I LOVE a good slow burn - throw in some medieval romance and body positivity and I am even more invested. I flew through this book in less than one day and I can't wait to get my hands on the second installment. Lady Blackmere has wished for years that the Champions of Aldland would perform their yearly tournament at her castle - years of letter writing and praying have finally brought the renowned champions to her doorstep. She is determined to meet the men and women fighters not as a noble, but as a commoner. She wants to experience them being real and not sucking up to her as a noble because of propriety. She swaps places with her friend, a local barmaid, and goes out to meet them at the local tavern. When bandits swarm the town and the castle, Lady Blackmere barely escapes with her life and finds herself with three of the Champions, including Brandon the Bear, the most famous of them all. She must conceal her identity because she doesn't want to incur their wrath as the "idiot who had no guards defending the town or castle." She doesn't expect the hero of her dreams to bat an eyelash at the tagalong "barmaid" but soon they are depending on each other and confiding in each other as if they've known each other for years rather than days. A super satisfying slow burn. ( )