Brazen by Hope E. Davis Review | A Modern Irish Fae Romantasy
Before diving in, I’d like to thank Hope E. Davis for trusting me with an advanced copy of her book, Brazen. I was excited for the opportunity to read it before its release. I love reading and supporting indie authors. It’s been a while since I read an ARC, so thank you for sharing Brazen with me!
Brazen is officially released and available for purchase on Amazon or to download on Kindle Unlimited as of April 30, 2026!
Background & Summary
Brazen holds a unique place in Hope’s Modern Legends of Sidhe series. It is considered an alternate entry. You can also read it alongside her first release in the series, Demure.
The Modern Legends of Sidhe series is an urban romantasy set in Ireland. It follows two main characters. Sierra Lopez is a human woman from the U.S. studying for her master’s degree at Trinity College in Dublin. She looks to make friends and possibly a love connection. Aohdan De Thuaidh is a fae man sent into the human realm to locate and kidnap a “prophesied” woman. Because she could be the missing link to help bring magic fully back to the fae lands.
Me and Hope E. Davis at her table at BookCon
Brazen follows Aodhan’s perspective, starting 8 months earlier, before he finally meets Sierra, the woman from his visions. In his visions, Aohdan saw a woman who appeared in her early to mid-twenties. Once in Ireland, he realized many people fit this description. He was unfamiliar with human living, as much as with fae living, so he leaned on his cousin Braan and Braan’s human wife, Kaye, to guide him in his adjustment.
Aohdan listens to their advice and enrolls at Trinity College. He also downloads a dating app to find Sierra more quickly. Both approaches help, but when he first sees her on campus, he is starstruck. He forgets to move before it’s too late, and she walks away.
They match and set up a date through the app. When Aohdan is 30 minutes late, Sierra, who is protective and feisty, decides he does not value her time. She leaves, letting him wonder what he did wrong. Still, he tries to get close to Sierra and learn more before taking her back to the fae lands for his father, Conlan. The more time he spends with her, the slower he moves toward his plan to simply take her and run.
Aodhan goes through ups and downs with Sierra. He develops feelings for her and cannot separate them from his duty. They build a connection, become intimate, and he tries to protect her at all costs, even when they end up in the fae lands.
My Thoughts & Rating
Brazen explains Aohdan’s mission, explores his changing emotions, and delves into his possessive feelings for Sierra. It offers a new angle on their connection. I have not read Demure yet, which tells Sierra’s point of view in the same timeline. Still, I enjoyed seeing the male perspective in this book. In most romantasies I’ve read, the perspective is mixed or primarily female.
I think I would have enjoyed Brazen more if I had read Demure at the same time to experience Sierra’s point of view. Although emotions ran high, I wanted to know more about Sierra’s inner feelings, not just what Aodhan could see with his skills.
I enjoyed learning how magic worked and understanding the differences between fae and humans, especially in their home lives, food, and aging. These details are often overlooked in other romantasy books I’ve read. I liked having this information laid out clearly.
This story is a spicy romance, but the spice feels “normal”—not in a bad way. Sierra experiences vulnerability in these moments, showing a body that isn’t “perfect” and expressing hesitancy despite her desire. These scenes feel relatable and human, making it easier to connect with the characters. I appreciated the representation. In terms of spiciness, I rate it a 2 out of 5 as it is on the lighter side.
I also enjoyed how Sierra could knock Aodhan off course. Although Aodhan is fae, he still has flaws and room to grow. He wasn’t always arrogant, nor did he always get his way. When he was, Sierra showed him he was no better than anyone else because he was fae. She brought humanness to him. This was a nice change from how fae males are often portrayed in other books.
Overall, I found Brazen to be interesting, fun, cute, and different. It is great for fans of Twilight and fae realms, especially those seeking adult main characters. The balance between human and fae experiences was well done. Modern elements felt relatable to how romance forms today. On its own, I felt it was missing something for me, but maybe if I had read this in tandem or read Demure first, it would have been different. I recommend reading Demure first, or choosing a tandem read from the list below. Based on my reading experience, I am rating Brazen 5 out of 10 stars.
As always, thanks for reading! I hope you give Hope’s stories a chance if this review interests you.
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/10
Spice:🌶️🌶️/5
Brazen & Demure Tandem Read Order
If you are interested in reading Brazen and Demure in tandem, there are two paths you can follow while reading. One is more centered around the plot, while the other is centered on the romance between Sierra and Aohdan. Which one will you choose?
Please note that these lists were provided to me by the author and are the tandem reads she intended for her story.
Plot Focused Tandem Read
This tandem read does not include duplicate reading. * = spicy scenes that can be skipped.
Brazen: January - Ch. 1
Demure: Ch. 2-4
Brazen: Ch. 4
Demure: Ch. 5
Brazen: Ch. 5-6 (6*)
Demure: Ch. 7
Brazen: Ch. 7
Demure: Ch. 9-10
Brazen: Ch. 8
Demure: Ch. 12
Brazen: Ch. 10
Demure: Ch. 14
Brazen: Ch. 11
Demure: Ch. 15-16
Brazen: Ch. 13-16 (15*)
Demure: Ch. 23
Brazen: Ch. 17
Demure: Ch. 24-25
Brazen: Ch. 18
Demure: Ch. 26-35
Brazen: Ch. 19-20
Demure: Ch. 37*
Brazen: Ch. 22
Demure: Ch. 39-43 (41*)
Brazen: Ch. 27
Demure: Ch. 45-53
Romance Focused Tandem Read
This tandem read includes some duplicate reads.
Brazen: January-Ch. 1
Demure: Ch. 1
Brazen: Ch. 2
Demure: Ch. 2-3
Brazen: Ch. 3-4
Demure: Ch. 5
Brazen: Ch. 5-6
Demure: Ch. 7
Brazen: Ch. 7
Demure: Ch. 9-10
Brazen: Ch. 8
Demure: Ch. 12
Brazen: Ch. 10
Demure: Ch. 14
Brazen: Ch. 11
Demure: Ch. 16-17
Brazen: Ch. 12
Brazen: Ch. 13 OR Demure: Ch. 18
Brazen: Ch. 14 OR Demure: Ch. 19-20
Brazen: Ch. 15 OR Demure: Ch. 21
Demure: Ch. 22-23
Brazen: Ch. 17
Demure: Ch. 24-25
Brazen: Ch. 18
Demure: Ch. 26-35
Brazen: Ch. 19
Brazen: Ch. 20 OR Demure: Ch. 36
Brazen: Ch. 21 OR Demure: Ch. 37
Brazen: Ch. 22 OR Demure: Ch. 38
Brazen: Ch. 23 OR Demure: Ch. 39
Demure: Ch. 40-41
Brazen: Ch. 25
Demure: Ch. 42-43
Brazen: Ch. 27
Demure: Ch. 44-53