I have complicated feelings about this one, but ultimately it passed through the very rough beginning and become more engaging. The content warnings are no joke, so please heed. Overall I enjoyed it and will likely read the second volume when it is published. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!

I’ve read a part of the webtoon version of this before and I absolutely loved it! So I was excited to be able to get the chance to read this ARC. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine: Inklore! The story is heavy on the romance with more of a focus on character development, but it is more of a slow gradual growth, so there’s very little action in the plot throughout the book. The supporting characters were likeable and added depth to the story, especially Ruth. His scenes with Maxi were delightful! For me, I do think it works better as a webtoon, as you get a better understanding of the characters and the scene transitions-it’s kind of abrupt at some parts in the novel. Overall, I thought this was a cozy and enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC!

Under the Oak Tree was originally a web-coming, from my understanding. It serves up all the tropes, with a historical fantasy setting, an abused rich noblewoman, and a husband who from the start, fiercely cares and loves his wife, despite all the misunderstandings between them. I could see this book being a successful webcomic, as it relies on the tropes for the reader to follow the plot and continue reading - and I will be honest, I bet with good art and the amount of steam the book has right from the get-go, this would be a fun read.

As a book...not so much. The writing is incredibly simplistic, with not much actual...writing? I don't know how best to explain that. Our main character has a stutter that has only worsened under her father's negative admonishments, and so while the backstory makes sense, she's an incredibly frustrating character. This has all those makings of a good pining and misunderstanding trope - I can feel it in my little romance heart -- but is just executed so poorly that I had to DNF partway through. I'm also personally not the biggest fan of steam that is written about purely with vague references, and this book was chock-ful of that. That being said, I would give the webcomic a chance, but as a standalone novel, this book doesn't work.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! Romantasy heavy on the romance which is never a bad thing for me. The spice was unexpected but appreciated. Pleasantly surprised by this book.

I'll first admit that I was drawn to this book by its very pretty cover. Secondly, I have to say that I usually don't like books that are heavy romance with little adventure, or action in their plot, so this book was a departure for me. For readers who like a romance, with some explicit content, a sweet female main character and her gallant knight who saves her from a cruel parent and siblings and whisks her away to his castle while he protects the lands, this is the fantasy that they've been looking for. I prefer my main characters, if they start off with self-doubts, to come into their own, find their strengths and go off to fight the monsters and defend the lands with their knight, or even to become the gallant knight themselves. Occasionally, I like to try and read books outside of my usual genres but if I don't enjoy them so much, I will admit that the fault is not necessarily in the story but that it isn't my style. So for those that like romance-heavy fantasy-lite, you might find what you are looking for Under the Oak Tree.
I received advanced access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine: Inklore) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

I cannot with this book. I tried. I couldn't connect with the story, the characters, or the writing style.

The cover is gorgeous. The book was fun too, but I could not stand Maxi’s stuttering. It drove me crazy!

The start of this novel may be challenging for some readers (content warning), but at its core, it is about a young woman discovering her self-worth and learning to believe in herself. Having read the webtoon version, I noticed many similarities between the two, though this book includes a significant amount of steamy romance that caught me off guard!

I feel like I definitely took a chance on this one, and I was pleasantly surprised. I will probably continue the series.

thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a free review
I loved the webtoon of this and I'm so glad i got approved for this! gotta love a good marriage of convenience trope with grumpy x sunshine/sweet