💔 A Tale of Bridges & Betrayals: My Review of The Bridge Kingdom & The Traitor Queen (Spoiler free!)

 

💔 A Tale of Bridges & Betrayals: 

My Review of The Bridge Kingdom & The Traitor Queen  

(Spoiler free of course!)


If you’ve ever thought, “What if The Bachelor but with daggers, deception, and a politically strategic marriage across enemy lines?”...then first of all, same, and second of all, welcome to The Bridge Kingdom series by Danielle L. Jensen!

I read the first two books in this six-part romantasy saga, and whew. Y’all, my blood pressure still hasn’t recovered and it has left me wanting more.

Let’s talk about Lara and Aren—the chaos couple I didn’t know I needed—and why these books deserve space on your TBR shelf and your emotional trauma list.

📘 Book 1: The Bridge Kingdom

Tropes You’ll Love:

  • Enemies to lovers (with knives)

  • Arranged marriage... with ulterior motives

  • Secret identity/special training

  • Political intrigue and betrayal (multiple times)

  • Isolation equals forced bonding (yes please)

We meet Lara, one of the king’s many daughters trained from birth to be a weapon. She’s sent to marry King Aren of Ithicana, but not out of love. Let’s just say, the girl’s got sabotage on the itinerary.

Except... things get complicated. Aren isn’t the monster she was raised to hate, and the more she learns, the harder it becomes to stick to the plan. (Cue dramatic tension, stormy island makeouts, and my reading past bedtime.)

Brittny's Favorite Quote:

(Said by someone who absolutely needs therapy but is very poetic about it.)

Vibe Check:

Lush world-building, delicious tension, and enough internal conflict to make you want to throw the book (in a good way). I was rooting for literally no one and then everyone.

📗 Book 2: The Traitor Queen

Tropes You’ll Love:

  • Redemption arc (yes queen)

  • Exile and return

  • Rescue missions and battle scenes

  • Deepened romance with real stakes

  • The past coming back to slap you

After the fallout of Book 1 (don’t worry, no spoilers), Lara is trying to right some very, very big wrongs. There’s guilt. There’s groveling. There’s self-discovery via trauma and trench warfare.

The angst? Off the charts. The action? Cinematic. The romance? Now seasoned with heartbreak and growth. You’ll want to hug both of them and then shove them in a tent until they work it out.

Brittny's Favorite Quote:

(Ouch. Someone pass the ice cream.)

Vibe Check:

This one hurt in a beautiful way. The stakes were higher, the emotions deeper, and the pacing relentless. I felt like I aged six years in the best way.

💞 How They Work Together

These two books feel like two halves of one powerful arc. Book 1 lays the groundwork—mistrust, discovery, chemistry—and Book 2 cracks it wide open and asks, “Now what?”

Together, they explore:

  • The blurred line between duty and desire

  • Whether trust can be rebuilt from rubble

  • What it really means to choose someone

They don’t just complement each other—they depend on each other. It’s a full-circle journey for Lara and Aren, and honestly? I was hooked the whole time.

📚 What’s Next for the Series?

  • There are six total books in the series (the first two are all about Lara & Aren), with 5 already available.


  • Book 6 (focusing on Aren’s twin sister Ahnna) is expected in 2026.

  • Deluxe hardcover editions of the series are coming, starting with The Bridge Kingdom on November 4, 2025.

  • And yes…even though I already own the Kindle editions I bought the paperback version to read. Don’t judge me. Or do. I’m too far gone...I'm just a girl and these were literally shiny and beautiful 😍

✨ Final Thoughts

Book one kicks off and I literally had the mental image of the 7 maidens from the old school Zelda: Link to the Past (in the best way possible). Pretty niche I'm sure, but iykyk! From there, the book was off to the races and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

If you love morally gray heroines, world-ending stakes, and romances that come with a side of heartbreak and healing, you need to read this series. Just maybe clear your calendar for emotional recovery time.

Have you read The Bridge Kingdom or The Traitor Queen? Come scream with me in the comments or over on Instagram!

Until next time,
📖 Brittny Tried It

✨ Shop It Here:

The Bridge Kingdom:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/402d7W8
Hardcover (preorder): https://amzn.to/3SPD7jF
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3TrpUO8

The Traitor Queen:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/4n4MYjG
Kindle:https://amzn.to/3SQd780

*If you use my link, I may earn a small commission—thank you for supporting Brittny Tried It! 💕 

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