1st read: March 2022
2nd read: November 2023

I really enjoyed reading this, but I don't think I loved the romance as much as it did during my first read. The story kept my attention really well, so I'm tempted to still give it 5 stars, but it feels like a 4 star book now.

I still love how the characters were respectful and kind to each other while they were "traveling companions" and eventually their relationship grew into a romance.

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Original review:
I adored this book, which isn't a surprise because I love Alice Coldbreath's books.

I liked the main characters so much. Una has been used and pushed around for her whole life, and now she just wants to be free to have a life of her own. She is a pragmatist and doesn't expect much from others, but I wouldn't describe her as a pushover, even though she isn't very assertive.

Armand isn't the most morally upright man. He has shirked his responsibilities and taken the easy path all of his life. But, he is kind to Una from the get-go (except for a few idiotic moments). I really liked seeing their opinions of each other change throughout the book. At the beginning they were thrown together and were just respectful allies, and I loved seeing them grow together in a really believable way. ( )

High 2. So many excellent elements woven together so poorly. Too many situations and characters introduced and then given short shrift or not mentioned again at all. Disappointing. ( )

4.5 stars rounded up. Marriage of Convenience and Road Trip tropes. The couple spend the majority of the book married, so you get to see them working things out and settling into the relationship rather than all courtship and then a marriage in the last chapter. Both main characters are flawed, but likable. The heroine has been sheltered, but still has some life experience, and is definitely not a "spitfire" or ninny sort. It's a pretty good journey to a HEA. ( )

Each of the books in this series has just gotten better. Una is the captive princess from the rebel North, an unwilling symbol of a failed war. She just wants to be left alone but the king has decided to marry her off in a tournament. Armand is a knight who throws matches for money, but when the tournament rules are changed, he suddenly finds himself with a wife.
This is actually a pretty sweet story. Neither one of the two is what they seem at first, and it's fun to watch as they each develop over the story. Armand is a lovable rascal who brings out a lighter side to Una while she helps him develop some responsibility.
It's a good story in a good series. ( )