(Cover and blurb taken from Goodreads)
Official blurb:
Perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Cruel Prince, this tale of a human girl stolen to be the bride of a doomed fae lord is irresistibly romantic!
Hers is a life without magic or romance. Until the night he whispers her name.
For years, Valera has worked weary hours as a seamstress just to keep food on the table. She would give her all to protect her little sister from the cruelties of the world . . . and the tantalizing lure of the fae forest. One day, she fears, the fae will spirit her sister away, and how can Valera hope to stop them?
Then the fae come. Not for her sister . . . but for her.
Trapped in a magnificent palace far from her own world, Valera finds herself the unwilling bride of an enigmatic fae lord. He claims he won’t harm her and vows to return her home after a year and a day if she honors one rule: she must never see his face.
Determined to return to her sister at all costs, Valera struggles to unravel the mystery of her so-called husband. Why does he so desperately need a wife? And why her specifically? Torn between love, duty, and the unexpected freedom she finds in this strange new world, Valera must fight to find her place.
But will a burgeoning passion for the unseen figure in the shadows be her undoing?
The Moonfire Bride is book one of a two-part fae romance inspired by the myth of “Hades and Persephone” as well as “Eros and Psyche.” Read today if you’re craving a dark, swoon-worthy hero and a sweet, slow-burn romance with just a touch of steam!
My rating: five stars out of five
This is a unique Hades and Persephone sort of story filled with fae intrigue and a magical world.
Valera essentially gives her name to a fae unaware, making her hallway married to him. Then she agrees to go with his people, as they claim to have her sister. Trapped to be a wife for a year and a day for reasons she doesn’t know and Eloras won’t tell her, and agreeing not to ever look upon his face, Valera faces all kinds of mental and magical pressure.
I identified so much with Valera. She’s a seamstress, and I’m a writer, yet she goes through so many creative struggles in this book that I do in my own life. If trapped in a magical world with a husband as magical, mysterious, and shadowy as Eloras, I would’ve done many of the same things she did—except for the ending. I’m not sure I would’ve done that.
The side characters—a nymph and mischievous goblins—in this book were lovely. They added humor and depth to the story.
The romance was very will-they-won’t-they, and had me turning the pages wanting to know more. Eloras was actually pretty sweet, and as there were miscommunications and tensions as well, it all felt very real.
And the twist at the end left me breathless!
Overall, a great read with swoon-worthy romance, a unique fae world, and intriguing magical situations. Now on to book 2!
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