I'm torn between a 2.5 and 3 star for this. It was quite a basic plot and slightly predictable but I enjoyed the characters and the relationship was ok, though I found that they fell in love quite quickly and got really sappy really quickly. Derek was a character who was very easy to connect with, he's loyal and feels a sense to duty to his people and family. I've always had a soft spot for a character who has been underestimated all their lives and finally get to show what they're capable of. Callan was the usual gruff love interest who is really a big softy but I didn't actually connect with him like I did Derek. Their relationship was interesting in the beginning but once they fell in love they got a bit sickly sweet for me, I think I would have enjoyed it more and wouldn't have minded the sweetness if it had been a slower burn in the beginning.

The basic premise: one of our protagonists has to get married to the other as part of a peace treaty between their nations. They initially don't understand or appreciate each other, with one of them having the requisite painful previous relationship experience (in this case, dead but perfect wife) until hijinks ensue and they come to Know One Another Better.

To be honest, this was just okay - a bit formulaic in parts but not the worst thing I've ever read. Unfortunately, I spent a good chunk of the later part of the book watching the page count rise and waiting for a plot twist to kick in (as well as thinking how I would have made it more exciting by doing so) and when it came I was disappointed.

My alterna-plot involved the dead wife, who wasn't really dead (the moment a body turns up too mangled to identify, that sets my suspicious nature going!) and who was kidnapped by someone who wanted her husband to suffer. She'd then turn up partway through this book, but after her husband has fallen for the new guy, cue lots of angst and guilt which is resolved by them eventually entering into a poly relationship and living happily ever after.

I should probably mention that now, thanks mostly to The Good Place, I am incapable of taking the name 'Derek' seriously. My brain kept going 'maximum Derek' at inopportune moments! This seemed a really weird choice for a second world fantasy character.

I liked the beginning and setup of the story; I think it helped that the world was kept small, fiefdoms instead of kingdoms make for a more intimate setting with smaller stakes.
While the writing was fine, the story is very rushed. Only about a month passes in between those 300 pages.
Derek can immediately tell that Callan has a cold exterior but a heart of gold who simply need love to be happy again. Callan can immediately recognize that there is a steel personality beneath his nice gestures. It's too obvious to both of them that they will be lovers. Derek is also too trustworthy, it would have been so interesting to see him struggle morewhether or not Callan killed his wife or not.
And everything is very conveniently or obviously laid out for the reader. The raiding, the possible magic, the suspected murder(s), I mean Logitt explains the twist of the novel! It was frustrating because the setting was very well developed and could have helped to develop the characters.
There was no actual development beyond the characters and it was unbelievable that they were in love after two weeks.

This book was in every way a Twinkie: light, fluffy, overly sweet, unfulfilling, and very artificial. None of the characters or world building was developed, the leads were overidealized and emasculated, the romance was an over dominant insta-luv cliche, and nothing interesting happened. The writing itself was bland to the point of being particular insubstantial and there were far too many overused phrases (e.g., 'wreak havoc').

Story: In a generic fantasy kingdom, sons of two Dukes are reeling from a recent war between their fathers that neither feel should have happened. To cement an alliance and end the war, Derek is wed to Callan. Unfortunately for both, Callan's dukedom is being threatened by islander pirates. The two must learn to work together to face this new threat. But Callan has a secret that could destroy their burgeoning relationship.

So...the usual tropes are here:

- Insta luv within a few pages. Our two leads go from indifference and antagonism to full on "I can't live without you." Completely underdeveloped
- A character will discover he/she has a magical ability that is forbidden - and so inexplicably no one knows how to use it and he has to figure it out on his own. And as is usually the case, it becomes a deus ex machina to 'save the world'.
- The leads are HIGHLY overidealized. Too good to be true and soppy in love, they have no other redeeming characteristic other than their shining goodness.
- An overweening white knight syndrome plot that dwarfs every other aspect of the book. Cue kidnapping so one has to save the other. Cue endless sacrifices to save the other. Endless.
- Previous love interest causing drama for the relationship. Can we PLEASE stop with this overused trope?

The writing itself is so banal as to be almost a fan fiction of generic fantasy romances. Each of the men felt more like women and there is a lot of tell rather than show to demonstrate these are two masculine men hard trained for war. Most of the time they are exploring their feelings or wondering about the other guy. Honestly, I thought this was written about two women since their actions and reactions were bog standard for bodice rippers and hackney romances.

Obviously, I did not enjoy this book and was disappointed. There needs to be so much more, including an original voice and nuanced characters and world building. Even as a romance, it failed in that there was no chemistry or organic development to make the attraction believable. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Whenever I see a new book by Isabelle Adler, I snap it up quickly. One of the things I enjoy the most is the way her characters get right into my heart. They are wonderfully developed, flawed, and very human.

The Wolf and the Sparrow is a great story... never underestimate how important that is! There are a lot of stories in the world, but not all of them are great! Derek has just lost his father in battle and discovers that he's to be married to the victor's son. It's a completely political marriage... it's unnecessary, but Derek would do anything for his family.

I loved the way that same-sex unions were just part of life. Books like this make me feel really seen and I love it! That's exactly the kind of world that I want to live in. So Derek heads off to meet his new husband really not knowing what's going to happen.

Interestingly, the two men connect more than they expected to. And it's a plot to kidnap Derek than results in them being imprisoned together. This is the time they begin to learn more about each other... the danger they are in brings them together and brings out their more hidden qualities.

I would have liked to have known more about the world that Adler has created. Callan of Mulberny has some magic in him and it doesn't really get explained a lot in the novel. I don't know if this world is being set up for a sequel...but that would definitely work for me. The magic skill that people possess seems to vary...but it's not explored a great deal. I was left with the impression that Callan was far more powerful than he knew.

Overall, this was a great story and I will continue to read anything that Adler writes!

I was intrigued by the premise of this one and whilst I did find it a quick, easy read it didn’t really live up to my expectations. I liked some of the characters but the relationships felt a bit rushed and the plot was a little all over the place for me.

**Thank you to Nine Star Press, Netgalley, and Isabelle Adler for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review**

Derek barely has time to get accustomed to taking over his father's title of Count before he is basically ordered to marry a Duke's son. The Duke had just won a battle with the old count, and is sending a message by giving Derek no choice but to marry Callan. Callan is less than pleased with this, as his first wife is freshly dead from an accident. Chaos ensues when Derek and Callan are captured by the dead girl's father and they must get out of the situation alive by trusting each other.

I think this book had a lot of potential, but fell flat in some areas. I loved the male/male relationship and how there wasn't even a question in regards to sexuality and why a marriage is being arranged between two males. It's not often you see a m/m relationship without more attention being brought to "coming out" or the inherit sexuality of it. It seemed like the culture in this world is such that gender isn't so much important in relationships. However, the romance was very stilted and happened far more quickly than made sense. Like, they hated each other once day and in love the next - it didn't work for me.

I also was not a fan of the magic system. It was not well explained and ended up being a pretty integral part of the ending - but I still don't feel like I understand how the magic works. I think this part could have been done a lot better but it seemed like it was thrown in as an afterthought and was used more as a tool to increase sexual tension (weirdly enough).

The LGBTQIA aspect was my favorite part, along with the main conflict that brought Derek and Callan together. I think pieces of this book were very well done, but I wish some aspects were done differently, or explained better. Would recommend for those who enjoy LGBTQIA where the queerness of the characters isn't a plot device.

3.5 Stars

An enjoyable, but flawed read. I became quite smitten with Callan and Derek despite, what I feel was, a rushed relationship. They had me *squeeing* several times throughout the story.

Derek wanted nothing more than to kiss him again. “You’re staring,” Callan said. He didn’t turn to him, but the corners of his mouth tugged into a smile. “You can’t fault me for admiring the most beautiful thing on this blasted island.”

“You have the worst taste.” “This coming from you,” Derek said derisively. Callan stopped and faced him, cupped the side of Derek’s face, and tilted it upward, so he could meet his eyes. The look he wore was serious, almost grave, but the traces of the earlier smile still lingered on his lips. “I’ll have you know I have impeccable taste,” he said and kissed him.

I mean, cmon!? Adorable!

The plot itself was where my real niggles came into play. Basically, it just wasn’t long enough to world build properly, establish their fledgling connection, and make believable all the perilous situations they find themselves in. Even just a little more fleshing out and this could’ve been a 4 or more star read for me; in saying that I definitely don’t regret reading it and think a lot of people will probably enjoy it.

(Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review -- thank you!)

3.5 rounded up

I did enjoy this book quite a bit! It was very fun, since I'm a huge fan of fantasy worlds and dysfunctional arranged marriages (in fiction!) where the couple starts out cold towards each other at first, but by the end of the book is in love.
The world that's described in the novel is fascinating, but I really wish it'd been a bit more detailed. I suppose that's a compliment to the book haha.

The love between Callan and Derek sort of developed a bit abruptly -- the weeks in which it was supposed to happen were glossed over, tbh, and the drama near the end was very dramatic lol but I'm... fine with it, really. The quality of the prose more than made up for it.

I'm happy with this book.

This book was an entertaining read. I really liked this world's norm of M/M heirs being arranged in marriage, just the same as M/F.

I felt that the enemies to lovers relationship of the 2 main characters took up the bulk of the story, and it was sweet, albeit a little too fast, going from mutual disdain to heart-wrenching love in a couple of weeks.

In fact, the whole story felt kind of rushed, and the characters were just moving on from one death-defying situation to another; I felt a little tired on their behalf. This kept the action coming, but it also unfortunately meant that the world (more magic, please!), and the characters lacked the opportunity to build any real depth.

Overall, this is the perfect book for a nice, quick read with a bit of adventure and a sweet love story; nothing too deep. 3.5 stars.

The Wolf and the Sparrow was an enjoyable read. I liked the premise and the characters. (Though I confess it took me a while to take Derek seriously. Just something about that name in a fantasy setting, I guess.) The story moved along at a decent pace that kept me turning the pages, and the enemies-to-lovers theme worked well on the whole. The main niggle I had was the world building, as I would have liked to have gotten to know more about the kingdoms and the background to the world and the magic elements than I did. So, at the end of the day, this was a pleasing, light read that I enjoyed, but it didn't completely blow me away. I'd give it 3.5 stars.

It was a light and entertaining read. Even if I liked the style of writing some editing would have help to make the plot a bit more solid and the characters a bit more fleshed out.
All in all it was a good read and I recommend it you want a light read.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Highly recommend this book to everyone. Can't wait to read more from this author.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5 stars

I went into this book with few expectations and found that I pleasantly enjoyed myself. I finished this book relatively quickly and found it to be an easy read. However, there were critical flaws in this book that are making me rate it lower than I may have otherwise done so.

So what is this book about?

The fiefdoms of Camira and Mulberny have just waged a vicious war against one another, and a truce between the two is tentative. Derek is already grieving the loss of his father in battle and dealing with the new title of Count when the offer comes: marry the Duke of Mulberny's son in order to solidify the peace treaty. With no other way to ensure peace and protect his family, Derek is off to Mulberny to meet his betrothed, Callan. Callan isn't thrilled about this offer, either. Still mourning the tragic death of his wife, both he and Derek take their vows begrudgingly and leave it at that. Yet a new threat has arisen in Mulberny in the form of pirate raiders from the Outer Isles. In an effort to stop another war from breaking out, newlyweds Callan and Derek rush off to meet the threat on a journey that will have many surprises along the way... the biggest surprise of them all may be the realization that Derek and Callan have more in common than they thought.

Adler proposed a unique idea in this story, and that is the world she attempted to build and its relationship with gender & sexuality. While it is clear that this is a M/M romance, the society in which we find our characters is not one in which their marriage or love is balked at, but rather the opposite. Gender non-conforming characters are featured as a normal and accepted part of society while M/M and F/F relationships are just another type of marriage. This is revealed right away, as the two men are betrothed in order to solidify a peace treaty. Who would've thought! I found Adler's nonchalant and open writing with regards to this topic refreshing and eye-opening, giving a glimpse at the lives the LGBTQIA+ community could live if our society were to be more accepting -- and that life is a normal one with zero prejudices.

Another aspect I enjoyed about this book was the enemies to lovers trope that I adore so much. Having our main characters come from feuding lands directly into marriage was bound to cause some issues, but the threat of a new war helps them to put aside their differences and work together. However, it was the timeline of this storyline that was uncomfortable and somewhat unrealistic. From the beginning of the story to the end, only about 3 weeks pass. And while a lot can happen in 3 weeks, A LOT happened over this time frame that didn't necessarily seem plausible. While the events were orchestrated to push our characters together and get to know each other, I found the change to be quite sudden. Instead of being enemies to begrudging allies to kind of friends to best friends to lovers (which is a slow burn and WAY more realistic), I feel like it went straight from enemies to "I love you"s.

In this vein, I felt a lot about the plot in this book was a bit too... easy. Conflicts that arise for the characters seem to resolve themselves within 20 pages rather then being complex, overarching conflicts. I think the author would've succeeded in choosing one of the conflicts and running with it rather than choosing four or five. This further led to the unrealistic aspect, as so many of these issues arose and resolved themselves in 3 weeks, whereas one might expect them to be drawn out and explored.

Finally, I found that the world that Adler built, while refreshing due to its open LGBTQIA+ stance, was not develop at all. As we begin the story, Derek and Callan are introduced alongside their respective lands. Yet neither is a King or a Prince, and I found it wasn't until around 40% the way through the book that I finally learned the name of the "Queendom" in which our story takes place. I believe this book could've been greatly improved by adding another 50 pages to explore, develop, and add more depth to the world. From the political system, past and current conflicts, and even the loose magical system that is introduced (yet not really developed and very feeble), the story would've been more nuanced and interesting with more details.

All in all, I enjoyed that this book was an easy read and not something I had to think too hard about. I enjoyed the relationship between Derek and Callan and how their characters are written, giving a new look at how men can be traditionally masculine and still be in touch with their emotions.

This was good - not exceptional. The romance plot thread was a little abrupt. The world also was a little one-dimensional in a few ways -- the easiest way I can describe the lack is that this novel didn't strike me as rich, the way others have. It's kind of like food. One thing I will say on its behalf is that it was a quick read - it only took me about 4 hours to finish this.

This is a very forgettable book. The plot is an arranged marriage between two nobles, one of whom just lost a single battle to the other one, and then there is another war looming with sea tribes/pirates. I read it in one sitting, so it was enjoyable enough to keep me interested, but the plot was standard and the world and its magic the same. I enjoyed the main characters, but all side characters were deeply undeveloped. All in all, I requested it for an ARC for like the title and description, but not entirely sure it was worth the three hours.