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This Damsel Is Not in Distress

A Cozy Fantasy Romance

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This Damsel Is Not in Distress

By: Tee Harlowe
Narrated by: Gail Shalan, Patrick Zeller
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Summary

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.

©2026 Tee Harlowe (P)2026 Tee Harlowe Fantasy Royalty Heartfelt War
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This Damsel Is Not in Distress — ★★★

This was a cute, easy fantasy romance that didn’t require a huge amount of brain power to get through.

It’s a fairly simple story with a cosy fantasy feel — a magical tower, a sentient castle that decides who it likes, a bookwyrm that literally eats books for their knowledge, a prophecy and a grumpy man who doesn’t particularly like anyone except her. 😂

Despite some heavier backstories, the book itself never felt particularly heavy. A lot of the focus is on two people who have experienced trauma learning to deal with it, becoming friends and slowly finding comfort in each other.

I also wouldn’t personally describe this as particularly spicy. There are a couple of intimate scenes, but compared to other books I’ve read, the spice definitely isn’t a major part of the story.

There isn’t a huge amount of world-building or an overly complicated plot, but I don’t think it really needed either. It knew what kind of book it wanted to be: a simple, cosy fantasy romance, and that’s pretty much exactly what it delivered.

I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but I also don’t feel like I need to continue the series. I’m pretty content with where this story left the characters.

★★★

⸻

SPOILER

The reveal that Wolfe’s supposedly dead brother is actually alive and is the Butcher was probably the biggest surprise of the book.

I did like that Wolfe didn’t immediately tell his family the full truth either. After carrying so much guilt over believing his brother was dead, he simply tells them that he’s alive and makes it sound like he’s being held captive because he knows they’re not ready for the truth yet.

And Niamh finally getting her key and being accepted by the castle gave her story a nice ending. She went from losing her home and hiding away in a tower to actually finding somewhere she belongs.

So while there’s definitely more story there if I wanted it, I’m also quite happy leaving Niamh and Wolfe where they are.

This Damsel Is Not in Distress — ★★★

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I loved this story like my fav fantasy movies. This story clearly took inspiration from many of them. From the comical gargoyle door guards to the mythical talking animal sidekicks. There’s something for everyone to love. I was thoroughly entertained, eager for every detail. The love triangle was so compelling. I adored the aggravated banter between Niamh and Wolf, their attraction and distaste clear. Naturally, the grumpy little Bookwyrm, Morton was hands down a favorite for me. This book easily took on a comfort read feel, creating pure cozy vibes.ni am eager to see what transpires next in Fairwitch Isle.

Gail Shalan has such a charming voice as Niamh. She easily showcases her strength paired with vulnerability.
Patrick Zeller whose gruff and deep voice gave me tingles was truly great as Wolf. The chemistry between these narrators made their relationship sizzle. This felt like a full cast narration with all the voices portrayed by these two. A truly wonderful story!

This felt like a full cast narration.

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