The Promised Queen is a fun, fast-paced read with sharp humor and a meaningful romance. It’s a solid pick if you want a quest-centric plot alongside an emotionally healing romance. However, the world building was minimal, which prevented me from being fully absorbed into the book as I struggled to create a mental image of the characters environment. Character development also felt rushed and was most crammed into the last section of the story, in addition to dialogue also feeling slightly childish at times, especially in moments of intimacy. The balance between fantasy and romance felt inconsistent, with the tone wavering throughout and never quite feeling settled. In contrast, this book also had an array of appealing characteristics that make it an enjoyable read provided you can look past the aforementioned flaws. Ember is on the whole a lively and fun character, whose witty remarks and persona create an FMC whose sassy nature is enjoyable to read. That being said, if you’re looking for love that is heartfelt and fuelled with emotion, then look no further than Ember and Rhaell. The progression of their relationship allows for the perfect slow-burn romance, which pairs well with their engaging and action-packed journey to gather magical shards, the plot twists leaving you reeling. Overall I would say this is definitely a must-try for romantasy fans, though perhaps not a deep-dive epic. 3.5/5

I am quite pleasantly surprised by this book. There were some minor issues, and it definitely needs some trigger warnings, especially related to crude language relating to women by minor characters, but on the whole this was a very unique story, and I really liked it. The world building itself felt familiar but also quite unique, with the mix of fantasy and vaguely modern and magical worlds.

It kept me engaged in the story the whole time with how fast paced it was (but not so overly fast paced that it feels like there’s no plot), had a great twist (even though I’d guessed it early on), and left an open ending, but not a terrible cliffhanger. I’d absolutely read the next one in the series whenever it comes around.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Such a good Romantasy!!! Loved the pacing in this book and the plot!!!!! Had me absolutely hooked start to finish and the writing in general was just so captivating and beautiful! Adored this book & will want more from this author!

This was a whirlwind of a story and so much fun.

Ember finds herself in a strange, parallel world where her arrival has been prophesied and she is expected to marry the beastly prince. Her plight sees her fall in with Rhaell, the captain of the guard, and embark on a wild plan to restore magic to the realm, escape her fate and return home.

The characters, wall to wall action and twisty plot had me tearing through this book. Ember's character and voice, and the fact she was the pursuer and more experienced of the two when it comes to relationships gave it a fresh, unconventional feel. She is sassy and cynical, foul mouthed and street smart but clueless about the strange world she has literally fallen into. Rhaell is a perfect romantasy hero - dark and broody, fierce but vulnerable, tortured and misunderstood. Though they are pitted against each other, they are exactly what the other needs, and they steal the show with their banter and yearning. It's superhot. It's all vibes and adventure. And it's absolutely going to be one of my top picks for the year.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Johnson, and One More Chapter for the opportunity to read The Promised Queen in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

The Promised Queen is a clever and heartfelt romantasy that mixes sharp wit, slow-building romance, and a richly imagined magical world. Ember Hart, a savvy thief from a magicless world, is suddenly thrust into a dangerous realm where she’s declared the prophesied savior and expected to marry the brooding, beastlike Prince Rhaell. But Ember is anything but a typical damsel, and the two of them navigate political intrigue, hidden dangers, and their growing connection with plenty of sparks and grit.

Kate Johnson’s storytelling shines in Ember’s voice: snarky, resilient, and full of fire and the slow burn between Ember and Rhaell feels earned and real. While the pace is a bit measured in the beginning, it allows space for the world and characters to develop fully. Once the magical quest kicks in, the stakes rise, and so does the tension, blending emotional depth with engaging action and surprising twists.

The romance isn’t just heat and chemistry, it’s built on mutual respect and vulnerability, which makes their connection all the more satisfying. Though newcomers might find the world’s layers a little dense at first, the payoff is worth it, especially as the story sets up exciting possibilities for future books.

Overall, The Promised Queen offers a balanced mix of adventure, magic, and emotional growth, perfect for readers who love a heroine who’s sharp and fierce, and a romance that simmers and soars.

This book was so fun! Classical romantssy with a twist!

Rhaell and Ember are cute together and I enjoyed their relationship at the start. The world building is mediocre but it’s definitely a fun easy romantssy read to follow!
It will be interesting to see a book 2 and where the story goes!

A fun and entertaining new romantasy. However, I think the publisher missed an opportunity to market this as a monster romance. Those who are not fans of the genre might find that part of the plot off-putting.

I LOVED THIS!!
The twist and turns just kept coming and I couldn’t put it down! Even from the opening chapter I was hooked.
I loved the writing style, the world building and most of all I loved the characters and depths to them. I love a reactant hero and Ember is just that as she’s thrust into a world of politics and magics. Her sharp tongue and quick wit is believable without being too much and she had enough layers to her that I was rooting for her all the way through.
It’s a super fast passed story that had a couple of twists I didn’t see coming (and a couple I did) and overall I really enjoyed it!
I’d definitely recommend it.

The Promised Queen was a great read with an unexpected heroine. The FMC, Ember, is a thief who falls through a portal into another realm and quickly learns that she’s a “savior” sent to break a curse hundreds of years old. Ember is confident and gutsy, though her speech/dialect is very rough around the edges and perhaps a bit modern for the time period. While it’s consistent with her lifestyle as thief, it’s a little much at times.

The story had a unique magic system, including tricky portals, beasts, and a magical sacred tree. With ancient prophecies and mysteries to solve, Ember teams up with the captain of the guard to go on an epic quest / heist to ultimately break the curse. Murder, mystery, mayhem, and a litany of tragedies that befall them along the way.

Overall, the book was a good read with a lot of twists and action. The ending sets things up to potentially support a sequel, which I would definitely read.

I really loved this book! It took me a bit to finish but that was because this thing called life got in the way lol
I could’ve easily binge read this over a weekend.
There was sass, tension, mystery, adventure, the list goes on and the last couple of chapters! 😳
I like the writing style, the world building, the others characters and our fierce but hella stubborn MMC and FMC’s.

It had me on the edge of my seat (at home and at work!)

I will be waiting for book 2 to see what Ember and Rhaell get up too!!!! Here’s hoping the spice caries over to the next book too because dang! 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank-you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this eArc!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher & the author for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. Here we go: Was this book good? No. Did I enjoy it? …Also no. Except somehow yes? It’s complicated…

Let’s break it down: The worldbuilding? Thinner than the excuses I tell myself for buying yet another book while my TBR is already never-ending. Things just happened? It’s as if someone had a fantasy bingo card, closed their eyes, and threw darts at it. Prophecy? Check. Magic’s dying? Sure. Sexually aggressive heir-obsessed king? OH BOY, BUCKLE UP.

Speaking of King “I Need an Heir” Onas— SIR. SIT. DOWN. If I got a nickel for every time you mentioned your need for a baby-carrying bride or tried to emotionally manipulate people with your sad old man breeding agenda, I’d have enough money to start my own kingdom and ban men from speaking entirely. You need therapy, not a throne.

The romance? Full-speed-ahead insta-lust with zero chill. The sexual tension was less “slow burn” and more “let’s microwave this scene until it explodes.” I audibly winced at some of the dialogue. Ember deserves better than someone who flirts like he just discovered innuendo five minutes ago.

But here’s the thing: for all its messiness, it wasn’t boring. I cackled. I side-eyed. I gasped at the plottwist which I obviously did not see coming (I rarely do). And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least mildly intrigued about what absolute chaos the sequel will throw at me next…

So, yeah. Was it unhinged? Yup.
Did I kinda have fun? Also yup.
Will I read the next one? …le sigh. Yeah, probably!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I quite enjoyed the characters, but felt that the plot and worldbuilding was rushed. In addition, I figured the plot twist immediatly, so the chemistry between the main couple read as forced and just there for the plot. I think this book wasn't for me, but will find its readers for sure!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I quite enjoyed the characters, but felt that the plot and worldbuilding was rushed. In addition, I figured the plot twist immediatly, so the chemistry between the main couple read as forced and just there for the plot. I think this book wasn't for me, but will find its readers for sure!

3 stars

Thank you to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for this e-arc.
First off, I found the premise of this book very interesting our main character Ember a thief is transported to a magical world where she is proclaimed the chosen one (a favorite trope of mine. She thens finds out she is gonna have to marry a prince of that world and is like nope so she joins forces with Captain Rhaell to return home. So far so good. I could our FMC interesting if a tad irritating. I LOVED CAPTAIN RHAELL HE IS FIRE. I did like the heist element of this book. It was exciting with lots of plot twists just not a favorite for me, but was fun.

This book was interesting. I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love it.
Honestly, I probably should have dnfed, but I kept reading hoping I would enjoy it.
Overall, a disappointing read.

Magical and totally enthralling fantasy adventure that will grab you and not let go! Richly developed world of magic, court politics, and interesting creatures with plenty of secrets, prophesies, and a bit of slow burn in the mix. Lots of sizzle and twists that really keep things moving. A really fun fantasy read.

I absolutely loved this book!!

The story followed Ember, a thief, who accidentally stumbles upon a ritual that ends up sending her to another world. Immediately the King thrusts upon her the responsibility to marry his grandson and produce heirs for the throne, admits a blight in the land that is stopping the woman from being able to bare children. Ember wants nothing more than to get back home and escape her certain execution. To do so she must team up with the Captain of the guards and together restore the Sacred Trees power.

This book sucked me in from the very first page! Every chapter was filled with enthralling action and dangerous feats that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I love how this book shows the male in a more insecure light and the female being more empowered and confident in her body. This was a reallly refreshing dynamic and it made me enjoy the book so much more.

I love the intricacy of the magical world and the creatures that. Dwelled within it, my favourite being the Myr.

I cannot wait to see where future books in this series take us! I am obsessed!

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to start reading this book early in exchange for an honest review :)

First of all a huge thank you to the publishers and Kate for letting me review such an incredible book.

Kate Johnson you have done it again , a world with magic that has vanished ,an heroin called Ember a real badass ,
the captain of the guard called Rhaell wont lie to you he is HOT AS HELL !!
full of spice and lots of romance .
plenty of adventure , cliff hanging moments i was sold .

i love Kate books so when i got the chance to review the book over the moon . the world building and story telling honestly 10 out of 10 i wanted to jump in the pages with all the characters .
the story had some of the best plot twists Kate good at them ."i was like hold on just rip the carpet from under my feet and chuck me a gin my jaw dropped.
if you could have seen me at times which i am not giving away anything i was holding my breath that to me is the impact of great story telling .

Ember and Rhaell love them so much some of the best characters i have read about the balanced each other out so well the saying opposites attract could not be more true

Kate writing well Hello ,I am a huge fan here she always manages to captivate me I read the book in 2 days. It never happens i was on my own adventure with this book .



i am giving the book the most captivating fantasy book of this year 5 stars

Thankyou to Netgalley for the chance to read and review this early.

This was a total cover click for me and once I'd read the blurb and realised that the author is someone I've loved in the past I was super excited to jump into the world she created. We follow Ember a young woman who is transported from a clockwork city to a fantasy world where the locals are suffering from severe infertility and she has been prophecised to be the saviour of them all.

Unfortunately it just fell a bit flat for me. Ember and Rhaell's romance was so instalovey that I ended up going back a few chapters after their first proper lovey scene to make sure I hadn't missed something! Ember's speech is also really strange, she goes from saying "ain't" every 5 seconds to modern speak and then to fantasy speak.

The world itself however was brilliantly described, I'd love to learn more about the literal sea horses and Rakka but unfortunately I won't be continuing on with the series.

Please do make sure to check trigger warnings before reading as some of them really hit you in the face.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Promised Queen!

This was a bit hard for me to get through, I"m not usually a huge trigger person but there was a lot of SA based language and SA happens to be my one and only trigger. I did a lot of skipping around the book to move past these areas. I was initially really turned off with the descriptive words of our FMC and the constant reminder that she was only needed to breed heirs.

While the world building was pretty good, the dialogue didn't seem to match the era or timeframe of the story, it came off more as trying to be cool instead of actually sounding cool I didn't fit and that threw me off a bit. Embers use of slang very much contradicted where I feel she came from in the timeline. It made it hard to connect to her as a character.

The romance part of this story went from cold to hot in the blink of an eye and it seemed very rushed. No slow burn, no tension, no getting to know each other really just indifference to undying love in the blink of an eye. The spice was also hit or miss for me there were some really good scenes but some of the language was juvenile making it hard to really get into it.

The overall theme of the story is interesting and definitely different from most romantasy that is out and in heavy rotation right now and while a few areas fell flat me it wasn't a horrible read. The magical characters were great, dragons and mermaids. The plot twist and the end was unexpected but not enought to make me come back for book two. It may not have been for me but as a reader if you're in to Monster/Fantasy romance it's worth picking up.