Synopsis:
A magical castle.

The woman who’s to become queen.

And her growing feelings for the bodyguard that might just ruin it all.

When Niamh Merridon flees her war-torn kingdom, she doesn’t expect to stumble upon a tower that provides the protection she’s always wanted . . .

Until some idiot arrives to “rescue” her and somehow gets her locked out. Now she’s stuck with Rafe “the Wolfe” Wolfgang, a grumpy guard who’s wholly unsusceptible to her charms. Worse, he claims she’s to marry his prince because of some prophecy.

Niamh isn’t keen on the idea, especially when she arrives at a sentient castle and discovers she can’t become queen until the castle presents her with a key. How does she get this key? No one seems to know.

Niamh quickly realizes this might give her the safety she seeks . . . if she can survive the disappearing doors, shifting rooms, and mysterious secrets, secrets more dangerous than her own. Yet the hardest part of it all might be resisting the broody guard who makes her feel brave. If she can’t avoid the temptation, it won’t just be her heart on the line, but her life.This Damsel Is Not in Distress is a standalone cozy, spicy romantasy with a grumpy/sunshine forbidden romance, a mischievous castle, and a know-it-all magical bookwyrm.

Review:
Given the title I expected a very different type of book. Niamh is a girl fleeing her past and very much incapable of doing much on her own. While she doesn’t want to be pushed into a prophesized wedding, she really didn’t have any aim for her life otherwise. Despite being in her mid 30s Niamh didn’t showcase any other skills. It was great for her to realize that she needed to be more proactive for her own safety, and to act on what she feels instead of what she was told she has to do/be. Most of the book was spent with Niamh not doing much at all except contemplating how little she has been capable of doing. There could be something said about not enabling people that may have some sort of ailment or disability to not ever challenge or better themselves. She does grow and learn and change in the end, but personally, this story was not for me. There was a lot of predictability involved, and an assumption that everything would work out exactly as you thought it would towards the beginning–and then it did. The ending, however, was a complete cliffhanger of what the heck.

Star rating: ✯✯✯