The Lady's Champion

Hearts of Blackmere #1

by Marie Lipscomb

"I'm not gentle with you because I doubt your strength, my lady, but because I know the full extent of mine."

Lady Natalie Blackmere has always dreamed of meeting the renowned champions of Aldland, especially the legendary Brandon the Bear. When at last the Grand Tourney comes to Blackmere, Natalie swaps places with a barmaid and sneaks out to follow her dreams. But when bandits besiege her town, Natalie barely escapes with the surviving champions. Alone in the woods with the man she has always admired, Natalie must keep her identity a secret and step up to become the leader she was born to be, if she is to save her people.

Brandon the Bear is a champion that ballads are sung about. Or, he was. Past his prime and struggling with each new tourney, Brandon fears his time as a champion has come to an end. When the fight becomes real, he is determined to save the townspeople of Blackmere and rescue the lady who ruled over it. Though there is no love lost for Lady Blackmere, the noblewoman who allowed her town to be vulnerable to attack, and his fellow champions slain, Brandon is resolved to do the right thing. And when a beautiful barmaid looks at him with stars in her eyes, he feels like maybe he can be the hero she thinks he is.



Note from the author: Content warning: This story is about two people falling in love and neither of them are skinny. On a couple of occasions, a big jerk picks on the hero for his weight. He is a jerk, and no one likes him. He'll get what's coming to him in future books. We love the hero and his magnificent bod. Also a few people get murdered. Enjoy!

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Fantasy, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fantasy Romance, Forced Proximity

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 18, 2020

About the author

Marie is a romance and fantasy author with a penchant for unlikely heroes, fantastical creatures, and finding romance in the midst of chaos. She has a particular fondness for big, squishy, cinnamon-roll heroes, especially if they're beardy.

She was born in Bolton, in the North West of England. After getting a bit taller, she attended The University of Cumbria, confusingly located in Lancaster, UK.

She studied Drama as her major, but needed to take a minor. In a spectacularly on-brand move, she left it to the last minute to look into things, and creative writing seemed the easiest choice (hahaha!)

Eventually, she realized drama was not for her, but loved creative writing. She went on to study creative writing at a postgraduate level and just never stopped setting herself homework.

Marie now lives in Virginia, USA, with her husband, Jacob, her dog, Alfie, Jacob's dog, Belle, and Merlin the bearded dragon. When she's not writing, she can usually be found playing the same three video games on a loop (*cough* Dragon Age)

Reviews

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is proof that good writing overcomes your usual dislikes. I usually dislike historical/medieval romance. I usually dislike a slow burn.

And then all of a sudden this book comes out swinging with:
-medieval lesbians
-no medieval misogyny
-only one medieval bed
-medieval consent
-medieval body confidence
-medieval cinnamon roll Brandon
-medieval trying her best just lay off her she has a lot of responsibilities Natalie

GIVE ME BOOK 2!

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE a good slow burn - throw in some medieval romance and body positivity and I am even more invested. I flew through this book in less than one day and I can't wait to get my hands on the second installment. Lady Blackmere has wished for years that the Champions of Aldland would perform their yearly tournament at her castle - years of letter writing and praying have finally brought the renowned champions to her doorstep. She is determined to meet the men and women fighters not as a noble, but as a commoner. She wants to experience them being real and not sucking up to her as a noble because of propriety. She swaps places with her friend, a local barmaid, and goes out to meet them at the local tavern. When bandits swarm the town and the castle, Lady Blackmere barely escapes with her life and finds herself with three of the Champions, including Brandon the Bear, the most famous of them all. She must conceal her identity because she doesn't want to incur their wrath as the "idiot who had no guards defending the town or castle." She doesn't expect the hero of her dreams to bat an eyelash at the tagalong "barmaid" but soon they are depending on each other and confiding in each other as if they've known each other for years rather than days. A super satisfying slow burn.

[sil ♡ the book voyagers · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 really!

The Lady's Champion was a very great read. It took me a while to read it, I think mainly because it's very slow burn and I expected more action. But it was okay, I think it made sense to have it this way and I enjoyed reading this book and these characters!

I also kinda thought it was going to be a dual POV? The blurb kinda made me think so, but nope, you only get Nat's POV so that makes you not know Brandon completely obviously. So I needed a bit of more Brandon and closeness to his characters, but that doesn't mean I do NOT LOVE HIM BECAUSE I DO. He's the cutest cinnamon roll who also knows how to fight and doesn't like killing but if he needs to to protect the people he loves, he would do anything.

I love the sweet tension between Brandon and Nat. Since the very beginning you can see how much they want to see what's going on. They take their sweet little time but that much pining made me swoon so hard. I was yelling KISS ALREADY YOU CUTIES every single moment they got close and personal but didn't do anything. *chef kiss*

I'm excited to read more from this world and story. Especially if we get a Viv/Jenny novel? Damn yes. Viv is soooo interesting and I think we will get the icy/sunshine trope if there is a novel about them.

If you want blood, fights, deaths but also romantic scenes, this book is for you.

[nick (the infinite limits of love)]

Read this book for the big teddy-bear hero and he was actually the sweetest. I did want a bit more chemistry from the romance, but the book was was overall quite enjoyable as both protagonists are endearing.

RTC

[Alvina · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

No, Not today. She’s dumber than the worst shoujo manga heroines.

[Joharis]

YouTube Instagram Twitter

DNF @54%
A romantic fantasy with a fat man as the love interest?! YES PLEASE! Sadly, it didn't deliver.

The book follows a lady that wishes to meet the group of so called Champions, warriors who fight for the people's entertainment, and when they finally come to her town it just so happens that bandits attack and now she's on the run with Brandon the Bear. *cue romance*

I'm always on the lookout for romances with fat men so I was really excited. Sadly, I didn't feel the chemistry between Brandon and Natalie. They spent their time on a cottage, sleeping in only 1 bed, and just adoring each other and wondering if they could jump the other one. I feel like there's a lot of telling and not showing that makes their interactions really repetitive and dull. I loved how Brandon and his belly were described but everything that Natalie said she felt for him just read very empty.

Natalie is... Not the brightest, she does make quite a few ridiculous mistakes and then cries afterwards (no shame in that) and then started being horny for Brandon. Not the most appealing character to read from.

Ultimately, the book wasn't for me. No romantic chemistry, no depth to the characters.

[mara0b · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am late, I know, I know!!!

This cover y'all!!! And the tag-line for this book!!!

Overall, I thought the story was nice and the characters very endearing. I am always a sucker for a cinnamon roll-y hero and Brandon really was that. Ready to serve his lady and ultimately prove that he's worthy of her!
And the lesbian side plot had me LIVING!!!

What was lacking, in my opinion, was Natalie's character and her overall storyline. I just found her to be a bit too "naive" and unsuitable to be a ruler, she really didn't know what she was doing and it kind of made me angry at her because!!! I wanted her to be this strong ruler, that knew what she was doing but she was pretty clueless and so were we. Had there been just a tad bit more world building and had Natalie been a bit more involved in her Kingdom's politics, I'd have like her 10 times better!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed reading this book! It was interesting to read a book that was based on medieval-fantasy with modern speech and you felt you got character development as you journeyed through the story. Natalie, the female main character initially started off naive and a bit weak but grew in her own strength and knowing her own needs as the story developed. I felt I could relate to her insecurities and her need for “more” in her life. The setting descriptions were excellent throughout; it was highly descriptive and even poetic at times. I could really “see” the setting as it was so well described.
The absolute best part of the whole book was the main male character - BRANDON THE BEAR!! The man is a treasure and we need more male characters like him! He is literally one of the best male protagonists I have read in a romance novel in a long time. I love that he is so big and muscular but has a soft rounded belly and has insecurities but has such a massive heart. I just wanted to eat him up. It was great how protective and loving he was of Natalie.
This book used one of my all time favourite tropes - only one bed! I prefer a bit more sex in the books that I read but this is just my personal preference and doesn’t mean it has to have it in this book necessarily as it was still lovely to read.
Overall, this was a joy to read and I highly recommend you read it, if only for the deliciousness that is Brandon. Please do give this book a go!

I received an advanced readers copy and the opinions given are my own.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all I was SO excited to see a body type other than a super, ab-licioius dude on the cover! This was such a great Saturday afternoon read :) I appreciated the diversity in the characters, the fact that the female characters are written with such diversity. Also, NO female character is told she can't do something because she is a woman! I loved the world that Marie created here, with the Goddess worshipping, female badasses, queerness and where strength of spirit is just as important as muscle! I also just loved how soft Brandon was. He is clearly a character who has MADE MISTAKES and learned from them. It's so refreshing for a male lead! I'm looking forward to continuing the adventures with Brandon and Natalie and the rest of the champions through the next books!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second chance read for me

3.5 stars. I’m on a kick of giving books I’ve DNFed before and giving them a second chance. I gave up on this one before because a secret is a major plot point and that’s not my favorite to read. I really liked the author’s contribution to the Enemies to Lovers anthology so I wanted to give it another chance.

And The Lady’s Champion is just delightful. In the end I didn’t mind the secret quite so much because the story takes place over a matter of days and I appreciated how the reveal happened.

[Paige]

DNF at 54%

Maybe it would help if we got some of the hero’s perspective too? He’s the more interesting of the two to me, and is largely a mystery. Not buying the chemistry, don’t love Big Secret plots, and the heroine’s backstory is a fuzzy convoluted mess.

I certainly didn’t hate this, and might pick it back up eventually, but I have plenty of other things I’d rather read right now.

[Melisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cinnamon roll and plus-size hero!?! I immediately requested a copy of The Lady’s Champion once I heard that! My two favorite things in a romance novel hero. This story is part fantasy, part historical romance. Natalie is the lady of Blackmere and when the champions arrive for a tournament, she switches places with the town’s barmaid for a chance to meet them. However, while in disguise, her town is attacked and she is forced to flee with Brandon the Bear. I’m not the biggest fan of false identity stories but Natalie’s choice was understandable and once she was in the role as barmaid and events occurred, it was hard for her to reveal her truth. As she and Brandon grow close together, her secret puts a damper on their relationship. This story had things I absolutely love, like “there’s only one bed and we must share for body heat”, plump hero and heroine, burning chemistry between Brandon and Natalie. However, the world building was slow at times, in part with the first book in a new series. Also, the description of the second book was released recently and it will follow Brandon and Natalie too. I’m excited for the second book and to revisit Brandon and Natalie in their adventures!

*Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the author's debut novel, and I thought it was great! But, I had no idea that the main couple's story would continue in book 2! I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger at all, but there is obviously more to come...

Lady Natalie Blackmere has swapped clothes with her best friend, Jenny, the tavern barmaid, in order to meet the revered Grand Tourney champions as a commoner. She doesn't want them giving her the noblewoman treatment. She wants to really get to know them. When a group of terrible bandits overtakes the town, she has to go on the run with her favorite champion, Brandon the Bear, and a couple other survivors. But, she has to keep her true identity a secret, in order to obtain the champions help in rescuing her people.

Brandon the Bear has been a Guild champion most of his life. Many ballads have been sung about him, but he's now past his prime. Now he must fight for his life, and the lives of Blackmere's people against a group of terrible marauders. Meanwhile, he's breaking all the Guild's rules and falling for the lovely barmaid hiding out with him. He's not sure he's up to the challenge of this battle, but his honor demands he give it his all.

Brandon and Natalie were both a bit shy, but they had chemistry for days. I loved watching them dance around each other and figure out their way together. I am always hesitant when one of the main characters is lying to the other one, but here the reasons were valid and believable. Also, I appreciated how the truth came out and why. They really cared for each other so much, and I adored their connection, which was magical. While I wouldn't call the bedroom scenes plentiful, the ones that were included were plenty hot!

The side characters here were fascinating. Jenny was such a great friend to Natalie. Viv was amazing too, and I hope we'll see more of her in future books! Henry was a total nightmare and I hated his guts! But, he was a great foil to Brandon's sweet cinnamon roll demeanor, and I enjoyed how Brandon always dealt with him.

I really loved this story, but I didn't know that it would be an ongoing saga featuring the same couple. That's not usually my jam, but I'm fully invested in these characters now, and I want to see where the story goes. There is definitely a HFN ending between the couple, with strong leanings toward a HEA in the future. All that's really left "open" is the plot of tracking down the person responsible for the attack on her town. That journey will continue in book 2, which I'm very much looking forward to!

ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Megan from Alpha Book Club

[☾⋆⁺ Nurse After Dark · Rating 4 out of 5]

"His best days are behind him. People have taken to calling him Brandon the Boar."
"People can be cruel." Natalie grimaced and looked out the window, at the dwindling sunlight. "Besides, my interest in meeting him is purely out of respect for his prowress in the Tourney."
"Aye, and I'm sure it has nothing to do with the songs they sing about the size of his weapon."

I was instantly lured into this book by the cover and synopsis, and was pleasantly surprised with the adventure it took me on. I liked the idea of the champions - especially who the ultimate villain ended up being!

Brandon took a deep breath and straightened his back. "Nat, getting pulled into this mess with you is the best thing that's happened to me in a long time."
"Oh," she gave a breathless chuckle against his shoulder. "That's actually tragic."

Brandon was great - other than a few too-soft moments (getting teary over the death caused by the bandits) he was an A+ character for me. A little older, a little rounder than he used to be. But still strong as an ox and capable. I liked the occasional glimpse of the confident warrior he used to be - it gave him an edge that I think he needed to stay an attractive character.

"Do you think you're strong enough?"
"I know I am." She bit her lip at the dark sound of his voice; just a hint of that legendary cockiness.

Nat was a strong character too - a little out of her depths and naïve, but willing to own up to her mistakes. It did annoy me that it took her so long to "come clean" about her identity, and the way the champions reacted at first was OTT. But things came together in the end. I particularly liked her badass mother swooping in to save the -already saved- day!

To be honest - I don't think I'll continue with this series anytime soon. It felt like a good HEA ending, and two more books about the same characters? I worry they wouldn't hold the same type of interest. I did notice that book 4 - The Harpy and the Dragon, was Henry's book, and I am curious about that one! According to it's synopsis, it can be read as a standalone. I see myself reading that sooner than later!

[Ashley (Red-Haired Ash Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Series: Hearts of Blackmere #1
Rating: 3 stars - I liked it

Lady Natalie Blackmere has dreamed of meeting the renowned champions of Aldland. What she doesn’t expect is to find herself fleeing from bandits with the legendary Brandon the Bear.

Well this was cute. Brandon the Bear was a giant teddy bear who is struggling with the fact that he isn’t a champion anymore. Brandon was a kind, protective man who is determined to do the right thing. I liked him from the very beginning and loved how sweet he was with Natalie. His struggle with body positivity was very emotional and just made me love him more.

Natalie was sweet and kind, but she was also naïve. I liked her well enough but found her character a bit flat compared to Brandon. We barely get any details out of her and the focus is definitely more on Brandon. Hopefully, in the second book we see more development of her character and personality come through. I did really enjoy her determination to show Brandon that he could still be loved and appreciated with his current body.

I enjoyed the overall story plot, even if it wasn’t very original. But this was still a really enjoyable historical romance with a hero who was just adorable. Also this is a book had a very interesting lesbian side-couple that I really want to know more about.

You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

⚔️⚔️ONE INTOXICATING TREAT⚔️⚔️
Flaming fledglings! Marie delivers with this incredibly tantalizing debacle, weaving a cocoon so intricately and precise, luring you deeper into this tangled web, keeping you riveted on a razors edge, launching this jewel to a whole new level. Exhibiting the tormenting trials and intimidating triumphs, secrets confessed, revelations unmasked and promises made, putting our characters through their paces, fusing this gem together seamlessly. Anarchy and mayhem descend in a tempest of canny stratagem and brutal tactics, exploring blurred lines and broken perimeters, restrictions are amplified and exploited, reaching deep for every ounce of strength in a fierce surge of preservation and determination, blasting this hot little number to life brilliantly. The attraction and chemistry builds as each layer is peeled back, baring incredibly deep emotions and an undeniable connection, binding them to one another beautifully. The characters, interactions and charged atmosphere along with relatable qualities and individual traits add depth and diversity, transforming into amazing personalities. The scenes are abundantly descriptive with colorful details that blend and flow, creating a majestic backdrop that's so rich and lively it feels as though you can just reach out and touch it. Fantastic job Marie, thanks for sharing the little gem with us.

[Kelli Glazebrook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more than I did, because damn TWO plus size MCs? Yes please. I just don't like Nat very much, so don't kill me. I was rather disappointed in her whole deal, she doesn't seem like a great ruler at all and instead of taking care of her people she is more interested in swooning after tourney champions. I mean, I like to drool over my crushes as well, but I like to think that I also handle my business. Especially when others are depending on me. She doesn't seem that bright? Like I wasn't getting the feeling she was super young, yet she seemed wholly dependent on everyone else around her to prop up her entire government. It was strange.

I also don't like Big Secret tropes very much, this one was better than some but still seemed to drag on a bit longer than necessary. It also makes the relationship between the MCs always a bit more shaky I think unless the author finds a way to prop them up somehow. I know that personally I would find it hard to trust someone if they kept something like that from me while we were intimate.

Brandon was more enigmatic since we aren't in his POV so we only get what he wants to disclose to us. He felt relatable and I loved the descriptions of his body and belly, we need more of this! But I felt like I didn't know him as much as I would like. I wanted more!

Overall, a cute story that was slightly 'off.' I would have liked more fleshing out of characters, an MC who really cared about her people and was a bit smarter about things, and more insight into Brandon. I will check out Viv and Jenny's story most likely because I am a sucker for medieval lesbians. :)

[Asha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this a 3.5 if goodreads would just LET ME!

This was a very sweet and soft romance between Lady Natalie and Brandon. There was also some action/violence at the beginning and towards the end that kept me engaged. For the majority of the story where its mainly just Natalie and Brandon its them being like ooh I like you but I won't say it out loud, I'll just keep giving you heart eyes until you get it. So this was a slow burn romance which I didn't mind. When things did get steamy I was like OOP OKAY THEN 😳.

Overall I would've liked to see more chemistry built up between the two of them but I feel like since there's going to be more to their story in the next book that it'll continue to grow from here. Also I feel like the way the ending was set up could make for a very engaging and romantically action packed next book.

[Trip]

DNF @ pg44, 19%

I was uncertain on this one, but was hoping the FMC may be more then she seems yet it's giving damsel in distress vibes. She has apparently been the lady of Blackmore for over a decade and yet she seems to never leave the castle, rather naive to what's going on.

The concept was interesting in regards to the champions, but she basically led to the death of most of her people by the looks of it. Along with the champions, my heartbreaks for Brandon.

Anyways I'm just not interested in their potential relationship after this set up, a case of not for me. Honestly I've DNF so much lately... The writing was good, just not for me.


Widow
Murder
Deception

[Carrow Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this heart-warming story. The author painted a wonderful world and very engaging character from the woman that gains her confidence to the warrior with the biggest heart in the book. Highly recommend this book for anyone that is looking for a romance to curl up with this winter.

[Robin L · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just didn’t like this. The writing was not bad at all, but I just didn’t like the characters. I found myself constantly comparing it to Jessa Kane’s King Sized, which I loved, and there was just no comparison.

[Elizabeth]

I don’t remember when I tried this but I did and don’t feel like reading again.

[Willow Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want something beautifully sweet and cosy, then look no further. This has great writing, a tight little plot, two wonderful people who feel very relatable yet admirable, and a great, ambiguously medieval setting. It was just wholesome and pleasant and lovely. Lovely, lovely.

I really also like the seriousness it placed on killing someone - even in self-defence. It was done really well. You don't see that very often tbh. It's taken for granted that slaying someone to save another is an easy thing to do in this kind of genre.

[Kate Welsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fantasy romance isn't something I usually pick up, but maybe I should, because I really enjoyed this one! The medieval-ish world but without gender roles or homophobia was very relaxing.

[Emily Immer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first novel of an ongoing medieval romance series following Lady Natalie and Brandon the Bear. The book ends with a Happy For Now with the promise of the continuing adventures in other books. It’s a satisfying HFN as the first blush of love is acknowledged after two very nice, plus size body positive love scenes. However, I don’t feel driven to continue the series to see the further adventures of Lady Natalie and Brandon the Bear because the story lacked a bit of sizzle and tension.

This series promises a body positivity romance in a medieval inspired, featuring a cinnamon roll hero and it delivers on these points. I think the tension of the story really suffers from withholding Brandon’s point of view. The story is told exclusively from Lady Natalie’s perspective and while her journey from frazzled Lady to taking steps towards finding her inner warrior deserves attention, Brandon was such a draw that it feels like we’re missing something by not having his point of view.
Brandon is absolutely a cinnamon roll hero. He’s thoughtful, kind, considerate, and focused on consent. He’s also a warrior just past his prime struggling with body image issues and self-confidence. Natalie fusses and comforts and he mopes a bit too much for me.

I was hoping to see more inner strength from Brandon – a bit more of a warrior fire or drive. His physical description highlights the soft and the strong, and I think by neglecting his point of view the reader doesn’t get to see some of that inner strength and it prevented me from attaching to Brandon.

Much of the action of the story relies on external events happening to the characters. There’s an obviously bad baddie because he’s classist and rude about the main characters’ physical appearance. Besides Natalie holding a secret about her identity through half the book there isn’t much internal character conflict to add sizzle to this romance. The hero and heroine are attracted to each other from go, friendly, and respectful of each other through the entire novel. So, it’s not so much as a “will they won’t they” but “when will they be able to do so without an arbitrary interruption.”

The author’s celebration of these plus size characters really is the charm that holds the book together. I earnestly look forward to more books sharing this level of body positivity and appreciation for plus sized bodies.

Personally, I like my romances to have a bit more tension, sizzle, angst, and risk so I don’t think I need to continue Natalie and Brandon’s story. But for readers who enjoy soft, positive, and gentle romance I think this will be a fun and refreshing read.

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me, but maybe it's for you.

I guess you'd call this one a light-hearted romance.

Natalie is the lady of Blackmere, and she is doing rather a poor job of it. Her husband is long dead, her castle is in shambles and the other nobles don't like her because she's a nerdy hermit obsessed with "the Champions".

In the fantasy country of Aldland, the Champions are basically the WWE of medieval jousting. They go across the country to entertain people and host tourneys that have pre-determined fight results.

It took Natalie over 10 years to convince the Guild to send the Champions her way, and when they did, her castle and keep was ransacked by bandits the very day of the tourney, while Natalie is playing barmaid in the local tavern, to get a very close look at the hot guys (and the hot lady Champion).

So of course, Nat ends up in the care of Brandon the Bear, a washed Champion whose self-confidence has seen better days.

The one thing that was pleasantly surprising about this book was the Lady Champion Genevieve, who is a strong, happy lesbian (it is implied that she might be getting her girl in future installments). Other than that, the plot and romance were dull and tedious.

Brandon was insecure for 90% of the book, and much of his dialogues revolved around his many insecurities. Nat, on the other hand, was shy and reticent and feeling guilty over her barmaid deception, so she wasn't very interesting to read about either.

I will not be continuing this series (too bad for Genevieve's HEA, I'd have liked to see it), because it was too tepid and boring for me. The story and characters just didn't excite me.

[Bitsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the fact that there is actually quite a bit of violence and bloodshed in the story, the romance between Nat and Brandon still managed to be really soft and sweet. Probably because Brandon is an absolute cinnamon roll of a hero.

It was also really interesting to encounter a hero with body issues. I really felt for Brandon as he struggled with his confidence and self worth, and I loved how Nat never wavered in her desire for him or admiration of him (and vice versa).

The world-building was simple but it worked for the story. It’s a medieval fantasy setting that’s light on the fantasy, but the concept of the champions guild is fun, and with a sequel coming, I imagine the world will get a little more fleshed out as the story continues.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 1 out of 5]

One Decision Changes Everything

I’ll admit that I sometimes grab a book at one of my favorite book review sites just by the cover alone. This one looked to me to be a medieval romance. However, the book is fantasy. That's okay, as I do enjoy a good fantasy book now and then. I was intrigued by the beginning because the heroine is a young noblewoman who decides that she is going to swap places with a tavern owner so she can be amongst the beloved champions of the land (who were in town for a tournament) in a way that she is not allowed to be by those who protect her. Before she left, she was told of some bandits on the road and sent off all the guard to keep them from getting to the town. Soon, everything is in an uproar because the bandits did make it to town, started killing champions, and took the castle where her friend is acting as her. The heroine came across as too naïve and innocent… and actually a bit stupid at various points. I don't feel like the author made it clear enough about why she was at this castle so far from her parents, why she was such a recluse, etc.; I didn't understand her backstory. I actually gave up on the book about halfway through when she just did one stupid thing too many and had me shaking my head. I definitely prefer a strong heroine in just about any type of book, but this one didn't come across as remotely strong at all.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, but rounded up to 4 because this was such a sweet pairing. Brandon made for a refreshing medieval hero, someone who didn’t necessarily have a warrior muscle bod but was still full of strength and compassion. He’s definitely a cinnamon roll for sure. I would’ve liked to get his POV in the book (having it only be Natalie’s perspective was a choice that I’m still weighing over my feelings on), but only because I liked his character so much that I wanted to be inside his thoughts more. A few modern anachronisms that kind of took me out of the prose a little, but that’s a minor quibble I have with these types of histroms. It was really refreshing to have a medieval with female champions and warriors in it, too! Overall, it was delightful and I’m crossing my fingers we get a Viv/Jenny book next because there aren’t enough F/F medieval romances out there.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content notes: minor grief, alcohol consumption, violence, death, fire, sexual content, injury, blood, minor fatmisia from side char, minor vomiting, amputation (finger, off page)

Ahh I loved this book! I loved the descriptions of Brandon’s body and how attractive Natalie finds him. Gimme all the fat men being loved!! I love the romance and the fantasy adventure aspect. And just all around this book brought me joy~