I am a little bit disappointed in this book. I was promised a laidback fantasy romance with The Witcher's queer energy. Instead, it was a generic story about a man who didn't even know his husband's last name. I know that people might jump into a marriage, but it felt like Logan knew nothing about this husband's past besides that he was hot. The adventure was not really memorable, but not bad. One of their party was a necromancer who was constantly sexually harassing the main characters regardless of them telling her to stop. Also, besides the main character and the necromancer, the other characters are incredibly forgettable. When one character popped back up (Seraphina), I had no memory of who she was. This book wasn't poorly written, but it felt a little too casual and modern for the setting. Overall, I wish this book was better than it is, but it wasn't horrible; it was just mostly forgettable.

This is a really sweet, fun adventure story. Although it's marketed as a queer romance, I think the marriage in the centre of the story is, in some ways, the least interesting part of the story though there is lots of lovely LGBTQIA representation. Legendary fighter Logan "the Bear" is married to a bard, Pie. When Pie goes missing, Logan goes on a chaotic quest to find his husband. Magic, magical creatures, a despotic king, a kind of swashbuckling, puzzle-solving, late '90s/early '00s adventure film feel to the whole thing. I hope it gets optioned because it would make an excellent romp of a movie. I particularly liked all the side characters and the little touches. One for D&D nerds, cosy fantasy readers, and fans of films like The Mummy and Van Helsing.

Although the premise of ‘Til Death Do Us Bard’ is intriguing, the story never quite hit the peaks I was expecting it to. Cosy fantasy fans will find a lot to love within this story and the main relationship was sweet, but I found myself wishing for a bit more. I love a good quest so that was a particularly enjoyable part of the book, however aside from our main couple, I didn’t love the characters. I would still recommend for fans of cosy fantasy, looking for queer main characters but overall not really for me.

The premise of this story is amazing. It’s high fantasy and a big adventure, but I found it to be lacking. It felt like there was too much going on with not enough world building. Logan and Pie’s relationship was cute and I’ll always eat up a queer affirming story. I just wish I felt more invested in them and their journey.

Thank you to Hodderscape and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

"Til Death Do Us Bard" by Rose Black is a delightful blend of cozy fantasy, romance, and even mystery. Featuring lovable characters and a touch of found family. The grumpy sunshine couple at the center of the story adds a charming dynamic, making it a perfect read for fans of heartwarming romance. The quest element adds an adventurous twist, keeping the narrative engaging and light-hearted. Overall, this book is a cozy and enjoyable escape into a magical world with some of your favorite bookish tropes.

I had fun with this!

Logan is a middle aged, retired adventurer - six months ago, he settled into a quieter life, with his new husband, Pie, a bard, living happily in their little cottage. But when Pie goes missing, under mysterious circumstances, it’s up to Logan to pick his axe back up and go and get his husband back - alongside a necromancer, her band of skeletons, and the ghost of his ex-wife. Throw in a unicorn for good measure. What a team!

This genuinely had me laughing out loud a few times - it’s witty and sharp, occasionally silly, while still maintaining the urgency Logan feels to get Pie back. We flit back to the past sometimes too, to see how they met, and fell in love, which adds more depth to them.

My favourite character, however, is the countess and her many skeletal assistants. I would read more books with her in them in a heartbeat. Such a fun, layered, character.

The storyline progressed quickly, and it really upped the stakes much higher than I was expecting. However, it’s still a lovely addition to the ongoing cosy fantasy trend, and I really enjoyed my time reading it.

Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for the copy to review!

This read was such fun!

This was a really strong cosy fantasy that I found so easy to read and such a feel good vibe to it. That sounds quite odd considering some of the vibes of the adventure are on the darker side, but it really is a great light fantasy that leaves you smiling!

The plot throws you straight into the thick of it with action the undertaking of a quest - the side characters really made this story too, such an interesting and quirky bunch - I loved delving into their pasts - I loved exploring Logan and Pie’s developing romance as well as their established relationship,

This one is a must for cosy fantasy fans!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this story.

Quirky and fun. This is not my usual cup of tea but I'm glad I gave it a try. A cozy fantasy perfect to read while curled up under a blanket with a steaming cup of tea.

This was a fun and sweet read, full of adventure and cute vibes.

I really enjoyed the DnD links within the story, which I think were still fun even if you're not into RPG's, and I hope the author writes more books in this style.

I really enjoyed the development of the characters throughout the story, having to come to terms with the fact that not everything is in your control and that you can't always protect everyone.,

If you enjoy a cozy fantasy read then this is for you.

I wanted to like this so much, but unfortunately it fell a little flat. It had heart, and was very well written, but I think it might have been a case of right book wrong time.

This book had potential, but unfortunately a few things fell flat for me. However, there are always some good things to point out in every book, so let’s start there. The world was interesting (not much world building though) and you had magic, monsters, and adventurers. At some time the adventure got a little darker which was unexpected but did up the stakes. Queer love which was very sweet at times. Ghosts. And older MCs which you don’t see too often. It was a nice change.

What fell flat for me in the end was the MC Logan. We follow him on an adventure to rescue his husband and throughout the journey we learn more about him, his husband, and the world. However, he remains the same grumpy, possessive, secretive character the whole book and I would have liked to see him grow into a partner that is able to talk more to his husband. He does realize the importance of the people in his life by the end which is something though.

The necromancer, Countess DeWinter, is a tricky character. She helps on the journey—sometimes, but her main role in the group seemed to be making aggressive passes at all the men around her. At times even looking at Logan naked and making suggestive comments. Her behavior felt more like sexual harassment than a ‘fun quirk’ it was probably meant to be. She made reading about the adventure hard at times, and brought me out of the cozy adventure it should have been. Keep in mind that this character gets different reactions from every reader and some did not feel this way.

It’s a cozy adventure that feels inspired by The Witcher (no nonsense attitude, strong fighter, not big on talking, has a loveable and talkative Bard) and has some great banter at times. In the end, I would have liked to see more growth from Logan and even Pie. Pie was a great character, but he didn’t get much room to show who he was.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley & Hodderscape for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m so sad to say I DNF’ed this one.

I was so excited to read it. A DnD-inspired fantasy with a punny title, pitched as Our Flag Means Death meets Legends & Lattes? Yes please!

But, I just couldn’t connect with the characters. It felt as if every time I was close to feeling like I understood a character’s personality and motivations, a sexual innuendo/joke was thrown in, feeling entirely out of place and at odds with the tone of the scene. This particularly bugged me with the two main female characters: they both had the same and honestly, perverted, tendencies. If it was a one-off comment, I could have ignored it — it might even have been funny at the right moment — but it was so persistent. For the first third of the book, it seemed as if they did little except leer at Logan (there’s a particularly uncomfortable scene where they watch him bathe in a lake). And when Gary showed up, they ogle at him instead. It is frequently emphasised how much younger and less worldly Gary is than the other characters, and the more I think about it, the creepier it feels. If the genders were reversed, I struggle to see how it would be published.

I reached 53% and decided to put it down. I plan to return to it one day, as I am curious about where the plot goes. Just not curious enough to deal with the discomfort right now.

I requested this late and then missed the archive date so I ended up buying this book!

It was a really cosy fantasy and I found myself glued, I couldn't put it down. I'm glad I ended up buying it. It was a quick read and is light-hearted as well as funny. The characters were great too.

Definitely a great debut from this author

Til death do us bard

2 ⭐️

This book is very fast-paced, a lot happens, and each event happens over the course of a few pages. It makes for a quick read, but everything felt thrown together and crammed to make it fit.

The problem with that is that characters are getting from point A to B, seemingly by teleportation. (Granted, they do use portals sometimes towards the end). But even the final fight happens in the last 10% of the book. Not to mention a betrayal by a certain character that kind of undid all the found family aspect of the book. The author tried to fix that later, but it was too late for me.

The romance was sweet if a little underdeveloped. We get glimpses of how they got together, but they're very short and honestly didn't give me a sense of them falling in love as much as learning to tolerate each other and being physical.

Then there's the countess. I didn't mind her storyline she had potential. It's just a shame it was ruined by her constantly sexually harassing people. What was the need for that addition? It didn't add anything to the story, and the other characters make excuses for her and even laugh when she does it to one of the side characters. It really ruined the book, and I almost DNFd it.

Overall, I gave it 2 stars because I liked the premise, and the general plot was good. Sadly, it lacked in execution for me, and as above, some aspects were just very unnecessary. It's not something I'll reread personally.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, Rose Black, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

The cosy vibes of Legends and Lattes mixed with D&D action and banter, Till Death Do Us Bard was a highly enjoyable adventure romp.

Til Death Do Us Bard is a heartfelt, comedic, adventure and Rom-com, set in a world inspired by classic RPG's and Fantasy.

We start with a sweet married couple Logan 'The Bear' and Pie, as Logan lovingly calls him, who need to travel into town. However the worst happens when Logan wakes up and Pie is no where to be found. This starts our determined but a touch dense POV character Logan off on his adventure. Along the way we pick up the rest of the rag-tag bunch of misfits and heroes. The Countess steals every scene she is in and by the end of the novel also stole my heart, and maybe a few bones but you can never tell with a Necromancer. Gary and Frankie are a great team and surprised me with how much I ended up rooting for them. For the rest of the cast I won't say much beyond they all felt real, and reacted in ways that felt true to who they were in the world and the situation going on around them.

With this novel I went in expecting a lighthearted romantic comedy feel, and instead got a lovely letter to found family, the reason we love, and how love changes us even if we don't want it to. The comedy and romance was everything I was expecting, but the tenderness of commentary on found family was more then I thought I would find.

The final thing that impressed me about this novel was the variety of settings and the action of the adventure. This little adventuring party went from abandoned keeps, to cozy cottages, to overwhelming cities, to musty tombs, to magical lands, to rich forests, to the open ocean. Every new setting was intriguing and lead into a new section of the plot that had me turning pages unable to put the novel down.

I would recommend picking this novel up if you are looking for:
- Found Family
- Tender Romance
- Rom-com vibes
- Great humor
- Bone Dogs
- Unicorns
- Necromancers who do their own thing
- Adventures in RPG style worlds
- DnD

I can't wait to see what else this author writes and I hope they always keep their great sense of humor that is shown in this work.

I received an ARC of this book at no cost/for free, I am leaving this review voluntarily and all thoughts and opinions are wholly my own and unbiased.

2.5 stars

I should be the target market for this book: a queer, cosy, monster-filled quest fantasy. Sign me up! Alas.

In some aspects, this book delivered what I was hoping for. The mystery that kicks off the story is interesting, the monsters are varied and creative, and I enjoyed the dynamic between Logan and Pie.

Unfortunately, these things were overshadowed by shallow worldbuilding and concerning character dynamics.
The world is a fairly generic medieval-ish fantasy world, which I don't have any issue with. The issue was that the world felt empty. There wasn't a strong sense of place in the work or a feeling that the world was inhabited by anyone other than the core characters.

The biggest issue for me was with the characters, particularly the Countess. I was disappointed to find that the author had decided to write a powerful woman who seemed hellbent on harassing the male characters. I thought we had all learnt that women harassing men is no more entertaining or acceptable than the reverse. It was barely addressed by the other characters - they did not approve, but they tolerated it - and there was barely an interaction between Logan and the Countess when she did not disrespect his boundaries. This isn't cosy. It's uncomfortable and frightening.

The dynamic between Logan and Ophelia had the potential to be complex and interesting; unfortunately, it felt shallow and underdeveloped. I still can't understand Ophelia's explanation for why Logan is responsible for her death, and that made her behaviour feel unreasonable and unjustified. For Logan's part, he seemed to go from unhappy to have to put up with her and wanting to be rid of her, to determined to help her get a second chance at life without much internal work.

Initially, the pacing was moving along at a good clip, but it begins to sag at about the 30% mark. For me, I believe the amount of time the reader spends in Logan's head having him ponder the same questions over and over. This is a useful tool to give the reader and break and some character insight after a section of high-action or conflict, however I felt it was overused, particularly in already slow scenes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

DNF@20%

I thought this would be a fun quick read, but instead it's slow and boring. I don't like any of the character and I don't care about the plot.

This book had potential, but unfortunately a few things fell flat for me.

However, there are always some good things to point out in every book. The world was interesting (not much world building though) and you had magic, monsters, and adventurers. At some time the adventure got a little darker which was unexpected but did up the stakes. Queer love which was very sweet at times. Ghosts. And older MCs which you don’t see too often. It was a nice change.

What fell flat for me in the end was the MC Logan. We follow him on an adventure to rescue his husband and throughout the journey we learn more about him, his husband, and the world. However, he remains the same grumpy, possessive, secretive character the whole book and I would have liked to see him grow into a partner that is able to talk more to his husband. He does realize the importance of the people in his life by the end which is something though.

The necromancer, Countess DeWinter, is a tricky character. She helps on the journey—sometimes, but her main role in the group seemed to be making aggressive passes at all the men around her. At times even looking at Logan naked and making suggestive comments. Her behavior felt more like sexual harassment than a ‘fun quirk’ it was probably meant to be. She made reading about the adventure hard at times, and brought my out of the cozy adventure it should have been. Keep in mind that this character gets different reactions from every reader and some did not feel this way.

It’s a cozy adventure that feels inspired by The Witcher (no nonsense attitude, strong fighter, not big on talking, has a loveable and talkative Bard) and has some great banter at times. In the end, I would have liked to see more growth from Logan and even Pie. Pie was a great character, but he didn’t get much room to show who he was.

This sweet, funny, heartfelt and – for a book full of walking skeletons – surprisingly cosy queer fantasy romance is everything I hoped it would be! Fantasy books that have pun titles, established queer couples, and an array of strong and slightly weird women in them are my absolute catnip, so I was really hoping to enjoy Til Death Do Us Bard from the first moment I heard about it. Luckily for me, it more than lived up to its quirky promise – grumpy adventurer loses flamboyant bard husband in mysterious circumstances, and chases him halfway across the world with the help of a flirtatious elderly necromancer, a unicorn and its himbo, and the spirit of his angry ex-wife? I mean come on. It’s a wonderful concept and it’s executed to perfection. This isn’t fantasy that takes itself seriously, but it still has a heartfelt core that keeps it from being too much like a parody – it’s ideal light reading for those who love their romantasy funny and sweet.

In terms of cosy fantasy romance, this sits just about exactly halfway between the silliness of FT Lukens and the darkness of T Kingfisher – if you like either of these authors, you’ll find something to love in this book, whether its the snort-laugh moments of banter or the thoughtful depictions of how love and grief can change someone. While the characters are largely older, with our main couple late thirties to mid forties, I think this would be a fun read for those looking to move up from YA; it’s fast-paced and doesn’t bog itself down with anything beyond the key scenes, and there’s plenty of action and humour.

I think you’ll probably know the moment you see the cover if this is going to be a book for you or not. For me, it really, truly was. I read it in one sitting and it did absolutely everything I’d hoped for a lovely, fluffy read. My only niggle is nothing to do with the story itself, purely that the edition I read (a finished hardback) was badly in want of some proofing, with more errors in the text than I would normally expect from a Big Five book!

Five out of five cats!