The book is beautifully written.

However, the shifting POVs were a bit confusing. I wished the chapters had labels indicating the POV rather than just the location.

The character development is impressive, especially with the strong female characters. I loved the strength and solidarity among the sisters. Although the Stepmother is meant to be domineering and wicked, she appears infrequently, and her interactions with the other sisters are so rare that I almost forgot about her. The Mountain and Ben stand out as my favorite male characters alongside Evan. They serve as excellent contrasts to the sisters.

As for the plot, I struggled to fully grasp the main storyline. It seems to revolve around Evan coming to terms with his choices, but there are so many intriguing subplots—such as the Stepmother’s cruelty, the king’s teacups, the events in Grimmwing, assassination attempts, and Lord Edmunde—that could have been developed into a more compelling central plot. If the romance was supposed to be the main focus, I would have preferred a more extended exploration of their relationship. Overall, while there’s a lot to appreciate, I felt a bit disappointed with the execution of the main plot.

4.5 Stars!

In "The Conqueror's Princess," a novel centered around a princess forced into marriage with her city's conqueror, the narrative unfolds with a mix of romance, politics, and notable character development. Charlotte, the king's eldest daughter, initially appears as a typical fantasy heroine, fiercely protective of her sisters and stubborn. Paired with Evan, a loyal warrior, the epic chemistry between them and the transformative character development they undergo forms the core of this primarily romantic story.

The tension and chemistry between Charlotte and Evan shine in this romance, with a clear emphasis on consent and wanted mutual relationships despite the challenging circumstances. Their character development is well-crafted and natural, portraying growth with sufficient conflict to underscore its authenticity. Charlotte, breaking away from initial impressions, emerges as a resilient leader making decisions for her people, driven by her love for her sisters and a consistent kindness.

Similarly, Evan's character depth unfolds gradually, dispelling initial stereotypes, and his past is revealed judiciously when pertinent to the narrative. His emotional shifts align with the storyline, emphasizing the importance of choice in relationships, steering clear of potential toxic dynamics. Beyond the romance, the adventure subplot involving kingdom politics and battles adds a positive dimension, with well-executed fight scenes and intriguing side characters.

The casual prose style contributes to the book's easy readability, allowing readers to swiftly engage with the story. While the sister dynamic within the royal family adds sweetness, the desire for more in-depth exploration remains. Despite this, the overall experience is enjoyable, making "The Conqueror's Princess" a recommended read, particularly for fans of enemies-to-lovers, arranged marriages, and fantasy romance.

I liked the concept of the plot for thats what initially pulled me towards picking this title but thought it was poorly executed. I was having trouble relating to the main character and her choices in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

This book was not for me and I do not typically ever DNF but I ended up DNFing this book. I can read pretty much anything but this was not for me.

This is, by far, the worst book I've read so far this year (and that's saying something, because I've read a couple 1-star books this year).

If I have to hear the phrase "little lamb" or "my star" or "little moon" or "my husband" one more time, I may throw up. Pet names aren't really that cute anyways, but using the phrase "little lamb" BECAUSE YOU FEEL LIKE SHE'S SO SMALL AND DOCILE WHEN YOU FORCE HER INTO MARRIAGE IS NOT CUTE.

I didn't understand the whole "I'm in love with him because he waited for consent before having sex with me" but the reality is that he forced her to 1) marry him 2) kiss him multiple times and 3) sit naked with him (I think I'm missing some other examples) without her consent. So... is it really a win?

Evan is toxic as can be, and Charlotte is annoying as hell. The way the sisters are written, I thought they were like 6 and 8, BUT THEY'RE APPARENTLY OLD ENOUGH TO BE FLIRTING WITH OTHER SOLDIERS?? WHY ARE THEY ALL INFANTALIZED?

If you can't tell, I really didn't like this book. And yet, I finished it in entirety, just to be sure. Don't waste your time.

Definitely a build up, a bit iNsta love but set up for a bigger series, hopefully the other characters will get their own books.

The description for The Conqueror’s Princess drew me in. While I loved moments throughout the book, overall it left me wanting more from the characters and the story itself. The story is told from two points of view: Charlotte, the princess whose kingdom has been conquered, and Evan the Black, the conqueror and leader. As the book begins, Evan gives Charlotte an ultimatum, which results in their marriage.

The romance in the story is described as an enemies-to-lovers romance, and I can see why that is, but I wanted more from the characters in the development of the relationship. The transition from enemies-to-lovers happened too fast for me, and the pacing of the relationship changing took away a lot of the reward of the arc for me when I was reading.

The premise of the story is interesting, and the writing was easy to read. The story does have romance and some spice, for those that are looking for that.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Conqueror's Princess is one of those books that doesn't leave the writer waiting for the story to begin. Right away the fast paced story begins and we are introduced to strong, and resilient Princess Charlotte. In many ways this is a typical enemies to lovers story, so if that is something you are looking for no need to look any further.
Charlotte is selfless and is always trying to do right by her people and her father. The author really had a way of bringing the kingdom to life. Evan is not as bad as originally perceived and we get to learn about him through the dual perspective alternating chapters. Overall this was a good book, a little too much repetition with Charlotte's perspective, but otherwise the book continued to be fast paced throughout.

This book just wasn't for me. I tried to start it multiple times and I wasn't interested in it. I ended up DNFing it.

Listen, sometimes I need a book for me and to recommend to older students and teachers to check out from the public library. This is one of those books. It was enjoyable, and I've recommended it to a couple of teachers on staff.

I enjoy reading a good comeback story or where the hero rises above their hardships and over comes things to end up successful. This story had all of that and more. Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Nice love story that ends well. There were good points of mystery with enough suspense to keep you reading. I can see the opportunity to continue the story in the next book if that would be the next step.

Fairly well done fantasy read. Started fast, slowed down, but overall enjoyable.

The only issue I felt is that the characters and story read like a YA book, but it was a very spicy book. I don’t know how I feel about that.

Fantasy romance is my favorite genre and I really wanted to like this one more than I did. I’m not sure I’ll continue the series.

Evan the Black is conquering kingdoms, forcing them to abolish slavery, working his way to Charlotte's kingdom, the center of the continent and economic power. If her family wants to live and continue ruling, Charlotte must marry him so he will become crown prince. Thus, the conqueror takes the princess as his bride.

Within the first 20% of the book, they marry and he *then* discovers Charlotte outlawed slavery in her country TWO YEARS ago. You can imagine his shock and horror that he has taken the choice from another who did not deserve it, for no reason. On top of that, these enemies-to-lovers just become lovers in this first 20%.

The rest of the book did not have the substance I expected when you resolve so much so quickly. While the writers set up an interesting world with side characters that I'm sure will get their own stories, this book felt dragged out and lacking focus on the main couple and their story.

It took me two months to read this book because it was so difficult to get through to me. While it had an interesting premise, I did not find that the story held up as you read through the book.

Positives about the book:
-lots of spicy scenes, truly appreciate the number (quality was fine)
-interesting side characters that have stories set up well
-dual POV

Trigger warnings: sexual abuse, child abuse, molestation, slavery (no graphic scenes of abuse)

2.25 stars
NA fantasy romance

I received an e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story line of this book is captivating as Charlotte is forced to marry Evan the Black or her father dies. Evan shows Charlotte compassion on her wedding night by not forcing her to bed him. From this moment on she starts second guessing all the rumors she has heard and starts to see his caring side. While she tells Evan he will never have her heart she thinks "Perhaps this man will surprise me, and his final conquest will be my heart."

It was a fast pace read but the repetitive sentences made it harder to push though at times. The author writes," Leonardo hums loudly, and I have the feeling he may see much more than I want him to." Four short paragraphs later she put, "That baker sees more than I think even Charlotte realizes." I don't see both sentences necessary on the same interaction the main characters have.

I was immediately intrigued with the world that was created! It gave me Elise Kova vibes. I was hooked from the beginning, and I cannot wait for the rest of the series!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t think this was the book for me. I enjoyed the beginning of the book and some of the subplots more than the main relationship. The characters seemed very immature and more teen like than adult. After reading this I found about the new adult genre and this fits there. I felt like the main relationship developed too fast and felt forced. I again was more interested in the side character’s relationships. I believe this is the first in a series and the following novels will follow Charolette’s sisters. I’m curious if the rest of the series will have more of a fantasy feel to them.

Trigger warnings: mentions of sexual assault, child abuse, violence, slavery

The beginning of this book got me hooked! Loved the fast pacing and the magical word. I just wanted to know more. I am not a big fan of plots with forced marriages anymore, so I had to put the book down for a while when it came to that. However, I pushed through and I'm glad I did. I love their attraction and although it seemed the feelings between Charlotte and Evan grew rapidly, I didn't want any less.

Forced into a marriage to protect her sisters and parents, Charlotte ends up hitched to conquering invader Evan The Black. Evan is feared by all as he makes his way across the lands, destroying kingdom after kingdom. Once a slave boy, he now gets his revenge on the people who endorse and participate in slavery. But Evan doesn't realize his fearless bride has outlawed slavery in her kingdom, and when he does, the pair realize they may have more in common than they first believed.

A pretty classic, forced-marriage trope filled enemies to lovers romance. It was fairly fast paced, with rapidly changing feelings. The romance seemed a little rushed and shallow, with Charlotte going from pure loathing to understanding, to caring, in a few short chapters. Very insta-love. The slavery issue could be a trigger to some and was made a really big deal in the overall plot. It made Evan seem fairly one dimensional with that being his main and only motivation for his actions. He was supposed to come of as a nuanced, morally grey anti-hero but he came off as very flat. There was little character development, and what did happen went in the wrong direction. Charlotte, went from kick-butt heroine to damsel in distress very quickly. It's pretty fluffy and filled with angst, which many romance lovers will totally eat up.

There was a dual narrative, jumping from Evan to Charlotte but it went from 1st to 3rd person which was hard to keep track of and made the reading very choppy. There are mysterious magical powers, ancient deities, and , Plenty of steam scenes, some awkward dialogue and a weird secondary romance between sister Thalia and the Mountain round out the book. I thought Thalia was a little too young, picturing her to be around 16 or so, but I never got her age. There were lots of "where did that come from?" moments where things seemed rushed, overexaggerated or over-reactionary. I did appreciate the inclusion of a mute character and the use of ASL. That was great representation.


Many will enjoy, just not for me.