A very fun book with a unique premise!

We follow our FMC in a queernormative world, and due to her cronic illness she has to suffer with pain and be the ”lesser sister” of the two. This book has a delightful blend of fantasy, romance and humor!

Absolutely adored the bisexual representation and with the prince turning into a horse?? How fun, new, and exciting! I really liked the relationship between our FMC AND MMC, it’s a slow burn but a really good one. Definitely pick it up for a fun and enjoyable read!✨

4/5 ⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley, M. Stevenson, and Hodder for a complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not gonna lie I fully wanted to read this book because the premise sounded so fun and thankfully it really did live up to it - this could so easily have been executed poorly but thankfully our heroine is interesting and complex enough to really make this story work. I also appreciated how self-aware this book was with it's narrative and overall I found it to be a really enjoyable read that hooked me fully in its latter half. I really appreciated Bianca being a heroine with a disability and related a lot to her feelings of inadequacy and frustration. I could have used a little more development with Aric but overall he was charming enough and of course the whole 'he got turned into a horse' thing was very amusing.
This book was a really good mix tonally of Beauty and the Beast, The Princess Bride and weirdly... Shrek, but it managed to hold onto the comedic moments enough to still make the heartfelt and serious moments count. It was definitely somewhat predictable in terms of the narrative but I enjoyed the story anyway and would definitely check out more from this author in the future.
(Also really appreciated the bisexual representation and the queer-normativeness of the world. Having our couple be in their late twenties was nice to see as we so often have a couple barely out of their teens in romantasy and the fact they were both experiences in relationships was a nice bit of equality)

This was an adventurous, tongue-in-cheek, romantasy adventure that reminds me of the nostalgic Barbie Swan Lake magic of my childhood. Safe to say that I enjoyed this immensely. Whilst there were a few plot threads that felt worth being further explored, the wit, horse puns, and sheer coziness of the enchantments were enough to make me feel besotted.

I loved the chronic pain rep, mainly how those around Bianca treated her chronic pain, and how it felt like a dirty secret amongst society. This was portrayed really well. I do think that the characterisations of both Bianca and Aric could have been developed further, but on the surface level I really did enjoy the sniping, the playful banter, and then the smouldering affection between them.

Whilst the tropes are seriously overdone in fiction everywhere: arranged marriage, only one bed, etc. The fact that Aric is accidentally turned into a horse is diabolically funny. Reading this lighthearted fantasy put a smile on my face yet it was still engaging enough to compel me to finish it.

This was an interesting ride.

If you like the dynamic in My Lady Jane, this has a similar vibe. Unfortunately the politics, magic and quest are so glossed over it feels pretty unmagical despite the dude LITERALLY BEING TURNED INTO A HORSE.

I kept waiting for the intresting politics to come to play. Someone waiting in the wings for more power or a big plot twist. Instead we got a rather bog standard plot twist that wasn't really a plot twist.

The chronic disability rep was intresting though the poisoning route felt odd to me and was left feeling incomplete. While the authors note does shed more light on what they were attempting it didn't fit with what the characters were actually doing. I doubt horse boy could have figured out she was a coeliac.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

This book was not for me. Logic is pretty much absent for the entirety of the book and my main feeling was one of frustration. I think it I completely turned my brain off I might have enjoyed it more.

So this became a read I was very interested by as I was seeing it everywhere on bookstagram.
Sadly, I didn't know much about this when I requested it, other than I knew I wanted to read it due to being influenced. If I had known to expect the prince turning into a horse on his wedding night, I might not have joined the right.....
I rarely understood what was actually going on throughout this, and it's quite hard to review for that reason.
I felt like the characters rarely connected, and the chemistry just wasn't there. I want yearning, and this did not provide sadly. Interactions just felt cringey, especially sex scenes, and I just didn't connect to them, so I rarely found myself caring for what happened next. There's a lot of miscommunication in this, and it just isn't for me sadly.

I liked that there was chronic illness representation as that's quite rare in a fantasy book and I think more authors should attempt to be more inclusive.

First of all, many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for granting me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes your husband is not the prince on the white horse, but the horse itself. I’m not kidding.

Jokes aside, even though my friends made fun of me for requesting this and kept on referring to that cursed my horse prince game, I highly enjoyed this!!

Favorite thing was that it was a little silly while also being an actual well plotted storyline with an intriguing cast of characters. I loved Bianca and Aric, but I also loved the horse puns (yes multiple, I was in heaven).

The only thing that bugged me was how we didn’t really get to truly know almost all of the side characters. Think I would’ve been more involved in the mystery of who the assasin was, if I would’ve actually known the characters. Due to that the ending felt a little rushed to me aswell.

BUT I do really hope we get some sort of sequel or spin off with Bianca’s sister, i’m in need of some courtly wlw <33

4/5 ⭐️

So cozy and cute!!

“Behooved” is a sweet and fun read, perfect for fans of My Lady Jane 🫶🏻
I absolutely adored the mmc Aric—such a cinnamon roll!— and I saw so much of myself in Bianca. Her struggles and fears were deeply relatable, and her journey felt so personal.

Some tropes you’ll find:

- only one bed
- enemies to lovers
- cinnamon roll mmc
- hurt/comfort
- arranged marriage
- chronic illness rep

The setting felt like a fairytale: magical woods, cozy inns and majestic castles—it was dreamy!

I had such a great time reading this!

Many thanks to NetGalley, M. Stevenson and Hodder & Stoughton for providing a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!!

I would say this is a cozy The Swan Princess meets My Lady Jane
It's cute and fun, the characters are likable and the romance is definitely central, I felt like I wanted more depth from the worldbuilding. But I love the whole soft boy MMC who's wifey takes care of the stabbing

I read an eARC of this sweet fantasy romance novel on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This was an enjoyable light romance rooted in fantasy tropes about two very nice people overcoming a magical setback to discover their inner strength, build connections and save a kingdom.

There’s a lot of familiar tropes in this book and nods to classic fairytales. However we also see a main character with a chronic illness and how they navigate once of the characters being turned into a horse! This made this novel feel different to others and provided new concepts to contemplate.

We see familiar romance tropes too including miscommunication which I’m not usually a fan of. However it wasn’t overdone here and the characters were able to resolve this fairly quickly without descending into meanness or insults or pettiness. They are both initially driven by obligation and this shapes their opinions of each other in the wrong way at first. However they are both inherently nice and kind people and their common courtesy to each other allows them to overcome their earlier apprehension.

I found this to be a pleasant and enjoyable read where I liked both the main characters and I was rooting for their success. I particularly enjoyed how they navigated the equine transformation! I would read this again.

This wa a fun and quick read! It’ a romantasy chaotic , full of action, horses and humor (which I loved it)! I loved the dynamics of the characters (which have a grate arc) and the representation of chronic illness.
So yes, it sounded like a bit of a Disney movie and I’m simply obsessed with it!

Extremely silly fun, if this is the kind of slightly unhinged book the author will continue to write I am here for it!

Thank you M. Stevenson, Hodderscape & NetGalley for the ARC!

Behooved is a whimsical subverted fairytale that throws reluctant allies-to-lovers together in an action-packed journey across a magical landscape.

This is a perfect example of a fun, exciting romantasy. It was like a Disney movie in a book, will a little bit of romantic spice which is suitable for new adult readers!

The political intrigue is more a side topic, as a reader you don't get to see much to it, since the story follows the relationship between Bianca and Aric, from reluctant allies to lovers. They are interesting because they are not your typical protagonists.

I also liked Bianca's development from thinking the country she's coming to is very "backwards" to acknowledging it has some advantages over her own, and Aric also admitting some of the truly backwards things could be something he should improve if he becomes the king.

The chronic illness rep was also very well presented and something to think about whilst reading. I loved that the characters were humanised with “imperfections".

The perfect blend of humor, heart, and representation makes this a must-read. If you love witty, fun stories that don’t take themselves too seriously but still have something to say.

What a fun read this was! “Behooved” is a quirky fantasy adventure that doesn’t shy away from its own absurdity - and that’s where it shines. The story kicks off with Bianca, a dutiful heroine who agrees to marry the neighboring kingdom’s heir, Aric, to prevent a war, when things go off the rails on their wedding night in an assassination spell gone wrong, transforming Aric into a horse. Now, Bianca must drag her horse-husband across the kingdom while uncovering a coup and searching for a cure.

It’s as chaotic as it sounds, and the book fully embraces its humor and magical mayhem, which I loved. It’s very much of cozier fantasy variety: the stakes are real, but the tone stays playful, with a strong humorous tone.

What stood out most to me was the character dynamic. There’s a refreshing gender-role reversal - Aric is bookish, shy, and useless in a fight, while Bianca has a weapon literally up her sleeve and knows how to use it. I also really appreciated the thoughtful portrayal of chronic illness through Bianca’s character. The conversations between her and Aric about her health added depth to their journey and made their relationship feel more genuine. Watching them work through their insecurities together and became a core strength of the story.

While I enjoyed their exchanges, I had some trouble buying into their romance. Their emotional connection didn’t quite land for me, and Bianca’s feelings for Aric seemed to develop without a clear turning point. The pacing also felt uneven - although the romance is billed as a slow burn, once things got physical, they moved fast. On top of that, Bianca’s frequent self-reflections sometimes slowed the story down, and I found myself more engaged once the plot picked up in the final third of the book. The central mystery surrounding the assassination plot was fairly predictable, which made it a bit frustrating waiting for the characters to connect the dots.

Still, this was a fun, fast-paced read filled with some cute moments of connections, comedy, and a unique premise that I enjoyed following. For readers that enjoy lighter fantasy reading, this is an entertaining escape with some quirky humor.


Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Plot 3/5
Characters 4/5

I really loved the characters, especially the book loving mmc but the plot…
I didn’t feel anything reading it.
There was not a lot of action and it was quite repetitive.

3.75* rounded up.
This book is perfect for My Lady Jane lovers! If you, like me, are still grumpy that we don't get season 2, pick up this book I beg of you!

This was a really cosy and sweet read, which was very easy to pick up, more world building would have been appreciated, but I also understood that's not what this book was setting out to give us.

The story follows Bianca, who is due to be wed to a King of a Kingdom where there is threats of war, but on her wedding night a spell turns her now husband into a horse by day.

We have horse jokes galore, we have representation of chronic illnesses, lesbians and bisexuals and it's all wonderful.

All in all, I really would recommend this book, it was so so easy to pick up and hear all about Bianca riding her husband (hehe)

I was so excited to read this given the pun title, pun tagline, and the listing as a cozy fantasy. Unfortunately those were not true. There is no humour inside this book. I was hoping for either a fantasy rom-com or at least something light-hearted in tone, but the book plays itself very straight.

Sadly it isn't cozy, either -- the plot hinges on politics (complicated and serious), the protagonist and her husband are on the run from assassins (high stakes and high tension), and if they should fail their two kingdoms will go to war (high stakes and high tension, literally the fate of all people in two large kingdoms). I don't think publishers understand what "cozy fantasy" means.

I enjoyed the first half more than the second half. Bianca and Aric had excellent reasons for distrusting and even hating one another. I wish that level of effort had been put into resolving their issues and then creating a romance, but unfortunately the moment they realise someone else is manipulating things behind the scenes it's straight into trope-ville. Oh, he's so handsome I can't stop staring despite my life being in danger. Oops, my towel almost slipped off in front of him. Oh, there's only one bed and wouldn't it be ever-so-hot to grind myself against his erection while he's asleep & unable to consent. The author tries to have some conversations between them to force a connection, but it's always very unrealistic. A "let me spill my darkest secrets and wishes to someone I yesterday despited and thought was trying to murder me". You don't know this person at all, why would you immediately jump to deepest intimate secrets rather than, I don't know, getting-to-know-you topics? Discussing the problems at hand? Making plans for what to do after hopefully reversing the horse-transformation problem? Worst of all is that protagonist Bianca has always been ruled by duty, and ML's reaction to this is "no, we shouldn't be beholden to our people or our families, we rule kingdoms, we should be allowed to rule ourselves and do whatever we want without anyone judging us!" Which is... certainly An Opinion. Especially in our current world climate where the rich ARE doing whatever they want and the rest of us are suffering for it. Very tone-deaf to have literal royalty arguing for no rules, no responsibilities, no oversight - just because he wants to spend all day reading without his subjects getting mad that he's ignoring critical matters of state.

If this is enemies-to-lovers, then the enemies stage worked much better for me than the lovers stage. The protagonists also confess their love at the 63% mark, which is simply far too soon to have the romance problems solved in any romance or romantasy novel.

I wish the novel lived up to the title-and-tagline promise of a fantasy rom-com. I think a lot of problems could have been solved if the novel weren't trying to be so serious - I wouldn't judge politics, romantic development, or themes quite so hard if this were a comedy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.


Rating: 2 stars -- Not terrible, but did not meet my expectations from the blurb, title, etc. Neither funny nor cozy despite promising both.

Behooved by M. Stevenson is a stunning and unforgettable novel that completely swept me away. From the very first page, Stevenson’s rich, lyrical writing style draws you into a world that feels both mythic and deeply personal. The story masterfully blends fantasy, folklore, and human emotion, creating a narrative that is as imaginative as it is emotionally resonant.

The characters are beautifully complex, each carrying their own struggles, hopes, and vulnerabilities. Stevenson has a real gift for crafting authentic, layered personalities that linger with you long after you finish the book. The world-building is immersive, full of vivid details and atmospheric moments that bring the setting to life without ever overwhelming the story’s emotional core.

What truly sets Behooved apart is its exploration of identity, belonging, and transformation. It’s a story that feels timeless yet fresh, with themes that are universally relatable. Every twist and turn felt purposeful, and the conclusion was both satisfying and deeply moving.

Behooved is a brilliant, original novel that deserves a place on every fantasy lover’s shelf. I cannot recommend it highly enough and am already eager to see what M. Stevenson writes next!

5⭐

Thank you M. Stevenson, Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

Behooved by M. Stevenson was a magical and heart-felt read that blew my expectations for the cost fantasy genre. The chronic illness & queer representation is incredibly well done and I enjoyed reading about these characters so much! The chemistry between Aric and Bianca was sizzling from the beginning and watching it develop and unfold was satisfying to read about. The slow burn and tension between them was magnificent! There is so much effort put into this book and it turned out to be an amazing!

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘.

Overall this is a really good read. I like the disability representation with Bianca's condition and relatability of the 'unknown' cause so many people experience.

When Aric was initially transformed into a horse and turned his head grumpily, all I saw in my mind was Maximus from Disneys Tangled and it made me laugh so hard.
I really enjoyed the banter back and forth between Biana and Aric at the initial transformation, it was really funny.

There was so much internal monologue that it almost felt too much. I feel like the book could have been slightly shorter and still have the same impact if some of the monologue was excluded.

Still a very enjoyable read.