Despite being reborn into a fantasy world after tragically dying in her last, Letitia’s second childhood has been rough. After losing both of her parents as a toddler, she was taken in by her wealthy uncle and given the Cinderella treatment–seen as little more than a maid as her guardians try to take over her inheritance.
It’s revealed that years ago, Letitia’s uncle was saved by the Monster Lord who resides in the Land of the Devils and has been indebted to him ever since. Instead of a monetary payment, Alistair Grey must send one of his daughters to be wed to the Monster Lord. Unwilling to marry off one of his actual daughters, he officially adopts Letitia and sends the twelve year-old off to satisfy his debt.
Upon arriving in the Land of the Devils, Letitia is met with more confusion. On top of finding objects from her previous life in Korea, she quickly realizes that her new husband isn’t the monster that everyone paints him to be. Instead, Erden Halstead is a total sweetie who loves bunnies! Though her fears surrounding her new life are quickly washed away, that doesn’t mean everything is all rainbows and roses living in Halstead Castle.
The Good
Though I am sick and tired of most isekai stories, this is the first one I’ve read in a long time where I feel the isekai plot actually matters. Though we’re not given a whole lot of information in volume 1, it seems like My Secretly Hot Husband will actually expand upon the different/parallel worlds idea, which is incredibly exciting. I would love to see something other than a child being more mature because it’s the mind of a 20-something year-old in a 10 year-old’s body, or the main character knowing about the general plot of the world they find themselves in.
The characters are delightfully fun and endearing to read. Letitia’s attitude when she thinks she’s about to be eaten or sacrificed is hilarious and actually shows her acting as a child despite having memories of her past life. Erden may look like a morally gray protagonist, but he’s actually a major sweetheart that’s as soft as a bunny. Add on Alexa the butler, Bastian the nursemaid, and Cassaro the cook as masculine, badass women, and the whole found family trope is complete. Watching these characters interact with one another and how off-the-walls their personalities can be at times had me smiling at the coziness of it all.
The Bad
Volume 1 has quite a few things going on yet doesn’t touch on some of the most important and obvious bits of the story.
The volume starts out in the present day (or what I assume is the present for the story) and gives a quick look into Letitia and Erden’s life before quickly rewinding seven or more years to when Letitia was first sent to be Erden’s bride. From there, Erden quickly leaves to go on a journey, effectively vanishing from the narrative, and another time skip happens. I got whiplash going back and forth between the present, the past, and then somewhere in between. While the story gave a good glimpse of Letitia’s personality and what her character will be working towards, too much information was left out from some of the time skips to get a good grasp on the plot, while others gave information that never was expanded on, making some of the plot points come off more as carrots on a stick.
The Verdict
My Secretly Hot Husband is a cute isekai story about second chances, found family, and working together. Letitia is an enjoyable protagonist to follow with all of the sweet and spunky personality traits readers have come to expect from the genre. Similarly, Erden is quickly brought to life through his interactions with Letitia, showing off his kind and gentle demeanor. The volume as a whole was entertaining and exciting while still maintaining a casual feel. Though the volume suffered from pacing issues, I am looking forward to how the story will develop.
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You can purchase volume 1 of My Secretly Hot Husband on Amazon, Bookshop, and Barnes & Noble.
Credits
Original Story by Jungyeon
Art by Harara
Adapted by Gabi Nam
Translation by Tapas Entertainment Inc.
Lettering by Rebecca Sze
Published in English by Ize Press
The Good
- Cute art and character designs
- Lighthearted story about found family
The Bad
- Time skip/rewind felt awkward
- Story pacing is off
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