Falcon's Kiss

Princesses of Selmy Island, Book 1

By: Mandi Richards

Narrated by: Jennifer Smith

Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Perfect for fans of Bridgerton and Sara J Maas alike, this series combines your favorite historical romance tropes with a unique fantasy world on the brink of a fae war. Sail away on the Falcon's Kiss, book 1 in the Princesses of Selmy Island Trilogy

A Headstrong Human Princess

Princess Marya Sova has always been the born leader of her siblings, but when her father dies, her brother must take the crown. Marya knows she is better suited to the job, but as a woman, that is not an option. She will settle for serving as his advisor if it means helping her kingdom. But suddenly her brother is insisting she help secure them a political alliance by marrying into another kingdom. Is marriage really the only way a princess can help her kingdom?

A Dissatisfied Demi-Fae Prince

Prince Ferrand Foucon is lucky. As a demi-fae prince, he knows his father's fae lifespan gives him plenty of time to enjoy life before he takes over as king. Content to spend his time sailing the continent on his ship, his only companions are his crew. When his father sends him to spy on the new King of Selmy Island, he finds himself drawn to the eldest princess. After seeing his father's broken heart when his human mother died, he has sworn to never fall for a short-lived human woman.

A political marriage neither wants.

With Marya's uncle breathing down her neck to make an advantageous match, and Ferrand's insisting he convince the princess to choose him, it seems they will have no choice but to wed.

A passion neither can deny.

Will the burning desire blossoming between them be enough to make their union successful, even after they learn about magical outside forces at play that neither of them could have expected?"

©2020 Mandi Richards (P)2021 Mandi Richards

overall not a bad listen

If you're looking for a sweet little book with not a lot of content then this is the one for you.

Tropey fantasy...

Falcon's Kiss is the story of Ferrand, a demi-fae prince and Marya, a human princess. When Marya is passed up to rule her kingdom, she's urged into forming an alliance in marriage. She and Ferrand go into the arrangement determined to not catch feelings, but they do.

Instalove stories don't bother me like they do some others. Falling in love quickly is a common thing, especially among younger people. The trope of a marriage of convenience was believable. I thought Ferrand was a good character, but Marya grated on me after a while. She puts on an air of being an independent woman, but she often acts so naive and wishy-washy. The world building was okay. It probably could have used a little more. The thing that bothered me the most is that this story contains the trope I absolutely hate the most. I won't spoil that for you here, and it's strictly a personal preference. It might not bother you at all. Finally, I loved the beautiful cover of this book.

Thank you to the author for the complimentary audiobook to listen to and review. All opinions are my own.

Enjoyable fantasy romance

Falcon’s Kiss is a really good fantasy romance. Marya has never wanted to get married, but her parents died and now her brother, the new king, wants her to marry to form an alliance that benefits the kingdom. She wants to do what’s best for the kingdom, so she determines to chose a match that will allow her to keep as much freedom as possible. A marriage of convenience, that’s all she wants. But when she meets Prince Ferrand, a breathtakingly handsome Demi-fae she might get more than she bargained for.

I really liked this audiobook. The narrator is quite good and I enjoyed listening to the story. I liked Marya. She is willful and smart and she’s been blessed with the gift of running. I also liked Prince Ferrand since he was willing to allow Marya freedom and treat her as an equal. The romance between them was lovely and there are some steamy scenes so this is definitely an adult read. Most of the book I rate 4 stars but there’s some development at the end that intrigues me and makes me really want the next book, so I give it 4.5 stars overall. If you enjoy fantasy romance then definitely give this a listen!