Dnfed at 11%
Sadly I'm just not really vibing with this book at the moment, a mix of the beginning just being really overwhelming with information and just not being in the mood for something like this at the moment

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC! This book turned out to be quite different to what I expected it to be 😂 My first monster romance read?!

One thing I did love was the entertaining plot, along with sassy dragons (was not expecting that) and a twist that I did NOT see coming.

There were a few things that knocked the rating down for me, though:
- Some of the dialogue was super modern (I did cringe once or twice ahhh) which didn’t seem to fit the setting at all. The FMC came from a town that seemed very set back historically yet she seemed to speak with modern slang? It did feel a little jarring when the romantic storyline was progressing and she called the MMC ‘mate’ 🙈

- I felt there could have been more of a build up to the romance. They’d spotted some attractive things about each other, but next minute they couldn’t live without each other?

- I do feel like the book should contain a trigger warning or two. I’m not personally affected by the themes in this book but I can totally see why others may be. The language relating to SA is quite heavy for most of the book.

Overall, I’m glad I finished the book and the twist really did catch me out! Really interesting plot but unfortunately I don’t think I’ll reach for book two as I feel it’s going to be much more of a monster romance, which just isn’t quite right for me. ☺️

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins and One More Chapter for the advance reader copy.

This was a quick read but not a great one. There could have been a lot more world building which might have helped the story.
The ending was rushed and I’m assuming this is the first in a series due to the ending.

The main characters were fine - I’m not a fan of instalust/instalove as a trope and this book unfortunately features this. There is also a lot of talk of ‘breeding’ and a weird obsession with describing Ember’s chest continually.

This was unfortunately not a book for me.

DNF at around 15 %, at least for now.

The premise of this book sounded intriguing and I had no problem with the setting and how the story was going, my issue was with the dialogue and language used. The fmc sounds like an average american teenager, and in my opinion it doesn't fit the setting. This is not an urban fantasy and the fmc doesn't come from the "normal" world, so I don't see why she would speak like a contemporary teenager. Also, there was an unnecessary focus on her figure.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Rating
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC!
Ember gets sucked into a world that isn't her own, and is being told she's the "Promised One". She freaks out over being told she has to marry a guy that everyone is told is "beastly," so she starts working with the Captain of the Guard to get back to her own world.

This book hasn't even come out yet and I am chomping at the bit for the next book! If you like Throne of Glass, ACOTAR, or From Blood and Ash, this is a book for you. I am obsessed with Ember and Rhaell! Ember even more so, because who doesn't enjoy a foul-mouthed fmc? She's so fricken funny and I love how she confuses people with her slang. Some of the shocking twists didn't surprise me, but there were a couple that did!

This book was fast-paced and I ate it up. I finished it in a day. I am so looking forward to the next book!

(Kate.. there's gonna be a next book, right? PLEASE?)

Thrust into a new world where she’s declared the ‘Promised One’, thief Ember Hart finds herself bound by prophecy to the beastly Prince. Unwilling to doom herself, Ember strikes an alliance with the Captain of the Guard to restore magic to the kingdom. But as she spends more time with the handsome Rhaell, will she find herself risking her promised freedom and losing her heart?

I have such mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed it and on the other, I really struggled.

To start with my highlights:
• The book was pacy and engaging. It flowed really well and it was easy to get drawn in to the action that was happening, particularly from around the 60% mark when the action really ramped up.
• The mystery element of finding the stones and working out how to use them to restore magic was really intriguing. I found myself drawn into the mystery and trying to pick out key clues to discover what was happening alongside our characters. There was maybe some predictability, and I did find myself working out a pretty big reveal early on, but overall, I really enjoyed this aspect of the story.
• I really liked Rhaell. I think of our two main characters, his story was the most interesting to me and he felt slightly more three dimensional than Ember did. I found myself rooting for him and understanding him more – it was just that bit easier to pick out his motivations for his actions and therefore get behind them.
• The book offers an important commentary on the issue of female autonomy and reproductive rights. The ability/decision to have children is a core feature of the book and this is something it’s worth being aware of going into it if this is a potential trigger for you. I liked the different perspectives on this we saw and the challenge to the status quo that Ember offered.

And on to my hesitations:
• At times, the book felt a bit jarring with the disconnect between Ember’s more modern/advanced world and the more typical fantasy world that she found herself transported into. We spent so little time in Ember’s world that the language she used at times or the technology she referred to felt very out of place. The longer she spent in her new world the less I did notice this, but it had the effect, particularly early on, of taking me out of the story. This also added to some early difficulties in getting fully immersed in the world I was reading about and finding the book a bit slow to start (although as I’ve already noted, the pace absolutely ramped up as the book went on).
• The language was also quite crude at times. As an example, there was a big fascination with women’s chests – it was a major topic of conversation and contemplation throughout the early chapters of the book. Not to be outdone, a man’s crotch was also considered in great detail at one stage. To me this was unnecessary, and really took me out of the story while reading.
• As we approached the end, it felt slightly like new characters and plot points were being brought in to set the book up as a series when prior to the last 30 or so pages, it very much felt like it could have worked as a standalone. While I don’t necessarily have a problem with this, it did feel a bit forced at times and honestly, I’d have very happily wrapped this up the way I thought it was going as a standalone. Nonetheless, some interesting characters were introduced and I am definitely intrigued for the sequel.

Overall, I felt this was a really promising book. It did have a few elements I struggled with, but generally, it was pacy, intriguing and kept me keen to read on, and I’ll definitely be checking out the sequel.

With thanks to the publisher One More Chapter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ahead of publication.

DNF at 50%

This book was amazing – it started out with good writing, pacing and worldbuilding, and I was kind of in love with it until the romance part started.

The writing and story initially hooked me from the first sentence, and I practically flew through it delightedly, sure that this would become one of my faves.
I must say I really enjoyed the writing style, which is engaging and beautiful. It is also very easy to read, and I was making fast progress.
The characters, especially the FMC, had me intrigued. Ember started out as an interesting, headstrong and independent protagonist.
Sadly, as soon as the romance plot started in earnest the story lost its charm for me. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Rhaell and Ember at all. They went from strangers, to lustfully pining and then professing their undying love for each other in the blink of an eye. There was no emotional buildup to their love story, and it all left me feeling like I was missing some vital info.
Their lack of chemistry and debauched/wildly inappropriate thoughts made the romantic scenes seem more awkward and weird than anything else.
As the story went on, the way Ember talked also threw me off. Her dialogue began to feel overly simplistic, which made it hard to take her seriously.
I did like the world building, at least the bit we get to know. We learn very little about Ember’s world but judging by the way she talks and the little info she gives about where she is from, I assume she is from “our” world, just a few hundred years earlier.
We do learn more about the world she stumbles, or rather falls, into and it seemed rather interesting. I was really torn about whether I should try to power through, because I do want to know how it all ends, and I’m also sure that it is going to get way more interesting, alas I think life is too short to spend your time reading a book that frustrates you and I really didn’t want to resent a book that I was initially so excited about.
That being said, this is by no means a bad book – the story is interesting, the characters are well written with distinct personalities, and the writing is solid, but I am no fan of romantasy, especially not the graphic, overly spicy type.
I’m quite sure that lovers of the genre, who like a spicy edge and a fast-moving romantic arc and appreciate a good, engaging plot as well as interesting magical worlds will love this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperColling UK, One More Chapter for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book will keep you at the edge of your seat with all of its twists and turns. Somehow I guessed one of the twists at the beginning of the book and it did not disappoint. This book has spice, romance, danger, adventure and everything in between. If you like romantasy, you will love this book. I would have liked it more if there were shorter chapters and if it was more clear on who's POV it was but you can't have everything! This book did not disappoint and if there was to be a second book I would definitely read it.

Thank you to net galley, Harper Collins UK One More Chapter, and Kate Johnson for allowing me to read this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this book 4✨ it was easy and fun book to read. We follow our fmc Ember Hart is a thief with a hidden past and wakes up into a strange new world. As a prophecy goes in the strange new world a promise one will drop from the sky which is exactly what she’s did!! Now she’s is to make the prince who is known to be a brutal beast and hideous.
Then we meet Rhaell Captain of the Guard who promise to return her home if she’s helps restore the kingdom’s lost magic.

Rhaell is my bb - the poor male was constantly doubting and hating on himself. The twist was one I did not see coming.

I enjoyed the premise and story of this book, however was occasionally thrown off by the modern language interspersed.

A fun reading experience from start to finish. Intriguing story, characters that will appeal to all reads and action packed twists and turns.

2.5 Stars.

Upon starting The Promised Queen, I was intrigued and drawing into the story, however I dnf'ed around 30%. Though I felt the world building was detailed and there were the bones of a good story, I struggled with the character of the FMC and as others have said, her language/ dialogue felt out of place. Ultimately, it just wasn't for me. Please also read the triggers as there is a lot of discussions around fertility and 'bedding and breeding'.

Unfortunately chose to DNF this book. While the premise was quite interesting and the story progressed quickly from the start I could not get past the writing style of this book. It read very much like a middle grade book yet with adult concepts and connotations. I can see others enjoying this as it is very fast paced even in the very beginning but unfortunately I couldn’t overlook the use of “nah” and other slang words while in the FMCs internal monologue. If you are looking for a fast paced story with easily digestible albeit immature characters this book may work for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC! When I started the prologue, it reminded me of Inej from Six of Crows which had me so excited - I really wanted to enjoy this book! But it was unfortunately a bit of a let down.

The biggest issue I had was the main character’s tone of voice - she uses words like “ain’t” and “shitting fuckbollocks” which feels weird in a high fantasy setting. I’m not sure if it was intended to make her look uneducated or less polished, but for me it mostly just took me out of being immersed in the story and was jarring. Some of the language she used felt far more modern than her world seemed to be also… while I wanted to just chalk the way she spoke up to her being from another world, the world she was from had barons and mining as a key industry and horses as primary transportation.

I did, however, generally like Rhaell and his storyline. At first I was a bit skeptical because Rhaell is described as model hot but seems to think he’s ugly because he has scars on his back… Jamie Fraser would like to have a word! It does all make sense by the end, and I thought he was an absolute highlight character in the book.

That said, there was never a moment early on which made sense for them to start having feelings for each other. It kind of just came from nowhere - Rhaell constantly tells himself “you can’t have her” but it’s not super apparent why he knows he wants her? Or what it is he wants? The entire beginning of the book felt incredibly rushed in all honesty. It felt hard to believe that Ember was a thief because we really just see her steal one thing that kicks off the book and are TOLD she’s a thief. It was hard to understand what the point of Ember’s way of speaking was because we see almost none of her world before she gets transported. And we don’t really see why the main characters develop feelings, we just get told they do.

I really enjoyed the mystery behind the stones and the adventure to gather them all - this is right up my alley for the kind of stories I like. I wanted more in all honesty! I feel like this easily could’ve been stretched out to two books to really take the time to build up the romance, but also flesh out the world we’re in and spend more time getting to know the Rakaa for example. I think it would’ve been much stronger for the book to span 6 months to a year in time, versus what was seemingly a month max.

Overall, while there were aspects of the story I liked and see a lot of potential with, for me personally I struggled with the pacing and the main character’s way of speaking. If those types of things don’t typically bother you and you care more about the overall storyline, you might enjoy this book more than me! It seems like there might be a sequel from the way the book ended - while the book itself for me is getting a 3, I don’t think I will be picking up the next book unfortunately.

The Promised Queen

The story follows FMC Ember who is thrown through a portal to another world and arrives as The Promised One, the one an ancient prophecy foretold would restore magic to the land.

Ember’s only wish is to return home but in order to do so she strikes a deal with captain of the guard Rhaell. They agree to work together to restore the magic and thus be able to send Ember back to her home world.

I struggled a bit with the first half of the book. I don’t know what it was, I felt like it was well written and a lot of things happened but it just wasn’t clicking with me. I got a bit confused with the characters, whose pov it was and some of the fight scenes had me lost with what was going on.

Having said that, after the halfway point it did pick up and then the last 30% was really good. (Bit of a spoiler but trying not to give too much away) the big twist around this point blew my mind, I did not see that coming (even though I questioned the prince having horns earlier on nothing more really occurred to me).

I hope to see a follow up book to this, I’d really like to see where the story goes.

I’m rating this book 3.75 stars (rounded up to 4)

This book was a lovely read, I particularly enjoyed the descriptive language used in it, and how well everything was always explained from everything to clothes to the smells that could be smelt. It felt I credibly immersive which I absolutely adored.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publishing company for allowing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was sadly not great. There was a weird fixation with the FMCs breasts, and every time it was mentioned (which was often) it took me out of the story. Some of the romance elements felt a bit forced and rushed at times

Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter/HarperCollins UK for the ARC, but The Promised Queen was just not for me.

I’m not going to lie, I have mixed feelings about this book.
Overall, I enjoyed it! It had a a wonderfully sassy and snarky female main character. It had a misunderstood and broody male main character. It had dragons and a magic quest. It had interesting creatures and politics. It had multi POV and flashbacks. There is a lot going for this book!
What threw me off, though, was the pacing and that the multi POV changed partway through the chapters. For me, it made the flow a little choppy. I’m still not sure about the twist in identity, it felt a little out of left field.
Saying all that, there were definitely more positives than negatives and I am looking forward to where the story goes!

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the digital advanced copy of The Promised Queen by Kate Johnson. This review reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

The Promised Queen is a fast-paced and entertaining read, but ultimately, it fell short for me. It leans heavily on familiar fantasy romance tropes—Ember, a thief, wakes up in another world where she’s hailed as the prophesied savior, expected to marry a beastly prince and bear his children. Determined to escape and return home, Ember joins forces with Rhaell, who offers her a deal: help him recover magical stones needed to heal the sacred tree and restore magic, and he’ll send her back.

The book struggles with underdeveloped plot points and a writing style that often muddles action scenes. Key moments lack clarity, leaving me confused about how certain events unfolded. The central “reveal” near the end of the book is particularly jarring—it arrives without any narrative buildup, making it feel disconnected and unearned. Foreshadowing could have significantly improved its effectiveness and emotional resonance.

One of the book’s strengths is its pacing. The story moves quickly, and the characters are constantly in motion, facing one challenge after another. These conflicts, while initially intriguing, ultimately remain surface-level. I started the novel hopeful, but by the end, I felt unsatisfied.

Ember and Rhaell have potential as leads. Ember is portrayed as witty, strong, and independent—a refreshing departure from the passive heroine archetype. However, this characterization is frequently undermined by repetitive and overly sexualized descriptions, particularly of her physical attributes. While she’s described as a master thief, her skills are rarely demonstrated in a convincing or plot-relevant way. Rhaell remains an enigma throughout; his motivations and background are unclear, and the reader learns little beyond his quest for the stones and his self-perceived ugliness. Their romantic connection lacks emotional depth and seems driven more by physical attraction than shared experience or vulnerability. Supporting characters are similarly underdeveloped, which weakens the emotional stakes and world-building.

There is a meaningful theme at the heart of this story—female autonomy and reproductive rights. Ember’s horror at being seen primarily as a vessel for childbirth in a society plagued by infertility is a compelling premise. Unfortunately, this theme is diluted and inconsistently explored. It never reaches the emotional or narrative weight it deserves and dissipates by the book’s conclusion.

One of the strongest aspects of the novel is its setting. Kate Johnson has created a rich, imaginative world with intriguing magical elements and a compelling backstory about the sacred tree and the significance of the stones. These aspects held my interest and hinted at the novel’s potential.

Despite its strengths in pacing and world-building, The Promised Queen didn’t deliver the emotional or narrative payoff I was hoping for. I won’t be continuing with future installments, and I wouldn’t recommend this one to fans of fantasy romance looking for well-developed characters and stakes.