Funny and lighhearted read for fans of cozy fantasy/ romantasy. I would have liked some higher stakes, however that is just my opinion and one of my common "dislikes" about cozy fantasy. Otherwise a wonderful read.

Til Death Do Us Bard is a quest-based fantasy romance novel about former sell sword Logan 'The Bear' Theaker trying to find his husband, Pie, after he mysteriously disappears. This seemed like a cozy fantasy book with fun characters to me, aka one of my favorite types of books! The unicorn on the cover was also a selling point to me.

I thought this book was cute and fun! I am notoriously bad at following fantasy plots but didn't expect it to be much of an issue with this one. It kind of was, near the end I wasn't sure what was going on. But it was so fun and cute that I didn't really care. Logan and Pie are definitely grumpy and sunshine, which I thought was done well here. They are both very devoted to each other, which was very cute. Their love story is told in flashback chapters throughout the book, which I really liked.

If you're looking for an adventure romance, I definitely recommend this book! 4 stars from me. Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the eARC of this book, my thoughts are my own!

Til Death Do Us Bard is one of my favorite reads of 2023. I may have my gripes with the Bards, but I put that aside and I am glad I did, because this book is such a fun and warm DnD-esque read! I would absolutely love to read more books like this and I will definitely follow Rose Black and see what she puts out in the future.

The characters were all fun and interesting to read about. Logan was an absolutely brilliant main character. Dealing with, and having to travel with a necromancer and the ghost of his ex-wife sure sounds very challenging. But the prose just blended humor and more serious tones together brilliantly.

I had fun when reading this story, it completely devoured me. This is a book that I will find myself coming back to a lot.

The world-building felt just right-not too much and not too little. It isn't a massive political and intricate fantasy, but it still felt very grounded and realistic in the telling of the story.

I wish to say a huge thank you for approving my request to read this wonderful book, and I will definitely keep an eye on what Rose Black decides to write in the future.

The main issue I had with this book was that it's been marketed as cosy and it's not. There were cosy elements but in general this isn't cosy fantasy. Which is fine, but the marketing does the author a disservice because the right people won't necessarily pick up the book.

I really enjoyed this, it was funny, the characters were great.. obviously the countess was the best by far. It was imaginative and dramatic and the writing was good and really drew me in. I am a bit fed up of reading the 'i'll protect you' 'i don't want/need protected' trope as there main conflict in a relationship but this did it well and in a way that made sense for the characters.
I also think the book just felt a bit long but that's maybe just a me thing!

Overall, this was a great read and I worked definitely pick up now from this author

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free eARC of this book

This book was not my favorite, unfortunately. I really struggled with Rose Black's writing style and eventually had to DNF the story. It was a beautiful cover and the premise definitely caught my attention! However, the story just wasn't for me.

I waited a long time for this book so I did enjoy it! Maybe not as much as I wanted to, but my standards for cozy fantasy is crazy high, and I can't wait for more works from this author to match them!

I have to apologize but I couldn’t finish this book. It may just not be for me, cuz I can see how others may love it

I think the marketing on this one was so well done that I can't help but be left confused at the premise. I find the execution quite great and the characters are all very fun on the page, but I'm not convinced someone can get married to a total stranger (in the story's context). The book did scratch that itch I had for a fun fantasy story, and I think it's worth a read.

This book was a funny and light read. Unfortunately, I did not become invested in the story.
I only kept reading for the necromancer and her skeleton servants.

This book had a lot of potential. The cover, the description -- the concept was there but the execution was lacking. This wasn't the worst writing I've read recently, but I just wanted more from it. More plot, more world building, and more fantasy in general. No spoilers, but if you like your fantasy to be pure fantasy (like I do) then this might have a bit too much sci-fi.

Also, if sexual harassment disguised as comedy gives you the ick... probably wouldn't go for this one.

This was such a cozy DnD style novel that just itched my brain the right way - as someone who mains a Bard i adored this and how heartfelt, funny, chaotic and just generally FUN this book was! I would love to read more like this!

Til Death Do Us Bard was such a fresh task on fantasy DnD inspired tales. A fun read with wonderful main characters and beautiful world building. It was easy to fall in to this book and get lost in the tale Black had created so perfectly. I would love another story in this world with nods back to these characters if not another installment with them altogether!

If you enjoyed Legends & Lattes but wanted a bit more adventure, I would definitely recommend Til Death Do Us Bard! I really loved this story at the beginning, especially the fun interactions between Logan and Pie. Pie is definitely my favorite character and I wanted a bit more from him. Unfortunately, Pie disappears (as stated in the synopsis), and Logan must put together a ragtag team of adventures to find him.

I was really hooked on this one at the beginning. I love all the characters and I’m a sucker for quests and dysfunctional found families. However, once the quest was actually underway, my interest definitely started to wane. I liked the fun jokes and banter, but I felt like something was missing and I was never fully invested in the story. Overall, it was still fun, just a bit average for me!

This is a fun, cozy read but it felt like a tale of two halves, I flew through the beginning but the pacing felt off in the second half and it felt too long.

This was cute and I was excited for the premise and plot line but I didn't feel very connected to the characters unfortunately.

This book was really fun! I loved the love story, even though it took a back seat to the events of the novel, as it was beautifully written and I found myself really loving their story. I loved the relationships between our main protagonist and his ex-wife, and other people he met along the way. Towards the end of the novel, I found myself unable to put it down and would definitely recommend this!

Loved this! Showboating sunny Bard and grumpy protective husband pairing that you'll adore. Necromancers, Royalty, unicorns, ghosts and ancient horrors at every turn of this unwanted rescue quest. The prose was lovely and engaging with the past consistently interwoven giving giving more depth and understanding. So many stand out characters, gorgeously vivid and well fleshed out. This is found family done perfectly and I got attached very quickly! The plot is engaging and surprising and there's so much humour and heart that it's super cozy and comforting at times. The interactions and care between the group are realistic and flow beautifully. I was not ready to leave them and sincerely hope we get more in this world with these characters.
Thanks to Hodder Books and Netgalley for the arc in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is like a D&D campaign in novel form. Every single character is so unique and adds something different to the plot and I loved seeing the MC being so incredibly in love with his husband without it taking over his whole personality. Some of the locations in this book were really fun to get to see and it was wonderful to have a queernormative fantasy world, too!

It is a really difficult one for me to review because I cannot think of anything wrong with this book. Yet, I could not seem to fully connect with it.

Overall, it's a great read and perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes. It's a fun little fantasy with a perfect balance between cosy and action packed.

I was lucky to have been one of the first to read Travis Baldree’s debut novel ‘Legends and Latte’s’, long before it was picked up by a traditional publisher. I was intrigued by the description of ‘cozy fantasy’, so took a chance and found it delightful. Til Death Do Us Bard, Rose Black’s debut, shares a similar vibe and offers an enchanting blend of mystery, adventure, romance, and fantasy.

In Til Death Do Us Bard, Logan ‘the Bear’ is forced to come out of retirement when his husband Pie (aka Magpie aka Aloysius Montague) is abducted by the realm’s corrupt King Ervin. To rescue the love of his life, and save the Kingdom from an unstoppable army of undead, Logan, and his unusual band of allies, must be the first to find the Chalice of Vivax.

Set in a medieval fantasy world, the plot plays out much like a traditional Dungeons & Dragon session might, with an overarching goal requiring side quests to accomplish it. It’s an entertaining adventure which involves magic and mercenaries, unicorns and pirates. There’s drama and action with betrayal and battles. The suspense grows as the story progresses, and though the stakes are high, the inevitability of the happy ending buffers the tension somewhat.

I loved the main characters, Logan and Pie are very much opposites, with Logan a burly, gruff, monster-killer, while Pie is a slender, extroverted, wily bard. They are an adorable couple and I loved learning the history of their relationship. The allies Logan gathers on his quest are a colourful group, including a sexually aggressive necromancer, Countess Ariadne DeWinter; the ghost of Logan’s bitter ex-wife, Ophelia; and a naive unicorn herder, Gary. I really enjoyed their individual quirks, and the overall dynamic of the party. There is also a horse named Bones and a grumpy unicorn called Fredrick Onyx-Heart the Third, Freddy for short, who are a delight.

Some of the humour will perhaps be judged as inappropriate, but overall I was amused by the irreverent wit and banter. For me, Til Death Do Us Bard was an entertaining and engaging read.

This book was fun and light-hearted with a cast of character right out of a Dungeon's and Dragons adventure. I really liked the queer romance and the found family feel to the cast of characters. It all felt right for the book.

The only thing that put me off though, was this was quite obviously Witcher fanfiction. The author didn't seem to have done much to change it up. The main character was a grumpy monster hunter who was married to a man who is just everything a bard should be. I would have liked to see a bit more change in the characters to make it fresher. Though I have to say, I do love the Witcher so I didn't mind too much.

I've seen a few people calling this low-stakes and I have to wonder what book they've been reading. This is not a Legends and Lattes style low -stakes book so please don't read it expecting it to be!!