3.75 stars. Freya Marske's SWORDCROSSED is a romantasy - (light on the fantasy) - that's centered around house politics and angsty sword fights, both in AND out out of the bedroom. Matti Jay is the heir of one of the most prominent houses in Thesper’s wool trade, and Luca is a duelist/swordsman with no house to claim. Needless to say, Luca goes from teaching Matti how to handle a sword to teaching him how to handle HIS sword. This is definitely a slow burn, and I was admittedly bored throughout the middle, mainly because I found all of the politics surrounding the wool trade to be rather mundane and wanted to get back to the cuteness. SUE ME Susan. By the way, a PSA for the boys: If you have longer locks, there’s nothing sluttier than running your fingers through them. HOW DARE YOU!

Freya has built an intriguing set up with an arranged marriage and budding forbidden romance, complete with extravagant settings, costumes and atmospheres that are so detailed that the fabrics and colors jump off the page. That said, it's our main couple that steals the show, rightfully so. There were so many moments that I noted as either incredibly cute or hot. Like the ocean bath/pool scene - hot, but also cute because Matti gets to see Luca flounder in the pool like he does at his sword lessons. Since this is a slow-burn, it's really around the 39% mark where things start simmering, and then things don't get cooking until the 55% mark. It drags for me, I'll be honest. But one thing's for sure, “I don’t feel wrecked enough" was a crazy thing to say. I love how these two are opposites, but learn from each other. Luca will always speak his mind and teaches Matti to do the same.

So if you like some spice with your period piece romantasies and happen to be obsessed with textiles and the trade industry - you might really get off on this one. For me, it was cute and hot, but you lost me at the wool. I'm so sorry. That and the third act miscommunication was kind of meh for me, BUT Chapter 20 was hot as fuck and I love how comfortable Matti and Luca become at being inside each other. It's so cute. In general, their banter is squee inducing, but I don't think this is really a romantasy because the magic system was...um...yea...but if you're looking to see some cute boys get sweaty in some sword fights, look no further!

Quotes I pulled for various reasons:
- "Matti was so likable. You could cut him in half like fresh bread and he’d be warm all the way through.”
- “Luca looked at Matti, something uncertain and wild swirling in his stomach, and experienced the vastly strange sensation of not wanting to lie. Nor did he want to peel back the paper of himself and reveal something true. Both contrary impulses seemed to stem from the swirling, like tree trunks grown from the same seed.”
- “Luca didn’t know if he was envious or annoyed by the way Matti held himself: calm and still, as though he were waiting with unconscious ease for the attention in the room to center upon him, knowing he wouldn’t have to lift a finger.”
- "How did you solve the slow surrender of yourself to another person, like a dwindling stack of coins on a card table, only to look up from your empty hands to see the cold triumph of your opponent?"
- “Matti made him forget to lie”.
- “Dueling is barely two steps up from acting.” (As an actor, I'm offended).
- “You really are taller than you need to be, Matti.” (As a 6'5 man...also offended).
- "Lukas felt like a route being memorized and artwork being considered one last time by its creator before it was sent for framing. It made him want to make huge, impossible, unwise promises. It took him three tries to speak." - I MEAN, WHERE IS MY LUCA?!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have read and enjoyed all of Freya Marske’s releases so far, but I have to say that Swordcrossed is officially my new favorite book of hers! The story was well-balanced between romance, pining, and political plot drama regarding the houses and their businesses. The world was well-built, with a rich system of patron gods that brought depth to the story’s setting. With how fascinating this world was, I would love to see future novels taking place in the same setting!

Swordcrossed is hands-down one of the best romantasy novels I have read to date. The romance was perfectly paced and incorporated into the narrative so that nothing felt forced, rushed, or underdeveloped. This book is a perfect example of what I hope for whenever picking up a title marked as “Romantasy” and I hope that more stories like Swordcrossed will be published in the future!

My Recommendation:
If you’re hesitant about romantasy books, I urge you to give Swordcrossed a try! This book has the depth, intrigue, and character development I seek in all my fantasy reads, with a healthy dose of romance to round out a five-star read!

Thank you to Bramble Romance for the gifted review copy of Swordcrossed!

I really enjoyed the build of this relationship. It was a gradual climb that worked well for these characters. In the midst of all the chaos love finding root was incredibly fun to experience.
This has a wonderful historical vibe without being stuck in the historical romance box. The author had a writing style which provided beautifully built scenes along with amazing banter.
The humor paired with all these lovable characters made for a wonderful read. The author did a great job of making this story easy to fall in love with.

3.5 - ⭐⭐⭐💫

"I want you to keep making me laugh. I want to keep you, Luca..."

Swordcrossed is a standalone fantasy romance follows dutiful heir Matti who's family's business is struggling after a series of mishaps. To help save the business Matti decides to marry into a wealthy family...but there appears to be a competing love interest who plans to challenge the wedding by sword fight, an honorable tradition throughout the land. This means Matti needs a best man to fight on his behalf and it turns out the only one he can afford is a con artist, Luca. Through gold coins and blackmail, Luca accepts the role of best man as well as agrees begrudgingly to help train Matti in combat. As they two spend their days together practising the craft of sword crossing they also soon find not everything is as it seems with Matt's dire financial situation and Luca's secret past. Will these two be unable to unearth the lies and find a path forward or will they lose everything in the fight?

This book is a fun light read but it didn't wow me.

Matti can be adorable and is steadfast in his duty. He wants to make his family proud and placed so much burden on himself. Seeing him engage with Luca highlights the first time he really did something for himself and it was sweet.

Luca is a bit more cockier character with secrets aplenty. I loved his cranky morning attitude, struggle to figure out how to teach, and him being charmed by Matti who has no idea.

This book does contain spice. I would say 2.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. There are at least two spicy scenes. I would say it is a medium burn and it is well written.

In terms of the story I enjoyed the mystery and the investigation around what is happening to Mattis' family business. I also found the world of the guilds to be fascinating. There are also fun side characters to shake things up. I think I just wished for more banter and chemistry between Luca and Matti. On their own they're strong but I felt I was told their romance more than I saw it. That said I easily dove into the book over the course of three days and found it all came together really well!

If you want a good fantasy world, light romance, and mystery to explore then definitely pick this up!

Thank you Bramble for this arc!

I knew I was going to love the writing and the characters in this book. Freya Marske never misses there. The banter was wonderful! The romance was angsty! The issues each character had to face felt realistic and important! But I wasn't expecting to love the mystery at the heart of this story. I loved the final scenes where it all gets laid out and the surprise turn at the end. A highly enjoyable book that I'd definitely recommend.

The cover? Amazing. The story? Amazing. I loved this story, I loved these characters. I loved the writing. It was actually my first Freya Marske book and I will most definitely be checking out her other ones ASAP

Swordcrossed by Freya Marske is the first I’ve read from this author, and I now feel compelled to read her entire backlist if this is representative of her style.

Matti Jay, heir to a struggling family business, is engaged to Sofia, the daughter of a wealthy family, in a bid to save his family’s name and social standing. Sofia has an unwanted suitor who plans to challenge their marriage, so Matti is in need of a hired duelist (or best man) to defend him at the upcoming nuptials. The professional he can afford is Luca, who’s a bit of a con man with a complicated past. The two find themselves fighting the growing attraction between them as they spend time together in the months until Matti and Sofia’s wedding.

Sword Crossed is a low-stakes fantasy romance rife with political machinations, intrigue, betrayal, sabotage, and a mystery to solve. Despite all of these elements being present, I’d say it is first and foremost about the romance that develops between Matti and Luca. Freya Marske gives a master class in how to write a slow-burn that’s both deliciously sweet with longing while also being sizzling hot when it finally ignites.

This book is many things - fans of historical fiction will feel at home with the setting that’s Regencyesque, fantasy lovers will appreciate the magical/mythology elements. I love books that have a historical feel but feature a society that does not subscribe to heteronormative mores, so a queer romance that also has a supporting character who’s trans makes my heart happy.

The characters are well developed, and I really enjoyed seeing Luca’s growth over the course of the book. Not just Luca, I felt like Matti also learned to stand up for himself and ask for what he wanted, and his sister Maya stepped up to help him see it’s okay to ask for help and not be able to do everything for everyone.

I loved the way the core cast of characters resolve the mystery and the unexpected twist at the wedding. That scene was so satisfying to read. Over the course of this novel, I grew to care about all of the central characters and didn’t see the resolution happening the way it did but it was simply perfect.

I think this is a standalone and with the way it ended, I don’t see it being the beginning of a series, but I’d love to read more of this world and hated saying goodbye to the characters. I could think of a couple of ways for this to happen, but the plot is wrapped up very nicely at the end of the book.

This one was a bit of a slow burn but in a way that was intensely charming. I loved Luca and Matti and their scheming. I hope Marske writes more in this universe.

Thank you so much to Bramble Romance and Colored Pages Book Tours for gifted finished copy of this book! I will say, I usually don't enjoy books with historical fiction aspects, but the fantasy part of this book really helped differentiate it from other books with historical fiction aspects.
I loved being able to watch Luca and Matti's relationship bloom from their first interaction onward. The author does a great job of making it a slow burn that is worth the wait. I also enjoyed how this author represented panic attacks in the books, and how the character learned to cope with it. I think this book deserves more recognition and hype than it's getting! Definitely recommend!

Mattinesh Jay runs his family’s well respected wool business. The Jay House is generations old, but they have recently come into financial troubles after a series of setbacks. The only way out of their predicament is for Matti to marry someone from a wealthy family who is looking for the prestige the Jay name can bring to their own business, while providing Matti’s family much needed funds. His bride-to-be, Sofia, is a nice woman and a friend, but Matti has no desire to marry her. However, Matti is nothing if not dedicated to his family and their business and he knows they need him to make this sacrifice to ensure their future.

Matti knows there will be a challenge at the wedding. Sofia has a suitor who has already indicated he will attempt to stop the marriage by requesting a duel, so Matti’s family has put aside money to pay for a best man/duelist to handle the challenge. Unfortunately, Matti loses some of the money he needs to hire the best swordsperson, so he must take someone who is new to the local guild. There he meets Luca Piere, who agrees to not only provide best man duties at the wedding, but also teach Matti how to use a sword.

Luca fled his old life to avoid some trouble and has now come to a new city hoping to start over. He agrees to give Matti sword lessons, rather than risk Matti exposing some of Luca’s shady dealings he witnessed. Plus, Luca can admit that he is drawn to Matti. The men are so different. Matti is responsible and dedicated, putting his family above himself time and again. He is working himself to exhaustion, sacrificing everything — including accepting an business marriage — in order to help them. And Luca is more impulsive, more reckless… and more free. But Matti helps ground Luca, and Luca helps Matti remember he is allowed to enjoy life and make himself a priority.

As the men get to know each other better, they begin to fall for one another. They also begin to realize that there is more threatening the Jay house than just bad luck. As they dig into the plot, the situation becomes increasingly complicated. And the more time they spend together, the more the men realize they want to be together. But with his family on the verge of ruin, Matti has no choice but to go through with the marriage. And if Luca’s secrets come out, it could ruin the chance for even friendship between them.

I absolutely went wild for Freya Marske’s Last Binding trilogy, so I was eager to grab the author’s latest story, Swordcrossed. I’d describe this as a historical fantasy, as it feels like it takes place in the past, but is not set in our real world. (For clarity, this isn’t a world with magic like Marske’s prior trilogy.) I found the world building to be really interesting here, with various guilds and family houses leading them. For example, Jay house is renowned for their wool and Matti’s father is the leader of their guild, representing them in the city. These houses then have different patron gods that they worship. This set up creates a tangled web of politics and influence and maneuvering that plays out in the story, as Matti and Luca attempt to learn more about who may be trying to harm Matti’s family business and why. I do think things get a little complicated in the politics, though, and it wasn’t always easy to follow who all the different players were and the various motivations.

I also thought the aspects of the duels and wedding challenges was interesting. This is a world where swordspeople play both ceremonial and practical roles. People hire them for formal ceremonies and rituals to stand guard or display their skills. They are also brought in as the “best man” for weddings in case of external challenges where they need to stand in the bride or groom’s stead. In this case, Matti is aware that Sofia has a suitor who will challenge for her at the wedding, so he needs to hire the best duelist to step in for him. While these rituals are largely performative, a lost duel is a bad omen and could potentially call off the much needed wedding. I thought this was an interesting world building twist, and it allows for not just a chance to get the guys together, but also to develop Sofia as a strong character in her own right. We learn more about her and it is different than we (or Matti) initially believes. I liked that she becomes a co-conspirator as Matti and Luca, and Matti’s sister, Maya, try to solve their family problems. For awareness, Matti does have a relationship with Luca (sexual and otherwise) while he is engaged to Sofia. She is aware and completely fine with it, so I didn’t see this as a problem in any way, but I wanted to mention it.

Matti and Luca start out with an enemies-to-lovers vibe, and they have sort of a mutually assured destruction thing going on, as Luca is aware that Matti’s house is hiding their financial troubles, and Matti can reveal some of Luca’s shady dealings. So they come to an agreement that keeps them working together. Luca’s past is a mystery for most of the book (to Matti and to us as readers), but we do know he is clever and sneaky and impulsive. He knows how to pick a lock, how to get information, and how to get things done that the more straight-laced Matti cannot. I found the story the most fun when we follow along with Luca as he does some snooping, stealing, and conning to help Matti figure out who is behind the family problems and how to root it out. I liked the men together and enjoyed seeing how their vastly different personalities ended up working so well together.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and found it an engaging historical fantasy. I continue to really like Marske’s style and will look forward to more of her work.

BookTour Stop and ARC review (second picture)

Swordcrossed - Freya Marske

Ebook
October 8th, 2024


When cozy fantasy meets romance and cloak-and-dagger…
Swordcrossed was a super addictive romantasy set in a world all at once familiar and foreign. The perfect escape read,comfortably sat in front of a fire, with wool socks and a glass of good wine. I loved Matti and Luca’s story, and I’m sure you will too.

___
Synopsis
Brimming with steamy romance, rougeish charm and intrigue, Swordcrossed is a dazzling queer fantasy from the internationally bestselling author of The Last Binding trilogy.

‘If you’re doing romantasy without Freya Marske, you’re doing it wrong’ – Casey McQuiston, author of Red, White & Royal Blue

Low stakes. High heat. Sharp steel . . .

Mattinesh Jay, heir to his family’s struggling business, needs his arranged marriage to go off without a hitch. But if he’s to successfully restore his house’s fortunes, Matti must first hire a swordsman to defend him against any sword-challenges at the altar. Unfortunately, the only duellist he can afford is part-time con artist and full-time charming menace Luca Piere.

All Luca wants to do is make some easy money and forget the crime he committed in his home town. He didn’t plan on being blackmailed into giving sword lessons to a chronically responsible – and inconveniently handsome – wool-merchant like Matti.

However, neither Matti’s business troubles nor Luca himself are quite what they seem. As secrets threaten to drive a blade through their growing alliance, both Matti and Luca will have to answer the question: how many lies are you prepared to strip away when the truth could mean losing everything you want?

The cosy, low stakes of Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree meets the scorching bodyguard fantasy of Jennifer L. Armentrout's From Blood and Ash in this enemies-to-lovers romance by Freya Marske.
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Thank you Colored Pages Book Tour ( @coloredpagesbt ), Freya Marske ( @freyamarske ), Tor Publishing Book, Bramble Romance ( @brambleromance ) and NetGalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.



#Swordcrossedtour #coloredpagesbooktours #gifted #Swordcrossed #FretaMarske #NetGalley #ARCreview #BookTour #BooksofInstagram #Bookstagram



















“Love was a sword with two edges.”

Swordcrossed was an addictive novel, captivating.
The book is set in a different world, which has no magic, yet it makes “ordinary” things exotic and the whole world building is a key point in that story. In my mind (but maybe I was completely wrong), I pictured a place close to Post-Renaissance Italy, governed by merchants who have their assigned gods. Depending on the moment, it felt like a romance, a cozy fantasy or even a cloak-and-dagger novel with action and political intrigues. I truly loved these different ambiances, and sometimes truly felt like I was reading a Alexandre Dumas’ book (or, at least, what I remember of these, as I read them a VERY LONG time ago).
The rhythm in the writing makes it sometimes mesmerizing, sometimes addictive, inciting us to turn page after page. We want to discover more about the world and how it works, solve the mystery(ies), and, of course, get to know Matti and Luca. I loved both of them, as much as the cast of side characters. While Matti learns how to stand up for himself, and not to only follow his sense of duty that drowns him every day a bit more; Luca –on the other hand– has to face his past mistakes. They have both a great arc, and their interactions are most of the time funny –and hot. The chemistry here is real, and I loved how the sword lessons put everything together, picturing the balance of power between them, how they dance around each other.
If you are looking for an easy read, a nice romance and an escape read, cozy, perfect to read in front of the fire with wool socks and a glass of wine, all wrapped in action and twists, then you should consider Swordcrossed. I truly enjoyed reading it.

Thank you Colored Pages Book Tour, Freya Marske, Tor Publishing Book, Bramble Romance and NetGalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Rate 4.5

Marske delivers another spicy queer romance with a side-serving of fantasy politics. The machinations of the conspiracy were tough to track, but easy to tune out when you have the image of our heroes getting down and dirty in a closet (boys, this is a heist)! Matti and Luca are tender, clever, and achingly lovable as they learn how to he honest with each other. A wonderful second course for fans of the Last Binding trilogy!

While not quite as either low-angst or low stakes as the blurb mentions, this book was so much fun. It had a slightly slow start because of all of the world-building and character development, but once it got going it was a ride. Matti and Luca had a fair amount to lose if they failed in their various endeavors, and their relationship was fairly volatile in the beginning. And the middle. And near the end.
As seems to be typical with the author, the plot and the world were great, but the character work is where she really shines. Matti and Luca were lovely, flawed, and so real. I loved getting to watch their growth together; they pushed each other to be and do better while also being hot like burning.
Overall, this book had almost everything I could want in a fantasy; there was crossing of swords (in all of the ways), there was action, a mystery, and a pretty epic reveal at the end. The characters were deeply human, the world was intriguing enough to make me want more, and the story was satisfying. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

“‘I thought I had simple tastes. I don’t care about pearls or silver. I don’t need silk. I can live without cherries and bottles of Diamond Blend. But you. You are the most exquisite thing in this city, and I want you, and I’m going to have you.’”

I love a low stakes fantasy romance now and then, where we’re not trying to save the whole world, just an unlucky business. And the romance was done SO well.

The romance featured one of my favorite couple dynamics. A repressed man who sacrifices everything in the name of duty and an absolutely chaotic firecracker of a man who teaches him to go after what he wants. They fit so perfectly together and I loved the development of their relationship

I also found the plot outside the romance to be interesting. I enjoyed the world, where almost everyone served a Guild under a patron god with their own rituals and traditions. It’s something I’ve never seen before! The mystery of why Matti’s family business was so unlucky was fun to unravel, especially when Luca insisted on doing it in less than legal ways.

The ending was perfect, one of those where it feels like everything is perfectly wrapped up with a nice little bow.

Overall, if you’re looking for a low stakes fantasy romance with great character development, check this one out!

Thanks to the author and publisher for the review copy. This review was left voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

I want to start out by saying how much I absolutely adored this book! I absolutely fell in love with Matti and Luca. Matti is the stoic leader of his family’s wool business, always sacrificing for the betterment of his family, especially when they’ve come into hard times. Then enter Luca, with his wild red hair and chaotic personality, but he’s got a few secrets and insecurities up his sleeve. They are the perfect opposites attract and getting to watch them fight and solve mysteries and fall in love was just a really fun ride.

Pick this one up if you are into:
• Fun fantasy worlds
• Queer normative societies
• Sword fighting your crush as a love language
• Sir 👀
• Mystery and schemes
• Having fun!

I’m not sure if this is a stand alone but I love this world and would love to see more stories in it!

I was immediately captured by the world buildinh and the main characters chemistry. It makes me want to read a sequel, if one ever comes out.

I enjoued how there was a whole world with religions and politics, which played a big part in the plot, while also a romantic story line. Many books focus on one or the other, but the author did a great job balancing both.

This is my first novel by this author, and I am now a huge fan!

I loooooove Freya Marske's books, and this one is SO GOOD.

SWORDCROSSED has romance, intrigue, and sensual swordfighting, so. Need I say more?

This story follows dual POVs of Mattinesh (Matti) Jay, the dutiful heir to his struggling family business, and Luca Piere, part-time con artist and full-time charming menace who Matti reluctantly hires to be his best man at his upcoming (arranged marriage) wedding.

Matti is seeking to restore his family's wealth, and an impending sword-challenge at his ceremony threatens his efforts. Luca, for his part, is trying to reinvent himself in a new city. All he wants to do is make some easy money and try to forget the crime he committed in his hometown. He didn’t plan on being blackmailed into giving sword lessons to a chronically responsible—and inconveniently handsome—wool merchant like Matti.

As the days count down to Matti’s wedding, Luca and Matti become entangled in the intrigue and sabotage that have brought Matti’s house to the brink of ruin. And when Luca’s secrets threaten to drive a blade through their growing alliance, both Matti and Luca will have to grapple with both their feelings and futures.

This book kept me captivated in the mystery and swoon, and it had the perfect elements of an engaging romantasy. The writing is STUNNING, as is custom for Freya Marske. Fantasy isn't even my favorite genre and I will read anything she writes!

Thank you to Bramble and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. SWORDCROSSED is out now!

Fun cozy romance (with a couple explicit scenes). It isn’t really a fantasy fantasy. There’s no actual magic aside from being in a made up world. However, the characters are enjoyable and it’s a fun fast read. They are the sorts that deserve to be happy in the end. I think a reader who liked A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows would also really like this book. Decent people who deserve a happy ending get a happy ending. .

Thanks to Bramble Romance/Tor Books for the free book in exchange for my honest review!! This was a such a cute (and STEAMY) LGBTQ fantasy romance. The chemistry between the characters was great, and the atmosphere was awesome, as it was a historical romance with arranged marriages and dueling. I really loved the writing of Marske and the way she really created such a detailed fantasy world. I felt immersed in the setting, especially with it pulling in so many connections and elements of an almost Bridgerton-like time period.

Matti is in an arranged marriage, essentially marrying his finance because his family business is secretly struggling, and he will do anything to save it. Matti is forced to hire an experienced swordsman to be his best man at his wedding, to protect the marriage and ensure that nobody will get in the way of his family getting the money it needs. Luca is hired as Matti's best man, but Luca himself has a secret that he is hiding from everyone. The two very quickly have strong chemistry and tension builds, as both of them fight their feelings to try to fit into their roles in society.

While there definitely were high stakes in this book, I feel like a lot of it was exploring Luca and Matti's relationship with themselves, each other, and their loved ones, which I really enjoyed. There was a large focus on each of their individual struggles with their identity, family, and societal roles. I felt like the book really allowed for not only their relationship to blossom, but for the reader to get to know the insides of Luca and Matti, and go on a journey with them as they came to be more confident in what they wanted. Family was a really important part of this book as well, which I loved. What I will say I really loved about this book is that despite the time period, being gay was completely normal. In fact, the fact that the two main characters were men who were secretly dating was so not important to the plot of the story and how other characters in society perceived them, which I thought was really cool, especially with it being a long ago time period where being LGTQB was not normalized. I really loved Matti and Luca's relationship and thought it was the best part of the book, along with Matti's relationship with his family! Overall, a good fantasy romance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5

Swordcrossed is an entertaining and cozy romantasy filled with queer romance, fencing, and love.

This was a fun one! I really enjoyed the romance and representation. As a fencer, I also loved the fencing and training scenes. The writing was beautiful, the characters were funny, and the plot was fun. The story was overall very cozy and sweet, and I loved the ending. Aspects of the world-building and plot were a little more complex than I was expecting, but they added an interesting depth to the story. Some parts of the romance, pacing, and plot felt forced, but I will absolutely recommend this one to cozy fantasy fans looking for a sizzling romance with sword fights!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ARC!