Lovers of.... my review below ❤️

✨Rating✨4.5/5

- Morally grey princes
- Elemental magic
- Dreamy Romantics
- Marriage of Connivence
- Fae world
- Enemies to lovers
- Many Adventures


Definition of Romantasy I was obsessed from chapter 1.
This is for lovers of Acotar x the liars crown, Astra a decoy princess for her kingdom has very steamy dreams of the same man over and over again. To her shock this man appears to her on one of her dangerous missions as a decoy, Marlak realizes he can’t get into Astras mind and is forced to do the unimaginable….. he marries her. This was total plot twist for me and I was obsessed from the start. The world building and magic was so well written with such a powerful but as well as whimsical feel. I wanted to travel to all these courts as Astra did….plus traveling with Marlak wouldn’t be so bad😌. The ending truly took me through a whirlwind of emotions. I really cannot wait for book 2.

Loves the concept as body doubles for the prince and princess! Who also wouldn’t love a love wrought with tension twists and turns. This is my new favorite read of the year!

A cursed son by Day Leitao is perfect for a magic romance reader.

✅ Magic/fae / royal blood
✅ Arranged marriage
✅ Dark past
✅ Plenty of spicy scenes : mild (mostly in a dream)
✅ Angst
✅ Suspense
✅ Action
✅ Betrayal
✅ Tear jerker
✅ Cliffhanger

The book are slow burn since the story will continue in the 2nd book.

OVERALL RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

setting
- 5/5 i really loved the world building in this! i do love fae and the world was interesting and i really enjoyed all of the different courts and learning about the world! in a lot of fantasy books the world building is the hardest part to get through but i didn’t feel that this was hard to follow or get through at all, which i liked!

writing
- 2.5/5 this was the hardest part for me bc i do really like the author’s writing style i just think that there were a lot of mistakes and some word usage issues that i didn’t love, and i also think that some of the language was a little too casual or modern for the fantasy setting the author created but that is a personal opinion!!! in that same vein though, i do think that that could make this book a little bit more palatable for people who are just dipping their toes into the romantasy space, so it’s possible it was intentional on the writer’s part!

characters
- 4.5/5 i loved the characters in this, i love love loved astra and marlak and this book made it so easy to root for them!!! and i loved seeing their character development, esp astra!! i also love that marlak is such a dynamic mmc with emotional depth despite his grumpy exterior, i just love him sm and i am so excited to see his character development throughout the series. i’m also very excited to see more of the side characters too, like ferer and nelsin, tarlia, ziven, and lidiane! i loved them so much.

plot
- 5/5 i was enraptured and interested the whole time, i really loved that this had a good mix of romance and politics, and i actually loved that it was pretty romance heavy — that’s how i like my romantasy!!! and this had SO many of my favorite tropes (enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fated mates, touch her and d!e vibes) and i really enjoyed it. **** SPOILERS INCOMING, skip to next section if you haven’t read!!! **** the plot twist at the end too??? i knew something was gonna happen after they confessed their feelings and got together for real but what the hell!!!! i was gutted tbh but i am so glad that astra came out of it p quick and realized that marlak was lying to her and he wasn’t faking his feelings and he only did it to protect her and he Does actually love her!!!

readability
- 4/5 it was honestly easy to read and easy to binge, the word usage issues did take me out of the story at times and there were times when i got a little confused about certain things world-building wise but thankfully they got explained pretty quickly and i was able to move past it. but overall i did love it and i binged it in one day

enjoyment
- 4.5/5 i really enjoyed this story and i had a really great time reading it, i felt so much for these characters and i loved the main couple’s relationship and i am so beyond ready for the next installment. tbh i am even contemplating getting the special edition bc i loved the story that much and i’d love to have it on my shelf!!

Got the ARC from NetGalley!

Not going to lie, the start of the book was a bit rocky. I'm glad I stuck around because the main characters feel fully fleshed out and had real interactions--not like those cringy quips that you'd think "no one would say that out loud".

The plot moved well, I love how given the third-person restricted point-of-view, we were as clueless as the lead character. Also really love the use of dreams in this book... *dreamy sigh*

Anyway, my only gripe would probably be that the side characters feel like side characters, what do I mean by that? It just means that with fully fleshed out main characters, you kind of expect just a lot more roundedness to the side characters as well.

It might also just be that this is the first book to a series and so the author's just trying to set the scene for everything to unfold! So excited to read the actual book and especially the sequel!!!

An interesting story, a lot of intrigue and mystery. It does take place world of magic and a society of different classes and types of people. Astra is being raised as a stand in for a princess, she is trained to protect and serve while also hiding her real identity. Her love interest Marlak, is not a hero type. He is trying to restore his throne by any means necessary. A forced marriage makes them rely on each other to discover the secrets that both keep. The story could be confusing to follow a lot of the time, I'm not sure if it is setting up for the next book, but plots points would happen really suddenly, but have little explanation. The story does leave off on an interesting cliffhanger. The author does have a good writing style that makes it easy to read, so I look forward to the next book. I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I tried so hard but ultimately had to mark it as DNF around the 50% mark. I actually love a good fantasy romance book, its one of my favorite genres! However, I found this book boring and unoriginal.

The dialogue was so cringey some times that I actually had to skim some chapters.
The FMC was annoying, not relatable at all and her inner monologue was hard to read sometimes. As for the MMC, I couldn't connect with him at all and found the main characters chemistry to be lacking. Although I would have liked to have read his POV just to see what was going through his head.

This was my first book by this author so I dont actuay know if this is just her writing style but I just didnt like it! Im sorry :(

If you like romance fantasy, fae, magic. This book is for you.

I don't think this is an enemies to lovers, more like lovers to enemies for me because they were both very sweet from the start! >_< even though they are both in denial...

The MMC is such a gentleman. He treats our FMC better as the story progress. And I found that he cared for her. His POV at the end of the book caught me by surprise!

giggling and kicking my feet when they talk about their dreams XD

Looking forward for the next book! OMG!

Thank you to Netgalley, lovely author and publisher for this ARC~!

🕮 ARC review 🕮

✰⋆☾ ⋆ A Cursed Son⭑☽ ✧˖°. Day Leitao ✰

🕮 Romantasy
🕮 Magic & Fae
🕮 Fated Mates
🕮 Dream Walking
🕮 Arranged marriage
🕮 Slow burn
🕮 Enemies to lovers
🕮 🌶🌶/🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶


"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐰, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐤."
𝐇𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐢𝐫. "𝐀 𝐜𝐨𝐰, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧. 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐰?" 🤣

"𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞, 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞." ❤


Loved the book, Had a hard time getting into it but once I started to get into it I couldn't put it down. 😍
Can't wait to read the next book in this series! 🥰

Publication Date: March 6, 2024

🖤Fae
🖤Elemental magic
🖤Royalty
🖤Fated mates
🖤Grumpy x Sunshine
🖤Dream walking
🖤Enemies to Lovers

Astra was an orphan who was taken in and hidden inside the Royal Palace. She was brought up to be a guard and royal decoy. All she knows is duty.

Astra is sent out on a mission and soon finds her carriage bring attacked by the degraded fae prince Marlak. Marlak is a powerful Elemental fae with numerous relics.

Soon after their encounter Astra find herself sold and wed to Marlak.

They both have their secrets. Can they learn to trust each other enough to let down their guards, to share who they truly are?

I absolutely loved this book and found it hard to put down. Astra is quick witted and her banter with Marlak is top notch. They both like to push each other.  Their sexual chemistry is phenomenal, the tension.

I plan on ordering a physical copy of this book and can't wait for book 2

Thank you @netgalley @victoryediting and @dayleitao for this ARC

I loved this book! The enemies to lovers is done so well. The steamy scenes, banter, slowburn and forced proximity oh I loved them and devoured this book..

📚ARC Review: A Cursed Son from Netgalley📚

Thrilled to dive into an ARC of A Cursed Son courtesy of @netgalley, after reading glowing reviews from my bookstagram community.

A Cursed Son captivated me from the start! Rich with mysterious elements, it drew me into a world brimming with intricate kingdoms that I was excited to explore. The characters, with their depth and charm, quickly won me over. I was particularly captivated by the masterfully woven tension between Astra and Marlak, transitioning seamlessly from adversaries to something deeper amidst engaging banter and steamy dreams.

Eagerly anticipating the sequel, A Cursed Son releases on March 6th. Don’t miss out! Also, for collectors of stunning editions, be sure to explore the Kickstarter—I know I will. ✨

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this take on Fairies and Humans and how they look at magic.

Loved how the FMC was not a defenless woman and could fight her own way better than any man in the story.

How she didn't know Marlak loved her astounds me, with how protective he was from the start.

This gives fated mates a twist and it was amazing!

That Cliffhanger though, I'm eager to know what happens next.

*grumpy sunshine
*slow burn
*forced marriage
*connection through dreams

When I say I am OBSESSED with the connection through dreams trope, I mean it!
I was so excited to find out that this was a book where the two main characters have a connection in their dreams before meeting.

The “forced marriage with a Fae” trope is done quite often, but the author did a great job creating a unique world and keeping me engaged!

I thought this was such a fun read from beginning to end.

The author created a clear back story about our FMC, Astra, and how her only goal in life was to be a "stand in" for a princess. Seeing her growth during the story and her realizing she is more than that was so heartwarming!

This book DID have a big cliffhanger. (I can’t wait for book two to see even more character growth and how they are going to resolve the issues at the end!!!)

Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Cursed Son by Day Leitao
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
Tropes: Slow burn, grump sunshine, enemies to lovers.

I loved this book. A slow start, but worth every bit of it! The narration and banter was done so well and definitely deserves it’s own applause.

I would happily recommend this book to lovers of magic, forced proximity, and romantasy.

An engaging and interesting premise, I love the magic, slow burn and enemies to lovers premise and i was definitely hooked and will give book 2 a read however I felt in places the book could have used another round of edits as the language sometime felt a bit jarring/out of place.

This book was different than other romancy books I have read, intrigued me right in!

Love the snarky banter between the mains.
Slow burn well done ending that will break your heart!

Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NeGalley for the chance to review this ARC, the below review is my honest opinions for this book.

Pro: Astra, the main character, is very well portrayed as a woman who does not know much of the world and her own power. Morally Grey love interest, Marlak, has great potential for a book boyfriend, I cannot wait for the next book and see him solidify himself as a top book boyfriend. There was a lot of world building but not in a sense where the reader is stuck for pages and pages hearing about the whole fantasy world, we were transported to different parts of the realm and were given enough information about it.

Con: I really don’t like when the romantic partners could have avoided conflict if they have talked, I understand that it need a “riff” between them but if I have to nitpick something in this book would be that. Also, that I now will have to wait until I don’t know when for the second book.

Even with the above con, I did like that Astra slowly realised at the end of the book that she does know Marlak and it does give me hope that on the next book, the communication between them will improve.

Steamy, fantasy enemies to friend story. With so many books being written in this genre how does an author write something different and worth reading. I found here it was the characters and their humanly fickle thinking and changes of attitude. Seen in their thinking and reactions to the situations they find themselves. I was only disappointed that the ending arrived, and I have to wait for book two. Thank you to Sparkly Wave and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Such a fun start to a new series! If you’re looking for a new romantasy series, then I highly recommend checking this out.

I’ll admit the beginning of this book confused me at first, which is the only reason I dropped the score down from a five. A lot of plot and names get thrown at you but things even out quickly and I loved as we started to settle more into the world. It’s almost like we’re experiencing Astra’s confusion as well. There’s a ton of secrets - from all the characters - and it’s so fun to start to uncover each secret and learn more about each character.

I loved Astra and Marlak, sometimes the non-communication trope drives me crazy, but this was so well done and building trust over the course of the book felt very real. I think that the character development is why the ending works so well. Without posting spoilers, I think that if there was more trust through the book, the end would have been a bit surprising, but it works so well!

I think the world is fascinating, the politics are interesting, and the characters are vibrant and lovely. I’m dying to know what happens next, especially with the name of the sequel! I’m so scared to see what happens next.

Loved this, I’ll read the next one! I think I’ll probably check out other books by this author as well since I loved this one so much.