A standalone enemies-to-lovers fae fantasy—except she’s the only one who thinks they’re enemies. With the high-stakes intrigue of The Cruel Prince, the cozy found-family banter of FRIENDS, and the no-spice romantic tension of Pride and Prejudice.
Brynn never believed in fairytales—until one stole her mother.
Everyone says she ran off, but Brynn saw the truth. Her mother was taken by something not quite human.
When her father and sisters vanish next, dragged into the winter woods by the same strange creatures, Brynn follows and falls head over heels into the Hollow Court: an underground fae kingdom rife with dangerous bargains.
In a realm where fae can’t lie, Brynn’s human ability to do just that becomes her greatest weapon. It gives her leverage when dealing with Soren—a handsome, unreadable fae who offers help in exchange for the power of her words. But there’s always a cost. The more she bargains, the more tangled everything becomes.
When a mysterious fae prince provides Brynn with a shortcut to the truth, she must decide who to trust as the veil between worlds begins to close.
I had such a great time reading Liar in the Hollow Court by Bethany. If you’re into fae fantasy with cunning and dangerous bargains, court intrigue, found family, and slow-burn romantic tension with no spice, this one absolutely delivers.
The story follows Brynn, who never believed in fairytales until her mother disappears under mysterious circumstances. When she watches her father and sisters get taken by strange creatures, Brynn follows them straight into the Hollow Court—an underground fae kingdom full of secrets, bargains, and dangerous politics.
One of my favourite parts of this book was the fae world itself. The idea that fae can’t technically lie, but constantly twist words and loopholes to manipulate people, made every conversation feel tense and clever. Brynn’s ability to lie as a human gives her a unique advantage, and I really enjoyed watching her navigate all the schemes and bargains. She’s not quite on Jude Duarte levels of cunning from The Cruel Prince, but I definitely understood that comparison while reading.
The romance was also really well done. It’s very much enemies-to-lovers energy… except Brynn seems to be the only one convinced they’re enemies, which honestly made the dynamic even more entertaining. The tension between her and Soren was excellent—lots of banter and emotional tension without any spice, which worked perfectly for the tone of the story.
I also loved the found family aspect. The group dynamics and banter gave the story a cozy feeling underneath all the danger and intrigue. I already want to know more about the side characters, which is sounds like the other books in this series will deliver on based on the exciting epilogue.
Overall, this was such a fast-paced and addictive read. Every time I sat down to read “just one chapter” I completely lost track of time. Between the world building, cursed prince vibes, fae bargains, emotional tension, and court politics, this was an incredibly fun fantasy read from start to finish.
