I was super excited for Cass' new book, as I've long been a fan of the Selection series, and this didn't disappoint! Both Annika and Lennox have a point of view here. Annika struggles with a life that does not truly belong to her, and Lennox fights so that the life he wants will one day be his. The two find love in a place they weren't looking for it but are torn between obligations to their people and the love they want. Things I loved: Cass does a love story so well. There's something so romantic about the parallels between the two points of view: people miles and miles apart of dreaming of the same things, wanting the same love. I also liked the striking difference between the two points of view--both characters are living very different lives, yet Annika and Lennox find their match in each other. I love how complicated of a person Lennox is. I love that one of Annika's strengths is how forgiving she is. Things I didn't love: I feel like this book could have benefitted from being longer. Which is funny, because I also felt like there were pacing issues. Scenes of great import could have been developed a bit more; as such, it felt like everything else kind of dragged. The second half of the book flowed excellently, but the beginning of the story felt like so much was being thrown at you and then forgotten about. Having finished the book, I understand why Cass chose to focus on some elements more than others, but I felt while reading that the first half of the book seemed a bit disorganized. As for how complicated the characters are... I loved that Lennox was very morally grey, but I would have like to dive a bit deeper into his darker side. It feels like Cass was trying to sell his good qualities, which she definitely did, but she did so at the expense of almost brushing off his complications. Big battle scenes could be of more consequence; the main characters could be rounded out a bit more; the history of these kingdoms could be expanded... I also think some of the side characters--Rhett, especially--could have been developed more. I think if this were around 100 pages longer, a lot of this could be ironed out.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this and can definitely see myself reading it again. Perfect for fans of Kiera Cass or for anyone looking for a standalone adventure.

I loved this book, I’ve read other books by this author and this book is probably one of my favorites from her!!

When Princess Annika puts her kingdom above all else. She knows her duty, even if her duty is to marry her boring cousin to strengthen the ties of the throne. Ugh. But when she's kidnapped and learns that her kingdom may not be her own...her mind starts to wonder: What if she's fighting for the wrong thing?

Lennox will do anything for his clan to regain their territory. Even kidnap a princess and threaten to kill her. Although she escapes, she never leaves his thoughts.

Can two like-minded people overcome generations worth of wrong doings and set them free?

The Selection series is one of my favorites when it comes to YA. I used to recommend Kiera Cass to anyone who loved fairytale romances with a touch of rebellion. Then The Betrothed series came out and I loved the story it was based on but....it was too much for me.

A THOUSAND HEARTBEATS has redeemed everything. I loved this book and didn't put it down until I was finished which was in the early, early morning hours. Enemies to lovers, righting wrongs, emotional growth and recognition...I was there for it all!! I will admit that there is a lot of jumping back and forth between the two narrators which happened a little too often for me to completely stay in their mindset, but honestly the plot moved at such a decent pace that it didn't affect my concentration too much.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Teen for this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

As a fan of Selection series, I just made a few cartwheels after receiving the arc copy and dived into the story without even checking out the blurb!

Enemies to lovers meets heroic fantasy theme attracted my full attention. The characterization was good! Both of the main characters suffer from dysfunctional family issues, resentments, wanting the best for their country, being ready to sacrifice themselves for good. But when their paths will be crossed, they will realize their perceptions are subjective and they might be believing distorted version of truth about the history of their own land.

Annika is strong character, obedient to the king, ready to get married with a man she barely knows and Lennox is a fighter, dealing with mistreatment of his step father, ready to take lives to take control of the land they’re destined for.

Annika finds herself kidnapped by neighboring country fighters who are leaded by Lennox. They insist the land Annika’s family kingdom reigning belongs to them. Throughout the road trip, both Annika and Lenox will understand the truth has several faces. They will question everything they’ve been taught for years.

This book is a little long and slow burn but the pacing of the romance story is quick. We may call Annika and Lenox’s love story as insta love. They didn’t spend much time to get to know each other of form an intimate bond. But it happened quickly so enemies phase ended without giving us enough time to absorb everything. They quickly turned into lovers.
The world building was also needed a little more description. It was a little flat.

But overall it was still alluring reading with action packed and exciting chapters, character driven heroic story theme. At least it didn’t bore me! So I’m rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 I’m a big fan of the author and looking forward to read her future works stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children’s Books/ Harper’s Teen for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

This book got a little long for me but I overall enjoyed it. The characters are likable and will be recommending this one to my teens.

Absolutely loved this book<3 I’ve read books from this author in the pass and she did not disappoint. If you’re looking for a new book to read I would definitely recommend this book as a suggestion

Annika and Lennox are two souls bound to meet to fight over a kingdom they both claim. Its a theme of forgiveness and justice and knowing between right and wrong.

This was just OK. I liked it better than Cass's previous two books, but it still doesn't hold up to the Selection series. It's a bit too long for me to want to recommend it to younger YA readers, but then again it reads too young for the older YA readers.

“Love has a sound. It sounds like a thousand heartbeats happening at the same time.”

This book reminded me of the greatness of the Selection series. I really enjoyed the alternating point of views throughout the story. I also appreciated how everything tied up in this stand alone novel. I didn't have any questions that were not answered. The banter between Lennox and Princess Annika was wonderfully done. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Young Adult and Enemies-to-Lovers.

This book is fitting for young high school readers. It is sweet and maybe long at times. Characters are innocent and overall likable.
Older readers may not be as interested but may find this book a sweet and easy longer read.

Annika is the princess of her country, Kadier, and she loves nothing more than her people -- so much so that she's willing to sacrifice her potential happiness to marry a man she hardly knows and has mixed feelings about. On a tour to announce their engagement, she is captured by members of a neighboring country and held hostage with the claim that Kadier is actually their stolen land, Dahrain. As she learns more about her captors, including a young man named Lennox, she realizes the life she knew may all be a lie. In her presence, Lennox, too, finds himself questioning what he's been told his whole life. As the two balance their growing interest in one another with their love of their respective countries, they both come to realize what matters most in their lives may not be what they originally thought.

The exposition starts with the reader learning about the social structure of Annika's court, as well as the tension between Lennox and his "step-father" Kawan. The world building was simple, but I was still able to envision these two distinct places and people. However, the first 40% of this book moved a bit too slow for my liking, but I overall appreciated the structure of the plot's timeline. One of my pet peeves with multi-narrative novels is the constant waiting -- an event or realization occurs in one person's POV, then we spend another six chapters catching up with the second. But in this book, conflicts arose and were immediately addressed in the follow chapter, which kept me wanting to read way past my bed time.

I really enjoyed the way Cass characterized Annika especially -- I usually find myself a little bored with the female leads who are resigned to follow the set expectations of their gender in the royal role, but Cass found a way to toe the line. I never once felt like Annika was too well-trained or rebellious to fit into the court life, nor did I feel like she was a damsel in distress without hope of living without the intervention of a man. I also thought the main conflict between characters was natural and complex enough to motivate most of their actions (even if I was screaming the resolution -- which eventually came to fruition -- from the rooftops from the first few chapters).

And as can be expected from a Kiera Cass novel, the romance is spot on. I felt like it developed naturally (albeit a smidge too quickly, explained later in the book). There were some moments that I wish were emphasized more (specifically the element about the dreams, the stars, and the chance meeting) to develop their connection even further, but I did enjoy reading their story. It's the highlight of this book -- as it should be.

I found myself wishing this could be at least a duology since this book was a bit on the longer side, and I have many unanswered questions. But readers of Cass's earlier works should be pleased with this one!

Kiera Cass does it again with a strong story full of action and adventure. While it was a bit predictable, that didn't detract from the book. I loved the main characters and their relationship, but also enjoyed the development of secondary characters as well. The romance is pretty innocent, but still provides enough spark for a middle school reader. I recommend The Selection series every chance I get, and this new book will be added to my must-read list as well.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I really love this author so I was very excited to review this book! It did not disappoint and I could not put it down all day! The story was full of adventure and depth but fast paced enough that I never felt bored. I will be purchasing this book and recommending it to all of my family and friends.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the advance copy of this book. I'm a huge fan of Cass's Selection series, and I was hoping A Thousand Heartbeats would recapture that magic. For me, Annika's portions of the story did that, but I wasn't as captured by Lennox's sections. I know we needed to know his backstory and what was happening in his part of the realm, but I found myself sometimes skimming his sections so I could get back to Annika's faster. Overall, though, I enjoyed this book, and I will purchase it for my Kiera Cass fans. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

First off, thank you to Kiera Cass and NetGalley for allowing me to have an advanced copy of this novel to read and review. I have a special place in my heart for the Selection series, so I had high expectations for this one!!

Kiera's character building is always done in such a way that allows almost any reader to relate personally. Although Annika is royalty, she is so down to Earth that any young girl can see herself in Annika. She stands up for what she wants, she does what she believes is the best for her people, she practices sword fighting and can hold her own while out on her own. And then there is Lennox. Again, Cass build Lennox to be relatable to the reader. He has family issues, doesn't feel loved, and is so much more than "the killer" that he lets people believe he is. The rising action was a slow burn and the ending of Lennox and Annika's story was believable and worthy of cheer!

I am taking one star off my rating for the following reasons:

1. Annika and Lennox's road to love was WAY too fast and unbelievable. They hardly spent any time together, yet he saved her life and they thought about each other constantly. Adding in a couple days of interrogations and conversations, love building, would have made that all more believable.
2. While Annika's sword wielding is a major part of her character development, it is again unbelievable. It is said she had just started doing practices with Escalus, and yet very shortly after she is able to hold her own with the stone cold killer that we are led to believe Lennox is? And then she fights her way through the battle in her castle at the end of the book? Again, just isn't believable. But if the details changed a bit - she's been practicing in hiding for years with Escalus and maybe a high-ranking, well-skilled guard? Then it is more believable.

Definitely an improvement from The Betrothed; I give it 3.75 stars. Started off slow, but picked up for the better and when I say a lot of people don’t make it to the end of the story, I mean A LOT.

As a huge fan of Kiera Cass, I was thrilled to see a new story coming out this year and she did not disappoint. Cass weaves our main characters stories together effortlessly, allowing us to get to know and leave each character individually and together. Enemies to lovers is a favorite trope for a reason and Cass reminds us of that in a story that includes romance, intrigue, war, and who doesn't love a good sword fight! Readers who enjoyed Cass's Selection series will be glad to have a new story to love!

Kiera Cass is back with a new romance and I think fans of The Selection series will be happy-ish. A Thousand Heartbeats is not better than our favorite series by this author, but it is nice addition to the author’s work. The enemies to friends to unite a kingdom is what Cass does best. The characters, the plot, and the romance will have you satisfied. This is a stand alone work. I enjoyed reading this alternating narrative, my only wish would’ve been editing out some of the length.

After reading all of Kiera Cass’ novels I was very excited to receive an ARC of her newest, A Thousand Heartbeats. The first person narrative with dual perspectives has the softness of an age appropriate love story with the excitement of battle and doing what is right. This book was a fantastic look into both the glamorous and unglamorous side of being a part of a monarchy and hidden family secrets. It also displays the truest forms of forgiveness and love. I would gladly recommend this book for 6th graders and up.

I am loving all the swoon worthy romance out of this books! I can't wait to see more from this story.