4 out of 5 stars
E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 2nd edition. 161 pages. Published April 25th 2020 by E.J. Russell (first published May 15th 2018)
Blurb:
With his heart’s desire at stake, can he resist giving Fate a little nudge?
Half-norn event planner Anders Skuldsson is under strict orders from Asgard not to meddle with Fate. But with Enchanted Occasions’ latest booking—the competition for the hand of Faerie’s one true prince—crashing around his ears, it’s really, really, really difficult to toe that particular line. So… if Andy just happens to pose as a contender for the prince? It’s an emergency, damn it. Besides, it’s only temporary, so Odin can hardly blame him. Right?
If Conall of Odstone hadn’t sworn a blood oath to protect his half-brother, Prince Reyner, he’d murder the idiot himself. Rey was supposed to be here, choosing a mate before being crowned and wed. Instead, he’s disappeared, leaving Con to impersonate him. Again.
But when Con meets Andy, his anger turns to desire… and despair. Even if Andy forgives him for pretending to be someone he’s not, how could a man as appealing and accomplished as Andy—a man who’s eligible for a prince’s hand, for pity’s sake—settle for the court outcast?
As for Andy, his burgeoning feelings for the prince are both unfortunate and hopeless because hello? Half-norn? Faerie prince? Not exactly a match made in Valhalla.
When the Faerie Queen herself hands down an ultimatum, the double deception isn’t their only obstacle. Unless Andy makes the right decision, both their fates could be sealed by… well… Fate.
Likes:
- Interesting premise.
- Good characters.
- A fun, fluffy read.
- Low angst.
- Unusual supernatural and mythical beings.
- The interstitial spaces.
- The situation surrounding Con and Rey’s birth.
- Better cover now.
- Great side characters.
Dislikes:
- Not a lot of world building.
- No smut.
- The ending wasn’t fully satisfying.
There was a time when I read as many mm romance books as I could get my hands on. I didn’t review those books, or even write down the titles. Which means that every once in a while I come across a book that sounds familiar, but that I don’t remember much about. This is one of those books.
I got the short story Best Beast for free from the Winter Wonderland giveaway, and the mention of Enchanted Occasions rang a bell. When I looked up the author, I saw that I had read several of her books in the past. All I remembered about Nudging Fate was that I liked it, so I decided to reread it. I’m glad I did, and not just because it has a better cover now.
There are so many things I enjoyed about this book, from the idea of the interstitial spaces where magic and technology from all the worlds can coexist at the same time, to the fact that all of the Enchanted Occasions staff are less typical supernatural and mythical beings. No offense to vampires, werewolves, and dragons, but sometimes it’s nice to get other types of beings.
I also thought the situation surrounding Con and Rey’s birth was interesting, as was the Faerie Queen’s plans for her son. The idea of gathering a bunch of people together and having the prince choose one as a spouse is something I’ve seen in a number of books, but there are enough unique occurrences to make it enjoyable.
Both Con and Andy were great guys and the romance was super sweet. No smut, but it worked for the story. The whole thing felt light and fluffy, as well as being low angst. There was some tension and drama in the last few chapters, but that was to be expected.
My biggest complaint was the lack of world building. While enough information was given to flesh out the immediate story, there’s huge gaps about things that are tangentially related. The realm of Faerie was mentioned a lot, but other than saying that it didn’t allow any human technology, it wasn’t described at all. Neither were Con’s fey powers, though it was hinted that he had them. To be fair, the story worked fine without this info, but I love world building, so I noticed its absence.
In a way, that lack of world building made the ending feel a little unsatisfying. I have no idea what kind of life awaited Con and Andy. No idea where they lived or what they did or how many things changed for the both of them. And while I think their romance is strong and was handled well, I do have questions about their situation. I would happily read a story where Con and Andy play a strong supporting role to another couple’s romance. This way we’d be able to see what happened to them and how they’re adjusting to their new lives.
Finally, I have to give a shout out to the side characters. Especially Talus, who I liked right from the beginning. I’m glad that the next book is about Smith, especially since there were some lingering questions about him. Rey will probably get a book of his own, but the glimpse I saw of him made him seem like a spoiled brat. But I’d still read his book.
Be sure to check out the review for the second book, Devouring Flame, and the novella about the Olesson-Pakulski wedding, Best Beast.
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