A Deal With An Elf King by Elise Kova

The elves come for two things: war and wives. In both cases, they come for death.

Three-thousand years ago, humans were hunted by powerful races with wild magic until the treaty was formed. Now, for centuries, the elves have taken a young woman from Luella's village to be their Human Queen.

To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the townsfolk. A mark nineteen-year-old Luella is grateful to have escaped as a girl. Instead, she's dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town's only healer.

That is, until the Elf King unexpectedly arrives... for her.

Everything Luella had thought she'd known about her life, and herself, was a lie. Taken to a land filled with wild magic, Luella is forced to be the new queen to a cold yet blisteringly handsome Elf King. Once there, she learns about a dying world that only she can save.

The magical land of Midscape pulls on one corner of her heart, her home and people tug on another... but what will truly break her is a passion she never wanted.

Hades and Persephone... Beauty and The Beast. My catnip. My kryptonite. This book has all the elements and gives off all the vibes so, needless to say, I was hooked from the beginning and I freaking loved it.

I loved the slowish burn of the romance and enjoyed the slow pace of the story - but acknowledge that some may find it irritating.

The world-building is straightforward and uncomplicated... Especially when compared to Fantasy books in general but I feel like this is a point in its favour as it provides a backdrop for the romance between Luella and Eldas without ever drowning it out. The romance, the relationship between the pair, is front and centre. I'd even argue that this isn't a fantasy book... It's a romance in a fantasy setting and fantasy romance is a very different beast to a fantasy that contains romance... I think if more people went into it knowing that there'd be less complaining on Goodreads... But I digress.

Neither character - Luella or Eldas - was particularly memorable on their own but I liked them both and I liked them together. I admired Luella's compassion and determination and I admired Elda's kindness even though it had to be tempered by duty to his people. The secondary characters in the book were window dressing... Pretty underdeveloped and only there to push a plot point forward but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.

A Deal With An Elf King is not a perfect read but it ticked so many escapist and happy place boxes for me that it goes onto the keeper and love shelves. It was just what I needed right when I needed it most.

If I'm honest, I'd say that it's the kind of book that people will love or hate... And for me it's love.

Oh! One final point... I'd have been pretty miffed with some elements of the book's ending if I hadn't read the bonus epilogue that you get by signing up for the author's newsletter so that's something to bear in mind... It's something that should 100% be included in the actual freaking book and not as a subscriber grab but oh well.