters. I’m really excited for the continuation of Sylvi and Jack’s story.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look out! This is a solidly written book and this author is an author to watch! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In my book club of book friends, 2 of the high book count girlies were ranting, raving and book pushing until I gave in. Look, when you get told recs a bunch and have a tbr that’s as long as a Christmas wish list, you tend to just add it to the list. BUT both ladies said it was their FAVORITE BOOK OF THE YEAR!! Naturally, I had to join the club due to needing a book that could be that good. So I managed to get approved to arc read this book. THANK GOODNESS!!

This author’s writing game is strong. Her characters are memorable. Best friends to possible lovers? Possibly? Forbidden magic. Lots of choices for villains and allies. The fight scenes were jaw dropping. The pace is is perfection.

I kept thinking to myself, “how come more people aren’t talking about this?” So here I am screaming at you to try this book.

This author’s books will become must reads. You watch. :)

[Robyn Pattison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went back and forth a little when deciding on my rating for this book.

On one hand I really enjoyed the characters, the authors writing style and the dynamics of the story. I loved how the friends to lovers was carried out, the yearning and tension between Sylvi and Jack had me hooked. I found the world building and magic to be really interesting and I was eager to read more.

On the other hand, there were times where the yearning felt like it took over the plot a bit too much. It occasionally pulled focus away from the story itself, which made things feel slightly chaotic at points.

That said, the last 30% of the book had me hooked and definitely left me with so many questions and I’m already looking forward to the next book.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the eARC of The Flame in the Frost in exchange for an honest review.

[Ash Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

You guy's aren't ready for this book - unputdownable!

ARC Review

A Flame in the Frost
Olivia Boothe | June 30th, 2026

The Perfect First Book & beginning to an epic Trilogy.
A Norse-mythology inspired romantasy with a Jack Frost retelling that will make you pant, cry and potentially angry at Sylvanna and Jack's antics.

Vibe Rating: 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Writing Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️


Reading Experience:
- Dual First Person POV, fast pace with a character driven plot.
- Medium burn romance with explicit open door scenes.
- Realms with Portals, Elemental Magic, Shifters, Fae, Witches and other mythical creatures

For lovers of: A Bridge Kingdom, Road of Bones, Direbound

Tropes
🎭 Strong FMC — Captain of the Guard
🎭 Political Intrigue and Subterfuge
🎭 Feminine Rage
🎭 Forbidden Romance
🎭 Friends to Lovers
🎭 Suppression of Power
🎭 Touch Her and Die

⚠️ Trigger Warning: Explicit Sexual Content and Violence. Themes of non-consent are present without full conclusion.

In the mythical northern plane of Nordveld, we find ourselves bound to Sylvanna, Captain of Skadgard and Jack, dutiful Prince and Heir to the Frostbound Court. Nordveld sits on the edge of war and at its centre, The Ice Queen herself and ruler of Skadgard and the Frostbound Court is pulling all the strings. Slyvanna and Jack are torn by duty and their devotion to each other. Their life long friendship is put to the test as they discovery the hidden truths within Skadgard and each other. Can their friendship and the realm survive the longing they have for each other?

Where it shines: Where this book truly shines is in the tension Boothe builds between two people who have known each other too long to pretend. The friendship-to-romance slow burn is executed with real skill — every charged moment feels earned rather than forced. The banter is sharp and genuinely fun, the kind that makes you grin and then immediately feel stressed for them. And Jack's POV was a particular highlight — getting inside his head added a layer of complexity to what could have easily been a brooding love interest, and instead made him one of the more compelling male leads I've read in a while.

Where it fell short: There was a lot of internal monologue which can be translated as telling and not showing. However it was truly an excellent story and first book and I cannot wait for book two. A map would also be spectacular.

A Flame in the Frost is a confident, addictive series opener that romantasy readers will devour — especially if you love a friends-to-lovers slow burn wrapped in mythology and chaos. I'll be first in line for book two.
Thank you to NetGalley and Olivia Boothe for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Alyssa Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Wow, this was such a fun read! The yearning went CRAZY. Will write a full review soon!

Thank you Netgalley and Olivia for this ARC!

[Next Chapter Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

The slow burn.. OMG THE SLOW BURN in this book!!!!

I really didn’t know what to expect of this winter/Icelandic/Jack Frost reimagining but it was not this delectable friends to lovers, royal fae dark romance fantasy with mythology and erased history and more plot twists and turns then I could have ever imagined!
The loyalty, the yearning and the devoted love between the main characters had me absolutely enthralled. I loved that the FMC is the captain of the guard and the MMC is the Prince with insane levels of magic. Their dynamic kept me on my toes the ENTIRE book. Epic battles, royal politics, evil princesses, creepy AF beasts in the woods… I ate it all up!!!

And the last few chapters absolutely have me chomping at the bit for the next one! Unreal revelations and truths made for a mind blowing cliffhanger end.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC opportunity!

[fariha ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this E-arc!

The Flame in the Frost is a beautifully written novel that is lyrical, poetic and vivid. It had me hooked from the first page as it draws you in immediately.

The FMC felt very real, she wasn’t perfect or overly heroic, just someone who was trying to figure things out whilst also dealing with a lot internally. Her vulnerable moments and feelings were so raw, it was so easy to connect with her and feel with her.

The friends to lovers was done so right — the tension and the yearning had me on the edge of my seat.

I also enjoyed the magical system, the fae world and the political intrigue. The politics was a little confusing at first due to the various names etc. Though the pacing was a little slow at times, it didn’t take me away from the story.

[Brienna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and three brothers press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was fun and the plot kept me engaged to the end but this landed flat for me! The writing while beautiful, felt over redundant in its poetic prose and the inner dialogues were so repetitive. The romance was blander than a rice cake, I just couldn’t find it in me to care one way or another what happened with them.

I enjoyed the setting a lot it was actually my favorite part - frost magic and winter creatures plus Jack Frost like yaaaa of course I’m sat.

The friends to lovers is definitely a central theme here so if your fans of this trope I think you’ll enjoy this book this may also be for you if you enjoy Jack Frost, Dual POV, forbidden love, political intrigue and yearning. 🩵❄️

[Keeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

**First a thank you to Olivia Boothe and NetGalley for supplying the arc copy 🤍 **

A dark romantasy featuring a Jack Frost MMC…need I say more??

Everything about this book was immersive and such a fun time. I really loved the Norse inspired mythology and how it added such a refreshing twist on the genre!

The world building of this book was done beautifully! The writing in this book is very whimsical and vibrant- I personally was able to conjure up stunning scenes with my imagination.

The chemistry between the two main characters is SO emotionally beautiful. It’s hard to find a well written friends to lovers that really puts an emphasis on how much the friendship means to the characters but this one does it very well. The yearning was top tier and I cannot wait to see their relationship evolve even more as their characters develop.

Overall, the book was amazing. I will say that it felt a little slow to start, but honestly that’s all fantasy books that you have to endure world building. I do wish there was a pronunciation glossary for some of the words but it didn’t take away from the plot/story. The romance is definitely a huge part of this book so if you’re looking for a Romantasy that only has a small romantic subplot this is not it. The cliffhanger will definitely have me waiting for the next one 😭 well done Olivia Boothe, cheers to The Flame in the Frost 🤍

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Jack Frost retelling but make it Norse inspired!! This book has friends to lovers, slow burn, forbidden love, dark romantasy. I had such a fun time reading this and I absolutely loved our FMC! The plot to this is so interesting and has me so excited for the next book especially with that ending! It does take a little bit to get a grasp on the world, characters, and the magic system. The only thing that kept me from rating it higher is that I did feel like the overlap of character POV for things happening made the book feel a little repetitive and longer than it needed to be. Overall I highly recommend this if you are looking for a new fantasy series to start that will make you feel immersed and fall in love with its characters!

[Stephanie Chiocchi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory editing for this eARC!

This was an interesting story based on Jack Frost and Norse mythology. There were a lot of elements to this story and it evolved quite a bit by the time we got to the end.

There were moments I was very much taken out of the story, especially when it’s a constant back and forth between the MMC and FMC. “We can. But we can’t. But I love you. But our kingdom.” And so on and so forth. It was CONSTANT and not necessarily in a good way.

Other characters were introduced as we went that you thought would be a part of the story more and they really weren’t. Again, mostly just our two MCs pining after one another.

**POSSIBLE SPOILER**


Then we get to the end where the entire history is a lie and maybe a future love triangle?? Idk if I’ll continue on with the series, but I’ll keep it on my radar. This was just an overwhelming amount of plot and internal monologue about serving the kingdom or forbidden love.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much more than I expected it to be. The idea of a Norse-inspired Jack Frost reimagining was already great, and I was happily surprised by the amount of world building and dynamic characters. The relationship between Sylvi and Jack was done well, even though their back and forth did get a bit annoying at times. While the pacing of the story got a little slow at times, the end of the book was great. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Hailey Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible! This book was a movie in my mind! If you’re looking for a unique romantasy book that’s not just a copy paste of every other romantasy book you’ve read, this book is for you !!

Sexy Jack Frost, a winter world, FRIENDS TO LOVERS with so much amazing tension. This book was addicting, sexy, romantic. One of my new faves!

[Deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an eARC from the author via Book Sirens. This is my honest review!

- ✌🏻dual POV
- ❤️ best friends to lovers
- ❄️ Jack Frost coded MMC
- 🖤 strong, intelligent MFC
- 🎅🏼Christmas realm with King Santa Claus
- ‼️political unrest
- 🙌 they can APOLOGIZE to each other
- 🥶touch her = he will freeze & unalive them
- 💕 romance focused with strong side plot
- ♾️ fated mates
- 🗣️ they both talk dirty 😉

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The ending was a huge cliffhanger and I am looking forward to book 2! I have a few critiques. Therefore, I am rating this book 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5 for Goodreads.

Alright, first, I loved the author’s opening message to the reader. “To every girl who has ever fallen for her best friend… go on. Kiss the boy. I did.” So cute and I just absolutely loved it.

I thought the book started in a very unique way, focusing on the Frost Queen and her people immediately after this queen failed to invade another land, having retreated back home. Usually, books are taken from the perspective of the winner of a battle or invasion. Therefore, to have a change up on whose perspective we were getting was refreshing!

We were told about this brutal loss by the Frost Queen and then shown that her son, the MMC, had been missing for a week. He came home all shady, hiding information from his mother and the MFC (his best friend). We were then given the rational for why the MMC was keeping secrets from the MFC, and this rationale was very strong. As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, I hate when we have one person keeping secrets and the rational is quite silly and not strong. Here, the author took time to show us the MMC’s POV and reasoning, making complete sense. This secretive behavior really had me hooked to keep reading.

Overall, the primary storyline of this book was the romance. There was a strong plot that was politically focused; yet, that definitely took a back seat in comparison to the romance. The politics of this book were nothing shocking and ones that are common in other books, but still interesting! There was strong character growth by both MCs and there were several action scenes throughout. Also, there was a lot of mystery and I had so many questions throughout, all of which helped me stay hooked into this book. As the book progressed, questions started to get answered and we learned more. We also started to find out that things shown to us earlier in the book played a huge role in everything. Some of the surprises were obvious, whereas others were not. I really enjoy being right about seeing certain things coming (makes me feel smart), while also being surprised and not expecting other things to occur (keeps me on my toes).

The pacing ebbed and flowed; slowing to focus on relationships and/or character growth, and other times picking up speed to propel the plot forward. This book had really strong antagonists, they were everywhere and really drove the political plot. I loved to hate them! The MMC’s mom, this uncle fae King, the fae King’s granddaughter, and Fenrik (f**k this guy!) are just some bigger examples.

Something I appreciated that, although the MMC and MFC did not tell each other everything, they had a policy of being honest with each other. The MFC immediately told MMC when his cold mother had threatened her and given her some information that was not good. The MFC could’ve hidden that information, but she did not. It was so nice to have MC’s that communicated more than not! ❤️ Also, THEY BOTH APOLOGIZED TO EACH OTHER, OFTEN, this was fantastic! ❤️ I’ve been saying I wanted some more mature MC‘s who could communicate and own their behavior/mistakes. There are only a few books where I feel like authors actually have this and this is one of them!

Now, of course, the MFC and MMC both made mistakes, had their flaws, did not communicate perfectly, and we’re messy, but at the exact same time they stood up for themselves, set boundaries, protected and were loyal to each other, and wanted to do what was right. They both were not constantly ignorant nor arrogant, and were intelligent and thoughtful. We really had strong MCs. More about this: they both did not take much bull crap from anyone, including each other. They really challenged each other, especially the MFC challenging the MMC to stop being so stupid sometimes. Although the MFC could be intimidated by power at times (as anyone would), she stood up for herself much of the time, including in front of a king when she had the MMC backing her. She was intelligent and would not mouth off in front of a king that could kill her, but when she had the MMC there to protect her, she felt safe enough to share her opinion and knew her powerful man would agree with her. I really liked her. I also loved the MMC, especially his willingness to support the MFC by not intervening and letting her stand her own ground in such a sexist world.

The author really prolonged the full love connection/bond between the MCs. There was so much tension throughout the book! Right when you think things were going to move forward, they either did just a tiny bit and then regressed, or they just did not. The author did a great job with keeping me hooked. So much tension!

I noted that, at 38%, 😱WOW… so many emotions. The author did an EXCELLENT job provoking so much within me. This scene was descriptive, harsh, shocking, and hard to read. Although this was sooooo brutal, I understood why the author wrote this, it was such a pivotal moment for the MFC to start changing, questioning her ideals, and challenging her behavior.

Then, at 71%, I literally said out loud “oh boy.” 😮Couldn’t believe that princess said that about our MFC in front of the MMC.… Yikes. Although our MMC was incredibly stupid for pushing the MFC away, he was always trying to do his best for the good of the whole realm. Despite always thinking about the realm, the one thing/person he would say screw the realm for was our MFC. No matter what, he stood up for the MFC, even in front of this other king and princess. I appreciated that he was loyal to his core for the MFC, no matter what had happened between them or the decisions he/they had made. I LOVE when MCs (that are a good fit) are loyal to each other, no matter what. So, when this happened in the book, I was super happy. Then, after all of this, the MMC got on his knees and begged the MFC for forgiveness. It was delightful!

Overall, these were messy and complex characters who really had to challenge themselves to grow independently and together. For both MCs, at times, I was shaking my head, thinking what? At one point the MFC became passive-aggressive, which extremely irritated me. The MFC was not a passive-aggressive person; therefore, when she became that way I was frustrated. But, I paused and thought through how much she went through right before that, leading to me having a lot of empathy for her. AND, after her passive-aggressive behavior, she apologized to the MMC (YES!!) 🙌. Also, I wanted to shake the MMC, multiple times, for his self-loathing and related behavior. I just wanted him to get it together. Don’t worry, he does, and he also apologized (YES!!!!) 🙌. I believe the MCs made A LOT of progress and started to think for themselves, not what anyone else wanted them to do. The MMC and MFC both made the big choices they needed to make as a person to then give themselves fully to each other.

- Further, both MCs at times start to take on guilt for events/things that were not their fault. I understood why the author wrote that in, as it made the MCs more human and relatable to the reader. People in real life take on guilt for things that were not their fault. Therefore, to write that into the book made sense to connect to the reader. I also really appreciated that the author did not make this guilt central to the characters thoughts, as I find so many books stall a characters’ growth, suck up pages of internal dialogue that readers get bored with, and prevent the plot moving forward because of inappropriately assigned guilt. The author had the MC’s talk through their feelings of guilt early and often to prevent it from festering. Don’t get me wrong, guilt impacted the MC’s behavior, but that drove the plot forward. I did not feel bogged down by everything always being on the MC’s internal guilty thoughts. I really liked how the author approached and navigated guilt in this book.

A note I wanted to make: I LOVED that we had an MFC who was not shy sexually. She owned herself, what she wanted to receive, and what she wanted to give. She let the MMC take control at times, whereas other times she demanded control. They both gave and took with equal effort. She also was a DIRTY talker, just like the MMC. Most books in this genre only have the MMC being the one with the 🌶️ pillow talk, not this book. The MFC dished it right back and I was all for this female empowerment! Women have wants, needs, and ideas. Why are only the men the one’s written as communicating those things? Not here, and it was awesome. Overall, the balance between the two during intimacy was phenomenal and top tier, I have never seen it written so well!

I absolutely loved some of the side characters. My favorite was Ravin. He was stealthy, strong, loyal, and funny. I really enjoyed him and he added so much to the story. Then Helka, I also really loved her. She was the blunt communicator I love in every story. She was direct and called the MFC out for everything, I LOVED IT. Finally someone who was willing to just tell it as it was, no fluff, denial, and worrying about how the MFC would react. Essentially, she said, “this is what this is and stop lying to yourself.”

Another thing to note: The details of the world, magic system, and creatures were initially complex and I struggled to understand everything, but I understood enough to keep going. As the booked progressed, more and more was explained and I finally understood it all. I found the world, magic system, and creatures unique, nuanced, and really cool! THEN, I found a glossary at the end. Oops, I could have checked their earlier.

The ending was fantastic. Ended with so much happening, to everyone. Book 2 can really hit the ground running with that cliffhanger ending.

---------------------------------------------------------
As I mentioned, I really loved this book. Yet, I do have a few critiques.

Overall, this book was really creative and unique, yet some tropes readers have been getting really bored with because they are constantly used were huge in this book.

📕 First, readers are really getting bored with these specific tropes for the MCs:
- MMC that is all powerful, special, and the strongest, typically a prince.
- MFC initially is not powerful and typically more “basic,” but we find out she is SUPER powerful, extremely special, and “the one” who will save everyone. And, of course, this then means all the males want her.

Unfortunately, that is EXACTLY who the MC’s are in this book 😭😭

One trope readers are also getting really annoyed with is an overly stabby and sassy MFC, for no clear reason, even when it could get her killed. I will say that the author DID NOT use this trope in this book, and I am so happy about this! We had a much more well-rounded MFC, who had a blend of emotions and thoughts. At times, she made overly logical decisions, where’s other times she made overly emotional decisions, and other times she blended her emotions and logic to make choices. I really appreciated this more balanced and realistic female.

📕 Second, one trope that I don’t mind when used on occasion is when the MC’s are finally communicating and going to share a secret and/or their feelings, they get interrupted (e.g., someone knocking on the door, someone walking in, something big happening, like an explosion) so they have to wait to engage with each other at another time. However, I find that, when this trope is used over and over and over again in the same book/series to justify prolonging the secret/feelings from being told or an act being engaged in, it lacks creativity. It just gets super predictable and I roll my eyes and think “of course the author wrote this happening yet again.” I wish authors would find other ways to prolong things without recycling the same trope.

Unfortunately, this trope was constantly used in this book, I mean CONSTANTLY, all the way until the last few chapters. The amount of times the MCs were interrupted right when they were about to have a very critical conversation or do something really important. It was just so predictable. I wish the author would have picked an alternative and more creative way to prolong the MCs sharing things with each other.

📕 Third, the weird trope of having an MC that is intelligent, while also living in denial about everything. Everyone struggles to accept information at times, but its not usually denial about everything or every time new information is presented. This just does not make sense when someone is written as thoughtful, insightful, reflective, and mature. Again, I can understand denying or lying to oneself about something, but not everything. I get it. Authors write characters like this so that the character can have huge growth and it helps slow the plot down and/or create tension. However, I just don’t buy into the MC being that silly about everything.

This trope really exhausted me in this book. Here, the MFC denied EVERYTHING. The MMC gave her information about her possibly having power, but she denied it. Ok, fine I could see this one initially, but as she got more physical proof in her own body, she still just lived on denial island. Also, her brother presented her with evidence and she denied his point of view. She had a best friend she loved more than as a friend, which she also denied. The witch gave her more information, and of course, she denied it. The MFC just denied, denied, denied. Maybe if the author had not written such a strong MFC I would have believed this a bit more for the MFC, but the author did not do this. She wrote such a strong, mature MFC. Again, of course smart, insightful, thoughtful characters can deny information, but the level in which she denied information did not match well with who she was. So, to see the MFC lie to herself about everything, all the time, and have zero growth on this until near the end did not land well with me. I was hoping this MFC had more development and growth earlier, OR more open-mindedness, OR willingness to explore information, not just denial. I would have been much more interested in a blend of denial and willingness to explore.

📘 Ok, last critique. Something I find super annoying is when authors use the same phrases numerous times. I’m not talking about 5 to 10 times, I’m talking about over 30. Recently I noticed that authors are using the following obsessively and I don’t know why, “I shook my head” or “I shook my thoughts.” Unfortunately, the author used the word “ shook“ 52 times in this book, many of which were referring to shaking thoughts or their head. You read that right, 52 times! Yikes. Hopefully this author has an editor to edit this. This is the third book I read this year where “I shook my head” was used over 40 times.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of advanced copy received from Netgalley

3.8⭐️ I was very unsure how I would rate this. I loved the Norse theme behind this, and the world building had very good detail. However, the relationship between Slyvi and Jack (Jack Frost) felt a bit rushed and it seemed to take over the plot for a good portion of the book. The last 25% really took off with an insane cliff hanger. Overall, it wasn’t a bad read, just felt it was a bit rushed and times I kept having to go back to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. I will say the author totally captured evil when writing the ice Queen. Can’t wait to see what the next book brings.

Big thanks to Netgalley & the Author for providing this advanced reader copy in exchange for my review. All thoughts and honest opinions are my own.

[Jaxs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the ARC!

I really liked the book! It had a nice slow pace and beautiful worldbuilding that really drew me in. I love that Sylvi wasn’t described as dainty and petite, but actually described very well for a soldier/captain! I love the banter between her and Jack and the tension.



My biggest issue is that the words “male” and “female” are said SO often when man or woman would’ve been better? It just feels very weird to replace woman with female and the conversation have nothing to do with her anatomy. May just be me though!

Otherwise 3/5! I’d have liked a bit more explanation on some worldbuilding as it’s A LOT

[what.deci.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The moment I saw the Jack Frost retelling, I knew I had to review this book! ❄️

If you’re looking for
-best friends to lovers (eventually!😏)
-dual POV’s
-touch her and get ripped to shreds 🌶️
-endless yearning🤤
-very strong political bat & ball game going on
-fated mates✨
-shifter romance teased just a little 🐺
-a land of Christmas gone rogue 🧊
-strong communication between FMC & MMC (most of the time)
-strong baddie for a FMC 🥵

Then this is the book for you. Add it to your TBR girlies, and save the date
📆 June 30th, 2026❄️ (definitely should have been a Christmas release)

The story follows Sylvie, a lowly born common fae woman who just broke through the ranks to become Captain of the Guard following in her late fathers footsteps, and Jack, ice Prince and rightful ruler of the throne. Sylvie is bound by vows, and maybe a little bit of love, to protect Jack and his kingdom.

They grew up together after Sylvie not so accidentally wanders into a maze that traps everyone within it, and stumbles across the infamous ice Prince practicing his magic skills. The two become fast friends and the years roll by until now, both are in their prime, both are strong and fearless warriors of the Kingdom.
The yearning between the two had me kicking my feet and taking a break to sip some cold water. As the reader, we can absolutely see they are meant to be together. This tether inside them, calling to the other, only grows stronger with time until it’s yanking on them. They are MEANT to be, but forces beyond their control will do anything to hold them back, namely his mother. Cue the eye roll. The b*atch queen who has warmed her behind on the throne for way too long, who poisons an entire magical forest of trees in her quest for power. She throws the kingdom into uproar, turns friend into foe and has everyone looking for someone to blame. Unfortunately for Jack, that might be him.

With talk of dissent stirring, Sylvie follows a lead into a sketchy part of town, and in doing so, meets some less than unsavoury characters. Lucky for her, Jack arrives just in time (he totally wasn’t stalking her) to save the day. Or just rip everyone to shreds, same same.

Tensions within the kingdom and between each other reach an all time high when Jack’s mother decides that a union between kingdoms is in order and signs him up to a marriage of convenience. Or more power for her, whichever way you look at it.
Jack is duty bound to protect his kingdom, but does that mean it has to be at the sacrifice of his epic love?

After Jack is punished for his crimes against the men who sought to take all and more from Sylvie, the two and a group of friends and foe set out to meet the infamous Bride-to-Be (bridezilla) and bring her home to wed. Along the way, they encounter dangerous enemies, and even more dangerous truths. With tensions reaching an all time high, Jack has a choice to make. Do what he was born to do, or risk it all for the woman he can’t bring himself to admit he loves.

The book ends on a HUGE cliffhanger, after only just revealing some really big plot twists in the very final stages, and I found myself frustrated that I’ll have to wait a long time for the next one. But such is life with any good series, and I truly hope people enjoy reading this one. It was a really fun read, and I ate it up. The spice was beautifully done, the yearning was thoroughly satisfying, and the eventual confessions had a huge impact on my happiness and wellbeing.

Overall, I loved this book and finished it in a matter of hours. It had me on the edge of my seat out of suspense, and a smidgen of annoyance at times. With all books, I have a couple of probably niche critiques that don’t matter too much in the grand scheme, but in return for my ARC read I promise my full and thorough review.
As much as I love a bit of *I’m going to tell them how I feel, but wait, I’ve been interrupted* trope, it feels like it gets old pretty quick and can feel like it falls a bit flat. Another thing I do feel I have to mention, is that every single character in this book seems to do the little head shake when they are about to say something and decide against it. I started noticing it early on and thought it was just a coincidence, but as the book continued to progress it seemed to be a common thing in many conversations. It felt a bit overused and repetitive, and I found myself thinking that about what words or body language I’d use in place to convey those emotions instead of using the same thing over and over.
One other thing that frustrated me at the beginning, and probably only because I used to be a rider also, the author explains how the FMC urges the horse to go faster, but in the same sentence says she pulled on the reins. If you are pulling on the reins, you are slowing down (hopefully). If you are nudging the horse on and shifting your position in the saddle, you’re generally going to speed up. The two things felt like a contradiction of each other, but to anyone who doesn��t know their way around the horse, it’s easily overlooked.

There were also a few small grammar or spelling mistakes, but I’m sure they will be ironed out in the editing process.

All said and done, this was a solid 4/5 for me.
❄️❄️❄️❄️/5

As always, a huge thank you to NetGalley, publishers and author for the early access to the book in return for an honest review.

[B Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

I received an advanced copy of this from Netgalley.

A Jack Frost retelling about an ice prince and the captain of the guard who has been his best friend since they were 7 years old. Jack, a royal fae prince who is more interested in his scholarly pursuits than power but will unleash his inner beast for those he loves. Sylvi, a common fae who has worked her entire life for her newly appointed captain position.

I adore these two. A friends to lovers story always hits right. They were interrupted twice and I wanted to throw my kindle out of frustration but the payoff was so good. Their chemistry was undeniable. The yearning, the longing, the devotion to one another even before they crossed the lines of friendship, top tier. I had to put it down at one point because I was so heartbroken over their situation. Forces outside of their control are determined to keep them a part but there is no denying their pull towards each other.

This is just personal preference and I understand that it's a delicate balance but I wish there had been a little more build up before the story got going. It immediately jumped into the action and did the story building as part of the story and not at the beginning. Which I normally prefer but this time it could have benefited from some boring day of the life stuff to get a a good standing. I also wanted more out of the side characters. One was really developed but I felt that the others were a little lacking.

I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to seeing more of this world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had always known it, but tonight, tonight, she was luminous. Gods. She was brighter than all the stars burning over the Northern Realms. And that light would never be mine.

You looked at him like he was the sun, and you were desperate for his warmth.

Elskan mín. . . you've been mine since the day you first stepped into my maze.

A delicious, torturous ache that deepened with every breath until it bloomed into something wilder, something star-born and infinite, the kind of kiss that unmade worlds and rewrote them anew.

Looking at me not as a friend, not as a prince. . . but as if I were the first sunrise he'd ever seen after a thousand years of night.

But he built that wall between us, brick by brick. And I didn't know how to climb it anymore.

Elskan mín. . . My mark is not a brand that signals to others that you belong to me. It is not a claim of ownership. It's a surrender of my very being. A beacon that signals to others that I belong to you. Always have. Long before I even knew it. And long after I take my last breath.

There's no escaping this anymore. Every night I can't have you, I die a new death. I'm done struggling just to breathe. I need you, Sylvi. And not just as my friend. I want you as my lover. My partner. My equal.

I know I don't deserve you, Syl, but fuck. . . I'd trade my life for just one taste of your skin.

Gods, she was beautiful. So beautiful it hurt. And it did hurt, this love. It twisted in me like something monstrous, too big for my chest, too wild to be contained. Loving her was like carrying fire in my veins and ice in my bones at once. It consumed, devoured. And every ounce of devotion came laced with venom, with the terror of losing her.

Gods, Sylvi. Don't you know I love you? I love you with every fucking breath, every scar, every heartbeat. With every fiber of my soul. You are the marrow of my bones, the blood in my veins. And if you were to ever leave this world, my heart would stop beating the moment yours did.

I don't need a goddess Sylvi. . . Or fate to tell me you belong to me. You're mine. Only mine. Now. Forever. Even after my heart stops beating and long after the stars have fallen from the sky. . . I love you, elskan. That is my only truth. And nothing - no prophecy, no crown, no war - will ever take you away from me.

[Lorena · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded to a 5 because it’s just that good and my one issue is not a real issue.

minor spoilers ahead so read with caution

When I saw that Olivia had posted about ARCs of The Flame in the Frost, I immediately signed up because I really love the Christmas Prince and I knew this was an expansion of the world. I went in expecting a fun winter romantasy and somehow ended up completely obsessed and emotionally destroyed by the end of it. The worldbuilding was honestly one of my favorite parts. You can tell the author pulled a lot from norse mythology and lore, but it never feels like a history lesson or anything heavy it’s just woven into the world in a really cool way that makes everything feel real and ancient. The magic system and creatures were super interesting too and the setting felt so immersive. Like the creepy forest scenes and all the frost magic stuff had such a vibe.
Jack and Sylvi absolutely wrecked me. I usually read enemies-to-lovers so I didn’t expect a friends-to-lovers story to hit me this hard but the slow burn between them was torture in the best way. The whole will they / won’t they thing had me stressing the entire time because you can just feel how much they care about each other. Their history and friendship make everything feel really believable so like every little moment between them hits harder. Jack is just so perfect because he’s so noble but also can turn into such a beast whenever Sylvi’s safety is concerned and it’s like… yeah, such a red flag but that’s my vibe. And when the spice finally shows up… WOW. That beast shows up too but he’s also like vulnerable and stuff, specially when he grovels.... I was not expecting the heat level to be that high. genuinely some of the best spice I’ve read. I knew Olivia could write spice like no ones business but this was on a differen level. It was intense but also super emotional which made it even better. I think that forest scene will be forever ingrained in my brain.
I also really loved the side characters because they added so much personality to the story. Ravin totally surprised me because I didn’t expect to get attached to him but his humor and sarcasm were perfect for balancing out all the tension. And I loved that Sylvi actually makes female friends who feel like real friends. Sascha and Ingrid are great, but Astrid is such a badass and I really hope we get more of her in the next book. The magical creatures and monsters were awesome too. I knew there were dragons because of the cover but like the way they start hinting at them in this book was such a cool premise. You only get glimpse into the dragon lore but you can tell they’re going to be a big deal later. Which brings me to Jack because I have SO many theories about him now. I can’t tell if he’s secretly a dragon shifter or if it’s like a dragon spirit thing he can summon?? I have no idea but that ending absolutely destroyed me and now I need the next book immediately. Also that mysterious archer??? GAH!!!! What is going on?? Part of me is like please don’t turn this into a love triangle, but another part of me is like… I wouldn’t hate the drama because Jack would absolutely burn the world down over Sylvi. Or like plunge it into a infinit winter. And seeing a character ffrom Winning the Christmas Prince’s Heart pop up was such a fun surprise too. Also, can we talk about the wisp and the cabin!!! I was getting such Brave vibes. I feel like this is all going to be important later. I think the only thing I would’ve liked to have seen was some retribution or consequenses for the villains because OMG they way I want to rage at the Frost Queen and herf minions. Anyway I could keep going but I don’t want to spoil too much. this book had the perfect mix of fantasy, romance, tension, and chaos and I already can’t wait for book two.

hurry up Olivia!

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC via NetGalley.

This is very clearly a book that knows exactly who it is for. If you love romantasy that is emotionally intense, highly trope-forward, very spicy, and built around a central pairing designed to wreck your peace, there is every chance you will have a better time with this than I did. It has all the big commercial ingredients: friends to lovers, magical tethering, a morally grey prince, a fierce female warrior, hidden power, court politics, monsters, forced proximity, protective obsession, and plenty of yearning.

To be fair, it does a lot of that well. The pacing is strong, there is almost always something happening, and there is a more interesting plot under the romance than I first expected. Once the hidden-magic thread starts pressing against the monarchy, and the book leans into questions of bloodlines, hierarchy, and what has been suppressed, it becomes noticeably stronger. Those were the parts that held my attention most.

I can also absolutely see the appeal of Jack and Sylvi. Jack is very obviously built to be a fantasy reader’s headache: dangerous prince, wounded protector, politically trapped heir, secretly obsessive. Sylvi is strongest when the book lets her be proud, tactical, angry, and genuinely competent. Their chemistry is not the issue.

In terms of reading experience, the closest comp for me was probably From Blood and Ash. If you loved that for the intensity, the heavy spice, and the romance-first fantasy packaging, I suspect this will be very much your thing. That was the overall vibe here for me too: less a deeply Norse-feeling fantasy and more a very modern romantasy in winter gear.

That said, this is where my own taste pulled against it. The prose is quite overwritten. Every feeling is at full volume, every glance is molten or ruinous or sacred, and every intimate moment has to be life-altering. After a while, that started to blunt the impact rather than heighten it.

It is also very smut-forward. Not mildly spicy. Very smutty, and very committed to that side of its identity. That will be a major selling point for some readers and a drawback for others. For me, the balance was not always there. There is plot, and at times a really interesting one, but the romance and sexual tension take up so much space that the more intriguing political and magical ideas do not always get the weight they deserve.

I also don’t think the Norse-inspired label fully pays off. The aesthetic is there; frost courts, winter gods, wolves, mountains, fur and steel, but for me it never felt deeply rooted in Norse myth or worldview. It read much more like contemporary commercial romantasy in Nordic costume than a fantasy genuinely shaped by Norse substance.

So overall, I can absolutely see why this will work for a lot of readers. It is polished towards a very clear audience and delivers on its romantasy pitch. But for me, it felt more market-savvy than memorable: strong momentum, obvious chemistry, some interesting political and magical ideas underneath it all, but a writing style far too purple for my taste and a world that felt more aesthetically Norse than truly shaped by that influence.

If you loved From Blood and Ash for the intensity, the smut, and the romance-first fantasy packaging, this is probably a book you’ll love. If you wanted something more mythic, more restrained, or more genuinely Norse in substance rather than styling, this may be more of a mixed bag.

[SelinaNoelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ein Buch, inspiriert von der nordischen Mythologie, über ein Reich aus Schnee und Frost, mit einer Eiskönigin, ihrem Sohn, und der Kommandantin der königlichen Wachen. Es gibt Fae, und Magie, und wunderschöne, winterliche Landschaften.
Sylvie und Jack, der Frostprinz, sind seit ihrer Kindheit beste Freunde. Er ist adlig. Sie ist eine normale, junge Frau, die sich in die Reihen der königlichen Wachen hochgearbeitet hat und nun endlich zur Kommandantin ernannt wurde. Die beiden verbindet eine enge Freundschaft - die vielleicht auch mehr werden könnte. Doch dann erhält Jack von seiner Mutter den Befehl, die Prinzessin eines benachtbarten Reichs zu heiraten, um eine politische Allianz zu sichern. Wird er es tun? Wird seine Freundschaft mit Sylvie das überleben?

In der Theorie klang das Buch wie eine Geschichte, die mir gefallen könnte. Doch leider habe ich schnell gemerkt, dass mich die Umsetzung nicht überzeugt. Es begann schon damit, dass man als Leser sehr abrupt in eine Storyline hineingeworfen wurde, die offensichtlich in einer Vorgeschichte ausführlich beschrieben wurde. Zwar sagt die Autorin zu Beginn, dass man ihre "Christmas Novella" nicht kennen muss, um dieses Buch zu verstehen, doch für jemanden wie mich, der sie tatsächlich nicht gelesen hat, gab es zu viele Lücken. Es wurde so viel angedeutet und auf einige Ereignisse hingedeutet, die in der Vorgeschichte passiert sind, dass ich mich immer wieder gefühlt habe, als würde mir etwas fehlen. Vor allem da der Konflikt der Novelle enorm viel Platz in diesem Buch eingenommen hat; es war der Auslöser für die meisten Konflikte, denen wir auch hier begegnen. Ich empfehle also jedem, der dieses Buch lesen will: fangt mit der Novelle an. Ich habe es nicht getan, und deshalb bin ich nie wirklich in die Geschichte reingekommen.

Ein weiteres Problem: die Charaktere. Sylvie und Jack fühlen sich an wie jedes andere Paar eines High Fantasy Buches. Sie ist ein normales Mädchen, vermutlich Anfang 20, und schon die oberste Kommandantin aller Wachen, weil sie offenbar sehr gut kämpfen kann und sehr strategisch denkt - wovon wir allerdings kaum etwas sehen. Sie begibt sich in unzählige dumme, leichtsinnige Situationen, aus denen sie dann wieder gerettet werden muss. Meist von Jack, der ein typischer "Alpha Male" ist. Er würde jeden töten, der Sylvie nur falsch anschaut, und verhält sich öfter wie instinktgesteuertes Tier als ein Kronprinz.

Als wir am Ende herausfinden, dass Sylvie vielleicht doch ... magischer ist als wir denken, war es für mich vorbei. Diese spezielle Storyline, dieser "Twist" hat die Welt für mich ein bisschen ruiniert. Ich werde nicht spoilern, aber für mich war das Konzept des Buches einfach nicht mehr stimmig. Die Geschichte endet mit einem Cliffhanger, aber es interessiert mich absolut gar nicht, was nun im zweiten Teil passieren wird.

Ich denke, dass es Fans von Büchern wie "Quicksilver" oder "When the Moon Hatched" gefallen könnte, aber für mich war es einfach etwas, über das schon zu viele Bücher geschrieben wurden.

2 Sterne.

Danke an NetGalley für den ARC dieses Buches.

[lea in pages · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Three Brothers Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost, this book has a very good premise, although I personally didn’t really see much of the Norse inspired elements. The world itself is interesting. The Christmas and solstice aspects were especially intriguing. However, I do wish we got to delve deeper into the lore and magic system because it had so much potential. I feel like we only started learning more about the world and its history towards the end of the book, which was quite disappointing for me since that was one of the aspects I was most interested in exploring further.

I know this is a fantasy romance, but unfortunately, the romance did not work for me. It completely overshadowed the plot to the point where I struggled to stay invested in the fantasy elements. If you’re someone who expects a balance between romance and fantasy, this may not be for you. Almost every chapter had the characters constantly thinking about each other’s lips, touch, and desire, even during battles or urgent situations. At times, it genuinely felt like the fantasy plot only existed as an obstacle stopping them from making love. It was simply too much for my personal taste.

On top of that, I didn’t really feel the chemistry between the couple. Their relationship lacked emotional depth, and I found myself wishing for more character exploration and stronger backstories. The characters all had so much potential, but their personalities and development felt underexplored. Most of their interactions revolved around wanting each other physically, which became quite repetitive and exhausting to read.

I also feel like the FMC was done dirty because she had so much potential to be an amazing character. She constantly reminds us that she’s a captain and highly skilled in combat, yet the actual fight and defense scenes often showed otherwise. Despite all the buildup about her strength and abilities, she still constantly needed the MMC to save her, which made her characterization feel inconsistent and weakened her role for me.

The writing style also wasn’t for me. It felt overly lyrical to the point that it disrupted the flow of the story and made certain moments feel unrealistic. Even some of the dialogue gave me secondhand embarrassment, and I found myself rolling my eyes quite a few times. I also felt like the writing relied too much on telling rather than showing, which made it harder for me to emotionally connect with the story and characters.

Overall, this story had so much potential, but unfortunately the execution fell flat for me.

[_CamillaJane_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Move over shadow daddies. Daddy Frost is here.
My goodness.

THIS BOOK.
The YEARN.

I LOVE a Jack Frost retelling. With combined Nordic inspiration, magic, fae, elves, magical creatures… literally obsessed. I took this to the gym with me, I LITERALLY couldn’t put it down.

Our MMC Jack, rightful heir to the Frostbound Court under the tyranny of his mother’s rule. Head of his guard, our FMC Sylvanna, a “common” magicless fae. Childhood friends to fated mates. We follow them through court politics, impending war, and mysteries of hidden magic and feelings 💔

Now, I’ve not read much of this friends to lovers trope before, especially in Romantasy, but the YEARN was perfection. Because the characters already have history, there’s such depth. The world building was sensational, the pacing was great, and the characters had believable depth.

Jack. His magic is incredible. Fierce. Terrifying. While battling a darkness of his own, his devotion and possessiveness over our FMC was swoonworthy, delivering some of the most heart wrenching quotes I had to reread more than once.

“I swear, I will plunge this whole damn kingdom into an eternal hoarfrost winter just to tear you from the claws of its flames.”

We’re not just blessed with Jack either. We’ve got delicious side characters I can’t wait to see return in the next book. Leoric, our fire and sunlight, a devoted ex of our FMC, and a mysterious hooded green eyed stranger who’s no doubt going to play a key role. Oh, and Ravin of course, bringing lightheartedness and often the exact opinions we’re desperate to say to the MMC/FMC ourselves.

Sylvanna… at first, I had trouble picturing her as head of the king’s guard. But her knowledge, bravery, and inner strength were nothing but admirable. I loved her story and learning what she has come from. She’s an enjoyable FMC.
The ending. We’ve got a cabin moment. Ugh. I KNEW it would be a cliffhanger, but with all that information at the end, my mind was blown. Stunning.

My only qualm… could some of that information have been spread a little more throughout the last 30% rather than all in the final chapter? It was hard to fully sit with some of the revelations as they hit all at once.

However, that aside. With all the Romantasy I’ve read, this book deserves SO much more attention than a lot of what is currently popular. The world building and writing are at a level we deserve and crave from Romantasy as a genre.
Obsessed. Jack, come on over to my top MMC boyfriend list.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and Olivia Boothe for the ARC.

[🌙henny✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Frost from RotG but make him a fae prince, older, hotter and absolutely shit your pants down HORRENDOUS for the captain of his guard?? SAY LESS!!!

I won’t lie, the first few chapters of this book were a bit of a struggle. There was a lot of world building/lore dumping, which if you’re here for the romance more than the fantasy, might get a bit much at times. It’s difficult to feel something for a world you know nothing about, but at least for me, the information has to be kind of drip-fed. This did improve as the story progressed and we did get fewer world-building moments, but I did skim a lot of the start for that reason.

Once the characters and their relationship was established though?? I was SAT. This is probably one of the most impeccable, exquisite pieces of male yearning I’ve ever read. That man? Gone. Would have jumped out the window on request. ‘Jack, could you just throw yourself into this vat of acid for me, just for fun?’ ‘Absolutely, anything else, my queen?’ Those were the vibes. I was sweating, I was gasping, I was QUIVERING. There’s fated mates between fae and then there’s this.

The plot was fairly typical, evil tyrant faces a rebellion where the main players are people closest to the tyrant, nothing ridiculously groundbreaking, but the romance is the absolute star of this story. Realistically, very little actual fantasy plot happens. The rebellion is set up, Sylvi tries to follow them to spy, they attack her, Jack jumps in to save her. His mum blames Sylvi and demotes her, then she has to accompany Jack on his trip to another kingdom to pick up his new fiance. They’re attacked. She’s kidnapped. Jack goes to rescue her and almost dies. Then things are revealed, and we end on a cliffhanger. In between that though?? Tension, pining, YEARNING to the max, mate bonds and scent-sensitivity, a horrible princess… so much yearning 😮‍💨

And the spice was great. We really worked for it, I felt. There was the restraint, but they couldn’t touch each other because they’d start a war if they did, not because they couldn’t communicate. They were SO forthcoming about wanting each other. Also Jack hurt Sylvi’s feelings a lot with his actions, which were well-meaning, and every single time he did this, he apologised and begged for her forgiveness. On his knees. And he actually felt bad. Like, really bad. He cried at one point, and not in a manipulative way. Then she sucked him off lol

Yeah this book was fantastic. Highly recommend, super grateful to the publisher and netgalley for the arc, absolutely vibrating for book 2.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Flame in the Frost by Olivia Boothe is the first book in the Northern Kingdom series. This novel is a Jack Frost inspired and is written in dual POVs between the royal fae, Jack, Prince Jökullson Drakmyr, and common fae, Sylvanna Isenwulf, also known as Sylvi. In The Flame in the Frost, only royal fae are bestowed with magic. Jack is a fae prince imbued with ice magic and unseelie magic. 21-year-old Sylvi, is Frostbound Court's captain of the royal guard. She is best friends with Jack. Both are fated mates but their love is considered forbidden in their realm.

Sylvi met Jack when she was 7-years-old. Her father was captain of the guard back in the day and brought young Sylvi to the palace to witness the magic of the queen during a celebration for the first snow of the season. When she was lost in the Grove of Whispers, a labyrinth like maze, a shimmering whisp beckoned young Sylvi into the labyrinth and she found Jack in the middle. The light guided her to him. Every since that day, they have been inseparable.

The Flame in the Frost is a lush and atmospheric high fantasy novel that is woven with lyrical prose. Boothe breathes life into inanimate objects and the writing amplifies the worldbuilding. Sylvi's and Jack's friendship grows over many years and develops into something more in this slow burning romance. Readers can definitely feel the yearning throughout the entire novel. However, Jack's mother, the Queen of Frost, forbids this relationship and arranges a marriage between Jack and Princess Isolde Kaldvalien in order to unite realms of Skadgard and Verrindor to forge an alliance in order to fight Yulereth.

I highly suggest this novel for readers who are looking for a Jack Frost reimagining story that intertwines the best friends to lovers trope in this spicy Romantasy. Jack and Sylvi's forbidden love is fire to the ice. I appreciate Boothe adding a glossary in the back for the novel so readers can further understand the realms and Nordic phrases.

The Flame in the Frost touches on some of Nordveld (Seven Magical Northern Kingdoms) but I would love to see more characters from the other realms or to see Jack and Sylvi venture out to the other realms in future novels in the series. I want to immerse myself in the worldbuilding that Boothe has created since it's fantastic! This book definitely deserves more hype and for good reasons! I felt very emotionally invested in Jack and Sylvi as characters individually but also together as friends and lovers.

We know that Royal fae is bestowed with magic but what if common fae can wield magic as well? Jack and Sylvi are torn between their duties and their love for one another. How to they manage both? Do they chose one over another? Or does someone chose for them? Check out the Flame in the Frost to find out more!

Thank you to BookSirens for an e-ARC to review.

[EmFearon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! A Norse-inspired retelling of Jack Frost that weaves folklore with rich, immersive worldbuilding that feels like stepping into a living winter dream. Every page is steeped in frost-kissed magic, and the atmosphere is so vivid you can almost feel the chill in the air. (Picturing scenes from Frozen in my head). The cover is beautiful and perfectly fits the story. I will defo be purchasing the special edition as a trophy for my shelf.

Tropes
❤️‍🔥Forbidden romance
🤴🏼Cursed prince (MMC)
💂🏼‍♀️Captain of the guard (FMC)
👫🏼Friends to lovers
👑Court intrigue
🐆Magical creatures
💭Dual POV

About
Jack is the royal fae prince of the Frostbound Court, while Sylvanna serves as captain of the guard. Having grown up around the palace, Sylvanna and Jack share a deep bond rooted in childhood friendship. But under the formidable Ice Queen—Jack’s mother, ruler of Skadgard—their lives are bound by duty. When Jack is forced into an arranged marriage, the two are caught between loyalty to their kingdom and the undeniable pull of their hearts.

Writing style
Engaging, flows easily and beautifully paced. It’s easy to fall into this story and never want to leave.
The yearning in this book is utter perfection. The tension between Sylvanna and Jack aches in the best way, its so full of longing and restraint. I was rooting for them from the very beginning, completely invested in every stolen glance and unspoken word. The romance unfolds as a medium slow burn, with the first truly intimate moments arriving around the halfway mark and by that point I was chomping at the begging for it!! (Stamps my feet in excitement).

While the worldbuilding is rich and captivating, the romance remains at the heart of the story. The dual POV adds incredible depth, allowing us to experience both sides of their emotional struggle. I loved how some chapters overlapped slightly, showing the same moment from each perspective giving us a deeper connection to the characters.

After that ending, I absolutely HAVE to read the next book in the series!!

Romance Driven --⭐️------- Plot Driven
Insta Lust -----⭐️---- Slow Burn
Spice Level 🌶🌶

Note: There is a story before this one which I'm going to go back and read! And I look forward to the rest of the series!

Thank you Net Galley & Three Brothers Press for the ARC