Suppose you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a marriage of convenience collided headfirst with a magical curse, then this book is your next must-read. The book has humor, mystery, and a slow-burn romance that is satisfying and sweet. It is a delightful escape into a world of cozy enchantment. Bianca, who has a secret chronic illness, must marry Prince Aric. She has a less-than-happy reception when she arrives in his kingdom. But just as she’s preparing for a life of stiff royal obligations, an assassination attempt throws everything off course literally. The botched attack turns Aric into a horse by day and back to himself as night. Bianca, accused of harming the prince, must flee with her horse husband. They must find the assassin to clear her name and break the curse, all while avoiding dangerous foes. It is an absolutely adorable and humorous ride.

What truly sets this book apart is its cozy tone. It balances adventure and danger with lighthearted wit. The forced proximity leads to some fantastic banter, which will have you giggling, and the slow-burning affection is charming. Bianca’s resilience and sharp wit shine, and Aric’s bookish, brooding nature make him an endearing hero. The book has a YA writing style, so there are a few missing elements, which is common in YA books, but it was still fun and silly. I recommend it to readers who like a low-stakes, cozy rom-com fantasy.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group, Bramble, for the opportunity to review and provide my honest feedback.

I loved this book so much! It brought back so many memories of reading fantasy novels as a child. You truly go on a journey with these characters and the story feels at once familiar and fresh. I appreciated the sprinkling of spice the author added that took a comfort story into the modern realm where all the books are just a tad spicy. I loved these characters and I couldn’t put the book down until I knew how it would end. Well worth the read for any fantasy lover.

I wanted to read this book because it had elements of the plot of "My Lady Jane," and what I got was honestly so much better than I had anticipated. Bianca (the main character) has a chronic condition and I absolutely love seeing disabled characters in fantasy novels because representation is so important. This book gives you a fun fantasy romance, a badass disabled character, defiance of typical gender norms for both men and women, abounding queerness (Bianca is bi or pan and there are other queer characters), and a just a general good time!

This is a beautiful love story that entranced me from start to finish. While it seemed very similar to a different book that made me a bit hesitant, its unique charm was very loud and shown through beautifully. The chronic pain representation was so accurately descripted. As someone with chronic pain, I felt it was properly represented and something I never expected to find in a fantasy book.

A quirky story that doesn't take itself too seriously, Behooved filled the void that was left by the cancellation of My Lady Jane. If you’re going in expecting a typical fantasy book, this won’t be for you. But, if you’re looking for a low stakes happy, yet unconventional, fun time, I think this is the perfect cleanse.

DNF.

Listen, I picked this one up EAGER to be charmed, okay? And I tried, I really did. But too much struck me as outright nonsense for me to put up with.

Let’s start with the greats: I straight-up ADORED Bianca – she is an incredible character and I love her. I was really pleasantly surprised that after a fairly meek first chapter – in which we see how eager she is to earn her parents’ approval – she reveals herself to be not just determined, but hyper-competent, confident, and possessed of a very spiky temper (which she is great at controlling when she needs to). Here is a noble-born woman who is GOOD at politicking and dancing and all the rest of it, and who enjoys being good at them and knows she’s good at them. I guess this shouldn’t be such a big deal, but it is, because somehow we rarely get to see characters who seem like they were raised in a real noble house. She can even use a sword and dagger, just to put the seal on her badassery!

(Obviously you don’t need to be good with a sword to be a badass, do I really need to make that caveat? But you know what I mean!)

The worldbuilding is thin as tissue paper, but that actually didn’t bother me so much – I wasn’t expecting Epic Fantasy levels of worldbuilding from a book marketed this way. The prose is…fine? It’s not bad, it’s nothing special (although there are occasional flashes of brilliance with similes). I am very hard to please with first-person, but Bianca’s voice was acceptable.

Unfortunately, pretty much nothing else worked for me.

It’s just that Stevenson doesn’t seem to feel the need to make things make sense.

Bianca’s older sister, Tatiana, has been quietly allowed to duck out of mage training – which is mandatory and takes nine years. But their parents have paid off the mage guild. Hi: are you high? If magic is so dangerous that it legally requires nine entire years of training, then under no circumstances ever would you let mages go untrained! Which honestly seems to prove itself with Tatiana, since one of the first things we learn about her is that she accidentally (?) let loose a whirlwind at a dinner party! WHAT THE HELLS.

Bianca is willing to go off and marry the crown prince of a neighbouring country in order to finalise an important treaty. No issues there. But almost her first thought is that she’ll have a much better life as queen: what??? Specifically

>as a queen, I could choose my own appointments. Keep to my rooms, or my bed, when I was too sick to stand instead of making myself more ill by pushing through, and do so without dreading the rebuke I knew was coming at the first private moment.<

Um – no, actually??? I realise your country no longer has a monarchy, but that is an unbelievably naive view (from a woman who at no other point, on no other topic, appears naive). You have no idea what your fiance is like: he could absolutely rebuke you (he could, in fact, be FURIOUS to learn your country has pawned him off with a chronically ill queen: why is no one concerned about this???), he could be an absolute asshole, and you have no idea what your duties are going to be. Control of your appointments is not at all guaranteed! If anything, I would imagine your presence is going to be much more vitally necessary at the events you’re scheduled to attend than it is in your life now – any event that requires the queen’s presence is going to be much higher-stakes than an event that wants a random noblewoman to attend. What???

The woman who makes Bianca’s tonics – the medicine for her condition – is known as her apothecary. But she also does Bianca’s hair and helps her dress? How do you have an apothecary’s skills AND a lady’s maid’s??? Those are both full-time gigs! I’d understand if her apothecary MASQUERADED as her lady’s maid, that might be a good way to let her be part of Bianca’s retinue without giving away Bianca’s illness – but she actually fills both roles? HOW?

On the ship to her new home, we learn that the leader of her new guard is Bianca’s EX. Why the hells did Bianca not get a say in who had that position?! Why was that allowed to happen? This is ridiculous, the last person you’d want in this situation is an ex!

And so on. It’s all tiny details like this. Bianca arrives at her fiance’s palace and is told the wedding is taking place the next day. A) what the fuck B) why C) how was the date not nailed down in the treaty this marriage is supposedly sealing?! Bonus: besides the ambassador, no one from her country is coming. Not her parents, not her sister, nobody. She’s about to be a QUEEN, her marriage is cementing an apparently VERY IMPORTANT treaty, and no one back home gives a fuck??? Why the hells not?

Bianca does not know when her fiance’s coronation is: what? That is such ridiculously basic information you would have if you were going away to marry an about-to-be king! (Are her family showing up for the coronation? That wasn’t answered by the 30% mark, which is when I stopped reading, but it seemed to be implied that they were not!) Bianca thinks she’s going to be Aric’s equal: why? Do queens have power in his country? In most European countries (which the setting seems mildly inspired by, in that generic Fantasy way) queens had a lot less power than kings, so it’s not guaranteed! Bianca does not see it as a red flag when the coronet she’s given is silver, as opposed to Aric’s golden one: ???

The wedding ceremony involves blood magic. Bianca did not know this ahead of time. HOW? HOW DID YOU NOT KNOW THIS? It’s apparently the norm for royal weddings (not clear whether non-royal weddings involve the same), so it shouldn’t come as any kind of surprise! You should have known about that before you ever got on the ship!

But the point at which I would have defenestrated this book, had I been reading a paper copy, was in the moments after Aric is turned into a horse.

Because.

Wait for it.

HE JUMPS OUT OF A SECOND STORY WINDOW.

AS A HORSE.

………………….IS THIS A JOKE?????????????

How did he not break all four of his legs? HE’S A HORSE! And he KNOWS he’s a horse, he’s not disoriented or anything – he tells Bianca to get on his back, he’s grasped the situation.

Does he not know horses??????? Why would it even OCCUR TO YOU to jump out a window in horse form??? Why on EARTH didn’t you just kick down the door and run off into the hallways and get outside that way? For that matter, why didn’t Stevenson just write them into a ground-floor room???

But reader, you should be proud of me, because I actually didn’t stop there! I kept reading! And I was not rewarded for it! Because Bianca and horse!Aric run away for no apparent reason. Later, they discover that only Bianca can hear Aric’s horse-telepathy, but at the point that they run away they don’t know that, so??? Why would you run away from your guards? Why didn’t you think Aric could talk to his soldiers and explain? You could have run away AFTER, when you realised that wasn’t possible, but running away before?

Bianca doesn’t even ask why they’re running away!!!

*screeches and tears my hair out*

I’m not even going to get into why the protection spell Tatiana gave her sister turned someone into a horse who could telepathically speak to her. I’ll be generous and assume Tatiana screwed up and that wasn’t what the spell was meant to do. ‘CAUS IT SURE LOOKS LIKE TATIANA THOUGHT TURNING SOMEONE INTO A TELEPATHIC HORSE WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO DEAL WITH AN ASSASSIN! (Horses are dangerous, if you were going to turn an attacker into something why not a mouse or a ladybird or something else that can’t hurt you?!)

Behooved gave me such a headache. And the banter between horse!Aric and Bianca was not my idea of funny or charming. The glittery feeling that comes with the best Fun books just wasn’t here for me even aside from nothing making sense. Maybe it gets cute later on, I don’t know. I’ll never know, because I’m not reading any more of this.

Gah.

Behooved is a fun and cozy romantasy that delivers a unique blend of political intrigue, magical curses, and an enemies-to-lovers romance—with a bit of horseplay along the way.

Bianca and Aric’s arranged marriage is anything but conventional. Not only does Aric greet his bride with an icy demeanor, but by their wedding night, he’s cursed into stallion form. Now framed for his “murder” and on the run, Bianca must navigate courtly plots, break the spell, and deal with the inconvenient fact that her brooding, bookish husband turns human only at night—and that she might actually be falling for him.

I loved how the romance developed between Bianca and Aric. Their initial friction made way for a compelling dynamic where they learned to see each other’s strengths—Bianca, a fierce warrior navigating a world that often underestimates her, and Aric, a shy but thoughtful prince who loves books as much as he dislikes court politics. Their growth felt natural, and I appreciated the chronic illness rep for Bianca, which added depth to her character. The political intrigue, assassination attempts, and travel elements kept the story engaging, even if some plot points were predictable.

What kept this from being a full five stars for me was the repetitive nature of Bianca’s inner thoughts, which slowed the pacing in the first half. Some worldbuilding aspects (especially regarding the politics) felt underdeveloped, and while the bi4bi rep was a nice inclusion, I wish it had been explored more deeply. The YA-leaning writing style also made some moments feel a bit simplistic, but overall, this was an enjoyable standalone adventure filled with heart, humor, and just the right amount of magical mayhem.

If you’re in the mood for a cozy fantasy with an arranged marriage, slow-burn romance, and a cursed prince-turned-stallion, Behooved is well worth the ride! 🐎✨

—sooooo your husband's a horse (of course, of course)

—arranged marriage and nobody's happy to be there

—romance hero: *blushes*

Heat Index: 6/10

The Basics:

Given no choice but to marry Aric, the the heir apparent to a rival nation, Bianca isn't any happier about her new husband than he appears to be about her... But they're given a common cause when an assassination attempt and accidental curse on their wedding night results in Aric living as a horse by day and a man by night. As they set out to break the curse—and uncover who wants at least one of them dead—Bianca and Aric quickly find themselves bound by a lot more than obligation...

The Review:

Okay, so—let's get one thing out of the way. Though I expect this was written prior to the one-season-wonder Amazon series My Lady Jane (RIP)... If you're a grieving fan, then yes, I feel this may be a balm for your wounds. By no means is this a one-to-one to MLJ aside from the "man by night, horse by day" arranged marriage set up (Aric isn't cursed until after he and Bianca marry, and while this is a magical world, it's not a shifter world) but the whimsicality and banter-banter-kiss of it all will most likely be up your alley.

But do you have to be into that kind of madcap series to get into Behooved? No, not at all. While MLJ was joke after joke, Behooved is funny in a lighter, subtler way. I definitely found myself smiling more than once—especially when Aric was huffing and psychically snarking at Bianca while in his horse form. (Yes, they can communicate when Aric is a horse; which is good, as he is in fact a horse for a good chunk of the time.) A horse snarkily calling our heroine "WIFE" as he berates her about putting him in this stupid situation... was kinda hilarious.

Overall, though, this is a lighter fantasy that still invests in stakes and politics—more so than a lot of other "cozy fantasy" romance novels I've read have. I mean, we're not Game of Thrones-ing out here. But Bianca and Aric do have reason to fear for their lives, there is a very clear conspiracy afoot from the jump, war looms overhead if they don't marry, and we even have a little blood magic.

... Which doesn't mean we don't also have some of the hallmarks of cozy fantasy. Aric seems cold and possibly even dangerous when Bianca first meets him (he's still checking out that rack, though, hallelujah)—but really, it's more of a Mr. Darcy-esque social anxiety situation. He's a massive nerd; he's a little shy; he's quite snarky, but clearly sweet, and probably sweeter than Bianca. I found it interesting that Stevenson made it very clear that she envisioned a hero who wasn't quite the romance physical standard, either. You have his long blond hair called out, his narrow shoulders, the ridges of his spine.

I did kind of wish that the bickering had lasted a bit longer, because it is so funny. Bianca doesn't want to admit that there's a spark, and she definitely doesn't want to examine it when her new husband is in horse form (a moment she experiences when she has to ride Aric... not in that way, THAT way...) truly took me out. Stevenson doesn't resolve their issues immediately, but we could've had them going at each other (non-sexual) for a bit longer.

Other things to note: This is a queer-positive fantasy world. Bianca's bisexuality is not hidden, she has a female ex we see on the page, and she's chosen to marry Aric over her sister because said sister is a lesbian. Bianca also has a chronic illness based on celiac disease (Stevenson draws from personal experience) which she deals with, also on the page. Aric's attentiveness to her is a really lovely instance of caretaking, and it totally endeared me to their love story.

The Sex:

The sex is fairly light in this one, but it is on the page and explicit (and we have pulling out, which I found an interesting choice compared to the typical fantasy "uh, I had a birth control spell in my pocket" moment). I found it well-written and fitting the characters, though I will say, Stevenson has Aric ask for consent a LOT. Asking for consent is great! And I do believe that Aric's anxiety and sense of responsibility would have him asking a couple times to be sure. But I would've lived him to have a bit more confidence in Bianca's affirmation. Not a big deal at all, just a little quibble.

Conclusion:

While I could've used a bit more of the "we aggravate each other a lot" stage in this romance, overall it's a fun, light arranged marriage story with just the right amount of magic. True escapism, but with an awareness of the world that keeps it interesting.

Thanks to Bramble and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was cute for sure! I enjoyed Bianca's arc as well as Aric's. The horse spell was perfect for that fairy tale, almost cozy vibe. It was still about marrying a prince and saving a kingdom, and had a dash of court politics, but was certainly feel good, all around a really enjoyable read.

This book was a ride. I loved it. While nothing was super surprising or outstanding the comedy was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Would highly recommend.

Read this book if you want:
- Representation of chronic illnesses
- A MMC who cares, who loves, who is atypical and wonderful
- An FMC who is funny, brave, and older
- A cozy fantasy love story that *feels* like a love story
- Inclusivity!!

All in all, I could not recommend this book enough. M. Stevenson has crafted such an enjoyable, unputdownable book! It's one that I finished within 24 hours of starting, and one that managed to haul me out of one of my worst reading slumps in a long time. Behooved feels like a warm hug on a bad day.

I absolutely adored reading Bianca's story, and I think that she has easily become one of my favorite FMCs of all time. She's so mature and respectful no matter what she's going through, and yet she also has a sharper side (one that becomes apparent at multiple points throughout the story). I never got tired of reading her internal dialogue, and I found that she was an absolute delight to follow along. Her relationship with her sister, as well as her relationship with everyone around her, felt extremely well-written.

Aric!!! Aric!!! Holy moly I never thought the name Aric could be attractive, but M. Stevenson has somehow made Aric synonymous with "ideal life partner." Aric is initially very aloof and cold towards Bianca, which lent itself to the overall theme of "this is a new place and everything sucks." Watching Aric gradually warm up to Bianca and develop feelings for her was absolutely LOVELY, and the way that he treats her gave me all of the warm fuzzies. And horse Aric... well... horse Aric was absolutely hilarious.

All in all, I cannot recommend this book enough. I will forever be a devoted fan to M. Stevenson, particularly if she keeps giving us hilarious horse books :)

Thank you SO much to both Tor and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. I'll be counting down the days until May 20th!

Behooved is a quirky fantasy in which Bianca and Aric are betrothed as part of a peace treaty between their nations. However, a spell goes awry, and Aric is cursed to live as a horse during the day. This cozy but also tender story is perfect for those who love a soft prince and tough heroine embarking on a journey!

My favorite part of the romance plotline in this book was how Bianca and Aric learned to be vulnerable with each other! Aric is a gentle, shy MMC, which is refreshing, and Bianca slowly lets him help when she has flares of her chronic condition. They both put aside their initial distrust and lean on each other’s strengths throughout their journey to reverse the curse. Their relationship was so sweet, and they complemented each other perfectly!

The representation in this book was fantastic, including characters with chronic disabilities and LGBT+ characters!

I wish we had a bit more background on the villain of the story since the end felt rushed and could have used more build-up.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor/Bramble for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a great and unique book!! I haven’t read many books like it. It kept my interest from start to finish. Would definitely recommend !

This is my first ever ARC review- I feel like I don't need to summarize the book because I am not sure I could do any better than the official summary! But I will say that I really enjoyed reading this!

I particularly loved the sweetness of the romance and the character growth that happens within the story. There was a little bit of what I would call modest spice-nothing overt. The yearning between the two MCs was excellent. I love how their relationship grew and progressed.

The FMC’s mysterious disability representation was also a nice touch. She was able to be strong while also having what is perceived as a weakness and was still successful throughout the book.

The MMC was thoughtful and misunderstood and I love a misunderstood sad prince! He had his own weaknesses to cope with and the fact they were thrust together almost against their will but still fit with each other in the end was great.

The quest to break the curse and save the kingdom was exciting and intriguing. I was engaged the entire way through this book waiting to see what happens next. I want to read more honestly- I want so much more from this world where magics are different between neighboring kingdoms and why! I want to know more about some of the side characters! I want to know how the relationship between Aric and Bianca progresses over time! I am really looking forward to the potential for more from this author!

I do wish there was an epilogue- maybe there will be in the fully published version. Or perhaps we will get lucky with a sequel to expand upon the world.




Thank-you NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

Charming and cozy, Behooved is a royal treat from mane to tail!

Sent across the sea for an arranged marriage to avoid war, Bianca takes her duty seriously. Once married to Aric, things take a magical turn and Behooved takes off on a delightful adventure!

Fans of cozy fantasy will love this slow-burn romantasy with a soft hearted hero and a heroine suffering from celiac disease. Readers of T. Kingfisher’s Swordheart will love this newest from M. Stevenson.

Thank you to Bramble for the early copy! 💕🎉

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I need to prefice this review by stating that I do not care for cozy reads in any genre. I want angst and drama. But Behooved got me. I was instantly absorbed into the plot and Bianca's life. Per the author's note in the back, Bianca clearly suffers from something akin to Celiac's disease and she's been dealing with it for over a decade. Her parents don't think she'll amount to much, what with her disease as well as her lack of magic. So she is essentially sold to the neighboring kingdom to wed the next king and seal a treaty. There's a threat of war coming from the new king so Bianca does her duty to her own kingdom and its people.

Her wedding night just happens to be a huge mess due to an assassination attempt and an accidental cursing which turns the Prince into a horse by day and a man by night. Even with all the dramatics there, it's still just a cozy, good time. Aric and Bianca grow closer, clear up some misunderstandings between the two of them, and start to work together towards the goals of breaking the curse, clearing Bianca's name of regicide, and getting the Prince to the coronation at a specific date and time.

I loved this. I loved Aric's personality entirely. He was just so well written. And he didn't even hold a candle to how amazingly well-written Bianca was, our chronically ill, bi queen. The queer rep was well done. It didn't come across as a token to garner readers, it felt genuine and everyone treated it as a normal occurrence. The disability rep, while limited to Bianca, was also well done. She wasn't a damsel in distress because of her chronic illness. Bianca kicked more ass than Aric.

Overall, I loved it. The pacing was wonderful. I flew through the story. The world-building is about on par with what to expect out of a romantasy, not too in depth but enough detail to ensure you aren't lost. The characters (all of them, mains and sides alike) were the shining stars of this story. I'm looking forward to seeing more of M. Stevenson's work in the future.

Oh my gosh, this BOOK. The romance, the fantasy, the comedy (I actually lol’d a few times and still do thinking about certain scenes). BEHOOVED is such an enchanted story that gives all the characters (even minor ones) their own agency that drives them. The marriage of convenience trope was spun with loads of misunderstandings and a bigger enemy than anyone would have suspected. Bianca is wonderful, reading about her chronic condition and her wrestling with duty and want made for a great development for her. And Aric! We love a guy who’s curious, loves books, and displays a soft side! Thank you NetGalley and Bramble for the eARC!

HORSE GIRLIES HORSE GIRLIES HORSE GIRLIES HORSE GIRLIES HORSE GIRLIES HORSE GIRLIES HORSE GIRLIES HORSE GIRLIES HORSE GIRLIES HORSE GIRLIES

HORSE BOYS & HORSE PEOPLE
(Inclusion matters 🏳️‍🌈)

Now that I have your attention,

• cozy fantasy romcom
• bisexual & disability rep
• marriage of convenience
• queer normative world

Are you a horse person? I'm actually terrified of horses 😂 I just don't have the dominant personality required. I tend to pretend every horse in fiction is a unicorn and I've never met a unicorn so idk if they would vibe with me or not.

Anyway anyway anyway.

If you are a horse person and you like cozy fantasy, this is your book.

Things I liked:
The FMC is disabled and is actually a main part of the plot. It doesn't magically go away or is only mentioned once and never again. This is how you do a disability representation.
The miscommunication in this books made sense to the story and the characters and was NOT the conflict at end. I normally hate miscommunication tropes but this one was done well.
I really liked Bianca as a character. She was strong and determined while also being flawed and didn't always make the right choices.

Things I didn't like:
I think there could have been more to the ending. There was so much potential that was just sitting there but never got used. There was a lot of build up for a rather simple ending. It was a bit underwhelming and disappointing. It wasn't terrible, just not as good as it could have been.

And that's it. That's the only thing I didn't like about the book. Overall it was a really good story with characters you can love and root for. It was a four star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me.

Bianca has always valued duty over all else. Living with a chronic illness, she feels duty is all she has to contribute to her family and country.
When a treaty demands a noble marriage to an unknown king, she feels honor bound to carry out the terms her parents signed.
Set in a queer normative fantasy world, Behooved is a comedy of errors with realistic characters. It's a very cute story, although the whole thing takes place over at most a few weeks and is somehow called a slow burn? It was a little insta lovey for me.
Overall, it was a wholesome, refreshing read that I would recommend to others. It's not some astounding piece of literature but it is a well thought out story of unexpected strength and love.