Goodreads review:
I read the first three books in this series over a weekend, absolutely DEVOURING them. When I saw that the fourth book, A Curse of Queens, was available on NetGalley, I jumped on it and crossed my fingers and was so happy when I was approved!!

A Curse of Queens takes us in a different direction than the first three books - the major storyline from the original series is done, and this book is told from the POVs of Jocasta and Flynn, alternating every chapter. Cat and Griffin and the rest of the gang are still present in this book, but not the main stars. In the book, it's been a few months since the end of Heart on Fire, and Cat and Griffin are trying to bring the three realms together and govern justly. However, not everyone is happy about the new direction, and someone puts a curse on Cat. They can't think of any solutions and are giving up hope when Jocasta comes up with the only thing that might work - finding the island Circe has been imprisoned to, and get an antidote from her garden. The only issue is that nobody has ever found Circe's island and there are many trials over land and sea to get there. Cat and Griffin can't travel so Jocasta, Flynn, and a group of some of the original series favorites set out on a journey for Circe's island. It's an action-packed adventure that is so fun to read.

And of course in addition to the adventure we have some great romance and character development! At the start of the book, Flynn and Jocasta are both feeling out of place but not sharing their feelings with anyone. Flynn is leader of the palace guard but he feels antsy. Jocasta is trying to work as a healer from the castle but nobody really needs her services. Both miss their home and the community they had there, but feel like they can't disappoint Cat, Griffin, and the others by leaving. They also continue to snap at each other, always lashing out instead of addressing the feelings they have for one another. In this book we get so much more backstory to their history with each other and separately. Jo is pushing Flynn away, hurt that he doesn't return her feelings. Right away we see that Flynn has actually always felt the same as Jo, but he is deeply scared of commitment after seeing his whole family pass away one by one before their time, his father ultimately passing away from a broken heart. Flynn is terrified that everyone that he cares about dies and doesn't want to subject Jo to that fate because he loves her so much. But of course he has never TOLD Jo about his fears, just bottling them up and refusing to feel pain and because of that, refusing to really live. But of course as they are forced together on the road, it's harder to keep telling themselves that they can ignore their feelings for one another.

I love the dual POV which we didn't get in the original three books! I love a grumpy man who is secretly pining for a woman, and we get so much of that. Sweet baby Flynn is so pure but so messed up in the head and Jo is just the right woman to help him figure it all out. Everyone has always underestimated her and she really shows how tough she is in this book, I loved her! The romance is beautiful, the action is good, and THE ENDING!! There were some twists I did NOT see coming, and definitely left it open for one more book, if not two books both from other separate POVs. These books are such a fun read, the perfect mix of fantasy, adventure, and romance. If you liked the first three books, you'll love this one! I do suggest reading the first three books before picking up this one because you need all the backstory!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC of A Curse of Queens! The book will be out October 4, 2022!

Instagram post:
After devouring the first 3 books in this series I applied for the 4th on NetGalley and was so stoked to get it!

Book 📚: A Curse of Queens, the 4th book in The Kingmaker Chronicles by @amandabouchetauthor
Genre 🔮: Fantasy romance
Rating ⭐️: 4.5/5
Spice 🌶: open door scenes!

The main storyline from the first 3 books is done and this book is told from the POV of different characters, I recommend reading the other 3 books first to understand the background!

Synopsis: Picking up a few months after A Heart Of Fire, Cat and Griffin are trying to bring the realms together and start on a new path. However, not everyone is happy and someone puts a curse on Cat. Jocasta comes up with a plan - to find the island Circe has been imprisoned on and get an antidote from her garden. The only problem is that no one knows where the island is, and there are multiple trials by land and sea they need to face to get there. She, Flynn, and some other favorites from the series set out on an action-packed adventure.

And of course we have great romance! We get to see so much more of Flynn and Jocasta’s history with each other, and the dual POV means we get both of their feelings. Jo is mad that Flynn won’t return her feelings. Flynn does have feelings for her though, he just has a lot of heartache from losing his family before their time and is terrified of losing Jo to the same fate. He thinks that everyone he loves dies so he lives in complete fear of letting someone in. But in close proximity on the road, it gets harder for them both to ignore what they feel.

Review: I love a grumpy man who is pining for a woman! Sweet Flynn is so pure but so messed up, and it takes a strong woman like Jo to set him straight! Everyone has always underestimated her but she shows how tough she really is in this book. The romance is beautiful, the action is great, if you liked the first 3 books you’ll love this one! And I felt like the ending left some openings for more books from other POVs, I really hope it happens because I love this series!

Thank you to @netgalley and @sourcebookscasa for this ARC! A Curse of Queens is out October 4 (my birthday yay)!

The Kingmaker Chronicles are back and better than ever!

Flocasta's story was absolutely everything I've ever wanted and so much more!

Ever since I came across this series in 2020, I have been aching for Jocasta and Flynn's story. While only side characters in the first 3 books, they finally get their time to SHINE!

The book was seriously addictive, I found myself covering every clock in my room so I wouldn't see that I absolutely need to go to sleep because I just couldn't put it down!

I can't wait for the next book! (because seriously if i could only read one series forever it would be this one)

I will wait to post this on goodreads and instagram on September 2nd, a month before the release.

Thank you NetGalley for access to an ARC copy of A Curse of Queens!

I am so happy that Amanda wrote another book in this world. After the ending of Heart on Fire, I was happy with the ending but wanted more. There were still so many questions left unanswered and characters I wanted to know more about.

I love that this one follows Jacosta and Flynn. We got to know them well in the other books, but I knew there was more. Jacosta was becoming a stronger character and I am glad that now there is a book where we get to see her grow as a person in this magical and dangerous world.

That prologue! After the other books, I didn't realize that Jacosta and Flynn had ever done anything romantic before. But they kissed and Flynn rejected her. It brings so much more to their scenes in the other books. Now there is the understanding of why Jacosta was shy of her feelings for Flynn. She had put herself out there and it didn't work out, but she still cares for him.

I love how this book combines characters we already know and newer characters.

The last 15% of this book kept bringing me to tears. First when Jacosta saw Kato again in the tunnels on Circe's island. I was so sad because he was always one of my favorite characters but seeing him doing good in the underworld made me so happy. And then there was the revelation that Kato was with Cat's sister Eleni. The worst thing was Bellanca and Carver leaving for Atlantis... and never being able to come back

The gods better find a way to reunite everyone. I am hoping there is another book that brings everyone back together to end the war.

Four and a half
I absolutely loved the previous books in this series so now that the author has moved to other couples there’s honestly a lot to live up to ! You would think that Cat and Griffin would be basking in their well deserved happy ever after but no, Cat has been tricked into drinking the Elixir of Everlasting Life which unfortunately means as heavily pregnant as she is her body won’t change and her much anticipated child cannot be born ! Griffins sister Jocasta is a “healer” but more than that she’s a determined woman who will do whatever it takes for her family. Unfortunately it necessitate’s a journey fraught with danger to find a magical island with the most feared Witch that ever walked the Earth but that pales into significance when Flynn the man who spurned her decides to join the hunt ! With her heart already broken can Jo find the strength she needs to complete her mission ?
It’s a fabulous world this author gives us with magic and her own view of famous mythological figures. For this reader the romance lacked the sparkling passion of Cat and Griffin but the actual story and the adventures they go on were truly original and very creative. No spoilers here but not everyone in Olympus is happy with the status quo and these characters I’ve come to love are placed squarely in the midst of what looks like the start of war ! Oh my I cannot wait for the next book and I strongly suspect it will be about a couple that will definitely burn up the pages !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an ARC review copy of A Curse of Queens by Amanda Bouchet.

This is a slow burn fantasy romance that follows Jocasta, a princess who is trying to help her pregnant sister-in-law after she has been cursed to stay the same age, meaning she cannot give birth.
Jocasta has always had a crush on Flynn, her brother’s friend as well as her own. On her 18th birthday, she kisses him, hoping that he will finally see that they are meant to be together but he immediately apologizes for kissing her.

Now, years later, Jocasta has become a healer and Flynn is the captain of the guard. Their friendship has become nonexistent. Flynn still cares about Jocasta but he thinks that she deserves someone better than him and he is scared of committing to anyone after having experienced a lot of death in his family.

Jocasta searches for and finds a potential cure for Cat, her cursed sister-in-law and Jo, Flynn, and a few others undertake the journey to attempt to retrieve it. She is smart and determined to do everything she can to help her sister-in-law, even volunteering to go on this dangerous quest for just the chance to help her.

Flynn is a virgin hero who has only ever wanted to be with Jocasta. He is caring, thoughtful, kind, and supportive. I loved all the little things he did for her and his pining was top-tier.

Although this book contains a quest, it starts off slow, which was great for the character development. It helped to set the stage for how the characters who had known each other for so long felt about each other, their past, and what they wanted in the future. The relationship progression didn’t feel forced or rushed.

I loved all the side characters, old and new. Everyone had a purpose, a certain set of skills and talents, and a unique personality. I highly recommend this book and the entire series and I can’t wait for the next installment.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Curse of Queens is the fourth installment within the Kingmaker Chronicles. I'm honestly so happy that I found this series and fell in love. Each book brought me so much joy because the characters made everything worth it.

From the very beginning, I knew that I was going to love Cat and Griffin. Then to see them fall in love with one another grow a family was just really beautiful. Well, that was how I felt until she fell under a curse. Yeah, that wasn't fun one bit and one could only imagine what she was going through. Then we got to fall in love with the amazing beta team. Their adventurous sides were never shy from danger and each quest kept the pages turning.

We saw Griffin's brother fall in love and start a family. So, I was more than ready to watch Jocasta get her man. Her and Flynn were dancing around each other for so long that it had me screaming. Not in the "ahhhh noooo" way. No, it was all "OMG JUST KISS EACH OTHER ALREADY DAMMIT" way.

Eventually I got what I wanted out of these two, but it took freaking forever. I also really enjoyed Carver and Bellanca getting closer to one another. Their bantering gave me sweet joy and I'm so excited for their adventure. Mostly because I need another book in this series. If not, I will riot at dawn.

In the end, danger is still lurking around everyone. We finally find out who is (sort of) behind everything and it just makes it so much more fascinating. Which also gives me the "this isn't ending anytime soon" vibes as well. Totally can't wait for the next book to come my way because the Gods are up to something, and I want a huge battle!

Jocasta and Flynn have been quietly pining for one another for years. A Curse of Queens returns us to familiar characters from the Kingmaker Chronicles, but with a focus on Jo and Flynn. This story is just as rich and engaging as the rest of the series, with an exciting quest to find Circe's Garden. This book has been a long time coming and I loved it so much!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Going into this I didn't realize it was part of a series so I was a bit confused with the world. I would have liked to have read the other books before this one but now I may go back and read the others. The tension between the two love interests was amazing and it was easy to get drawn in and invested in their story.

Soooo I recommend reading this book if you already have started the series, I just think that starting from book 4 can get kinda confusing...
I recommend this series if you are looking for a NA fantasy book with some romance in it!! The FMC has been in love with the MMC for years but he rejects her because he is afraid of falling in love. Their tension and chemistry mixed with a forced proximity journey make this story very interesting and engaging, but I think that starting and reading the first three books before pursuing this one might be better!

So I absolutely loved The Kingmaker Chronicles by @ and was super excited to try read the spinoff 👏🏻. While we do get a bit of Cat and Griffin, A Curse of Queens focuses more on Jocasta and Flynn as they try to search for fabled island in order to find an antidote for Cat, who has been cursed. I loved being back in this world with some of my favorite characters. This book had plenty of action and adventure and a super sweet friends to lovers trope. Although they will never compare to Cat and Griffin,but that’s just me 😁, this one still gives you all the feels 💖. Can definitely be read as a stand alone but the first three books are so good tat you should just read them all!

I was so excited when I learned that this was Jocasta and Flynn's story, I have been ready for the two of them to give into the clearly inevitable. As much as the first book in the series will always be number one in my heart, this may be next in line. After a slow start, the adventure was exciting to read about without overshadowing everything else and while the gods were certainly present, I feel as their involvement was less pronounced, Jocasta's victories were won through her skills and intellect. The romance we have been waiting to see blossom for some time did not disappoint, It was just as sweet as I hoped for. More books are clearly coming in this series and I am eager to see what else is in store.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is the fourth book in the Kingmaker Chronicles series and focuses on Griffin's sister, the healer Jocasta, and his friend and captain of the guard, Flynn. Although Griffin and Cat have established the beginnings of a truly united kingdom the Gods are still playing games and have interfered with the birth of their first child. It's up to Jocasta and Griffin, along with Carver, Bellanca and Prometheus, to sort it out.

I have to admit here that I read the first book in the series and skipped the next two. Although I loved the world that the author created, Griffin and his family and friends, Cat's character just did not appeal to me. She seemed unnecessarily confrontational and belligerent. Thankfully, she's not in this book too much and skipping those two books didn't really impact my enjoyment of this fourth book.

The romance between Jocasta and Flynn actually begins in the first book in the series. So, even though the two lovebirds acknowledge how they feel about each other relatively early in this story. it's been a long time coming. At the beginning of the book we see the start of their romantic love for each other and come to understand why Flynn is so reluctant to admit he is in love with Jocasta.

While there is plenty of action (battles with monsters, tests of strength and intelligence) and humour (see exchanges between Prometheus, Bellanca and Carver) this is a beautifully told, emotional story. I love the way that the author weaves the stories of the other characters into the main storyline.

There's plenty more to come in this world and I am here for it.

5 stars. This was such a great adventure. I had so much fun reading this journey with these characters. I love the twist and turns. The surprises were a great part of the story too. I'm super excited for the next book. That one will be good too.

Amanda Bouchet starts a Curse of Queens right where the previous book ended and quickly takes you along a journey that grabs your attention and doesn't let go. Putting this book down to do 'real life's things was so difficult. I am also so happy we finally got Flynn and Jocasta's story and were able to witness their HEA. I am always a bit hesitant about books added after the original trilogy but should have known this book would not disappoint. I will absolutely be recommending this book to everyone who loves high fantasy romance novels.

Packed full of action and adventure, A Curse of Queens owns my heart. From the very first book Amanda Bouchet has taken everything we love about fantasy romance and cultivated an incredible series.

Kidnapped
Enemies to lovers
Found family
Slow burn
Spice
…and more!

4/5 ⭐️

Thank you, Sourcebooks Casablanca, this has been one of my most anticipated reads and it did not disappoint.

I understand changing the POV style since there is a different narrator but it felt a little weird to shift from the first person active POV in the original trilogy to the third person of this one. I think it may have contributed a little bit to why this book felt so much slower than its predecessors. It also focuses a bit more on the back and forth between the two romantic leads vs plot. It was hard to really feel the sexual tension between the two mains and it felt a little awkward or forced at times. The plot did pick up toward the final third and it was nice to see the characters from the Kingmaker Chronicles again.

I didn't realize that this book was a part of a series so I was really thrown for a loop as I tried to figure out the whole backstory for this without any prior information - so I have no one else to blame for that but myself.

Once I was in the story though I really quite liked it! There was a cool storyline and interesting character dynamics as the story progresses. There was so much tension within the story that it genuinely had me glued to the edge of my seat!

I enjoyed watching the team work develop as time went on. I especially loved the fact that it wasn't just a one man show but rather each and every person had their own time to show what they were made of.

I'm obsessed with Greek mythology so the inclusions of Circe and all other topics mentioned had me grinning from ear to ear!

I really liked the story though and will have to read the series all together once they're all out in the world! I'm looking forward to where the story goes in the next one!

Thank you, @netgalley and @sourcebookscasa for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review! All of the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I loved the earlier books in this series, so I was so excited to get to read this! I struggled with the really slow start to the story. In the first half of the book there is so much internal angst and pining from Jocasta and Flynn (but only to themselves and in their own heads), and at the same time there is almost nothing happening in the plot of the story. Once things start to happen, the book returns to the fast paced adventure I was expecting and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

There was definitely some set up for future stories here, so I can’t wait to see where it goes next!

This book has me so excited for more in this series. SO MUCH gets revealed towards the end and I can not wait! The beginning of this book was a bit slow. I was used to Cat and Griffin's books that had action from the first chapter on. You don't get that in this book. It comes, just not right away. Believe me the end makes up for it in a big way. This book does conclude Jocasta and Flynn's story, but I have no doubts we will keep seeing them in more books. There is just too much revealed at the end to not see this whole group of characters coming back for more. I don't want to spoil a thing so I'm going to leave this right here and pray the next book comes soon!

This series has always been a favorite of mine. I was hesitant going back to it as the storyline was just epic and I wanted it to stay that way.

I loved it! I loved that it was in a way its own story with characters we loved already. It didn't take away it just added a new perspective. I also loved how we can see character lines splitting off. A sneaky tease for whats to come! Amanda has done it again. She has entrapped me into her world of fantasy and made it real.

Thank you for the ARC!