I found this book very lighthearted and adventurous! Although the pacing of the journey, and consequently the book, was a tad off, I could still envision the adventure and the scenery. Just to expand on the pace - the beginning, and the middle of the book was quite slow in comparison to the ending. Their relationship advanced rather quickly, and I found the timing of the first spicy scene a tad awkward.

Tatiana is quite funny and I enjoyed her character a lot. If the author were to expand on this world, I would love to read a spin-off surrounding her and her magical experiments.

Bianca is feisty, adept in using weapons but above all she bound by duty. When her parents tell her the soon-to-be king of a neighbouring kingdom has insisted on a bride to avoid war she knows she must leave her home and do what she must do to protect her people. On her wedding night an assassination attempt goes wrong, her new husband Aric is magically transformed into a horse and his court think she has murdered him! All she can do is ride her husband away from the castle and find a way to turn him back before war breaks out.

The main thing I loved about Behooved is just how unserious it is. Yes, there is magic, romance and spice but there is a thread of humour running throughout with plenty of jokes of the equine variety. It's a super quick and fun standalone read that I would say is less romantasy, more rom-com fairytale with great diability rep and plenty of horsification.

This was a very cute Romantasy, it basically read like a grown up fairytale☺️

I thought the author including Bianca's condition was great, because she mentioned it in her author note and it gives me a better understanding of an illness I knew little about previously. I always enjoy learning something new with diversity in characters.

I did like Bianca, she's smart and knows enough basic skills to get her out of sticky situations which is believable, but her inner monologue was sometimes a little long and repetitive. I mostly noticed this towards the end of the book when she mentions worrying about her retinue again. It is good to know that she hasn't forgotten about them but it maybe felt once or twice too many times personally. And calling herself weak quite often was a little irritating also🙈

I didn't think I'd like Aric at first - due to bad first impressions - but then we learn more as a reader, and it became hard not to. I like that he isn't a typical MMC; he is sensitive, shy, easily embarrassed but also kind and passionate. He is similar to Bianca, feeling that he doesn't measure up to expectations of others, and I think this is something they will grow from together.

I enjoyed this and would be interested in reading more books by the author☺️

Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

A magical and cosy read. LGBTQ rep and disability rep too for even more marks!
The perfect book to pick up your spirits and have you giggling whilst kicking your feet
The banter is amazing, the romance beautiful and the world building feels effortless.
Highly recommend this for other readers

This book is the epitome of cozy! I really loved it. It was such a ride (ha!) reading it and all the puns have really gone to my head. Everyone around me better be ready for a tragic amount of puns in every sentence I speak for a good few weeks.
I can pinpoint the very first moment that I read the announcement for Behooved. I was sat on a train on my way to meet my friend as we made our way to London to watch a stage play. In my little section of the train, I couldn’t stop grinning at my phone and I definitely couldn’t smother the laughter that followed reading the premise. I went on to tell my friend about this book – it’s so unbelievably easy to pitch! – and have since mentioned it to every friend I speak to when books come up!
BEHOOVED is a cozy romantasy romp following Bianca after she turns her new husband into a horse whilst trying to stop him from being assassinated. She must ride away to safety upon her horse-husband’s back and find a way to turn him back into a human whilst also figuring out the mystery behind his attempted assassination. It was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and it did not disappoint.
With many books, it’s characters that I love first and foremost and here it’s no different. I love Bianca for her combination of strength, sensitivity, flummoxed reactions, balanced with a hysteria that I felt right along with her during several moments of the novel. Her voice really MADE the cozy aspects for me. Her sense of humour and puns set me giggling all the time! I also love that she’s a disabled character in a fantasy world and thought the representation was done really well. Her journey started with her feeling the need to hide her “condition”, as she calls her unnamed celiac disease, and holding herself to a standard where any vulnerability is a show of weakness. I especially loved how this internalised ableism rooted in her parents’ ableism was slowly unpacked.
And Aric. Soft, sweet, book-nerd Aric really drew out my protective instincts. He was a great character, both as a horse and as a man. I thought his wryness was so funny and his grumpiness went hand in hand with Bianca’s own. He was really so soft and lovely. I want to give him a big old hug!
I could wax and wane about several more aspects of the novel but in an effort to avoid spoilers, I won’t! Everyone should read this punny, heartfelt, cozy book! Take it straight from the horse’s mouth!
Thank you to Netgalley UK and the publishers for the arc!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hooder & Stoughton for the ARC

I thought this fantasy novel sounded fun but I didn't anticipating liking it so much. I was honestly blown off course. The worldbuilding was great! Detailed and vivid. The characters were fleshed-out and surprisingly loveable. I loved our strong FMC. She was badass, clever and in charge. She dealt with her problems like a girl and I lived for it! The romance was surprisingly sweet and cute. Highly recommed!

I read this in two sittings! I really love this as a debut, and the dynamics between Bianca and Aric are really fun and they were both charming characters! I really adored the romance and thoroughly enjoyed Aric's soft boy characterization being juxtaposed with Bianca's headstrong approach in particular. The spice we get was a pleasant surprise as well. 👀

This could've been a 5 for me, but personally the FMC's inner thoughts got a bit too repetitive and that distracted me. There were some other repetitive details in the first half that I kept noticing too, which I feel made the pacing hiccup some, and added to the YA vibes in the writing style. Some parts of the plot were predictable, and I actually have many questions that probably won't be addressed (mostly related to the world + politics) since I'm pretty sure this is a standalone, but it was still nice overall!!! The various tropes and reps that were mentioned by the author for this book was well done, I think! I just wish the bi4bi was stronger for one of the characters.

Can't wait to see what Stevenson does next!!!

I thank Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and M. Stevenson for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I'll start by saying that this book was entertaining, and super easy to follow. I'd say it's a fast paced fantasy rom-com.

Bianca, our protagonist, is a stoic, responsible, dutiful noblewoman (in her mid twenties) who must marry the king of a neighboring country. But magic happens and he becomes a horse! And there's a coup! It's up to Bianca to make this right again, while also dealing with severe pain.

The world-building and magic (and its use) were kept short and sweet, providing only the necessary details.

The political intrigue is more a side topic, as a reader you don't get to see much to it, since the story follows the relationship between Bianca and Aric, from reluctant allies to lovers. They are interesting because they are not your typical heroes. Both fight their battles in silence and suffer because of less to no agency.

The book also discusses themes like illnesses, self perception, agency, power and responsibility, natural resources, animal extinction and problematic families, while also keeping the fun, adventurous atmosphere. (So no one will feel like being lectured!)

I loved this book so much!
The vibes and atmosphere were impeccable.
This felt like a very unique read, which I feel is quite rare in romantasy currently.
Beautiful inside and out!

Is this book perfect? - Almost.
Is this book cozy fantasy? - Depends on your feel for cozy.
Is this book truly unique and highly entertaining? - Hell yeah!
Is this book galloping away with horse puns? - You betcha!

The premise of the book is rather straightforward:
FMC has to marry foreign prince due to political reasons.
Said prince gets cursed and turned into part-time horse.
There's an assassin.
Bride and groom gallop away to break curse and also not get killed.

I did not think this book would hit me right in the feels. I was so entertained and amused by it, with a generous side of heart-eyes.

The vibe is vibing, the puns are punning, the FMC is great, the tone is exactly what I want and need.

On top of that there's a queer normative world and autoimmune disorder rep.

5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @hodderbooks for the eARC!

#Behooved #Netgalley #Bookstagram

I know that a book about a princess who accidentally turns her husband into a horse sounds crazy, but this was actually really good!

Behooved is a very sweet fantasy rom-com about Bianca, a noble lady who is forced into marriage with Aric, a prince from another kingdom. It turns out that the entire story behind the marriage has a hidden agenda—enemies are plotting to take Aric's throne and even his life. On top of that, the hero turns into a horse, and they must do everything to break the curse.

I would say the book leans more toward a rom-com than a classic romantic fantasy. It’s perfect for those who, as children or young adults, read My Lady Jane and are now looking for something similar, but for adult readers. The book is very fast-paced and can be finished in one sitting. The story doesn’t really stray from the usual tropes, but that’s not a flaw. Despite that, there are a few interesting twists in the plot.

I also really liked the characters. Bianca is a relatable heroine, and Aric is probably my favorite type of MFC—a slightly grumpy cinnamon roll who would rather be lost in books than fight with a sword. A positive aspect of the story is the good representation—Bianca, the main character, has a chronic illness based on celiac disease. The world in the book is queer-normative, which is reflected in the secondary characters as well.

One small quibble I have is with the way the relationship between the main characters was initially developed. The initial mutual dislike between them was based on a miscommunication trope, which I don’t like and rarely makes sense for adult characters. Besides that, I felt Bianca spends a bit too much time in her head, reflecting on how weak she is and what weakness means, which gives the book a somewhat preachy tone at times.

However, I still really enjoyed the book and read it with pleasure. It's a successful debut novel. I’m looking forward to more from this author.

Behooved is a fantasy rom-com about a dutybound, chronically ill noblewoman who enters an arranged marriage with a prince (to be crowned king). When an assassin attacks on their wedding night, Bianca tries to protect herself and her new husband, but accidentally turns him into a horse. She rides him to safety, but they have to figure out who was behind the assassination, how to undo the spell, and get Aric back to the castle in time for his coronation.

This book was easy to read through and easily had me hooked. The beginning was a little slow (it takes a moment before she actually meets Aric), but once that happens it was difficult to put down. I liked Bianca's characterization. She's the daughter of an important noble house in her country, and while her sister just kind of does what she wants, Bianca tries very hard to be the perfect daughter. Unfortunately, in her culture this means showing no weaknesses ever, concealing emotions, but also hiding the symptoms of her chronic disease, which she can't exactly control. I really liked the chronic illness rep, and it was sad to read how Bianca tried so hard not to show it, how she viewed her illness as a weakness that people will judge her for. I loved how when Aric finds out, he's very kind about it, and offers to help figure out what exactly she has and if there's better treatments than what she's taking so far.

I enjoyed the romance. They kind of get off on the wrong foot (hoof?), because it turns out both believed the other's country was forcing the marriage to prevent war, and it takes a moment before they realize the truth. The romance feels well paced after this, they start with a truce and slowly begin to care about each other more as the plot unfolds. I like how Aric was a sweet, bookish guy, which I feel we're not seeing enough.

The plot was not the most complex, but it was fun and there were some twists I hadn't necessarily predicted. I would recommend reading it for the romance and fun fantasy adventure more than for complex political scheming. The book overall was quite funny too. I especially liked Bianca's older sister Tatiana in this regard. I am also quite hopeful there's going to be a companion/sequel focused on Tatiana and Marya (Aric's captain of the guard and best friend).

There's some spice, but the scenes are quite short, and while I was not super invested in this, I did't mind it either as it was easy to read past.

Would recommend it to fans of romantasy and fantasy rom-coms

Thank you for this eARC!

On the night of Bianca’s wedding to the new King of a hostile neighbouring kingdom, a magic spell goes wrong and she accidentally turns him into a horse… Cue 350 pages of romance, magic and horse-related puns. It’s a wild ride!

As a disabled person, the representation in this book was a joy to read. Bianca’s condition affects every aspect of her life in realistic ways, and the ableism she faces is also explored with nuance.

I really enjoyed the magic system—and the way it could go wrong! The idea of magic as experimental and tricky to get right felt really original, as well as creating some exciting plot points.

Bianca was a main character with a lot of depth to her. I both admired her brave commitment to her duty and her country, and longed for her to learn to do things for herself! Her arc was compelling, and her relationship with Aric complemented it well.

The tight focus on Bianca and Aric meant side characters didn’t receive so much development. I probably would have liked a bit more time with Tatiana, or the court at Gildenheim, but it’s a short fast-paced novel and I can see why we didn’t get that. Equally there could have been more detail to the worldbuilding, and I would have loved to know more about the Adepts or greenwitches!

Overall a fairly light fantasy novel, probably best for those who love character-driven and romance-filled books.

Titel: Behooved
Author: M. Stevenson
Rating: 3/5 ⭐️

Let me preface this by saying: 3 stars for me is still a good rating! Not perfect, not great but good!

As a fun, quick and light palate cleanser this book is absolutely perfekt.
Ideal for fans of my lady Jane (not that I’ve read or seen that but I feel like it fits into the same category)

Now let’s get into the actual review:

The plot:
Fun, light hearted and with a little bit of a fairytale feeling to it. Unfortunately the plot felt incredibly rushed. The book dives pretty much right in which I do enjoy but it would have been nice to have a bit more time at Bianca’s home to get an understanding of her relationship to her parents and also her country.
We barely get to know any characters before we‘re thrust into the main drama which is a bit of a shamed
However over all the story is genuinely enjoyable (especially when they were on the road) and made for an entertaining read. I just feel like it was too rushed and could easily have been broken into 2 books to explore things more (like Bianca’s parents involvement in everything, the political intrigue, the magic systems and the magic school etc!) because there was so much frigging potential! Like I can’t even explain how much potential there was!!! I was almost disappointed when I finished the book because I was like „wait that’s it? But what about the rest?!“
The plot focused heavily on the romance which in my opinion wasn’t the strongest (more about that later) and in doing so a lot of really interesting things didn’t get the time they deserved.


The setting:
Loved world but incredibly underdeveloped which again added to the rushed feeling of the story and is a shame because it has so much potential! There were so many things I wanted to genuinely know more about (like the magic of both countries and why there seems to be some animosity between the practitioners) and so much that was teased but then never further explored!


The characters:
Loved them all, we had a great cast of characters that all had their own personality (including the side characters) sadly we didn’t get to see much of most of them as the majority of the book is focused entirely on Bianca and Aric. Which isn’t bad per se as they were also great characters, although I do think they acted a bit juvenile, or rather naive for their age. I think for the first time in a long time o actually wished the characters were younger (both are late 20s) as they felt more like 18-22ish.
I really liked that we didn’t have the typical damsel in distress and brooding knight in shining armour here, rather it was almost reversed with Bianca being the one
trained in fighting. So that made for a delightful change. I also really loved the chronic illness rep and would have loved to see that explored a little more

Now as for the romance:
It was described as slow burn…and like the rest of the book, it was anything but slow, nor was it burning.
It was cute? But no slow burn.
It might qualify as enemies to lovers if we ignore that they go from enemies to allies rather quickly.
The entire plot spans maybe a week (Ignoring any sort of time jumps at the beginning of the story) max a week and a half? And in that time we go from thinking the other is planning on murdering the other to „I love you and cannot imagine the world without you“ actually I think the I love you comes about 3 days after properly starting to get to know one another.
That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the romance. It was cute and they had good banter (including a lot of horse related jokes) and you could see the friendship forming which was great but then everything after was yet again very…very rushed.
Also the smut felt weirdly out of place here (well written though), again I think it’s because the entire rest of the book felt more YA so that the sex scenes just stood out a lot.

Overall I still genuinely enjoyed the book. If I don’t think about it too much and ignore all of the oh so lovely wasted potential it’s a good book.
It’s a delightful cozy-ish romance that, albeit rushed was fun to read and if there were to be a sequel (which I think there should be because there’s so much more I want to know!) I would definitely read it.

Big thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton
for providing me with this ARC

A very cute romantasy with some interesting twists. I really enjoyed the fmc, Bianca, as she was very determined and ready to do what must be done, I also appreciated the cronic pain rep and how it was handled with great sensitivity by the author. Aric was also a change from the usual though guy stereotype in romantasy books, he’s a softie and a bookworm, absolutely adorable.
The whole “he turns into a horse” trope was also quite entertaining and there is a great cast of charismatic secondary characters. Unfortunately sometimes the pacing was a bit slow or rather some action scenes were interrupted by repetitive monologues, but besides this I really enjoyed this story! Also, the cover is absolutely gorgeous!

Thanks to Hodder Books, Netgalley and the author for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

As a former horse girl myself, I was really looking forward to this one as it sounded right up my alley.

Overall I thought it was fine, the plot was a bit thin and I found it a bit boring but overall I just feel meh about this book..

A lighthearted, quick read that doesn’t take itself too seriously and but actually has a good plot!

This has been on my tbr for a while so I jumped at the chance to request it when it was available. The best way I can describe this book is if My Lady Jane and Shrek had a love child.

The humour was actually great, it wasn’t too over the top to the point where it got distracting, usually I’d be rolling my eyes if it was too much but this had the right amount.

The romance was the only thing that kinda brought the rating down for me, although it’s not insta love it’s not a slowburn either and that’s what ultimately made me want to read this book. There wasn’t a lot of depth we got a lot of “telling not showing” and the relationship just changed within one page and it was like reading a brand new character when it came to the prince.

The end was both too fast and too slow for me, it was very predictable and the reveal of the assassin at the end and how it was dealt with was a little random.

I will say the writing was great and I was eating it up until about the 60% mark and then it felt like the story took a shift and it ended up feeling a little rushed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for sending me the arc

2.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I reallllly wanted to love this. I've been craving some good horse girl whimsy lately and My Lady Jane (tv adaptation, yet to read the book) was a hit, but something about Behooved just didn't come together in the way that I had hoped.

Bianca is a solid protagonist, the chronic illness rep was such a good choice for this story and I neeeeed to see more of it on my shelves, but Behooved had a hollowness to it that sucked a lot of the emotional impact of her struggles out of the reading experience.

I was expecting whimsy, silliness, a ridiculous number of horse puns - and they are there! - but it doesn't lean hard enough into the romcom genre to give it that popcorn appeal, and it equally doesn't have the narrative depth to keep my interest with intrigue or suspense. The storytelling is neither playful nor serious, but occupying a somewhat awkward middle ground.

I love this concept though and am here to see more of it. Aric and Bianca were also a wonderful subversion of stereotypes. I look forward to seeing what characters Stevenson creates next.

------------------------------------
My rating system:
✧✧✧✧✧ - loved it, no complaints
✧✧✧✧ - loved it, some technical flaws
✧✧✧ - liked it
✧✧ - disappointing
✧ - unenjoyable

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!

Okay, I feel like I'm the odd one out with my review of this compared to everyone else, but this just felt...okay. It wasn't anything amazing, nor did it wow my mind. I also feel like it suffered for being a standalone—which is bizarre, as normally, I love standalones.

Unfortunately, I feel this could have benefited from being plotted out more and being turned into a duology. The world here is ripe for expanding upon, as are the characters and this could've been something much better than it ended up being. My main issue here is that everything seemed to happen so fast - they go from hating/being suspicious of each other to being in love within the space of like...a week or something. This is made even more ridiculous because he spends his day as a horse, and they don't seem to have a scintillating conversation.

There are also a few plot holes that had me side-eyeing it. The whole thing about the treaty had me going, 'So...who was in on this?!' as it didn't feel like it was explained. The magic system also wasn't explained - we got glimpses of some magical strife between two opposing camps, yet nothing came of it. Bianca comes from a country where anyone with magic talent is trained to become an Adept, who in turn creates technological pieces imbued with magic and sold off. But then she finds out that there are plenty of positive benefits that magic can offer from the greenwitches in her journey with Aric, yet that's all the book talks about in regards to that. There's also that magic is wilder in her new home and full of magical creatures, but we get glimpses of them, and that's it.

Aric wasn't broody - he was just nervous and socially inept. Still, he really could have done with more characterisation, particularly as he spends most of his time as a horse. Bianca was fine, though far too quick to temper and a little spoiled - which is ironic, given her history.

The inclusion of her illness was a nice touch and something I've often thought about. As a lactose intolerant, I'd really hate being in a fantasy world!

Overall - there was a lot of potential in this but it just didn't deliver for me.

Couldn't put this book down. I got drawn into it because of the cover (long-haired blond bishonens are the love of my youth) and because the author said on her socials this is a bi4bi romance. However, in the book, Aric's (mmc) sexual preferences are never discussed. Bianca (fmc) has an ex-girlfriend so she's clearly presented as bisexual. There are at least 3 lesbian side characters (one of them is fmc's ex, another is fmc's sister, 3rd one appears a bit later and I don't wanna spoil). Bianca has a chronic illness that resembles an allergy / auto-immune disease (as per author's note, it's meant to represent Coeliac disease), and her parents implanted ableist beliefs in her that she's weak, incapable and undesirable because of it - a big part of the plot is untangling the internalized ableist beliefs and inferiority complex.

A dominant theme across the plot and the romance is the protagonists facing their inferiority complexes over not living up to expectations. Bianca because of her illness and presumed lack of magic, Aric because of his bookishness and not being into expected masculine interests like politics or military. He's smart but not much of a fighter or schemer and he was judged for it both by the court and by his late mother. I will always adore a MF romance where the important plot point is that mmc is "not masculine enough". We don't have enough romantasy showcasing women attracted to other kind of men than muscular alphas and brooding shadow daddies, and the truth is that there's a much wider spectrum of preferences and attraction than just 1-2 kinds of "most desirable man". Aric is kind and caring and insightful, but he worries it's a weakness and vulnerability.

And the truth is, it made the bonding scenes so much more believable when both protagonists struggled with vulnerability, fitting in, having to choose between duty and self-expression, parental and societal judgement, etc.

I also liked Bianca's development from thinking the country she's coming to is very "backwards" to acknowledging it has some advantages over her own, and Aric also admitting some of the truly backwards things could be something he should improve if he becomes the king.

The horse curse plot reminded me of the old historical fantasy movie called Ladyhawke where a couple was cursed that the woman was a hawk at day and the man was a wolf at night. The horse can telepathically communicate with Bianca, but only with her - presumably a part of their magical marriage bond. It has a few other fairy tale references, for example its own version of "seven league boots".

For some unknown reason, I've seen this book advertised as "cozy romantasy" and I'd swear this is even less "cozy" than Wooing the Witch Queen because everyone is trying to kill Bianca from assassins to bandits to villain's soldiers. Not counting her own illness and stubbornness. And tbh good for this book to not be cozy, last time I picked a truly cozy fantasy I got bored to sleep. I think the only reason both books are marketed as "cozy" is because the romance is more wholesome and non-toxic and low angst?

Bianca and Aric fall under "miscommunication to lovers" and arranged marriage trope. I saw the miscommunication setup from a mile and I didn't really like the part where Bianca acted very entitled and offended by everything just to plant the miscommunication grudge. As a person relating to her struggles with inferiority, I couldn't imagine her not blaming herself for every shortcoming and mishap since she arrived to Aric's country and blame him for snubbing her rather than worry she's at fault somehow.

Luckily they weren't digging their heels too deeply and dragging this miscommunication too much. They turned towards understanding and supportive discussions reasonably fast.

There are 2 open door spice scenes and 1 vaguely mentioned. The protagonists are mid-to-upper-20s of age. Bianca is around 26 because it mentions her break up with her ex 10 years ago when she was 16. She does read fairly young though, but that's likely because she was sheltered by her parents who saw her as too weak to live a proper life.

I must say the assassination plot was very predictable, after the attempt happens all the details of the scene immediately implicate what's going on and the question who was behind it feels more like a red herring than a true dilemma. My biggest complaint is that there's seemingly no resolution / a dropped plot point about any consequences for those who assassinated the queen, Aric's mother. Yes, she wasn't a good mother, but are we just letting regicide slide?

To sum it up, the romance was very sweet and cute and the plot had enough of mounted dangers combined with time pressure that I kept turning the pages. The chapters were short, breezy and often ending on cliffhangers to invite the reader into a "one more chapter..." dare. Very well done debut. I enjoyed this one immensely, and the theme of seeing your own strengths rather than weaknesses and caring about people who appreciate you more than about the people who harshly judge you was very timely and relatable.

Thank you Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton / Hodderscape for the ARC.