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Romantasyland: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 6 Apr 27
Enemies-to-lovers? Don’t mind if I do.
Everything in Eve Lockwood’s life is grey—and not in a fun, morally ambiguous kind of way. No matter how much soggy takeout she orders or how many Friends reruns she binges, the only place she can truly escape is between the pages of her beloved romantasy novels. So, when an advertisement for a romantasy-lovers retreat crosses her path, Eve jumps at the chance to play out her favorite bookish fantasies with likeminded readers. What could go wrong?
Quite a lot, as it turns out. Namely, that while doing a retreat activity in the middle of the woods, she somehow trips and falls through a portal into a real-life fantasy world—and straight into the arms of a (ridiculously attractive) grumpy, woodland fae prince. Just her luck, honestly. At first, Eve is convinced it’s all part of the retreat, until she survives a monster attack, unlocks forgotten magic that apparently makes her The Chosen One™, and is shipped off on a quest to break an ancient curse all before lunchtime. Wonderful.
Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t take long for her quest to go off the rails, and Eve soon finds this storyline isn’t as perfect as her novels. With her newfound magic wildly out of control, her enemies-to-lovers arc with the prince staying firmly in the enemies stage, and a hot mysterious, shadowy figure lurking in her dreams, the curse seems more likely to break Eve than the other way around. Armed with only her knowledge of book tropes and a misguided belief that the main character can’t die, Eve must rise to become The Chosen One she was (probably not) destined to be, save the world, and get home . . . if she even wants to?
Everything in Eve Lockwood’s life is grey—and not in a fun, morally ambiguous kind of way. No matter how much soggy takeout she orders or how many Friends reruns she binges, the only place she can truly escape is between the pages of her beloved romantasy novels. So, when an advertisement for a romantasy-lovers retreat crosses her path, Eve jumps at the chance to play out her favorite bookish fantasies with likeminded readers. What could go wrong?
Quite a lot, as it turns out. Namely, that while doing a retreat activity in the middle of the woods, she somehow trips and falls through a portal into a real-life fantasy world—and straight into the arms of a (ridiculously attractive) grumpy, woodland fae prince. Just her luck, honestly. At first, Eve is convinced it’s all part of the retreat, until she survives a monster attack, unlocks forgotten magic that apparently makes her The Chosen One™, and is shipped off on a quest to break an ancient curse all before lunchtime. Wonderful.
Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t take long for her quest to go off the rails, and Eve soon finds this storyline isn’t as perfect as her novels. With her newfound magic wildly out of control, her enemies-to-lovers arc with the prince staying firmly in the enemies stage, and a hot mysterious, shadowy figure lurking in her dreams, the curse seems more likely to break Eve than the other way around. Armed with only her knowledge of book tropes and a misguided belief that the main character can’t die, Eve must rise to become The Chosen One she was (probably not) destined to be, save the world, and get home . . . if she even wants to?
Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 6, 2027
About the author
Emma MacDonald
3 books30 followersEmma MacDonald currently resides outside of Washington, DC, living out her dreams as a witch in the woods.
When she’s not writing, she can be found gardening, brewing potions, or chasing after her small menagerie of pets. Emma loves to write fantasy with a big splash of magic and romance.
Her debut Adult Fantasy dark academia novel, WHISPERS MOST FOUL, was published by Penguin Michael Joseph in October 2024, with its sequel WHISPERS MOST DEADLY soon to follow in Fall of 2025.
When she’s not writing, she can be found gardening, brewing potions, or chasing after her small menagerie of pets. Emma loves to write fantasy with a big splash of magic and romance.
Her debut Adult Fantasy dark academia novel, WHISPERS MOST FOUL, was published by Penguin Michael Joseph in October 2024, with its sequel WHISPERS MOST DEADLY soon to follow in Fall of 2025.
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July 17, 2026I'm either going to love this or rage read, I can feel it in my bones.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I read this ARC for NetGalley. The concept is fun and honestly the cover art is what drew me to this book originally. I love the look of the book and one of the stars is just for the cover art.
I don’t think the writing and plot are for me, sadly. This reminds me of that book turned to movie - Austenland. Except it’s for fantasy lovers. Or that’s what Eve thinks when she is dropped into the world. It has every cliche trope you can think of and is kind of sarcastically written in that way. But dialog is so wooden that it doesn’t even have funny sarcastic banter. I could not care or get hooked into the story. It felt like I was reading a book that I didn’t want to stay in. It was like a terrible movie you keep on in the background but wish you could turn off.
I don’t think the writing and plot are for me, sadly. This reminds me of that book turned to movie - Austenland. Except it’s for fantasy lovers. Or that’s what Eve thinks when she is dropped into the world. It has every cliche trope you can think of and is kind of sarcastically written in that way. But dialog is so wooden that it doesn’t even have funny sarcastic banter. I could not care or get hooked into the story. It felt like I was reading a book that I didn’t want to stay in. It was like a terrible movie you keep on in the background but wish you could turn off.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
2.5⭐️
Unfortunately, this one was more of a miss than a hit for me.
The concept is actually pretty interesting, but I just couldn’t connect with the characters. And honestly, for most of the book, I didn’t really care what happened to any of them.
One thing I will give it credit for is how naturally it works a bunch of popular tropes into the story. It’s not quite a deconstruction of the genre, but it’s not a parody either. It kind of sits somewhere in the middle, and I actually liked that part.
The characters, though, were a different story. The FMC is trying to collect every possible character trait like she’s filling out a checklist. She’s queer, she has ADHD (which gets brought up multiple times, although I can’t really say the book does much with it beyond telling us that she has it), she’s grieving her parents, she’s lonely, etc.
As for the MMC, well... he hates the FMC (except he actually doesn’t), because apparently we needed another popular trope checked off the list. In reality, he’s probably the biggest green flag in the entire book. He’s so ridiculously understanding that he’s even perfectly fine with the FMC hooking up with someone else. Sir, do you have any self-respect?
And as for that someone else... I genuinely don’t even know what to say. He actually could’ve made for a much more interesting main character, but alas, here we are. We got what we got.
And then there’s the romance.
At the beginning, the FMC has a little crush on her coworker. Then she gets yeeted into the magical world and suddenly every other character she meets inspires a horny thought or two. Girl, please!
But the biggest issue for me was the love triangle. I already have a complicated relationship with this trope, so for me to enjoy it, it really needs to be done well. And... yeah, this wasn’t it.
The FMC basically speedruns her way through both love interests over the course of two days, literally going from one bed to the other. She does acknowledge that this is weird, and I’ll give her that, but self-awareness doesn’t automatically make the behavior make sense. I’m sorry, but watching her bounce between two people like that felt less like romantasy and more like I’d accidentally picked up a contemporary melodrama.
Maybe I’m being overly picky, but the whole thing just didn’t work for me.
I finished this yesterday, and after having some time to think about it, I can kind of see how the FMC’s chaotic relationship choices might be explained by the whole chaos magic thing. So... okay, I guess? But that is simply not my jam.
I don’t think this is necessarily a bad book. It has a fun concept, some interesting ideas, and I can absolutely see why it works for other readers. I just don’t think I’m the audience for this particular flavor of chaos.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Unfortunately, this one was more of a miss than a hit for me.
The concept is actually pretty interesting, but I just couldn’t connect with the characters. And honestly, for most of the book, I didn’t really care what happened to any of them.
One thing I will give it credit for is how naturally it works a bunch of popular tropes into the story. It’s not quite a deconstruction of the genre, but it’s not a parody either. It kind of sits somewhere in the middle, and I actually liked that part.
The characters, though, were a different story. The FMC is trying to collect every possible character trait like she’s filling out a checklist. She’s queer, she has ADHD (which gets brought up multiple times, although I can’t really say the book does much with it beyond telling us that she has it), she’s grieving her parents, she’s lonely, etc.
As for the MMC, well... he hates the FMC (except he actually doesn’t), because apparently we needed another popular trope checked off the list. In reality, he’s probably the biggest green flag in the entire book. He’s so ridiculously understanding that he’s even perfectly fine with the FMC hooking up with someone else. Sir, do you have any self-respect?
And as for that someone else... I genuinely don’t even know what to say. He actually could’ve made for a much more interesting main character, but alas, here we are. We got what we got.
And then there’s the romance.
At the beginning, the FMC has a little crush on her coworker. Then she gets yeeted into the magical world and suddenly every other character she meets inspires a horny thought or two. Girl, please!
But the biggest issue for me was the love triangle. I already have a complicated relationship with this trope, so for me to enjoy it, it really needs to be done well. And... yeah, this wasn’t it.
The FMC basically speedruns her way through both love interests over the course of two days, literally going from one bed to the other. She does acknowledge that this is weird, and I’ll give her that, but self-awareness doesn’t automatically make the behavior make sense. I’m sorry, but watching her bounce between two people like that felt less like romantasy and more like I’d accidentally picked up a contemporary melodrama.
Maybe I’m being overly picky, but the whole thing just didn’t work for me.
I finished this yesterday, and after having some time to think about it, I can kind of see how the FMC’s chaotic relationship choices might be explained by the whole chaos magic thing. So... okay, I guess? But that is simply not my jam.
I don’t think this is necessarily a bad book. It has a fun concept, some interesting ideas, and I can absolutely see why it works for other readers. I just don’t think I’m the audience for this particular flavor of chaos.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I know this is such a niche thing to say, but this was basically Schmigadoon! but for romantasy readers, and I am kind of in love with that concept. If you've seen the show or the musical itself, you'll know exactly what I mean. It takes all the classic romantasy tropes we know and love, like the grumpy fae prince, The Chosen One™, enemies to lovers, ancient curses, shadow daddies, magical quests and lovingly pokes fun at all of them but clearly still loves the genre. To me, it never feels like it is actually making fun of romantasy or the people who read it, but instead more of a love letter to genre we all know and love and is fun and funny when it comes to the parody and the satire of it all. I loved catching all the references too and it was cool that Eve was just as trope aware as we are. She's constantly recognizing what's happening because she's read all these books before, and she is trying to navigate a real fantasy world based on what she's learned from fiction and that made for a really enjoyable, if wild at times, ride. Some of it was unbelievable but I think that's the point. It's such a different spin on regular romance and I did really like it.
I did want more from the romance though, and I think for a book centered around romantasy and an enemies to lovers relationship, I wanted way more focus on the romance itself and a lot more depth. It was surface level to me for most of it, and I just wanted more from this aspect.
Even with that, I thought it was funny, clever, and such a unique take on romantasy that I don't think I've really seen before. At the same time, I do think it lacked some depth. The satire and parody were definitely the strongest parts. It was a good read but I think there could have been more and fell a bit short of what I pictured.
Thank you to NetGalley, Emma MacDonald, and Dell for the eARC of this book.
I did want more from the romance though, and I think for a book centered around romantasy and an enemies to lovers relationship, I wanted way more focus on the romance itself and a lot more depth. It was surface level to me for most of it, and I just wanted more from this aspect.
Even with that, I thought it was funny, clever, and such a unique take on romantasy that I don't think I've really seen before. At the same time, I do think it lacked some depth. The satire and parody were definitely the strongest parts. It was a good read but I think there could have been more and fell a bit short of what I pictured.
Thank you to NetGalley, Emma MacDonald, and Dell for the eARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I like many others really really wanted to love this book, but it's sadly a slog to get through. I had to force myself through the whole thing, and honestly idc if anyone lives or dies. I would normally dnf such a book, but it was free and I want to give my honest opinion on all of it.
You're not going to get much depth in the romance department, so if that's what you're here for look elsewhere. If you're looking for a funny take on romantasy then you're in the right place. I do like that the fmc was poking fun at romantasy tropes. All the references to other fantasy and romance novels were fun to see as well. It was about the only thing holding me to the book at that point though.
It does have a hea so no worries about that. There wasn't much chemistry to my mind between the fmc and mmc, but ehh it's a romantasy come hell or high water they will end up together.
The book does hit on some heavy topics like parental death, and whether you parent actually loved you. The mmc has to deal with the love part and the fmc is dealing with her parents' deaths.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
You're not going to get much depth in the romance department, so if that's what you're here for look elsewhere. If you're looking for a funny take on romantasy then you're in the right place. I do like that the fmc was poking fun at romantasy tropes. All the references to other fantasy and romance novels were fun to see as well. It was about the only thing holding me to the book at that point though.
It does have a hea so no worries about that. There wasn't much chemistry to my mind between the fmc and mmc, but ehh it's a romantasy come hell or high water they will end up together.
The book does hit on some heavy topics like parental death, and whether you parent actually loved you. The mmc has to deal with the love part and the fmc is dealing with her parents' deaths.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Advanced readers copy courtesy of Netgalley.
Something about this book reminded me of the Princess Bride, perhaps it was the unique self awareness of the main character that led her to label every trope as it came up that reminded me of the grandson’s/grandpa’s interjections in the Princess Bride. Regardless, this book is just a fun time! If you’re looking for an intense fantasy, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for a fun book that will have you giggling and kicking your feet, then boy oh boy is this book for you. Also great for readers who are relentlessly seeking the dopamine hit from their adolescent fanfics or wattpads stories (with solid writing).
Don’t be fooled by the fun vibes, this book does weave a world with intriguing lore and powers that still feeds the fantasy need. Overall a fun read with the same dopamine hit as the elite romcoms of the 90s and early 2000s.
Something about this book reminded me of the Princess Bride, perhaps it was the unique self awareness of the main character that led her to label every trope as it came up that reminded me of the grandson’s/grandpa’s interjections in the Princess Bride. Regardless, this book is just a fun time! If you’re looking for an intense fantasy, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for a fun book that will have you giggling and kicking your feet, then boy oh boy is this book for you. Also great for readers who are relentlessly seeking the dopamine hit from their adolescent fanfics or wattpads stories (with solid writing).
Don’t be fooled by the fun vibes, this book does weave a world with intriguing lore and powers that still feeds the fantasy need. Overall a fun read with the same dopamine hit as the elite romcoms of the 90s and early 2000s.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really wanted to get into this book. I felt like it would be a nice, humorous break from all of the more serious choices on my shelf, however, it just wasn’t for me.
I always read at least 25% before I DNF books that I am reviewing, in hopes that it will pick up or snag my attention. The main reason for my DNF here was the characters. Usually, within the first 5 chapters, I expect to have some sort of attachment to at least one of the characters I am reading about, and unfortunately, none of them grabbed me at all. That being said, I feel like the plot of this book might have been solid; however, I wasn’t invested in anyone's outcome by chapter 18, and that is cause to put it down for me.
I received this ARC from NetGalley; all opinions shared are my own and given freely.
I always read at least 25% before I DNF books that I am reviewing, in hopes that it will pick up or snag my attention. The main reason for my DNF here was the characters. Usually, within the first 5 chapters, I expect to have some sort of attachment to at least one of the characters I am reading about, and unfortunately, none of them grabbed me at all. That being said, I feel like the plot of this book might have been solid; however, I wasn’t invested in anyone's outcome by chapter 18, and that is cause to put it down for me.
I received this ARC from NetGalley; all opinions shared are my own and given freely.
Read
August 10, 2026Eve doesn't have much in her life. A job she doesn't really care about, a grumpy cat and a crush on a coworker who is seeing someone else. So when she's invited to a weekend fantasy retreat, she figures why not step out of her comfort zone. But as she's hiking, she slips through a portal and finds herself in an actual fantasy kingdom. Hot, brooding price to crush on? Check. Being named the chosen one and now everyone expects her to break a curse? Yup. But with no idea how to break a curse she and a select group set out to save the kingdom. But of course nothing is as it seems and romantasy tropes keep popping up left and right.
I received this arc from netgalley in return for an honest review.
I received this arc from netgalley in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Having read a lot of romantasy books, I cannot honestly say I have ever considered falling through a portal to a new dimension and living out these tales. However, I may now be down for this. How cool would that be!? The author does a great job of setting up Eve from the beginning. She is a well-rounded character and had me chuckling from the beginning.
If you look at the fantasy part as its own separate entity, it is not unlike many books out there. However, none that I have read recently have brought together the modern and the fantasy worlds in quite this way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Having read a lot of romantasy books, I cannot honestly say I have ever considered falling through a portal to a new dimension and living out these tales. However, I may now be down for this. How cool would that be!? The author does a great job of setting up Eve from the beginning. She is a well-rounded character and had me chuckling from the beginning.
If you look at the fantasy part as its own separate entity, it is not unlike many books out there. However, none that I have read recently have brought together the modern and the fantasy worlds in quite this way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book
August 11, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for this arc!
This books concept is very cool - a girl goes to a Romantasy weekend and is transported into the fantasy world. That sounds amazing! Where it fell short for me was the love triangle: this is truly just personal preference but that’s not a trope I enjoy.
Another thing - the FMC wasn’t necessarily super enjoyable to me. I appreciate having some relatable traits given to a character, but having so many - LGBTQIA+, ADHD, grief, etc. felt like trying too hard.
Just because this book wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean others won’t find it charming or interesting.
This books concept is very cool - a girl goes to a Romantasy weekend and is transported into the fantasy world. That sounds amazing! Where it fell short for me was the love triangle: this is truly just personal preference but that’s not a trope I enjoy.
Another thing - the FMC wasn’t necessarily super enjoyable to me. I appreciate having some relatable traits given to a character, but having so many - LGBTQIA+, ADHD, grief, etc. felt like trying too hard.
Just because this book wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean others won’t find it charming or interesting.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was fun satire, full of bookish humor. We get all the popular tropes. Honestly, it was just my brand of humor. And it poked fun at all the things I don’t like about romantasy:
“Her general sense of direction was pretty shit, but she’d never accidentally wandered into another fucking world.”
“Also, she really hoped someone had a laundry spell or something for the road, because, if she had to stay in the same clothes the entire quest, she might just die of poor hygiene before anything else could get her.”
Going on the quest…my literal nightmare! lol!
Very enjoyable read.
“Her general sense of direction was pretty shit, but she’d never accidentally wandered into another fucking world.”
“Also, she really hoped someone had a laundry spell or something for the road, because, if she had to stay in the same clothes the entire quest, she might just die of poor hygiene before anything else could get her.”
Going on the quest…my literal nightmare! lol!
Very enjoyable read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5! This was fun! It was a really unique read to see a satirical take on romantasy tropes. I actually laughed out loud a few times because the POV we are in is Eve and she had a very good sense of humor (ex- Australian Steve quip. If you know, you know lol).
That being said, it is a heavy satire and humorous book and therefore you won't get emotional romantic depth so if that's what you're in the mood for, I would hold off until you're looking for a fun parody-esque romantasy read!
That being said, it is a heavy satire and humorous book and therefore you won't get emotional romantic depth so if that's what you're in the mood for, I would hold off until you're looking for a fun parody-esque romantasy read!
August 11, 2026
Trope much? I get this book focused on chaos and tropes but it was talked about every other page. This book wasn’t for me. It was hard to get into the story and connect with the characters. It felt like at times I was lost trying to follow what the FMC was doing and where the story was going.
Thank you Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC!
Thank you Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
~ NETGALLEY ARC REVIEW ~
a more satirical take on romantasy. i really wanted to like this but 5 chapters in and i still wasnt hooked. i finished the book but truthfully i couldn't tell you anything that happened because i just wasn't feeling it unfortunately :(
a more satirical take on romantasy. i really wanted to like this but 5 chapters in and i still wasnt hooked. i finished the book but truthfully i couldn't tell you anything that happened because i just wasn't feeling it unfortunately :(
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC of this book.
I couldn’t get into this book - I finished it but I had a very hard time following along and finding the hook to pull me in. Just wasn’t my speed. Different type of story which did draw me in.
I couldn’t get into this book - I finished it but I had a very hard time following along and finding the hook to pull me in. Just wasn’t my speed. Different type of story which did draw me in.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
RTC closer to publication.
Currently Reading
August 11, 2026Thank you, Random Housing Publishing Group and NetGally for this advance read!
Pre-Read: I need this book to be good SO BAD!
Pre-Read: I need this book to be good SO BAD!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Couldn't get hooked to save my life. Made me want to watch Schmigadoon though 🤣 I made it to about 50 percent before I started skim reading (which I never do)
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