⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Absolutely blown away! This is an utter masterpiece in my eyes. The writing- top notch. The characters- well written and complex. The storyline- the plot is plotting! The romance- the slowest of slow burns with a great payoff and banter that makes your head spin.


Astra has been raised a a guardian and sometimes stand in for a princess, along with two other girls. She has a mysterious past that she knows nothing about and a “teacher” who is keeping her secrets. She begins to have dreams about a man, a man who is perfect- he makes her feel safe and loved. While on a mission with the prince of her kingdom they are ambushed by a fae prince they have been taught to fear- and she comes face to face with the man in her dreams. Soon the Fae Prince makes a marriage alliance and forces Astra to marry him. He accuses her of controlling his dreams and trying to steal information from him. Even so, he promises to keep her safe. Through many days together the two banter and fight until their true feelings are known- or are they? Suddenly Astra doesn’t know who to trust- her once trustworthy teacher or the prince she has grown to somehow love.


The slow burns in this book completely had me not wanting to set the book down and the way they bantered and fought was sheer perfection!


I can not WAIT to read the sequel- like I’m going to need it to release instantly because what was that ending!!

The narrator was amazing! I did not realize she was doing both the male and female voices- that’s how brilliant she was. BRAVO! I almost recommended this as a duet until I went and looked it up.





Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ALC of this story in exchange for my honest review!!



Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
Arranged Marriage
Fated Mates
Slow Burn
One Bed (Unicorn 🤣)
Everyone Else Can See It

4⭐️ 1🌶️
Thank you to @Netgalley for letting me listen to this book!
This book captured my attention around chapter 3 or so. Once I was in it though, I was in it! As a Romantasy lover this book hits all the tropes: Forced proximity, enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, grumpy MMC and a slow burn (veryyyy slow).
The Magic in this series is really cool too and I can’t wait to find out more about Astra and her powers. So much was hidden from her growing up that she doesn’t even know the extent of her own powers. You just know that when she figures them out, she’s going to be unstoppable!
I was also super intrigued with how Astra and Malark were connecting via dreams. It’s like their souls would meet up in the dream world and connect on a level that they couldn’t in the physical world.
I will absolutely be reading book two to see where this series goes ❤️

First off- Thank you to NetGalley and the author for letting me to review the audiobook for A Cursed Son that comes out tomorrow!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me, but that's OK! I think the fantasy world building is very accessible, and wide ranges of people can enjoy it, even if fantasy is not their main genre. I would recommend this book to readers who read a lot of romance, but may be new to fantasy. This book had some of my favorite tropes, like hidden identity, fated mates and court intrigue. I listened to the audiobook, and I do think the voice actor did a fantastic job narrating! If you decide to pick this book up, i recommend reading it via audiobook.

This book had such a great premise, but unfortunately I think it fell a bit short on delivery. I really liked the "stand in for the princess" plot line, and I wish we learned more about that part of it. Astra, the FMC, was frustrating to read because she didn't see her narcissistic father figure taking advantage of her for the sake of secrecy. The book started out strong, where she was really trying to take back her power in any way that she could, but i do think Astra's character felt a little out of character based on how she was described at the beginning. Astra is a strong female character who is highly educated and highly trained so she could take care of herself (until it came to the Prince and the need for deep self reflection). Prince Malark, the MMC, was probably my favorite character. He really through Astra for a loop and had her questioning everything, which I really liked. He had the mysterious factor going on and I did find myself wanting to know more about his background and his history with his family and fae powers.

This book had such a great premise, but unfortunately I found it fell a bit short of delivering. Sadly, I found the MMC had no personality besides being ‘mysterious’ and the FMC just spent the book mentally talking herself in circles. Despite being highly trained in combat, poisons, politics and seduction you didn’t actually see her use this skill set one. The first half hooked me enough that I purchased the ebook copy of it so I could keep reading even when I was unable to listen, but sadly any sort of play of character depth sputtered at about this point.
The narrator however was brilliant and very well nagging!










***Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an audio of this book.***

This was enemies to lovers done right! Astra and Marlak's shift from enemies, to allies, to more was on point, a very gradual and realistic change. Astra is a very strong and compelling heroine and Marlak may not fit the typical mold of fantasy love interest, I enjoyed that he had a unique appearance and interesting backstory. Their relationship is tense and complex but brilliantly told. The world building wasn't anything crazy complex but I did really like the concept of Astra being a decoy for a princess, the story was definitely more character driven.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sparkly Wave for this gifted ALC, given in exchange for my honest review.

We have encountered another instance where I rounded up a star due to not being able to give a rating of 3.75 ⭐️. Overall I enjoyed this audiobook, though with NA I tend to need a little adjustment period during the beginning of the book to get into the flow of things. Once I got into it, I enjoyed it a lot! The premise was really unique and there is so much room to grow the story in book 2 - particularly after that cliffhanger! I really enjoyed Marlak’s character development.

If you enjoy…

⚔️ Enemies to Lovers
⚔️ Spicy dreams
⚔️ Banter
⚔️ Strong FMC
⚔️ Arranged Marriage
⚔️ Forced Proximity
⚔️ Miscommunication

…then you’ll enjoy A Cured Son!

4 / 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC copy of this audiobook.


I just finished the audiobook and my head is spinning. That cliffhanger was almost cruel but it sets up the next book pretty nicely.

So, to my impressions: I found the narrator's voice to be very pleasant, she modulates her voice pretty well, I could distinguish the different characters and there's no confussion over who's "talking" her cadence and tone drew me in.

As for the story itself; I mostly enjoyed the book, there were some parts here and there that I found a bit rough around the edges (Part of the world building and some side characters) but there were more positives than negatives for sure.

Astra is a likable FMC, her journey was amazing; from naive and unsure to a more mature, more confident version of herself. Her monologues were fun and funny and I mostly rooted for her. She's not perfect though, the denial of her feelings and her supposed moral high ground gets a little grating by the middle of the audiobook but that might just be me and my dislike for the miscommunication trope. Her banter with the MMC was mostly on point, and the way their relationship changed felt organic, believable, which for me, is the hardest part to pull off in a romance book.

I'd also like to point out that I loved the shared dreams, I found them a very interesting plot device, almost like a match maker, I thought it was a very neat way to make the plot move forward.

I'll definitely recommend this book and I can't wait to read, or hear, what's next.

First off, thank you to Sparkly Wave and NetGalley for this audio copy !

I think I’ve learned quite quickly that this writing style is not for me. Everything seems a bit overly simplistic, lacking in emotional charge, and somewhat awkward. The pacing also feels strange, as do the decisions made my the main character from the very beginning. I quite enjoyed the audiobook narrator and the quality of the audio overall, I think this author just isn’t scratching my itch.

The story of Astra and Marlak is a rollercoaster of emotions, brilliantly navigating the thin line between dreams and reality. As a decoy for royalty, Astra finds her nightly dreams of warmth and love clashing with her encounters with the cold and powerful Marlak, a banished fae prince. Their unexpected connection, revealed after a dramatic carriage attack, weaves a complex tale of intrigue and budding romance. The book excels in exploring themes like deception, identity, and the quest for truth, all set against a rich tapestry of magic and fae lore. It's a thrilling read that kept me engaged from start to finish.

3.25⭐️

thank you to netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with an audio arc of a cursed son!!

I want to preface this by saying how much I love caitlin kelly as a narrator, she has this whimsical voice that simply suits fantasy books so well.

now for the book itself:
this was a romantasy with a very heavy emphasis on the romance.
the worldbuilding was intriguing and the magic system was also rather interesting! especially the main character's mysterious powers and how her connection to her religion tied into it but also her origin story left me wanting to know more.
what really intrigued my romantasy lover heart though were the mc&mac's shared dreams, they were such a nice contrast to their reality. what did bother me a little about this was the fact that they didn't really get to know each other in real life! I would've loved to see more of that.

I usually love romantasies, I love the underlining magical and political subplots weaving through the story and coming together at the end or the way a fantasy setting takes the romance to another level! and while the fantasy definitely did enhance the romance here, I thoroughly missed proper subplots.
all that to say romance really was the only plot in the entire 300+ pages and it got stretched rather thin at times.

what really had me questioning my sanity though was the miscommunication. worse, it kept happening.
worse yet when they miscommunicated, nothing else happend? which brings me back to the missing subplot.. as much as this author tried, a book simply can't survive on just romance as the entire plot.

interestingly enough I also wouldn't really call this enemies to lovers. I don't know where people got that from because they dont teally fit the mold; maybe mistrusting lying hostiles to lovers would fit better but that might also just be me.

one thing I'm always a fool for are cliffhangers, they're my cryptonite and this was a very sudden surprising cliffhanger that left me wanting to pick up book 2 immediately!

all in all I'm a bit bummed because I really did like the premise but it just constantly felt like there was something missing throughout the entire book which became frustrating very quickly.
at the end, having thought this over I don't think this was my exact cup of tea but I did enjoy reading it, so maybe I'll end up picking up book two, who knows?

This was a really interesting first book of a new series. For fans of enemies-to-lovers, marriage of convenience, force proximity, and slow burn tropes and themes. I listened to the audiobook and I was hooked after the first chapter. This new romantasy follows Astra, who has been trained her whole life as a decoy for a young princess. She is a strong, brave main character and because she’s an orphan, we don’t really know much about where she comes from or what she really is. There is a dream element where she meets the MMC and that is really fun. As the story plays out, the world building is unique and interesting and I loved seeing the different courts and Fae they meet along the way.

Even though I love a dual narration audiobook and this one had just one narrator, she did a really good job with the different voices and before long, I was sucked in.

I’m not sure how many books will be in this series, but I will definitely be reading the next one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sparkly Wave publishing for providing me with this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the audiobook!

A Cursed Son is the first book in the Remnants Of The Fallen Kingdom series by Day Leitao and is narrated by Caitlin Kelly.

This book has lots of adventure and the worldbuilding is interesting. The cliffhanger at the end has me wanting to know what happens next!

Personally, I didn't vibe with the main character Astra. She felt very juvenile and had contradictory thoughts throughout the entire book (I was glad to see him. Wait, what? No, I definitely wasn't. I hate him. And yet...). The narration was well done but the story flips between being awake and dreaming, those portions would visually be broken up but were a little harder to follow with audio (that and the fact that chapter 5 was missing from my initial download led to some confusion).

Overall, I enjoyed the book and will probably read the next one in the hopes that Astra does some growing up and quits second guessing herself.

As a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, I was exited with the gradual shift from adversaries to allies to something more.

Astra had such a huge development of character, like she didn't know nothing of the world that she lived and had to discover it all after Marlak show up.
That she is so afraid of what she is and he is not ...amazing !! He wants that she can be ALL that she can be but NEEDS her to be safe !!

The audiobook is beautiful...the narrator really try to do the differents voices and i love it.

So exicted with the second book....love the way this one ended and my heart was broken, need to put it back again!

I got given a audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book has such a unique world. It has magic, soulmates and slow burn.

It did take me a little while to get into the book as I found the chapters quite long. However, after the first 15% I really found the book loved at a quicker pace.
I enjoyed that the fmc had a strong personality and the mmc was strong but had a different appearance to what is normally written about.

Overall I enjoyed the book and look forward to the following books in this series.

Astra, an orphan who was taken in and trained to be a decoy and guard for the princess finds herself in a marriage alliance with Marlak who was her adversary turned allies. Both Astra and Marlak are keeping secrets that are bound to make their way out, trust is hard to get and easy to lose.

A Cursed Son drew me in immediately and I found myself struggling to put the book down. I really enjoy being emotionally invested a the story. I take it as a good sign when I feel strongly about character actions and this felt often because Astra is a really frustrating as a main character as she is secretive and distrustful. I enjoyed her journey of growth from who she was at the beginning to the end of the book. without saying too much I'm excited to see what she does in the upcoming book.

I was on the edge of my seat the last few chapters, thinking the worst but hoping for the best. The ending of the book had me immediately looking to see if I could get my hands on the next one.

I think this book would be perfect for those who like tropes of forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and hidden powers.

Imagine having sexy dreams of your kindred spirit and then when you meet him he is trying to magically excavate into your mind.
This was a wild ride. I love the characters in this story, they felt well-rounded and flawed as we follow Astra as she marries an exiled royal fae. It was adventurous, and seeing Marlak and Astra's relationship evolve over the course of the book has me hanging out for book 2.
The audiobook narrator did an excellent job, very emotive and pretty decent range.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

I love a good enemies to lovers story and this one was great. I have never read any other books by this author, but now I am going to make sure I go back and read some other boosk by them. Highly recommend.

“Looking away won’t save me, won’t change me, but at least it won’t hurt me.”

“A Cursed Son,” by Day Leitao

Astra is a royal decoy to live for and protect the Krastel princess at all costs. She has mysterious dreams of the man she loves but hasn’t met. Until one day her carriage is attacked by non-other the man of her dreams, but he is the Crystal Court’s disgraced prince.

I read the book first and then the second read through was the audiobook. I loved the audiobook version so much. I already loved the story, and the audiobook really brought it more to life in my head. I loved every single thing about this book. Everything was perfect. I loved the characters and how they were good and bad and super complicated. I loved the lore and world building with the Fae and magic and creatures. I loved the tension between the two main characters and how it was a very slow burn. I loved the ending so much that it hurts. 5 out of 5 stars, it was one of my favorite reads the first time and the second time just solidified that spot for me. I have also read the second book in the series, and it was also so freaking good but there was just something about the buildup of the relationship in book 1 that really lives in my heart, and I couldn’t get enough.

-Arranged Marriage
-Enemies To Lovers
-Fae
-Magic
-Fake Princess (Royal Decoy)

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

A Cursed Son is a whimsical twist on the romance a young woman can find in following her dreams. Literally.

This novel is a great, almost cosy fantasy story set in a low-stakes, high-swoon environment. While I can't say that I understand who the 'Cursed Son' is or exactly why she's supposed to be 'not like other girls', those threads are clearly being set up for the next novels in the series. I wouldn't exactly call it enemies-to-lovers, but it does have the witty banter of a twenty-something, head-strong, intelligent woman being confronted with someone Actually Being Nice To Her for the first time in her life. That is worth the whip-lash of feelings, the distrust, and the emotional confusion for the new world of fae she is drawn into.

If you are all-in for the romance and the idea that your dream partner can and does exist somewhere in the world, you're going to love this. If you need a plot-heavy story or epic world building, manage your expectations. You will get them eventually, but this first book is beautifully written, delightful slow-burn into fantasy romance.

For the audiobook format, the narrator is perfect. Voice and tone are all easy to follow, even up to 2x speed. Her inflections bring life to the character, and though there is interpersonal drama, it is spoken with heart, not melodramatics. I would be excited to listen to other books narrated by Caitlin Kelly after listening to this piece.

This new NA romantasy release is an absolute must-read for fans of enemies-to-lovers, marriage of convenience, fae, royalty, and forced proximity!

Astra has been trained since infancy to be the Princess’s decoy—even stepping into a marriage alliance if necessary. I love a brave, witty female lead, and Astra is so easy to root for. The hidden identity trope is executed brilliantly, keeping us guessing about just how different Astra truly is… *

The worldbuilding is immersive, with the fae courts and their secrets unfolding naturally throughout the story. And the spicy dreams? Such a fun twist—I couldn’t stop picturing them in my head!

A Cursed Son is the perfect blend of laugh-out-loud moments (the cave scene with Astra and the Fae Prince? Iconic), intense action, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance. Their banter had me giggling nonstop! I’m officially obsessed and need to read everything this author has written!