Bridgerton meets The Bodyguard (by way of Georgette Heyer) in this low stakes and sizzlingly romantic, fantasy of manners. Which follows a dutiful heir and the charming, con-man-turned-swordsman he hires to serve as best man at his arranged wedding. 

As a huge fan of The Last Binding series, Swordcrossed has been on my list of most anticipated reads since Freya Marske shared the premise at an online Q&A last year. And having finally read it, I can confirm it’s just as fun, steamy and dazzlingly cosy as I hoped it would be. 

Marske’s prose was once again vividly detailed and dripping with intrigue, yet it was her heartfelt, character driven narrative (and a certain playfully witty, cinnamon roll MC) that really made this a standout read for me. 

Our first POV character, Matti, was such a kindhearted (though anxious) protagonist. But his willingness to put everyone else first, even at the expense of his own happiness (or comfort) was soo incredibly endearing. Plus his interactions with the roguishly charming, Luca (our second POV character) were deliciously swoon-worthy and gave Robin and Edwin (from The Last Binding) some pretty strong competition in the slow burn relationship stakes. 

Luca, in all his Labrador-esque (and cinnamon roll) glory, completely stole my heart with all his antics. His laissez faire demeanour and outlook on life contrasted so well with Matti’s self imposed reticence (which we see Luca slowly dismantle) but also served to hide some of his own insecurities (primarily his struggle with Dyscalculia.) 

I really liked that Marske explored both neurodiversity and mental health in her protagonists; adding a layer of depth and dimension to Matti and Luca’s experiences that only made me love them more. 

The inclusion also highlighted just how necessary representation is in raising awareness, amplifying voices and combating stigma surrounding neurodivergence, and the effects that a lack of support can have on people’s mental health. The LGBTQ+ rep was phenomenal as well and just one of many reasons Marske has quickly become one of my favourite authors. 

I don’t want to say too much else for fear of spoiling the plot, but the supporting cast (including Matti’s sister, Maya and his betrothed, Sophia) were wonderfully well written too. I’m not sure if this is standalone or not, but I really hope we get the chance to see more of them as they were both soo delightfully entertaining. 

The pacing was a bit slower than anticipated, but did made up for it with its witty banter and engaging characters. Definitely a worthwhile read for slow burn, historical romance lovers or fans of Freya Marske’s previous books. 

Also a huge thank you to BookBreak / Tor for the proof.