This was a fun one! I loved the horse puns! I did feel the romance was a touch rushed, but enjoyed the story and the characters a lot! I thought the narrator did a great job!

A duty to her people was her choice. But what she found was so much more.

Bianca agreed to the marriage proposal to keep the peace. And on her wedding night she turned her new husband into a horse. Slowly though the journey of finding Bianca’s sister to help with the situation they began to know each other and understand what happened. Now not only is the soon king a horse but they now have to race to keep him on the thorn.

The only thing I didn’t like about this was the fact that it was brought up that Bianca was cursed/ being poisoned. And it was due to blood magic. Does she really have magic and someone cursed her that is why she had this condition. That question was never answered.

I did not finish listening to the ALC as this book just wasn't for me. Therefore I do not have a rating for it, but I can see why many will like it.

I wish I didn't need to submit a review based on this fact, as this is a me thing...not a book/author thing.

I went into this expecting a fun, cute, cozy read - which it definitely was, but it actually exceeded my expectations. I definitely thought this was going to be a silly, almost mindless horse girl book and I was WRONG. The plot was plotting, the romance was romancing. I was really into the world building and felt like the magic system was unique enough. I was really intrigued by the story and trying to figure out what was going to happen.

The audiobook in and of itself was great. I feel like the narrator did a great job with pacing and inflection. It was an entertaining listen, and it kept me engaged and was easy to follow along with.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Listen. This is unhinged. So many horse jokes, so little time. I'm into it. It's hilarious. Don't think to hard about it. This is Romantasy, friends, and the romance comes first. There is spice and all your favorite tropes including only one stable stall. I enjoyed it very much, and you could too unless you get hung up on little things like how bad her parents are really or can you trust an assassin after they tried to kill your husband. This is a 3.5 star in rounding up because I read this quickly once I got past the world-building (LGBTQIA+ rep! Chronic illness rep! Oligarchy over Monarchy! Oh wait, no, that last one is sus. Nevermind that. Carry on.)
Thanks to NetGalley, Bramble, and Macmillan Audio for these advanced copies! The audiobook was great! Natalie Naudus is one of my absolute favorite readers.

Firstly, I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book had me so excited to read this. A girl duty bound to marry a prince, only to have that prince transform into a horse on their wedding night. I mean, what’s not to love?! It had all the funny, cozy fantasy romance vibes, and it did not disappoint! This was one of the sweetest cozy romantasty books I’ve read yet. I thought Bianca and Aric were great characters, and their relationship was absolutely refreshing. They actually communicated with each other! That’s so rare in a lot of romance centered books, so it was so nice to know that even if they have disagreements, these two would be open and honest with each other and work things out. The way their romance built in small, quiet increments just made it feel all the more realistic (despite one of them turning into a horse sometimes.) As far as the audiobook goes, I thought the narrator was perfect. She really brought the story to life. I highly recommend the audiobook! I loved this book and hope we get more like this from Stevenson in the future!

"Which way do you prefer riding him, as a horse or as a man?”

I read this entire book for that one line and it did not disappoint!! This story was funny, romantic, political, strategic, whimsical. It has all the vibes and it truly shocked me how much I enjoyed it!

This was such a cute fantasy rom com! It will definitely be perfect to recommend to patrons who were sad the My Lady Jane tv series was cancelled. And, as always, Natalie Naudus does an amazing job narrating.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Pure, pink-edged perfection—an utterly enchanting romp that gallops straight into the keeper shelf

M. Stevenson’s Behooved is the romantasy mash-up I didn’t know I needed: part fairy-tale road-trip, part murder-mystery caper, and 100 percent slow-burn delight. If you’re craving cozy magic, prickly banter, and a heroine who wields stubborn courage as deftly as any sword, saddle up—this one’s a standout.

🌸 Deluxe-edition dazzle
Let’s be shallow for a second: those rosy sprayed edges are chef’s kiss. They frame the whimsical chapter headers and map like the prettiest storybook you owned as a kid—only with kissing, curses, and political intrigue.

🐎 A curse that actually clips along
Prince Aric by night, literal horse by day sounds gimmicky, yet Stevenson makes it both hilarious (Bianca learning reins etiquette!) and poignant (Aric’s vulnerability while trapped in silence). The sunrise/sunset toggles keep the stakes high and the tension higher.

💕 Bianca & Aric: opposites turned soulmates
Bianca —duty-driven, chronically ill, endlessly resourceful—offers representation rarely seen in fantasy, handled with respect rather than pity.

Aric —bookish, introverted, secretly swoony—proves that cinnamon-roll princes can absolutely smolder.
Watching them shift from strained allies to tender confidants had me rooting for midnight to arrive just so they could talk.

🎧 Natalie Naudus shines in the saddle
In audio, Naudus’s dynamic range sells every moment—from Bianca’s exasperated deadpan to Aric’s soft wonder. She even gifts Horse-Aric a series of perfectly timed snorts and hoof-taps that somehow convey full sentences. It’s an acting masterclass in a bridle.

🗝️ Why it earns the full five
Chronic-illness rep woven organically into the adventure.

Balanced tone: cozy warmth + genuine peril.

Secondary cast (grumpy healer, gossip-loving stable sprite) begging for spin-offs.

Mystery payoff that ties political scheming to personal healing in one satisfying bow.

Final canter
Behooved is as heart-lifting as a moonlit ride across dewy meadows and as comforting as climbing into a blanket-fort with your favorite fairy tale. Whether you page-turn the gorgeous paperback or let Natalie Naudus whisk you away in audio, one thing’s certain: you’ll finish with a galloping pulse and a dopey grin. Five radiant stars—now, where’s the sequel?

3.5 stars – 2 chili peppers

-cozy enemies to lovers
-slow burn
-arranged marriage
-miscommunication + betrayal
-only one bed
- lgbtqia+ rep
- chronic illness rep
-nerdy mmc + fighter fmc
- she saves him
-My Lady Jane vibes
-single pov

This was a cute story. I really loved the premise of this book and I wish that I could rate it higher. This gave me extreme My Lady Jane vibes, which I love! It started off extremely strong and caught my attention right away. I love an arranged marriage trope especially with someone who feels so duty bound!

I was really into the story until about 50% in. At that point it started to drag for me a little bit. There was the tease of action and we got a tiny bit of it but for the most part it was a lot of ‘oh no what do we do?’ It did start to pick up again for the last 20ish % of the book and that kept me going to the end. I did really end up liking the book but it would’ve been a 4 star read for me if the middle didn’t slow down so much.

The audiobook was the saving grace for me. It allowed me to get through the parts that I wasn’t quite as excited about. I found myself zoning out for a few minutes at a time which isn’t ideal but that was more to the lack of excitement than the narration. As a matter of fact, I really enjoyed the narrator for this one. Natalie Naudus did a great job at differentiating the characters. I don’t normally love single narration, I love a dual pov!, but Natalie was excellent. Her voice was crisp and easy to understand, as well as very expressive.

Overall if you are looking for a cute cozy romantasy with a twist this book is probably gonna be a win for you. If youre looking for something that has a ton of action to keep you very engaged, then I would probably skip out on this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listeners copy in exchange for my honest review!

Honestly, I really liked this book. It was fun, cozy, and just a beautiful, relaxing read. Lighthearted and enjoyable, this is a great book to check out as summer approaches (I can verify this, having read it while sitting by my pool, and it was perfect for the vibes). It almost gave me Ella Enchanted vibes but more relaxed! Aric was an adorable love interest (love them shy and bookish), and Bianca was amazing.
Als,o huge shout-out to the rep! the queer rep is more general than expected, the world is queer normative but as it was marketed queer I thought i was going be more prevelant. Still loved it, and the world was great. The chronic illness rep was also done extremely well, with care and thought throughout the story!

Behooved is a cozy fantasy with welcome chronic illness representation and minimal world-building. While I'd hoped to love it, the flat characters and flimsy chemistry kept it from being truly memorable. Still, it works well as a palate cleanser between heavier reads and could be a good fit if you're seeking a gentle, undemanding escape.

This slow-burn romantasy is equal parts charming and cozy, with a noblewoman who knows duty all too well and a prince who’d rather be buried in books than deal with royal drama. The magical twist Aric turning into a horse adds a hilarious and unique touch that had me grinning the whole time. 🐴💫

Bianca and Aric’s awkward, frustrating, and slowly warming relationship feels real and sweet. The stakes are high with assassination plots and royal intrigue, but the heart of the story is their unexpected romance galloping into the sunset. Perfect for anyone who loves a mix of magic, mystery, and slow burn love. Just don’t be surprised if you start looking at horses differently after reading this!

Thank you to the publisher for this ALC and let’s get into my review. So this book wasn’t good or bad it was just ok. I enjoyed it but it wasn’t something that I had to listen to. I picked it up when I thought about it and I didn’t think about it much. The characters were nice but the plot just fell short for me I think.

This one was such a fun romantasy with a different twist to it! I feel like a lot of romantasy books are kind of copy and paste lately and Behooved had unique elements that were a breath of fresh air. This one is a slowwww burn and features a chronically ill FMC and a grumpy prince MMC. The prince gets turned into a horse on their wedding night and chaos ensues. This book was cute and cozy. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, but it really was a fun ride (sorry, had to)!

Such a cute story, remincent of a couple favourite movies of mine (lady hawk, the polar bear king).
The characters are loveable and take you on a fun adventure.

📖 BOOK REVIEW 📖

Behooved
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: DNFed - 5%

I was given the chance to get an early reader copy of this one, and I love the cover and the summary, so I was super excited for this book. However, I could not stand the narrator's voice for the sister. It bothers me too much, and I know that she wouldn't have been in the story a lot (fingers crossed), but I wasn't going to force myself to listen to it when I can eyeball read and fall in love with the story. I have already preordered the paperback and have a special edition coming my way.

Behooved is a good, but not a great book. It's an original story that piggybacks on countless other romantic fantasies. The heroine has a mysterious and at times debilitating illness that she valiantly endures and when necessary, ignores. She is able to ride a noble steed with whom she can communicate telepathically. (Yes, he's also her husband, but that's a minor detail, at least in the beginning.) There's treachery afoot in the kingdom (perhaps BOTH kingdoms?!), and assistance to be found from simple country folk. And there's magic, of course. The love story is plausible in that it grows slowly and survives misunderstandings that could easily be avoided through honest communication. (We've never seen that in a romance, have we?!) Of course, both main characters are physically attractive and intelligent, and their dialog is never boring. I listened to the audio book, and both the cover and the narrator's voice/inflection convey a "younger" feel even though the characters (and their bedroom activities) seem geared towards an older audience. The writing itself was good, so I'm generously rounding up to four stars, but I won't put future books from this author on my auto-buy list. But because I admire her efforts, I'm not going to share this somewhat half-hearted review on social media.

My inner horse girl was so delighted for this book and couldn't wait to read it. The premise was so unique and the cover is beautiful.

This book was funny, lighthearted, and somewhat cheesy but in I way that I enjoyed. The horse puns were pretty great. I saw quite a few other reviews suggesting not to take it too seriously, and I definitely agree. I do wish Bianca and Aric had more chemistry (other than turning into horse, I found him to be kind of boring) and as a result I felt the romance a little lacking since I didn't feel all that connected to the MMC. I also wish the world building had been more immersive as there was lots of potential, and I still didn't really get the magic system by the end of the book. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook version. It was a fun listen and kept me engaged throughout. I would definitely recommend Behooved as an easy-to-read palette cleanser.

Thank you Macmillian Audio and NetGalley for the ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Behooved is pure magic—equal parts whimsical, heartfelt, and refreshingly original. If you’re a fan of My Lady Jane and love a cozy fantasy with bite, banter, and a bit of spice, this one absolutely belongs on your shelf.

At first glance, the premise sounds like a fairytale fever dream: a chronically ill duchess forced into a political marriage with a cursed king who turns into a literal white stallion by day. But what unfolds is so much more than a quirky setup. It’s a slow-burn romance and a thoughtful, character-driven adventure that quietly knocks you off your feet.

Aric, the cursed bookworm king, is the kind of soft, introverted hero you can’t help but fall for—his awkwardness at parties and quiet strength made me feel seen in ways I wasn’t expecting. And Bianca? She’s incredible. Fierce, pragmatic, deeply human. The way her chronic illness is represented with nuance, care, and honesty, elevates this story beyond a simple fairytale. It becomes a celebration of the fact that strength comes not from the absence of struggle, but from moving forward through it.

Their chemistry is top-tier grumpy x grumpy gold, with just the right amount of tension, tenderness, and heat. The “one bed” trope? Nailed it. And the spice? Perfectly balanced, never overwhelming the story, but woven in with meaning and impact.

The supporting cast deserves a standing ovation too—lesbian lady knights, hilariously blunt siblings, and loyal friends who actually feel like real people. Everyone has a purpose, a motivation, and a voice. Marya, Tatiana, Catalina… I’m genuinely hoping we get spinoffs because I wasn’t ready to let any of them go.

The queer-normative world is a breath of fresh air—seamless, inclusive, and lovingly done. You don’t realize how much you’ve been craving this kind of representation until M. Stevenson hands it to you with grace and zero fanfare. And while the world-building is rich and imaginative, the tone remains cozy, even during moments of darkness. It’s an adventure with warmth, humor, and heart.

At just over 300 pages, it’s a fast read, but one that lingers. This story made me laugh, ache, swoon, and reflect. It reminded me that anyone can be a hero.

So if you like your fairytales with sass, softness, slow-burn romance, and social commentary wrapped up in a cursed-horse-shaped bow? Behooved will charm the hooves off you.