Prince Alard Fairchild of the Kingdom of Earth and Sky has long known he was born human. That has never deterred him from putting in the work necessary to become the next king of the fairy realm. Not when his parents and the monarchs of the neighboring Kingdom of Fire and Ice have had Alard betrothed to Princess Meyda since they were children. If their union will bring peace to the long-warring kingdoms and unite all of the fairy realm, Alard is entirely on board. But until that day comes, he is determined to be his own man…and that means practicing law in New Orleans to help poor, unfortunate souls get the legal remedies they are entitled to. Maybe he finds someone to warm his bed once in a while, but knowing the whole fairy realm is depending on him returning to be their king, Alard has always taken care to never get too attached. That is, until he meets Razi Miller.

Despite his parents disowning him for being gay and people hating him for being brown, Razi “Raz” Miller refuses to be anything less than excellent at business. That means working the conference circuit to network and learn. Part of the fun of conferences is the hooking up that inevitably happens and Raz is always down for a good time. When he finds himself in the arms of a smoking hot, do-gooder lawyer named Alard, though, something feels different. After a night of unbridled passion, Raz wakes up to the stunning realization that he and Alard got wedding tattoos the previous night. Then another bomb drops: the tattoo is permanent, because Alard is actually a fairy prince and nothing short of Raz’s death can break the bond they made. The more time Raz spends with Alard, though, the deeper in love he falls. Too bad for Raz he’s technically the “other woman” and it’s not long before the powers that be make it known that Raz and Alard must find a way to undo their accidental marriage or they’ll take matters into their own hands…with an all out fairy war.

A Happy Beginning is a contemporary fairy tale from author B. A. Richards. Set half in New Orleans and half in a fantastical fairy realm, the tone and visual imagery clearly demarcate one world from the other. Yet there are strong similarities between the two worlds, including power struggles and blind discrimination. In addition to the ill-fated love that blooms between Alard and Raz, there’s also a strong thread of friendship represented by Alard’s close relationship with Meyda, which spills over into a friendship between her and Raz as well.

This story touches on some pretty heavy topics. One is abandonment; both Alard and Raz were abandoned by their birth families. We don’t get many details about Alard’s circumstances outside of the fact that his birth family left him and the king and queen of the Kingdom of Earth and Sky adopted him as a baby and turned him into a fairy. Raz’s situation is fleshed out more, with several mentions of how his family left him and one scene that spelled out how his father used his fists to let Raz know being gay was unacceptable. Raz also makes it clear that he feels like he’s othered by humans as a matter of course, so when the fairies do the same thing to him, it’s not a new feeling so much as coming from new people. It was odd to me how it seemed like Raz’s baseline expectation of the world was to be othered in the human world and he is not surprised when he gets othered just the same (more explicitly even) in the fairy world for being human. Yet it was Alard (a white member of royalty) being verbally discriminated against for being human-born by a few specific individuals that felt more consequential to the story. Strangely, the two characters don’t discuss how being othered like this impacts them or their relationship, not even when Raz ends up in the fairy realm for a not insignificant period of time.

The story felt very fast paced to me. With the notable exception of Alard and Raz getting accidentally married, many obstacles are resolved almost as soon as they arise. One prime example of this was

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–then it’s back to solving the puzzle of how to undo their accidental marriage. Another is when
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This may keep things exciting and dramatic for some, but I found so much action with so little consequence or follow through to be a little exasperating. More than anything, it conveyed a sense of “if it’s not actively happening, it doesn’t really matter” to me that lessened the impact of other big events in the story–like the fairy war that erupts or one member of the royal family gets caught in their web of lies.
For me, the most enjoyable part was the way Alard and Raz fall in love despite being in an impossible situation. This situation drives practically every action in the story, so it was always enjoyable for me to watch these two fall deeper in love with each other, while at the same time getting more and more convinced that everything else would keep them apart. Alard knows and accepts he must return to the fairy realm to become king. Raz knows true love won’t save him from fairy-kind’s general dislike (or outright hate of) humans. Just like Raz knows their accidental marriage is extremely inconvenient and how Alard is loath to explain that his having a marriage bond to anyone other than Meyda will bring war to the fairy realm. I loved watching the back and forth between them. The eventual resolution was creative and allowed everyone to love who they loved, while still fulfilling their duties. My one complaint is that when the happy ending is playing out, we go back to the critique of “whenever an obstacle is presented, it’s immediately overcome” except here, the obstacle turned out to be a complete nonissue.

Overall, A Happy Beginning is a sensationalized melodrama. Fans of the woke-up-married trope and fated mates tropes are sure to enjoy Richards’ takes on these. There is magic galore and the several mysterious attempts to separate Alard and Raz keep the story flowing quickly from one event to the next. In between, our two MCs grapple with how they grow more and more in love with each other. If you enjoy stories with impossible scenarios that must be overcome or want a modern take on a literal fairy tale, I think you’ll enjoy this story.

B. A. Richards has written a perfectly paced, hard-to-put-down debut romantasy with two main characters readers will fall in love with, and a storyline that is complex and well written. If you read only one romantasy this year, make it this one.

This is a light urban fantasy/fantasy. It would have been more stars, except that I never really bought the love of the main characters which was the whole point of the plot. If the characters had more in common, it would have been better. As it was, it read, "You look pretty, let's bang, oh we're married? I love you for LIFE!"

That said, the nice bit about reading is that your brain fills in the bits that aren't said, so if the blurb sounds good to you, give this book a shot!

A great, spellbinding adventure awaits within the pages of this book! Something about it briefly made me think of when I read Inkheart many years ago.

This story will have you moving between the human realm and a magical realm, following Prince Alard and Razi, the man he accidentally marries. This presents a problem since he is to be married to the daughter of a neighboring kingdom within the magical realm.

Meyda, the princess Alard is betrothed to, is her own kind of force to be reckoned with. She’s a great character, and really supportive of Alard and Razi all while trying to help them figure out a way out of the mess they are in. Throw in some less than understanding parents and you have a recipe for potential disaster.

I really enjoyed reading this one. It was fresh and new, and extremely satisfying.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for this copy of the book.

A Happy Beginning is an urban fantasy romance novel, and the debut novel from B.A. Richards. It is a (literal) fairy tale about an instant connection between Alard, a New Orleans-based lawyer, and Raz, a businessman in town for a conference. What was expected to be a one-night hook-up transforms into an accidental bond that has major repercussions in both of their worlds.

This is a world with vampires, werewolves, and the fae. Richards weaves a beautiful tapestry of vibrant and magical worldbuilding, combining the world we know with another just the other side of the looking glass. It combines classic themes of royal marriages and palace politics with modern diversity and LGBTQ+ representation from across the spectrum. It is an easy and enjoyable read, comparable to a fun popcorn flick or a young adult novel, and sets the hook with enough temptation to read just one more chapter. Who needs sleep anyway?

This is a benefit for someone who doesn’t read a lot of fantasy or gets lost in the flood of details found in something like Game of Thrones or The Wheel of Time. My wife is familiar with the fantasy genre, but I often find it frustrating. This story is easy to follow and has relatable characters drawn from all walks of life. (Given her familiarity with urban fantasy and its subgenres, my wife was a good reference for those genre elements that made me stumble.)

The romance between the main characters does include erotic content, something that I wish had been more “closed door” or “fade to black” style given this novel’s tone. The magical relationship remains believable, but the spicy scenes presented an abrupt tonal shift, pulling this novel away from one that I could recommend to older family members as an entry point to discuss LGBTQ+ issues. Without those scenes, this could easily become a YA novel.

I do wish that this world was more fully fleshed out. Main characters like Alard, Raz, and Meyda have depth but secondary characters (such as the story’s antagonist) often don’t. The majority of the story ends up being told from Raz’s point of view, giving us the fish out of water perspective like John Crichton of Farscape. In fact, the prose shines in that exploration – a favorite chapter was a trip to a major metropolis told from the perspective of a character unfamiliar with the human world – and exemplifies the concept of “drinking from the fire hose” for Raz as he learns a whole new reality in a short period of time. But the tale falls flat in filling the magical world as much as it does the human world, often whisking the reader over interstitial spaces and leaving empty a world that we’re told is full of good, honest, caring people.

The drawbacks don’t detract from the potential provided by worldbuilding and thematic exploration. These are huge strengths, and since this is Richards’s debut work, it shows room for them to grow as they hone their craft. I enjoyed this read and would love to see more from them in the future, especially in these realms.

thank you to netgalley, city owl press, and b.a. richards for approving me! this is my first arc of the year and i was so excited to read it! queer royal fae has my name written all over it, but unfortunately, this wasn't quite the book for me. it had so much promise, and i enjoyed the characters more or less, but i didn't enjoy much of the writing style, and i felt like the plot was way too rushed and surface-level. i would have loved to learn more about the world, about the magic and the bond and feel like alard and raz were growing together, not shoved together and immediately obsessed and in love after only a few days. there was not enough show don't tell for me, and i think everything needed to be stretched out a bit more; it always felt like things resolved too easily and quickly given the stakes set up. ultimately, this was an okay book! i'm honored to have had the chance and opportunity to read and review this, and appreciate the publisher and the author's hard work.

A Happy Beginning is a queer urban romantasy with pleasant, accessible writing. Overall the book provides it's reader with a diverse world, but falls flat when the romance comes into play.

For fans of the "insta-lust" trope, this story might hit the mark, but it missed me entirely. I often felt the couple lacked any true romance at all, and had me wishing for even a touch more development.

A Happy Beginning certainly isn't a terrible book, and will entertain the right crowd, but it could have appealed to a wider crowd with a lot more care, and a bit more editing.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a simple fun fae romance done well. There's a unique plot that I also enjoyed; I haven't seen a lot of accidental marriages turned true love (plus a hard earned HEA) but it's something I've discovered I enjoy.
I loved the characters, they had great chemistry and I enjoyed the banter between them. Everyone is so respectful of Meyda, who is aroace, and it was so sweet and encouraging to see.

A Happy Beginning is a well written debut novel by B.A. Richards. Due out 21st Jan 2025 it's 359 pages and will be available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is pure escapist romantic fantasy, genderqueer friendly, told in a dual PoV between the two main characters, a fae princeling who is also living in the human world and working as an attorney, and a human businessman and entrepreneur. There's a fair bit of explicit content (M/M), so readers should be seeking a spicy read, or at least ok with that. The author does a good job with it, and it's surprisingly not cringey at all. The language (and content) are at least R-rated+. Definitely NSFW/commute (unless the e-reader is well figleafed).

The story is engaging, and the characters are well rendered and not just "body parts"... they have real motivations and thoughts. The plot is complete, with a magic and political systems which are well constructed and thought out (not just tacked on to bridge the gaps between the sexy scenes).

Four stars. It seems to be a series opener. It's an indi-pub, and quite explicitly spicy, so probably not appropriate or easily accessible for public library acquisition, but for romantasy fans, it's a good start.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

A Happy Beginning

4/5 Stars 🌟

Damm she spicy , spicy 🌶️🌶️

Alard and Raz and the spice factor at the start and it was perfect! Honestly I didn’t expect that and I’ve never really read a spicy book and this was my first!

The fact the moaning lead to the marriage kills me 😂

Overall this book was super good! The descriptions and world building was great, I loved the twists and turns throughout, some bits were predictable but worked really well!

Vampires, Fairies, Werewolves you love it you got it!

I honestly don’t want to say much more as I honestly really enjoyed this and suggest you read it as soon as you can get a copy!

This had that fantasy element that I was looking for and enjoyed getting into this world. I was engaged with what was happening and thought the characters worked well overall. B.A. Richards has a strong writing style and can't wait for more in this series.

ARC - PUBLICATION DATE 21ST JAN 2025

4 ☆

『 tropes 』
•m/m
•dual pov
•fae/human
•accidental marriage
•magical system
•instant-love
•queer rep

『 plot 』
alard fairchild is trying to make the most of his time in the human realm, with his best friend james, he knows time is running out and he will have to return to his own realm when the time comes, and he’s made peace with that, until he meets razi miller and their instant connection makes is making i harder for alard to leave but he’s a fairy prince who must return to his realm and kingdom and bring the kingdoms together by an arranged marriage with his best friend, meyda, if not it could result in war.


『 my thoughts 』
the plot was so fun, an accidental bonding of marriage between alard and raz, after only knowing one another for one night and then both working together, alongside alard’s friends james and catherine and a couple more on the fairy realm, meant that the two male main characters spent more time together and of course feelings grew and decisions needed to be made.

the inclusivity of a gay relationship, an asexual person, a non-traditional relationship, was so well done and written. it was such a fun plot but with more important and thought provoking themes throughout that added more depth to the story and made you think about it in real life.

the writing style was great, it flowed so easily and you were getting pov’s from each main character and had a well rounded picture of what was going on and it felt like you was right there with the characters.

i am a huge fan of this book, it was such a fun read. it had everything a good book needs: lovable characters, good villains, fantastical creatures, a magic system, inclusive and queer rep and lgbtq relationships.

This was my first B.A. Richards novel and I was impressed with the writing style. The world was so unique and the author did a wonderful job of creating a visual. I thought the story was interesting but couldn’t quite get into the romance. It fell a bit short for me. Overall, it was an interesting read and the concept was very unique.

Happy Beginnings is a fast-paced, spicy, MM fairy romance that will keep you hooked from the beginning. I enjoyed how intriguing the characters were and how the story jumps right into the conflict from the beginning. I think this is a solid read and would recommend it for romantasy and queer fiction fans alike!

Thanks to NetGalley and City Owl Press for the ARC!

10-15 years ago, this would have been called urban fantasy or PNR (paranormal romance) - today, it’s romantasy! It’s got excellent LGBT+ rep - including ace!

Alard and Razi have an instant connection when they run into each other in New Orleans.. and wake up with fairy bond marks indicating they’ve been married during the night. Alard has a political marriage coming up in, like, a week, so he really needs to undo this bond (preferably without killing Raz, who he definitely is getting some real feelings for. Kidnappings, attempted murders, standing up to your parents, meeting your husband’s fairy princess fiancée… oh yeah, learning that there’s a fairy realm and all sorts of supernatural creatures on Earth. Raz has quite the awakening. It’s going to take all his skills as a businessman, and Alard’s as a a lawyer, to get out of this mess without starting a war.

This is a mostly fun adventure, although I absolutely did tear up at times! Raz and Alard’s connection and complications really got to me. The side characters are all unique, too.

Definitely give this a read if you love m/m fantasy politics.

First of all, thank you to @netgalley for the e-book copy of this in exchange for an honest review and to the author for reaching out to gauge my interest in the first place. ☺️

This was a wonderful and fun queer adventure. It has such a lively and diverse cast of characters you can't help but love and root for, as well as a great setting between New Orleans and the fantasy realm. The romance was a perfect blend of sweet and spicy and I loved all of the representations regarding sex and sexuality.

This is the author's debut novel and was an excellent first venture into the romantasy world. There were so many fun elements and it was just the cute queer fairytale I needed right now!

Very lovely and I was happy to receive a copy and review. The book will be released this Tuesday (1/21) for those interested. ☺️

I love it when a new to me author just blows me away, and that's exactly what happened here! Intriguing, captivating and absolute ride of a book - loved it!

It was a real pleasure to meet Raz, Alard and Meyda. They are a beautiful mix between love, tenderness and trust.
I love the fact that it's not an instant love, they had doubt and a real construction in their relationship. It's a good Romantasy with a perfect representation, the fantasy background is great but I was a little bit scared with the plots twist and until the end it was almost perfect. I think that the last "problem" who came to them (the werewolf problem) was just to much and it could be different because the explanations are almost empty/no sense.
At the end I cried, laughed and be touch by the story and Raz and Alard win my heart.

The magical chaos in A Happy Beginning pulls you into a richly crafted world where New Orleans’ charm meets high-stakes fairy drama. Alard and Razi’s accidental marriage sets the stage for a sizzling romance full of sharp banter, emotional depth, and unexpected twists. While the ending felt a bit rushed, the blend of vibrant world-building and organic inclusivity made this an unforgettable adventure.

I’m really grateful I’ve been able to read this early, I had a great time and I’m rating it 4.25 stars.

This is a spicy fantasy with high stakes and so many wonderful magical elements. It tackles subjects such as sexuality, boundaries and arranged marriage. It’s a mature book with a YA fantasy feel which I loved.