Book Blurb:
Some curses just need a cozy fire, a little magic, and a second chance to break them.
A cursed knight.
Sir Bram Duncan was once a knight of legend in Harvest Hollow—until the whim of a jealous prince and the trickery of an autumn sprite turned him into the hulking orc Jask Bone-Cracker, and tethered him to Grimroot Farm. For three long, lonely years, he’s hidden his monstrous form and the truth of what happened the night he lost everything, including his true love, Princess Marigold.
A runaway princess.
Fleeing an arranged marriage to the vain and intolerable Prince Crispin, Marigold finds a safe haven when she stumbles across Jask’s charmed pumpkin farm deep in the forest. Sensing glimmers of gentleness—and a surprising talent for baking—beneath the grumpy orc’s imposing exterior, she begins to feel a familiar longing she believed dead when her Bram disappeared.
One true love.
As magic stirs and pies are baked, truths about Jask’s curse begin to surface. But curses don’t break easily, and wronged princes don’t capitulate. As their peace is threatened, Jask and Marigold must decide: cling to the lies that protect them, or risk everything for a love that could set them free.
Tropes:
*Netgalley ALC *Romantasy *Curse *Magic *Fairy tale retelling *Shrek vibes *fantasy
*grumpy x sunshine *Beauty and the beast vibes *Hidden identity *One True Love
*Childhood sweethearts *secrets *Spice *Cozy read *Fall vibes *Second chance romance
Thoughts:
Sir Bram Duncan is many things handsome, charming, a fighter and loyal... unfortunately his loyalty to the prince didn't get him far. Prince Crispin promised to give him a title if he obtained some items for him... only instead of a title he got cursed by the Autumn Sprite, unfairly since he answered the riddle right but the Prince ordered the Sprite to curse him anyways, now instead of being able to make a name for himself to return home to his one true love he's tied to Grimroot Farm as an Orc life as he knows it is over.
Princess Marigold has been a shell of her former self since the news that the love her life passed away while serving the prince... since she'll most likely never love again she figures she might as well help her family by gaining a powerful alliance in marriage so when Prince Crispin offers for her hand she agrees... only he is terrible and plotting evil things and she can't go through with it her only choice is to run for safety until she can notify her family of the nefarious plans.
Fleeing in the night she ends up on Bram's farm only he is no longer the Bram she once knew he is big, grumpy and growly and now known as Jask Bone-Cracker, there is a way to break the curse but Bram/Jask was so upset at the time of the curse he didn't hear the sprite or how to lift it... what he did hear was that telling anyone he knew that he was Bram would have deadly consequences as they would lose their life.
Seeing Marigold again after all these years is the sunshine he's been missing from his life, but he needs to push her away for her own safety, and to protect his heart he's already lost her once he can't deal with losing her all over again.
Only Marigold is stubborn and doesn't leave, she's not afraid of him as Jask and attempts to get closer to him and she's surprised to find that Jask is kind, thoughtful, protective, he's a care taker and he has a loving heart even though he doesn't see it in himself... she's only felt like this with one other man Bram... but if her parents the king and queen wouldn't allow her to be with a knight what would they think if they knew she wanted to be with an orc.
Bram is terrified of his secret getting out he would be destroyed if anything happened to his one true love Marigold... but he also doesn't want her in the arms of his nemesis Prince Crispin.
Can they ever have true happiness with this curse looming over their heads, and the evil Prince still searching for her?
This was such a cute romantasy it mixed a bit of Shrek with The Princess Bride, Beauty and the Beast and Rumplestiltskin with enough new elements to make it a fun whimsical story all on it's own.
Bram continued to attempt to push Marigold away because he loved her so much for her own safety but Marigold continued to find reasons to stay with him, it was really sweet watching Jask the Orc let his walls down to let love into his life again, and Marigold proved time and time again that she truly could love Bram/Jask in all forms of himself.
Narrators Will Watt and Moira Quirk were amazing with this magical story!
If you are looking for a fun fall read check this one out.
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for this ALC.
Have you read this one? what did you think?
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