DNF - I really have to stop trying Angry Robot books, the writing styles never agree with me. I found this one so clunky, heavy on the info-dumping and telling-not-showing. Not objectively awful, but not great, either.

dnf @ 11%


I had really been looking forward to this one!! I was on the fence because while it's not portrayed as a cozy fantasy, the marketing made it feel like it could lean that way. (& I'm still not entirely sure if it is or isn't cozy fantasy -- the stakes are definitely higher than cozy fantasies, but I felt little if any tension in the part I read.)

The concept is super, super compelling to me, but I didn't find myself caring about any of the characters or the setting or the plot. So evidently this book is not for me.

That being said, I do think that people who like cozy fantasy would likely connect with & enjoy this book!

I've been a fan of Mari Costa's comic work for years, but with this being her first novel, I decided to keep my expectations realistic about the prose. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by a book beautifully written, with prose that is evocative in ways I've never seen in other books. When a new character or location is introduced, the clarity of their descriptions makes it so you can feel you're seeing them exactly as the author intended. The dialogue was also on point, (which is no surprise), though I wish there had been more of it. That's where the author makes you laugh the hardest.

I have to say, when I read that this book was enemies to lovers (plus all the fantastic promotional art she's been posting on socials), I expected a more tragic and dramatic story. I felt disappointed in Eufrates as a villain, whom I wish was more unequivocally evil. When we learned the history of his tyranny, I thought, "Wait, that's it?", and his actual character during the story was a little underwhelming. He doesn't feel like a real threat until way past the first half of the book.

(SPOILERS) I know there's an explanation for that, and that Eufrates was never truly bad, but that's something I'll touch on below. Personally, I think if a book starts with a character committing suicide to travel back in time to kill the love of his life, the stakes have to be a little higher than what he ended up doing, even if he wasn't fully at fault. By the time the real villain is revealed, I was so starved for an evil guy that I almost rooted for him instead. (SPOILER)

I also feel the magic system wasn't explained well enough for the twists to hit as hard as they could, just a vague idea of what is easy or hard to do. The political intrigue in this book doesn't really do it for me either, since aside from the main cast, there isn't any other named character who last more than a scene.

Now, if there's one thing Mari does well in any medium, it's the romance. The actual moments when the main couple was allowed to be in love were so, so, SO SWEET, and in the end you can't help but root for them. By the end of the book, I was at the edge of my seat waiting for them to just get it together and admit their feelings for each other. I also really loved what we got to see of Eufrates before becoming a king, when he was a young bard with no interest in politics. That side of him really makes it all the more tragic that he ended up where he did.

(SPOILER) While I don't think Eufrates wasn't as evil as I would've liked, I really like that he doesn't accept the truth behind his actions as an excuse for what he did. It would've taken away from the story if Eufrates just said "oh thank god" and became good right away. At the end of the day, all the bad things he did were done under his name, and the guilt and trauma from that is not something that can be undone with just the reveal. (SPOILER)

TL;DR: Shoestring Theory is the perfect book for those looking for a cozy read with beautiful prose, witty dialogue and a good, sweet romance, but those who are interested in the enemies to lovers/tragedy aspect might be let down. I give this book 3 stars.

“A queer, madcap, friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers time travel romance with the future of the world at stake”

I don’t know where to begin!! I loved this story so much. I was completely charmed by all of the characters and how hard they love (Tig my muscular Queen and Eufie the *misunderstood* bard Prince) but most of all by my sweet, oblivious Cyril. It was easy to relate to his self deprecating and self sacrificing tendencies, as well as his flair for the dramatic and general incompetence in most things. Truly, we need more main characters that are sometimes just stupid!

There is so much complicated love and growth in this story and it was such a joy to read. I don’t care if it sounds lame but it is never too late to learn to love yourself or learn to love the ones around you better!!

Thank you so much @netgalley for the eARC ❤️

Thank you to Net Galley and Angry Robot for the e-ARC.

Shoestring Theory is a fast-paced friends to lovers to enemies to lovers, time travel fantasy book, with so many twists and turns to keep you guessing.

Throughout this book I especially enjoyed the magic system as I felt it was fairly unique: spells being webs of sorts that you can see and can cut/untangle to dispell them. I also really loved the banter between characters - it was witty, hilarious and really showed off how close the main cast are.

This is marketed as perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes, and I definitely agree with that! Whilst not low stakes (or cozy fantasy) the charm the world has and the characters have do play into some aspects of the cozy fantasy genre. Alongside this - mages in this world have familiars which definitely add to that for me (Shoestring and Ganache I love you).

Overall, I definitely would recommend Shoestring Theory for those who love Legends & Lattes, time travel fantasies, and enemies to lovers. Please do take into consideration the below content warnings before picking up this book:
Suicide, knives, self harm, blood, death, murder, attempted murder, abusive marriage, body swap.

As a fanfic girlie, I was intrigued. As a cat lover, it was a need.

I'm always hesitant when there's time travel, but this was SO GOOD.

'Shoestring Theory' is an enchanting time travel romance with a friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers arc with both charm and depth. While the plot follows some occasionally predictable patterns (but as a fanfic girlie that's what I am HERE FOR), the rich character dynamics and complex relationships elevate this beyond typical cozy fantasy fare to create an engaging narrative that I was obsessed with and left wanting more. The time travel elements are particularly well-crafted, which is something I am always weary with, and added layers of intrigue to both the romance and the fate of the kingdom. At its heart, there was a perfect balance of lighter moments with weightier themes of redemption and responsibility.

This book was so far from my usual read, and I absolutely adored it.

I was completely enchanted and dying to know where the story was going from the very beginning. It was also sooo cosy and captivating!

This had such a varied combination of tropes and I think that’s what made me love it so much. There’s second chance romance, time travel, magic, wizards, lovers-to-enemies-to-overs, grief, a badass female character.

The cat… that’s my main takeaway from this and I am hung up on the cat more than I care to admit.

I absolutely loved this it was everything I needed.

It was precious, a beautiful and intricate story of second chances and those we love.

I was drawn in from the off, and it really got me in the feels.

The characters are addictive, the pacing of the story is perfect.

I do feel that the mood that I was in at the time of reading made it that much more addictive, it really gave me a lump in my throat on more than one occasion.

I can’t say much more for fear of having to tap the spoilers button.

Just read it. It’s well worth your time ❤️❤️❤️

4.5 stars

TIME TRAVEL COZY FANTASY. Did that sell you, because it got me. Cyril, the former High Mage of the High Court, has been living in isolation with his cat familiar, Shoestring, for years. He fled the court when it became clear that the king he served had become a ruthless dictator, and the realm has been physically falling apart ever since. But when Shoestring does the one thing a familiar never should--dies--Cyril is spurred to action. He sends himself back in time, to a time when 1. Shoestring was alive, obviously, but 2. the king's older sister is about to be crowned instead, before her mysterious death. Now Cyril has a second chance to right his wrongs, if only he can figure out what they were the first time around.

This was such a fun and cozy read with just the right amount of stakes to keep me invested in knowing what would happen next. The magic system was fun and different, but also felt very light and open, like anything could happen, if that makes sense. The rules worked, but weren't restrictive. I enjoyed the romance, but more than anything else the friendship and hijinks were my favorite. It had the feel of fanfiction, where it was very self-indulgent but in the best way. Like a book made up of the side quests you wanted to see fleshed out more in other media. Highly recommend, and thanks to Angry Robot and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

The Shoestring Theory has a lot going for it with a clever plot, witty dialogue and various hi jinks involving a cat, The story flows well, and Costa has a strong narrative voice. What brought it down to a three star for me was that the author uses emotional abuse as a plot device. What appears to be a book that carefully discusses the harm done to someone when emotionally abused and coerced, is "fixed" as events unfold. Until this point, the scenes about abuse were well written, and it was such a shame to see such an important topic be essentially thrown out and undermined.

This was a fun romp, but it could have been much better with a bit more care.

This was such a wonderful book and the author has penned it down in such a beautiful manner that reading it was a great experience. The plotline was well paced and executed well too which made my reading experience more wonderful.

Shoestring Theory by Mariana Costa
Rating: 5/5, If I could give it 5.5/5, I would

Summary:
A queer, madcap, friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers time travel romance with the future of the world at stake, Shoestring Theory is a delightful and unique fantasy adventure sure to captivate fans of Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree.

The kingdom of Farsala lies broken, with black clouds looming over its lands. Former Grand-Mage of the High Court, Cyril Laverre, has spent the last decade in isolation, living in a crumbling seaside shack with his only companion—his cat familiar, Shoestring. He harbors immense guilt for the kingdom’s downfall, for Cyril’s husband, King Eufrates Margrave, descended into paranoia and madness, and Cyril did nothing to stop it.

But when Shoestring dies, Cyril knows his time is running out. In a last-ditch effort, he casts a powerful spell to travel back in time—before the tragic events that led to the kingdom’s ruin, and before his romance with Eufrates bloomed. If Cyril can just prevent Eufrates from becoming king, maybe he can save the future. But his magical oath to Eufrates, made long ago, may yet prove to be his most enduring and perilous piece of magic.

With a witty, formidable Great Aunt, a love quadrangle, and a crow familiar named Ganache, Shoestring Theory is as charming as it is daring, filled with fantasy-lite elements and plenty of heart.

Plot & Pacing:
This story hooked me from the moment I read the back cover. The line "a queer, madcap, friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers time travel romance" was all I needed to know that I was in for a fantastic ride. And it did not disappoint!

The plot is captivating, blending time travel, romance, and a quest for redemption seamlessly. I love how the story doesn't shy away from emotional depth, even with its fun and sometimes whimsical tone. There were twists that I didn’t see coming but made perfect sense when they happened. The stakes felt real—both on a personal level and in terms of the kingdom’s fate.

The pacing felt just right for me. I flew through this 400-page book in two days because I simply couldn’t put it down! The combination of personal moments, fast-paced action, and world-building kept me hooked from beginning to end. The story slowed down at the right times for emotional beats, and picked up the pacing during the thrilling moments.

Characters:
Cyril is an excellent protagonist. He’s complex, vulnerable, and deeply relatable, even as a powerful mage. His struggle with guilt and his desire for redemption really drove the emotional core of the book. I found myself rooting for him every step of the way.

Eufrates was another standout. He’s sharp, witty, and I couldn’t help but root for him. I adored how his relationship with Cyril was handled—there was real tenderness and pain there. The tension between them felt real and there was a magnetic pull that added so much depth to the story. The friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers trope was done beautifully, with the right mix of tension, sweetness, and emotional depth.

And then there’s Tig—literally and figuratively a sassy queen. She is both the actual queen and the sassiest character, and I’m absolutely here for it! I have a personal weakness for what I like to call sassy kings and queens, and Tig is everything I hoped for. She is quick-witted, bold, and utterly delightful. She brought so much fun to the story, and I couldn’t get enough of her.


World-Building:
The world of Farsala is vibrant and full of life. I enjoyed how the fantasy elements—like familiars, time travel, and magical oaths—blended with the more personal storylines. The magic system in the world was fun. There were darker and grimmer moments in the story, and it doesn’t shy away from more difficult themes, but they were handled with care and balanced by the warmth and care of the characters.

Romance:
I found the romantic elements here perfectly balanced. The relationship between Cyril and Eufrates was central to the story, blending in seamlessly into the broader plot. I loved how their dynamic evolved over time and how their past (and future) connection added layers of complexity.

The friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers dynamic and how it is handled felt refreshing to me. The tension was palpable, the banter witty, and the emotional beats truly heartwarming. Their relationship felt genuine, with all the highs and lows that come with deep love, heartbreak, guilt, and betrayal. It was an absolute joy to follow their journey.

Writing Style:
The writing style in Shoestring Theory is beautiful and accessible. The prose flows wonderfully, and even with my dyslexia, I had no trouble staying immersed in the story. The language was engaging without being overly complex, proving that magical storytelling can be both lyrical and accessible.

The dialogue struck the perfect balance between witty and heartfelt. The humour made me smile and chuckle, the twists and turns had me sitting with my mouth open, and the more emotional moments hit the right notes. This book blends it all so smoothly.

Themes & Inspiration:
At its core, Shoestring Theory is about second chances, redemption, and love in all its forms—romantic love, friendship, and even self-love. The themes of trying to fix your past mistakes, saving those you care about, and learning to accept yourself were woven beautifully into the narrative. I especially loved the found family aspect, which has to be my favourite story trope, and the diversity of the characters, which felt natural and integral to the story.

Cover Design:
The first thing that pulled me in was the cover, which is just gorgeous and so much fun! The details are intricate, and the drawing style is beautiful. Every little element on the cover feels intentional and reflects the tone of the story. I especially love the simple, soft colour palette that makes the design pop even more. This cover is definitely going on my mood board as inspiration for my own book cover. It’s stunning and fits the story perfectly.

Final Thoughts:
Shoestring Theory is an absolute gem of a book. The compelling characters, rich themes, and engaging writing style kept me hooked from start to finish. The romance was beautifully done, the world-building was immersive, and the emotional beats hit just right. The fact that I finished this book so quickly, even when I should have been working on my own writing, says everything!

I believe this book is a standalone, and I have to admit, that makes me a little sad. I’m already yearning for more stories set in this world and with these characters. It feels like there’s so much more to explore, and I’m definitely not ready to say goodbye to them just yet.

With its gorgeous cover, witty dialogue, fun magic system, and heartwarming romance, this book is a solid 5/5 stars for me. If I could give it 5.5/5, I would! I’m certain I’ve found a new book to add to my list of comfort books, and I can’t wait to revisit it.

I can’t recommend this book enough, and I hope we get more stories set in this world!

I can't wait for the physical copy of this book to come out—it deserves a spot on my bookshelf, and I’m sure it will become a comfort read that I’ll revisit time and time again.

The review is online on Goodreads on my account meltriestowriteastory, and I will add the link to the review.
The review will also be placed on my TikTok account (meltriestowriteastory). One spoken review, that will appear on Sunday October 6th and the written review will be online on my account on Saturday October 12th. I will add a link to my TikTok account

I also posted a review on Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Amazon Belgium, and Amazon The Netherlands

This book scratched a part of my brain I didn’t even know I had. I was laughing, I was screaming, I wanted to break my iPad in half, it was glorious.
I don’t how to talk about it without explaining the premise: a mage travels back in time to stop his husband, the king, from becoming evil and destroying the world. The time travel is the only part of his plan that works. Everything else is side-quests and hijinks and somehow, it all works out in the end. Go into this book knowing nothing but that summary and the general vibes of the homegrown memes over on Mariana’s page and you’ll have a blast.
I say this will all love and care: Cyril is the embodiment of the OverlySarcastic “pure of heart, dumb of ass” definition of himbo and I would die for him, much like the otherrest of the characters in this book. He truly must be the greatest wizard of his time if he can work that kind of magic even when every step he takes makes me want to swat at him like a cat. 😂😂

Shoestring Theory by Mariana Costa is a new queer fantasy romance about a mage who tries to give himself and his kingdom a second chance. It’s fun, unique, and filled with strong characters and a truly captivating relationship dynamic that I think fans of romantasy and cozy fantasy will really enjoy.

This is a really silly, high energy fantasy romance. It took me a little while to get a grasp on the world and who the characters were, but once I did, it was a super fun time!

Thank you so much to Angry Robot Books for the ARC!

This was cute, but I struggled a bit at the start. There was a lot of info-dumping in the first half. Two characters would be in the middle of a conversation and suddenly there would be a multi-page flashback packed full with information - then the conversation would pick back up and you had to try and remember what they were talking about. I checked out a lot during these parts.

I did enjoy it overall. I found the premise to be interesting and I adored Tigris!

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review. I loved the premise of Shoestring Theory, but unfortunately wasn't able to finish the book (DNF'ing at around 10%).

While the blurb covers the key inciting moment for this book (so it wasn't necessarily a surprise), having one's book start with graphic animal death in the first chapter doesn't feel like the most auspicious start to something marketed as a cozy romance. Add to that the fact that nothing is explained early on - I don't need my magic systems fully spelled out for me (pun intended), but I do like some parameters around the type of world we are living in - and I knew this book unfortunately wouldn't be for me.

This was a delightful queer fantasy that was a breeze to read.

The book was engaging, the characters were realistic, and their relationships were just the right amount of complicated. The world was not as developed as the characters and their angst and drama, but just enough to not feel flat. No character was perfect and I loved how they acknowledged that to themselves and others and realized they needed to work on themselves to get better. Cyril is a great main character who was flawed but also someone who you were rooting for the whole time. I wanted him to get his happy ending. The rest of the characters were well done and I especially liked the Queen and Aunt.

I read this book fast and didn't need to stop or get bored. The writing was not too complicated but not too simple and flowed well. I haven't read a time travel book in a hot minute and I enjoyed that element. Overall this book was an enjoyable read that was well balanced.

First of all, I’m sorry that I’m late with this review of the Shoestring Theory, despite owning both a NetGalley copy AND a paperback ARC I got in Glasgow. But life’s been kicking my ass, so I’m slightly late with this review, as it was released on October 8th.

I had my eyes on Shoestring Theory ever since I took part in its cover reveal back in March. Seemed like a book that would fit with my current trend for books – cozy M/M romance with a fantasy setting. I admit I was curious how the lovers to enemies to lovers plot would work out with the time traveling aspect. As much as I wanted to love this book, I honestly can’t say I did. And believe me, no one is sorrier than me.

Cyril lives like a hermit in a shack by the sea, in a world that’s basically dying. When his familiar, Shoestring dies, he decides it’s time to go back to the past and stop his evil husband from getting on the throne. It all goes according to plan, until it turns out that not only did he went back in time, but he somehow also managed to get his husband back too, which makes it harder to outright assassinate him. And so, Cyril needs a new plan, which eventually involves Shoestring, his husband Eufrates, the would-be-queen of Farsala (the kingdom Cyril and the others live in) who is also Eufrates’ sister, Atticus (Tigris’ fiancé) and the current grand mage, Heléne, Cyril’s aunt.

Despite the book being set in a palace (two, actually, but that’s all I’m saying), the cast of characters is rather small. We get the story from Cyril’s POV, and it’s a pretty character-driven story, I would say. But I wished we had other POVs as well, because I was missing some depth, especially when it came to Eufrates and Cyril’s relationship. We see glimpses, we get told what went down, but it’s all from Cyril’s side and after a while I found Cyril quite annoying and self-absorbed. Most of the other characters remained a bit one-dimensional and underdeveloped for my liking so I was struggling to get invested. I was even considering to DNF around the halfway point, because I just couldn’t see how these two ever could work out – wither in the past or the present. I’m not sorry I stuck with the story as we got the explanation for everything, but even that left me underwhelmed, because everything was just way too easy and convenient. And I would have liked a bit more foreshadowing when it came to one of the characters, because they became suspicious to me because they were just too obviously good.

This book could have been a deep dive into relationship (and power) dynamics, a book about political intrigue and powerplay, it could be so much, and it somehow ended up being nothing much. even though Cyril tries to take an active role in events, he keeps messing up and being rescued by others. He never really has control over anything. Aunt Heléne could have been an amazing side character, a witty older lady who hands their asses to these youngsters who think they know everything (they don’t and Jesus, some of their conversations were painful), but she gets a criminally low amount of page time. I demand justice for Aunt Heléne!

For a book that’s labeled cozy, it has quite a few dark themes – it starts off with a suicide, effectively, there is domestic abuse, bloodshed, and death. Cyril and Eufrates’ relationship even comes off as toxic at times, which certainly didn’t help me to get invested in them…

Okay, I realise that this review has been not very nice up to this point, but there were things I liked too, like the familiars (wish they would get more attention as well), and the relationship between Cyril and Heléne who is pretty much the only parent he really knew and I liked to see how they connected with each other. I also liked that while the magic was interesting, it wasn’t overexplained. I think some people might have preferred to understand it more, but it worked for me – I don’t need to understand every rule and little detail. I also liked Tigris’ story arc, at least she didn’t end up being a cliché after all.

Shoestring Theory has a lot of potential and the seeds of a good story, but for me, the execution fell short and I eventually walked away a bit disappointed.

Shoestring Theory is a fantasy book described as a "queer, madcap, friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers time travel romance with the future of the world at stake." And this description delivers! First thing's first, though: The comparison to Legends & Lattes is NOT accurate and I would not base the decision to read this book off of that comparison.

Mariana Costa truly delivered with the fast-paced and unique plot, the endearing characters, and the touching romance between Cyril and Eufrates. Their relationship and romance is so well-written and gripping with all the bits we get from their past, present, and future selves. This book is incredibly witty and equally poignant. It is a book that makes you feel deeply and tugs at your heartstrings at the same time that it makes you think about life, love, second chances, and how to show up for those we love.

I highly, highly recommend Shoestring Theory!

Thank you to NetGalley, Angry Robot, and Mariana Costa for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.