This was such a cute read! I definitely got lots of classic Disney princess movie vibes but with some mild spice added in too. I really enjoyed listening to this on audiobook; the narrator did a wonderful job. Throughout the book were so many little passing thoughts and details of chronic illness and lgbtqia+ representation that just made it feel so heartwarming and uplifting. Plus, I always enjoy a fun magical adventure where the two reluctant allies end up developing real feelings along the way. I mean, what other way to fall in love is there?

Bianca and Aric both feel trapped by their duties to their kingdoms. Seeing them grow and learn to overcome their parents’ expectations and demands was both frustrating and so rewarding. They both grew to love and accept themselves, despite their perceived flaws (including one being a horse), through each other in a really wholesome way! The plot was well paced following the two try to break the curse and find who was behind the assassination attempt but I also really enjoyed the tidbits about the unique magic system. The setting was an interesting backdrop for this story without overshadowing the characters’ internal journeys and discoveries.

If you’re in the mood for something extra sweet and mildly spicy with the nostalgic vibes of a fairytale but a slight twist of roles where she’s the warrior princess and he’s the bookish prince out of his depth but willing to fight for love, I highly recommend giving this book a try!

We follow Bianca, she travels to the neighbouring kingdom to marry the prince, on their wedding day an assassination attempt leaves Aric turning into a horse and together they flee for safety- beginning the story of slow-burn romance.

To me this book reads less romantasy and more a romcom, I think it would be enjoyed by people who don’t like fantasy much.

The narration of this audiobook was fantastic, the narrator does a great job for voicing male and female characters and kept my entertained and focused on listening!

Likes:
The book is well written, easy to read and engaging. It’s a simple plot but the unique aspect of character turning into a horse made the story enjoyable and fun.

The story has great chronic illness representation, we see Bianca suffering with a sickness which is incorporated into the story in an important and fluid way- later on in the book we find out something about her sickness which I thought sullied rep. Nevertheless, it was still quality rep.

The characters have likeable personalities, Aric follows the trope of a grumpy character, initially their relationship starts rocky as they were forced into the marriage and experience a miscommunication trope.
Throughout the book the characters have natural banter and funny interactions. I mean, turning into a horse must have some funny moments.

I loved the little creatures of this world at the beginning, we see a creature on the boat and in the forest which were very cute moments and I wish we experienced more.

Dislikes:
It’s a very weak fantasy plot, the politics are lacklustre(I wish the world and politics of both countries and their magic were expanded more) and the plot only felt important during first and last portion of the book.

We spend too much time travelling whilst they’re on the run and it lost my interest, it felt like multiple things were repeated during this time causing the story to feel stale. We did have some fun moments during this time though, but to me it felt like their travelling journey was just a bonding vacation between them and It didn’t feel like stakes were high enough for someone being the princes assassin.

The book loves its one bed trope. I felt like it was overused, it was funny occasionally but got boring.

——

3.75 star, I had fun and enjoyed my time but it was an average experience for me. It’s a great debut novel and I think people into more romance will enjoy it more.
Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan audio for an ARC.

This was a fun, low stress read with an entertaining premise. I’ve seen other reviewers mention this book is inspired by “My Lady Jane”, and I definitely see what they mean by that.

I listened to this on audiobook. Natalie Naudus narrates the audiobook and as always she kills it! She gives such an outstanding performance. Good pacing, clear character voices, and easy to stay engaged with her speaking.

The main plot of the books starts out when Prince Aric turns into a horse on his wedding night due to magic neither him nor his new wife Bianca, the FMC can explain during an assassination attempt. They have to try to figure out what happened and who’s behind it, which leads them on a wild but fun *forced proximity* adventure.

The story is cozy romantasy mystery. Not a lot of deep worldbuilding, but enough to follow. But I really don’t want deep world building when it comes to cozy and lighthearted books so for me it was great. The mystery part isn’t subtle, there’s really only one suspect, and you start guessing at who that is right away, but that’s fine. The focus stays on the two main characters and their relationship.

Bianca the FMC, has a chronic illness (with symptoms that sound similar to mine so I related to her every time it was mentioned!), and it’s handled well. No magical fixes or cures which was a nice break from a lot of books that mention chronic illnesses. She’s not weak because of it, just tired of pretending it doesn’t matter or exist. Aric is awkward and a little closed off, but they’re both trying in their own way. It’s a forced marriage setup with miscommunication and slow trust.

Some stuff doesn’t make sense if you think too hard about it. But if you’re here for a soft cozy fantasy with solid characters and a lot laughs, this works. I would read another book by this author, especially if it were in this same genre.

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

What a fun story! I’d recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a light fantasy. This story is set in a land where magic exists, so it’s not too far to reach to accidentally turn someone who you don’t trust into a horse!

Great plotting and action fill the pages of Behooved! I listened to the audio book version of this story and I found the narration very pleasant.


Thank you to M. Stevenson, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed this even more than I thought I would. A magical tale with so many important underlying themes. The MC learning her own worth after living a life of just hoping for a scrap of her parents seeing her value. Her leaving that dynamic lets the reader see her character develop. I really enjoyed Behooved and would recommend it.

This is a great read to help you relax in between reading other things! It was a bit silly at times with the concept of a prince turning into a gorgeous white stallion every day. Bianca gets into an arranged marriage with Prince Aric to help their kingdoms politically and financially. At first the two have a strong dislike for each other until someone tries to assassinate them. They start to grow closer as they realize things may not be as they seem.

I enjoyed Aric and Bianca's relationship and watching them learn how to communicate with each other. Things started to flow smoothly between the two after they learned how to trust one another. Things progress quickly with them, but it also seems natural. It didn't feel like instant love or even enemies to lovers for that matter. Everything just felt like it was meant to happen.

I enjoyed the narrator and I think that they did a good job portraying the characters. Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and M. Stevenson for an ARC of this audiobook. This review is my own honest opinion.

Read this book for the fun time. The mmc turns into a horse randomly on his wedding night and the adventure to reverse the spell to cure him begins. The horse jokes were the best part of this. All I could think about was that this really changed the only one horse trope

Horse by day, man by night - this was not the marriage that Bianca signed up for.

Bianca has been married off to the presumptive king of Gildenheim, Aric, by way of treaty agreement under threat of war. As a dutiful daughter of Demaria, she reluctantly acquiesces. With a very lackluster start in the bedroom, things only get worse when she tries to thwart an assassination attempt on Aric's life. In her struggle to fight off the attacker, she unleashes a defensive spell made by her sister, Tatiana, that has the unfortunate side effect of cursing Aric to be a horse by day, and man by night. Desperate and scared, the two flee as they have to work together to break the spell. As they journey, a romance slowly unfolds while they uncover the political machinations that pushed them together to begin with.

Behooved is a cozy-ish fantasy with a bit higher stakes than a typical cozy fantasy and was a lovely way to spend a weekend. There is some lovely character development - Bianca has been brought up in a society that does not value emotions or weakness - which is of course tough for any human, but on top of that Bianca has an inflammatory bowel disorder (fellow UC girl here and appreciated the representation!) that flares up at the most inopportune times. Having had it hammered in to her for years and years not to show any weakness, she slowly allows herself to care about Aric and explores what it means to actually care about other people.

The book is primarily from Bianca's point of view and the majority of the character work is through her, but we do get to see Aric come out of his shell, and also some great side characters including Tatiana, Bianca's sister, and Marya, the captain of Aric's guard.

Some of the tropes include forced proximity and only one bed - a delight as always.

Finally, I listened to this as an audiobook. I always enjoy Natalie Naudus' narration - and Behooved is no different. She does a wonderful job bringing life to Bianca and Aric as they have their misadventure.

Thank you to NetGalley and to MacMillan Audio for the advanced copy.

3.5 Horse by day, man by night. Set in a queer normitive world with chronic illness rep. This was definitely a cute read, while the plot was predictable at times, the stakes never really felt as high as I think they were intended to be and I wish we got a bit more from the magic system. I did enjoy this read. I thought the romance was cute, and their connection was well done. I also enjoyed the horse puns scattered throughout the book. Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Pretty good book. Fairly standard for a fantasy but it was entertaining. I really enjoyed that I didn’t have to think to much about who is who and where they are from.

Oh where do I even begin... Let's start with I listened to this book in one day!!! Once I started I couldn't stop. I was immediately drawn in to Biancas Character, I feel like I can relate to her so much! Her sense of never feeling good enough but truly she was so strong, brave and always put others first. Even her husband Prince Aric who she ends up in an arranged marriage with. On their wedding night they get the surprise of their lives! This story kept me guessing and that is something that is so important to me I'm a book. It also had the perfect amount of spice 🔥Such a good read! Highly recommend!

3.5 rounded up. MC had way more chemistry with the horse than the human (no surprise here coming from the girl who cried every time the beast turned back into a human again when she was a kid.) I really hate that the line “his voice was horse” wasn’t cut in editing.

A whimsical and action packed fairytale that ignites the imagination and pulls the heartstrings.

Disclaimer: I read this novel as an audiobook ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I had way more fun with this than I anticipated I would. Honestly, I had zero intention of requesting and reading this audiobook until I saw that Natalie Naudus narrated it. She's spectacular as a narrator so I naturally had to read it. I'm so glad I did. This book was a fantastic reminder to step outside what you normally read because you never know if you'll find a new fave.

Behooved was simply a fun read. It was a simple concept and premise that was executed in a fun and entertaining way. The chemistry between our rivals to lovers was palpable and tense. The magic was easy to understand and had a very whimsical feel to it. There were great moments of laughter and the political intrigue was suspenseful. Just an overall great time to be had.

I really want to try more by this author. And quite honestly I wouldn't mind entering this world with these characters again.

This book was silly and fun and if not taken too seriously you'll have a good time reading it. I wasn't quite sure what to make of the plot since the MMC gets turned into a horse, and it's about as goofy as I imagined. Good palate cleanser book but nothing overly fantastic.

I enjoyed the audio narration done by Natalie Naudus.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This book just didn’t hit for me but I’m going to just focus on the narration.

The narration was great! Natalie Naudus had lovely vocals that kept you engaged in the story. I think she spoke at a great natural pace for the 1x speed . I listened to most of it at 1.25X as going any higher distorted the audio too much and I enjoyed her recitation too much to do that.

The story? I was happy for chronic illness rep but the horse husband transformation just wasn’t for me.

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from MacMillian Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️/5
2/5 🌶️


Thank you Netgalley and the author M. Stevenson for the early access audiobook of Behooved.

🐴 Only One Bed
🐴 Cozy Vibes
🐴 Chronic Illness Rep
🐴 Queernormative World
🐴 Arraigned Marriage
🐴 Inconvenient Transformation

Synopsis:
💫Bianca, bound by duty, marries Prince Aric upon hearing of the looming war. However, Prince Aric appears to harbor a deep disdain for Bianca’s presence. During their wedding night, after an assassination attempt, Aric transforms into a horse. In a desperate attempt to escape, Bianca mounts her husband’s back and flees into the night. Miraculously, as the sun sets, Aric miraculously returns to human form. However, their joy is short-lived as Bianca is falsely accused of murder and forced to endure a double life, riding during the day with a horse and accompanying an attractive man at night. Amidst this intricate plot, an unexpected romance blossoms between Bianca and Aric. To break the curse and reclaim their throne, they must unite, their love story becoming the spark for their triumph.💫

My thoughts:
💫I absolutely adored this book. I love how strong Bianca is. Despite having chronic pain, she doesn’t let it hinder her strength. Aric, on the other hand, is a shy bookworm who never aspired to be king. Their banter was incredibly entertaining. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good time rom-com fantasy! 💫

Arranged marriage, horses, and magic?????? Pretty sure this book was made for me. Not to mix metaphors, but this book is catnip and I am a cat. Thank you so so much to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to take this book out for a ride! Okay I’ll stop with the horse jokes before I make myself hoarse. Maybe.

This had the type of miscommunication trope that I actually enjoy, the one where there are other players at work leading them to their beliefs and when they get their heads out of their asses and talk to each other, they start working together.

This was charming, this was funny, this was spicy, and this was just plain fun. I absolutely devoured this book and am so glad I read it!

Oh NetGally, thank you so much for the early copy of the gem of a book.

I had SO much fun reading this book. If there are two things I love, it’s Spirit and My Lady Jane. So when I came across a romance about a groom who shifts into a horse on his wedding night, I knew I had to give it a whirl.

Bianca is such a good main character. She is strong, nuanced, and has a clear sense of duty. Aric is gentle, scholarly, and radiates his own kind of strength. The adventure that they take together is filled with hijinks and love. I truly enjoyed every minute of this book.

I’m optimistic for a sequel? There were a few loose ends to be tied so I am curious to see what comes next.

I love this narrator.

I think there was a lot of premise in the plot, and for the most part it was well done. I found it hard to enjoy the main character though, it felt almost like she was too self sacrificing.

Overall really enjoyed the plot, which is what drew me in, however from the NetGalley I did not see “Adult” or “LGBT” if so I would have not requested. The actual storyline line between Bianca and Aric was beautiful. Enjoyed the character development and how their relationship evolved. I skipped over the spice scenes so no feedback to provide. The portions where same sex attraction is referenced felt forced/thrown in and was more of a distraction. I really enjoyed the story wrapped up and did not guess the whole did it- well done! There were plenty of laughs and sweet moments to go around. Aside from unexpected content, honestly could have been left out, really enjoyed the story and world the author built.