Suji Kim's 'Under the Oak Tree' is a captivating romance that weaves together a compelling plot, endearing characters, and a satisfying exploration of self-discovery. While the premise of a forced marriage might seem familiar, Kim breathes fresh life into the trope with its nuanced portrayal of both love and societal constraints. Maxi, the timid and stuttering daughter of a powerful Duke, is a relatable protagonist. Her struggles with self-doubt and societal expectations, amplified by her stammer, resonate deeply. Kim avoids cliché and instead crafts a woman who is both vulnerable and strong, her vulnerability adding depth and authenticity to her character. Riftan, the gruff but undeniably charismatic knight, is a compelling counterpart. Despite his rough exterior, Riftan possesses a depth of emotion that slowly unfolds as the story progresses. Their initial interactions are fraught with tension, fueled by misunderstanding and societal prejudices. Witnessing their relationship evolve from animosity to reluctant acceptance, and ultimately to love, is a rewarding journey. The story itself is richly woven, seamlessly blending elements of romance, fantasy, and societal commentary. The vivid imagery of the world Kim creates draws the reader in, making it easy to visualize Maxi's journey from a sheltered life to navigating the complexities of court life and war. 'Under the Oak Tree' is more than just a romantic story. It is a tale of self-discovery, of learning to embrace one's true self despite societal expectations. Maxi's journey of overcoming her fear of speaking and finding her voice is both inspiring and empowering. Overall, Under the Oak Tree is a highly engaging and beautifully written romance that will stay with you long after the final page. With its captivating characters, compelling plot, and thought-provoking themes, it is a story that both entertains and inspires.

3.75 stars!
I have read the webtoon on Manta and was a fan so I wanted to read the novel. Overall I enjoyed this read! Also liked that it was spicier than I thought it would be! I do think it fell flat at times and lacked some emotion that you could get in the webtoon through illustrations. I also felt it struggled with pacing, there were times where things were really happening in the story or between characters that I enjoyed, but other times the story moved slowly. I would read book 2! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you so much for the arc! I think I want to find the Manhwa now to read it. I did enjoy this story but it was hard for me to really get into it until almost halfway through. But, once it hit, I was into it!!

3 stars


I enjoyed this one. It was definitely unique and different. The cover is what drew me in and think it’s beautiful

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC!
Unfortunately, this book was not it for me. I read a decent amount of the Webtoon several years ago, so I was interested in seeing what a novelization would be like. However, reading it in this format just exacerbated the content that trigger warnings were given for, and the tropes like miscommunication just come across so much worse and it was just an uncomfortable reading experience. If some of the plot addressed these serious themes/content/tropes, that would be nice - But it never does.

This volume also ends at a very random part of the story. It was very confusing.

I've always wanted to read the novel after having read the manhwa adaptation of Under the Oak Tree and am glad to say that the novel held up pretty well! One of the main things I loved from the manhwa was the exploration of Maxi's character development, which I feel like the pacing of the story overall makes it kind of hard to explore in novel form, but I still enjoy seeing how things played out in the some ways very slow burn and in other ways, very quick burn romance of Riftan and Maxi.

Using this novel to reread was a really great experience because it reminded me of how much I adore them, even with the miscommunication/lack of communication. The challenges of an arranged marriage with a 3-year-gap to a sudden reunion and navigating through building a home in a castle, and overseeing so many people was touched upon well here, and I think still gives a nice flavor as the manhwa did. The writing style made it really easy to read too, and I appreciate the translation of the story.

But the biggest challenge for me was that I feel like I had to kind of rely on me imagining the webtoon art while reading this to feel the emotions that I did. If people hated Riftan in the manhwa but forgave him for the hot art, it'd probably be a lot harder to do here where we don't really get to see how attractive Riftan is physically through the descriptions and the spice.

I think for someone reading the story for the first time, it would make rooting for him a little difficult and the romantic vibes might be a little hard to feel (depending on your taste of buildup I guess, hahaha!) In this form, it was hard to see the emotions play out (I hesitate to say "as well" as the manhwa because I think while the art helps a lot, it isn't the main factor in a way.) Because the kind of matter-of-fact writing style makes you feel kind of more of an observer, but that could also just be me! My highest recommendation would be to start with the manhwa first then come to the novel because it does still feel nice to read.

I would still be interested in reading volume two, but I feel like I'm more excited to read the manhwa.

I had no idea this was a novelization of a web comic. I was just curious because I liked the cover. It was a cute romantasy about two people getting to know each other after having an arranged wedding. Set in classic chivalry kind of time period (with knights). I'm not a huge fan of the miscommunication trope though. Just talk to each other!

I read the web comic, so when I saw that there was the novel version I was so incredibly happy to be able to read it via ARC. It is very well written and overall I would highly recommend to everyone. This novel really filled in the extras that really brought the story to life. The only "critique" I have is that the chapters are super long. I am a kindle girl and having chapters that are 30+ minutes long hurts my heart but I absolutely do not think it warrants any change.

I didn't care for the insatiable need of the MMC towards the FMC. She's timid and inexperienced and it was unsettling when he would initiate and continue despite the repetitive NO spoken from the FMC. I didn't like the miscommunication between the characters, it went on for a majority of the book and it was unpleasant. The story was good, I enjoyed that. However, I did not completely like the dynamic between the two main characters.

I very much enjoyed the story of Maxi and Riftan. While the pacing was very slow, I found myself looking forward to reading chapter after chapter, and seeing Maxi grow and develop surrounded by people who seemed to genuinely care about her. There were a few times that Maxi’s self-loathing really resonated with me and felt realistic to how, we as women, are often our own worst critics. It was especially poignant in juxtaposition to how much Riftan loves Maxi and would do (and DID) anything for her. I also really appreciated that there was no magic spell to cure Maxi’s speech impediment.
I’m very interested in reading part two and have a feeling the story will pick up significantly (at least I hope so). I want a little more adventure from Maxi!

. I came across Under The Oak Tree by Sushi Kim and let me tell you, I was intrigued and interested in what this story had to offer. Although there was a good plot and development in characters, I feel there could be much more thematic elements throughout the story to continue to entice the reader.. Although slow burned, there were good parts to make the reader focus on the details you for I felt there could be more to the story. I like the struggles, tribulations and strong essence of marriage carried out throughout the story. Strong main characters brings this book into perspective. Into the romantasy realm.

Suji Kim's Under the Oak Tree is a high fantasy romance series that enthralls its readers with a rich fantasy world and a STEAMY forced marriage romance between a low-born knight and a chronically self-concious noblewoman. This fantastic romance wedged its way into my heart and will forever be one of my favorite romances of all time!

Quick Thoughts:
- Under the Oak Tree is the PERFECT romance series for fans of world building, monsters, magic, high fantasy and (most importantly) steamy romance!
- Heroine, Maximillian Croyso, is a noblewoman with a stutter and cronically low self-esteem that slowly becomes more confident after leaving her father's abusive household and marrying Riftan.
- Hero, Riftan Calypse, is a heroic, moody, manly and handsome low-born knight OBSESSED with Maxi. Riftan is, quite frankly, my ideal book boyfriend (even if he is a bit overbearing!).
- At some points, the romance is a slow burn, but when it erupts, it is a volcano! Author knows how to write a love scene that is sure to send pulses raising while also feeling beautifully elegant.
- The forced marriage and marriage of covenience tropes are perfectly executed. Readers will rejoice in witnessing the evolution of Riftan and Maxi's romance.

3.5🌟

I first discovered this story as a manhwa/webcomic and was captivated by the art. Then when I saw the original webnovel was being translated to English I knew I had to read it. Thank you Net Galley for the arc!

This story is a romantasy set in a classic fantasy world. Maxi is the firstborn daughter of Duke Croyso, who disregards and neglects her because of her stutter and shy personality. Duke Croyso makes an agreement to marry Maxi to Sir Riftan in order to avoid his responsibility to go on a quest to defeat a dragon. Riftan, a lowborn knight and former mercenary returns after a 3 year campaign to bring his wife Maxi back to his land and begin their life together. This story shows the evolution of their relationship as they both deal with their respective insecurities and hidden secrets. Riftan has a chip on his shoulder for being lowborn and always wants to ensure Maxi has enough needs to prove his status by being able to provide and protect his high lady wife. Maxi is insecure of her stutter and the truth that she was neglected and abused in her childhood home and fears Riftan will discover she is not the high lady accustomed to wealth and grandeur that he perceives her to be.

This book is a fun, quick read about two complicated people coming together. My favorite parts are Maxi connecting with the servants and knights of Anatol as she gains more confidence in herself.

I give this a 3.5 star 🌟 I want to continue Maxi and Riftan’s story but the continuous lack of communication drives me crazy. Miscommunication trope to the extreme.

Review posted on Goodreads and Instagram (@elfs_bookshelf)

Lady Maximilian (Maxi) has lived an isolating life due to her stutter. Her cruel and domineering father fears her speech will damage the family's noble reputation. He forces her to marry Sir Riftan, a lowborn knight. Their relationship starts rocky, with Riftan's abrupt departure the morning after their wedding. After three years, he returned from the war as a celebrated hero. Determined to keep Maxi as his wife, she is taken from her home and thrust into a budding relationship with apprehension and wonder.

Both main characters are profoundly conflicted and lack the understanding of how to express emotion. You are furious with Riftan, hate him at the beginning of the book, and feel sorrow for Maxi. They were both put in situations where they had to make the best of it because they were bound by duty and fear. Maxi's character develops from a sheepish and fearful woman to someone who is beginning to stand on her own two feet and has some self-assurance, which is beautiful. Riftan's return changes their relationship, revealing his true feeling for Maxi and their marriage. The writing effectively conveys the emotions and inner struggles of the characters.

There are mentions of monsters and werewolves on the way to Rifan's home. It gives the reader a sense of dread and a balance between Maxi's innocence and the perils of her environment. You will have a sense of suspicion whenever any character mentions Maxi's father. Considering this is the first volume, there is some foreboding.

Maxi is inspiring as she overcomes significant personal challenges and past trauma to find her inner strength, which is reason enough to read this book.

I do love the idea of the plot but the author stuck so true to historical treatment of women that it felt a little uncomfortable. The MMC pushes his wife to have sex with him several times and it just felt unhealthy.

I dont know what I was thinking I was going to get when I opened this book. First thank you NetGalley and Siji Kim for the ARC copy.

These are my honest thoughts and feeling when it comes to this book.

I struggled getting into this book in the start due to how the FMC was treated by almost everyone in her life. After the first few chapters and a couple of interactions with the MMC, I was hooked. The character growth of the FMC through the story had me eating up page after page. Seeing her grow so fast into her new role was something that I was glad to be seeing. The MMC still left a bad taste in my mouth near the end of the book. I assume we will be getting more information regarding his background in the next volume. I truly don't want to hate the MMC like I do the FMC's father.

The magic system is one I can get behind. While it is not groundbreaking, there is something in its simplicity that drew me to it. I highly appreciate the chapters spent on us truly learning how it works.

When I saw this one available on Netgalley, I decided to grab it because the webcomic seems to be super popular. I ended up really enjoying it and wish I had more so I could continue my binge reading. I do wish it had a little more depth. Yes, there is a lot going on and Maxi has had an abusive life and we do get descriptions on the castle, money systems, different people, etc., but the writing still felt shallow or done in a way that creates distance between the reader and story. I wasn't completely entrenched and I kept wishing for more. Then we'd get an info dump on the money system or magic system which sometimes felt unnecessary. Like, why is the money so complicated and why should I care about this when I know it will only (probably) be important for one arc?

That all being said, I am really enjoying where the story is leading us and I cannot wait for Maxi to feel comfortable with Riftan and everyone else. Seeing her bloom is fantastic. Even the setbacks in the relationship developments make sense. Now that she cares about Riftan and these people of course she will have new worries and concerns which, with her background, can and do create obstacles.

So yeah, I really enjoyed this, I'm looking forward to reading more and might get so impatient I hunt down the manhwa to see how expensive reading that will be.

I've read the online web novel and the original Kindle (ebook) publication of the light novel: Under the Oak Tree: Season 1 volume 1.

I love the new cover; the original light novel cover was fine, but I did frequently get confused because every "season 1" novel had the same cover image.

Under the Oak Tree: Season 1 volume 1 ends sooner than this new publication with Maximilian initially being confronted by her husband, Riftan about why she did not move into his castle right after their marriage. Whereas Under the Oak Tree: Volume 1 makes it about twice as far into the story when Maximilian takes her first interest in magic.

Is the content different? It doesn't appear to be noticeably different between the web comic, first light novel publication, and this one. I looked over much of the first chapter side-by-side in comparison to the original light novel. The original novel feels like it was translated. This novel feels like it was localized, meaning after the translation, a native speaker went back and rewrote parts to flow much more naturally and poetically to improve the reader's enjoyment. Essentially, this feels like the finished product whereas the original light novel was the Beta.

Under the oak tree is a story originally from Korea translated to English.
I’ve read the manwha version and was so excited to see they are now coming out with an official English novel version.
This cover is gorgeous.
The story starts off with an arranged marriage with a lot of misconceptions of who each person is. Fortunately as the couple spend more and more time together they slowly learn about each other and their upbringing.
I personally love the Wizard/Mage character, he’s so grumpy but is always helping others.
If you like book such as A Deal with and Elf King, a court of thorns and roses, and fantasy manwhas you will love this book.
It has enemies to lovers, Cinderella syndrome, arranged marriage, strong ml, and a lot of spice🌶️
This is just the first book and ends on a cliff hanger.

This started out slow, but it got extremely interesting just before the halfway point and I could not put it down. The character development was amazing and I did not want to stop reading.