thank you to netgalley, city owl press, and b.a. richards for approving me! this is my first arc of the year and i was so excited to read it! queer royal fae has my name written all over it, but unfortunately, this wasn't quite the book for me. it had so much promise, and i enjoyed the characters more or less, but i didn't enjoy much of the writing style, and i felt like the plot was way too rushed and surface-level. i would have loved to learn more about the world, about the magic and the bond and feel like alard and raz were growing together, not shoved together and immediately obsessed and in love after only a few days. there was not enough show don't tell for me, and i think everything needed to be stretched out a bit more; it always felt like things resolved too easily and quickly given the stakes set up. ultimately, this was an okay book! i'm honored to have had the chance and opportunity to read and review this, and appreciate the publisher and the author's hard work.

A Happy Beginning is a queer urban romantasy with pleasant, accessible writing. Overall the book provides it's reader with a diverse world, but falls flat when the romance comes into play.

For fans of the "insta-lust" trope, this story might hit the mark, but it missed me entirely. I often felt the couple lacked any true romance at all, and had me wishing for even a touch more development.

A Happy Beginning certainly isn't a terrible book, and will entertain the right crowd, but it could have appealed to a wider crowd with a lot more care, and a bit more editing.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a simple fun fae romance done well. There's a unique plot that I also enjoyed; I haven't seen a lot of accidental marriages turned true love (plus a hard earned HEA) but it's something I've discovered I enjoy.
I loved the characters, they had great chemistry and I enjoyed the banter between them. Everyone is so respectful of Meyda, who is aroace, and it was so sweet and encouraging to see.

A Happy Beginning is a well written debut novel by B.A. Richards. Due out 21st Jan 2025 it's 359 pages and will be available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is pure escapist romantic fantasy, genderqueer friendly, told in a dual PoV between the two main characters, a fae princeling who is also living in the human world and working as an attorney, and a human businessman and entrepreneur. There's a fair bit of explicit content (M/M), so readers should be seeking a spicy read, or at least ok with that. The author does a good job with it, and it's surprisingly not cringey at all. The language (and content) are at least R-rated+. Definitely NSFW/commute (unless the e-reader is well figleafed).

The story is engaging, and the characters are well rendered and not just "body parts"... they have real motivations and thoughts. The plot is complete, with a magic and political systems which are well constructed and thought out (not just tacked on to bridge the gaps between the sexy scenes).

Four stars. It seems to be a series opener. It's an indi-pub, and quite explicitly spicy, so probably not appropriate or easily accessible for public library acquisition, but for romantasy fans, it's a good start.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

A Happy Beginning

4/5 Stars 🌟

Damm she spicy , spicy 🌶️🌶️

Alard and Raz and the spice factor at the start and it was perfect! Honestly I didn’t expect that and I’ve never really read a spicy book and this was my first!

The fact the moaning lead to the marriage kills me 😂

Overall this book was super good! The descriptions and world building was great, I loved the twists and turns throughout, some bits were predictable but worked really well!

Vampires, Fairies, Werewolves you love it you got it!

I honestly don’t want to say much more as I honestly really enjoyed this and suggest you read it as soon as you can get a copy!

This had that fantasy element that I was looking for and enjoyed getting into this world. I was engaged with what was happening and thought the characters worked well overall. B.A. Richards has a strong writing style and can't wait for more in this series.

ARC - PUBLICATION DATE 21ST JAN 2025

4 ☆

『 tropes 』
•m/m
•dual pov
•fae/human
•accidental marriage
•magical system
•instant-love
•queer rep

『 plot 』
alard fairchild is trying to make the most of his time in the human realm, with his best friend james, he knows time is running out and he will have to return to his own realm when the time comes, and he’s made peace with that, until he meets razi miller and their instant connection makes is making i harder for alard to leave but he’s a fairy prince who must return to his realm and kingdom and bring the kingdoms together by an arranged marriage with his best friend, meyda, if not it could result in war.


『 my thoughts 』
the plot was so fun, an accidental bonding of marriage between alard and raz, after only knowing one another for one night and then both working together, alongside alard’s friends james and catherine and a couple more on the fairy realm, meant that the two male main characters spent more time together and of course feelings grew and decisions needed to be made.

the inclusivity of a gay relationship, an asexual person, a non-traditional relationship, was so well done and written. it was such a fun plot but with more important and thought provoking themes throughout that added more depth to the story and made you think about it in real life.

the writing style was great, it flowed so easily and you were getting pov’s from each main character and had a well rounded picture of what was going on and it felt like you was right there with the characters.

i am a huge fan of this book, it was such a fun read. it had everything a good book needs: lovable characters, good villains, fantastical creatures, a magic system, inclusive and queer rep and lgbtq relationships.

This was my first B.A. Richards novel and I was impressed with the writing style. The world was so unique and the author did a wonderful job of creating a visual. I thought the story was interesting but couldn’t quite get into the romance. It fell a bit short for me. Overall, it was an interesting read and the concept was very unique.

Happy Beginnings is a fast-paced, spicy, MM fairy romance that will keep you hooked from the beginning. I enjoyed how intriguing the characters were and how the story jumps right into the conflict from the beginning. I think this is a solid read and would recommend it for romantasy and queer fiction fans alike!

Thanks to NetGalley and City Owl Press for the ARC!

10-15 years ago, this would have been called urban fantasy or PNR (paranormal romance) - today, it’s romantasy! It’s got excellent LGBT+ rep - including ace!

Alard and Razi have an instant connection when they run into each other in New Orleans.. and wake up with fairy bond marks indicating they’ve been married during the night. Alard has a political marriage coming up in, like, a week, so he really needs to undo this bond (preferably without killing Raz, who he definitely is getting some real feelings for. Kidnappings, attempted murders, standing up to your parents, meeting your husband’s fairy princess fiancée… oh yeah, learning that there’s a fairy realm and all sorts of supernatural creatures on Earth. Raz has quite the awakening. It’s going to take all his skills as a businessman, and Alard’s as a a lawyer, to get out of this mess without starting a war.

This is a mostly fun adventure, although I absolutely did tear up at times! Raz and Alard’s connection and complications really got to me. The side characters are all unique, too.

Definitely give this a read if you love m/m fantasy politics.

First of all, thank you to @netgalley for the e-book copy of this in exchange for an honest review and to the author for reaching out to gauge my interest in the first place. ☺️

This was a wonderful and fun queer adventure. It has such a lively and diverse cast of characters you can't help but love and root for, as well as a great setting between New Orleans and the fantasy realm. The romance was a perfect blend of sweet and spicy and I loved all of the representations regarding sex and sexuality.

This is the author's debut novel and was an excellent first venture into the romantasy world. There were so many fun elements and it was just the cute queer fairytale I needed right now!

Very lovely and I was happy to receive a copy and review. The book will be released this Tuesday (1/21) for those interested. ☺️

I love it when a new to me author just blows me away, and that's exactly what happened here! Intriguing, captivating and absolute ride of a book - loved it!

It was a real pleasure to meet Raz, Alard and Meyda. They are a beautiful mix between love, tenderness and trust.
I love the fact that it's not an instant love, they had doubt and a real construction in their relationship. It's a good Romantasy with a perfect representation, the fantasy background is great but I was a little bit scared with the plots twist and until the end it was almost perfect. I think that the last "problem" who came to them (the werewolf problem) was just to much and it could be different because the explanations are almost empty/no sense.
At the end I cried, laughed and be touch by the story and Raz and Alard win my heart.

The magical chaos in A Happy Beginning pulls you into a richly crafted world where New Orleans’ charm meets high-stakes fairy drama. Alard and Razi’s accidental marriage sets the stage for a sizzling romance full of sharp banter, emotional depth, and unexpected twists. While the ending felt a bit rushed, the blend of vibrant world-building and organic inclusivity made this an unforgettable adventure.

I’m really grateful I’ve been able to read this early, I had a great time and I’m rating it 4.25 stars.

This is a spicy fantasy with high stakes and so many wonderful magical elements. It tackles subjects such as sexuality, boundaries and arranged marriage. It’s a mature book with a YA fantasy feel which I loved.

Before I begin, I would like to thank B. A. Richards for allowing me to read a Net Galley copy of their upcoming book, A Happy Beginning, which will be available on Amazon on January 21, 2025.

Alard Fairchild is a fairy prince from the Kingdoms of Earth and Sky that works as a poverty lawyer in the French Quarter of New Orleans. He wants to live an ordinary human life, but then he meets Razi Miller, a charismatic tourist. After spending a night together, Raz and Alard wake up and find themselves bonded to each other by a magical ancient marriage tattoo without any explanation why. Alard is already engaged to Princess Meyda of Fire and Ice so their accidental marriage could start a war between the two fairy kingdoms. Can Raz and Alard undo the marriage bond in time or is it possible for them to create a new path for love?

This book is awesome. You have Alard, a kind, thoughtful, honest and intelligent fairy prince that loves the human realm and helping others. You have Raz, a smart, diplomatic, charming, and handsome young man that does his best to expand his business and learn more things. The interactions between the two main characters were sweet, honest, and often times vulnerable. Meyda was wonderful and I love her devotion to her pets and helping her friends. The world building was well written, especially in terms of differentiating between the fairy and human realms as well as the two fairy kingdoms themselves. The stakes were high and the ending was great. I would have liked to see the ending drawn out more by a couple chapters or an epilogue since it felt rather quick for me. Overall, if you like New Orleans, great friend dynamics, fairy realms, accidental marriages, aroace and other LGBTQ+ representation, POC representation, magic, and sweet romance with quite a bit of spice, then I would highly recommend this book. Here's the link with more information: https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Beginning-B-Richards-ebook/dp/B0DPJFMTL1

Alard is currently working as a lawyer in the city of New Orleans little does everyone know that he's not a normal human but is actually a fairy prince form the Kindgoms of Earth and Sky. He meets Razi by chance multiple times, they have an instant connection. During a heated evening they somehow end up bound in marriage. This puts Alard in a tight place as he is set to be married to his best friend Meyda, the princess of Fire and Ice.

The world building in this story is lovely. You feel like you're there with them enjoying the streets of New Orleans or seeing the fairy realms for the first time with Razi. The stakes are high with Meyda's parents threatening war and Razi in danger.

The characters were all intriguing, both Alard and Razi were interesting and engaging. It was nice to see the "rival" Meyda be fun, interesting and one of my favorite characters.

This was an ambitious story and it did feel at points that the author was trying to add more and more obstacles for Alard and Razi before they could find their happy ending.

This book was a lot of fun and fast read. It was great to see a queernormative world and a whole range of interesting characters. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a fun, queer fantasy.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to start out by saying that I love that the romantasy genre is embracing queer identifies. This has all the ingredients for a great genre romance, but ultimately the story just didn’t work out for me due to a lack of world building and characterization. This story relies heavily on getting the plot going, which will work so many readers, but didn’t work for me.

3.5⭐️ rounded up. ARC review from NetGalley.

This was good on some levels and okay on others. The characters were engaging and I was very invested in them achieving their happily ever after, which is always a good sign because it means I connected with them on a level which made me care.

The dialogue was also pretty good, realistic. Emotional at times, funny at other times. It delivered some memorable lines and I enjoyed some of the witty banter. Concept also very good - I’m not normally one for fae/fairies but the concept intrigued me enough. I will, hand on heart, say, that the fairy element has nothing to do with what I disliked about this book.

However, the plot and delivery… left something to be desired. There was absolutely no sense of urgency in the story, and at no point did I genuinely fear for the characters and their wellbeing/lives. Also, bits (such as the kidnapping by the ogre) added very little to the plot. It was like it wanted to be a tense situation but it just didn’t quite deliver.

Overall, this was a pleasant and easy read. If you’re looking for a book that will promise comfort and a bit of fun whilst guaranteeing a happily ever after, look no further. I did enjoy this book, because who doesn’t want a bit of sunshine in their lives every so often?!

The banter between Alard and Raz had me blushing and giggling the entire time. The relationship between the two made the beautifully described setting all more real. Between the world-building, dragons, and banter, I genuinely fell in love with this book and have already preordered for a friend. This is also the type of book I would bring to an LGBTQ+ book club, the inclusivity is so organic It feels like a friend's story. Thank you, B.A. Richards for this fantastic read,