Dance with a Fae Prince by Elise Kova

Ya'll, I'm so glad I decided May was my mood reading month. I chose most if not every book I read on my own, and not from a TBR.  It was my birthday gift to myself. I'm behind on my reviews so keep checking back to see what made it to my mood reading month of May. Dance with the Fae Prince is book two of the Married to Magic series. Each book in the series is a standalone. I read book one so long ago, way before I started this blog so I didn't write up a thorough review. So now you're getting my thoughts on book two. 

Synopsis:

She knew her hand in marriage would be sold. She had no idea a fae prince was the buyer.

Katria swore she'd never fall in love. She's seen what "love" means through the cruelty of her family. So when she's married off to the mysterious Lord Fenwood for a handsome price, all Katria wants is a better life than the one she's leaving. Feelings are off the table.

But her new husband makes not falling in love difficult.

As their attraction begins to grow, so too do the oddities within her new life: strange rules, screams in the night, and attacks by fae that Katria never thought were real. When she witnesses a ritual not meant for human eyes, Katria finds herself spirited away to the land of Midscape.

Surviving the fae wilds as a human is hard enough. Katria must survive as a human who accidently pilfered the magic of ancient kings - magic a bloodthirsty king is ready to kill her for in order to keep his stolen throne - and her new husband is the rightful heir in hiding.

The power to save the fae is in her hands. But who will save her from a love she vowed never to feel?

A Dance with the Fae Prince is a complete, *stand-alone novel*, inspired by the tales of Psyche and Eros, as well as Cinderella, with a "happily ever after" ending. It's perfect for romantic fantasy readers who enjoyed of A Court of Silver Flames and An Enchantment of Ravens. A Dance with the Fae Prince features a slow-burn romance, swoon-worthy couple, and steaminess that ranges from simmering to sizzling.

Thoughts:

Fantasy readers...put this on your list as your next comfort read. Inspired by Cinderella, and other fairy tales but with it's very own twist. Ya'll know I'm a huge fan of the fantasy romance genre, and Elise Kova's Dance with a Fae Prince hits all of my favorites.  A little slow burn romance, a little forbidden love even, the down trodden even slightly abuse underdog female lead, who stumbles into a life that she didn't mean to, and manages to grow into a fierce of her own. Yes, please.

The world-building in this book was lovely and creative. The setting was beautifully described, with lush descriptions that allowed me to picture everything in my mind's eye. I was immediately transported into the story which is what I love about fantasy so much.  Take me to this world please.

Katria was the underdog in this story from the start, with her Cinderella-esq start, her mother having passed away, her father remarried the "evil step-mother" and then weirdly disappears.  Katria then "helps" around the house, but then is forced into a marriage so her step mother and step sisters can continue living the lavish lifestyle they can't afford.

Her marriage is weird though, she's not aloud to look at her husband and she has no jobs or duties in her new home. She at first thinks of it as a vacation (I need this vacation please), but then she eventually gets bored.  Reasonable. 

This ends up being the sweetest of slow burns, with a hint of enemies to lovers. I thought the pacing was just right. The steam level is almost zero, with scenes fading to black. There is talk of sex, we know it happens, but the descriptions are minimal.

The twists are predictable, the slow burn is not a stressful one, and the story happily concludes at the end of the novel making it the easy comfort read that it is.  Fantasy readers, grab this book when a heavy book has you emotionally exhausted and you need a book to set you right again. 

Dance with a Fae Prince by Elise Kova was published August 19, 2021 and is available for purchase on Amazon and Bookshop.

Disclaimer: I purchased this book on my own for my own enjoyment and merriment.  This however does not affect my opinions. There are links to Amazon, clicking these links won't cost you anything but any purchase helps support this blog.  Thanks!