If I’m being honest, I couldn’t get into this book. I didn’t feel a connection with any of the characters and it fell flat for me. Kaz’s character was sweet and everything but I didn’t root for him or the FMC. It didn’t seem like they were meant to be together.

High fantasy! A princess that doesn’t want to be saved and a bookish monk prince embark on a treasure trove adventure, with an unexpected romance on the side.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading a fmc that can be her own knight. She’s not a damsel in distress and she carried the adventure here. Give me dragons and I’m immediately sold, let alone dragons that hoard away treasure troves. The world building and details here were great. The author did a great job of putting her own take on these dragons and their personalities. Oh sweet, non violent, tender Kas! He was a refreshing MMC. A super hot, bookish monk that had no buisness being this attractive or a monk for that matter. I would die for our sweet prince! This wasn’t spicy like other fantasy books I read but it was still tension fueled and there was a romance buildup with one very juicy scene! I’m invested and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

This book was very good! The story was very well written and it was very fast paced and it kept me on the edge of my seat!

What a great read. It's not often that a cinnamon roll MMC holds such a solid role throughout. The FMC is also refreshingly not a damsel in distress.
The plot was engaging all the way to the end and I look forward to the next installment to this series.

I was lucky enough to get an eARC of this book, which is set to release on October 8th, and let me tell you—it’s fantastic!!!!!

The story kicks off with Princess Nesrin, whose life was shattered 12 years ago when her uncle overthrew her father’s throne and killed her parents. Rescued from her tragic fate, she was sacrificed to a benevolent dragon, who trained her as a knight to guard its treasure. Meanwhile, in a nearby kingdom, Prince Kasper, forced into a monastery as a child, seizes the chance to find a lost artifact that Nesrin's evil uncle is after. Kasper and Nesrin set off on a high-stakes quest to find the artifact before her uncle does.

This book truly had everything! The reverse damsel-in-distress with Nesrin as a badass knight? Yes, please!! I loved how grumpy, irritable, and antisocial she was—it made her so relatable. And then, enter Prince Kasper, my sweet, bookish, pacifist cinnamon roll of an MMC! Their dynamic was perfection. The world-building, the quest, the creatures, the plot—it was all so addictive! I adored every minute and would highly recommend it!

#TheKnightoftheTrove #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Star Siren Press for providing the ARC.

To start off, it was fantastic how this book subverted the damsel in distress trope. Nesrin is as capable as they come and doesn't need a man to rescue her from her life as the knight of a dragon tribe. It isn't until Kas arrives on her front porch with a proposition to find a relic her despotic usurper of an uncle is looking for does she really see that perhaps there is more to life than just the solitude that her role brings.

Both Nesrin and Kas are very interesting characters. Kas is most certainly the cinnamon roll of the two, his kindness a good balance for Nesrin's abrasiveness. Their adventure is full of intrigue and danger and readers will have a hard time not getting sucked into their quest. Despite that, I felt that the book was strong in a lot of parts, and weak in others. I thought the pacing was a bit rough and that things either dragged on or were resolved way too quickly. Additionally, there was the random inclusion of modern language when this book is being marketed as a fantasy book.

Not a bad read. I definitely enjoyed myself. But I really just wanted something more than what it what.

The blurb of this book really drew me in! I loved that it was written around a quest that kind of gave me the nostalgic feelings of playing video games - through the different steps the characters had to take, we briefly got a glimpse of other kingdoms, which was nice. I do wish there was a little more world building though as these seemed a little rushed.

I really liked that Nesrin (FMC) didn’t need to be saved and was the knight, whereas Kas (MMC) was more soft and gave golden retriever vibes. I do feel like the FMC was done a disservice by her inner monologue, as she occasionally came across as annoying with repeating thoughts of “does he love me, is he flirting with other girls” etc, it just seems to take away from her “I don’t need a man” character.

The relationship between Nesrin & Kas was definitely a slow burn, but it was cute to watch it develop. It was refreshing that the MMC was all around good, and not morally grey (I love a morally grey MMC, don’t get me wrong, but it was nice to have a change!).

I really liked Ady’s (the dragon) character, she was funny and well written! I just wish we saw more of her throughout the book. The other side characters weren’t really fleshed out enough for me to care for them, but hopefully in future books that will change.

This definitely reads more YA than adult - except for one open-door scene near the end.

To wrap up, this was a quick & easy read. This is book 1 of a series, and I’ll probably pick up the second book when released.

I absolutely love Ady the Dragon, I didn't know I needed a sassy dragon in my life, but I wish we had so much more of her.

The slow burn romance plot is a bit frustrating at points but so worth it! Kas is a such a cinnamon roll you just want to eat it up!

Nesrin is a great character, I just didn't like how unprepared as a fighter she was made to look when they first start their journey and how meek the author makes her out to be.
She saw so much before she was rescued by Ady, and she is now a trained fighter, I understand that the whole concept of the book is morality, and good Vs evil, when to fight when not, when it is ethical to take a life, and we see Nesrin learn that lesson, but that bit was a bit cringe.

She's the Knight of the Trove, not a damsel.

I love the relationship between Kas and Nasrin, they save each other in more ways than one, and I wish we could have had more!

I loved this book! I think it was such a unique storyline and I especially liked Adys character - her personality is 10/10. This was my first "reverse grumpy sunshine" book and I loved Nesrin and Kas' relationship and how it developed more over the 2nd half of the book. Some of the fight scenes were fast paced and detailed which I love in a book! Kas was the perfect MMC and I loved the way things ended for him. The epilogue was great and its got me excited to read Book 2!

Another great and quick fantasy!

A badass, strong and independent princess who knows her way around a weapon. Dragons. Unwanted suitors. And a whole lot of drama and politics between kingdoms.

I really loved these characters, they were so fun, funny and I really enjoyed the dynamics between them. And how those changed and developed as the story went on. And that really does make me excited to continue reading the series.

This book has really unique dragon lore (and I love when I find unique lore and backgrounds for a rather common thing you'd find in a genre).

Kas is such a golden retriever, soft cinnamon roll kind of character (AND HE'S BOOKISH), so he was so instantly loveable. That's the way to make me love a book and to instantly get connected to it - make me immediately fall in love with a character.

Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap up.

This book was exactly the wholesome read I needed and absolutely fantastic. I laughed, I cried and I devoured it in a little less than 2 days.

Nesrin is a strong, lovable and fun character and it is easy to fall in love with her. Additional, her counterpart Kas, the bookish prince, is the sweetest love interest I have read about it a long time.

Holly’s take on Dragons, their troves and their Knights is absolutely stunning. The princess being her own knight, not a damsel and but a capable, independent human being, was everything I have always wanted in a knights tale.
Forget mortally grey men. I want a sweet, kind, smart and strong man like Kas.

Their love story, in my opinion, is the best one I have read in a long time. Definitely in 2024.

The pining, tension, adventure, the world building and the way Holly weaves her story is absolutely stunning.

It’s a MUST read for me. Coming out on the 8th of October 2024.

I can’t wait to see this blow up!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The world - building was intriguing and the action in the book had me glued to the book from page one.
It's a very intense book perfect for fans of the Crowns of Nyaxia series as it really ticks all the boxes that we're looking for in modern fantasy novels: romance, action, violence, a wee bit of spice because why not - and that tension as we immerse ourselves in a new world.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

I really had a fun time reading this romantasy! I enjoyed the characters and their relationships. I especially enjoyed the dragons (more of their stories would be amazing).
The FMC is a strong and independent princess who is basically sick of suitors attempting to “rescue” her, and the MMC is a prince who is a chaste monk. Their relationship development was really enjoyable to read, and I loved how they both shared a respect and love for animals. Their journey together and the story overall was so much fun to read-definitely looking forward to the next books in this series!

I’ve been enchanted by The knight of the trove, an Arc sent to me via NetGalley and I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
The book itself was well written with lots of wit and banter which I personally love!! There were many moments that made me smile and giggle! That monkey scene had me chuckling to myself…

The story itself follows a young maiden sacrificed to a dragon who is then made a knight to protect the dragons trove…. She battles suitors and finds herself on a quest with an unlikely Monk as her companion.

This was such a fun, lighthearted read filled with so many likeable tropes;

* Grumpy meets sunshine
* One bed
* Slow burn
* Forbidden love

I highly recommend this to anyone who’s favourite reads are fluffy romances and easy to follow fantasy/romantasy books.
The plot flowed all the way through, it was an all round enjoyable adventure from start to finish. P.S I think I need a monk in my life.

I think my book shocked me because the electric chemistry between our main characters whas coming off the page for REAL.. I ATE this book up. Not only was the chemistry unreal, the action was incredible, the writing took a show-not-tell stanse on world-building and to top it all off, I never found myself getting glazed over eyes or feelng bored. I can't wait to see what Holly Rose puts out next!

Sadly this book was a DNF for me. I was so hooked on the blurb, so excited to be an ARC reader. And I really believe that the story has so much potential but I just could not go on with the book after about 30%.
What bothered me:
- the pacing was really odd, incredibly slow at times and then other times just blink here we are
- the backstory was not established too well imo and dropped rather unnatural into conversations or thoughts
- I could not care for the characters and a lot about them did not make sense, including the dragon. So how does the dragon get people into the trove to train the princess? Does she bed the princes that come by to rescue her and then these guys just leave? Like that does not sound like something a guy who thinks himself great enough to fight a dragon would do.
- the way the story was established, how the MCs meet and then deal with each other. Who asks after a few hours "When will you trust me?" Sorry but nobody nowhere at any time would just trust a stranger, be it monk or no monk.

All this just accumulated and the read was such a drag. Im might be willing to give it another try in the future, especially since other reviewers seemed rather happy with the story. But right now I just cant.

1 star because DNF

Thank you to Holly Rose for the ARC of The Knight of the Trove. I enjoyed reading this epic quest as the characters embark on a journey to find specific hidden artifacts that are needed to save the world. The storyline flips what we normally see by having the young princess, Nesrin, be the dragon’s knight and Kas (the MMC) be a kind, soft and unavailable monk. Surprisingly, Nesrin is the grumpy and brooding character…not Kas...Nesrin is the one protecting Kas…who is so soft-hearted, he won’t even ride his elderly donkey.

Tropes-
Banter
Magic spells
Dragons
Slow burn
Forbidden romance
Strong FMC
She protects him
Bookish MMC

Rating: 3🌟
Captivating storyline: 3 🌎
Favorite character: Kas
Favorite side character: Adydorrstea
Spice: 1/5 🌶️
Favorite quote:
"The sight of blood doesn't bother me. The sight of your blood spilled by that monster bothers me"

The writing is more juvenile than I am used to, but that means that it is fast-paced and easy to read.

from the very beginning, I found myself OBSESSED with these characters and the whole “I don’t need a man to save me, I saved myself” theme was perfect. I loved the slow burn tension between the main characters and the forbidden romance between them was executed flawlessly,

4.5/ 5 stars
——————————————————————
What a fun adventure! Nesrin and Kas embark on an adventure together to save the kingdom. If you love dragons, knights, and a little mystery, this book is for you! Nesrin, our strong female fighter falls for the gentle monk (who has some secrets of his own!). The tension was *chefs kiss*, broken by the right amount of humor.

The plot features plenty of twists and unexpected details to stay engaged throughout. I enjoyed the discoveries the pair made, their growth, and their love. Ady, the dragon, comes with her own surprises.

Please read the author’s CWs before proceeding with the book! There are a few scenes with animal death, graphic injury, and graphic people death.

I enjoyed Holly Rose’s writing style. The chemistry built slowly and by the time I got to the end, I wasn’t ready for their story to be over! This book could have gone on another 200 pages and I would have kept happily reading.

I’m taking away a half-star for a lack of CWs and for some plot holes. The CW is vague and doesn’t mention any triggering themes and I wish some of them were. Readers don’t get to understand Kas’s heritage mentioned at the end, about which I was VERY curious. There’s also the mention of missing magpies (messenger birds) in the story but no clarification is given as to why other than a guess that they were being intercepted. Also, no mention of Father Ramdar. I hope these are all addressed in the next books because these felt like important details to the plot that didn’t get answered.

Overall, not at all disappointed and I will read the next one when she’s ready to do another round of ARCs. Loved the romance and adventure of this book.

“…our shadows always follow us, no matter how hard we try to stay in the light.”

“The Knight of the Trove,” by Holly Rose

What I loved:
-The traditional damsel in distress fairytale story with princes going to a castle protected by a dragon to save the princess trapped inside but this princess doesn’t need saving because she isn’t trapped at all.
-The Arabian setting, I’ve noticed a lot of books being written in the setting of a desert and I’m here for it. The perfect imagery and also unique difference when the traditional fairytale isn’t even in the traditional type of place.
-Tension between the love interest because he is a monk and trying not to break his vows despite him never wanting to be a monk at all.
-Strong FMC X Soft MMC
-The trauma in the past of the main characters. These characters were written so well and solid and felt everything they felt.

There was nothing I would’ve changed in the book. 5 out of 5 stars. Can’t wait for the next book in The Knights of Mellora series.

-Dragons
-Arabian
-Strong FMC X Soft MMC
-Monk X Princess
-SA Trauma

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

“Why were there so many different ways to be controlled by your family?”