This was so cute and cozy!!!!! Loved the characters and the story! I will be checking out the other book that goes with this!

Charming and thoroughly engaging from beginning to end! The witty dialogue and well-paced plot kept me hooked throughout. I especially appreciated that the female protagonist was in her forties — it's refreshing to see a romance novel featuring a more mature main character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It was a cute and light read with cozy vibes, a sentient house, a scatterbrained fae with cat ears and lion-like tail, and some creative anatomy spice. But sadly, it fell flat for me. I had a lot of hope, and it started out good, but the further I read, the less interesting it became.

The world-building, characters, and overall story lacked depth. I didn’t expect the miscommunication trope in a book about a 40-year-old woman. She made too many assumptions, and the main characters struggled to express themselves (though in Mal’s case it was understandable). For a supposedly dangerous fairyland, there was barely any threat, nearly every magical creature instantly befriended the FMC. The relationships, both between FMC & MMC and MCs with side-characters, felt surface-level.

Some themes didn’t work for me either, especially the abusive/toxic ex instead of a big magical evil.

I liked the idea with the missing name, and I enjoyed the cozy vibes. It's a perfect low-stakes palate cleanser.

I just expected and wanted more from the story.

I requested this book completely because of its cover, and I regret nothing.

This story has all the cozy fantasy ingredients I love as a reader: a fae bargain inspired by Rumpelstiltskin, a grumpy magical house with a mind of its own, and a sarcastic, telepathic orange cat who steals every scene. The writing reminded me a lot of Apprentice to the Villain, where the banter made the reading experience so much fun that I laughed out loud more than once. This is a whimsical, slow-paced romance, and I really enjoyed it.

What happens when a first-born bargain goes wrong?

Princess Gisele was pledged in payment before she was even born, after her mother failed to guess a fae sorcerer’s true name. Gisele has spent her life dutifully preparing for the day that fearsome mage will return to claim her.

But it’s been decades, and he still hasn’t shown up.

Which would be great, if the unfulfilled fairytale-debt wasn’t wreaking increasing havoc on her life. When it reaches unbearable levels, Gisele takes matters into her own hands. Terrifying sorcerer or not, she’ll hunt him down and force him to relinquish the debt.

But instead of the evil mastermind she expects, she finds a nameless lord of a magical house. He wants nothing to do with the angry knife-wielding spinster on his doorstep, but the fairytale-debt has other ideas.

Now magically bound to her lifelong nemesis, the only way to break the magic between them is to work together to find the nameless lord’s lost name. Assuming they don’t strangle each other first.

I was intrigued by the setup and really appreciated having a 40-year-old heroine (more of this, please!). The mystery behind the lost name and the magical debt was compelling, and I think fans of cozy fae stories will find a lot to enjoy here.

Although I really enjoyed the premise, there were a few elements that weren’t quite a match for me. I had hoped the male lead would lean more toward the morally gray side, and I found it hard to connect with his cat-like features, particularly the ears and tail. It caught me off guard, which is saying something, considering I’ve read my fair share of alien romances. It wasn’t poorly done, just not quite for me.

That being said, I still liked the book. I love how enemies slowly become friends and everything that comes with it. Readers who enjoy a slower pace, cozy fae magic, whimsical dreamscapes, and a touch of romantic mystery will likely find this a delightful and charming read.

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and the A.J. Lancaster for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Princess Gisele has been waiting for an evil fae sorcere to claim her after her mother was tricked into a bargain. But he never shows up.... Gisele decides to hunt him down and force him to stop ruining her life...

Love that Gisele is older than the ingenue. The evil lord is a refreshing scholar. Love their banter... The magical tropes are fun. The talking animals are so funny too. A magically funny book.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars!

I loved this charming Rumplestiltskin inspired trip to faerie so much!

I’m a big fan of A.J. Lancaster’s Stariel series so I was excited to have to opportunity to read this early. My expectations were high and it did not disappoint, the story is filled with whimsical fae, a few monsters and spice that shouldn’t work in a story this cozy but somehow does.

What I loved in particular:
- I liked Gisele and Mal together, they manage to each bring a touch of grumpy and a touch of sunshine to their relationship and the dynamic between the two of them worked so well.
- Zingiber- a smart mouthed talking cat who thinks that all problems can be solved by petting him.
-Skymallow- a sentient house that acts like Mal’s child and sometimes has to be bribed with domestic help to cooperate.

There is so much to love in this adorable story, anyone who loves cozy romantic fantasy should be adding this to their TBR.

Thank you so much to the author for the opportunity to read this ARC.