ARC Review: {The Queen's Bodyguard by Lauren Blackwood}. Publication Date: August 18, 2026 (today)
Cover of The Queen's Bodyguard by Lauren Blackwood
I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.
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This was fun! I enjoyed the matriarchal society, the uniqueness of the world and magical abilities, the engaging plot, and the overarching theme of appreciating and respecting cultural differences.
The relationship development felt believable, and I loved the banter/teasing and the progression to mutual respect and love. While Theora was absolutely a brat at times (and was called out for it), I'm glad that she saw the error of her ways. Getting Argos' perspective from early on was also a treat!
Overall, I had a great time reading this, and I will absolutely be checking out the author's other work!
Rating: 4/5. Spice rating 4/5 on romance.io's rating scale.
For those of us also in the r/fantasyromance subreddit:
- r/fantasyromance Bingo squares:
- Published in 2026
- r/fantasyromance Diversity Reading Challenge squares:
- BIPOC MC
- MC from a different culture
- Fits 2 or more squares
- Would also count for hard mode, since the author is a Black woman.