The Princess Blog

Ties of Bargains   by Tara Grayce  was one of three books I had left to read in the Tethered Hearts multi-author series . Though it wasn't my favorite of the series , it fits well with the theme of falling in love after a forced binding ritual. I enjoy that even though this series follows such a specific premise, every book I've read so far has the two protagonists bound together for vastly different reasons. In this one, the female lead is a fae mercenary tasked with delivering the male lead to his captor to fulfill a bargain. The book follows a traditional "road trip" formula and gets a bit repetitive before the satisfying reveal at the end. It takes place in the same world as her Court of Midsummer Mayhem series . Harm, the son of a powerful duke, would do anything to protect his family. When his older brother, the heir to the duchy, is poisoned by fae magic, his father trades him to the fae to save his older son. Harm goes willingly and meets Val, a mercenary who ...

Ties of Legacy  by Melanie Cellier  is the fifth book I read  from the Tethered Hearts multi-author series. It serves as an introduction to Melanie's  Kingdoms of Legacy series, in which the characters live in a world governed by a complex system of rules that binds them to their kingdoms and forces them to relive classic stories for generations. Although this book is not based on a fairy tale, it serves as a loose retelling of "Aladdin," or more specifically, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland , because it focuses on a man who is bound to a lamp that is possessed by a woman he must travel with and develops feelings for. The book's pacing occasionally lags, but it culminates in a thrilling climax. Avery is a traveling merchant who lives in a world that prevents many people from leaving their homes and values her freedom. Elliot wishes he could settle down, but the magical laws that govern their world bound him to always be near a specific candelabra. When his precious ...

The Tethered Hearts series  recently had a promotion to celebrate its one-year anniversary, and I could not wait to dive back into it. I was particularly excited to read Ties of Dust  because I am a huge fan of Deborah Grace White's books . Somehow, this story exceeded my already high expectations. I fell in love with the characters from the very first page, and the plot and pacing kept me eager to keep reading up to the very last page. I don't know how she did it, but somehow Deborah Grace White has managed to blend romance, magic, and suspense into the perfect book. This story also serves as the introduction to her latest trilogy, Magic of Dust and Movement . Every book in the Tethered Heart series features a couple whose relationship starts with a magical bond that ties them together, and this one is no exception. It starts with a marriage alliance between Princess Miriam and Prince Cassius. When Miriam's bodyguard prevents an assassination attempt in front of her futu...

Ties of Shadow by Alora Carter is another ARC I received from the Tethered Hearts multi-author series about characters who are binded together by magical ties. So far, this series has been surprisingly dark, especially in comparison to Sacrificed Hearts , which shares similar themes. Despite its simplistic nature, this book has some levity to it in the form of cute animal sidekicks that live the shadow world and make wisecracks to the main characters. It does a good job developing the romance and is thematically similar to Mask of Deception and Sacrifice , which was inspired by "Beauty and the Beast" and Phantom of the Opera . The dark/light dynamic of the lead characters works well, allowing them to balance out each other's strengths and weaknesses. Lady Aelia has a hard time saying "no." She is dangerously loyal to the crown and Prince Leon who was once a dear friend to her. However, when those she is most loyal to ask her to sacrifice herself based on the...

Ties of Starlight  by Celeste Baxendell  is the first ARC I've had the pleasure of reading from the upcoming Tethered Hearts series . This multi-author series features romantasy plots about couples who are brought together through magical bonds. I am fortunate enough to be on the street team for these riveting stories by many of my favorite authors. The first book will be released on March 7th, and the one I am reviewing here will come out the following week on March 14th. This book follows Celeste Baxendell's typical writing style  of couples who face terrible obstacles that test their love until they realize how much they need each other to be happy. Although I haven't read the other Tethered Hearts books yet, this will probably be one of the darker ones in the series. It is the first book that Celeste has written about elves, which she plans to expand into other books that take place in this new fantasy setting. Idonea is a half-elf who was chosen to become part o...