Behooved

Tomorrow is the release day for one of my most anticipated books this year, Behooved by M. Stevenson. This debut romantasy novel is for the horse lovers out there.

When Bianca is sent to marry the neighboring kingdom’s heir apparent, Aric, she doesn’t expect to turn her new husband into a horse on their wedding night. Um, oops. Nor does she expect for the two of them to be chased off by assassins. Bianca and Aric start off on the wrong hoof—I mean, foot—but quickly surmise that they must work together to undo his curse and save his kingdom.

As a former horse girl and fan of both fantasy and romance, this is exactly the book I needed.

What I Liked:

• This book is kind of bonkers! I’m not sure how many people can relate to accidentally turning their new husband into a horse on their wedding night—I certainly can’t—but it’s this kind of unexpected and silly storytelling that caught my interest. Behooved is just so much fun! From these wild events to Bianca’s humorous observations, this book is a wonderful escape.
• The romance! Bianca and Aric are forced into a marriage they don’t want, so they’re more enemies than anything else at the beginning. But through forced proximity and a common goal, they get to know each other, and it’s so sweet! (Spicy, too!)
• Flipped gender norms. Aric is the bookish guy who isn’t keen on fighting. Bianca is the woman who is great with weapons, at least in practice if not in the real world. She repeatedly has to save him, which I actually loved. And he’s not “emasculated” for it or anything; he’s simply accepted for the gentle man that he is. Love this!
• Queer-normative world. The main romance is between a man and woman, but I do like that the characters and world-building actively make space for queerness. Bianca is openly bisexual, while her sister is a lesbian. This is fully accepted in their world, which is great to see.
• Chronic illness. Bianca has a strange condition that causes her to have flare-ups. There’s actually some mystery surrounding this later on in the book. I hate how she’s been shamed for it, but love how Aric sees her with tenderness instead.

Audiobook:

Natalie Naudus narrates Behooved. I’ve heard her narrate several other books, and as always, she does a superb job here.

Final Thoughts

Behooved is the perfect book to escape into. The romance, the adventure, the court politics and family dynamics and horse themes—it’s joyous and clever. I fully expected to enjoy this book, and it more than lived up to the hype. I only hope that the fun won’t stop here; two characters at the end are maybe setup for their own romance, and I still have questions in need of answers. Please let there be a sequel! In any case, I look forward to reading more from M. Stevenson.

Special thanks to Tor Publishing Group, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Behooved here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Behooved by M. Stevenson
Audiobook Narrator	Natalie Naudus
Audience	Adult
Genre	Romantasy
Number of Pages	352
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	May 20, 2025
Publisher	Bramble

Official Summary

DELUXE EDITION—a beautiful paperback edition featuring gorgeous pink sprayed edges.

A charming slow-burn fantasy featuring a duty-bound noblewoman with a chronic illness, a prince who would rather be in a library than on a throne, and a magical ride through a world of cozy enchantment

Bianca knows her duty comes before her heart. So when the threat of war looms, she agrees to marry the neighboring kingdom’s heir. But not all royal weddings are a fairytale, and Prince Aric, Bianca’s betrothed, is cold, aloof, and seems to hate her on sight.

To make matters worse, on their wedding night, an assassination attempt goes awry—leaving Aric magically transformed into a horse. Bianca does what any bride in this situation would do: she mounts her new husband and rides away to safety.

Sunset returns Aric to human form, but they soon discover the assassination attempt is part of a larger plot against the throne. Worse, Bianca has been framed for Aric’s murder, and she’s now saddled with a husband who is a horse by day and a frustratingly attractive man by night.

As an unexpected romance begins galloping away with their hearts, Bianca and Aric must rely on each other to unravel the curse and save the throne.

“Behooved is bewitchingly charming, a romantic fairy-tale adventure that will sweep you off your feet (or hooves)!”—Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop