How to Catch a Queen

Slow slow burn with an arranged marriage/marriage of convenience that happens before the start of the book. It makes the pacing a little wonky - there's a lot of exposition/background stuff that's told instead of shown at first, and I think maybe a flashback to their first meeting would have been good? As it goes on, though, I really came to enjoy the slow burn of their relationship and Sanyu dealing with his difficult upbringing and anxiety as a result.

Shanti's motivation was a little underdeveloped for me - I never really got why she wanted to be a queen, specifically, as the way to make positive change in the world, when there are a million other ways to do that, even politically, without trying to marry royalty. I liked her a lot, and I loved her interest in helping her adopted home, but I think a little more background would've been useful here. My only other nitpick is that the tie-in to the next book was more than a little clunky, but I also am very excited for that next book, so I won't fuss too hard.

I loved the cameos-via-text of previous characters from the Reluctant Royals series and I love how fully realized the world of these novels is, and I SUPER-loved the reveal late in the book of what happened to the former queens of Njaza and the missing/erased goddess. I know this is a new series, but the continuity with Reluctant Royals is so satisfying and fun. Very much enjoyed this one!