What do you think?
The Hand and the Heart #2
The Thief and the Traitor Bride
A ruthless spy. A deadly mission. A thief who could ruin it all.
The Thief and the Traitor Bride is a standalone romantic fantasy set in the world of the Sunday Times and USA Today bestselling novel The Second Death of Locke.
Nore Gordon is a woman of many talents: she can speak a variety of languages, disguise herself in plain sight, and has made a name for herself as a successful wine merchant. But unbeknownst to those closest to her, it is all a front for Nore's true role as the favoured spy of the Lindle crown.
Tasked with infiltrating enemy lands in search of a powerful relic, Nore is forced to engage the services of a great thief. Unfortunately, the only person for the job is her estranged husband Caspian. Both Nore and Caspian bear the scars of the disastrous end of their marriage, but if they are to survive their deadly new assignment, they must pose as a happily married couple to avoid detection.
As danger closes in, Nore finds herself tangled in a web of lies and deceit-and though Caspian is at the centre of it all, she may not hate him as much as she once did. But Caspian has betrayed her before, and trust can be far more deadly than deception.
The Thief and the Traitor Bride is a standalone romantic fantasy set in the world of the Sunday Times and USA Today bestselling novel The Second Death of Locke.
Nore Gordon is a woman of many talents: she can speak a variety of languages, disguise herself in plain sight, and has made a name for herself as a successful wine merchant. But unbeknownst to those closest to her, it is all a front for Nore's true role as the favoured spy of the Lindle crown.
Tasked with infiltrating enemy lands in search of a powerful relic, Nore is forced to engage the services of a great thief. Unfortunately, the only person for the job is her estranged husband Caspian. Both Nore and Caspian bear the scars of the disastrous end of their marriage, but if they are to survive their deadly new assignment, they must pose as a happily married couple to avoid detection.
As danger closes in, Nore finds herself tangled in a web of lies and deceit-and though Caspian is at the centre of it all, she may not hate him as much as she once did. But Caspian has betrayed her before, and trust can be far more deadly than deception.
560 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2026
About the author
V.L. Bovalino
5 books942 followersV.L. Bovalino is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and now lives in the UK. She loves obscure academic facts, folklore, and oversized sweaters. Find her on online as @toribovalino.
She also writes books for young adults as Tori Bovalino.
She also writes books for young adults as Tori Bovalino.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 448 reviews
May 28, 2026
thank you SO MUCH to netgalley for providing this arc!! i just about squealed when it landed in my inbox
i absolutely adored being back in this world - the second death of locke was one of my absolute favourite books of last year, and two of the main reasons i adored it so much were the unique magic system, and v. l. bovalino’s writing. i can safely say that both of those carried through to this book - the atmosphere was wonderfully crafted, the storyline was interesting, the writing was gorgeous, and the magic continued to be incredibly interesting. the romance was also incredibly sweet and felt very real to me, similar to the romance in the first book. i will say i got lost a few times in this one - you need a pretty extensive understanding of all of the territories and alliances for this plot to make sense, so it’s not a quick read by any means, but still incredibly enjoyable. if you loved the first book, you are almost guaranteed to adore this one too!!
i absolutely adored being back in this world - the second death of locke was one of my absolute favourite books of last year, and two of the main reasons i adored it so much were the unique magic system, and v. l. bovalino’s writing. i can safely say that both of those carried through to this book - the atmosphere was wonderfully crafted, the storyline was interesting, the writing was gorgeous, and the magic continued to be incredibly interesting. the romance was also incredibly sweet and felt very real to me, similar to the romance in the first book. i will say i got lost a few times in this one - you need a pretty extensive understanding of all of the territories and alliances for this plot to make sense, so it’s not a quick read by any means, but still incredibly enjoyable. if you loved the first book, you are almost guaranteed to adore this one too!!
priority-tbr
July 18, 2026── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
ִֶָ. 𓂃˖꣹ pre-read ꧔⟢ ִֶָ࿐
omg say what. i literally requested the arc 30 minutes ago and it's already here?!😭😭😭😭
yayayy🥹
oml i love tori bovalino sm. 'the devil makes three' is one of my all time favorite books. and 'the second death of locke' singlehandedly battled my reading slump. gosh i loved that book sm.
needless to say, so excited to read this one💘
~•~•~
desperately need this book in my hands. like right fucking now!!!?!!!
ִֶָ. 𓂃˖꣹ pre-read ꧔⟢ ִֶָ࿐
omg say what. i literally requested the arc 30 minutes ago and it's already here?!😭😭😭😭
yayayy🥹
oml i love tori bovalino sm. 'the devil makes three' is one of my all time favorite books. and 'the second death of locke' singlehandedly battled my reading slump. gosh i loved that book sm.
needless to say, so excited to read this one💘
~•~•~
desperately need this book in my hands. like right fucking now!!!?!!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
DNF 45%
I’m admitting defeat. This author is not for me.
My issues summarized: uneven and slow pacing, low stakes, dual timelines with choppy flashbacks, and boring characters. I think that’s it.
I will say, this was much easier to get into than The Second Death of Locke. I was hooked almost immediately. I liked Nore, I enjoyed the writing, and even found Caspian… interesting.
Then I got to the ‘before’ chapters.
As someone who doesn’t read a lot of second chance romances, I forgot this tends to be the chosen structure to tackle this trope. And I don’t like it. Never did. It always leans into telling rather than showing the romance, and that’s exactly what happened here.
These chapters focus on Nore’s backstory, but all the important parts about the romance are glossed over or skipped. We're left with vague glimpses of her relationship with Caspian: they met, they liked each other, they got married. Adorable really, but am I supposed to root for this? What is this? There’s nothing for me to latch onto.
But even then, the biggest issue for me is that nothing interesting happens in the present either. There has been no spying, no stealing, absolutely nothing worth reading about. 20% in and Nore is still stuck on a goddamn boat avoiding Caspian, being sick, and sleeping it off. We don’t even know why they hate each other or what happened, so tell me why should I care?
I just expected these characters to outwit each other, to challenge each other. Instead I’m reading about a spy who understands nothing about politics, and spends her time overhearing tavern gossip. And a thief who loves to smirk. How riveting. (Okay, I might be oversimplifying what happens, but that’s how it felt!!)
Overall, the execution was a big miss for me. Not enough happened to keep me engaged, and I couldn’t care less about how this ends.
✎ᝰ. pre-read: i REALLY hope i like this
💌 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!
I’m admitting defeat. This author is not for me.
My issues summarized: uneven and slow pacing, low stakes, dual timelines with choppy flashbacks, and boring characters. I think that’s it.
I will say, this was much easier to get into than The Second Death of Locke. I was hooked almost immediately. I liked Nore, I enjoyed the writing, and even found Caspian… interesting.
Then I got to the ‘before’ chapters.
As someone who doesn’t read a lot of second chance romances, I forgot this tends to be the chosen structure to tackle this trope. And I don’t like it. Never did. It always leans into telling rather than showing the romance, and that’s exactly what happened here.
These chapters focus on Nore’s backstory, but all the important parts about the romance are glossed over or skipped. We're left with vague glimpses of her relationship with Caspian: they met, they liked each other, they got married. Adorable really, but am I supposed to root for this? What is this? There’s nothing for me to latch onto.
But even then, the biggest issue for me is that nothing interesting happens in the present either. There has been no spying, no stealing, absolutely nothing worth reading about. 20% in and Nore is still stuck on a goddamn boat avoiding Caspian, being sick, and sleeping it off. We don’t even know why they hate each other or what happened, so tell me why should I care?
I just expected these characters to outwit each other, to challenge each other. Instead I’m reading about a spy who understands nothing about politics, and spends her time overhearing tavern gossip. And a thief who loves to smirk. How riveting. (Okay, I might be oversimplifying what happens, but that’s how it felt!!)
Overall, the execution was a big miss for me. Not enough happened to keep me engaged, and I couldn’t care less about how this ends.
✎ᝰ. pre-read: i REALLY hope i like this
💌 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Oh I do love myself a little spy and a thief ❤️ but I did love this a little less than The Second Death of Locke, which was one of my favorite fantasy books of 2025.
FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW
Many thanks to NetGalley, Forever Grand Central Publishing and the author for sending me an early ARC!
Publication date: September 29, 2026
FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW
Many thanks to NetGalley, Forever Grand Central Publishing and the author for sending me an early ARC!
Publication date: September 29, 2026
September 15, 2026
Soooo there really wasn’t any yearning in this book imo… now what?
_______
If there’s no yearning in here I’ll riot.🤺 Anyways, really excited to finally start one of my most anticipated reads of this year 😋
_______
If there’s no yearning in here I’ll riot.🤺 Anyways, really excited to finally start one of my most anticipated reads of this year 😋
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
what if we mr. and mrs. smith’d while on a spy mission to a mysterious island of great power….and got further enlisted into greykier found family antics
greymaryse the woman that you are (grey kier crumbs fueled me here)
from “kill him to spare me the torment” to “i love your tricks. i love your lies”
In her second Hand & the Heart novel, V.L. Bovalino says bring back the yearning and makes it a second chance between a spy and the thief she married, then betrayed. The Thief and the Traitor Bride returns us to the world of The Second Death of Locke, one reeling in the aftermath of return and resurrection. Estranged spouses reunite for a mission that could grant them a boon—if they can separate their heart's truest desires. V.L Bovalino asks what if we Mr. and Mrs. Smith’d while on a spy mission to a mysterious island of great power and rediscovered the love that was still there while being in cahoots with one another. Scars—both tangible and unseen, knives to the throat, one reluctant cat with a tendency to dole out violence, angsty letters, and untenable alliances dot the landscape of this second installment. This novel is a clever dance, a sly interrogation of loyalty and desire, freedom and servitude. V.L Bovalino’s talents for gripping, gritty fantasy is revitalized with The Thief and the Traitor Bride. Where magic is the utmost power and the price of keeping it ever costly. Fantasy has never landed to such a degree as it has with The Hand and the Heart series and yearning is reinvented in V.L. Bovalino’s hands.
thank you to edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy.
Bookstagram | Blog
greymaryse the woman that you are (grey kier crumbs fueled me here)
from “kill him to spare me the torment” to “i love your tricks. i love your lies”
In her second Hand & the Heart novel, V.L. Bovalino says bring back the yearning and makes it a second chance between a spy and the thief she married, then betrayed. The Thief and the Traitor Bride returns us to the world of The Second Death of Locke, one reeling in the aftermath of return and resurrection. Estranged spouses reunite for a mission that could grant them a boon—if they can separate their heart's truest desires. V.L Bovalino asks what if we Mr. and Mrs. Smith’d while on a spy mission to a mysterious island of great power and rediscovered the love that was still there while being in cahoots with one another. Scars—both tangible and unseen, knives to the throat, one reluctant cat with a tendency to dole out violence, angsty letters, and untenable alliances dot the landscape of this second installment. This novel is a clever dance, a sly interrogation of loyalty and desire, freedom and servitude. V.L Bovalino’s talents for gripping, gritty fantasy is revitalized with The Thief and the Traitor Bride. Where magic is the utmost power and the price of keeping it ever costly. Fantasy has never landed to such a degree as it has with The Hand and the Heart series and yearning is reinvented in V.L. Bovalino’s hands.
thank you to edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy.
Bookstagram | Blog
August 17, 2026
The Thief and the Traitor Bride (The Hand and the Heart #2) by V.L. Bovalino, Tori Bovalino
Book Blurb:
Rating: *****
Feels: Adventure,
Style: Fantasy , Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance
First published September 29, 2026: 560 pages
Themes & Setting: I think one of the reasons I so love both books in this series is the way they explore the relationships between people. Nothing is ever simple or something that you can take at face value. You are brought into the world and shown the depth and breathe of the people within it and the intricacies under the surface. We get to see the world and the people from a whole new angle with a totally new view and it was breathtaking.
FMC: You ever really want to succeed at the cost of everything and not even sure what your motivations are? Lets find out what Nore will sacrifice, what she will do to succeed, what he actual goals really are.
MMC: If you adore a swanky dashing rogue you are gonna adore Cas. Caspian has some of the best lines and he is just heart melting at so many parts !!!
Conclusion: I love the way this story unfolds as we are told of events both in the past between the main characters and events from her previous book (this is a stand alone but nicely fits with her other book as well .) Intrigue , schemes and so much manipulation !! I had a fun time trying to keep up with what was going on as the puzzle pieces slowly fall into place. I think the most magical part for me was not knowing what was real right along side Nore the whole time. You can just feel her emotions on each page and it really pulled me into the story. This world and its magic just keeps growing in complexity and I constantly fall more in love the more I read about them. Really enjoyed the read !!
Favorite Quote: "Would I lie to you?" " A thousand times, yes."
This book has:
Second Chances
Lovers to Enemies
Court Intrigues
Spies and Traitors
Found Family
Magic Systems
Forced Proximity
Book Blurb:
Rating: *****
Feels: Adventure,
Style: Fantasy , Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance
First published September 29, 2026: 560 pages
Themes & Setting: I think one of the reasons I so love both books in this series is the way they explore the relationships between people. Nothing is ever simple or something that you can take at face value. You are brought into the world and shown the depth and breathe of the people within it and the intricacies under the surface. We get to see the world and the people from a whole new angle with a totally new view and it was breathtaking.
FMC: You ever really want to succeed at the cost of everything and not even sure what your motivations are? Lets find out what Nore will sacrifice, what she will do to succeed, what he actual goals really are.
MMC: If you adore a swanky dashing rogue you are gonna adore Cas. Caspian has some of the best lines and he is just heart melting at so many parts !!!
Conclusion: I love the way this story unfolds as we are told of events both in the past between the main characters and events from her previous book (this is a stand alone but nicely fits with her other book as well .) Intrigue , schemes and so much manipulation !! I had a fun time trying to keep up with what was going on as the puzzle pieces slowly fall into place. I think the most magical part for me was not knowing what was real right along side Nore the whole time. You can just feel her emotions on each page and it really pulled me into the story. This world and its magic just keeps growing in complexity and I constantly fall more in love the more I read about them. Really enjoyed the read !!
Favorite Quote: "Would I lie to you?" " A thousand times, yes."
This book has:
Second Chances
Lovers to Enemies
Court Intrigues
Spies and Traitors
Found Family
Magic Systems
Forced Proximity
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
We're 2/2 on the book covers 😍
The Thief and the Traitor Bride is being marketed as a standalone, but it's worth clarifying that while we follow a new couple, it remains firmly connected to the same world. Original characters from the first book are reintroduced later in the story, and the way the author brought the two casts together was the most interesting part.
At first, this second installment read more like a historical fiction. The FMC is 30+ which is always a bonus in romantasy, but I don't necessarily think she carried herself like a woman of that age.
Because the source of the couple's conflict is withheld for hundreds of pages, their "enemies-to-lovers" dynamic lacks emotional weight. We don't understand why they hate each other, so it's difficult to invest in their relationship.
If you gave The Death of Locke a glowing 5-star review, you'll probably enjoy this one as well. But if you found the first book underwhelming, the sequel will feel even more lackluster.
Thank you to Netgalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and the author for this eARC.
The Thief and the Traitor Bride is being marketed as a standalone, but it's worth clarifying that while we follow a new couple, it remains firmly connected to the same world. Original characters from the first book are reintroduced later in the story, and the way the author brought the two casts together was the most interesting part.
At first, this second installment read more like a historical fiction. The FMC is 30+ which is always a bonus in romantasy, but I don't necessarily think she carried herself like a woman of that age.
Because the source of the couple's conflict is withheld for hundreds of pages, their "enemies-to-lovers" dynamic lacks emotional weight. We don't understand why they hate each other, so it's difficult to invest in their relationship.
If you gave The Death of Locke a glowing 5-star review, you'll probably enjoy this one as well. But if you found the first book underwhelming, the sequel will feel even more lackluster.
Thank you to Netgalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and the author for this eARC.
August 29, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
• Spies, thieving, betrayals, high stakes political plotting
• Knife to the throat with SO MUCH YEARNING. VL Bovalino is the queen of yearning it’s actually painful
• These betrayals made my tummy hurt. Absolutely gut wrenching
Definitely less knightcore than Second Death of Locke. It has the medieval knightcore setting but make it sneaky, spy, assassin leading the plot.
The world opened up sooo much more in this one. We get to see characters from book one in a whole new light, and was shocked we spent more time with them than I expected.
Caspian is SUCH a dreamboat if you’re okay with a liar that will love you endlessly, but sometimes go against you.
I love in these relationships that there’s a constant push and pull between FMC and MMC and it’s never just lovey dovey mush mush everything working out perfectly. The intimacy that comes from people who know each other so well. All the good and bad parts. And the bad parts don’t just disappear after one fight.
Grey and Kier are still my #1 forever ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥 but obsessed with this as a sequel
• Spies, thieving, betrayals, high stakes political plotting
• Knife to the throat with SO MUCH YEARNING. VL Bovalino is the queen of yearning it’s actually painful
• These betrayals made my tummy hurt. Absolutely gut wrenching
Definitely less knightcore than Second Death of Locke. It has the medieval knightcore setting but make it sneaky, spy, assassin leading the plot.
The world opened up sooo much more in this one. We get to see characters from book one in a whole new light, and was shocked we spent more time with them than I expected.
Caspian is SUCH a dreamboat if you’re okay with a liar that will love you endlessly, but sometimes go against you.
I love in these relationships that there’s a constant push and pull between FMC and MMC and it’s never just lovey dovey mush mush everything working out perfectly. The intimacy that comes from people who know each other so well. All the good and bad parts. And the bad parts don’t just disappear after one fight.
Grey and Kier are still my #1 forever ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥 but obsessed with this as a sequel
July 22, 2025
The way this will skip to the front of my TBR as soon as I get my hands on it
Want to Read
August 15, 2026honored to have received an arc!! the second death of locke was one of my favorite reads last year and so i am beyond excited to dive into another angsty, yearn-y read set in the same universe
October 3, 2026
oh okay...😬😬
September 28, 2026
3.5/5
this rating hurts 😭 ‘the thief and the traitor bride’ was one of my most anticipated reads of the year because book one is genuinely one of my holy grail books and I desperately wanted this one to be the same. sadly, I feel pretty conflicted.
the magic system and world building were easily my favorite parts. I loved how intricate the world is and there were so many interesting details surrounding the magic and how it works. I also love how there is still so much to discover about the magic and I honestly could’ve kept reading about it!
I also really liked nore as a character. she was such a compelling character to follow because her morals were questionable. I liked that the story didn’t try to make her this perfect heroine and I especially loved how her strength came from her intelligence rather than brute force. the way she was able to manipulate situations and think several steps made her that much more interesting to follow than her simply being another super strong fantasy heroine.
unfortunately, the romance did absolutely nothing for me 😭 the MMC felt so flat compared to nore that he honestly could’ve been replaced with any other man and I wouldn’t have noticed. I wanted a romance that felt just as complex and compelling as the rest of the story but I never really connected to them as a couple.
that being said… the appearance of characters from book one absolutely got me 🥹 I missed them so much and seeing them again gave me that emotional connection to the first book I was missing the entire sequel. it felt like finally getting a little piece of the story I had fallen in love with in the first place.
overall, I still really enjoyed the world and nore as a character, but I think my expectations were so high after loving book one as much as I did. the book one characters at the end definitely softened the blow though 🥹
thank you to NetGalley, Forever Publishing, and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
this rating hurts 😭 ‘the thief and the traitor bride’ was one of my most anticipated reads of the year because book one is genuinely one of my holy grail books and I desperately wanted this one to be the same. sadly, I feel pretty conflicted.
the magic system and world building were easily my favorite parts. I loved how intricate the world is and there were so many interesting details surrounding the magic and how it works. I also love how there is still so much to discover about the magic and I honestly could’ve kept reading about it!
I also really liked nore as a character. she was such a compelling character to follow because her morals were questionable. I liked that the story didn’t try to make her this perfect heroine and I especially loved how her strength came from her intelligence rather than brute force. the way she was able to manipulate situations and think several steps made her that much more interesting to follow than her simply being another super strong fantasy heroine.
unfortunately, the romance did absolutely nothing for me 😭 the MMC felt so flat compared to nore that he honestly could’ve been replaced with any other man and I wouldn’t have noticed. I wanted a romance that felt just as complex and compelling as the rest of the story but I never really connected to them as a couple.
that being said… the appearance of characters from book one absolutely got me 🥹 I missed them so much and seeing them again gave me that emotional connection to the first book I was missing the entire sequel. it felt like finally getting a little piece of the story I had fallen in love with in the first place.
overall, I still really enjoyed the world and nore as a character, but I think my expectations were so high after loving book one as much as I did. the book one characters at the end definitely softened the blow though 🥹
thank you to NetGalley, Forever Publishing, and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Want to Read
October 9, 2025I went to a book event and she confirmed it’s coming in September 2026 and the fmc is a spy 👀 also can I just say what a lovely person she is???
About to scream. It’s confirmed that it’s in the same world but features new main characters, I need it 😭 the mc are nore and caspian
About to scream. It’s confirmed that it’s in the same world but features new main characters, I need it 😭 the mc are nore and caspian
September 28, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley and Forever/Hachette Book Group for providing me with an ARC. Released 09/29!
This was such a great follow-up! Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I liked this even more than the first book in this world.
I believe that this book is marketed as a connected standalone to The Second Death of Locke rather than a direct sequel. Some people may disagree with me here, but I agree with that framing. While this book does take place after the events of that first, really nothing about that first book is spoiled in this one. I was actually very impressed at how Bovalino was able to use a lot of the same characters and advance the plot and world-building without revealing too much about that first book.
Given the mostly all new main cast, the ton of this book is quite different. There is no active war and a lot of the tension focuses on political intrigue rather than action. Nore is a spy and the plot centers around that work. I think a lot of what will determine your enjoyment of this book is how much you like political fantasy vs fantasy with more action. I greatly enjoy the former so that really increased my enjoyment. I thought the plot of this book was really well balanced. There weren't really plot points I would classify as "twists" in the book but the overall spying plot was really well done. The way the characters gathered information felt true to life and there was never a time I felt like the answer fell into their laps without effort.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book, particularly Nore. She is both very capable and a little naive, but in a way that makes sense for her character and background rather than just being completely willful and annoying. I really liked that Bovalino gave her skills she was very capable at - spying, wine-selling, etc. - without making her good at everything. She has no talent for magic, which in her part of this world is a sort of math-based system that anyone can learn rather than it being inherent to a person. This means that there are certain challenges she has to solve in other ways or with other people and that made her feel much more human.
Her relationship with Cas was also great. This is a second chance romance where they were married but have been separated for many years and we know from the beginning that separation was not amicable. Watching them deal with their remaining feelings for each other alongside their feelings of betrayal was so, so well done. I don't tend to enjoy second chance romances because it is so hard to craft a scenario that I buy when it comes to characters still having feelings for each other after something happened that caused them to break up but the reasoning here played so well into both of their larger characters and the overall world. I personally found the "yearning" between Locke and Keir in book one too have been just a tad overhyped but thought it was done so well in this book. If you liked that aspect of book one, it doesn't disappear in this book!
I would really encourage those who liked book 1 and were disappointed that this had new leads to go into this with an open mind. This is such an excellent sequel with great characters and plotting and I would hate for it to be passed over just because the focus has shifted to new people. I highly recommend this book and I eagerly await whatever comes next in this world.
This was such a great follow-up! Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I liked this even more than the first book in this world.
I believe that this book is marketed as a connected standalone to The Second Death of Locke rather than a direct sequel. Some people may disagree with me here, but I agree with that framing. While this book does take place after the events of that first, really nothing about that first book is spoiled in this one. I was actually very impressed at how Bovalino was able to use a lot of the same characters and advance the plot and world-building without revealing too much about that first book.
Given the mostly all new main cast, the ton of this book is quite different. There is no active war and a lot of the tension focuses on political intrigue rather than action. Nore is a spy and the plot centers around that work. I think a lot of what will determine your enjoyment of this book is how much you like political fantasy vs fantasy with more action. I greatly enjoy the former so that really increased my enjoyment. I thought the plot of this book was really well balanced. There weren't really plot points I would classify as "twists" in the book but the overall spying plot was really well done. The way the characters gathered information felt true to life and there was never a time I felt like the answer fell into their laps without effort.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book, particularly Nore. She is both very capable and a little naive, but in a way that makes sense for her character and background rather than just being completely willful and annoying. I really liked that Bovalino gave her skills she was very capable at - spying, wine-selling, etc. - without making her good at everything. She has no talent for magic, which in her part of this world is a sort of math-based system that anyone can learn rather than it being inherent to a person. This means that there are certain challenges she has to solve in other ways or with other people and that made her feel much more human.
Her relationship with Cas was also great. This is a second chance romance where they were married but have been separated for many years and we know from the beginning that separation was not amicable. Watching them deal with their remaining feelings for each other alongside their feelings of betrayal was so, so well done. I don't tend to enjoy second chance romances because it is so hard to craft a scenario that I buy when it comes to characters still having feelings for each other after something happened that caused them to break up but the reasoning here played so well into both of their larger characters and the overall world. I personally found the "yearning" between Locke and Keir in book one too have been just a tad overhyped but thought it was done so well in this book. If you liked that aspect of book one, it doesn't disappear in this book!
I would really encourage those who liked book 1 and were disappointed that this had new leads to go into this with an open mind. This is such an excellent sequel with great characters and plotting and I would hate for it to be passed over just because the focus has shifted to new people. I highly recommend this book and I eagerly await whatever comes next in this world.
May 27, 2026
I've been looking forward to this book for quite a while so when it appeared in my inbox I was so thrilled.
I do have to give V.L. Bovalino props for keeping the magic system and the atmosphere from book one, still key and present in this book. Although it wasn't the most interesting plot at first, I'll be honest I found myself struggling to attach myself to Nore & Caspian since I loved Grey and Keir so much, but once I really got into the story I found myself attached especially to Nore.
Nore & Caspian have such an interesting relationship. They matched each other in the most wonderful way, and although there was secrets & issues they were working through I found myself loving their dynamic.
I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!
Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I do have to give V.L. Bovalino props for keeping the magic system and the atmosphere from book one, still key and present in this book. Although it wasn't the most interesting plot at first, I'll be honest I found myself struggling to attach myself to Nore & Caspian since I loved Grey and Keir so much, but once I really got into the story I found myself attached especially to Nore.
Nore & Caspian have such an interesting relationship. They matched each other in the most wonderful way, and although there was secrets & issues they were working through I found myself loving their dynamic.
I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!
Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
December 12, 2025
thank you to the publisher for the arc. all opinions are my own.
3.5***
while the second death of locke absolutely has my heart, the thief and the traitor bride is a decent continuation of this series.
my favorite aspect of this book, by far, was the world building/political schemes/magic. i think the world that bovalino is incredibly rich and interesting and i really enjoyed learning more about the magic system and politics between the different nations. i found the spying that nore does to be super intriguing as well and it was a lot of fun to try & piece together different plots with the characters.
speaking of characters, my other favorite aspect of this book was seeing beloved characters from the second death of locke. i think the way the first book was tied into this one was brilliantly done and i’m excited to see these characters again in book three. the found family in this series is truly chef’s kiss.
i found the pacing in this to be a bit off. the first 60% of the book dragged for me (i’m no stranger to a slow moving book, but it really felt like not much happened) but the last 40% sucked me right back in. the pacing just felt pretty choppy and it was hard to get into the flow of continuously reading.
i really enjoyed nore as a character but i found caspian to be lacking. he didn’t really have a personality to me (he sure did smirk a lot though) and i just didn’t care too much about him. he had a few moments/lines here and there that had me swooning for sure, but overall i was underwhelmed by him.
on a similar note, the romance was mediocre to me. i really REALLY loved the concept of a mr & mrs smith esque romance in a fantasy novel, so i quite enjoyed the scenes where nore and caspian were maneuvering around each other without knowing what the other was up to. while i loved a decent amount of their emotional/tender moments, i felt like we didn’t get enough of that (past or present) to really be convinced of their love for one another. one of my biggest issues with second chance romance/situations such as this is that the flashbacks tend to serve nothing. this, unfortunately, was the case with the thief and the traitor bride. it felt like a lot of the foundational aspects of their relationship were skipped or glossed over, and we were just told that they love each other.
overall, i’m a bit disappointed with this one but not completely upset by it. i think it was a lot of fun once the pacing/plot picked up and i love this world.
3.5***
while the second death of locke absolutely has my heart, the thief and the traitor bride is a decent continuation of this series.
my favorite aspect of this book, by far, was the world building/political schemes/magic. i think the world that bovalino is incredibly rich and interesting and i really enjoyed learning more about the magic system and politics between the different nations. i found the spying that nore does to be super intriguing as well and it was a lot of fun to try & piece together different plots with the characters.
speaking of characters, my other favorite aspect of this book was seeing beloved characters from the second death of locke. i think the way the first book was tied into this one was brilliantly done and i’m excited to see these characters again in book three. the found family in this series is truly chef’s kiss.
i found the pacing in this to be a bit off. the first 60% of the book dragged for me (i’m no stranger to a slow moving book, but it really felt like not much happened) but the last 40% sucked me right back in. the pacing just felt pretty choppy and it was hard to get into the flow of continuously reading.
i really enjoyed nore as a character but i found caspian to be lacking. he didn’t really have a personality to me (he sure did smirk a lot though) and i just didn’t care too much about him. he had a few moments/lines here and there that had me swooning for sure, but overall i was underwhelmed by him.
on a similar note, the romance was mediocre to me. i really REALLY loved the concept of a mr & mrs smith esque romance in a fantasy novel, so i quite enjoyed the scenes where nore and caspian were maneuvering around each other without knowing what the other was up to. while i loved a decent amount of their emotional/tender moments, i felt like we didn’t get enough of that (past or present) to really be convinced of their love for one another. one of my biggest issues with second chance romance/situations such as this is that the flashbacks tend to serve nothing. this, unfortunately, was the case with the thief and the traitor bride. it felt like a lot of the foundational aspects of their relationship were skipped or glossed over, and we were just told that they love each other.
overall, i’m a bit disappointed with this one but not completely upset by it. i think it was a lot of fun once the pacing/plot picked up and i love this world.
Want to Read
October 21, 2025WE HAVE A TITLE!!!!! These covers really do it for me. absolutely in love.
I hope this fills the void that The Second Death of Locke has left me with :' )
I hope this fills the void that The Second Death of Locke has left me with :' )
June 20, 2026
if you love “I hate him to death but I love her to death” then this is for you
phenomenal no words I LIVE FOR THE TENSION AND YEARNING
I cried I laughed I loved I need more
phenomenal no words I LIVE FOR THE TENSION AND YEARNING
I cried I laughed I loved I need more
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Second Death of a Locke was such a banger that I was chomping at the bit to get into the sequel. Here’s the thing: if you haven’t read the first book recently, this book will be a little frustrating. You need to remember the secondary characters from the first book, the different nations, and their politics to get the most out of the first 3/4 of this story.
I enjoyed the writing, but not the number of times I wondered why something was happening.
Examples:
-Just remembering the well/mage magic system from the first book isn't sufficient. There's calculation-based magic (I can't even explain it after reading about it), magic with ink (perhaps from another country, where the MMC might be an aristocrat? Who knows.), and artifacts that amplify or allow certain other kids of magic. 560 pages and a lot goes unexplained.
-Our main characters find a spell that isn’t translated for us, but it’s used in a major, climatic scene. What was it? What did it mean? Don’t worry about it! It worked!
-Kier from the first book is in a strange state at the end of the first book. He’s part of Locke’s retinue in this book with a different name. Locke needs to marry someone from another country and the reader is wondering why it can’t be Kier. Is it because of his strange state? Then how…I can’t go on without spoiling.
-We know that the Locke magic system has wells and mages. In this book, a third role, the typic, is mentioned once in chapter 9. In chapter 36, they need two people who are this role for a REALLY important reason, but the actual purpose is never explained.
The main characters are wonderful, but they plod along for the first 3/4 of the book as we wait for something to happen. The last quarter of the book has much more action and it’s nice to see, but it wasn’t enough to forget how slow the pace was before. I'm going to guess a lot got edited out since there are so many unexplained aspects of the story, but it was not done well.
The ship captain who is introduced at the end has spin-off possibilities. They're introduced as if they'll be important, but they're gone two scenes later.
I enjoyed the writing, but not the number of times I wondered why something was happening.
Examples:
-Just remembering the well/mage magic system from the first book isn't sufficient. There's calculation-based magic (I can't even explain it after reading about it), magic with ink (perhaps from another country, where the MMC might be an aristocrat? Who knows.), and artifacts that amplify or allow certain other kids of magic. 560 pages and a lot goes unexplained.
-Our main characters find a spell that isn’t translated for us, but it’s used in a major, climatic scene. What was it? What did it mean? Don’t worry about it! It worked!
-Kier from the first book is in a strange state at the end of the first book. He’s part of Locke’s retinue in this book with a different name. Locke needs to marry someone from another country and the reader is wondering why it can’t be Kier. Is it because of his strange state? Then how…I can’t go on without spoiling.
-We know that the Locke magic system has wells and mages. In this book, a third role, the typic, is mentioned once in chapter 9. In chapter 36, they need two people who are this role for a REALLY important reason, but the actual purpose is never explained.
The main characters are wonderful, but they plod along for the first 3/4 of the book as we wait for something to happen. The last quarter of the book has much more action and it’s nice to see, but it wasn’t enough to forget how slow the pace was before. I'm going to guess a lot got edited out since there are so many unexplained aspects of the story, but it was not done well.
The ship captain who is introduced at the end has spin-off possibilities. They're introduced as if they'll be important, but they're gone two scenes later.
September 13, 2026
every second of this book felt like going headfirst down a cheese grater slide straight into an ocean of lemon juice!!! complimentary!!!
were you a fan of cardan’s angry, desperate, yearning letters from queen of nothing? do you love the iconic poem scene from 10 things i hate about you? did you rewatch mr. and mrs. smith endlessly and yearn for a spycraft love story of your own someday??? because THIS!!! is !!!! your new favorite book!!!!
this is an ARC review! thank you to forever for the opportunity to read an advance copy!
VL bovalino has an immaculate way with words. a true artist. i loved the second death of locke for all of its friends to lovers secret unrequited yearning, but as a second chance STAN, thief and the traitor bride beat my ass emotionally, physically, and spiritually in a way that i fear i will never recover from. the secrets! the lies! the betrayals! the years of bitter hatred only to have to team up on a mission! the YEARNING that never STOPPED!!!!! i want to throw up. every single chapter of this i felt like i was on the verge of tears without even knowing the full scope of the story. genuinely masterful in its emotional manipulation, in VL’s ability to weave a story together that feels like jumping off a cliff into a sea of knives, and in its blend of new characters with beloved older characters!!! so, so well done.
the only thing keeping this from being a 5 star read is that it’s so delicately wrought that it feels unbearably slow at times, and the intricacies of the magic systems complicated the story in ways my wrung-out brain could not compute. there’s a lot here that hinges HEAVILY on lore and information we got in second death of locke that isn’t referenced in a way that re-explains, so if you, too, suffer from immediate memory loss once you finish a book, this might feel like more of a slog as you parse through what’s old information and what’s new.
broadly, though, this was genuinely PEAK second chance. there’s agonized yearning and layers of secrets and letters sent but not received. the forced proximity! the genuine hatred!!!!! give me 500 more of this exact formula!!!!!!!
brilliantly done, if a bit overlong and overly complicated. definitely worth picking up if you’re a second chance fan, love good, complex fantasy stories, and eat angst for breakfast.
were you a fan of cardan’s angry, desperate, yearning letters from queen of nothing? do you love the iconic poem scene from 10 things i hate about you? did you rewatch mr. and mrs. smith endlessly and yearn for a spycraft love story of your own someday??? because THIS!!! is !!!! your new favorite book!!!!
this is an ARC review! thank you to forever for the opportunity to read an advance copy!
VL bovalino has an immaculate way with words. a true artist. i loved the second death of locke for all of its friends to lovers secret unrequited yearning, but as a second chance STAN, thief and the traitor bride beat my ass emotionally, physically, and spiritually in a way that i fear i will never recover from. the secrets! the lies! the betrayals! the years of bitter hatred only to have to team up on a mission! the YEARNING that never STOPPED!!!!! i want to throw up. every single chapter of this i felt like i was on the verge of tears without even knowing the full scope of the story. genuinely masterful in its emotional manipulation, in VL’s ability to weave a story together that feels like jumping off a cliff into a sea of knives, and in its blend of new characters with beloved older characters!!! so, so well done.
the only thing keeping this from being a 5 star read is that it’s so delicately wrought that it feels unbearably slow at times, and the intricacies of the magic systems complicated the story in ways my wrung-out brain could not compute. there’s a lot here that hinges HEAVILY on lore and information we got in second death of locke that isn’t referenced in a way that re-explains, so if you, too, suffer from immediate memory loss once you finish a book, this might feel like more of a slog as you parse through what’s old information and what’s new.
broadly, though, this was genuinely PEAK second chance. there’s agonized yearning and layers of secrets and letters sent but not received. the forced proximity! the genuine hatred!!!!! give me 500 more of this exact formula!!!!!!!
brilliantly done, if a bit overlong and overly complicated. definitely worth picking up if you’re a second chance fan, love good, complex fantasy stories, and eat angst for breakfast.
July 29, 2026
Another lovely story and a worthy sequel to The Second Death of Locke. 4.5/5
Admittedly, I'm a hard sell on both friends-to-lovers and second-chance-romance so it's kind of incredible that I love these books as much as I do. Thankfully both books have a hefty helping of yearning that really satisfies my need for pining. Nore and Cas took a while to grow on me, but I immensely love being in this land and how Tori Bovalino weaves the world-building into the story. In the end of course I was fully taken with their romance and devotion.
Though the romance is standalone, and technically you could read this without first reading Locke, the primary plot is entirely dependent on the events of the first book and will spoil what happened there (and also be much less fleshed out and easy to follow for a new reader). It's not impossible to read independently, but I wouldn't personally recommend it. A brush up on names and events might not be a bad shout if your memory's a bit rusty, but I think the book did a good job at dropping reminders if it's been a while and you've forgotten key elements.
Overall I really love these stories and highly recommend them if they sound remotely interesting to you. Can't wait for the third!
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Admittedly, I'm a hard sell on both friends-to-lovers and second-chance-romance so it's kind of incredible that I love these books as much as I do. Thankfully both books have a hefty helping of yearning that really satisfies my need for pining. Nore and Cas took a while to grow on me, but I immensely love being in this land and how Tori Bovalino weaves the world-building into the story. In the end of course I was fully taken with their romance and devotion.
Though the romance is standalone, and technically you could read this without first reading Locke, the primary plot is entirely dependent on the events of the first book and will spoil what happened there (and also be much less fleshed out and easy to follow for a new reader). It's not impossible to read independently, but I wouldn't personally recommend it. A brush up on names and events might not be a bad shout if your memory's a bit rusty, but I think the book did a good job at dropping reminders if it's been a while and you've forgotten key elements.
Overall I really love these stories and highly recommend them if they sound remotely interesting to you. Can't wait for the third!
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
When I first saw the cover and blurb for this book, I knew it was something I wanted to read. I did read the first book in this series and while I didn't find it a 5 star read, I did enjoy it so I decided to give this one a shot. Like the first book in this series, this one was good but not exceptional for me. The beginning started off strong and I liked the characters but I really feel like the middle dragged a bit. I like the relationship between Nore and Caspian and I liked getting to know more about their history together. The magic system is really intriguing and I wanted to see/know a bit more.
I think it was great to include characters/plot from the first book but it should be noted that if you have not read the first book in this series, this one will contain spoilers even though they are billed as standalones. This book will definitely be a 5 star read for many.
Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 9/29/26
I think it was great to include characters/plot from the first book but it should be noted that if you have not read the first book in this series, this one will contain spoilers even though they are billed as standalones. This book will definitely be a 5 star read for many.
Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 9/29/26
September 13, 2026
Cohesive review to come once I emotionally recover from the stress, turmoil and exceptional yearning V.L Bovalino has put me through.
FIRST OF ALL the coolest story set-up I’ve come across in fantasy. An estranged husband and wife forced to pose as a happily married couple while on a deadly spy mission? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? I was immediately sat and locked in.
The yearning, tension, secrets and betrayals had me completely invested. Nores and Caspians complex history made every interaction feel so loaded, and I was DESPERATE TO GET MORE GLIMPSES AT THEIR PAST AND HOW THEY ENDED UP HERE. And boy was I not disappointed, I wanted to scream into my pillow for like half the book.
And the YEARning. My god. I am ready to crown V.L. Bovalino as monarch of yearning and tension. I was doing laps around the living room while reading some of their interactions because I simply could not sit still.
I was stressed, invested, and thoroughly entertained from start to finish. The twists kept me guessing, the romance had me screaming internally, and I’m going to need a little time to emotionally recover from all the turmoil this book put me through.
FIRST OF ALL the coolest story set-up I’ve come across in fantasy. An estranged husband and wife forced to pose as a happily married couple while on a deadly spy mission? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? I was immediately sat and locked in.
The yearning, tension, secrets and betrayals had me completely invested. Nores and Caspians complex history made every interaction feel so loaded, and I was DESPERATE TO GET MORE GLIMPSES AT THEIR PAST AND HOW THEY ENDED UP HERE. And boy was I not disappointed, I wanted to scream into my pillow for like half the book.
And the YEARning. My god. I am ready to crown V.L. Bovalino as monarch of yearning and tension. I was doing laps around the living room while reading some of their interactions because I simply could not sit still.
I was stressed, invested, and thoroughly entertained from start to finish. The twists kept me guessing, the romance had me screaming internally, and I’m going to need a little time to emotionally recover from all the turmoil this book put me through.
Want to Read
July 21, 2026screaming because i got the arc for this 🤭🥳🥰🙂↕️😛🤠
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I often say that it’s hard to write reviews for books I love, but it’s more challenging to write one when a book leaves me with mixed feelings. The Second Death of Locke is one of my favourite books from last year, and one of my favourite fantasy books overall. It’s no surprise that I was very excited to read The Thief and the Traitor Bride. Even though I knew not to expect the same thing, because we’re following different characters, my expectations were still very high. Sadly, I was left feeling disappointed. I want to preface this review by saying that this is not a bad book, and that I enjoyed many aspects of it, but it’s also not on the same level as Locke. Not even close.
The initial part of this book is very confusing. We’re presented with another part of the world with different magic systems, and I must confess that I found the world-building very daunting. In Locke, the world and its magic system were straightforward, but in this book it feels like we’re thrown into the middle of the story and expected to know everything the characters already know. Some things are only mentioned in passing, some conversations start and then fade into the background, and I constantly got the feeling that not enough was explained to the reader. A little more depth would’ve been appreciated. While I enjoyed the way the plot from this book tied in with the lose ends at the end of Locke, I wish I had a better understanding of how everything worked.
I would like to point out that, contrary to what has been said, I don’t think these books can be labelled as standalones. They are interconnected, so if you read this book without having read Locke, you won’t get the full experience and you’ll be confused. The plots are interwoven. Without Locke, this book wouldn’t make sense. The Thief and the Traitor Bride is a sequel to The Second Death of Locke.
The pacing of this book wasn’t the best, either. Initially, it was very slow, and I struggled to make progress because it felt like we were going in circles and nothing was moving forward. The final chapters were more action-packed, but overall, I wouldn’t describe this as a fast-paced book. It felt way too long!! I wanted Locke to have more pages, but here, I think some things could’ve been cut.
I liked the characters, but I didn’t connect with them as much as I would have liked. I didn’t love Nore’s character arc because she took so long to show any growth. She asked lots of questions, but never the right ones. I liked Caspian well enough, but it was difficult to get to know him because we only get Nore's pov, and her perception of events and, consequently, her perception of Caspian was inaccurate.
Nore and Caspian’s story is filled with betrayal, lies and theft. When their paths cross again, they are consumed by hatred and anger, but the reason for their conflict isn’t revealed early on. So much of it was obvious, but because it takes so long for us to know what truly transpired between them, the emotional payoff wasn’t the best. In the first half of the story, there’s a lot of telling, not showing, when it comes to their romance, which made it difficult for me to become invested in their story. I did enjoy the way things progressed between them, but I often felt frustrated (to be honest, it was ridiculous how Nore kept pointing fingers at Caspian, acting as if she hadn’t betrayed and lied to him as well). There were some swoon-worthy moments and they make a fine pair, but I wanted their story to evoke more emotion. I wanted to feel the anguish, devotion and the agony of being betrayed by the person you love most. But those feelings were muffled. I felt so much more while reading the scenes with Grey and Kier than I did while reading all the other scenes with Nore and Caspian. In fact, the only times I felt true excitment while reading this story were the moments I spent in Locke with my favourite characters. I just want to reread Locke now!
I honestly feel very sad that I didn’t love this more. I obviously still recommend this series, because The Second Death of Locke is excellent, but if, like me, you loved that book, try to keep your expectation low for The Thief and The Traitor Bride. If you didn’t enjoy the first book, I don’t believe you’ll enjoy the latest instalment in the series.
Thank you Forever and Netgalley for the e-arc!
⚔️⚔️⚔️
She hated him with a vitriol released after so long spent wishing him dead, made all the worse by the years of loving him before.
“You know nothing about me,” Nore said. “Not anymore.” His gaze on her was scorching, tracing from the top of her head to her toes. “I’ve always known you, and I always will. Even the worst parts.”
“Your hair,” he said. “It’s the same color as poppy finches. When I look at you—it reminds me of luck, and it makes me think of home.”
"I knew from the start it would be no simple task to free you, when you didn’t even think yourself caged in the first place.”
She would have his laugh, and his heart, and his lies for the rest of her life, even if he was a thief and a scoundrel and a spy, who had once set out to destroy her—and that was the best betrayal of all.
The initial part of this book is very confusing. We’re presented with another part of the world with different magic systems, and I must confess that I found the world-building very daunting. In Locke, the world and its magic system were straightforward, but in this book it feels like we’re thrown into the middle of the story and expected to know everything the characters already know. Some things are only mentioned in passing, some conversations start and then fade into the background, and I constantly got the feeling that not enough was explained to the reader. A little more depth would’ve been appreciated. While I enjoyed the way the plot from this book tied in with the lose ends at the end of Locke, I wish I had a better understanding of how everything worked.
I would like to point out that, contrary to what has been said, I don’t think these books can be labelled as standalones. They are interconnected, so if you read this book without having read Locke, you won’t get the full experience and you’ll be confused. The plots are interwoven. Without Locke, this book wouldn’t make sense. The Thief and the Traitor Bride is a sequel to The Second Death of Locke.
The pacing of this book wasn’t the best, either. Initially, it was very slow, and I struggled to make progress because it felt like we were going in circles and nothing was moving forward. The final chapters were more action-packed, but overall, I wouldn’t describe this as a fast-paced book. It felt way too long!! I wanted Locke to have more pages, but here, I think some things could’ve been cut.
I liked the characters, but I didn’t connect with them as much as I would have liked. I didn’t love Nore’s character arc because she took so long to show any growth. She asked lots of questions, but never the right ones. I liked Caspian well enough, but it was difficult to get to know him because we only get Nore's pov, and her perception of events and, consequently, her perception of Caspian was inaccurate.
Nore and Caspian’s story is filled with betrayal, lies and theft. When their paths cross again, they are consumed by hatred and anger, but the reason for their conflict isn’t revealed early on. So much of it was obvious, but because it takes so long for us to know what truly transpired between them, the emotional payoff wasn’t the best. In the first half of the story, there’s a lot of telling, not showing, when it comes to their romance, which made it difficult for me to become invested in their story. I did enjoy the way things progressed between them, but I often felt frustrated (to be honest, it was ridiculous how Nore kept pointing fingers at Caspian, acting as if she hadn’t betrayed and lied to him as well). There were some swoon-worthy moments and they make a fine pair, but I wanted their story to evoke more emotion. I wanted to feel the anguish, devotion and the agony of being betrayed by the person you love most. But those feelings were muffled. I felt so much more while reading the scenes with Grey and Kier than I did while reading all the other scenes with Nore and Caspian. In fact, the only times I felt true excitment while reading this story were the moments I spent in Locke with my favourite characters. I just want to reread Locke now!
I honestly feel very sad that I didn’t love this more. I obviously still recommend this series, because The Second Death of Locke is excellent, but if, like me, you loved that book, try to keep your expectation low for The Thief and The Traitor Bride. If you didn’t enjoy the first book, I don’t believe you’ll enjoy the latest instalment in the series.
Thank you Forever and Netgalley for the e-arc!
⚔️⚔️⚔️
She hated him with a vitriol released after so long spent wishing him dead, made all the worse by the years of loving him before.
“You know nothing about me,” Nore said. “Not anymore.” His gaze on her was scorching, tracing from the top of her head to her toes. “I’ve always known you, and I always will. Even the worst parts.”
“Your hair,” he said. “It’s the same color as poppy finches. When I look at you—it reminds me of luck, and it makes me think of home.”
"I knew from the start it would be no simple task to free you, when you didn’t even think yourself caged in the first place.”
She would have his laugh, and his heart, and his lies for the rest of her life, even if he was a thief and a scoundrel and a spy, who had once set out to destroy her—and that was the best betrayal of all.
August 25, 2026
‘I would betray even the gods for you.’
The book was SO GOOD, even better than the last! It CANNOT be read independently as the world building and bigger plot expand from the first book (and with other surprises!!).
To be loved is to be known and I genuinely adore to read about lovers who already know each other by heart. Tori Bovalino is a master at writing relationships, the intimacy, THE YEARNING and the tenderness always soothe my heart.
The plot was absolutely plotting in this one and I loved to follow it! This book definitely is one of my favorites of 2026!!!!
The book was SO GOOD, even better than the last! It CANNOT be read independently as the world building and bigger plot expand from the first book (and with other surprises!!).
To be loved is to be known and I genuinely adore to read about lovers who already know each other by heart. Tori Bovalino is a master at writing relationships, the intimacy, THE YEARNING and the tenderness always soothe my heart.
The plot was absolutely plotting in this one and I loved to follow it! This book definitely is one of my favorites of 2026!!!!
October 2, 2026
Labs sērijas turpinājums. Komplicētas maģijas sistēmas, politikas intrigas. Un sarežģītas arī mīlnieku attiecības.
Did Not Finish
September 26, 2026dnf @ 6% 🤣 sept 2026
![Profile Image for Saskia [University era].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1781978693i/149946010._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
Want to Read
March 15, 2026THE COVER WOWOWOW
second chance romance between a spy and a thief
i cant wait to read this omg
second chance romance between a spy and a thief
i cant wait to read this omg
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