Behooved

Bianca will do anything for her kingdom. Her whole life she has had a sense of honor and duty instilled into her. So when her parents arrange for her to marry the reclusive and soon-to-be King Aric to prevent war between their kingdoms, she agrees. "Better a marriage than a war."The prince is quite unwelcoming and cold towards Bianca, making her wonder if she made the right choice.On their wedding night all hell breaks loose, there is attempted murder, blood magic, oh and Bianca accidently turns her new husband into a horse.She and Aric must flee after someone who wants them dead, framed her for his murder. They might be married, but they are complete strangers- and enemies, which will make being on the run together quite interesting to say the least."Sometimes I wish I could scour unwanted memories from existence, all I did by keeping them was pick at wounds that should have long since scarred over.""Caring doesn't make you weak- Caring means you're strong. It means you're brave enough to let yourself feel, even though it puts your heart at risk.""Would you say someone with a broken arm is weak for not using it?- Strength isn't about what your body can do- it's about how you respond to adversity.""I knew that wanting him was a blade that could be turned against me, to love someone was to throw down your shields, lay your heart bare and watch as it was cut in two.""Knowledge was power, and blackmail is control."- Enemies to Lovers- Bisexual FMC- Arranged Marriage- Forced ProximityBehooved feels majestic and eventful like a Disney princess movie with some added spice. It has it's humorous moments without turning it into a romcom. I love the inclusivity in how the book mentions the FMC is bisexual and another side character is a lesbian, this added a nice touch. The author also had a lovely way writing and describing the happenings.The Narrator has a classy voice which fit perfectly for Behooved's theme. Her voice is also clear and she articulates words well, which made this audiobook great to listen to. I binged it and listened to it in two sittings, thanks to how engaged I was by how she brought so much life to this story. Characters expressions and personalities were perfectly conveyed.Thanks so much to NetGalley, Bramble, and Macmillan Audio for this Audiobook ARC/ALC

I tore through this Beauty and the Beast retelling in a day (I’m a fairly slow reader). Though the husband is a bit one dimensional and the villain is easy to spot from the start, I thoroughly enjoyed the story (especially the Shrek-like humor).

This book was cute, but everything you needed to know was in the synopsis. Nothing new and no connection to the characters, unfortunately.

This book was a good read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I really loved that it is a standalone fantasy book. Aric and Bianca - were such a special couple. Both MC’s are dealing with going into this marriage with underlying concerns about each other. They both also have some insecurity issues. I really enjoyed the mystery aspect and the journey they went through. It was wonderful!!

From birth, Bianca has been trained to as "how high?" when her parents tell her to jump - so when her parents tell her she is to marry the neighboring kingdom's heir in a bid to stave off war, she dutifully packs her bags and leaves everything she knows behind. Yes, Bianca grins and bears it - even when her new fiancé is cold and aloof; even amidst her own worries about her mysterious illness; even when what could possibly be the worst wedding night ever ends in an assassination attempt and her new husband turning into a horse. When the sun sets and her horse-husband Aric returns to his two-legged form, it's to find that Bianca has been framed for his murder; that there's a plot bigger than the both of them lurking in the background; and that they only have a few days (days being the operative word, since Aric returns to his horsey form during the day) to figure out how to reset everything before their absence spells war. With time, options, and possibly their hearts galloping away faster than the wind, Bianca and Aric have a lot of work to do.I need some studio to pick this story up and turn it into a late 90s, early 2000s banger of a movie IMMEDIATELY - I'm talking "The Princess Bride", "A Knight's Tale", "Ella Enchanted" realness. This book has everything: the fairytale of a lifetime for the horse girl buried (or not buried, it's 2025 live your best life while you can); YEARNING; bookish soft MMC X chronic illness (literal) warrior FMC; queer rep; one bed/one stable; having to get over your first impression of someone and apologizing for it; parental angst; a sister who's a chaos junkie; forgiveness; and sassy back-talking to courtly idiots. I had so much fun listening to the audio for this book, it was a perfect road trip companion, and I wish there was a sequel to this story because I would eat it all the way up (something something hay is for horses). Can't wait for M. Stevenson's next book!