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.

Thank you to NetGalley and Day Leitao for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Cursed Son is an enemies-to-lovers romantasy with faes and politics and sexual tension and fun banters and a lot more (so much more, seriously ... like a dark unicorn named Cherry Cake).

I enjoyed it a lot, even though it took a littlle while to get into the story (but that's almost normal for me).
The world was a little bit confusing, at the end I still didn't know on which side all the characters and kingdoms were. I would have liked more explanations and stories about the history of the different kingdom and artifacts, you know, just a deeper understanding of it all.
The book isn't perfect, there were some flaws (like constantly calling each other husband amd wife) but it was definitely entertaining!
Unfortunately for me, it ends on a cliffhanger and I can't tell you how much I want to read the second book right now :)

4 ☆ stars

SHOOK by that ending! This is a romantasy + enemies-to-lovers through and through.
I really enjoyed the politics, world building and relationships. While the characters have their own magic, there are also magical artifacts at play which is refreshing. Astra is a very interesting FMC -- she is a decoy for a princess. I'm looking forward to the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the eARC.

Overall I had a fun time reading this, and I devoured it pretty quickly, but I wish the story landed for me more. It had an interesting premise that intrigued me, but some dialogue and character actions felt out of pocket. I didn’t really understand the true chemistry between the MCs. It almost felt like they romanticized the fantasy version of each other, and romance is the main aspect so I was really curious what made them truly click. I also thought their connection was going somewhere else, but the ‘twist’ ending of why they were connected sort of felt flat. I would have liked to see a bit more dimension there.

I enjoyed the humor and how outlandish the writing was, especially the FMC’s audacity. She is silly. I also liked that there was no info dumping and we learn about the MCs along the way. The MMC’s vulnerability aspects were very lovely to see. The FMC being a guard for the princess and also her double is fun and a great set up for a story. But the inciting incident and some plot points felt random to me. I think this story has tons of potential if it can be woven with a tighter thread and more focus. It felt like to me the FMC didn’t have a strong strength of will so maybe that’s why I was a little unclear on the story structure and where it was going.

Again all that being said, I am still glad I read it, but this is a more character driven book above all else.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just was not working for me. I made it 40 pages in and these were my main issues.

The Writing - The dialogue and inner monologue was very juvenile and cringey for someone who was supposed to be an adult. The narration felt very modern and millennial which took me out of the high fantasy world. I'm also not the biggest fan of first person narration which was another reason I couldn't get into this book.

The Plot: I think the premise had great potential because that was what initially interested me in the book, but I was constantly referring to the description to figure out where the plot was going. The initial chapters felt extremely rushed and simultaneously over and under explained everything.

The Character: The little information I could gather about Astra was that she felt like a character I had read about a hundred times before. She completely over explained all her choices in her inner monologue and doubted herself constantly while also being extremely confident in her abilities.

Overall, I will not be continuing this book but I am extremely happy for those that have enjoyed it; it simply was not for me.

From the first chapter this book has me sucked in up until the very last page. I could not let go of this book- I read it in two sittings !

The secrets. The lies. Fae’s. Royality. Brother rivalry. Not knowing who holds the truth. Which side should she be on? This gave me such «The Folk of The Air» vibes! Not being able to lie and the female main character being able to use her human nature to an advantage as she can lie but she knows it’s not right.

The MMC (Marlak) is this tough guy on the outside but really he cares for her. He loves her. Even he doesn’t know the fate he holds in the future. There’s secrets he can’t share and we as readers do not know… which I am dying to find out in the second book.

They’re bonded by dreams that they share. Never seeing each other faces but always having this sexual tension in those dreams. Feeling each others body, familiarising themselves yet not knowing their name or face. This all started a year before they actual met, before she became his wife.

So many squealing moments through this book where I just wanted to throw my kindle across the room at how cute or stupid they’re both being… the end few pages has me full of rage - I can’t wait for the next book where everything becomes clear. They went from strangers in each others dreams to lovers to having hatred for each other again. The cliff hanger has me wanting more. Wanting the chance to see them with each other again and having all these misunderstandings and lies aside and clear the air.


(If I could get the next book ASAP that'd be great...i'm itching for then to meet again!)

Fans of Holly Black and Sarah J Maas will be enthralled by this latest fantasy by Day Leitao.

Astra as part of an elite guard whose goal in life is to look like the princess and pretend to be her when it is too dangerous for real royalty.
During one diplomatic expedition everything goes wrong when the disgraced fae prince kidnaps her. This chance meeting leads to questions about shared dreams, strange magic and shared destinies.
Leitoa successfully manages to bring this new fantasy world alive. Her descriptions of the political landscape for each court are both interesting and help to drive the plot forward. While there is a good amount of spice it doesn't detract from the plot nor does it serves as smut for the sake of smut.
We end on a quite a cliffhanger which is both frustrating but also guarantees that I will read the next book.

3 ⭐️ a decent fantasy romance with interesting premise. I really wanted to love it but sadly it wasn’t for me.

The plot was interesting and the idea of the main character being a secret princess decoy had me hooked at the beginning. So in terms of plot and originality it’s definitely a good fantasy. However what put me off was the writing. Very often it felt choppy and the narration felt quite juvenile. We’re supposed to follow a grown up character yet her internal monologue felt very YA and childish. It’s a personal preference as to the writing style so for many it probably won’t be an issue.

The story itself was interesting and the slow burn between FMC and MMC was very well done.

I recommend if you enjoy enemies to lovers, slow burn romantasy.

A Cursed Son and a Secretive Bride.

The premise of this story is good, but the characters fell flat for me, unfortunately. Astra is one of three trained to take the princess's place in case of danger. On a trip to a wedding, she and a disgraced prince are kidnapped by a handsome man who welds magic without effort. Astra is shocked to realize he is the stranger from her dreams. The one who holds her tight and makes her feel safe- but she doesn't feel safe now.
There's a lot of almost juvenile thinking in this book that makes it difficult to read. Instead of developing real emotion between the MCs, the author counts on graphic sex to get the heart racing. For me, I prefer the former.
Astra is smart and strong. I think she could have made this a page-turner if the. author gave her a bit more personality than a teen full of hormones.
Thank you to NetGalley and Day Leitao for the opportunity to read this book.

I'm very sorry to those that enjoyed this book but it was a DNF for me. I really wanted to be hooked and can see how it could've potentially developed into something great. For me personally there wasn't enough explanation as to what was going on. It just jumped right in, it was as if I opened to the middle of the book without reading the beginning.

4⭐️ spoiler free review!!

I was sent this ARC for an honest review. Firstly thank you Day Leitao, Sparkly Wave Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity.

Love makes people stupid. And irresponsible. I first two sentences of this book had me hooked. I devoured this book in under 24 hours. I loved all the plot twists, world building, and enemies to lovers, grumpy MMC, tension in this book. Astra and Marlak’s relationship throughout the book had the perfect level of angst to keep the tension building. The only thing I did not enjoy about this book was that at times, there was a lot going on and it was hard to follow along, but with time the story caught back up. This is a fast paced read and I can’t wait for book 2. Great book!

If you liked Flesh and Fire and From Blood and Ash you're going to enjoy a Cursed Son. This book has a strong plot that will keep you hooked with twists and turns.

Astra is a princess substitute. She spends her days training to look and act like the royal princess so that she can pretend to be her. Her life has never truly been her own. Astra is torn between wanting her own sexual awakening and knowing it can never lead to anything more. Most of all, she seeks true love.

After pretending to be the princess on a trip, Astra returns to her tower only to be told that she's being forced to marry.

The magic system is unique and refreshing. There are humans, fae, and plenty of politics to go with both.

Tropes include:
Forced Marriage
Miscommunication
Fated Mates
Dream Connection
Enemies to Lovers
Bully romance (light)

The book starts with an open door scene which leads me to believe it'll be heavy on the spice. This was not the case (which is fine) but it is the beginning of thematic inconsistencies throughout the story.

Despite this, the book ends on a cliffhanger and I will be watching out for the sequel.

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley.

A magical fantasy romance, featuring the enemies to lovers, forced proximity and arranged marriage tropes.

Our FMC, Astra, is trained to be a royal decoy to the Kingdom's princess. But she dreams of love, literally, she dreams of a man with a star on his chest. Dreams that feel so real.

Astra's first mission outside the palace, acting as the princess's decoy, is pulled way off track when their carriage is attacked. The attack wasn't just done by anyone though, it was the Crystal Courts evil Prince Marlak.

Successfully escaping, Astra is shocked when Marlak shows up at the palace to make her his wife. He's everyone's enemy, will he also be Astra's?

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
Always love an enemies to lovers, forced proximity fantasy romance! I really loved the snarky banter between Marlak and Astra, but you can see he really does care for her as the storyline progresses.

Marlak is so mysterious with his secrets and I really want to know more about him and his past. Astra's character grew a lot throughout the book, as at first she came across a little naive. However, they really do need to learn how to communicate better with each other!

I would have wanted to see a little bit more world building within this, with it being the first book of the series. But the descriptions of the various courts we do see, I really enjoyed - loved that there was a Court of Bees and Spiders!

Some of the writing was a little bit repetitive, especially with the use of 'husband' and 'wife', however, the plot still really interested me and I am looking forward to seeing where this series will take us... especially after the ending!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this copy. This review is voluntary.

I knew almost immediately after starting this book that I would love it and it didn't disappoint. I love the FMC, Astra! She is fierce and brave but also struggles with a lot of self doubt. This definitely a very slow burn romance which can be a little frustrating at times but that's just the way I like it. The MMC, Marlak, is grumpy but almost instantly is a puddle a mush for Astra which I adored. All the side characters are wonderful and make you eager to learn more about them. I pretty much spent all my free time reading this book once I started, it was that good! I'm already looking forward to the second book. I would recommend this story to anyone who likes fantasy, and romance with a little bit of spice.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Day Leitao for the eARC I received in exchange for my honest review.

I was lucky enough to receive this as an eARC through Netgalley. It took me a minute to get hooked into the world building but once I did, I could not put this down. As a major romantasy reader this had some of my favorite elements, while still having a different world and concepts than other books, which is a major win. If you are a fan of elemental magic, a strong FMC, a grumpy but lovable MMC, enemies to lovers, and slow burn, then you will enjoy this book. I cannot wait for the second book! I am dying to see how the story continues.

I had so much fun reading this book and need the second one like NOW; but the beginning was a bit tough for me to get through. Within the first couple of chapters my main thought was that the FMC was too naïve and it got to be annoying by chapter 4. It also just drops you into this world with no explanation, no world building, and I feel like you're just expected to know who these characters are before we get any clue about what's going on.

After the first 20 - 25% I was obsessed. I flew through this book so fast and could not put it down! There were still minor issues such as the FMC's inner dialogue and all of the constant questions she would ask herself were just annoying and some of the writing felt jumbled or had little structure. I would still definitely recommend this book because it's such a fun read.

This had potential, but the writing left a lot to be desired. Stream of consciousness style + very “tell don’t show.” Almost every sentence is a run-on. Frequent use of “ugh” & modern slang. The FMC felt extremely juvenile for her age & I had no emotional connection to her or the world her story is set in.

Posted review on Goodreads 2/14/24

This is the first installment in a romantasy series that includes a female main character that has a secret identity that cannot be revealed and finds herself involved in an arranged marriage with a disgraced prince. It's an enemies-to-lover romance that is character and dialogue heavy. It has a promising premise, but the execution fell flat. There are elements that I did enjoy, but overall I did not enjoy the reading experience.

the writing
My biggest issue with the book is the writing. It felt so amateur and immature, as if there were so many millennial phrases added that do not fit the fantasy aspects of the story. Examples include the use of "ugh" and "oh, well" that pull you away from the world. I will say the writing does improve slightly in the last quarter of the book and I hope that changes are made before the release date. Based on what I read, it felt more like a rough draft. The spicy scenes were also so sudden that it took me off guard, especially in the beginning. I wouldn't say the book is a spicy read and the addition of it felt unnecessary.

the world building
The world building is a whole mess. It felt like everything was dumped into the story hoping it would make some sense and all it did was feel overwhelming. A new location was introduced every few chapters and aside from the name of the place and a few details, there is no way for the reader to fully immerse themselves in the world. The magical elements were the only aspect that I enjoyed, but it wasn't explained very well and opens up more questions.

the characters
The book mainly focuses on the female main character and her internal dialogue, which I found to be so infuriating at times. From the beginning, she seems so boy crazy and annoying and that doesn't really change as the story progresses, with the exception of a few moments of growth. For being dialogue heavy, at times there was so much being said without saying or revealing anything. The disgraced prince, Marlak, is fine. He's not by any means a new Rhysand or Xaden, but he's not unlikeable either. The banter between them was good at times, but again sometimes they were saying so much without actually providing information to the reader. I'm usually fine with pet names, as long as they're not that cringe, but the overuse of "wife" and "husband" got on my last nerve. There is no way that "wife" should have been used in every. single. sentence. of Malark's.

I really wanted to like this book because of its blurb, but it was ultimately a disappointing read. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review it, but I will unfortunately pass on the next ones in the series.