AHHH! I couldn't believe Cass released another book. I remember reading the Selection series and swearing no other book couple could live up to America and Mason. Although completely different, Lennox and Annika now hold a special place! RUN DON'T WALK TO READ THIS!

This is my first Kiera Cass novel. I was not disappointed. The story was very interesting as well as the characters. But it wasn't a story that immediately captured my attention. It was good and a solid 3.5 stars.

It started a little slow, but once it got rolling it was rolling!

I loved this book! I totally picked it up on a friend's recommendation, so I wasn't sure what I was walking into, but it was fantastic!

A couple things that really stood out to me:
The worldbuilding-- fan-freaking-tastic!
An awesome, strong-willed female main character
Dual POV
A sweet but strong male main character
Enemies to lovers with a slow burn, but fantastically paced!
A royalty novel
A kidnapped heroine. (Idk why, but this "trope" can be so much fun to read! ...at least when the love interest is involved)

Also, did I mention that it's a standalone? Yup. This book is awesome.

I read this book very quickly. It immediately gripped my attention and I read it all day once I got to the main plot. It was a lot of fun to read, and I enjoy Keira Cass' world building. Her Selection Series is one of my favorites which is why I was very excited to receive an ARC from NetGalley.

This book has some of my favorite romance tropes of enemies to lovers and forbidden love, and I thought the romance was very well written in this book. I enjoyed getting to know the main characters Annika and Lennox and I felt attached to them. I did have some issues with the amount of violence in the book (some of which felt unnecessary) and the fact that these "teen" characters seemed a too mature and self-aware for teenagers. Having recently raised teenagers, I don't think the dialogue was truly reflective of how teens think and speak.

I did enjoy the world building and could picture the setting. I also enjoyed the strong female characters in this book who don't need a hero to rescue them as they can rescue themselves. While this book is big, it didn't seem too long while I was reading it and I am glad it was not divided into two books as I don't think there was enough there to have written two books about these characters/story line.

As always, Keira Cass delivered a well-written gripping teen romance book that will easily keep your attention. While I had some issues with the maturity of the characters and other minor details, it is still a book that I think most readers will enjoy. 3.75 stars rounded up to 4. Thank you to HarperCollins and Harper Teen for my advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was excited to read this, since I've read Cass' other books. This one was very different and seems to be a standalone. I was pulled in easily and enjoyed reading it. Another win!

I LOVED the Selection series by Kiera Cass so I was really excited to read this one. I really enjoyed it! Well, as much as one can enjoy sobbing. I forgot how much Cass loves to pack the emotion and intensity in! It had a slower start, BUT I was still drawn into Annika and Lennox’s stories. Both were amazing characters with growth and resilience. I thought the way their lives were weaved together was very well done without being too heavy handed and cheesy. I really loved Lennox’s friendship with Inigo and the rest of his team. Annika and Noemi was absolutely friendship goals and I loved how much she and Escalus had each other’s backs. I thought the history of the two lands was really fascinating and brought a lot of intrigue and twists into the story. The final battle was intense and anxiety inducing, which is how I like my battles! And the ending and epilogue were beautiful. I just loved this story. Worth every single tear.

TW: animal death, violence, abuse, death

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

There is so much I want to say about this book, yet I fear no amount of words will ever do it justice. I am very much a mood reader and though I had no desire to read a fantasy book at the time, how could I resist when it was written by my favorite childhood author? Not to mention, it has some of my favorite tropes - enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, and forbidden romance. Needless to say, A Thousand Heartbeats was a captivating read that exceeded my every expectation.

Annika, our main female protagonist, will forever go down as one of my absolute favorite characters EVER. She was written so beautifully. There wasn’t a side of her I didn’t love. She was equally forgiving as she was assertive; knowing when it was time to be patient opposed to when she needed to stand her ground. She was never the damsel-in-distress that needed a man to intervene to solve her problems for her. She pushed the boundaries each and every way, making her an evenly balanced character. Her love for others flowed deep and I cherished the sincerity behind her friendship with Noemi. Also, the brother-sisterly love between her and Escalus melted my heart! They’ve been through so much together and at the end of the day, they were both willing to lay their lives down for one another.

As for Lennox, he made my heart ache in all the best ways. Despite his past, there was a gentleness about him that went way beyond the surface. It was the little moments that showed you just how human he actually was. His emotions were raw, yet guarded, so I treasured the glimpses we got as the story went along. He was very much like Annika in the sense that he too was loyal and would be to the end. His character development was absolutely seamless. You don’t sense the gravity of it until you get to the end of the story and remember where you were when you started.

The chemistry between Annika and Lennox was unreal. Cass executed the enemies to lovers trope perfectly because you don’t realize just how much you need them to be together until you see just how impossible it may be. It wasn’t just their love that made me swoon; it was their understanding nature. They knew what was important to each other and they didn’t want to stand in the way of that. They valued each other’s well being the most and that made me fall in love with them as a couple. Also, their banter?! Off-the-charts. They had me kicking my feet and giggling like a little girl.

Worldbuilding is one of the most important aspects of the fantasy genre and to say that Kiera Cass nailed it would be an understatement. She gave us just enough of a visual to paint a picture without making it excruciatingly painful to understand. The pacing was an essential part of this and truly, I’ve never seen it done as well as in this novel. It definitely kept me on my toes. The story was written with the perfect tempo to create just as many questions as there were answers.

The novel's structure was the aspect that pulled everything together in the end. Breaking the story up into three parts kept the momentum going. Starting each part out in the third person POV foreshadowed the events of the following chapters in a way that paralleled both the past and the future. I’ve never seen a dual POV be as balanced as it was in this novel. I will say, I do wish both Annika and Lennox's dreams as well as their chance encounter were explored more. There was some untapped potential in these storylines.

I would read this book again in a heartbeat and you already know I'm manifesting a second book just so I can live in their world a little longer. Overall, it was a compelling and memorable read that earned 4.8 stars out of five from me.

Thank you to HarperCollins (HarperTeen) and Kiera Cass for providing me with this ARC. As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced by early access to this title.

Battlefields couldn’t keep these two heart mates apart. Such a brilliantly crafted fantasy filled with the feel of old royals and lovers. Also, that cover is just STUNNING.

“But what was louder than all of the was the painful certainty that I’d finally felt the love I’d read about in hundreds of books, the overwhelming and crushing weight of true love. And it was attached to the one person I could never have.”

We have two main MCs and it is dual POV which I thought worked super well. With Lennox, I absolutely adored him. His bravery, his heart, his character change and arc was so wonderfully crafted. On the other side, I did really like Annika too for being consistently forgiving yet true to her strengths. Annika is “people-pleaser” but in the best way.

Some of the side characters were a welcomed joy as well like: Escalus, Palmer, and Inigo. Who doesn’t love protective character that bring some sparks to the page?

My only downside is throughout the story I kept feeling like I wanted more. Nothing was quite gripping my attention. I’d say about 60% through is when the story really started to rope me in which is when Lennox and Annika’s story started to really intertwine.

Overall, it’s a wonderful fantasy with a romance for the ages. Definitely would pick up a copy of this especially if you’re a fan of Kiera Cass!

A thousand heat eye emojis.
Oh Annika and Lennox. This is your enemies to lovers troupe. Their families hate each other. Annika's mother disappears and they suspect that Lennox's tribe is to blame. Annika's father went mad after her disappearance and her brother Escalus is to be king. Annika it out having a walk with her fiancé when Lennox and his crew comes upon them and kidnaps the princess. There is something about her and draws him to her. Annika is not your typical princess and knows how to wield a sword and pick locks. She escapes and lets her father and Escalus know what their plans are so they can try to keep the peace, The king decided to meet at an island for a sign of good faith and offers them goods and foods in exchange for peace talks. This leads to a war and unexpected hurricane that forces Lennox and Annika are forced a temporary truce while they seek shelter from the storm together. Its in this little cave the all their secrets are spilled and sparks ignite.
This was a good dystopian NA story., A must read for all enemies to lovers book fans.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins Children’s Books/ Harper’s Teens, and Kiera Cass for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5⭐️ Rounded up to 4.

This was my first Kiera Cass book (I haven’t read The Selection series but it is on my TBR and I have heard nothing but good things about it) and while there were moments that weren’t my favorite, overall I enjoyed this book! This is an enemies-to-lovers YA fantasy-ish read that suffers from a drawn out plot but GREAT characters. I adored both Annika and Lennox. I thought for a YA read that they had pretty good development and enjoyed both their POV’s. However, the book was a little long for my tastes and I feel like it could have been reduced some and still achieved its purposes. The story can almost feel kind of insta-love (but also not? It’s hard to categorize), but I can’t tell if it really bothered me that much in the context of this story. Overall, while the pacing/length bothered me a bit, the characters and general story arc were fun and intriguing. I look forward to reading more of Cass’ work!

I throughly enjoyed this book! The main characters, Annika and Lennox, where extremely easy to love and empathize with. I did struggle with the first half of the book, especially since there were so few scenes with our enemies together to make them become lovers. However, it picked up around the 45%-50% mark, and then I couldn’t put it down. The plot was engaging, and the end was rewarding. I really enjoyed Lennox’s character growth throughout the book and how his emotional walls came down for both Annika and his friends.

Annika was annoying at some points, especially with how everyone loved her, but I think the explanations and her actions at the end justified the love. The romance felt somewhat insta-lovey, but I can overlook that (even if I personally would’ve enjoyed more angst).

Fans of Kiera Cass will enjoy this next installment of her work, along with other YA fantasy-romance lovers. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and were not affected by the free copy.

I absolutely LOVED The Selection series and absolutely LOATHED The Betrothed series, so this book was me giving Kiera Cass a chance to making up for that betrayal, and I must say, she did. She made up for a lot of things that I hated in that series; the insta-love? Much less insta-love, and even with the little there, she gave us a very valid reason for their connection. I wish we had gotten a little bit more connection development there, but I'm still fairly happy with it.

The pacing? Much better - I liked how she broke things up by parts. I also really enjoyed the dual view points - I don't think the book would have been near as well done if it had been just from one point of view. It really helps us get to know each of the characters and understand why they do the things they do.

The characters were fairly likeable (or dislikable), not a ton of boring ones left in the middle. Even the dead characters were written in a way that I developed a connection with them. I wish the ending had been a little more fleshed out. We went from having one side-character attempting to kill them, to being close friends, without any real reasoning? In addition, the ending was too rushed and too perfect. Everything in the kingdom just wrapped up in a nice little bow, and everyone lived happily ever after, all in the last couple of chapters.

All in all, I no longer feel entirely betrayed, and will continue reading Kiera Cass. I recommend this book obviously to fans of The Selection, but also to romance readers.

I've loved a lot if Kiera Cass's books, especially the Selection series, and this one reads a bit like that series.

We have Annika, who is the princess of her small kingdom. Her father the king is in charge and next in line is her brother Escalus. Then we have Lennox, who is a poor man living in the unclaimed lands that are being ruled by Kawan, a man who lets Lennox do his dirty jobs.

So, another enemies to lovers story. The first half of the book is slow. You know Annika and Lennox will get together eventually, but it takes so long to get there. It took until mybe 65% for the characters to even share a kiss. And from that point on, it was full sped ahead on their relationship, whch they both said was doomed, but as readers of Cass, we know will work out in the end

I think young teenage girls will love this story, but I found it very slow and very predictable. Truthfully, I wanted more action. I was convinced at 87% that this wouldn't be a stand-alone story, but everything was very quickly wrapped up at the end to finish off the story. And not in a satisfying way.

Even though Princess Annika has led a comfortable life, she cannot escape the reality that her life is not her own. Her father, the monarch, has turned cold, and she will soon be compelled to wed for political benefit to someone she detests.

Small luxuries are hard to come by for Lennox . In the hopes of one day assisting them in regaining the throne that was taken from them, he has dedicated his life to the Dahrainian army. Love is the last thing on his mind.

A classic enemies to lovers tale (and that’s not a spoiler because let’s be honest, it’s all right there in the description) A Thousand Heartbeats is a sparkling romance that features star-crossed lovers and political intrigue.

The story reads like every other Kiera Cass book: strong willed leading lady and dashing, charming young man. It’s simply just a nice read. And, just like every other Kiera Cass book, it’s predictable. Maybe the context clues were dropped very obviously on purpose, but I was able to guess every plot point except one. The one I wasn’t able to guess wasn’t even that shocking. But sometimes, that’s okay. Sometimes we just want a book set in a beautiful land where people battle and fall in love, and we know what the ending is going to be. There’s peace in that.

Even though the story focuses on Annika and Lennox, the supporting characters are just as three-dimensional and enjoyable to read. A Thousand Heartbeats has a great ensemble cast of people with very real goals and ambitions. When a story is about two people, it can be easy for others to get lost in the background and just be used as plot devices. But through the perspectives of Annika and Lennox, we learn to love the people around them just as much as they do.

It’s always a joy to read anything Kiera Cass put out, and A Thousand Heartbeats is no different. If you want a young adult fantasy story with love, politics, and some sword fighting, I recommend this book as a cozy autumn read.

Really not much to recommend here.

Clunky writing, underdeveloped characters, and an uninspired fantasy world.
Perhaps I've ruined fantasy books for myself by reading so many. At this point, I'm not willing to give my time to a book that just isn't entertaining to me. Did I still finish it? Yes. Did I have to force myself to? Also yes.

Kiera Cass has an amazing way with words. She can bring you to a whole new world filled with fairy tales and intrigue. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading her stories since her debut novel. This book did not disappoint in the very least. It was a joy to read both Lennox and Annika’s story separate and apart there was something extraordinarily strong about their relationship.

We meet Annika who is currently the princess and third in line for the throne, not necessarily something she wants to take over but will do anything for her kingdom. Even marry someone she doesn’t love just to keep the peace. On the other hand, we have Lennox who is in an opposing territory just trying to survive being the most feared in his land next to the leader who he despises and is his for all intense and purposes almost his father-in-law. They couldn’t be living more different lives even if they tried. They are complete opposites but when Lennox goes on a commission and runs into the princess, he captures her as he too wants his land back (the land where she is from).

Their interactions are exciting, and you want them to succeed with one another as you can tell there is palpable connections being made, first by anger then by interest. But it’s not just about their budding relationship it’s the trials they go with one another. With a storm brewing in so many ways they still find one another. There are traitors in the midst and loyalties so strong there could be no stronger bonds. There was so much to this book, but I don’t want to give too much more away it’s a must read.

From beginning to end you are transferred into these clans and their fight for their land. It’s addicting, interesting and just an amazing read. You can never go wrong with one of Kiera Cass’s novels.

First off, I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to receive this book because I had loved The Selection series and The Siren. It has been years since I read those, so I was curious what I would think of this book.

Overall, I think it was a pretty good book. Loved that it had enemies to lovers. It did seem to drag multiple times in the book and then when any actions in the plot happened it seemed a little rushed.

I tried to keep an open mind throughout the entire book because the ones I have been mainly reading are more NA or adult vs this one which is very YA.

First off, I just wanted to say that this book was absolutely beautiful in every way; the cover, the characters and plot-lines, I was left in complete aw. I am extremely grateful to have received a ARC from such an amazing author!

I found A Thousand Heartbeats to be such an emotionally impactful story. The title itself even brings me to tears. I was not prepared by how easily this book would suck me in. Honestly, I never wanted it to end, so the fact that it was pretty long was an added bonus. The world building was great, I never once found myself getting bored. I love the enemies to lovers trope, but was glad to find that there was so much more to the story than just the romance.

It's taken me awhile to even begin to form words to express how much I loved this book. When I finished it, I was left staring at a wall, lost in thought, just trying to process everything I had just read. This book took me by storm, I laughed, I cried (multiple times), and trust me when I tell you, I did not only gasp at surprising revelations, oh no, this book had me screaming!

Annika is the Princess of Kadier. Though she is not burdened with the fate of one day becoming its ruler, she still bares the weight of having to marry for the sake of peace. She finds solace in books and has probably read every fairy tale and love story the castles library has to offer. Its obvious to her that she doesn't love the man her father has arranged for her to marry, and she fears that she will never able to have a love as grand and magical as the ones she has read about. However, she vales her kingdom far above her own happiness and is willing to do whatever it takes to protect it.
Lennox is a ruthless solider, living in a decrepit, long forgotten castle, located deep in the unclaimed land. He is lethal and feared amongst his peers. He is forced into doing the dirty work for his "step father" Kawan, and loathes every minute of it. His people have one goal, something they have been training for, dethrone the false king in Kadier and retake the kingdom that rightfully belongs to the Dahrainian people. When Lennox is finally granted permission to lead his own commission, he chooses to go to Kadier and prove to Kawan that they're finally ready to retake the throne.

Annika and Lennox are destined to cross paths, their fates are written in the stars. though they find themselves on opposing sides of an inevitable battle, neither can resist the burning attraction that pulls them together. Even though Annika is betrothed to another, and Lennox has an obligation to his people, they cant help but to care for one another, and quickly find themselves forming such a strong connection it just might leave both of them heartbroken. They both must choose between doing what's right for their kingdoms or casting it all aside in order to be together.

Tropes:
❤ Enemies to lovers
❤ Star-crossed lovers
❤ Rivals

I was a big fan of the Selection series. So, I was excited to read something new by Kiera Cass. I felt like the story started off slow for me. I always love enemies to lovers stories and this one didn’t disappoint. I also enjoyed the dual point of view storytelling. Annika and Lennox were well written characters as well.

This fantasy novel about two seemingly star-crossed lovers has a bit of a “Romeo and Juliet” feel but with a better outcome.

Annika is the Princess of Kadier, and while she dreams of a love match like the romance novels she reads, she knows she is destined to marry someone her father, the king, determines is for the good of the kingdom.

In alternate chapters, we learn the story of Lennox, a Dahrainian who dreams of getting back the kingdom of Kadier he believes was stolen from his people.

The two are destined to be enemies, and yet even before they meet, readers know they are also destined to fall in love with one another in spite of everything.

The main characters are quite likable, and inspire sympathy both because of their tragic backgrounds and the roles they have been pushed into. While the story is predictable, I enjoyed the journey each character took, and the “swooney” romantic aspects at which Cass excels.