I struggled with this one. The forced sexual encounters, the choppy writing, the long drawn out story. I had really high hopes, but this just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Hi I received this Arc from netgalley!

Okay the beginning is a little slow but overall a great read! I love the tension and character growth we get to see throughout the book. I also love how Riftan helps her grow into the person she wishes to be and how he loves her unconditionally through all her faults. I can't wait to read the next part of this story.!

Under the Oak Tree by Suji Kim, is a novel based on a Korean webcomic by the same name. It follows Maximillian (yes, really), or Maxi for short, a noblewoman in a nondescript medieval fantasy world sold off into an unwanted marriage by an abusive father who is ashamed of her disability. Like other reimagining's its strongest audience will likely be fans of the original series but it is worth the read if you find the summary intriguing (not to mention the stunning cover and beautiful special 1st edition 😍). It's a slice of life story with a cute romance for fans that enjoy character focus over heavy plot. Having no familiarity with the original series, I found the story struggled to get off its feet but by the end I found the characters endearing. Expect spice! 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Other Thoughts: Maxi is carrying a lot of trauma but her naivety & insecurity was over the top for me, especially since our entire perspective on the world was through her eyes. I would have preferred more details on Riftan's background, what their world is like, and the magic system earlier on rather than so much time spent on Maxi warming up to her surroundings. It felt like the entire 1st volume was solely set up for Volume 2 which is no big in a webcomic but I would have liked to see a climax of action. The ending felt incomplete. The MMC is a gruff, battle hardened hero. His treatment of the staff in his employ is off-putting. Not a book boyfriend for me personally but his encouragement of Maxi as she learns her independence and self worth is sweet and there is plenty to root for in their romance.

Under the Oak Tree: Volume 1 by Suji Kim is a slow-burn fantasy romance about a troubled marriage that slowly starts to show signs of growth. While the world-building is rich and the characters are well-developed, especially Maximilian, the story felt a bit too slow for me. The romance takes its time to build, and I found the pacing a little draggy at times.

While fans of slow-burn romance and emotional character growth will probably enjoy it, this book just wasn’t my cup of tea. The slow pace and lack of action didn’t hold my attention, but I can see why others might like it.

I love this series so much! I started with the manhwa and I was so excited to see the novel getting published. Maxi is one of my favorite main characters, she has such a tragic backstory but seeing her grow and become more confident is such a good feeling. I also really like Riftan, his strength and bravery is amazing. I feel like once you get past the beginning and the misunderstandings, the story really picks up and it is so good!!!!!!

I remember reading this on Webtoon ages ago and I loved it. When I saw this offered on NetGalley I was so excited to see how this would translate from a comic to a book. Unfortunately, this is where it all fell flat for me. I feel that the writing style does not translate over from a comic to a traditional book. The excessive use of “…” and how Maxi’s stutter is written out l-l-l-like th-this can be draining to have to read over and over again. I do like Maxi and Riftan’s story but I prefer the comic.

Maxi is a noble woman. Her father is very powerful. However, to look at her you would never know she comes from a wealthy family. She doesn't wear fine clothes or jewels. Maxi has a stutter and is deemed an embarrassment and so she is hidden from society. Her father is not a kind man and believes he can beat the stutter out of her.
So, when she is married off to Sir Riftan, she's afraid to hope her life could be better.

This was a tough one to rate. While I enjoyed the story and the characters, there was so much sex in this book that it took away from the story. A little is fine, but this was way too much. I did like the story enough to continue the series, but I think I will just skip those parts.

I'm definitely rooting for Maxi and I'm excited to see her continue to grow as a character.

Under the Oak Tree by Suji Kim offers a heartfelt and poignant journey of self-discovery, love, and redemption. The novel centers on Lady Maximilian (Maxi), a woman who has spent her life in the shadow of her powerful father’s expectations and her own insecurities, including a stutter that has kept her isolated from the outside world. Her marriage to Sir Riftan, a lowborn knight, is forced upon her, and the couple’s early relationship is fraught with tension, misunderstandings, and emotional distance.

The story picks up three years after Riftan leaves their disastrous wedding night, returning as a war hero. He’s been offered a marriage to a princess but still desires Maxi, which sets the stage for a complicated and slow-burning romance. This premise is rich with potential for character growth, and Maxi’s journey toward finding her own voice and inner strength is one of the novel’s most compelling elements. Her transformation from a timid, uncertain woman into someone who can stand up for herself and demand respect is touching.

That said, the book’s pacing can be uneven. The first half, which focuses on the development of the couple's strained relationship, sometimes feels drawn-out. While it’s clear that Maxi and Riftan both carry a lot of emotional baggage, the narrative often lingers too long on their miscommunications and frustrations, which can be frustrating for readers hoping for a faster progression into their eventual understanding of each other. Riftan’s brooding, gruff nature also risks becoming a bit repetitive, and his transformation into a more emotionally open character may feel a bit rushed in contrast to the slow build of Maxi’s character arc.

The fantasy elements, including magic and the backstory surrounding Riftan’s heroic deeds, provide some intrigue, though they are often secondary to the emotional drama between the main characters. The world-building feels underdeveloped at times, and the fantasy setting doesn’t quite live up to the potential suggested by the premise.

Maxi and Riftan’s relationship does eventually take center stage in a more satisfying way, with moments of real emotional depth and chemistry that make the payoff worthwhile. The final act of the novel, when the characters finally confront their feelings and misgivings, is poignant and rewarding.

Overall, Under the Oak Tree offers a heartfelt exploration of self-worth and love, though it could benefit from a faster pace and deeper world-building. Fans of slow-burn romance with a strong emotional core may find it a worthwhile read, though it may not resonate with readers who prefer more action-driven or fantasy-heavy stories. The book sets a solid foundation for the series, and I’m curious to see where Maxi and Riftan’s journey goes next, but this installment left me wanting a bit more.

I was already a fan of this story before I read the official English translation. I am a fan of the WEBTOON and the light novel. Comparing those to the official translation is why I cannot give it 5 stars. The translation is a little rough but the plot is still there. I love the characters and the relationship.

Under the Oak Tree - Suji Kim

I’m not going to lie, I’m not too sure what to do with this review.

Beautiful cover and I’m in my fantasy era, but my head is a little scrambled about if I liked this one or not. This was definitely spice forward so keep that in mind when picking this book.

Here are some of my concerns:
Do I even like these characters?
They were both very insecure and didn’t communicate
Grey area with the spicy scenes that threw me off
More spice than plot -- I like spice don't get me wrong
FMC has a speech impediment (which is completely fine) but it threw me off a bit with the audiobook
Wasn’t fully fantasy - fantasy light

I still think give it a try, but go in knowing what you are stepping into.

#bookreview #netgalley #fantasy #undertheoaktree #beautifulcover #bookstagram #booklover #bookaddict

Thank you NetGalley and Inklore for this ARC Copy!

This was such a cute story, I just loved every minute of it. From the first chapter I expected something completely different from this story but I was so pleasantly surprised once we left her fathers castle. Watching the characters learn and grow was so fun, and this was truly an enjoyable slice of life story with a fair amount of spice. I will definitely be continuing on with the series.

My friend loves loves this. I like the webcomic version (mostly because of the beautiful artwork). However, the novel version is just not for me. First off, kudos on describing all the things that would have been drawn out on the page (Did the book come first or the webcomic?). The author does that part well (hence the rounding up to 3 stars). The smut parts are also decent.

Now, the parts that aren't for me.

There isn't really a plot. Not even a conflict other than what Riftan is upset about this time. The miscommunication trope is overwhelming in this book. The two don't get each other and they reconcile by having sex (good smut though lol). The serious dubcon in the beginning also bothers me. I think there are better smut out there that won't make you uncomfortable.

It is nice seeing Maxi slowly coming out of her shell, but she is a total damsel in distress through and through—a far cry from the ass-kicking FMCs I've been reading. Riftan needs to let Maxi do her thing. Let her live a little other than have sex with you! Maybe she needs a Rhysand to save her from Tamlin hahaha (IYKYK).

Apparently, there is a part 2, but the lack of a plotline doesn't entice you to keep going. This is like a fantasy slice of life except Maxi's life isn't that exciting.

Did i read this already? yes.
Did i still sign up for an arc? double yes!!

The art is so beautiful, it’s like visually stunning, so I want to thank you for my eyes being blessed. This is the novel which allows us to have better information and more clarity where the comic failed. The story line wasn’t entirely the best for myself but that’s a personal matter however it was entertaining nonetheless. I say give this a go.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with this arc.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️
💭My thoughts: I read this comic before just the first volume so I was excited to read the novel. It is just as good! Riftan is so drool worthy, Maxi has my heart everytime with her adorable stuttering, and Ruth is just as fine. Now I look forward to more!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. I have not read any of the previous works so I did not have any knowledge of the story when I began. Unfortunately I am not the happiest with this book. I felt like there were so many misunderstandings and I was very uncomfortable with the intimate moments. There were so many times I wanted to quit because I felt like these moments for SA. The first encounter I felt both parties actually wanted to be together was 61% in. I’m glad we got there but I would have DNF’d already if this wasn’t an ARC. The reason I still rated it 3 stars was because I did like the change in the FMC and enjoyed the parts when the MMC wasn’t around. Especially when the knights showed their support for her by allowing her to help them. I thought it was a sweet moment between the characters.

I have been hearing about his for a while so I was very excited to get a ARC copy. Thank you Netgalley. This book is well crafted and so beautiful. A lot of details I love it! However it’s only Volume 1 not the entire story. So hopefully we will not have to wait for to long. Read it.

This essentially reads as self indulgent fanfiction, but drags on too long and without any signifanct growth in characters or relationships to have any payoff.

Firstly thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
This book was probably the most disappointing read of the year unfortunately. I did stick this book all the way to the end so I could fairly review it but every time I stopped reading I didn’t want to pick it up again.
As mentioned by another reviewer there is straight up SA in the first chapter with no prior warning. As a dark romance reader this threw me for a loop.
The most frustrating part of this book is that NOTHING ACTUALLY HAPPENS. Like yes the characters are doing things but there is zero plot.
With there being no plot there surely must be some good character development right? WRONG. While Maxi had the most growth it was still abysmal. She’s constantly trapped in this imposter syndrome mentality and it’s exhausting every time it gets brought up. And Ryftan is just annoying with his constant outbursts and then acting like they never happened.
And this these characters is constantly miscommunicate or just straight up not communicate at all.
But surely the romance parts must be good and well written? Again NO. While spicy scenes happen often they’re just so cut and dry. I’m talking no foreplay and they seem like they come out of no where.
Lastly wtf was that cliffhanger?? Nothing happened the whole book but somehow felt like the first book was incomplete.

TLDR:
If you want to read this I guess give it ago? But I’m easily entertained and I did not enjoy this for the majority of the time.

Single POV, Spicy, Arranged Marriage, Fantasy, Protective & Possessive MMC, Touch Her & Perish, Found Family, Opposites Attract, Sheltered FMC

Under the Oak Tree is a fantasy arranged marriage romance between a sheltered FMC and one of the kingdom's most renowned knights. Maxi has suffered abuse from her father her entire life and assumes her marriage will be the same only she never could have imaged how caring, possessive, and protective her husband is despite his rough nature. Watching Maxi and Riftan fall in love is heart melting as Riftan struggles to balance his duty with his need to provide for her. Looking forward to the next book to see what lies ahead for Maxi and Riftan.

I was immediately drawn to this book because the cover was so gorgeous. I did not know that it is originally based on a web comic, but I did kind of get a sense of that in the writing. While I enjoyed the story and Maxi and Riftan's relationship growth with each other, I did feel that the writing was a little bare bones where I feel that the comic might have conveyed more. I also did not know that there were trigger warnings for this books so the content surprised me when it came up. But, overall I enjoyed this book.