Prior to reading this novel I had absolutely no exposure to the webcomic or anything else, so I went into this blind. That being said, all of my opinions of characters are based off of this work alone.

Overall. I liked this. I really couldn’t put it down. There was something so driving about wanting to continue. Even now, I hate that I am done with this book. I want more of these characters, more story, more development.

I really like Maxi. I love getting a softer more feminine protagonist. I think lately fantasy has overwhelmingly favored “badass” heroines. Maxi is soft and delicate. She has been through hardship and misery, but remained soft and kind. She is not weak, but her strength isn’t physical, which I really appreciate. I like that she has faults and struggles. I like that she isn’t just a prodigy immediately. Maxi is probably my favorite part of this book.

That being said. I don’t always care for Riftan. This book contains sexual encounters between Riftan and Maxi, and if I am being honest, the first few encounters were uncomfortable for me to read. This might just be me over analyzing or something, but it didn’t feel to me like the chemistry or honestly consent were clear.


That aspect definitely improved as the novel continued, but that introduction to Riftan made me wary of him going forward. While he is never outwardly mean to Maxi, he also doesn’t really take the opportunity to get to know her on a more personal and less sexual level. Riftan is clearly attracted to Maxi, but he never really takes the time to learn about her. I’m pretty sure Maxi and Riftan are endgame but honestly, I would almost rather her end up with the sorcerer. At least he genuinely helps Maxi, spends time with her, and is learning about her as a person.

Anyways, complaints aside. I liked it. I was engaged. The characters feel real. I just wish it wasn’t over. I will for sure be reading book two

4/5 stars

I went into this story excited because I had heard great things from friends! As an avid fantasy romance reader I was looking forward to a story adapted from a webtoon, but was left underwhelmed.

Long story short, I was immediately offput when a very large trigger was not mentioned prior to reading. This isn’t a trigger I have, but could definitely foresee readers being blindsided. Because of this, I lost interest in the story because I couldn’t move on from it and eventually had to dnf.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it turns out it’s just not for me.

I read the first season of the comic adaptation on Manta, so I was curious about the source material. Unfortunately what was a guilty pleasure in sequential art is almost painful to read in prose.

Some things that are a little off putting in the comic adaptation are downright distracting in the novel, like Maximilian’s stutter and the stilted dialogue. Because we get a different glimpse into each character’s thought through the narration it emphasizes the non-consensual aspects of Maxi and Riftan’s marriage.

This book was not necessarily for me. I enjoyed the spice and the storyline, but the FMC really wasn’t the kind of person I like to read about. Questioning herself and being meek while I know that may appeal to some it didn’t for me. I know a lot of people however that will love this book and will recommend it appropriately.

This novel blew me away. I am absolutely obsessed with Maxi and Riftan. This book was so beautifully written and had me immersed in the story the entire duration of me reading it. I enjoyed it so much that I preordered on Amazon so I can have the physical copy.

*Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review!*

this was just lovely .i enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed the webcomic.I am also in love with this special edition and I have preodered it and can't wait to have it on my bookshelf.

One of my fave tropes marriage of convenience was done and executed well. love the disability rep but also loved the character development. Not much to say about the plot but I personally think it was character driven which I had no issues with! would recommend!

Thank you netgalley for the arc.
Unfortunately i did DNF. This book just wasn’t my cup of tea. It was rather mundane and on slow side. But that’s not to say others won’t love it!

I received a partial ARC of “Under the Oak Tree” in exchange for my honest review.

This story is a gem! First off, I am a complete sucker for any story with characters with disabilities. Especially when they are presented as strong, compassionate and capable… and @SujiKim does that with Maxi. I adore these characters so much. Maxi is resilient, smart, kind and fierce despite her own insecurities. And Riftan is so well written, he’s not perfect but is kind and clearly loves Maxi in the sweetest way. Even grumpy Ruth is endearing and loveable in his curmudgeon way. While I was only given the first 11 of 47 chapters the story was compelling and sweet. The spice hits hard, straight out of the gates but is classy, respectful, well written and just the right amount of smutty.

Read this if you like:
➡️ Arranged Marriages
➡️ Differently Abled
➡️ He’d Do Anything For Her
➡️ Grumpy Magic Friends
➡️ Unique Magical World
➡️ Gas Pedal Spice


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🔥🔥🔥🔥

#UndertheOakTreeVolume1TheNovel #SujiKim #disabilityrepresentation #romantasy #spicyread #manta #grumpysunshineromance #NetGalley

So I had never read manhwa/webcomic books, I didn’t know this book was one of those, however NetGalley gave me the opportunity to read this.
The first chapter of the book, I didnt even finish. I was Very turned off and uninterested. I had finished another book and came back a week later. I am Glad I did not DNF that early in as then I didnt think this book would be for me. Minus the long chapters. I did enjoy the book, It didn’t require much thought. It was a fun effortless read. However there was little to no plot. Maxi and Riftan annoyed me quite a lot with their communication, and her stuttering. Towards the last chapter is when we really got anything new to add to the book. I’m unsure if I’ll read the second part, mainly just based off interest to see where it goes.

Dang it ! This book snuck right into my heart. I loved it so much! I need Vol 2 immediately.

The author truly built a world I just melted into. I love when the female lead character needs to grow and find strength so they can come into themselves . This book has so much power !! Maxi is more than her father believes she is. With in these pages you will find the trauma and pain that she had to endure. Then you will see her collect her strength and stand. Shes more than just a daughter to marry off. I am her number 1 fan! The things that she finds in her arranged marriage and dark castle will leave you in awe.

The author really grasped the character development. So many angsty knights that just win your favor. Truly a beautiful book with a dose of smut. Take your historical romance and turn it on its head with this book. Get the lust and power of king henry with a sprinkling in of mystical monsters. I’m ready for the next journey.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC. I read Under the Oak Tree as a web comic and was absolutely obsessed with the story and the characters. Seeing Maxi’s journey of self discovery, of healing, and finding her confidence is so beautiful and getting to read it on a deeper level with the Novel has been an incredible experience. The writing was stunning and picturesque and really left me eager for the next page. I cannot wait to have the physical copy in my hands this November.

Disclaimer: I received this arc with the mindset that I would give an honest review. Thank you so much!!

I was initially drawn into this book because of the art on the cover. It is really beautiful and the color scheme is really catching. Then I was drawn in further when I realized this chapter book was based on a webcomic that I read once upon a time ago. I really enjoyed the webcomic so I knew that I would enjoy this book.

Because this was once a webcomic or a manhwa, the pacing to this book is a little off. I still enjoyed it but it is important to note that for those who may struggle with book pacing. I really enjoyed Maxi’s character and the battle that she went through mentally for this book. Her character growth was often hindered by our male main character Riftan. Maxi is not a strong-willed character but that is due to her history of abuse and having a male that has a dominating personality means that he is not as accepting to her character as one would think he ought to be.

Because of the nature of how this book is adapted, the conclusion to this book was lacking. But that is due to the fact that it is not complete. I want to recommend this book but I want to see what happens next to our characters in the next book.

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group Suji Kim, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! Maxi is the daughter of a Duke, who mistreats her because of her speech impediment (a stutter) and her shyness. The Duke arranges that she will marry Sir Riftan (a knight and former mercenary) in order to avoid defeating a dragon. As Maxi gets acquainted with her new home, she learns that she gets treated a lot differently.

I started reading this not knowing/reading the manhwa, and I thought it was…ok? There isn’t much of a plot, and every time Maxi and Riftan are alone (every other chapter maybe) it gets very spicy. However, they each have insecurities and secrets that they have to deal with, but they grow over the course of the book. I enjoyed reading the scenes with Maxi and the other knights and with Ruth (even though they are a bit caustic, they still help Maxi learn magic). It gets more interesting at the end, with a quest for the soon-to-be-knights, and a minute possibility of Maxi joining them, if she could master powerful magic.

TLDR this was okay. 2.5

This story follows maxi as she learns how to fake it till she makes it as a head mistress, lady of the castle.
Maxi had an arranged marriage to Riftan so her father could avoid going off to war. Three years later, he’s back and he… loves her? What ensues is definitely a bit of a toxic relationship but mostly because both characters are just trying really hard to be what they think the other person wants them to be. The plot is very slow moving and basically is just following Maxi as she becomes more confident and starts to learn some things and her relationship with Riftan grows but she starts to realize that something is amiss.
I liked the wording and the flow of this book. I did want to keep reading, despite the pace being so slow. Not a lot of Noteworthy things happen in this book unfortunately.
I didn’t like that there were times were it seems the characters have forgotten what they said. There were three times that I noticed, a character would say something at one point, and either repeat it like it’s the first time later or say something contrary to it later. I didn’t like that it ended, seemingly in the middle of a chapter. I feel like you could have just published the whole thing. Even if it’s 600 pages, that’s better in my opinion. I also didn’t like that this book is atleast 20% sex. Super on page sex. I’m not a smut girly, and you can skip it but it’s like pages worth of sex, and sometimes you think it’s done and then it’s sex again.

I have a feeling that the next book will have some more going on so I kind of hope that they will cut some unnecessary stuff and just combine the two for a shorter big book or just go for it and make a 600 page book. People will read it.
Content summary 🖍️abuse, sexual assault pretty much, on page sex, toxic relationship, magic, some gore 🖍️

I loved this story! It’s a webcomic I really enjoyed and I’m so glad that the author turned it into a chapter book. I enjoyed reading it so much. I always wanted more from the plot and characters when I was reading the webtoon, and the chapter book gives me exactly that. I’m so happy that this was written into a book, and I can’t wait to see more of it as it comes out. I decided to give this book a 4 star rating because although the story was enjoyable and filled with cute romance and tension I found that there was something missing.

Thank you to NetGalley/Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine: Inklore for the e-arc! Major TWs for noncon/dubcon and historic physical/emotional abuse.

I was super excited to see this book being traditionally published and getting a definitive english translation after previously reading part of the manwha. It's been long enough since I read it that some details have slipped my mind, but I know I liked it for the same reason I persisted with this novel: I wanted to see Maxi grow. Don't get it twisted, this is a character-driven romantasy about someone recovering from a deeply traumatic upbringing. Her romantic interest does not always help!! I would argue he makes things worse most of the time!

Maxi and Riftan are both incredibly insecure and have a lot of trouble communicating as a result. This is literal for Maxi as she has a stutter, but is mostly derived from years of abuse that has left her meek, scared, and feeling worthless. Riftan is a lowborn knight who has earned the title of lord through battle, and he feels inadequate to be married to the daughter of a duke. This explains but does not excuse his actions, temper, and the way he speaks to Maxi. The dynamic ends of being pretty toxic, as Maxi grows dependent on him despite him treating her more like an object than a real person. It's not a relationship that I can root for, in all honesty, but there is reflection near the end.

Due to the nature of the book having originally been published as a webnovel, the pacing is a little slow and meandering. There's a fair bit of repetition and the inclusion of unnecessary details. The ratio of plot to sex is... unbalanced, to say the least, especially for many of the first depictions being non-consensual. The book as a whole gets a lot better in the second half, but it just ends without ANY conclusion. I really hope they consider smoothing that out in the final release because it's very unsatisfying to just cut off. But the translation and localization throughout was pretty good, it all read really naturally.

Overall, I'm not sure I would be able to recommend this book to the general public until the series is complete and I can see the full arc of character development with both Maxi AND Riftan. Until then, maybe stick with the manwha, or at least start there to see if it interests you.

Honestly, I didn't even finish this one. It was just was too slow for me and my adhd brain to try to force myself through. I believe I decided not to finish it around the thirty-eight precent marker. But I can't be sure. The written was just too flowery for me. I don't need anyone to wax poetic to me or over describe a character or their surroundings for it to be imaginative.

First and foremost, I want to say that if you have any major triggers, it's extremely important that you read the author's note at the beginning of the book. If you read this story and feel uncomfortable, congratulations, you can identity a toxic relationship.

This is the story of Maxi who was abused by her father, the duke, and is married off to Riftan. They perform their "marital duties" to each other before Riftan leaves for 3 years. I've seen quite a few 1-star reviews from people who are upset about the non-consensual sex, but I think those reviews are unfair because many years ago, wives were considered property and were expected to have sex with their husbands, regardless of consent. So while reading, I tried to put myself in that mindset and took their relationship as simply that.

But then the relationship starts to "evolve," except it doesn't. Maxi continually doesn't encourage Riftan and he continues to get turned on by her saying no. He shows Maxi his softer side by giving her attention and affection, but then will get mad when she doesn't respond to favorably to something he says or does. Then he has sex with her. Then they have a misunderstanding so he apologizes by buying her gifts and then has sex with her again. There is no real plot other than that. There is no conflict other than the lack of real relationship between these two characters. In fact, the only time they try to get to know each other, Riftan says he likes wine and food and Maxi says she likes animals and hates herself, but won't say anything further. Deep.

I paused after that conversation and reframed the way I approached this story. Instead of viewing it as a romance, I looked at it as the story of a toxic relationship. I expected that, as Maxi was changing and coming into herself, Riftan would change as well and what was a toxic relationship would turn into a love story. That didn't happen. In fact, the book ended almost as if the author got tired and decided to stop writing. Like, the ending isn't an ending. The words just stop. Then I saw that this book has won romance awards and I felt uncomfortable with it being marketed as such. I think it sends a message that what occurs in this story are ok in present day and that we romanticize abuse.

All of that being said, what I liked about the story was that Maxi starts to grow as a person. She was abused and has a stutter, as result, but her stutter starts to go away. And she comes into her sexuality and starts to enjoy sex as opposed to fearing it. She embraces becoming the lady of the castle and it's nice to see someone so damaged get to enjoy life.

This book as so much potential if there was just more substance. The writing is good and the pacing is great, there's just no real story outside of Riftan's desire to have sex with Maxi and her appeasing him. We see sides of Riftan that can make him a great character, but it never goes anywhere.

In book 2, I would like to see more of Maxi's independece and see Riftan's character give more of who he is or wants to be. I would also like for magic to be at the forefront of the story. Maybe that's being worked towards, but I'd like to see more of it. Also, can we please add more of the relevance of the oak tree? The book is literally called "Under The Oak Tree," but the oak tree was a blip.

🔘𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞
🔘𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲

✨Thoughts✨
For many years, I have been fascinated by this story. I am saddened to have reached the end, but I am over the moon to see that Riftan and Maxi finally have their happily ever after!

As soon as I grasped the fact that this web novel was going to be published and that we would finally have the chance to hold a printed edition in our hands, I found myself eagerly seizing the opportunity to reread it through NetGalley. The editing had undoubtedly improved, but alas, the plot remained unchanged, which was perfect!

🔸If you haven't read this book yet, imagine an epic love story between a noblewoman with a speech impediment and a powerful knight. He is deeply in love with her but unable to express his true feelings. Add to that a raging war full of monsters and terrifying dragons, and you have yourself a masterpiece of a story!

⭐ 3

This was entirely mediocre as books go. I was not wowed but I wasn't entirely bored, which left me apathetic when picking the book up at the end of the day. I would really only suggest picking this up if you were a diehard fan of the webcomic as I do not think the story stands on it's own without the missing visual elements/artwork.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review!