Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is easily one of my favorites of the year! We’re dropped in the middle of a huge battle and quickly made to get our bearings. I’ll admit I was confused about the difference between a century, decade, etc. but that didn’t dampen my experience. I fell in love with Kat and Emory quickly and just needed them to catch up! I wish we had more from Emory, but it felt like Kat’s story arc made up for it. She started as a strong main character and only got better from there.

I loved the world building we get (although I could have had way more) and the world/magic is so unique. To me, this is a nice middle between cozy and fantasy. The stakes aren’t the highest, but I was still concerned about how things would shake out as they went, especially with the wonderful side characters/found family! I would love more books about literally any of the other decade members.

What a ride that was! This book explores the love and friendships forged between soldiers and the choices they face when they can finally lay down their weapons for good. The friends-to-lovers romance is cute and heartwarming as is the deep friendship that the soldiers share. The story is a very character driven slow burn that focuses on the evolving relationships and choices the soldiers have to make from love to what to do with the rest of their lives when the war is over. There are exciting battles and fighting too, but they aren't the main focus, rather this book is very much about exploring all the relationships and struggles faced by the soldiers. I can see this appealing to both romantasy and cozy fantasy readers.

I really appreciated the focus on the soldiers in this book and how the big heroes waltzing in to kill the demon lord effects them. It made for a nice change of pace to follow the infantrymen on the frontlines rather than the big shiny heroes. I was a little nervous when I saw the book was about the trope of killing the demon lord and his generals, but the focus on the soldiers and the end of the war was a refreshing take on that plot. The friendship between the soldiers also added a comforting layer to the story that worked well alongside the romance and brought cozy vibes to the book.

This was really cute!!
I love the friends to lovers trope. I think this one did it really well because both characters were trying to give themselves for the other person, before they were even completely sure what the other one felt.
The plot was a bit slow but it let us focus on the relationships, so it just depends what you’re looking for.
I will definitely try other books by this author!

There were some explicit scenes,

I enjoyed this book. Parts of the story did seem to drag a little, but the premise was good enough to keep me going. There wasn’t really an introduction to the story, it just dove right in. But then everything was explained later, which made the pacing feel off. The universe dynamics were pretty great, but a more thorough explanation on the military structure may have been helpful. Overall, I would recommend this to someone looking for a cozy story with some romantic and fantasy elements.

Short Summary:

🩶 A soldier and her battle partner have a one-night stand before they’re set to die in battle. But when circumstances change and they’re all saved, the future for the two of them is more uncertain than ever.

Best Parts:

🛡️ Character Building
🛡️ Universe Dynamics

Worst Parts:

🛡️ Pacing
🛡️ Weird Military Rules

This was my first read from this author but it definitely won’t be the last! Equal parts action and adventure and charming romance made for a fun read and had me devouring this in just one day! I really enjoyed not just Kat and Emory but all the side characters as well! Each contributed to this story as it progressed and that was wonderful!

Thank you for the opportunity to read early!

— 3.5 ✷


My experience reading this book was such a dichotomy.

I would be so invested in the story that it’s hard for me to put it down, but once I did, it took everything in me to pick it back up. But once I pushed through and forced myself to continue, I’d breeze through another 20% in one sitting. And thus the cycle went on.

I think it was a part of me that knew I could really really like this book if all the cards were played right. Like I was standing at the edge of a cliff and I was looking down at what could become one of my top 10 reads of the year. It was a sort of a funny, happy fear. The star rating spoils the result, but it was a book where I was particularly having difficulties in deciding how I felt about it.

Simply put, even though it didn’t end up being a favourite, I definitely liked it.


It was a unique plot where it begins with the end of a war, a war that the Chosen One ended, but the story is about the soldiers at the frontlines. It explores about what lies at the end of the road, after the war, after their purpose has been fulfilled, while grappling with romance with your longterm work partner. If this was the purpose, I think the execution was lacking. It was a bit too short to fully ground the starkness and unsureness of their situation. It’s not that I didn’t think both those objectives weren’t explored or fulfilled, I was just left wanting more (in a bad way) after closing the book.

It’s been awhile since I’ve picked up a romance that isn’t a reread but I really loved Emory and Kat’s story. There’s something really steady and comfortable in the way they interact with each other. The banter was charming and the sexual tension and chemistry was definitely palpable. I’ve always loved a love where you could also be best friends and this was exactly that.

I don’t like cozy fantasies so it always feel like a disservice whenever I describe a book I liked as cozy but this was cozy. Not in a boring way. This one had actual plot, stakes and great dynamics. It’s a book that happened to be cozy; it didn’t feel like it was projected, plotted and written to just be cozy. There’s a difference.

I didn’t necessarily have trouble with the pacing or immersing myself in the story. It flowed really well and the fact that I was subconsciously binging it whenever I picked it back up speaks volumes about the writing, I think. I’d be interested in reading another one of the author’s books where the plot devices worked out better. There was some parts that were obvious. There were also some small twists where, when you reached them, you realize the small foreshadowings you missed before, it was fun.


P.S. I would’ve loved a glossary for the military terms. I was forever confused and unsure about the centuries, decades and legions. I think I understood it correctly, but a confirmation would be nice.



Thank you to Del Rey, Emily Skrutskie and Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fun read that I devoured in a single day! I love its cozy, heartwarming feels while set against the backdrop of war and military life. Kat is a compelling protagonist, and her relationship with Emory is so sweet. If you love cozy romantasy, you should definitely check this one out!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Legionnaire’s Guide to love and peace was a cozy quick read. This fantasy novel does a good balance between character development and world building in my opinion.

The hardest past of this book was me trying to figure out how to spell legionnaire’s.

I would recommend this book to those that understand finding a balance in life can be challenging, like a bit of romance, and love characters who take charge of their story.

Thanks NetGalley and publishers for this preview.

"We're going to get through this, and I'm going to have my pineapple, and you're going to have your strawberry mead."
- Katrien

Overall: 4 stars
Perfect for fans of: Raleigh and Mako in Pacific Rim, Dragon Age: Awakening, and fruit-flavored beer
Follow up with: The Will of the Many by James Islington, The Element of Fire by Martha Wells

Emily Skrutskie’s first foray into romantic fantasy hits all the notes one would expect from the genre without dragging, and has the time and capability to challenge some of the tropes we’ve all become familiar with. Legionnaire’s is a very successful inversion of the classic fantasy story, and the romance is enjoyable enough (although not earth-shatteringly romantic) to keep the story powering through.

Legionnaire’s starts at the end of the classic fantasy story; the big bad is defeated by a hero with a never-before-seen amount of power, the continent is liberated from years of fear and terror, and everyone is suddenly free to live their lives without worrying about demons pouring out from the aptly-named Mouth Of Hell. When we first meet Kat and Emory, they’re army fodder about to march directly on this Mouth, and have taken advantage of this clearly deadly mission to break some rules. Specifically the rule about fraternization between soldiers. And in their commanding officer’s tent. Immediately, Skrutskie establishes the emotional lynchpin of this story. I was worried showing her hand so early would make it drag, removing the will-they won’t-they that almost every other romantasy author relies on, but Skrutskie introduces more conflict later that’s so much more interesting and revealing than “will they sleep together” that it actually works better than I could’ve anticipated.

I’m sure some people will argue that the middle third of the book drags. We see only a few actual battles (and most are over or almost over by the time our narrator Kat arrives) and instead get drawn into the logistics of what an army does when the threat they were formed to face has fallen. I loved this part. I loved seeing how the soldiers were forced to adapt and how this changed everyone’s relationships and priorities. I thought the emphasis on the administrative effort of managing a large military force was actually considered, and Skrutskie continues a pattern I’ve noticed before in her other books (especially The Salvation Gambit, which I read last year and adored). She refuses to handwave away some of the fundamental assumptions you have to make when reading genre fiction, and invites the reader to be a participant in the world building and understanding the true scope of her stories.

Legionnaire’s is, more than anything else, great fun. The story is engaging and the world building is unique, but the focus is primarily on the relationships between Kat and her fellow soldiers — obviously Emory, but the rest of the decade also plays an important role in the story. Sometimes the true reward really is the friends you’ve made along the way, and in Legionnaire’s, the friends are genuinely a reward for reading the book. I will be up front and say I am not really a romance fan, and while I didn’t really feel a push to engage with Kat and Emory, the bonds they both had with their decade made the book worthwhile for me.

Overall, this is a really impressive first effort in fantasy that, despite not nailing every aspect and every landing, had enough twists, turns, and subversions to keep me eagerly reading until the end.

This is one of those books that feels as though it’s written just for me. It’s character driven with a fun magic system where the main character learns just enough for what she needs to do (without ever a lecture or exposition in sight), with strong world building, a found family of all of her fellow soldiers, a dry sense of humor, strong writing and a lightning fast pace that had me finishing in one sitting.

Kat is a battle weary but not hardened infantry soldier who was drafted into service so that she — like so many young men and women — could fight an endless war against demons. And now that the demons are gone and the world saved, she’s stuck between wanting to leave the army and go home, because of course she wants to go home, and not wanting to leave Emory, her battle partner and lover. He, on the other hand, enlisted. He had always wanted to be a soldier, wanting a place to belong, a purpose to call his own, a family he could belong to. The idea of leaving the world he chose is … daunting.

Then there’s Prince Adrian who is spoiled, entitled, selfish, vain, thoughtless and earnest in the way only a Chosen One could be. And he’s picked Kat to be his friend, advisor, and devoted admirer … and she is so over him. Her scenes putting up with him were some of my favorites, because Kat is able to see the good in him as well as all of his many, many, many flaws and small, careless cruelties.

Kat doesn’t sass the prince, doesn’t snap back with modern wit and clever lines. She’s a soldier with limited education who knows that to mouth off to the prince could mean her head. Instead she’s clever, patient, and does her best to protect her infantry brothers and sisters. She’s compassionate, courageous, and an excellent heroine. She’s not the Chosen One, she’s just the one who’s there at the right time doing the right thing. Which is killing demons.

This book doesn’t have lengthy battle scenes, though in the few there are the author writes them well enough that I was able to get a feel for what was going on, and it helps that they were all filtered through Kat’s POV. The world building is skillfully inserted in conversations and observations with never an info dump to be seen. Honestly, I’d love more books in this world, and will be keeping an eye out for more work from this author.

Thank you so very much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!

just terribly charming and entertaining. exactly what it purports itself to be, with characters who instantly pop

If a cozy romantasy can be set in wartime, this is the book. Well written, well paced, diverse and believable characters who grow over the course of the book. A unique and interesting magic system. Everything about this book flowed and despite the demons and politics, I still found myself kicking my feet with the light at the relationships, both romantic and otherwise. The demons and politics themselves were well written and believable and everything served to progress the plot. No wasted words here which made it an easy and very satisfying read. I will definitely be recommending this to my friends and anyone who enjoys a quality read with battles and political machinations but still enjoys a cozy fantasy romance.

Thank you, NetGalley and Del Rey Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a cozy, warm hug of a read, with a little spice thrown in! Kat and Emory are adorable. After fighting together for years through a brutal war, they're both trying to figure out what they want next. Emory is convinced he'll remain an enlisted soldier, while Kat can't wait to return to her father's forge. Emily Skrutskie does a great job of exploring the internal struggle that happens when people change and the dreams they wanted no longer fit who they are.

The plot was fast paced and even though it takes place in a fantasy world, I never felt like I was being hit over the head with world building or info dumping. The side characters were quirky and I was always happy to see them pop up on page. But of course, the real heart of this book is the relationship between Kat and Emory. Their devotion to one another was so endearing and I couldn't get enough of their food list. Their side quests to find certain food items that got them through the war were all well placed, cute, and didn't slow down the plot. I also really appreciated that there was still fighting, adventure, and magic throughout to keep things moving.

I highly recommend this book and loved it enough that I plan to buy a physical copy when it's published!

I went into this book thinking I was going to have a silly goofy good time but I ended up losing interest in the story about half way through. I think it was just too slow paced for me and I needed more.

I adored this book! While you probably can't call it a "cozy fantasy" since it is about war and fighting demons and technically has higher stakes, it gave me the same warm and fuzzy feelings as other cozy fantasies do. This book was a perfect standalone story for anyone who enjoys zany characters, discovering your own potential, and beautiful slow burn friends-to-lovers romance.

The romance was so well plotted and felt real and believable to me the entire time. It truly was able to grasp the delightful feeling of being in love with your best friend and them knowing you better than you may know yourself. Every single interaction Kat and Emory had made me swoon, and the last two chapters were practically perfect in giving me everything I hoped for them.

The world building was also excellently done, from the magic system that was wholly unique, to the nobility and different areas of the world, to the *brilliant* foreshadowing that- while I did call it when it was mentioned early on in the book- left me so satisfied with how everything played out.

Overall I am so pleased with this book. It felt like a breath of fresh air, and I would highly recommend it to any romantic fantasy lover who may be looking for a "lower stakes" book that still has a great kick of adventure and self discovery! Thank you so much Del Ray and NetGalley for sending me this e-ARC!

A Legionnaire's Guide to Love and Peace
by Emily Skrutskie
Pub Date: Jun 24 2025

On the eve of the battle that will decide the realm of Telrus’s fate, Katrien takes a hard look at her prospects. A mere legionnaire, she and her spear will be at the fore in the morning, facing off against the Demon Lord and his wretched army, and it’s all but certain she’ll perish in the fight. But if the end of the world is mere hours away, there’s no reason not to hook up with her handsome, dedicated battle partner, Emory—despite any antifraternization policies their centurion may have in place.

Only the world doesn’t end the next day. Instead, an insufferable prince raised in hiding comes out of nowhere with a plucky band of heroes, defeats the Demon Lord, and seals the rift to the hellish plane. The realm is saved. The war is over. And Kat suddenly has a lot more future than she knows what to do with. It’s a future that could include Emory. . . . if only he weren’t so set on staying enlisted in the very army Kat was unwillingly drafted into.

And while the Demon Lord has been destroyed, peace is still a long march away. When Kat inadvertently catches the eye of the prince, she, Emory, and the rest of their motley unit are pulled to the fore of the formation—and the heart of the danger—as the army embarks on one last campaign. The mission: laying a road as a foundation for the prince’s future rule. The real mission: scouring the last of the Demon Lord’s servants from the material plane.

As Kat and Emory work to secure a lasting peace, they’ll have to decide what they want their futures to look like—and if there’s room for love at the end of the road.

"A Legionnaire's Guide to Love and Peace" by Emily Skrutskie is a character-driven romantasy that follows two legionnaires as they navigate both war and the peace that follows. Having read and loved her other book, The Salvation Gambit, I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. More on that later.

The story opens with a battle against the Demon Lord and his minions - a confrontation that will decide the fate of the realm of Telrus. Katrien and her battle partner, Emory, don’t expect to survive it. But help comes from an unexpected source: an insufferable prince raised in hiding swoops in and saves the day. And yet, it’s not over. He has one final mission for Katrien and her decade, after which he’ll release from service those who wish to leave. Katrien must decide what she wants for her future, navigate her new responsibilities, and maybe - just maybe - find love along the way. Not an easy task, especially in an army with strict anti-fraternization policies.

Overall, it’s a solid fantasy filled with rich world-building, vivid and original characters, and a unique magical system. I loved that the legions were modeled after Roman military structure. The idea of tokens needing to be cultivated - and their intriguing source - was a fresh take I really enjoyed. The slow-burn romance was well-developed and built gradually, with some intimate scenes thrown in for good measure. I also enjoyed the interactions between the characters and their conflicts. Skrutskie's writing is good, but the plot itself didn’t always engage me. It lacked momentum and was too slow for my taste, which made it harder to stay invested.

That said, while the story had a lot of potential, it didn’t fully live up to its early promise. The premise is fantastic, but the execution fell a bit flat. The pacing is uneven - moments of high tension are followed by slower, less gripping passages. The beginning hooked me immediately, throwing us into the action and gradually revealing the world. But the middle lagged, with only occasional bursts of action.

For my taste, there simply wasn’t enough going on to keep my attention, and I wasn’t fully invested. It’s not a bad story, but it wasn’t the captivating read I had hoped for. I rate it 3 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to readers who enjoy character-based narratives, slow-burn romance, and detailed world-building - albeit slow-paced ones.

*Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own

DNF at 37%

At first, I thought I was going to get into this story and like it a lot. I liked Kat and Emory and their decade. But the immersion-style storytelling stopped working for me, it was too slow-paced for me, and I honestly just lost interest in continuing. It's definitely one for the low-stakes cozy fantasy lovers, but I'm finding they're not my favorite.

A Legionnaire's Guide to Love and Peace by Emily Skrutski is a captivating fantasy romance that explores the friends-to-lovers trope. The story introduces Katrien and Emory, a skilled fighting duo who have been partners on the battlefield for three years. Facing what they believe to be their final battle and the end of the world they share an intimate night together. Yet, against all odds, the battle is not lost, leaving them to navigate what comes next.

Skrutski builds a world that feels fresh and original, blending fantasy elements seamlessly with the romantic storyline. The unique setup keeps the narrative engaging and provides an intriguing exploration of the characters' evolving relationship. The chemistry between Katrien and Emory adds emotional depth, making their journey relatable and compelling.
With its creative world-building and well-balanced mix of action, romance, and character development, this book offers an enjoyable and memorable read.

Katrien and her shield, Emory have been a battle team for three years. They hook up, despite all the anti-fraternization policies the night before the last battle agains the Demon Lord and his wretched undead army, certain that its the end of the world... or at least their world. Only it turn out not to be, a magical prince pulled victory out the edge of defeat, and now both Katrien and Emory have a whole future in front of them.

Why I started this book: Great cover and nearing publication date...

Why I finished it: What an unique and fresh fantasy, that questions what happens to the foot soldiers after the Chosen one saves the day? I don't want to spoil the story for anyone, because a big portion of my joy was discovery and unwinding... so I can only recommend this to fans of T. Kingfisher and Sharon Shinn with vague reassurances that its great.