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.

ok, i sat on it for a day. listen, there were fun parts. but also it was largely a mess.

the plot? nonsensical. the magic system? relatively nonexistent? but that’s ok because it’s a romantasy and it’s about the romance, right?

however, the romance here was kind of… a mess? i mean don’t get me wrong, they were cute but it was just so all over the place. it was “oh we hate each other” and then “truce because we’re on the run” and then “ooh we are in love” and it just felt VERY fast to me.

it was also like… incredibly my lady jane derivative. like idk why i would read this when i can just watch that.

again, fun, but not my cup of tea.

Behooved by M. Stevenson is a captivating exploration of self-discovery. This enchanting novel not only takes readers on a refreshing journey but also offers a delightful fairy tale romance that will resonate with horse enthusiasts. The witty narrative had me eagerly turning the pages, eager to uncover what would happen next.

I am shocked to learn the characters are 26 and 29. So many examples I could name of the main characters trying to throw quips and it just fell so flat and cringe.

The plotline is very simplistic, every character falls into their trope easily. I knew the villain as soon as they introduced him. It was all very surface level writing. EXCEPT when we are going on and on AND on about being weak, about not being good enough, about whether you are worth it.. honestly could have chopped at least 50 pages of the same boring internal conversation.

If it was labeled as YA and an editor had chopped some of the internal dialogue down I would have bumped this up to a 3 star. The writing is very readable it truly just needed some TLC.

Thank you to NetGalley and TOR/Bramble for the ARC copy!

This is a quick read, definitely slow to get going and most of our time is spent over just a few days of travel. It felt like the last 25% of the book was the strongest section with how everything came together and the plot was really moving along. Most of the book felt as if it could have been condensed or had more going on to really flesh it out. Overall, it was a fun concept and our cast of characters was endearing and interesting to read about.

Perfect for fans of "My Lady Jane", arranged-marriage, spells gone awry, and top-notch banter! I highly recommend Behooved to anyone in search of a cozy-romantasy that will make you laugh, cry, and want to shake the two main characters, screaming "JUST KISS ALREADY!".

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Behooved! Pub Date: May 20, 2025

A cozy and unique romantasy!! I think this one will be a big hit for any fans of My Lady Jane yearning for a second season. I love the chronic illness rep and the absolutely badass FMC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for this advanced copy.

This was such a sweet, tender, and fun love story. We have quite literally a Shy King Aric, who melted my heart as easily as he melted Bianca’s. And Bianca herself? Such a warm hearted—tough as nails—protagonist. I wasn’t expecting this story to make me cry, but it did. I loved the world, the magical and political systems that were effortlessly built into the story. All of the side characters shined! I wish I had better words, I really was enchanted by this.

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan, and M. Stevenson for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

DNF at 13%. The writing here was just very awkward, and there’s little context for the story. And given the very obvious parallels to My Lady Jane, I’d have liked something to make this stand out a little more, but beyond being cringe, I can’t say it’s all that compelling.

Behooved hit that rare sweet spot for me: comforting without being shallow, fun without being fluffy. The magically-infused world had just enough structure to feel lived in, but it never got bogged down in lore. I liked that the stakes were personal and emotional more than epic. And yes, I was absolutely charmed by the fact that one of the main characters spends much of the book... not entirely human. Somehow, it worked.

The tone felt cozy-adjacent, with bits of humor and tenderness threaded through. I especially appreciated the way the book handled disability and queerness like it was just part of the fabric of the world. Nothing preachy or heavy-handed. Just present.

It wasn’t trying to be flashy, but it delivered exactly what I wanted: a lovely setting, characters I cared about, and a story that left me feeling like I’d spent time somewhere warm.

I went into this book expecting it to be cheesy. HOLY COW, was I wrong! The FMC was written so beautifully, and the growth throughout the book was amazing. The enemies-to-lovers was so well done, with lots of banter and just a little yearning. Love that it’s a standalone, and the story was all wrapped up at the end. Highly recommend Behooved to anyone who loves romantasy!

This was a fun, charming, and light-hearted read that had the perfect blend of romantasy and comedy. As a former horse girlie, I was kicking my feet over some of the banter and how lovable tropes were woven into the characters’ precarious situation. The writing style was enjoyable and this book was really easy to unwind with at the end of a stressful day. Personally, I like a little more world building and reason/purpose explained for magic systems in order for it to feel like a fully fleshed out world, because there were moments when I felt like there was a small disconnect between the setting and the scenario. All this being said, I really enjoyed this read and I’m grateful for the opportunity to read it early!

I unfortunately had to DNF this book after 10 chapters. The idea is there, but the execution is not. This title needs a lot more revision, sense of voice, and ironing out plot wholes/lines of logic before it's ready to go to print.

This book caught my attention first for its cover. There was just something so striking about it. The more I looked at it, the more I saw, from the castle, to the white stallion, to the representation of day and night. It’s an absolutely stunning cover for a delightful story!

This was a lovely easy read that had adventure and antics galore. Between Bianca’s internal monologue, her sister Tatiana’s experimenting and Aric’s self deprecating I found myself giggling out loud. I especially loved the connection Aric and Bianca had when he was in his horse state, as it gives us real insight to what Aric is feeling/thinking (panicking?) without having a true “second POV”.

The setting for this story was vivid in its description and the magic system well thought out and very straightforward. I appreciated that in a book like this as I was looking for something lite and knew we couldn’t get too heavy since it’s a standalone!

All in all, I would absolutely pass this on to any of my friends looking for a lighthearted, Romantasy standalone! Big thank you to the author, M. Stevenson and the team at Tor Publishing for granting me the opportunity to read this as an eARC on NetGalley!!

In this lighthearted fantasy adventure, noblewoman Bianca has always struggled with chronic illness. Told repeatedly that her disability makes her useless and the only thing she has to offer is obedience, Bianca is bullied into an arranged marriage with the newly crowned king of a neighboring country. When Bianca meets her intended, Aric, he treats her coldly, leaving Bianca to believe that he hates her. On their wedding night, Bianca and Aric are threatened with an assassination attempt. It fails, but the chaotic magic curses Aric to turn into a horse by day and a man by night. Going on the hoof (run) with her part-time equine husband, Bianca must rise to meet new challenges and restore her husband before the curse becomes permanent. I thought this book had a good balance of humor, magic, pining, and a touch of serious topic. Bianca's illness is handled with sensitivity (which makes sense, as the author also has celiac disease) and I enjoyed the slower pace of Aric and Bianca's relationship. I heartily agree with a reviewer who called it a confection, but I say my fork is poised - bring on the extra frosting!

Thank you NetGalley and Bramble for the ARC (I also recieved a physical ARC of the book)! Behooved is a delightful cozy romantasy! Bianca is told she must agree to a marriage agreement to keep the peace between the two countries. When she arrives for her wedding, her soon-to-be husband, Prince Aric, does not greet her at the docks and when they finally do meet, is cold and distant. When their wedding night finally arrives, the two are attacked by would-be assassins and, in casting a spell to deflect the assassins, Bianca accidentally turns Aric into a horse! Now for their own saftey, the two are on the run until they can work out just who was the target of the assassination and more importantly, who was behind it. As they travel, Bianca and Aric get to know one another and discover that they may have been fed incorrect information, and they may be more compatiable than they thought. With fast=paced action, heart fluttering scenes, and delightful characters, Behooved is a great read for those looking to dip their toes in romantasy or are looking for a lighter, cozier romantasy read.

This adventurous fantasy romance story drew me in with its beautiful cover and interesting premise. Horse by day, husband by night? I HAD to know how that turned out! I enjoyed Bianca and Aric’s dynamic. Their journey from reluctant allies to lovers was very sweet. I enjoyed their banter and adaptability through their blunders. I also liked all of the side characters introduced. If there were more books in this world, I would hope at least one would be about Tatiana. In this book, I felt there were plotlines that didn’t fully reach conclusions. Most notably to me, the mystery of Bianca’s illness. It felt like it was going to be explored further, but wasn’t. Overall, it was a fun fantasy romance book that fantasy readers would enjoy.

Lighthearted romantasy with a equine twist.

I saw "horse by day, man by night" and was instantly sold on this. That this also had an arranged marriage and hostility-to-love plotline, as well as a bi protagonist with celiac disease, I had no idea, but found it to be a pleasant surprise.

I enjoyed the variety of horse-related similes and metaphors that come up way before the whole horse-curse even comes up in the plot. It gave me a good chuckle, while also fitting with the fantasy setting (that, just for the record, isn't really all that overtly horses based.)

I don't want to talk too much about the plot - there's an arranged marriage, a curse, and a plot against the king-to-be, so mainly a fairly lighthearted political intrigue storyline with romance and some adventure. While the lives of the main characters are threatened, it overall felt pretty low stakes, as it never turned dark and even the more intense scenes were resolved rather quickly. The reader is never really left to stew in tension for long.

I absolutely loved the side characters, and I really wanted to see more of them! Julieta was amazing but has way too little on-page time, and her personal storyline resolution was a bit too quick - but I also really appreciated the overall lack of drama that generally is in the book. So many things could have turned into huge deals, but didn't, simply because the characters chose kindness and to listen to others.
Marya and Tatiana were delightful as well, and I think it's a crime that Tatiana only appears on-page towards the end. They, too, deserved more time and bigger roles in the plot, but that would have become a very different book, to be fair.

I admittedly wasn't the biggest fan of the romance. Generally, the book was much more driven by the plot than by the characters, and I didn't get the most emotional investment into any of the characters - maybe that is why I enjoyed the side characters so much, they added some variety and seemed fun. That said, I didn't dislike the main characters or their romance! I actually loved the non-traditional roles and dynamic between Bianca and Aric, with her being much more stern, brave and proactive, and him being nervous (even insecure), bookish and introverted. He is very much not a typical male fantasy hero, even when he is not a horse.
The beginning of their relationships is the only part of the book where communication and common sense do not prevail, but they have their reasons to not even want to try to hear the other out.

That said, there were quite a few inconsistencies, particularly in how people interacted. Several times, the way people reacted (or rather, did not react) to things happening felt super out of place or plain wrong to me, to the point it threw me out of the reading flow. It just felt too convenient that NO-ONE would react to these things, or the way the characters reacted was good for the plot but made no sense when looking at it for longer.

Overall I did have a good time with this, it's a quick read with a lovely non-traditional romance, plenty of fun horse puns, and an exciting plot!

4.5 🌟 and 2.5 🌶️
💚 Forced Marriage
💚 Chronic Illness representation
💚 LGBTQIA+ Representation
💚 Cozy Fantasy
💚 Grumpy x Grumpy
💚 One Bed
💚 HEA
💚 Magical Fairytale vibes
💚 A couple chapters of 🌶️

For all you lovers of Dreamwork’s notorious film “Spirit…. for everyone that loves bedtime fairytales with a little spice… For those of you that love when two grumps fall for each-other slowly but surely…. BOY DO I HAVE A STORY FOR YOU. 😆 Alright, kicking off at the beginning I was weary of this storyline. Her husband turning into a horse? But as the story progressed, I fell in love with the characters and the plot. The ending was not expected for me at all either which I always love. Overall, a fantastic read. I hope the author takes the time to write stories about the other characters, because as the story went on I found myself adoring them. Especially the FMC’s sister! She was hilarious. Also important to add, the PERFECT amount of spice. Not too much, not too little. Just enough that it makes sense with the story. But still hot. 😆 Fantastic read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Tor Publishing Group for the ARC.

Thank you, M. Stevenson, Tor Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the early preview of this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Title: Behooved
Author: M. Stevenson
Format: e-book

Review:

I was invested in seeing where this book went from the first chapter. The somewhat elegant fantasy prose of writing threw me off in the beginning to think this would be a more involved read for my brain. I was actually happy to learn that this turns into a cozy and cute romcom-esque book. I loved it!

I appreciated the representation of chronic illness in this book. I think it is so important to let people who suffer from various illnesses be represented in stories where those characters can do amazing things. I also loved that this world was SO queer-normative. I find it difficult sometimes when books try to do this and fall short. I was not disappointed.

Now for some spoiler-y info:
TONS of green flags for the MMC.
Yes he is moody at first, but he thinks he is being forced into a marriage too! (WHAT?! Yeah - exactly) but he asks for permission and lets FMC tell him what she wants without being guarded and judgy. Yes yes yes!

I at first thought that FMC was going to be turned into a horse. So in that, I was caught off guard. Then we learn that MMC is turned into a horse. Truly a riot. A sassy guy made into a horse and can only talk to the person he is being forced to marry… makes for a great time with lots of banter. And don’t get me started on the puns!

The ending did throw me off. Multiple people had their own agendas. I was bothered that there wasn’t one outright “bad guy”? But should I be bothered? I don’t know.. it wasn’t bad.. it’s very realistic to reality that multiple people will take advantage of a situation. I just don’t feel like it was super gratifying.

All in all, great story, fun read - definitely would recommend for romcom-y lovers!