Thank you to Tor Books and Netgalley for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

This was such a cute, fresh breath of a book! From the adorable romance to the hilarity of the plot itself, everything was just wrapped in a warm hug! But don't forget that what's wrapped up also has a great depth to it with the best character development and discovery of self-love and confidence.

I found myself giggling way too much with this book. I loved the world, the characters, and their adventures. The world was so easy to get into but did not feel as though it was too simple. The characters were all endearing and made you love them as soon as they came in. Their adventures were hilarious, heartfelt, and fun.

And then don't get me started on the disability/chronic illness representation. It was so well done, and I adored how it was treated. From our FMC to the MMC and his own feelings, the condition was treated with care at every turn and with every emotion it brought out.

This book has it all! It will make the perfect summer read!

4.25 ⭐️ 2.5🌶️
This was a really cute low stakes slow burn romantasy read! I enjoyed the fresh storyline and the characters in this spin on a bunch of fairytale tropes we know and love.
Bianca is a chronically ill baddie from one kingdom, who is underappreciated by her parents but can handle a sword because physical training helps her feel more in control of her life. At the looming threat of war from their neighboring kingdom Bianca's parents offer her hand in marriage to achieve a peace treaty. Enter the broody, aloof, quiet heir apparent, her betrothed. He seems to hate her on sight. While trying to navigate a new kingdom, a new husband who seems to hate her, and all new people as well as different magic in this new place Bianca has a full plate. Oh yeah to top it off she accidentally turned him into a horse on their wedding night.
This was so cute and quirky but well done! I loved the character & relationship development, and was very happy with the ending. Can we get a 2nd book about Bianca's sister!?!

This book was exactly what I needed to fill the My Lady Jane-sized hole in my heart. 🐎✨

Imagine: a noblewoman with a chronic illness, an arranged marriage, and a prince who turns into a horse by day. Yes, you read that right. The premise is delightfully absurd, and it totally works.

Bianca and Aric's slow-burn romance had me giggling and swooning in equal measure. Their banter? Top-notch. The magical mishaps? Hilarious. And the representation of chronic illness was handled with care and authenticity, adding depth to Bianca's character without defining her.

If you're into cozy romantasy with a dash of political intrigue and a whole lot of heart, Behooved is your next read. It's charming, quirky, and just the right amount of ridiculous—in the best way possible.

It was a fun read! Nice romance. Arranged marriage between nobles but they’re both duty oriented and willing to make an honest go of it. I have to say an amulet to turn an attacker into a horse is… stupid. Horses are dangerous if they decide to be. Thousand pound bundles of nervous prey animal can kick the strongest man into paste. Perhaps a nice amulet of turn the attacker into a chihuahua so you could pick it up ? But hey, for plot purposes it must be a horse…

Thank you to Bramble for access to the eARC via NetGalley!

Behooved is a fun, charming, and lighthearted romantasy read. I especially appreciated the realistic chronic illness rep, which made perfect sense after reading the author’s note. I also really liked that the MMC wasn’t hypermasculine or the typical “dark and brooding” type that seems to dominate the genre. It was refreshing to see a softer, more reserved love interest.

I found the concept of magic being controlled and weaponized by the government particularly compelling. The transformation of something inherently natural and untamed into a tool for technological advancement and warfare was clever world-building in a fantasy world, made even more believable by the government’s manipulation of public perception by framing untrained, unpredictable magic as dangerous and outlawing it to maintain control.

The book is a standalone, which is totally fine, but it did mean that the plot felt a bit underdeveloped and somewhat predictable at times. I also wasn’t entirely sold on the romance between the FMC and MMC (it’s hard to believe in a deep, lasting connection that was formed over just a few days). I would have loved to see more of the magic system explored as well. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed following Bianca and Aric along on their journey!

Behooved is a whimsical and heartfelt fantasy that offers charming moments, witty dialogue, and enough horse puns to make any dad-joke enthusiast smile. I appreciated its sensitive portrayal of chronic illness—a rare and appreciated theme in the romantasy genre. Stevenson's effort to bring visibility to this experience through a magical lens is commendable and may speak deeply to readers looking for representation in their stories.

That said, the novel’s appeal may be more suited to a younger audience. The plot relies heavily on miscommunications and misunderstandings that feel implausible among more mature characters, which can be frustrating for adult readers seeking complexity and depth in character interactions. While the world is populated by a wide cast, many of the characters feel one note and beg the question "Why are you here?"

Overall, Behooved reads much like a young adult fantasy—light, accessible, and emotionally earnest. Those looking for a richly layered romantasy might find this one a bit too simplistic. However, readers who enjoy gentle, low-stakes fantasy with a self-aware comedic tone will have a great time with this one.

P.S. I can't help but feel like I've now read the real-world version of Big Mouth's The Rock of Gibraltar

4.5 stars rounded up and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC!

Behooved gave me two things:
1. A magic system that made sense
2. Main characters that were absolutely obsessed with each other the very second they started actually speaking to each other.

If that was all it gave me, I'd still rate it very high. This book was so fun and the characters were believable and frustrating and lovely all in one.
Bianca is told she must marry the soon-to-be king of a rival nation, but no amount of trade negotiations is going to make her love Aric. That is, until an assassination attempt on their wedding night accidentally turns Aric into a horse during the day and back into a man at night. Those cold....lonely nights.

But in all seriousness, I truly loved every minute of this story. Bianca has a chronic pain condition that anyone with celiac will recognize instantly. And while there are moments of "we can fix you," they're mostly hand waved away with a "I don't need fixing, I just need management, thank you."

The idea of this story was great and the book itself was pretty good. I enjoyed when the Aric and Bianca were interacting, but I just wish that there had been more interactions between them or other characters. Most of the time it felt like Bianca was just going over everything in her head, so that got a bit repetitive. The magic system was interesting and the fact that the approach to magic was vastly different between the lands also added some mystery. If you read this one be prepared for horse jokes because with Aric turning into a horse they are popping up all over the place which was cute.

Plot: Our FMC, is a disappointment to her parents and feels like a failure because of her chronic pain and the guilt she feels because she isn't the "perfect daughter." So when an opportunity arises to marry a foreign prince to secure a needed alliance that will prevent war, she agrees to go. She is determined to make her family proud even if this new prince is rumored to be a bit of a jerk, and even if she has to leave a beloved sister behind. However, not everything, or really anything, is at it seems when she final meets up with her soo-to-be-husband. After a spell gone wrong, and lots of horsing around, our FMC has to save herself, her new husband, and her countries alliance.

Overall thoughts: This book was a really fun read. Kind of like a cozy fantasy mystery with a little danger and spice woven in. This would be a GREAT standalone read following a heavy read or a big ol' series. I could see it easily curing a book hangover.
I loved that the FMC represented some chronic pain realness. As someone with a chronic pain disorder I saw what I go through on a daily basis and could really sympathize with our poor FMC. I've never had to save my husband from a spell gone wrong but I have had to survive a 40hr work week and that seems about the same. Ish. I really appreciated her sass on top of having to deal with a world falling apart and chronic pain. Sometimes that's how you cope. That rang incredibly true for me.
I liked the MMC a lot too. He's something different from what I've seen a lot of in the fantasy/romantasy realm recently and I appreciated that. He's a bit softer. A lover/reader and not a fighter. While the FMC get's to be the badass and the fighter. The story also flowed really nicely. I enjoyed the authors writing style and the length of the book for a standalone. For me it was the perfect length.
It did feel a bit like the author was, on occasion, trying a bit too hard. Sometime simple language is all we need. You don't need to say a chair is "squatting" on the other side of the room. You can just say the chair is there. You don't need to make everything fancy and floral. Just say the chair is there so I'm not taken out of the moment and picturing a chair come to life, Beauty and the Beast style, squatting in a corner... Beautiful word choice and allegory are important but not needed in every paragraph. Ya know? But it wasn't too bad. but clearly noticeable. I still really enjoyed the book over all.


What made my weirdo heart happy:
"...like any young person learning a foreign language, I'd acquired as many lascivious phrases as possible." Truth is spoken here.
"Oh. The bed. There was only one."
"...I had proved myself as useful as a dessert fork in a naval battle." I will be using this.


Will I read more books by this author?: Yes. I enjoyed the sass of the FMC and would love to read more of it.

Would I recommend this book to a friend?: Yes. Absolutely.

Bianca is the second daughter of a noble family in a typical fantasy kingdom. In order to avoid a war with a neighboring kingdom, she agrees to marry the heir presumptive, Aric. At first, they clash a lot. But on their wedding night they are attacked by an assassin. Bianca uses a spell that her sister gave her for protection without knowing what it would do. Instead of stopping the assassin, it turns Aric into a horse. Now they must try to break the spell and get back in time for the coronation. Overall, a light and fun fantasy romance.

The twist where Aric turned into a stallion at night gave this Romantasy a bit of a Beauty and the Beast vibe, as Bianca and Aric try to navigate assassins on their tail and their political alliance/marriage. There was a lot going on here, with multiple forces trying to win the political game, but the worldbuilding was good.

Overall, it was a really fun read.

This book was so much fun! I went into it completely blind; I fell in love with the cover and decided to read it on the spot without knowing anything about it. First of all, this book gives Gail Carson Levine and fairytale retelling vibes all day and I’m here for it!

Without giving too much away, I can say that the characters are interesting and layered. The FMC has some kind of chronic intestinal distress and I think many readers will find that representation welcome. The MMC also struggles with low self esteem and both MCs parents seem to have made this worse for them both. Both MCs have satisfying growth in this tale.

I loved the fun magic systems and the political intrigue elements in the story. There is a romance element and personal growth storyline and both were satisfying. The relationships in the story were interesting and went beyond just the MMC and FMC, which was nice.

I was able to have access to the audiobook version as well as the ebook version thanks to Macmillan Audio, Tor/Bramble, and NetGalley and the narrator, Natalie Naudus, did a wonderful job. She has a variety of voices and intonations that made each character distinct. Naudus has excellent diction and clear enunciation and is a pleasure to listen to—she really does this fantasy story brilliantly!

I will recommend this story to my cozy fantasy and romantacy readers and I think regular romance readers looking for a switch up would like this too.

This was my first cozy storyline of the year and it was marvelous! The health rep that was showing in the FMC was so well done, felt like I was reading about myself in there. Aric is such a wonderful book love interest!

Thank you Bramble for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good cozy fantasy read that’s easy to dive into. Behooved had all the elements I love… arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, and adventure. But unfortunately, this one just didn’t land for me. I’m not sure if it was the writing style that felt a bit more YA or if Bianca‘s character fell a bit flat, but I just struggled to stay engaged and excited about continuing on reading. I know not all books you read are going to be ones you love, but I’m hopeful that if this lands in the right hands, it will be loved and appreciated the way it deserves.

The premise of this book reminded me of Shrek. If Fiona was a man who became a horse instead of an ogre. It also gives whimsical childhood vibes. I typically do not like forced marriage tropes, however this one is splendid. I think i’m fantasy, especially for political kingdom reasons, the trope can be amazing. This book proves that. There’s chronic illness representation that isn’t just magically “poofed away” like many fantasies will do.
The age rage of our main characters are ones I feel I don’t see often.

All around a good tale with many good features.

Bianca is promised in marriage to the heir of a neighboring kingdom. On their wedding night, they're attacked by an assassin and she defends herself with a magic charm ... that turns her husband into a horse. Oops? After a few other plot points, she hops on his back and they ride away for a road trip honeymoon to get his human body back and foil the plot against the throne.

As you might expect, this is a silly, cute fantasy. Personally, I wouldn't classify it as "cozy" because despite the silliness the stakes are still very high! I also appreciated the disability rep: Bianca has an unknown "condition" that causes her terrible nausea and fatigue. The author's note included a personal relationship with celiac disease as well as thoughts on how it might have affected epic fantasy characters who survive on lembas bread for the duration of their quests...

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

E-ARC generously provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! Thank you!

What a delightful romantsy novel filled with so much emotion! I adored the comedy sprinkled throughout and the development of Bianca and Aric's relationship. The setup of the story was great, especially with the slow build of introducing the characters. The plot was great since Bianca had accidentally cursed her husband, Aric, into becoming a horse and the antics to break it. The romance was slowly building as they learned to accept and learn more about each other. The minor characters were great as well like Tatiana, Bianca's sister, stood out. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic romantsy, especially for those looking for strong comedy and banter.

Behooved is an excellent cozy romantasy that is full of magic and whimsy! This did take a while for me to get into, but once it fully grasped my attention, I didn’t want to put it down!

Bianca is a very realistic main character. She has an illness, which according to the author’s note is based on celiac disease. I really liked this addition to the book–especially the fact that even if this is a fantasy novel, there is no cure for it. Aric is quite hard to read at first, but as the book goes on he is really lovely. Their banter was so good!

I enjoyed the plot of this book–very easy to follow, predictable yet satisfying, and entertaining. This is the perfect book to read when you want something to escape into with low stakes and great pacing. Overall, this was a silly and fun book! Thank you Netgalley and Bramble for the early copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Behooved by M. Stevenson is an utterly delightful & highly entertaining cozy fantasy romance that is a ride of a time.

Behooved is great for those looking to read…
💜 Cozy Fantasy Romance
💜 Arranged Marriage
💜 Chronic Illness Representation
💜 Queernormative World
💜 Bi4Bi Pairing
💜 Only One Bed
💜 Bookish Love Interest
💜 Hate to Love

This was wildly unexpected but just a fun & easy to escape in read that had me amused, immersed & entertained though out. I love a nerdy bookish book interest & this was a great hero along with a fierce heroine.

I am always so grateful for the chronic illness representation & I thought this was done so well. I live for feeling seen in the books I read & I am so thankful for this.

I was fortunate enough to listen to the audiobook of this & it was just wonderful. I could not stop listening to this. The narrator did great & I listened at 2x & it was perfect for my ADHD brain.

If you are looking for a cozy, easy to escape in fantasy romance that’s unique & wild adventure, I highly recommend Behooved!

Massive thanks to NetGalley, Tor/Bramble & Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

I will post on socials & Amazon around release week & add links once I do. I

I had such a great time listening to the audiobook for this wonderful story. Natalie Naudus was a perfect pick for the narration and Bianca’s voice. This fantasy world was interesting and I loved the characters.

Bianca was a character I related to on many levels. She has a hard time believing in herself because of what she has been told by her parents about her chronic illness. It was so powerful to see her find confidence in herself. Also, I’m glad that her illness cannot just be magically cured and she keeps fighting even when she is having one of her flares of sickness and pain. Many times in fantasy where there is magic being used so much in the world, an illness would have been healed quickly in the book. It feels much more real to see her having to continue on even when she feels terrible and this shows her strength. I like that this was an empowering story along with the fantasy and romance aspects.

Arranged marriages are quite common in fantasy novels and I enjoyed seeing how M. Stevenson had Aric turn into a horse. There was so much humor because of this, especially with the horse puns. Bianca and Aric’s relationship was charming in every way. Aric is the type of character I adore. He at first seems to be aloof, but it doesn’t take long to see the man he really is. Such a sweetheart. I like how they both are able to help the other feel more comfortable being who they are. Their romance was sweet.

I look forward getting my own copy of this wonderful book for my collection and reading more of M. Stevenson’s writing. I recommend this book to cozy fantasy fans, fantasy romance fans, and fans of My Lady Jane.