The premise of the book really hooked me, but I was unfortunately really disappointed by what I got. The interesting plot I was so excited for fell apart quickly because it wasn't spaced out at all. The beginning of the novel dragged on and it seemed like all the plot was shoved into the latter half. Neither of the romantic interests were appealing to me in any shape or form, but the biggest problem for me was how much emphasis was on the main character's past assault and abuse. Because of this, it took me a while to get through the book.

This novel honestly has me in two minds. It is very like other books I have read including The Selection, Only Ever Yours and The Handmaid's Tale. And it felt very early noughties YA.

However, once I got immersed in Arden's world then I got more into it.

When her cruel benefactor puts her name forward to join the prestigious National Women’s Institute, she is shocked when she learns she has been accepted. She will receive Nordania’s highest honour, studying with other elite candidates to become leaders, diplomats, and ambassadors on the world stage. However, it's not what she once thought.

There is, unfortunately, a love triangle between Arden, the Prime Minister's son and a pirate. (I know who I'd be choosing!) I'm not a fan of love triangles so I found this plot laborious.

The content is massively triggering with a lot of emphasis on her past sexual assaults.

Thank you to NetGalley for access to this eARC!

For the most part, I really enjoyed this story. In other reviews I’ve seen many people compare it to “The Selection” series, but I’ve never read that so to me, the storyline/plot was unique.

A group of girls are selected to attend the National Women’s Institute which is a prestigious “school” for young women to learn, but mostly to impress the Prime Minister’s son (Declan) in hope that he’ll choose them for marriage. Main character, Arden, wanted none of that. She was just happy to be away from her abusive “benefactor” and his much more abusive son. But Declan has his sights set on Arden from the start, and although she initially resists, she can’t help her feelings toward him.

But then… love triangle! The rugged, “pirate,” Beck is attending some of the institute’s events because he boards there in between his treacherous work trips. Arden and Beck quickly form a friendship which turns into a little bit more. I’m not one for all the YA romance tropes, but I liked this love triangle. I actually could not figure out who I wanted Arden to be with (I was leaning a bit toward Beck though).

The beginning of this story was a bit slow, but it picked up about halfway through. There was a lot of action toward the end, and this is where I must complain. I saw in other reviews that this book is one of a series, but I can’t seem to verify that. I truly hope that’s the case because I was so disappointed with the abrupt ending. If that’s it, well, I’m mad. Even if it’s not, the ending could’ve been handled with a bit more care. This is the reason my review was below a 4 because I truly intended to give it that as I was reading.

Another question I had, which didn’t affect the story but just had me confused was… what time period is this? There are some hints to it being modern day or at least late 1900s, but then some stuff just had me like… okay, this can’t be modern. I couldn’t stop thinking about this as I read which was somewhat distracting.

In general, I enjoyed this story, but obviously had a few issues. If there truly is a sequel, I will be reading it because I must get closure on a few different aspects of the story. Here’s to hoping!

Y’all, this damn book, I went into reading this with zero knowledge of what it was about and I was freaking HOOKED from the first chapter. This book was so unexpected and beautiful and such a unique storyline and protagonist. The world building was minimal but absolutely enough and the characters are all so vivid and different than anything I’ve read before. I’m obsessed with Arden and her strength coupled with her anxiety. I identify with her personality on so many levels.
And don’t even get me started on my obsession with Beck. Just get this book. It’s 1000% worth the read.

Thank you so much to REUTS Publications for supplying me with an ARC of this wonderful book! All opinions are my own.

Picking this book was my fault. Although the subject matter isn’t one I typically read I wanted to read it because the premise sounded interesting. From a writing standpoint I had no issues with this book. It’s the main reason I kept reading. I think some part of me hoped the MC did more to escape her circumstances of dresses, makeup and meeting possible suitors. But her actions, in my opinion never lived up to the idea that she wanted more. There was also this emphasis that she was different because she didn’t wear the same type of clothes or makeup as the others. But beyond that she didn’t really seem that different from everyone else competing with her. Maybe it was me but I was looking for a little more pushback from her that I didn’t see. This is a decent read and I still encourage everyone to check it out, but it wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

DNF; I really couldn’t get into this book, if it had been an arc i could have maybe forced myself through it more, but unfortunately this was just not it for me.

But for the Mountains has an engaging premise, and I liked how Arden had to grapple with the fact that at first glance, the National Women’s Institute seems like a place to help women become successful international players, but on a deeper level, it’s just a marriage market. This book’s premise is similar to The Selection, but the themes of abuse and power, as well Arden’s backstory was much darker than I expected.

But for the Mountains does fall victim to some of the YA pitfalls that really make me grit my teeth. There’s absolutely no world building in this book — I had no idea what time or location this book was set in. The society has some very archaic elements, but there’s fully functioning indoor bathrooms too. I was confused, and I needed more explanation on the setting.

As well, Arden is constantly described as “not like other girls.” She doesn’t like wearing lots of makeup, and she’s at the institute to get an education (unlike the other girls who are just there to get married). I’m tired of books where girls who like makeup and romance are the villains of the story. It’s even more frustrating when these girls are two-dimensional characters with no backstory or personality beyond being snotty and beautiful. But that’s all we get because Arden barely interacts with most of her classmates throughout the book.

Declan was pushy, made bad decisions, and I didn’t root for him at all (although that might have been the point). I quite liked Beck, but he had some bad moments where he said horrible things to push Arden away. Although he apologized, I feel like what he said to Arden — and the effect it had on her — was brushed over and never talked about again.

This book ended well by wrapping up some loose ends, but also setting the stage for a second book with new adventures. I just hope that the second book takes the time to develop the setting more thoroughly.

TW: sexual assault and abuse, physical abuse, profanity, PTSD, alcoholism

Truly, I would give is a 3.5 or 3.75 stars but that option isn't available so I went with a 3.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for an ARC to read and then review.

TW!!! Sexual Assault, Violence, Abuse, Profanity, and Bullying

Quick synopsis...The Selection turned dark. Before getting ahead on that though, I want to mention that I did not enjoy The Selection series but I did however enjoy reading But For The Mountains.

The main character Arden faces a new challenge with competition, drama, and jealousy when she is chosen to attend the institute. She is behind all of the other girls and never even wanted to be there in the first place.
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All the while enduring these new trials, Arden is still dealing with other personal trauma that is affecting her while around even the people she should feel safe with.

The main premise of the book is that a select few girls are chosen to attend what is basically a finishing school and of course the "First Son", who is basically the Prince, shows up and begins to meet and get to know all of the girls. This is the main part where it follows The Selection by Cass.

Arden is one of the strongest main characters I have read in a while. Her physical strength and eagerness to grow stronger is amazing on its own but her mental and emotional strength from going through her trauma and still looking past it, trying so hard to not let it define her is what really shows her character and true strength.

Overall, I enjoyed the writing and the characters (especially Beck) but it only get a 3.5/5 to me partially because of its similarity to The Selection, and mostly because of the cheesy and petty jealousy from the other girls that takes away from the true tasks that Arden is accomplishing.


Review has been posted on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4014192382?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Arden wasn’t supposed to be chosen for the Institute. She’s spent years as a glorified servant at the home of her benefactor, under the ever-present eyes and hands of his abusive son. At first she thinks her acceptance is a joke, but the men who usher her from her small coastside town in the dark of night are serious: Arden has a place at Nordania’s renowned National Women’s Institute. There, Arden will study with the other chosen young women, receive an elite education, and gain the perfect political placement for her future.

Or so she's been told.

With every day, it becomes clearer that the Institute isn’t the safe haven Arden had hoped it would be. Her benefactor’s claim over her person is the one thing she can’t escape from -- no matter what she does or who tries to save her, she’s in more danger than ever.

What’s the point in hoping for a better future when she might not be around to witness it?

My very first impression of this story is a better-written, more political The Selection -- all good things, I have to clarify. There’s a similar structure in that a girl is chosen, seemingly at random, from a group of many applicants to participate in a competition for the best marriage match in the nation. That being said, I consider But for the Mountains to be by far the stronger of the two books. There’s more focus on the politics of Nordania, and the education Arden gains, less attention paid to the romance -- and the quality of writing is at a much higher level, and assumes a certain level of maturity and intelligence in its audience.

I was drawn right into this read! The writing is beautiful, crafting the world of the story with gorgeous ease. The worldbuilding is intriguing if a bit limited; Arden is cooped up in the Institute and our only glimpses of the outside world are quite brief.

There is a great deal of the story that deals with abuse, the triggers that violence can create, and how trauma lives with you long after the fact. PTSD is no joke and this book gives it the gravity it deserves. Arden’s whole life is informed by her experiences and we see that with every choice she makes. It’s striking, and haunting. And not a tale for the faint of heart or for those who may be triggered themselves. While not overtly graphic, it is devastating.

My biggest complaint would be the utterly unnecessary love triangle, which not only could have been developed much further, but could have been excluded entirely.

I was not expecting an ending with things left wide open, I thought this was a standalone, but I am not complaining. I’m very curious to see where Arden’s journey takes her. I hope she finds peace at the end of the road.

But for the Mountains is a very real, relatable depiction of trauma and its triggers and how it can affect each and every decision you make day by day. I recommend for readers that look for stories that move them, and that don’t mind reading about the darkness before the light.

Trigger warning: sexual assault/abuse, violence, physical abuse, mentions of suicide and depression/self-harm, PTSD/panic attacks, alcoholism, bullying.

**Thank you netgalley for sending me this book!**

I absolutely loved this book. It was written so well that I never would’ve guessed it was the authors debut novel (unless my Sherlock skills are terrible and I missed another one out there). The world building in this was excellent and actually gave me some hunger games vibes in relation to the competition, the benefactors, the cut throat attitudes of some people 👀👀👀. I’m 100% a fan of the love triangle happening here and I have my favorite ship (ha!) but I’ll keep it to myself to avoid spoilers. I enjoyed the slow burn tension with Declan and Beck but even more than that, I loved the organic friendship building between Beck & Arden and I can’t wait to see it blossom in book two (along with some more of that sweet chemistry!). This book has seriously been creeping into my mind multiple times a day since I finished it, just dying to know what everyone is doing now and where they are. Summer can’t come fast enough!

TRIGGER WARNING- THIS BOOK DEALS WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT

I thought this book was excellent despite what I thought was a rocky beginning with the sexual assault at the beginning I realized that there were so many layers and pieces to this book. It follows the heartbreaking story of Arden, who lives with a "wealthy" benefactor. The book follows her journey as she is miraculously selected to be 1 of the 18 females to attend a prestigious finishing school.
What she doesn't realize is that her fear of being used as she had been by the men around her benefactor's estate is just the tip to a much deeper societal problem.

This book was so hard to put down once I started reading, I was lucky enough to get an ARC and plan to add it to my permanent collection.

TW: rape, sexual assault, physical abuse, panic attacks, ptsd

I received a free copy of But For the Mountains in exchange for an honest review.

Arden is unexpectedly chosen to attend a women's institute to be educated. Arden is truly thankful for the opportunity as it allows her to leave the coastal town she lived in where she was constantly abused. Although Arden is eager to be educated she realizes the other young women attending are hoping for more, a chance at marriage with the prince, Declan. Competition is fierce with plenty of sabotage to get others to leave the institute early. Arden isn't interested in romance but finds herself drawn not only to Declan, but also to Beck, a rugged pirate with terrible manners who becomes her mentor in self defense when sabotage and danger begin to target Arden.

I enjoyed the story of But for the Mountains. I have heard it is very similar to The Selection, but I haven't yet read that series myself so I can't really compare. I thought overall it was an easy read and I didn't want to put it down. I thought it was a good representation of overcoming trauma and not letting that trauma define you.

Although there weren't any sexually explicit scenes there is definitely dark themes with references to abuse. Also the story opens up on page 1 with a rape scene. Definitely consider content warnings before reading.

Better than expected

This book was darker than i expected but it definitely made the story better.

It reminded me a bit of “the selection” to be completely honest (disclaimer: I didn’t like the selection ) BUT I definitely liked this book. The storyline is not the same, it was just the concept of multiple girls “fighting” over a guy that made me think of it. This book was BETTER tho (and it contains diversity *FINALLY*)
I absolutely adore Arden. This girl went through so much and I would just love to give her a hug.
This book was build on emotional thoughts but it also made me sad. It wasn’t as far from our current reality as I thought it would be and that was probably the biggest “thing” that made me give it 4 stars only (and that it contained a love triangle). It’s a piece of art if you’d ask me, it represented traumatic experiences perfectly and showed me how much of an impact such thing has on a person. It was depressing but something I really needed to read. Something some men should read if you’d ask me *blinking*

Let’s talk about the male characters:

If I would be allowed to throw humans in a blender then I’d definitely do it.
Beck (one of the two love interests) made me so INCREDIBLY MAD. I don’t even know why someone would in any kind of way like this man. He was an ignorant, self loving, egoistic asshole and I’ll never change my mind on that.

Declan (the main love interest aka prime ministers son) was definitely a better choice but still not enough for me to be completely honest. He at least genuinely tried to help and actually cared for her. He wasn’t the smartest and kind of frustrated me a lot but he was trying, alright? I would pack my things and leave but Arden couldn’t just do that sooooo....

Let’s talk about CJ (her or so disgusting abuser and r@pist).
This man doesn’t even DESERVE an opinion. He was a perverted Rat and litterally the definition of disgusting.
I liked how the author didn’t give him anything to make the reader like him. He was just disgusting. No other definition or personality trait needed.

All in all id definitely recommend this book for people who like darker reads. It first reminded me of the selection (like I already said) but after quite some time it changes into something else, something special.

It was a different read for me since I usually don’t read books like that but it was a nice experience.
Recommend it for everyone who can handle something a bit darker!
#NetGalleyDE #butforthemountains

TW: Arden suffers abuse at the home of her benefactor, and she struggles with the aftereffects.

Arden Thatcher gets chosen for a prestigious program in her kingdom, one only 18 women a year qualify for. Problem one – she didn’t even know she’d been entered. Problem two – her education has been lacking since her benefactors chose one of her fellow girls as the most likely to get accepted. But…. This is a chance, a chance for Arden to escape what is a dangerous existence and she jumps at the chance.

The rest of our story takes place at the National Women’s Institute where Arden will get a chance at education and at bettering herself. What she doesn’t expect is the catty competition (think Bachelorette) of the ladies competing to marry the Prime Minster’s son. When Arden appears to catch his favor, dangerous things start happening, and the where the threat is coming from is a mystery. Thankfully, she’s got a few allies and she plans to make the most of the opportunity.

I am not generally drawn to stories where there’s a completion to win the hand of the royal (a la Selection series), but the idea of the Institute being billed as one thing and actually being more of a finishing school intrigued me enough to pick this one from my Netgalley choices, hoping the politics would be enough to deepen the story.

Our main character, Arden, is strong but not your normal BA character. She doesn’t have the education she’s expected to largely because instead of being raised and educated by a Benefactor, she was put to work as an indentured servant and regularly abused by his son with no penalty. She gets this unexpected escape when the son’s plan to demean her backfires and she’s chosen to attend the Institute. It’s a rough start and she’s behind the curve in almost every way, but she doesn’t give up. As a victim of trauma, she also recognizes the signs on several of the other girls and tries to help at least one, her friend Zerah. Now there was a character I really enjoyed – her quite snark and deadpan delivery made her a fun character.

The PM’s son is not just a pretty face and he does seem to learn when Arden calls him on his ignorance. Another character that I enjoyed is Beck – yes, he might be there mainly for a love triangle, but his friendship is valuable and his willingness to really see Arden was a nice subplot and I like his pirate banter.

Now I have to hope this author provides a book 2 soon so I can see how things end!

DNF at 83%. It was a half decent story. I liked the characterization and the plot up until the point Beck went from mentor/bodyguard to romantic interest. Beck is painted as a grown man and Arden is painted as a child, 16 or 17 years old. Just too icky to continue.

But for the Mountains is a literal nightmare, especially for girls. It was confusing at first, but after realising with a horror, even the first page of this book started with the main character, Arden, being sexually assaulted.

Arden Thatcher grew up being sexually abused by the people that gave her a place to live. When she was given a chance to escape and enroll into the National Women’s Institute, she thought that her life would change. Instead, it was like she broke out from a prison, to yet another prison. The whole institute was simply a ploy for the Prime Minister's son to find a partner—and the rest of the girls will either be returned to their family or benefactor, or sent to a neighbouring country to feed the politicians' desires. Despite Arden's efforts to change the fate of the girls—and her own, changing something that was already ingrained in the society was a lot harder than anyone could ever think about.

This is a story about a survivor, a girl who had to suffer simply because she was born a girl. I love Arden's fierce character and her smart wits; although she was never prepared to be enrolled into the institute by her benefactor, she was clever enough to find matters that can help to her advantage. She was able to climb to the top spot on her own. I also love the no-nonsense side of her. When she realised the actual meaning of the whole institute, she despised the idea and rejected the Prime Minister's son's approach. She was independent, and with the way how she focused only on trying to bend the rules so that girls are allowed better lives, I believe that she had great leadership qualities.

Although I wish the story did not have a lot of focus on the romance, but I still do appreciate both of the male love interests. Declan, son of the Prime Minister, sounded sketchy at first and I had a hard time trusting him; he seemed too good to be true. But then his flaws were revealed, and though he was not a bad guy, his privilege as a Prime Minister's son also meant that he did not know most of the horrific things going on in the society. As for Beck, he might seem gruff and had a lot of hatred against everyone, but he understood Arden easily and did not hesitate to be there for her. Both characters are good male characters with realistic flaws.

The storyline was gripping, and as much as I loved it, I was also appalled by all the horrifying matters that Arden had to suffer. It had a rather open-ending, which I think could mean the author wanted readers to make their own conclusions, or perhaps giving room to a possible sequel. But for the Mountains was not an easy read, but an important one. It highlights the inequality when it comes to the treatment given between men and women, which still happens until this very moment. I hate that certain men still viewed women and girls as sexual objects and nothing more. This is just a proof that this book somehow portrays the bitter truth of this world.

Arden Thatcher has only ever known a life of abuse, but when she is accidentally chosen to attend the elite National Women’s Institute, she jumps at the chance of education, a job and a life away from her abuser. However, the institute is not what it seems, and Arden discovers that the system is more broken than she thought. The question is, can she fix it?

The book reminded me a lot of ‘The Selection’ series, with the girls at the institute aiming to marry Declan, the Prime Minister’s son, and of course, the love triangle. While these tropes are not my favorite, I found the book rather enjoyable.

Arden was a well fleshed out character, and her trauma was well-written too. She is both brave and intelligent while also having a timid personality, which is hard to write without flaws, but has been pulled off amazingly in this case.

Declan seemed heavily based on Maxon from The Selection, and Beck was simply unlikable as his only personality traits are being drunk and sarcastic. I found the romance aspect to be unrealistic overall, as Arden had been abused barely days before she met the two. I would've preferred for Arden to face her trauma alone, rather than have a love interest help her overcome it.

Apart from that, the setting of the book was engrossing. The institute had a creepy, dark academia vibe which kept me entranced and contributed to the feeling that something at the institute was wrong. The plot, too, was riveting after a point, when it focused on Arden’s realization about the broken system, and her trying to fix it. The ending was ambiguous, hinting at a sequel that I hope develops the plot in an interesting way!

I'm not the target for this YA romance (older male), but I enjoyed it overall. It includes some tough subjects, but beyond those, it is well told including a good cast. 3.5 stars.

Thanks very much for the ARC.

Arden is a traumatized character who's learning her own strength. I love a strong female lead and Arden was everything I hoped for. She is a survivor whos story is simply inspirational. I especially loved the part where the phrase "But for the Mountains" gets defined. Without spoiling anything, "but for the mountains" is my new favorite motivational phrase and I want it on a sticker.

BECK!!! He deserves his own section in this review. I am in love with him. He is everything. As simple as that. I could not get into Declan as he just wouldn't fight or protect Arden the way she needed him to. Beck was there to protect AND build her up. Okay I'm stopping this little bit about the guys because I feel like I could write an essay on these two men.

I saw this as a darker, more exciting version of The Selection. I stayed up until 3am to finish this last night because I was so hooked. The ending was perfect but I need more!!! Will be recommending this one to others in the future!

CONTENT WARNINGS! Should have a page in front dedicated to content warnings due to HEAVY subject matter.

I loved this. I get the Selection comparisons but it's not the same story to me. I love Arden and her journey so much. She's resilient and brave and strong. I also enjoyed Beck and Declan. I dont mind love triangle to begin with and I enjoyed this one. But I really enjoyed the role the triangle played in the story. I dont feel like the it took over and became the whole story, it was just an accessory in Arden's journey. I want more but I am satisfied with the story presented.