Thank you to Bramble for my review copy. My opinions are my own.

I've never learned so much about an industry in a fictional book as I did in this one, but oh my goodness, I would love to know more about the wool industry even though I am highly allergic to wool. This was fascinating and low stakes but with plenty of feeling as Matti and Luca stumble around figuring out things but with swords.

I loved the dual perspective and all the secrets that were there. The development of the relationship against the backdrop of the mystery of why House Jay was failing.

I'm intrigued to find out if this is a standalone or if there are more stories coming.

If you enjoyed Freya's gaslamp fantasies, then might I make a suggestion that you try this one (even though there is no magic).

When I signed up for the review copy of this book I was under the impression that it was YA but it's not and boy am I thankful. Because Freya Marske can write a spice scene.
I don't know if it's actually placed in a Romantasy genre and I maybe a little confused about the genres but I think it's more of a historical fiction or at least reads like one.

The characters are more or less in similar situations but both of them have opposite ways of dealing with the burden they carry. Although it's not mentioned I think Luca quite possibly had ADHD which was the reason the way he was and I could relate to him so well. Being call lazy all the time, restlessness, it all made sense.

The romance is so well done but this one has an amazing plot as well.

My only complaint is that some of the chapters felt unnecessarily descriptive and long and I had to push through them but it's still worth it.

Thank you to Tor Books, Bramble, and NetGalley for the chance to review this book, all opinions are my own.

Well, this review is like 2 weeks overdue but after struggling to get through the first third of the book, thinking I would have to DNF, I actually ended up really enjoying this one!

When you aren’t clicking with a book right away (but you’re also a mood reader whose brain just refuses to cooperate sometimes), it’s hard to know if the book just isn’t right for you or if it just isn’t right for you right now. Normally I would set this kind of book aside for a couple months and come back to it and see if I felt differently about it. But because this was a review book I continued to push through, even when I just wasn’t into the book. But luckily somewhere around the 50% mark the book started to really catch my interest and I came to care about the characters and the outcome of the story.

I would say this book falls under the category of cozy fantasy (though there isn’t actually any magic in the book), in that the characters are not plotting to bring down an ancient evil or overthrow a tyrannical regime but instead save a family from going bankrupt (and prevent it’s oldest son from being miserable for the rest of his life).

I think this might be why I struggled to get into the book at first. I loved Freya Marske’s Last Binding series and I think I was expecting world building and plotting like that one. While the writing was good in this book (Marske’s prose can be absolutely beautiful), the plot did not immediately capture my interest. I didn’t really care about dueling or textile manufacturing and while the world building was solid, it wasn’t very unique or intriguing. I also didn’t really love any of the characters right off the bat either. And this is so important with cozy fantasy because usually the characters are what makes the book so fun and enjoyable.

But as I continued to read, the characters did start to grow on me. I cared about Matti and his family troubles, and Luca’s mysterious background began to make him interesting. And of course once the big mystery of the book was revealed (and it wasn’t just going to be sword fighting and agonizing over losing the family business) I did start to get very invested. I actually flew through the last third of the book in one day because I was dying to know what would happen and how all of the drama and revelations would resolve themselves.

The ending definitely had a cozy fantasy convenience to it, everything works out perfectly for all involved - except for the villains who are punished - but it still made me happy and I felt very satisfied when I finished the book. I actually found myself missing the characters a day after and wanted to spend more time with them again.

That kind of feeling at the end of the book would usually lead me to rate it 5 stars but because I struggled so much at the beginning I’m giving it 4.5 stars.

I think a lot of people will enjoy this for the easy cozy romantasy that it is.

Wasn't hitting me. I love Freya Marske and I have nothing bad to say about this book. Just wasn't grabbing me at the moment, I may very well come back to it and love it.

5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC!

I really, truly loved this book. Matti and Luca 4 eva.

Matti is set to be married, but knows he will be sword-challenged during the ceremony for the hand of his bride. Knowing next to nothing about swordwork, he hires Luca Piere to be his best man and swordsman. Through a variety of hijinks, Matti gets Luca to show him how to fight and ~*sparks fly*~.

Imagine for a moment, you're getting married for business reasons and some hot dude walks by and now you're caught up in intrigue and swordfighting and oops your sister is making out with your bride-to-be?

I sincerely love Marske's books and I can't wait to read more from her.

3.25. Fun queer fantasy romance. Don’t go into this expecting much swordfighting, but if you don’t mind a lot of mild worldbuilding mainly involving wool and silk trading interspersed with Bridgertonesque parties and breathless sex scenes, you’ll have a good enough time.

Freya Marske has quickly become an author whose work I will always take interest in! This book is set in a fantasy land, though one (seemingly) without magic; just a different set of countries and customs and foods than our world has. Matti and Luca have a delicious relationship, built on a deception that snowballs out of control as they catch feelings for each other. And the society has queer normativity, polytheism, and at least some instances of matriarchy—more of all this in fiction, please! (And in real life; that'd be nice.) The story involves a lot of intrigue around trade and guild politics, which in my opinion is an improvement over being heavy on combat or war or other bloodshed. Recommended for those who prefer their queer fantasy on the cozy side.

3.75 stars. Freya Marske's SWORDCROSSED is a romantasy - (light on the fantasy) - that's centered around house politics and angsty sword fights, both in AND out out of the bedroom. Matti Jay is the heir of one of the most prominent houses in Thesper’s wool trade, and Luca is a duelist/swordsman with no house to claim. Needless to say, Luca goes from teaching Matti how to handle a sword to teaching him how to handle HIS sword. This is definitely a slow burn, and I was admittedly bored throughout the middle, mainly because I found all of the politics surrounding the wool trade to be rather mundane and wanted to get back to the cuteness. SUE ME Susan. By the way, a PSA for the boys: If you have longer locks, there’s nothing sluttier than running your fingers through them. HOW DARE YOU!

Freya has built an intriguing set up with an arranged marriage and budding forbidden romance, complete with extravagant settings, costumes and atmospheres that are so detailed that the fabrics and colors jump off the page. That said, it's our main couple that steals the show, rightfully so. There were so many moments that I noted as either incredibly cute or hot. Like the ocean bath/pool scene - hot, but also cute because Matti gets to see Luca flounder in the pool like he does at his sword lessons. Since this is a slow-burn, it's really around the 39% mark where things start simmering, and then things don't get cooking until the 55% mark. It drags for me, I'll be honest. But one thing's for sure, “I don’t feel wrecked enough" was a crazy thing to say. I love how these two are opposites, but learn from each other. Luca will always speak his mind and teaches Matti to do the same.

So if you like some spice with your period piece romantasies and happen to be obsessed with textiles and the trade industry - you might really get off on this one. For me, it was cute and hot, but you lost me at the wool. I'm so sorry. That and the third act miscommunication was kind of meh for me, BUT Chapter 20 was hot as fuck and I love how comfortable Matti and Luca become at being inside each other. It's so cute. In general, their banter is squee inducing, but I don't think this is really a romantasy because the magic system was...um...yea...but if you're looking to see some cute boys get sweaty in some sword fights, look no further!

Quotes I pulled for various reasons:
- "Matti was so likable. You could cut him in half like fresh bread and he’d be warm all the way through.”
- “Luca looked at Matti, something uncertain and wild swirling in his stomach, and experienced the vastly strange sensation of not wanting to lie. Nor did he want to peel back the paper of himself and reveal something true. Both contrary impulses seemed to stem from the swirling, like tree trunks grown from the same seed.”
- “Luca didn’t know if he was envious or annoyed by the way Matti held himself: calm and still, as though he were waiting with unconscious ease for the attention in the room to center upon him, knowing he wouldn’t have to lift a finger.”
- "How did you solve the slow surrender of yourself to another person, like a dwindling stack of coins on a card table, only to look up from your empty hands to see the cold triumph of your opponent?"
- “Matti made him forget to lie”.
- “Dueling is barely two steps up from acting.” (As an actor, I'm offended).
- “You really are taller than you need to be, Matti.” (As a 6'5 man...also offended).
- "Lukas felt like a route being memorized and artwork being considered one last time by its creator before it was sent for framing. It made him want to make huge, impossible, unwise promises. It took him three tries to speak." - I MEAN, WHERE IS MY LUCA?!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have read and enjoyed all of Freya Marske’s releases so far, but I have to say that Swordcrossed is officially my new favorite book of hers! The story was well-balanced between romance, pining, and political plot drama regarding the houses and their businesses. The world was well-built, with a rich system of patron gods that brought depth to the story’s setting. With how fascinating this world was, I would love to see future novels taking place in the same setting!

Swordcrossed is hands-down one of the best romantasy novels I have read to date. The romance was perfectly paced and incorporated into the narrative so that nothing felt forced, rushed, or underdeveloped. This book is a perfect example of what I hope for whenever picking up a title marked as “Romantasy” and I hope that more stories like Swordcrossed will be published in the future!

My Recommendation:
If you’re hesitant about romantasy books, I urge you to give Swordcrossed a try! This book has the depth, intrigue, and character development I seek in all my fantasy reads, with a healthy dose of romance to round out a five-star read!

Thank you to Bramble Romance for the gifted review copy of Swordcrossed!

I really enjoyed the build of this relationship. It was a gradual climb that worked well for these characters. In the midst of all the chaos love finding root was incredibly fun to experience.
This has a wonderful historical vibe without being stuck in the historical romance box. The author had a writing style which provided beautifully built scenes along with amazing banter.
The humor paired with all these lovable characters made for a wonderful read. The author did a great job of making this story easy to fall in love with.

3.5 - ⭐⭐⭐💫

"I want you to keep making me laugh. I want to keep you, Luca..."

Swordcrossed is a standalone fantasy romance follows dutiful heir Matti who's family's business is struggling after a series of mishaps. To help save the business Matti decides to marry into a wealthy family...but there appears to be a competing love interest who plans to challenge the wedding by sword fight, an honorable tradition throughout the land. This means Matti needs a best man to fight on his behalf and it turns out the only one he can afford is a con artist, Luca. Through gold coins and blackmail, Luca accepts the role of best man as well as agrees begrudgingly to help train Matti in combat. As they two spend their days together practising the craft of sword crossing they also soon find not everything is as it seems with Matt's dire financial situation and Luca's secret past. Will these two be unable to unearth the lies and find a path forward or will they lose everything in the fight?

This book is a fun light read but it didn't wow me.

Matti can be adorable and is steadfast in his duty. He wants to make his family proud and placed so much burden on himself. Seeing him engage with Luca highlights the first time he really did something for himself and it was sweet.

Luca is a bit more cockier character with secrets aplenty. I loved his cranky morning attitude, struggle to figure out how to teach, and him being charmed by Matti who has no idea.

This book does contain spice. I would say 2.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. There are at least two spicy scenes. I would say it is a medium burn and it is well written.

In terms of the story I enjoyed the mystery and the investigation around what is happening to Mattis' family business. I also found the world of the guilds to be fascinating. There are also fun side characters to shake things up. I think I just wished for more banter and chemistry between Luca and Matti. On their own they're strong but I felt I was told their romance more than I saw it. That said I easily dove into the book over the course of three days and found it all came together really well!

If you want a good fantasy world, light romance, and mystery to explore then definitely pick this up!

Thank you Bramble for this arc!

I knew I was going to love the writing and the characters in this book. Freya Marske never misses there. The banter was wonderful! The romance was angsty! The issues each character had to face felt realistic and important! But I wasn't expecting to love the mystery at the heart of this story. I loved the final scenes where it all gets laid out and the surprise turn at the end. A highly enjoyable book that I'd definitely recommend.

The cover? Amazing. The story? Amazing. I loved this story, I loved these characters. I loved the writing. It was actually my first Freya Marske book and I will most definitely be checking out her other ones ASAP

Swordcrossed by Freya Marske is the first I’ve read from this author, and I now feel compelled to read her entire backlist if this is representative of her style.

Matti Jay, heir to a struggling family business, is engaged to Sofia, the daughter of a wealthy family, in a bid to save his family’s name and social standing. Sofia has an unwanted suitor who plans to challenge their marriage, so Matti is in need of a hired duelist (or best man) to defend him at the upcoming nuptials. The professional he can afford is Luca, who’s a bit of a con man with a complicated past. The two find themselves fighting the growing attraction between them as they spend time together in the months until Matti and Sofia’s wedding.

Sword Crossed is a low-stakes fantasy romance rife with political machinations, intrigue, betrayal, sabotage, and a mystery to solve. Despite all of these elements being present, I’d say it is first and foremost about the romance that develops between Matti and Luca. Freya Marske gives a master class in how to write a slow-burn that’s both deliciously sweet with longing while also being sizzling hot when it finally ignites.

This book is many things - fans of historical fiction will feel at home with the setting that’s Regencyesque, fantasy lovers will appreciate the magical/mythology elements. I love books that have a historical feel but feature a society that does not subscribe to heteronormative mores, so a queer romance that also has a supporting character who’s trans makes my heart happy.

The characters are well developed, and I really enjoyed seeing Luca’s growth over the course of the book. Not just Luca, I felt like Matti also learned to stand up for himself and ask for what he wanted, and his sister Maya stepped up to help him see it’s okay to ask for help and not be able to do everything for everyone.

I loved the way the core cast of characters resolve the mystery and the unexpected twist at the wedding. That scene was so satisfying to read. Over the course of this novel, I grew to care about all of the central characters and didn’t see the resolution happening the way it did but it was simply perfect.

I think this is a standalone and with the way it ended, I don’t see it being the beginning of a series, but I’d love to read more of this world and hated saying goodbye to the characters. I could think of a couple of ways for this to happen, but the plot is wrapped up very nicely at the end of the book.

This one was a bit of a slow burn but in a way that was intensely charming. I loved Luca and Matti and their scheming. I hope Marske writes more in this universe.

Thank you so much to Bramble Romance and Colored Pages Book Tours for gifted finished copy of this book! I will say, I usually don't enjoy books with historical fiction aspects, but the fantasy part of this book really helped differentiate it from other books with historical fiction aspects.
I loved being able to watch Luca and Matti's relationship bloom from their first interaction onward. The author does a great job of making it a slow burn that is worth the wait. I also enjoyed how this author represented panic attacks in the books, and how the character learned to cope with it. I think this book deserves more recognition and hype than it's getting! Definitely recommend!

Mattinesh Jay runs his family’s well respected wool business. The Jay House is generations old, but they have recently come into financial troubles after a series of setbacks. The only way out of their predicament is for Matti to marry someone from a wealthy family who is looking for the prestige the Jay name can bring to their own business, while providing Matti’s family much needed funds. His bride-to-be, Sofia, is a nice woman and a friend, but Matti has no desire to marry her. However, Matti is nothing if not dedicated to his family and their business and he knows they need him to make this sacrifice to ensure their future.

Matti knows there will be a challenge at the wedding. Sofia has a suitor who has already indicated he will attempt to stop the marriage by requesting a duel, so Matti’s family has put aside money to pay for a best man/duelist to handle the challenge. Unfortunately, Matti loses some of the money he needs to hire the best swordsperson, so he must take someone who is new to the local guild. There he meets Luca Piere, who agrees to not only provide best man duties at the wedding, but also teach Matti how to use a sword.

Luca fled his old life to avoid some trouble and has now come to a new city hoping to start over. He agrees to give Matti sword lessons, rather than risk Matti exposing some of Luca’s shady dealings he witnessed. Plus, Luca can admit that he is drawn to Matti. The men are so different. Matti is responsible and dedicated, putting his family above himself time and again. He is working himself to exhaustion, sacrificing everything — including accepting an business marriage — in order to help them. And Luca is more impulsive, more reckless… and more free. But Matti helps ground Luca, and Luca helps Matti remember he is allowed to enjoy life and make himself a priority.

As the men get to know each other better, they begin to fall for one another. They also begin to realize that there is more threatening the Jay house than just bad luck. As they dig into the plot, the situation becomes increasingly complicated. And the more time they spend together, the more the men realize they want to be together. But with his family on the verge of ruin, Matti has no choice but to go through with the marriage. And if Luca’s secrets come out, it could ruin the chance for even friendship between them.

I absolutely went wild for Freya Marske’s Last Binding trilogy, so I was eager to grab the author’s latest story, Swordcrossed. I’d describe this as a historical fantasy, as it feels like it takes place in the past, but is not set in our real world. (For clarity, this isn’t a world with magic like Marske’s prior trilogy.) I found the world building to be really interesting here, with various guilds and family houses leading them. For example, Jay house is renowned for their wool and Matti’s father is the leader of their guild, representing them in the city. These houses then have different patron gods that they worship. This set up creates a tangled web of politics and influence and maneuvering that plays out in the story, as Matti and Luca attempt to learn more about who may be trying to harm Matti’s family business and why. I do think things get a little complicated in the politics, though, and it wasn’t always easy to follow who all the different players were and the various motivations.

I also thought the aspects of the duels and wedding challenges was interesting. This is a world where swordspeople play both ceremonial and practical roles. People hire them for formal ceremonies and rituals to stand guard or display their skills. They are also brought in as the “best man” for weddings in case of external challenges where they need to stand in the bride or groom’s stead. In this case, Matti is aware that Sofia has a suitor who will challenge for her at the wedding, so he needs to hire the best duelist to step in for him. While these rituals are largely performative, a lost duel is a bad omen and could potentially call off the much needed wedding. I thought this was an interesting world building twist, and it allows for not just a chance to get the guys together, but also to develop Sofia as a strong character in her own right. We learn more about her and it is different than we (or Matti) initially believes. I liked that she becomes a co-conspirator as Matti and Luca, and Matti’s sister, Maya, try to solve their family problems. For awareness, Matti does have a relationship with Luca (sexual and otherwise) while he is engaged to Sofia. She is aware and completely fine with it, so I didn’t see this as a problem in any way, but I wanted to mention it.

Matti and Luca start out with an enemies-to-lovers vibe, and they have sort of a mutually assured destruction thing going on, as Luca is aware that Matti’s house is hiding their financial troubles, and Matti can reveal some of Luca’s shady dealings. So they come to an agreement that keeps them working together. Luca’s past is a mystery for most of the book (to Matti and to us as readers), but we do know he is clever and sneaky and impulsive. He knows how to pick a lock, how to get information, and how to get things done that the more straight-laced Matti cannot. I found the story the most fun when we follow along with Luca as he does some snooping, stealing, and conning to help Matti figure out who is behind the family problems and how to root it out. I liked the men together and enjoyed seeing how their vastly different personalities ended up working so well together.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and found it an engaging historical fantasy. I continue to really like Marske’s style and will look forward to more of her work.

BookTour Stop and ARC review (second picture)

Swordcrossed - Freya Marske

Ebook
October 8th, 2024


When cozy fantasy meets romance and cloak-and-dagger…
Swordcrossed was a super addictive romantasy set in a world all at once familiar and foreign. The perfect escape read,comfortably sat in front of a fire, with wool socks and a glass of good wine. I loved Matti and Luca’s story, and I’m sure you will too.

___
Synopsis
Brimming with steamy romance, rougeish charm and intrigue, Swordcrossed is a dazzling queer fantasy from the internationally bestselling author of The Last Binding trilogy.

‘If you’re doing romantasy without Freya Marske, you’re doing it wrong’ – Casey McQuiston, author of Red, White & Royal Blue

Low stakes. High heat. Sharp steel . . .

Mattinesh Jay, heir to his family’s struggling business, needs his arranged marriage to go off without a hitch. But if he’s to successfully restore his house’s fortunes, Matti must first hire a swordsman to defend him against any sword-challenges at the altar. Unfortunately, the only duellist he can afford is part-time con artist and full-time charming menace Luca Piere.

All Luca wants to do is make some easy money and forget the crime he committed in his home town. He didn’t plan on being blackmailed into giving sword lessons to a chronically responsible – and inconveniently handsome – wool-merchant like Matti.

However, neither Matti’s business troubles nor Luca himself are quite what they seem. As secrets threaten to drive a blade through their growing alliance, both Matti and Luca will have to answer the question: how many lies are you prepared to strip away when the truth could mean losing everything you want?

The cosy, low stakes of Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree meets the scorching bodyguard fantasy of Jennifer L. Armentrout's From Blood and Ash in this enemies-to-lovers romance by Freya Marske.
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Thank you Colored Pages Book Tour ( @coloredpagesbt ), Freya Marske ( @freyamarske ), Tor Publishing Book, Bramble Romance ( @brambleromance ) and NetGalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.



#Swordcrossedtour #coloredpagesbooktours #gifted #Swordcrossed #FretaMarske #NetGalley #ARCreview #BookTour #BooksofInstagram #Bookstagram



















“Love was a sword with two edges.”

Swordcrossed was an addictive novel, captivating.
The book is set in a different world, which has no magic, yet it makes “ordinary” things exotic and the whole world building is a key point in that story. In my mind (but maybe I was completely wrong), I pictured a place close to Post-Renaissance Italy, governed by merchants who have their assigned gods. Depending on the moment, it felt like a romance, a cozy fantasy or even a cloak-and-dagger novel with action and political intrigues. I truly loved these different ambiances, and sometimes truly felt like I was reading a Alexandre Dumas’ book (or, at least, what I remember of these, as I read them a VERY LONG time ago).
The rhythm in the writing makes it sometimes mesmerizing, sometimes addictive, inciting us to turn page after page. We want to discover more about the world and how it works, solve the mystery(ies), and, of course, get to know Matti and Luca. I loved both of them, as much as the cast of side characters. While Matti learns how to stand up for himself, and not to only follow his sense of duty that drowns him every day a bit more; Luca –on the other hand– has to face his past mistakes. They have both a great arc, and their interactions are most of the time funny –and hot. The chemistry here is real, and I loved how the sword lessons put everything together, picturing the balance of power between them, how they dance around each other.
If you are looking for an easy read, a nice romance and an escape read, cozy, perfect to read in front of the fire with wool socks and a glass of wine, all wrapped in action and twists, then you should consider Swordcrossed. I truly enjoyed reading it.

Thank you Colored Pages Book Tour, Freya Marske, Tor Publishing Book, Bramble Romance and NetGalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Rate 4.5

Marske delivers another spicy queer romance with a side-serving of fantasy politics. The machinations of the conspiracy were tough to track, but easy to tune out when you have the image of our heroes getting down and dirty in a closet (boys, this is a heist)! Matti and Luca are tender, clever, and achingly lovable as they learn how to he honest with each other. A wonderful second course for fans of the Last Binding trilogy!

While not quite as either low-angst or low stakes as the blurb mentions, this book was so much fun. It had a slightly slow start because of all of the world-building and character development, but once it got going it was a ride. Matti and Luca had a fair amount to lose if they failed in their various endeavors, and their relationship was fairly volatile in the beginning. And the middle. And near the end.
As seems to be typical with the author, the plot and the world were great, but the character work is where she really shines. Matti and Luca were lovely, flawed, and so real. I loved getting to watch their growth together; they pushed each other to be and do better while also being hot like burning.
Overall, this book had almost everything I could want in a fantasy; there was crossing of swords (in all of the ways), there was action, a mystery, and a pretty epic reveal at the end. The characters were deeply human, the world was intriguing enough to make me want more, and the story was satisfying. I thoroughly enjoyed it.