Behooved was so much fun to read/listen (audiobook)! While there were some heavy topics that came up, overall the book still felt light and fun without being all fluff. The magic and the ways that it is cultivated in this world were really interesting to me, and I hope these aspects are explored in more detail if there are future books in this same world. I appreciated that the main characters are in their late 20s and the leading lady chronic illness representation.
Overall a very fun “quirky fantasy” that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
The audio was really well done and the narrator was fantastic! I highly recommend checking out the audiobook version.

That was really enjoyable fun, and I know a bunch of people who will enjoy reading this once it is out. The world-building was so much better than I expected, and I am wondering if the writer intends to use the world for other stories. I'm not generally a fan of fictional politics, fantasy or otherwise, but the description implied a road-trip and that is something I love, especially in fantasy. I appreciated the protagonists' non-specified gut-based chronic illness, and how some people in her life described it as incredibly shameful. Oh! And at the beginning there is a very real exploration into how women (especially those with a chronic illness) are forced into masking so much more viciously than men. This book had more depth than I expected, actually. I'll keep an eye out for the author's work in the future.

I’m really not sure how I feel about this one…
There really is not any world building, plot is mediocre, my least favorite trope ever is a large part of the book (miscommunication) and the damn love interest turns into a horse…. Yes… a horse… was hard to picture reading and honestly found it to be kind of uncomfortable. It was kind of a silly read which maybe some people will like but I was not expecting whatsoever and isn’t my type of vibe. It was kind of a quirky, cute - ish, rom com vibe but that’s really all it gives you. This is a good book for certain people who don’t mind a just somewhat fun read with no brain power needed.

The one thing I did like was the chronic illness rep by the FMC. More books need to have this and I appreciated the way the author included it in the main character

This book was just not for me, but I think there will be people who enjoy it

After marrying a man she just met for the duty of keeping their countries out of war, she turns her husband into a horse trying to protect him from a would be assassin.

I loved this story so much. I was a little afraid we might be in “My Lady Jane” territory where the husband turns into a horse by day, but that was the only part that felt similar. How he turns into a horse and their adventures throughout are completely their own. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a fun fantasy romance standalone.

I was also able to listen to the audiobook before release date and the narrator did an amazing job with this adaptation!

Behooved was a fun and cute adventure. It's cozy, it doesn't take itself too seriously, and the magical and whimsical vibes are through the roof.

Bianca ships off to a neighboring kingdom to prevent a war by fulfilling an arranged marriage to the studious and aloof Aric who seems to hate her and the prospect of their marriage. On their wedding night, Bianca tries to save Aric from an assassin and accidentally turns him into a horse and gets herself framed for his murder. The two must now work together to break his curse, take back the throne, and save their kingdom.

So, that's a fun set up.

There were a lot of puns and tongue-in-cheek moments. I really enjoyed their banter and their romance (although, I wouldn't really consider it that slow burn), and Aric is a genuinely good guy which was refreshing compared to many romantasy heroes.

Bianca's own struggles with a mysterious chronic condition (a fantasy version of celiac disease) help her empathize with Aric, and for me, her chronic illness rep was a standout feature of the story. It was refreshing to see a chronic condition NOT get magically "cured" in a fantasy book.

Some of my favorite quotes from my advanced copy of Behooved (text not final):
"Relieving pain seemed a much more worthy use of magic than inventing new ways to kill people."
"I knew firsthand that one could appear collected while falling to pieces inside."
"Wounds, like words, like magic, always left a mark."

The audiobook, narrated by Natalie Naudus, was fantastic. She is the perfect voice for this adventurous and magical tale.

Overall, Behooved was different, fun, and refreshing. I laughed out loud, I swooned, and I'd recommend it to any former horse girls looking for a whimsical rom-com.

☁️ Cozy Romantasy • Arranged Marriage • Queernorm World • Bi Rep • Chronic Illness Rep • Bookish MMC

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the advance listener copy in exchange for an honest review!

M. Stevenson’s <i>Behooved</i> is a disappointing amalgamation of underdeveloped characters and a poorly written ridiculous plot buried in the author’s quirky fantasy twist idea. What if your husband is accidentally turned into a horse on your wedding night after an assassination attempt?

It’s funny, because when I first picked up this book I was genuinely curious about the fantasy world and admittedly quirky plot idea. But the unfortunate thing is that when a book cannot properly portray developed characters, no plot will save the story. Even worse, the writing quality actually resulted in turning this once curious plot point to one that simply makes readers cringe. It really doesn’t help that the act of turning the man into a horse in the first place makes little sense when you consider the realities of the situation—a supposedly adept magic user thinks that turning an enemy into a horse is a reasonable form of protection for her sister.

Ultimately, these small oddities could be overlooked and perhaps even enjoyed if the lead characters, Aric and Bianca, actually had developed personalities and a reasonable story arc. Much to my dismay, the only arc and development they seem even remotely interested in is developing a genuine romantic connection with each other. Now, I don’t think that a sincere connection would have saved this book as a whole, but I probably would have enjoyed it more had the author actually developed their connection and made the romance feel earned rather than rushing it to the point that the two characters care for each other felt rather insta-lovey.

I guess it kind of just becomes this perfect storm of a story lacking serious development. As a result, one can’t really appreciate the goofy premise.

I did love the narration, but no matter how exceptional a job done here, the audiobook narration could never save the story.

This story has invisible illness representation along with My Lady Jane vibes. It was a fun, light, cozy tale with some of the usual romantasy tropes. I enjoyed seeing how the two main characters slowly figured each other out as well as the ridiculous magical curse. A second book in this world would be a delight.

I enjoyed the performance that Natalie Naudus gave as narrator and think that her voices added to the story.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley.

This book was so cuteeeee.

I was lucky to score an ARC and ALC of Behooved, so I can review the plot, as well as narration. I thought the narrator was really great and brought the book to life! The story was cute and relatively simple. A little predictable at times, but I think that added to the "cozy" vibes.

I'm so appreciative of standalone fantasy romance books, I know it's hard to do without the book being massive, but it's such a nice break from large series. There's some deeper topics touched upon, but overall, I'd put this as a cozy read. There's not much gore/death, the world building is really easy to follow, and there's not a ton of characters to keep track of.

I read the blurb before I started reading, so I knew what was coming, but all the horse puns at the beginning had me laughing so hard. There were a few other moments where I laughed out loud, too! Any book that makes me feel an emotion strongly is a good book. I didn't know what to expect when I started this book, but I was pleasantly surprised - I really enjoyed this one!

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author M. Stevenson for the ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.25 stars

In order to prevent a war, Bianca accepts an arranged marriage to Aric, the new King of Gildenheim. She is unaware of the dangers that lurk in his court. Upon their wedding night a disasterous thing occurs, in the middle of a scuttle with an assassin, a protection enchantment goes dreadfully wrong and now she's bridled with a horse for a husband and accused of his murder. They have to flee the castle and find a way to reverse the errant spell, find out who is behind the assassination attempt, and get back before Aric's coronation ceremony. Only the journey is wrought with more dangers.

In this high-stakes politically fractured and magically charged romantasy, Aric and Bianca gallop along in forced proximity. One horse 🤭, one bed.

In the beginning, I thought Biana was petulant, indignant, and snooty, and Aric was aloof and distant. They sort of grow into each other the longer they spend time together, and the characters' true personalities emerge. It was a cute, sometimes comical, love story with a little spice. Bianca is, surprisingly, a fighter, and Aric is more of the scholarly type. It was a wonderfully enjoyable and entertaining adult fairytale!

The narrator was great. She had good inflections and articulated the story well with drama and flare.

4 Stars, 1 Spice, CF-friendly

This was a cute, fun, light-hearted adventure. I enjoyed the world, the magic system, and the characters. I wouldn't have freaked out as much as Bianca did if my arranged marriage husband turned into a horse. But otherwise, she handled all the chaos pretty well. There were some great lines in this book. Lots of fun and funny moments too. The plot twists and surprises were guessable, nothing unexpected, but overall I didn't mind. Just a good, fun book. I enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters. The "misunderstanding" enemies/arranged marriage, to begrudging allies, to lovers was well done.

The narrator did a great job, she really drew me into the world and had clear, distinct voices for all the characters. I never zoned out from her at all. Really enjoyable!

This book should have been YA or middle grade. It has all those fun tropes. A prince who turns into a horse, a princess who makes her own spells, all that good stuff.

As someone who adores YA and middle grade, this book was right up my alley. However, I know a lot of adult readers prefer to read adult books, and this wasn’t it. It was campy and fun, and exactly the type of book a thirteen year old who loves unicorns (cough ME cough) would love… plus spice. The spice, and the age of the characters made it not suited for middle grade, and the writing and plot made it not quite right for the adult fantasy market.

That said, it was a fun read. Light hearted, fun characters, not to deep. The definition of a popcorn fantasy (and I love popcorn).

Behooved is a surprising, cozy adventure of a book that kept me invested from the first page to the last.

Bianca is the chronically ill second daughter of Damaria's ruling family, so she always kind of expected her duties to include being married off to whoever would offer the most beneficial match. And, when Aric of Gildenheim ascends the neighboring throne, she finds herself traveling to the cold, war-hungry kingdom to become his wife and queen. Except Aric is... kind of a huge jerk. He seems entirely uninterested in her presence and intent on snubbing her at every turn. Things take another turn when, on their wedding night, an assassination attempt goes wrong (right?): both of them are alive, but Aric has been mysteriously turned into a horse and Bianca has no choice but to, well, ride him to safety. Now they need to solve the attempt on their lives, the baffling negotiations that brought them together, and why Aric is cursed to be a horse by daylight.

This story is... exactly what it says on the tin. I don't know that it does anything remarkable in its storytelling, but it sure is a fun ride (haha get it?) anyway. Sure, there's an assassination attempt and political scheming, but it is all very cozy. I became genuinely invested in Bianca and Aric's blossoming romance, and both characters were well developed and interesting. Bianca has celiac disease (though it isn't named as such on the page), and to see that kind of rep in a fantasy book is SO lovely! And it's such a legitimate, realistic depiction. It's great to watch Bianca go from a duty-bound people-pleaser to choosing her own path and becoming her own hero. Aric, who at first seems so aloof and cruel, is a complete sweetheart once we get to know him, more interested in his books and magical theory than in ruling. And then there's the host of secondary characters who I would love to see more of in future indirect sequels!

2.5 stars honestly

Brief overview:
Bianca married Eric for duty, to unite their kingdoms. During an attack, Eric is turned into a horse by Bianca's defensive spell. Now they must find the attacker and find a curse for Eric's new equestrian problem.

My thoughts:
Take out the sex and market this as a YA and I think it would be a lot better. Fourteen year old me would have loved this! Adult me finds it lacking. The characters are terrible at communication then wonder why it seems like they don't like each other? They don't talk! There's not enough world building or background to understand the characters motives and plans. Like why would the parents be "disappointed" if she loved her husband? I don't get it. Also there were like five named characters total, so finding the "whodunit" was a little too obvious.

And because I'm nitpicking here, I got so annoyed with the phrase "as -blank- as one of my flares". Like yes, we understand there is an unnamed chronic condition here, we sure won't be allowed to forget it. Also, turning an attacker into a horse? Literally the worst possible idea for defense? Silly.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to this early.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

This was one of my most anticipated reads, so I was floored when I was graciously given an audiobook copy to review.

Our fiesty female lead, Bianca is the chronically ill noble from Damaria who is to wed Prince Aric of Gildenheim. One thing leads to another and suddenly it turns out she's married to.. a horse?! And now they have to figure out who's pulling the strings behind their mysterious circumstances.

I was drawn in right away! The banter between the two are just *chef's kiss* what more can you ask for? Not only do we get a "only one bed" trope, we even get a "only one stable"!

I was dying with laughter with the interaction between the two and it was hard not to keep grinning listening to the audiobook while on my morning commute.

The narrator Natalie Naudus did an AMAZING job with this! Her voice seemed like it fit Bianca to a 'T' and Aric as well! Her pacing was lovely and set the mood quite perfectly. You could feel every bit of emotion in her tone and am absolutely going to look for other series she's in!

This was such a fun cozy read and I highly recommend it!

Behooved is a beautifully written fairytale that begins with an arranged marriage rooted in lies and betrayal, but slowly and powerfully transforms into a story of true love. The heroine, cast aside most of her life due to illness and her inability to use magic—unlike her enchanting, lookalike sister—is chosen not for love, but for politics. She's sent across the border to marry a man destined to be king after the sudden death of his mother, a union meant to stave off war.

At first glance, the soon-to-be king seems cold, calculating, and cruel—but behind the mask lies a kind, misunderstood soul. The emotional layers between them unfold with humor, bravery, and vulnerability. What starts as duty becomes something so much more.

This story is heartwarming, eye-opening, and deeply empowering. It beautifully explores how adversity can shape someone into who they’re truly meant to be. I laughed, I rooted for the characters, and I felt every moment. I absolutely loved this book and the message it carries.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook arc. I did think that the start of the book was cheesy and over done. Girl forced to save kingdom and forced into marriage to a guy that hates every fiber of her being, and then they’re attacked on their wedding night and he gets turned into a horse. They then have to go on the run because the kingdom thinks she killed him and they break the spell. He is forced to be a horse by day and by night.
This book would be great for those who grew up reading The Tiger’s Curse. I give it 4 stars while I want a huge fan of the beginning of the book but the banter towards the end made it more enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of the audiobook!

First off, I thoroughly enjoyed the narrator. Her choices for the voices, pacing, and style were worked, and I was never taken out of the story by her narration choices.

I think this story had a lot of potential, and I had a good time although I don't think that potential was fully realized. While this isn't a book from which I expected a very complex and well-explained magic system or world, it still felt conveniently inconsistent. It seemed to be used to fit the needs of the story rather than be an active, living part of it. The characters were likeable, and their relationship was intriguing. However, I prefer a slow-burn and the speed at which they were in love with each other wasn't my favorite. It ultimately felt like there were too many things left unresolved and that the romance happened too quickly for me to really feel satisfied.

This was a great fantasy book for anyone who loved My Lady Jane, although this book was firmly in the adult category. This book started off strong, and I did not lose interest throughout the book. It had a pretty strong enemies-to-lovers thing going on, where they both really started out hating each other, and it was so fun to see all the forced proximity shenanigans that went on, even when Erik was a horse.

I would definitely I thought the narrator was good--her voice never annoyed me (even while listening to it at 2x speed), and overall I could distinguish between the characters quite well.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an early listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

A cursed almost-king and his unwilling wife form a tenuous (shall we say… unstable?) alliance to uncover who tried to kill him on their wedding night, how to break the horse-by-day curse, and why they can’t stop miscommunicating.

Bianca is the scion of her house and a dutiful daughter. When presented with the option of either war with a neighboring country or a political marriage with its new soon-to-be king, there really isn’t much choice at all. She must now face down a new court and her begrudging husband, Aric – all while hiding her chronic illness. Just when you think it’s going to be a court intrigue kind of book, an assassination plot gone awry throws the whole story off-course. Aric runs afoul of a curse that turns him into a horse by day, and the only person who might break the curse is Bianca’s sister. Now they must cross half the country, while under threat of bounty by their political saboteurs, to break the curse and make it back home in time for the coronation ceremony. Stirrup the story with a burgeoning romance between two awkward young royals, and unbridled mayhem is sure to foal-low.

I was lucky enough to listen to this book on audio. I thoroughly enjoyed Natalie Naudus’ narration. Her crisp, elegant style perfectly matched how I envisioned Bianca – feminine and prim with a strong emotiveness. Naudus conveyed the story with pitch-perfect lilts and pacing that made the audio a pleasure.

This story itself has a fun and original premise that isn’t fully fleshed out. The world and magic systems are underdeveloped. The experiences of the main characters (who are royalty and non-magic users) are extremely limited and thus the reader is very constrained in how we can learn about and visualize the world. Additionally, the magic is inconsistent in its usage, convenience, and limitations. Instead of using magic as a system, the author relies heavily on magic as a plot device. As journalist David Montgomery points out, “If you define nothing and change and make up rules willy-nilly to satisfy your plot, continuity breaks down, along with the ability to treat the system seriously.” Which is exactly what happens in this tale.

But we give romance-fantasies certain leeway with magic and worldbuilding that we don’t give traditional fantasy, because romantasy is a relationship-driven genre rather than a landscape- or action-driven one. Unfortunately, Behooved also falls a bit short of the mark in this arena as well. There are glimmers of greatness here and there. Bianca and Aric start to share their inner lives as a result of acknowledging each other’s needs and weaknesses. Aric’s genuine care for Bianca’s condition, even before they started to truly thaw towards one another, is lovely. Bianca demonstrates genuine interest in Aric’s internal struggles regarding the crown and how to run the country. It’s a great foundation for a future relationship. But it’s hard to ignore that they’ve known each other for less than a week (much of that time with Aric either in horse form or asleep) before pronouncing their mutual love.

Ultimately, there’s an unsatisfying number of loose ends. Without giving away too many spoilers, many issues raised throughout the story – international relationships, consequences for the scheming parties behind the plot, use of natural resources, consolidating two disparate magic systems across two countries, and more – are unresolved. Between these hanging threads and the rushed romance, perhaps Behooved would have been better as a slow-burn romance across two (or more) books? I hope to see more from this author in the future – perhaps even a sequel that will conclude these burning questions.

This was cute and funny and somewhere between a cozy fantasy and a romantasy.
But it had some major plot issues that really ruined it for me.
SPOILER WARNING
- It was ridiculously obvious who the bad guy was from the get go, there wasn’t even another potential baddy thrown into the mix to add some mystery to it.
- We’re told the main character is being poisoned and that’s what’s causing her chronic illness but that’s it. We never find out what or who is poisoning her?
- Why in the world would her sister think turning her attacker into a horse would be beneficial?