A fun, cozy fantasy read about a sassy jewelry making elf who comes across a half-giant lavender lover boy. The spice is good, the romance is cute and the story overall gave good, warm fuzzy vibes.

To be honest, it wasn't for me. However, fans of the Mead Mishaps series may want to check this one out as it has a similar light romance-with-fantasy-elements kind of vibe.

TL/DR: Alright, you’ve read the synopsis, right? Awesome, just buy the book. If you like cozy fantasy romance, with magic and the perfect amount of spice, this is the book. Still not convinced? What if I told you that the two main characters each have their own insecurities; one who didn’t feel love as a child and uses sex to fill that void and the other who loves too quickly, has been hurt in the past, and has sworn off getting that close to anyone again? Oh, and there are bounty hunters. Also a HEA that will leave you smiling. Can you tell I loved this book?

Ok, so our FMC, Elikki, is an elf who can make beautiful jewelry that she can infuse with her magic. Unfortunately, she hasn’t quite mastered her magic and when she loses her temper, let’s just say her jewelry pieces respond in kind. She’s also been on her own for a long time and feels like she isn’t worth loving for more than a short period of time (again, her temper plays in here too). However, I love her vivaciousness, her love of adventure and her fearlessness (even when she’s scared out of her mind).

Then there is our MMC, Barra, a nearly 8 ft. tall, violet, half giant. My favorite thing about him is he tries to blend in and not draw attention to himself. He lives with his Mas and 3 sisters, keeping the books for the family business and traveling to give and receive orders. He is surrounded by love. In other words, opposites attracting doesn’t even cover it.

This book has all the elements of a cozy fantasy romance, but the stuff the characters are dealing with is something most of us have probably felt at some point. There are still outside forces against them (remember the bounty hunters?). However, in this book it’s the characters’ insecurities that they fight against that makes it different and special. Oh, and don’t forget about the spice. Yeah, that’s in there too.

I would like to thank the author, Kristen Vale, publisher Forever and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and voluntarily given. As always, I wish you happy reading!

A Tale of Mirth & Magic is a quick and cozy fantasy read centering around Elikki and Barra as they are on the run after Elikki has a disastrous encounter at a local market. It’s short, to-the-point, and very steamy!

I think this book is perfect for those who need a light and fast-paced read, especially for anyone currently in a reading slump. This will definitely help get out of it! It also has great diversity in the characters and world, and was entertaining while being low-stakes.

I liked the setup for this book but didn’t feel enough personal or relationship development was included. I didn’t buy in to the love story but could feel the attraction between the characters on a physical level.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Cozy, lighthearted, and fun without being too silly! Perfect length and tone. I think any longer and the story would've become drawn out unnecessarily.

Thank you to Kristen Vale and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!!! I have been reading a lot of fantasy related cozy type books., and this is just another good one. This has a tad more spice than the usual cozy fantasy book so really its the best of both words. Solid world building. AND A FMC that isn't short, just a really tall MMC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC. I loved the idea of it so much!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for providing me an eArc in exchange for a review!

A Tale of Mirth & Magic promises to bring cozy vibes and spice as we follow Elikki, an elf who uses her magic to create special jewelry and Barra, the soft half giant who ends up in her path. After rude man tries to make of with one of her most expensive pieces, Elikki's temper snaps...along with his wrist. Now on the run from town guards, Elikki and Barra, who had stepped in to help her escape, wind up in the forest. As they spend time together on the road, a relationship blooms.

The positives first. I really appreciated that Barra was the softer, more emotional one in the relationship. It's very rare to see in a genre so full of alpha male love interests. He truly was a gentle giant. There was another great subversion with Elikki being big in all senses of the word, big personality, big height, and big body. It's refreshing to find a heroine who isn't meek and basically a speck of dust. The pace is pretty quick which helped me move through easily.

But my biggest disappointment...the romance. There is just nothing there. The book is very short so it leaves their relationship progression to feel incredibly rushed. The first sex scene happens within the first 25% and after the characters have only known each other for maybe a few hours. I actually said to myself "oh, okay, guess we're doing this now" when it happened because it felt so sudden. There were also a few things Elikki said about relationships that really made me side eye her and those things are never brought up again either. Barra was so open and always tried to communicate but Elikki would always divert any thing he said by trying to initiate intimacy. It gave me a bit of an ick.

As I said, the pace is fast, but everything bends around the short page count. The romance is breakneck and the plot is paper thin. I feel a bit guilty giving this a low rating, but I think the biggest crime of romance book can commit is making me feel surprised when characters say 'I love you'.

This was a very cute and short romantasy book, with a lovable main couple! I found them to be really unique and I loved the bi4bi rep. The plot was very simple in a really nice way, which let me relax into the romance. Loved it!

🏳️‍🌈Queer rep: blBi/pan female MC, bi/pan male mc. Secondary FF couple, MM couple, nonbinary character, NB/NB couple.

This is a short cozy romance fantasy that’s full of charm and adventure, and I love the feel good sense this provides. The pacing feels consistent and the world is easy to grasp. There is a fun and lovable dynamic between our main characters that kept the story engaging and I enjoy the alternating povs so we are in both of their heads and fully immersed in the story. I feel like I don’t see too many traditionally published cozy fantasy books with spice, and the spice felt natural.

I like both characters, I love how Elikki was independent and feisty and Barra is protective and sweet, however, there did feel like a lack of chemistry and tension and I would have liked more growth with the characters. Also at times it felt like some things were being too descriptive while other times we lacked details.

This is definitely my kind of story. The only reason I did not give five stars because sometimes you just find a main character unlikable for most of the story which is what happened here. We meet Elikki who is a magical jewelry maker who travels from town to town. Her temper gets her in trouble with the law, and she must run or get arrested. The sweet Barra who is a half giant saves her and decided to travel with her. Elikki is brash, childish, selfish, bad with emotions, and hurtful to Barra who deserves the absolute best! He puts himself out there and is used to getting crushed. While Elikki does get her crap together eventually and helps Barra feel more confident in himself, he was such a well written character that is hurt to see him hurt! Otherwise, the story was cute and exciting. The worldbuilding was great and I can't wait to see what this author does next.

I love this book so much. It's cozy and escapist but also very emotionally layered and thoughtful. The romance is so authentic and smoking hot. This book is perfect for the reader who always wants more fantasy in their romance and more romance in their fantasy.

A cozy delight! The characters were complex with realistic intimacy issues on a cozy adventure with zany side characters that kept things light hearted.

What an absolute delight this was!
The body positivity was exceptional. Our FMC was a fiesty plus size elf working through childhood trauma which honestly resonated with me so much as a child with parents who seemingly couldn’t be bothered. I loved how Barra was willing to just be with her even though he wanted to move much faster; he gave her the space.

But this was also a super fun read of two people seemingly on the run while obviously not trying to fall for each other.

A Tale of Mirth & Magic is a cozy, feel good read with the perfect amount of spice! I absolutely adored the dynamic between Elikki and Barra. Both characters deal with their own baggage and insecurities, and I appreciated that the relationship wasn’t some magical fix but rather a support system for their individual growth.

The story moves at a great pace but still cozy and comforting. There’s a lot of humor woven in, but it never undercuts the emotion. This world felt charming and cozy without being overly simplistic.

The dual POV worked really well for me and it added a lot of depth to the story.

If you’re in your cozy fantasy era like me and love a mix of charm, chaos, and sweet romance with a little heat, this one is a great pick. I read it quickly and enjoyed every minute. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from Kristen Vale!

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

A fun, magical romp. I'm not usually a fan of insta-lust, but it works in this one. Both characters have some development in their view of both themselves and their relationships throughout the story. This was a cute and enjoyable read.
I appreciate the publisher reaching out to me and offering me an advance copy to review.

First, thank you to Lauren at Book Huddle, Orbit, and NetGalley for the ARC!

This cozy romantasy had a lot of charm and was a quick, enjoyable read. However, I found it a bit difficult to connect with the main character, and the plot felt somewhat disjointed at times. The story often focused more on meals and descriptions of food than on advancing the narrative, which left me wanting more substance and development. I didn't love it, but could have if there had been a little more depth to the story and characters.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an engaging read! I enjoyed the plot and would read it again.

4⭐️ 3🌶️
Love a good journeying together across the kingdom together vibe for some forced proximity. Elikki, the curvy elf magical jewelry maker baddie was a fun FMC This cozy low stakes adventure brings Elikki together with Barra, a lavender-skinned half-giant golden retriever of a hunky man. Swoon! Barra is such a gentlemanly giant that knows how to sweep a woman off her feet and Elikki is chaotic and charming and bubbly on the outside but definitely traumatized on the inside with her walls up, unable to let anyone in fully. Elikki is a lover but a leaver, she never expected to catch feelings. Will this sweet hunk be able to crack through her shell before they have to part ways on their journey?
The spice came in strong and flowers throughout the book, but it was well done.
Everything I need in a cozy spicy palette cleanser!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the author for letting me read this book in advance, in exchange for an honest review!

I tried to get into this one, really I did, because I love a good fantasy romance and the cover looked so cute!! But, the writing style of this story just wasn’t for me. I unfortunately had to dnf it after giving it several tries to grow on me.