I’m all about a sequel. I often wait for all parts of a series to be published before I go all in because I don’t want to be left hanging! Cass manages to lure readers into this story without the sometimes awkward recap prequels often provide. You do, however, need to read The Betrothal to have a handle on the many storylines. It’s an engaging & enjoyable read that will appeal to Kemmerer & Cass fans.

This sequel to The Betrothed, which I liked, but had some minor problems with, was much better than I had expected going into it. I found the first half or so of The Betrothed to lack rich substance and I struggled to find much to love about it. The back half was more interesting, but lacked depth and important relationships moved very quickly. The ending of The Betrothed is what secured my interest in the sequel, The Betrayed, which picked right up from where The Betrothed ended.
The Betrayed immediately carved out a more enthralling plot and character development. I came to love the characters which were previously uninteresting or detestable. The plot development and character growth were exceedingly more compelling than the first installment of the series and I found that I couldn’t put the book down. I love that the actions of the plot led to the romance between the characters rather than the other way around. Both the hero and heroine are honorable and likable which can be hard to accomplish and a rare find in a story. Though I struggled with the start of this duo-logy I loved and devoured the conclusion.

I received a copy of this book from the publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I actually enjoyed this book much more than the first one. I was invested in the characters and routing for them to succeed. I really enjoyed the character growth in some of the main people as well. I'm hoping Kierra Case continues to write great books!

The Betrayed picks up where we ended which made it feel like it was like a "to be continued" story which I did like. I definitely liked this book much more than the 1st and character development and growth was so good. We get more back story on Hollis and she definitely grows for the better in this story. There is a lot of tension and action and that definitely kept my attention throughout the book. Great read!

Hollis had a tough time in the first book of the Betrothed duology, and The Betrayed has her coming to terms with all of the awful things that happened in The Betrothed. Hollis leaves Coroa with her new Isoltan family and finds herself in the strange land.

Hollis figures out how to deal with her grief and learns that she can love again. The romance in the story is a mild one, with longing looks and almost no physical relationship.

Much of the book is about political machinations and being a widow, which seems like it wouldn't be relatable for teens. Hollis' struggles with her duty to her people, her country, and her family may also seem foreign to teenagers. Young adults who enjoy more grown-up characters could still enjoy the novel.

Recommended for fans of star-crossed lovers and royal fiction.

When readers last left Hollis, she had experienced a whirlwind of adventures and heartache, leading her to head to Isolte with Lady Eastoffe, Scarlet, Etan, and her own nightmares as company. Upon arriving at the Northcott’s house, Hollis is welcomed warmly by all, except Etan. Hollis and Etan struggle to determine their new place within their fractured family, eventually striking a tenuous peace. Recalled to the capital for the marriage celebration of Prince Hadrian, the Northcott and Eastoffe families plan to attend the ball in order to get enough evidence to legally depose King Quinten. With a little help from Hollis and her diplomatic tendencies, documentation may be in their grasp, but can Hollis avoid the traps set by those in the Isoltan court? And can Hollis protect her heart or will she find it being stolen away a second time?

The Betrothed spent a great deal of time dallying in court politics and gossip leaving the ending as an incredibly rushed afterthought, particularly given the events that close the novel. These flaws have been rectified in The Betrayed. The pacing is much more even and big plot points receive enough space to breathe, which creates the appropriate beats to offer tension and a payoff to close Hollis’s story. Character development is also given its due, providing needed enlightenment into motives and offering well rounded characters. This includes Hollis whose naivete often grated in The Betrothed. Hollis’s growth and her steadfast loyalty allow the reader to root for her as she seeks to unravel plots and right grievances. Overall, as a duology, The Betrayed is certainly the stronger installment.

In terms of secondary characters, many familiar faces receive little page time. Delia Grace, Nora, and King Jameson are mentioned and make a single appearance as Hollis works to settle her Coroan roots. Relegating these characters to the background serves this novel well. Instead, the Northcotts and Eastoffes find themselves in the center of the action. This focus both moves the story forward and provides Hollis with a truly supportive family, which pushes her to stretch and develop further. Rounding out the cast, King Quinten and Valentina show the extravagance and limitations of Isoltan court and hospitality. They also offer foils to others, including King Jameson and the Northcott and Eastoffe families.

Even though I guessed much in The Betrayed, including pairings and the conclusion, it left me satisfied as a reader. I would recommend that even readers who did not enjoy The Betrothed pick up the second half of this duology. Overall, The Betrayed restored my faith in Kiera Cass and reminded me why The Selection series was so compulsively readable.

The characters were warm and supportive of the main character but we know little of their thoughts. The heroine Hollis is the leading lady and she is lovable. Being the second in a duology the characters were in place, however I had not read the first book, but I still found the book very satisfying. I don't feel the need to read the first book to understand this one, but I enjoyed it enough I plan to read 'The Betrothed'. The book is appropriate for younger teens who enjoy romance. I will definitely recommend it to Middle Schoolers.

Where the first book in this series seemed kind of boring this one fixed all those issues and was so good. I loved the story and didn't put it down until I was done. I loved the characters and the ending.

I am a huge fan of Cass but have struggled to feel the connection with her newer stories like I did with the Selection Series. I struggled with book 1 in this series, but by the end of it was willing to give the second a try. But this one was still slow to build and I didn’t feel like the writing was as good. It felt choppy at times and I still struggled to connect to the characters and storyline. I don’t think it’s a bad addition to the YA section but it doesn’t compare to her selection series at all.

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book!

This is the 2nd book in the series and it is really good. You continue the story of Cora on the run from what happened to the new family on her wedding day. She is moving to a new country and getting to know the rest of her family. She is learning to trust new people and not sure if she is truly in a place that the staff likes her.

Much like “The Betrothed”, this book was quite the let down. It felt extremely rushed, which meant that a lot of things really didn’t make sense. Not only this, but it felt as if the main character was written purely for romance, and she had no personality or goals. As someone who has always been such a huge Keira Cass fan, this book was an absolute disappointment.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I walked into reading The Betrayed with very low expectations because the first book was truly bad. My biggest wishlist items? More character development, more plot development, just… more. Did I end up receiving that? To an extent, yes. Hollis has moved to Isolte with her newfound family in order to help them overthrow a King and keep their line alive, after the shocking murder of her husband and their respective families. Overall I wasn’t super thrilled by the book but I didn’t hate it as much as I hated The Betrayed.

In essence, the book was predictable. Everything was tied up with a pretty little bow at the end, and I predicted almost every single plot point (except a certain character death --that was mildly amusing and not at all what I expected).

Hollis had some more dimension this time around. She was kind, had a better personality, felt less self-centered, and really dove into the concept of her “found family”. It was a much better look than the first book. Delia Grace was completely written as an off-screen character, which was great because I didn’t feel like she was worth page time.

The chemistry and dynamic between Hollis and Etan in this book are so much more organic and enjoyable to read than her time with Silas from The Betrothed. In fact, I believe that these two books overall would have been much better as one long novel, and Cass did herself a disservice by splitting them up. The Betrothed was a horrible setup to a slightly more acceptable sequel. There is some “suspend your disbelief” that still needs to happen, but I think overall this was a thoroughly “meh” read. Which is a lot better than my very significant, angry rant from the first book!

It’s a very tame piece, minor mentions of violence, murder, death, miscarriage, etc. but nothing gruesome and plenty of it taking place “off-screen”. The writing style is easy to grasp and enjoy and could be a really good read for teens.

The short of it? If you really hated The Betrothed but are still curious to see how it ends in The Betrayed, I’d say go for it. It definitely isn’t worse than the Betrothed so it can only get better from there!

This was a great follow up and conclusion to The Betrothed! I love Kiera Cass' writing style and I felt that Hollis as a narrator had grown quite a bit in this novel. I felt the pacing to be rather quick, but it was engaging the whole way through. I particularly enjoyed the somewhat surprising twist towards the end with King Jameson. I did feel that the ending was a bit abrupt, but it was satisfying enough to get by. I do hope that Cass decides to visit this world again!

When I saw this series my first thought was, "Look at the pretty dresses.' I am so glad she carries on the theme of her heir series covers with these. They made the books really feel part of the Keira cass universe. I am also glad that the inside of these books are pretty too. They characters go through real struggle and have the correct emotional responses. Sure it is a teen fantasy so there is angst and drama but it is based on their real problems not them just being dumb teenagers. This book is on my list when I am asked "what do I read next?"

I am not sure if I am aging out of Kiera Cass's books or if this series just isn't for me. I trudged through the first book and was hopeful that this one would redeem The Betrothed. It sadly fell short for me in the end. I will gladly recommend this to a teen who wants a clean series and who likes fantasy but it just wasn't for me.

I read the first book in this series and it kinda fell flat. The main character was not that likeable and made you wonder what the love interest saw in her. I was hoping this book would be better, but it was much the same. Loved the Selection series, but this was definitely not as enjoyable. Here's hoping the author writes more things in the future.

I absolutely loved Hollis in the first book but really loved her in this second book. She’s a wonder spot fire of a character and I really enjoyed the character development in this book. Betrayed might be my favorite book in the series! After being left with nothing Hollis has to decide if she will return home to her king or start over in a new country. The friendships made and lessons learned make this a wonderfully heartwarming tale. I loved it beginning to end!

Hollis is a young widow. She was only married for one hour, but the heartbreak is still there. She has had to flee Coroa with the Eastoffe family to Isolte. This family has helped her come to terms with all her losses, yet Etan is constantly rocking the family dynamics with his distaste for Coroans. There is unrest in Hollis’ home country as well as her new country and the Eastoffes may have what it takes to wrestle the country away from a dishonest king. Will Hollis be able to love her adopted homeland? How will she come to terms with the longings of her heart?

The Betrayed is the concluding book in The Betrothed duology. This young adult romance was fun and intriguing. Cass had these characters pondering many issues that are still apparent today, yet the different world lets readers escape current troubles for a time. This book isn’t long and it isn’t short, so it should appeal to readers across the spectrum. I recommend this book to everyone who read and enjoyed The Betrothed.

A thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the Pre-pub of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Hollis has been through a lot of death by the end of book one. Her parents, Silas (her husband of only an hour), his father and brothers…all are gone along with many friends who attended her wedding, now as book two starts, she is being taken to her dead husbands’ country (Isolte) by his surviving family. She is unsteady at first and none of her new family’s servants will help her, so she has to figure out things on her own. Silas’ cousin Etan has been keeping an eye on her, sure that she is up to no good, even though Silas’s mom and sister love her wholeheartedly. With rising tensions between Hollis and Etan the whole family is trying to calm them. But with Hollis’ help the Eastoffe family may just be able to do the impossible and prove the king of Isolte is killing off his subjects and unseat him from the throne and get him to admit to killing Silas and the other Eastoffe’s.

With the way book one ended I was not prepared for another romance, but it was pulled off especially well. There are small things that could have been done better (aka. The gradual falling in love again or the resolution with Coroa’s king) but overall it was well done. It was slow at times but the story is one that I really enjoy so all the little things that would bug me melted away. This is a fun series for those who love this type of book. I always enjoy Kiera Cass' books so I'm really happy that i got to read this one ahead of it being published.

This book is the second in The Betrothed duology. As much as I enjoyed it, I feel like the ending was rushed and very predictable. I do love this character, however, so I feel like the 4 stars is warranted. And the book is a very fast read.
After fleeing Coroa and leaving the memory of her beloved Silas behind, Hollis is unsteadily adjusting to life in Isolte. The Eastoffe family’s affection is a balm on her weary spirit, though Etan, a surly cousin with a deep distaste for Coroans, threatens to upset the uneasy peace she’s found.
While tensions at home ratchet up, disquiet in the kingdom of Isolte is reaching a fever pitch. The Eastoffes may have the power to unseat a tyrannical king—but only with Hollis’s help.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc.*