Expected publication: May 2nd, 2022
"I don’t know. I’ve never abducted a prince. It always seemed like too much trouble. And what would I do with one? Stick him in the middle of a field and use him as a scarecrow?”
This was a generally entertaining, fun, easy read.
The world this is set in is pretty interesting - there’s some lore, smoothly added, just enough to build the setting without overwhelming. It also holds my attention, and left me wanting more (in a good way). I loved the maps - I am such a sucker for pretty colorful maps in fantasy books. It was further developed through the characters themselves, which is always neat when an author can do that so skillfully.
The romance was a little unbalanced for me. It was built in fits and starts, and at one point, a big part of their bonding was skipped over. I had a little trouble buying into their connection, though not too much. I’d have liked a little more depth and connection over the constant banter/sniping. Which i also wanted to address anyway.
The banter/sniping took up a large part of their interactions and book, and at times it felt a little too much for me. Sometimes I just wanted them to shut up and get a move on. In general, it was amusing to read otherwise, and worked well with their antagonistic relationship.
Overall, this was a pleasant read, with fun world building and a satisfying ending without cliffhanger but still a hook for their next book.
This was a fun read with a premise I love in fantasy romance: two reluctant allies that embark on a quest together. I also love this kind of pairing: the small, stubborn and uptight MC with the flirty MC with no boundaries. The light-hearted writing style and the fast-paced plot make this a very easy and entertaining read. The world HL Day created for this story is interesting, and we discover it at the same time as Jack, a farm boy who hasn’t seen much outside of his village. There are some nice maps included in the book, which was pretty cool. The magic system was also fun, and no, this is not about a lion-shifter, as the cover would suggest at first glance: Sebastian can summons animals, and I liked all the possibilities that come with that!
I came in not expecting a deeply emotional book, which is fine, but I still wish there was a little more to Sebastian and Jack’s connection and relationship dynamics. I wish I felt a little more chemistry between these two. This is not truly an enemies-to-lovers romance, but there’s definitely some animosity there from the first meeting. That makes for some fun banter early in the books, but the constant bickering throughout annoyed me a little by moments. Like, we get it, he stole all of your money and left you stranded in an unknown village miles away from home, god, get over it, you know what I mean? There’s so much action and adventure in this book, and the characters are always going from place to place on their quest, but I wished it slowed down a bit to allow those two to connect more. The rare moments when it does (on the ship, for example) show that HL Day can write softer, romantic moments very well.
There is no cliffhanger in this, but the story of Sebastian and Jack will continue in the next book.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun and fast-paced fantasy book, especially if you like reluctant allies and Only One Bed!
This was a lighthearted silly story that follows the main characters Jack (the reluctant companion, as it were) and Sebastian (who can summon animals with his magic) on a million adventures through the kingdoms. Like, really, they went on a ton of different adventures in one relatively short book. A card game tournament, larceny, traipsing through the woods, traipsing through the seas, traipsing through more woods, climbing towers to rescue princes, wandering around looking for Jack's sister, rescue missions, etc. None of the adventures really concluded or mattered long term to the story but they made for a quick read as you jumped from one to the next.
As for the romantic arc, Jack and Sebastian sure love to argue and are very bad at using their words and making decisions. The romance was as lighthearted and silly as the rest of the book. The next book in the series follows the same couple so hopefully we will get a more firm happily ever after as they continue adventuring around. Some answers about Jack's sister would be nice too.
In short, this is a fun and light read. Don't expect anything too deep or dramatic from it. And don't expect any lion shifters because so far there are none.
The Reluctant Companion on Amazon
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