I love this series so much! Greek Mythology, 2 POVS, spicy, adventure ... good pace and plot. Really recommend for those who love true fantasy romances.

This is Jocasta and Flynn’s story. It's definitely for you if you are into six years of pining and heartache and faking indifference. There is more than enough frustration with what each thinks is unrequited love and misunderstanding each other. You can really feel the struggle of being in daily contact with someone you want so badly. Don’t worry, by chapter eight there is an olive branch at least.

The plot about finding an antidote and curse breaking is really interesting and I love that Jocasta is such a gifted healer and is constantly experimenting with old recipes and plants. Both she and Flynn are just characters you love to read about. They are both so good at what they do, but have issues they have to work through. The last half of this book really picks up with the quest and trials. Even if this book didn't have romance, the plot itself is enough to keep you invested. I mean Circe and a garden where anything can grow? Mythology? I loved it. I can’t wait for more. It had been a while since I had read the previous books but this really is the start of something new so you don’t really need to read the others unless you want a refresh. As for the future? I can’t wait to see what happens with the rest of the Kingmaker Chronicles. I want more Bellanca and Carver.

Special thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't know this was a part of the series when applying for it, so i'm not sure if i missed out on a lot by reading it alone. Intriguing and entertaining book, but probably wouldn't read again unless i was really in the mood.

I read the first three books in this series several years ago and absolutely loved them, so I was excited to return to the series.

It turns out I'd forgotten a lot that happened in the first trilogy, but I was constantly gently reminded and was able to enjoy this story fully despite my spotty memory. Here the focus moves to a couple of side characters - Jocasta, a healer and sister of the MMC in the first books, and Flynn, a warrior and friend of the previous MMC. They were friends in childhood but grew apart after a single kiss, awkwardly avoiding each other.

This is a quest story. Jocasta, Flynn, and others must set out across the kingdom to reach a magic island no one has ever returned from. A solid grounding in Greek mythology makes this story more accessible. I really enjoyed the way these two had to reconnect and learn to work together in order to survive. There's clearly more story yet to come, but I suspect the focus will be on a different pairing.

Technically, I received an ARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley, but I ended up listening to the audio version a full two years later.

I didn't realize this was book four of a series. That was on me. Nothing to review on this book as I DNFD it due to my error.

Oh my. I fell in love with this world when I read the first three books, and I was just SO excited to come back to this world. I couldn’t even contain my excitement. As a quick reminder, the first three books focus on Cat and Griffin as they slowly fall in love with each other and battle it all out in Thalyria in order to conquer the kingdoms and abolish the injustices in this kingdom. Their story closes off nicely, but we know there are a couple of other characters we would love to get to know more about. And thankfully Amanda Bouchet gives us A Curse of Queens to add to the fantastic world.

review

It’s a world where the Olympian gods are real and usually control and give our heroes lots of adventure and danger with new enemies at every turn. Greek fantasy with the touch of romance you always needed. It was honestly great to be back with all the gang, and I was so happy to be able to deep dive into Jocasta and Finlay’s story. We see them slowly overcome all those doubts and fears and just find each other while having to do SO MANY THINGS. And I really say, so many things.

What I loved about the original trilogy is still going strong, and adventures are at the heart of this story. Like always, this is action packed and by moments you are just praying for everybody to just survive the latest scheme they have fallen into. And it really felt like an easy and seamless read for me, and at no point did I feel that the general plot became stuck or slow moving.

Romance wise, we have heat, and we have angst, since our two lovebirds have too much baggage between them, and they do not know how to relate to one another without having miscommunication between them. Even though at times I just wanted them to talk, it was great to get Flynn’s point of view in order to understand how hard it was for him at times to really open up and meet Jo halfway in their conversations. Getting the dual point of view was key to getting a better sense of this relationship.

in conclusion

As I finished this book my heart was bursting with a lot of love for all these characters and with a lot of world building and setting of the scene. It gives us the hint of the many more stories and adventures we can have from this world. I cannot wait to read more. Overall, an extremely interesting and engaging read, so if you haven’t yet picked up these books and you love romance and some Greek mythology, you’ve come to the right place.

I read the rest of this series, and started this one, but didn’t continue on. This one just wasn’t for me right now.

I was so excited to be able to read this installment to the kingmaker series by Amanda Boucher. I loved how it was a brother’s best friend story, and that he really had to work to get in her good graces. The love story was emotional, and the adventure was thrilling.

Always a fan of Amanda Bouchet’s writing. This one did not disappoint, and had all the amazing elements. The banter, the characters, the suspense.

I picked up the first book in this series after reading Fourth Wing because I NEEDED more fantasy in my life and I absolutely devoured this series. I could not stop reading this series after I started and this book did not let me down. It's hard for me to review books in a connected series because I'm always afraid of spoiling something from the previous books. But there was just so much I loved about this book!

I loved getting a story focused on Flynn and Jocasta, while still getting to see Griffin and Cat's story continue. I loved the journey aspect of this one and I loved the way Greek mythology was utilized in this story (the entire series, honestly). I loved the internal battle we got from Flynn and I love the growth we saw with Jocasta's character. I loved the way the relationship between Jocasta and Flynn developed and progressed and I loved their ending (though it's not the end of the series). And I absolutely loved the hints as to what the future holds for other characters within the series. I can't wait to see what else is to come from this series and author.

Bouchet delivers a rip-roaring addition to her Kingmaker Chronicles series with 'Heart on Fire.' The romance between Cat and Griffin continues to sizzle, and the chemistry between them is electric. Fans of the series will be thrilled with this addition! Newcomers should definitely start at the beginning of the series, but they'll be rewarded with a fast-paced, action-packed, and steamy book!

I’m late to reviewing but this was a great fantasy read, fast paced and fun to read! I first encountered this author via ApollyCon and she has quickly become and auto buy author

I really enjoyed this I gave this a four out of five stars. I love the series and I can't wait to read more by this author. I liked that the author gave us a little book POV of a side character that is deeply loved. I want to add the whole series to my library.

I loved this series and when given the opportunity to get a look at the final book before publication, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Bouchet combines the perfect amount of originality with greek mythology characters and names that spoke directly to the heart of a girl who grew up reading Percy Jackson. This book contained plenty of twists and woes that I wasn't expecting (but should have based on the other books) and I couldn't help but root for Kat and Griffin's happily ever after.

Excellent dual POV plot full of non stop action & great pacing that keeps you engaged. I love the mythology, magic, & monsters. Like the rest of the series it has plenty of romantic tension & some smut. I loved both Jocasta and Flynn & was really looking forward to them having a book of their own & it did not disappoint.

I could not put this down! I loved the first novel of the Kingmaker series, the second was tough to get through and the third, I skimmed through the last half of the book. This book, however, was unputdownable. I got to know the characters even more. I got about 65% through the book and started to get concerned. The majority of the book was taken up by the journey to get to the coast. The voyage, and the tasks on the island seemed rushed to get to the conclusion. I wish that the author would have taken more time with that part. It seemed like a missed opportunity. I am excited to know that Carver will get his story told, and a glimpse that maybe we haven’t seen the last of Kato. I am enjoying this world!

I did not have time to finish this title before the publication date. However, it was purchased by my library (and five other libraries in our consortia). It was purchased as an eBook for the consortia to share, as well.

I have been so grateful to follow this series since the beginning. It is one of my most favorite reads, ever. This specific continuation was exactly what a reader needed to keep this series alive in their hearts and reader soul.

very interesting fantasy book and I really enjoyed it! thank you for the opportunity to read it!
While I loved Griffin and Cat’s story, I really enjoyed following Flynn and Jocasta’s povs This book fit in so well with the other books in the seires while also adding new elements. I look foward to where the author goes with this world and our loved characters

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley.
Great fantastic read. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way.