From the beginning, I found Alexandra appealing, even when other characters saw her as tricky – after all, who would be content with marrying a stranger under her circumstances? Her development throughout the book felt natural, and the chemistry between her and Tom was excellent. However, some of the supporting characters began to seem overly villainous.

The romantic scenes were well-executed and felt earned by the time Tom and Alexandra reached that point in their relationship. My main issue with the book was the rapid conclusion. The resolution involving her mother, Bryan, and the reconciliation was too quick and predictable (even though I understand it is based on a fairy tale). Despite this, the book leaves room for a sequel, which I am interested in reading—I hope to see more of Angharad and more of Tom and Alexandra.

A well written and well paced retelling of King Thrushbeard with a smidge of The Taming of the Shrew, and hints at the end for a Little Mermaid adventure happening to another character. It’s more a 3.75, but I rounded it up to 4 stars because goodreads likes whole numbers.

I have two issues with this book, but only two! The first, is that the message for most people in this book seem to be that the ends justifies the means. Which is why the queen mother sends her daughter off with a man to go live in a cottage somewhere way over yonder, because her daughter — like her mother — follows that same creed. She does charitable work; she’s pleasant to her maid, kind and supportive of her friends, patient and understanding of the women she meets … but because she doesn’t know what it’s like to live as a commoner, her mother hands her over to a stranger because, you know, the ends justifies the means. For her.

It’s interesting making the queen the villain, the one who comes up with the deception in the first place, which takes the burden of the lie off of the prince’s shoulders. The prince, who goes by Tom when he’s out playing wandering bard, wants to marry Alexandra to ensure peace between their kingdoms; and he wants to take her down a peg. Having met her twice, and heard about her from her mother, he has come to the conclusion that the princess is a spoiled brat. And those two meetings and her mother’s biased opinion were all he needed to judge a girl he’s only had two conversations with.

For the most part it works. This is a fairy tale and a romance and there’s a suspension of disbelief required for the plot. As they journey on foot from her palace to his cottage, the princess has ample time to be humbled, but … she’s never known a hard life. So mocking her or judging her for not knowing how to pump water or the cost of money seems petty. She’s decent to the women on the road, and shows both good and poor qualities. Until, for no reason, the story makes a choice.

Alexandra’s mood swings wildly, going from being compassionate to someone who was kind to her one moment, and then being stupid the next — looking at a burned and sacked village and protesting that maybe they’d done something to deserve it; and maybe the people weren’t really dead. Not because of shock or sorrow or because she wanted to pretend she wasn’t seeing a destroyed village with dead people; she did this so that Tom could be mad at her and she could learn a lesson.

This moment really stood out especially when — both preceding and following — there were so many moments of her obliviousness and general selfishness that did the same thing, only more in character. The overall moral lesson of this book seems to be the ends justify the means, unless you’re a princess; then you have to do things for the right reasons or you’re a spoiled brat.

I had fun with the book. Alexandra is a fun character, Tom was a decent love interest, and the world building, writing and plot were solid. If you like fairy tell books, this one is worth a try. I want to thank Net Galley and the publisher for granting me access to an advanced reader copy

King Thrushbeard is one of my favorite fairy/folktales for so many reasons. Highest among them is because there aren't too many modern or recent retellings that really captures the essence of the story and the character growth that is essential to the plot. It is a magical tale and i really enjoyed Vanessa Green's version in The Bard's Bargain. The characters were wonderful and there was a nice balance of storytelling and worldbuilding and romance. I'm looking for a little bit of a follow up and continuation of this tale but Vanessa Green is an author I will be SURE to be on the lookout for more in the future.

Recommended: yes!
for a story with a lot of satisfying character growth, for a simple love I could root for, for a setting and cast of side characters I adored

Thoughts:
This was all I'd hoped it could be and honestly, even more. I read the blurb thinking it sounded lighthearted and silly, and while it had those moments, it also had so much genuine feeling in it. Situations that are hard to navigate; characters with flaws whom you can nonetheless root for to see them grow.

Now don't get me wrong, at the start, Alexandra is clearly a spoiled twat, but there's enough of a good heart behind her entitled actions and beliefs that I felt like she could get to a better place, given the right circumstances. WELL. The circumstances were designed to do so, and I loved the premise. As a heads up, it's not just "a bard named Tom," it's the (essentially) prince of the rival kingdom faking being a commoner to learn more about his people whom she is intended to be betrothed to in order to end a generational war between them. That's left out of the blurb for some reason and it's not a twist or a surprise in the book or anything, so I was shocked when I learned the full details of the setup as it was happening at the start. There's a hint of enemies to lovers in this, but Tom is never really her "enemy" so it didn't annoy me.

And ah, god, Alexandra grows so much. She refuses food so often in the first arc of the story that I have a not that says "I feel like this bitch is always refusing food, like just eat something" with the thought of how much she'll regret this later. As far as I could tell she went days without eating anything because she was too haughty for whatever was offered. It killed me, it was so impractical. But she reflects on this later in her year and thinks the exact same thing, which was very vindicating and made me soften toward her. She could see and admit her flaws, and work to change them, even if it took some time to get to that point.

Don't forget Tom, either! We get a few chapters from his perspective, though Alexandra is mostly the star. He's a lovable character, to the point where the animosity before they set off was somewhat confusing. The romance in this is present, but a light touch. It's more about them each learning more about themselves and then finding ways they connect, rather than just a proximity-based flash fire. This is like a coming of age story, with some romance, and a lil bit of royalty/ruler intrigue.

Overall I really loved this one, and can't wait for the next book in July!

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy. This is my honest review.

Princess Alexandra's character develops significantly, learning humility, compassion, and selflessness, influenced by Tom, a young bard with a lighthearted nature and hidden depth. Her transformation is central to the story's moral, contrasting the lives of nobility and commoners, and reflecting on social struggles and duties.

I am not sure if I would continue with this series but I would check it out if I have nothing else to read.

What a lovely and spicy love story!! The characters were well developed and I immediately feel in love with Tom’s character. Alexandra was of course difficult to latch onto at the beginning, but she does a full 180 which was expected. The spice was juicy and romantic! I needed a break from high fantasy and this checked that box. I really look forward to the next book as it was left open for a sequel. Thank you to the author Vanessa Green and Net Gallery for the e-arc!!

This book requires a little more time for you to become immersed in the reading but when it happens everything starts to flow better.

The most interesting point of the book is following Alexandra’s journey becoming an “ordinary” person and the romance. I loved how her relationship with Tom developed, despite being a retelling, I found the story to have a lot of personality.

A historical romance retelling of King Thrushbeard. The story follows Princess Alexandra who has rejected all her suitors at her debut and is then forced to live in poverty with the lowliest commoner, a young bard named Tom. If Alexandra can live a life of a commoner fora. full be reinstated and put back in the palace and will in turn be given the title of regent. Should be easy enough right? Wrong. Alexandra is now forced to face the harsh reality of the poor and must learn to care for someone other than herself. As she faces this new reality she also begins to fall for her handsome and lighthearted companion.... but when the time comes to choose between returning to her old life as a princess and her new life.... what will she choose? This is a marked as fantasy romance however there was very little actual fantasy in this story. It definitely leaned much more on the slow historical romance aspect. This book felt very slow and if I'm being honest, I found myself nearly dnf-ing it multiple times. The story was okay at best but I dont think I would read the next book. It felt a bit too slow for me and I just didn't find myself all that invested. There is spice and romance but it just didn't hit the spot for me. However, I do think that if you enjoy fairytales and historical romances with a bit of spice, definitely give this a go.

Release Date: November 30, 2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Indie/Self for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

It is a retelling of the Brothers Grimm's fairy tale "King Thrushbeard," where a princess's pride incites the anger of the queen, who then banishes her to live in poverty. She must live with a young bard for one year, and then she may return to the palace and assume her title.

Princess Alexandra's character undergoes significant development as she learns humility, compassion, and the value of selflessness. Tom, the young bard (wink, wink), plays a crucial role in Alexandra's transformation. His lighthearted nature and hidden depth make him an endearing character. Alexandra's transformation is central to the story's moral message. The novel explores the stark differences between the lives of nobility and commoners, highlighting struggle and duty across social classes. It is very relevant to the current social climate and wage gaps. It also illustrates the responsibility and empathy needed for leadership. Overall, it is a story of the impact of how compassion and love change us, encouraging readers to reflect on their values and actions.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley and Vanessa Green.

I had a fun time reading this and I liked the writing. Based on the premise I was hoping to love this book, but something kept me from doing so. I couldn’t figure it out until I saw other reviews where people mentioned the pacing and the movement of time in the book and I fully agree!

I’ll definitely read more from the author, and I did like this book, but this didn’t quite meet the expectations I had going in!

Honestly, i thought i’d love this book. everything about it seemed up my alley and i was super excited. but i was slightly disappointed. the writing was amazing and so was the story telling but i just felt as though it was going in circles. the book itself isn’t bad at all, just not for me! i love the characters within the book and how they’re portrayed. the pacing is odd, but it does make sense for the setting it’s in. overall, not a bad book, just not the style i’m used to. i still enjoyed it!!

I love that this book was based on the story of King Thrushbeard. I had never heard of the tale, but I love an opportunity to learn of classic fairytales via new, adult retellings. It is a great story and the morals and lessons are abundant!

I adore a morally grey character, so even at her most selfish and naive, I warmed towards Princess Alexandra. The characters were rich and numerous. I also loved the romance between Tom & Alexandra. It was raw and passionate. The spice was sizzling!

Having said this, the book didn’t flow quite as well as I’d of liked. However, I cannot quite put my finger on why. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that I struggled with the pacing. It felt like we would be in a single day for chapters, before skipping months and months in single sentences. I also felt like Alexandra would have struggled more with the change in circumstances. Surely even Tom would have struggled to some extent?

Finally, I am slightly confused as to why this is a series starter. I feel it would have benefitted from being a standalone.

This wasn't a book for me. The premise and blurb sounded interesting so I took a chance, but I did not enjoy the read pretty much at all. The biggest issue I had was that I despised all of the characters, especially Alexandra. This isn't a problem that everyone will have, I fully admit, because it is also true that she grows a lot through the story. However, she was completely insufferable for a good portion of the book, and I personally just don't want to spend time reading about terrible people. It also made Tom's attraction to her baffling to me. There is an attempt to play it off like he could see the potential in her to not be a spoiled brat, but it falls flat. Tom's strong physical attraction to her even while she was being super insulting and selfish and terrible actually made me dislike him a little. My guy, please have some self respect.
Also I just don't like the "have to 'fix' the love interest" angle it gave everything. I think I would have liked it if Alexandra had been exiled or something by her mother to force her to learn the lesson, and she met Tom organically as he was doing something else. You know, instead of making it Tom's job to make her not awful.
Third-act-breakups are a common trope in romances, but they're almost always bad and unnecessary, and that held true here. Alexandra's reaction to Tom's revelation was melodramatic and immature. I get being hurt you were lied to, but come on, you were literally wishing for something like this to happen a few scenes ago.
There's an audience out there for this book, but unfortunately it's not me.

A fun romantic fairytale.
A story that has everything you want in that genre.
Compeling setting and characters.
Loved it

3.5 stars

Vanessa Green's "The Bard's Bargain" follows the privileged, bratty, and downright spoiled Princess Alexandra of Lenwen who is being punished by her mother for rejecting all the suitors at her debut. Her punishment is to live as a peasant for an entire year with a bard named Tom. Alexandra gets a taste of the real world and gains some self awareness during her time away from the palace.

Although the romance was quite childish, the journey that Alexandra has during her time with the bard and the connections she makes with the villagers along the way are quite enjoyable -- along with the spice. I will admit that I found the fantasy to be lacking and wouldn't label this as a romantasy myself.

I am not sure I would continue with this series, but I would be interested in reading other works from the author.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book. I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. Instantly I was hooked about this spoiled rotten princess and her journey to learn that money truly isn't everything. That being a ruler is more than about land and war, it's about the kingdom and the people in it that make it work. While I do say I felt like the ending needed a little work but I can feel a second book in the works. I really do love how resilient Alexandra was when they were first traveling together to Norwen and I feel like that part could have lasted a little longer because her realizing that her own troops were harassing people traveling as well as high prices to pass from certain towns was very clever of a way for her to realize what she needed to do once she came back to court. Kind of predictable ending and I really didn't like the way that Alexandra left the town without saying anything to the new friends she made. Felt like she never went through those hardships with the townfolk. But other than that this was a great book. Just some more editing at its a solid 5 star read.

3.5 stars

The Bard’s Bargain is an enjoyable story about a spoiled princess who must prove that she can live in poverty for a year in order to become regent. Apparently this is a retelling, but I can’t say I’m familiar with the story of King Thrushbeard.

Alexandra was definitely bratty and unlikable at first, but the author did a nice job with her character growth. Tom the bard was a sweetheart and I liked him right away. The romance was (mostly) believable and there was a good amount of spiciness.

A couple things that could have been better - this was labeled a fantasy but there were hardly any fantasy elements. I also thought there was a little too much back and forth/hot and cold between the characters at times. Overall this was a decent story, I’m not certain if I would read the next book but I would consider it.

Thank you to the author for the ARC!

I think I wanted to like this one more than I did. It was a cozy fantasy romance, but with limited fantasy - it was more similar to historical romance. (This was not the issue for me - I love historical romance.) It lagged a little in the middle and I wish more time had been spent on the last third of the storyline instead - everything wrapped up rather suddenly.

That said, if you like quieter historical/fantasy romance, you'll still enjoy this. Sometimes it was giving Alice Coldbreath vibes.

The epilogue seemed to set up a sequel, which I will be picking up.

(I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Thank you netgalley for the chance to read and review this book. This was a refreshing fairytale retelling that puts its own twist on the story of king thrushbeard.

To start the cover is stunning, I know this shouldn't be a make or break for a book but this cover definitely catches your eye. The artwork is beautiful and I am gutted that I don't have a physical copy for my shelf!

I fell in love with Alexandra and there are valuable life lessons about learning to see past your own nose and care for others. With plenty of spice adult romance lovers, this book is for you.

This was a decent read, not in my top for the year, but not in last place either. It was a compelling story.