North Queen

This book was SO GOOD 😭 and now sits at one of my top reads of 2023! Romantasy fans will loooove this series! Also we have <b> The Villain Gets the Girl </b> which you guys know is my all time favorite trope 🖤 put that together with <b> arranged marriage, forced proximity, kidnapping and a slow burn filled with tension </b>… I was in utter heaven 🫠I love fantasy books where the romance is the focus of the story and this one delivers just that with a slight touch of magic. The story starts off with Norah waking up alone in the middle of a forest and having no recollection of how she got there or who she is. This not only made the story super intriguing right from the very beginning (my eyes were GLUED to the pages) but also made it easy to absorb the worldbuilding since we were discovering it alongside Norah.As Norah discovers that she is the future Queen of Mercia, she is thrown into a life of duty and harsh choices without even understanding who she is and who to trust. She doesn’t even remember Alexander… her once first love who is <i> obsessed </i> with her. But duty comes first and she must marry to save her kingdom from the horrible Shadowlands and their ruthless Shadow King. But then this Shadow King goes and kidnaps her and kills her entire army… I was SCREAMING. Yes I’m team #shadowdaddy…And that ladies & gentlemen is how one reads until 5am in the morning.

WOW! I have a lot to say about this book. It's been a long time since a book has captivated me, but this book had me sucked in from the first chapter. Not only are you, the reader, starting out the first book in this series with no idea what is going on but so isn't the main female character! You learn about the world with her, you grow with her in a way I have not experienced in a long time.Let me talk about Norah. She is such a pure soul, even when she had no idea what was going on she did not keep quiet if she thought or felt like something was wrong. She always voiced her concerns, even if they fell on deaf ears. She was thrown from not knowing anything, let alone her name into ruling a whole kingdom in a matter of a week. Did she let that fear stop her? no! She's shaping up to be one of my favorite FMC's and her journey in this book has me yearning for more.The side characters (good and bad), and their interactions with Norah either left me giggling and kicking my feet in the air, ready to smack them or howling with laughter. I can't wait to see what relationships continue to grow and which crumple away as Norah grows as a person.I know I should want to know what happened to Norah and how she ended up in this situation, but I am thoroughly enjoying the journey. I am already itching to get my hands on book two!

What an amazing book! It started out a bit shaky but then I simply couldn't put it down. So many plot twists, intricate characters, political intrigue and action. It was different and intriguing and for once, a little different than your usual YA/NA fantasy, for which I was really glad.

AMAZING!!! I loved every single minute of this book!! Bring on book 2, please please please!!!

The book came damaged, a little disappointed.