I did enjoy this story. It wasn’t as good as The Selection Series or the Siren, but I still enjoyed it.
It is another book with war and fighting, enemies to lovers, but with a bit more gore than some past ones haha
That being said, I quite liked our main characters. The princess was strong but not so much that I found her over-bearing. She had a good heart but with enough fire to Stand up for herself and what she believed in. Our rebel had a very dark, stained past but was able to find redemption. He was dark and morally grey (so of course, we find a way to love him 😜).
Not everything was super believable, but I don’t come to the books to have normal anyway so it didn’t really bug me.
Thanks to netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I always enjoy Kiera Cass books, and this novel was no exception! The main characters, Princess Annika and Lennox are well-drawn characters, and their dual POV works well. Suspenseful and and enjoyable YA book!

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperTeen for the ARC!

Thank you, thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Children’s Books/ Harper’s Teen for granting me a copy of this book in return for my honest opinions.

I loved the Selection series so much and was so excited to get to read this latest book be Kiet Cass. I have to say I absolutely loved it

I enjoy the Enemies to Lovers theme and it was written so beautifully in this story. Annika and Lenox’s are so clearly enamored with one another that we know right away the clearly will not remain enemies for long.

I enjoyed ever single page and can't wait for the next release.

Highly recommend.

I loved this book! The details and the plotline kept me hooked from the very beginning. I loved the romance and the slow burn it started as before blossoming and bringing readers in. The only complaint I have is that the end seemed a little bit rushed. I will definitely recommend this book to readers when it comes out!

Kiera Cass is a must buy author for me - no matter what the story, her books are an auto purchase and I’m never disappointed.

I am a huge fan of the selection series and had very high hopes for this book! I looove an enemies to lovers.

Annika and Lennox come from similar backgrounds and have similar wants for their families and people. But they both need the same thing to achieve it.

This felt longer than it needed to be and was very slow burn. But the premise of the story was adorable!

Read if you like:
•enemies to lovers
•forced proximity
•found family
•HEA

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy!

First off, thank you Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for me to read in exchange for an honest review. Now, I was really excited for the chance to read this as both my brother and myself were fans of the author's series The Selection. This is a YA romantic fantasy with the main characters just trying to do their part for the kingdom. I really enjoyed the world in the story, and it was an enjoyable day read. I would recommend this book to those who are interested in YA romantic fantasy as this one was such a fun story, my only complaint is that I wish there was a deeper development of the character's relationship before just getting straight to it.

Classic YA enemies to lovers story. It was exciting enough to keep my attention, but not sure I would read it again or recommend it

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for allowing us to read this ARC in exchange for our full and honest review.
3.5 stars

A classic enemies to lover YA book. I won't lie the start of this book can drag quite a bit. If it wasn't for the fact that I had an ARC of this for review I may have DNF'd it fairly quickly. However when the characters finally meet the pace picks up considerably. This is a classic YA book with a level of predictability. The love story was cute and I really enjoyed the two MCs together. Overall I did enjoy the story for what it was.

Not my favorite of Cass's stories but I did enjoy her writing as I have enjoyed her other series as well.

I requested this ARC because I was obsessed with the Selection series back in the day but the magic just wasn't there this time. While the story is presented as dual POV, the voices are basically the same. The characters fell flat for me, and the plot doesn't pick up until probably 30% or so through. By then I was basically skimming and not super interested. Overall, this was a miss for me, but I wonder if I might just be aging out of this genre (which is SO SAD).

I really enjoyed this story! I'm a big fan of the Selection series, so I had high hopes. Though mostly predictable, there were a couple of surprises thrown in. A few twists and turns to keep the reader's interest. I have several library patrons I know that will eat this book up!

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. I enjoyed Cass's previous works so I was excited to have a chance to read this. Having it be a standalone was good as most books nowadays feel like they are a part of a longer series that could be edited down. I felt it was a bit slow in the beginning but started to pick up more around 40% in. The dual narrators was good to see how both were feeling and reacting to one another and while the twists were somewhat telegraphed, I still enjoyed it. A great addition to Cass's work and I would encourage anyone who is a fan of her or of historical romance should pick this up.

I truly loved this book! I have been a Kiera Cass fan since The Selection and this story did not disappoint. While I found it a bit slow in the beginning, just because it took awhile for the hero and heroine to meet each other, I couldn't put it down the second half of the book. Definitely recommend!

I'm very upset that I have to say I really didn't enjoy thus book at all I felt from the beginning it was very dry and hard to continue on I like my books to grab my full attention from the get go and certainly didn't get that like I said I'm very upset about it because I have read this authors books before and was dso thrilled I got the chance to read it maybe it just wasn't for me I hope others like it and I hope the author continues to write.

I was excited to read this book as I have read all of Kiera Cass's books. The selection was my absolute fave.
This was an enemy to lover book but I feel like they fell so fast for each other it was barely enemy at all.
The book was better then her last but it still felt kind of off.

I would recommend it if you want a light read.

📖 𝑨 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒔
✍️ Kiera Cass
4.5⭐️│YA Romance

“𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬? 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧.

“𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙. 𝙄𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚. 𝙄𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙡𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥, 𝙖𝙣𝙙, 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨, 𝙞𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝.”

I love a good star-crossed romance and this one delivered in spades. The two MCs, Annika and Lennox are independent, honorable, and most importantly— loyal. They way their fates have been entangled for years had me invested in this story from the very beginning. The forgiveness and understanding demonstrated by the characters had me in tears more than once. I enjoyed the sibling bond between Annika and Escalus and the found family Lennox discovered within his Commission group. There were so many great tropes explored that there really was something for everyone to enjoy.

✨ Star-crossed
👸🏼 Royalty
⚔️ Enemies to Lovers
💒 Arranged Marriage

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Annika is the princess of Kadier and although she is a princess, her life is no longer in her control. Her father is no longer the man she once knew, her brother is next in line to become King, and despite being beloved by her people, she will soon be forced to wed for political advantage.

Lennox has devoted his entire life to the Dahrainian cause to get back their land and stolen crown. Having made so many sacrifices, little else matters besides avenging his father’s death and taking his people back to their homeland.

On opposing sides of an impending war they cannot be with one another, but can they resist the sound of a thousand heartbeats?

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins, and the author for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This review was posted to Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and my Bookstagram account on January 2, 2022. Amazon review is awaiting approval but will be live under my review link once approved.

initial thoughts: this book is not as good as THE SELECTION books, but much better than THE BETROTHED books.

this book started pretty slow, and up until halfway i wasn’t thrilled with the pacing. BUT about halfway in, something changed. basically, the romance began, and the book got so much better. this is an enemies to lovers (and also forbidden love) story, which is not usually my favorite trope, but the banter between Lennox & Annika in this book was really cute. there’s also a forced proximity part which is by far my favorite part. i am happy with this book, and think it will appeal to the YA audience that Cass is going for.

it’s your typical fairy-tale love, and reading it brought me back to 7th grade when i read about Maxon and America for the first time.

THANK YOU to NetGalley & HarperCollins Publishers for the gifted e-arc of this book!!

This book was a great mix of political intrigue and a great enemies-to-lovers romance! Like any good enemies turned lovers, there were plenty of sword fights and verbal assaults that led Annika and Lennox (names I really like for these characters) to fall in love in a truly magical way. I think the way this book described love was fascinating way to look at love, as more like a sound that envelops a person.
I love Kiera Cass’s writing, so this book was a great way to end 2022.

I thought this would be an insta-buy for my classroom, but I don’t know. I’m going to have to think on it. It’s a little dark, but not in a scary way. It’s dark in a way that my students may find a little cringey when it comes to animals. The romance is typical for a Cass book, which my student would enjoy.

Honestly I was fairly excited for this, but this is pretty meh. I am let down again, but after the betrothed I have learned not to get my hopes up. I adore Cass's writing and find her characters compelling but lately the plot lines have felt pretty bland. I just want there to be more to the story.