This book was good, once I got going. The characters were interesting from the off but the pacing was a little all over the place at times. Sometimes I felt it was slow, sometimes I was racing to read what happened next.

I think was drew me in was Beau and Penny, both wonderfully crafted characters, a true enemies-to-lovers style plot that was well done and believable. I had a harder time falling in love with Elias, who was good and true to form, but he lost me towards the end, I didn’t find his part of the MMF romantic plot as viable or enjoyable (which is surprising because it’s no secret that I enjoy MM fantasy).

The world was built well too, nice introduction and continuance of development throughout with some excellently done political scheming on all parts. This was done better in the initial stages of the book - once again, it didn’t work as well towards the end. In fact, the whole end of the book (the last 25% or so) felt like it was rushed a little.

Overall though, a solid read.

S.E. McPherson’s A King’s Trust delivers a fresh, inclusive fantasy with a compelling premise: a spare prince thrust toward the throne uncovers magical secrets, political conspiracies, and unexpected love, twice over. It was all those promises that made me reach out for this book, and while the execution isn’t always seamless, this debut novel still has plenty to offer.

I loved spending time with Elias, Beau, and Penny, they are all vibrant, flawed, and full of potential. The found family vibe was quite strong, and the integration of neurodivergent and queer identity, especially the subtle, AuDHD representation, whcih felt authentic, I daresay is one of the novel’s best elements. The political worldbuilding was engaging, and the magic system, while predictable at times, had some intriguing payoffs by the end.

Unfortunately, much of that emotional investment falters in the second half. The pacing became slightly erratic, I felt that some major character and relationship developments needed more room to breathe. The transition from slow-burn queer romance to sudden M/F marriage (with the duchess who had only recently distrusted the prince) felt unearned, and actually abrupt. While the “why choose” direction is bold, the relationship arcs sometimes didnt feel as organic as it could. As a result, some emotional beats, especially those involving Beau and Penny, felt flat and underdeveloped. Some chapters did feel long, which impacted momentum. That said, there’s still a lot to enjoy, particularly in the first half, which balances court intrigue, character dynamics, and atmosphere with skill.

Despite its uneven pacing and rushed resolutions, A King’s Trust stands out for its heart, representation, and ambition. I’ll absolutely be picking up the next book because while this wasn’t perfect, I truly cared about these characters, and I want to see where they go.

Thanks to Netgalley and Metaltail Press for the arc.

I really enjoyed this book. If you’re looking for a book with queer and neurodivergent representation this one’s great.
Solid and engaging plot line that keeps you entertained. This book does have some smut, but definitely way more plot line than just a pure smutty read. My only critique is that chapters were quite long (but honestly that’s a me thing I like short chapters).

I thought this book was really fun and interesting. There were some parts where I was bored, but overall I enjoyed my time. I loved the main characters and really loved them together. I am really excited to see what will happen next. One personal thing I didn't really like is how long the chapters felt, but that's because I personally like short chapters. I also had to read this on my laptop which didn't help that feeling.

This book was an immediate 5-star read. The writing is impeccable, the pacing is perfect, and I was equal parts biting my nails, giggling, devastated and then soothed. It's shocking to think that this is a debut novel - S.E. McPherson writes as if she's been publishing for decades.

Beau is a delightfully relatable character, and I could TASTE the chemistry between he and Elias. The jury is still out (for me) on how I feel about Penny, as their chemistry didn't quite match the yearning between the two men.

I absolutely adored the LGBTQIA+ rep - it's the opposite of heteronormative and gender is explored thoughtfully. The author's careful exploration of self harm, sexual abuse, and familial abandonment never felt unnecessary or exploitative.

Frankly I am foaming at the mouth for the next installment. I'll be following McPherson closely so I don't miss her future releases!

4.5 stars

This was an absolutely fantastic debut book and I loved every second of it. Every character felt alive and real, and the dynamics between the main trio were great. I especially loved Beau as a character, as he had so much depth to him. No one in the trio is perfect, but that made them feel more human and relatable. Yes, you sometimes wanted to bang your head against the wall because of their actions, but the author wrote them in a way that you still loved them as characters and you wanted to see how their relationship bloomed. If you love a found family, this is the book for you. I am really excited to see how they grow together in the later books.

I do love some court politics, and we did get some politics in this book. But I feel like this book more focused on the trio's beginnings and solidified what they might be going up against in the later books. I am excited to see how the story continues now that everything has been established in the first book. One thing I do wish for is that the magic system gets explained and expanded more in the later books in the series. It was really only touched upon in the last quarter of the book but it really seemed interesting so I want to learn more about it!!

I will definitely be continuing the series as the books come out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Metaltail press for the ARC!

While this wasn’t my normal kind of book it was an adventure I loved being a part of.

I’ll be looking forward to any and all books from McPherson

I'll start with the fact that the characters were well written and felt more alive with their own mistakes rather than a bland cutout especially beau felt very real with the situation he's in, I definitely got the found family vibe around the place. The relationships felt a bit rushed and felt like it was just thrown in as sudden realization but it's not something too bad so I can't really complain much.

I liked the political concept (in general love the theme in fantasy books) but wish there was a bit more world building, and also I hope we'll get more lore on the magic system.

Overall there's more stuff we can get a look into and hopefully we'll see it in the future books.

Thank you to Metaltail Press, S. E. Mcpherson and NetGalley for the ARC.

the characters were well written and the overall plot was pretty good - it did feel like the plot dragged at the start and i was super confused about what was going on and then the plot speeds up a lot towards the end but the little twists were so good and i do love a good found family so it was an enjoyable read

Unfortunately I requested an ebook which I’m unable to read because of my disability and therefore not able to add a review. My apologies.

I loved, loved, loved this book.

My opinion might be a little biased, because I’ll hardly give less than 4 stars to a book with this type of trope. The synopses reminded me a little of the Reaper duology by Rin Chupeco and Mistress of Lies by K. M. Enright, which were books that I devoured.

I've been trying to write my review for a very long time, but I’m always a little lost for words. It’s hard to pick what I loved the most, or disliked because all of it is intertwined, and once I start to rave about something I don’t stop.

The characters and their development were definitely on the top of the list of the things I loved about the book. They were far from perfect (except Beau, Beau is perfect, and I will die on that Hill) and it was interesting, if frustrating, to see them make mistakes (my eyes on you, Penny), admit their flaws and try to become better.

I feel like "A King’s Trust” is a prequel for the main story, as I was very much focused on Beau's rise to the throne, and the development of Beau’s, Eliot’s and Penny’s relationships. We got a little peek at the Magic system, we know that there was magic once upon a time, we do not know how it worked or why it disappeared, but we know it might be starting to reappear. And so, I think the rest of the books will be more focused on that aspect.

I cannot wait for the next installment to be published and I will certainly keep my eyes out for more of S.E. McPherson.

Thanks to the ARC team for an advance copy of this book!

I absolutely fell in love with this book - the characters, their adventures, and their relationships.

The story starts with Beau, a prince, learning that he is next in line for the throne - <spoiler>his brother has been killed, and his father is sick. Because Beau has always been "the "Spare," he hasn't received the same training as his brother in how to be a king - and he needs to secure a wife to boost the strength of his claim to the throne and ensure he will have heirs. </spoiler>

Beau must look for a suitable match - in this case a woman, even though he likes both men and women, because he needs to have heirs in the future. His search is part of the first half of the book, and the subsequent adventures make up the rest of the story. <spoiler> At the same time as he finds a potential match, he also comes to realize that he and his long-time friend and guard are in love with each other. The tension between his friend/lover and the need to marry is the center of the storyline for much of the second half of the book.</spoiler>

I loved this book for a few reasons. Non-spoilers first:
- The cast is diverse and inclusive, with acceptance winning most of the time
- At the same time, the tension in the decisions Beau must make is honest, with no sugar-coating the views of the royals and their treatment of people they look down upon
- As a ruler, Beau is committed to treating people like people - which isn't easy in his position, but is the fair thing to do

And a few spoilers:
<spoiler>
- The discovery of the love between Beau and Elias made me melt - absolutely melt. I don't read MM often, but this scene is beautiful, sweet, and hot as hell
- The logical decision of Beau getting to keep both lover and wife - his new romance and his long-term friend and confidante - is the best thing ever. I was screaming at them to make this decision, and the way they went about it is perfect. </spoiler>

So, so good - highly recommend. Looks like this is book 1 of a trilogy - I can't wait for the sequel!

This was a really nice romance. I liked that each of the main character's love interest was properly developed and that the romance was enveloped by other plot twists. However, I believe for a romantasy the world building was quite poorly done. The magic system was barely explained and the context of the story was rather sloppy. It's clear the author wanted to focus on the romance, which significantly hurt the development of the magic system or the fantastical world. All in all, this gives the impression of a first draft rather than a story that's been fully explored.

I really wanted to love this book — the premise is promising, and I’m always intrigued forbidden love. However, I struggled with the pacing and the development of the central relationships.

Spoilers ahead!

For the first half of the book, the story moves quite slowly, focusing on what seems to be a slowburn between the prince and his loyal male bodyguard. Their connection is subtle but emotionally charged, and by the midpoint, they confess their love and share a night together. So far, so good. Or at least intriguing.

But then things take a sharp turn. The very next day, the prince marries a duchess who, only days before, had betrayed him and believed he was responsible for his brother’s murder. Their previous interactions are few and bland, and yet we’re told that they suddenly love each other deeply. The shift felt abrupt and unearned, as though the emotional groundwork for such a connection was missing.

What made it even harder to believe was how quickly the duchess goes from hating the prince, to loving him, to suggesting they all form some sort of relationship together, within a matter of days. While I appreciate stories that challenge traditional relationship norms, it still needs to feel emotionally authentic. In this case, the romance arcs didn’t quite land for me. It feels like she's only there because it was decided from the beginning that this story would be a why choose and the author needed someone to throw into the thrupple. In my opinion it would've been a better store if we just had the guys.

That said, I do think readers who enjoy court intrigue, unusual magic and unexpected relationship dynamics may find something compelling here. Unfortunately, I found the pacing too slow, the motivations unclear, and the romance underdeveloped.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

edit to add: i want to note that because i love the characters, premise and representation so much i have been super nitpicky with feedback. as a queer autistic books like this are so important to me and i end up holding them to a high standards. if i didn't love it, i wouldn't have so much to say!

I was thrilled to find this, right up my alley in so many ways…

Things I loved:

- highly lovable characters
- soulful autistic representation integrated really well into a fantasy setting without diagnostic labels (which can be difficult but is done very well here!)
- thoroughly developed setting in terms of geopolitical fantasy
- super compelling payoff on the magic/supernatural element

Things I struggled with:

- a lot of this could have been spread over 2 books, it would have been great to show how problems are worked out instead of introducing major conflicts and resolving them within the same few lines
- rushed resolution of all interpersonal conflict not because it made sense but because it facilitated the M/F relationship, so we lose a lot of potential character development
- the supernatural / magical element felt a bit predictable, right up until a scene at the very end that made me wish the author had sprinkled more of that reward throughout the book

The first half or so of the book is really fantastic, great character building, atmospheric, well-paced… unfortunately it falls apart a little bit. I love the premise so much, and it was executed really well in the first act, unfortunately the second and third act read to me as though they needed more editing; it quickly became "and then this happened then this happened then this happened then this happened". It is clear in the writing and pacing this is a debut novel.

It was really strange and kind of off-putting to me that we spend maybe the first half of the book focused entirely on Elias and Beau’s relationship, and almost sort of approach a payoff there, only for Beau to kind of… decide one afternoon he is actually completely in love with Penny, despite only vaguely having mentioned her as a somewhat acceptable betrothal before, and that’s that. This is especially obvious in the way sex scenes are written, it reads like the author was a bit overzealous in their excitement about getting to the good ol P in V heterosexual lovemaking that they forgot readers hadn’t actually been given any time to get invested in that relationship, and it leaves the queer scene feeling a bit flat. I'm not spoiler-ing this section because I feel like potential readers should know, I wouldn't call this book a gay romance and it is very straight-centric once the crux of the plot kicks off. It also doesn't read as enemies to lovers, as they were never quite enemies; its very short-lived and the quick resolution gave me whiplash, there isn't much transition or tension to relish in there

That being said, I will definitely read future instalments! And I wouldn't have so much to say if I hadn't been super invested in the book.

Firstly, I want to thank NetGalley and S. E. McPherson for access to a copy of this book. Be warned, this book has some scenes of intimacy between some of the characters in this book, some scenes of violence, as well as discussion of self harm and substance abuse in parts of this book. Avoid reading this book if you are sensitive to any of those topics.

What a journey! There were many moments that left me either giggling madly or holding back tears as the characters and their relationships developed throughout this story. My poor coworkers had to put up with me talking about every unhinged moment throughout this book, and I kept finding myself feeling excited yet nervous for what else could possibly happen to top everything that had come before.

I found the concept of the book and the characters themselves compelling enough to keep me reading late into the night, and I am impressed at the overall world building and story telling as this is the authors first novel. The pacing did feel a bit jarring at times, and I found myself struggling to keep up with some of the aspects of the magical lore that is being established in this book for the series, I am invested in the outcome of this series to keep reading and am anxiously waiting to find out what ramifications there are for the events at the end of this first book.

Overall, this book made me feel a roller-coaster of emotions and didn't hold back when many other authors tend to. I have so many questions left unanswered that I'm hoping will be answered in the next book, which cannot come soon enough! 4 out of 5 starts!

I could not put this book down for the life of me. Reading this book, there was not a second where I was bored. I was giggling , I was shouting at the characters like they were real people, and I was gasping constantly like this book was such a FUN TIME.

I liked practically everything about this book, particularly the characters. Each one of the main characters was so well fleshed out that I fell in love with every single one of them in different ways. I'm a little confused about the setting of the world of and the politics and wish the author did a little more world-building.

The chemistry , the tension, the angst, and the banter between Beauregard and Elias were so well done. However, the relation between the duchess and the prince was rushed a little, and I hope they continue to build their relationship in the trilogy. On that same note, the ending also felt a little rushed.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, and I can't wait to see how this story progresses in the next book.

S.E. McPherson’s A King’s Trust follows Prince Beauregard (Beau), the reluctant second son thrust into the role of Crown Prince after the sudden and tragic death of his brother. Beau never wanted this life, but duty calls him back to the palace with responsibilities he never expected or wanted. By his side is Elias: his loyal guard, best friend, and undeniably attractive source of constant sexual tension. Their sexual tension is present in nearly every scene.

One of Beau’s first obligations is to choose a lady of the court to marry and one day become queen. The problem? Beau detests almost everyone at court, and the feeling is mutual. Complicating matters further is Lady Victoire Penamour, a sharp, formidable presence who believes Beau murdered his brother and seems determined to prove it.

From the start, the novel brims with mystery: Who was managing Beau’s duties during his years away? Who stole the magical artifacts he was supposed to protect? And why are they so important? These questions gripped me early on and kept me turning pages. The intrigue is tightly woven, and McPherson does an excellent job pacing the reveals to keep readers invested.

One of the most compelling developments comes when Lady Penamour (later known as Penny) confronts Beau with her theory of fratricide — all the while he had believed Char to have fallen from his horse and died instantly. From there, the plot deepens as Beau begins to uncover not only the truth behind his brother’s death but also secrets about those closest to him, including Elias.

While I was entranced by the mystery, I struggled with parts of the romance. Elias, in particular, never fully clicked for me. His backstory felt convoluted and underdeveloped, and even after his secrets were revealed, I found it difficult to connect with him emotionally.

The book's romance includes a polyamorous relationship (MMF) between Beau, Elias, and eventually Penny. While I appreciated the healthy and affirming depiction of polyamory, particularly Penny’s understanding and acceptance of the existing relationship, I found the transition into the triad jarring. For most of the book, we follow Beau’s emotional and physical entanglement with Elias, while simultaneously watching him try to win over a very guarded and suspicious Penny. Once she accepts his proposal and they marry, the shift to a full-blown throuple feels abrupt. Penny and Beau barely have time alone before she brings Elias into the fold, and for me, the romance lost much of its tension and emotional impact.

That said, I’m glad I kept reading. The novel’s emotional depth, especially regarding Beau’s feelings of unworthiness, neglect, and trauma, was powerful and sensitively portrayed. His journey toward healing, bolstered by the unconditional love of Penny and Elias, gave the story emotional weight that balanced the intrigue and political drama. I also appreciated how the novel explored difficult topics, like self-harm and emotional neglect, with nuance, even in a fantastical setting.

A King’s Trust is a surprising and enjoyable fantasy filled with palace intrigue, mystery, and emotional resonance. Although the romantic arc didn’t fully align with my preferences, I found the story compelling and well worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Metaltail Press | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for providing this e-book ARC. All opinions are my own.

This fantasy follows Prince Beau, the spare who suddenly finds himself heir to the throne, navigating royal politics, secret societies, and not one but TWO complicated loves. 💔👑

What I loved:

Beau is super relatable and flawed in the best way.
Lady Penamour is a powerhouse with a complex arc.
The political intrigue and magical elements kept me hooked.
What was tricky:

The pacing felt a bit slow at times.
The poly romance felt rushed and a little awkward — I wanted more chemistry between the trio!
Overall, it’s a captivating start to a trilogy with tons of potential. Can’t wait for the sequels to see where this story goes! 🌟📖

Beauregard is not his parents favorite child. His brother was, but he died and now Beau is to become king. Beau just wanted to live the isles with his hottie guard Elias. Now he has to step up and find a wife.

Beau had a couple of choices for a wife but not many. Along the way, he discovers things about his deceased brother that he didn’t except, like that he was using money in Beau’s name and all of the magical artifacts of the family’s are now missing.
Beau is faced with many challenges and hard decisions, and finds himself in a love triangle. Will love conquer all? Will he become king or be overthrown? Will he finally when his parents love? All of this with a handful of magic thrown in the mix.

I found this to be an incredibly interesting story, I was staying up late to read this book, and dying to know what happened to Beau on his quest to become king. I loved the magic, and the friendships he formed along the way. I can’t wait for the next book. Though I will say, this one could have been a standalone read.

Thank you to NetGalley & Mettail Press for the EARC digital copy to review.