An adventurous story featuring two headstrong characters with hidden depths, I enjoyed this story much more than The Betrothed even if it didn’t manage to live up to the spark of The Selection series. The enemies-to-lovers insta-love romance arc was an interesting combo that could have used more fleshing out to be believable, but overall the narrative was interesting and the writing held its own. I would give it a solid 3.5 stars, but am rounding up because I look forward to seeing more from Kiera Cass.

Ugh it was such a cute book. I love Kiera cass and her stories are always so beautiful. The main character was a bit bland but got better as I continued reading

I was so full of happy surprises. I feel like the romance is amazing! The whole story was expertly written. Annika is a prime example of an independent, badass woman. Lenox wasn’t needed in her life until he was. She doesn’t need Lenox. She loves him, and that is the best thing about their love. I found myself hating Lenox’s people and even him for a time for hurting Annika’s mother. The book ended a little soon for me. I would’ve loved for a little more to the story before learning of their baby! I think the book could’ve been the next Selection Series. Wow! And maybe that’s not what Kiera Cass was looking for.

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC of this title.
I really enjoyed this book And know my students will also. There is no bad language & no sex. 2 characters do share a bed, but they only cuddle and sleep - fully clothed. I cannot wait to get my hands on a printed book so I can see the map of Kaider and the forgotten lands. This was a wonderful tale of star-crossed lovers, who are willing to give up their love for their their people. Wonderful world building and great secondary characters.

A Thousand Heartbeats tells the tale of a kingdom seemingly unified, but in truth split apart. Annika is a sword-wielding princess in secret while duty-bound to marry a man she is not in love with for the public eye. Lennox is a soldier for a man he cannot stand- brutally killing anyone he is ordered to kill. When the two cross paths, both have their eyes opened to a world beyond their own understanding and must reconcile what they thought they knew with what is true.

Lennox and Annika lead this story through alternating chapters. Cass has done a beautiful job of going between the perspectives without losing either voice or having them blend together.

I truly enjoyed the book. It has some moments that feel a little cheesy, but I think the audience is relevant and for them it may not feel that way!

I loved reading The Selection series, and I have high hopes for each book I read by this author. A Thousand Heartbeats sets up each character very well. I love the contrast between a tough, rugged man barely making due and a princess who has everything she wants except the choice to choose her own future.

The book starts out very slow and about a fourth of the way in, we learn something that Lennox did in his past, which in my opinion, is completely unforgivable and irredeemable no matter how hard he tries to make up for it. I had a hard time reading this book after that, as I could not root for Lennox as the love interest.

But if you're looking for a YA romance with interesting world building and great writing, A Thousand Heartbeats could be right up your alley.

“𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠…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. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐭, 𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐲.”

𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐤𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐱 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐭, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐞.

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐣𝐨𝐲.”

“𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐦.”
𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝. “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐲.”

“𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞.”

“𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐣𝐨𝐲.”

_____________________

This book was everything a sweeping, classic, romantic, fairytale should be. It blended romance with political intrigue and a gritty war to deliver the best enemies to lovers trope I think I’ve ever read. And yes, I said ever!! It is The Princess Bride meets The Bridge Kingdom with a dash of Game of Thrones and a sprinkle of Frozen and will be living rent free in my mind until further notice.

Annika is the Princess of Kadier. Mourning the loss of her missing mother and the emotional absence of her unwell father, she finds her focus and purpose trying to do what is best for her people and the crown. Lennox is Dahrain’s most feared man. Known for his merciless bloodlust and vicious punishments, all he wants is the country that was once his. Only he wants it back on his own terms and not the terms of his stepfather who has assumed control of Dahrain and its people. When Lennox sets off to collect the crown of Kadier in order to prove himself to his stepfather and returns with the crown princess instead, things go awry as he realizes he can’t bring himself to take her life. As fate would have it Annika finds a way to escape only to be found and then let go by Lennox himself. But while their paths may diverge from here, their thoughts of each other never do. What follows is a heart wrenching and hopeful star-crossed love separated by war, past horrors, and future questions. The biggest question, however, isn’t how they can be together…it is how could they ever stay apart?

Annika was a fantastic heroine. She was graceful and made of iron all at once and I absolutely loved everything about her heart, her determination, her wit, her fire, her strength, and ultimately her passion for the people of both Kadier and Dahrain that shone in everything she did. Lennox was such a deep character and watching him go from the most chilling type of villain to a man you could not help but fall in love with was an absolutely incredible arc.

Their romance was sweetly beautiful. Seeing it born from some of the darkest circumstances and then watching the sparks begin to fly gave quite a few goosebump moments. Continuing to follow their journey, wrapped up in a ruthless and bloody war, only brought the stakes higher and higher and though they remained determined to hate each other, the moment they realized that fate had been in their corner all along was perfect. But even then there were still so many odds stacked against them and my heart was right there on the line with their love to the very end.

This book was truly an incredible journey from cover to cover. It paced so well for all of the ground it covered, and it managed to balance the character arcs, the romance, and the medieval conflicts and clan wars perfectly. The emotion it packed was not for the faint of heart so be sure to keep some tissues handy as it deals heavily with loss. Above all else it was truly written to be a flawless classic and it will be one that I highly recommend to anyone who loves a good “love overcomes all” story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

For a romance-loving teenager, this book is perfect; there are plenty of declarations of love, passionate kisses, forbidden relationships, love triangles, and chivalrous acts. And the best part is that it's all extremely clean; the romantic scenes never become inappropriate and there are zero bad words.
Now as a married adult, I was constantly rolling my eyes because of how corny and unrealistic so many parts were, but I know many of my teenage students will absolutely adore this book.

I was a huge fan of the selection series and everything else I have read since then just hadn’t lived up but I’ve also gotten older and am no longer the target audience. I thought this story was good, not great but I just feel like I’m not connecting with these stories anymore. I can reread the selection series all day and still love it but other things by this author keep falling flat to me. I think most middle school girls/early high school girls would enjoy this story.

I loved this story. I'd read The Selection back when it first came out and remembered liking it, so I was eager to request an copy from Netgalley.

A princess who feels trapped, a seemingly heartless, and dark soldier, a peaceful kingdom, a struggling band of rebels. What will happen when they collide? The princess goes through experiences and meets people who force her to question all she's learned about the country she loves. Can she prove everything she's know is right?

The soldier, confident in the truth of his knowledge of the land and who should own it meets a princess who forces him to rethink his choices and change how he will handle himself moving forward. Can he prove the truth of his knowledge?

There's a sweet romance side to this story, as well as a tense urgency. This enemies to lovers story had me and kept me. I'd definitely recommend it.

A DNF read at ~20+%.

I really enjoy Cass's books and have read several of her series, so was quite excited at this release. Unfortunately, I found the dual POVs jarring; the pace _very_ slow (especially for such a long book); and the characters not particularly compelling. I did enjoy the female lead for the most part, but the male lead just could not hold my interest.

Maybe I'll pick it up again on a rainy afternoon when I need to while away a few hours, but I can't say I'll rush to do so. I'd rather revisit/<cough>binge-read</cough> some of her other series.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Amazing book! It had me on the edge of my seat. I friend it much to quickly and I’m grieving that. The author did a wonderful job!

First, isn't the cover pretty? I love it.

Second, I finished this book yesterday and I'm still thinking about it.

I'm thinking about both Annika and Lennox and their personalities and history. From every angle. Because Annika is SO forgiving. I looked at it from a mother's standpoint. From a woman's standpoint. From a daughter's standpoint. Is it all believable? My conclusion is that yes, with a bit of a stretch, yes. There aren't many people who can forgive and offer kindness and mercy like Annika and her mother, but I do believe it can happen.

The plot is so good. I loved it all. It had me invested all the way through. Oh the buried secrets!! Of course, after Annika and Lennox meet, things really pick up and intensify. There is a lot going on. I liked the mystery, the action, the thought behind all of the characters and their motives. The ending was so exciting! I'm guilty of reading way too fast.

The bottom line is that any book that still has me thinking about it well after I've finished it, deserves the credit for filling that brain space. I had feelings and emotions regarding the characters and what was happening. I was equally happy and sad when the story ended. I loved that I got a whole story, all wrapped up at the end. No cliffhangers. This book is a stand alone and that made me happy.

This book releases on November 29th.

Content: violence, peril, death. Kissing.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Staci McIntyre wrote this review for her blog/podcast Lit Shit a podcast. This is a classic star crossed/enemies to lovers book between the beaten underdog Lennix and the comfy princess Annika. I loved the selection series but this book was a bit of a disappointment and frankly boring mostly from being way too long with action scenes that were way too short. Truly think this book could have been a winner but not the way it’s currently structured.

The love story between Annika and Lennox didn’t make sense. Insta love with no real groundwork. The book lacked in world building even within their own “kingdoms.” But we’re led to believe there are 6 clans that came together for one ruler but we learn nothing about them and really learn nothing about the forgotten clan. We’re still left with questions about why her dad ended up king.

This book was MUCH heavier than I anticipated starting out. That being said every character was so engaging and had be on the edge of my seat for their next move.

Highly HIHGLY reccomend!

I finished off my month with a YA read - A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass! I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't the cover that caught my eye at first 😆 but I was intrigued by the blurb too! Protagonists on the opposite sides of the fight for a kingdom? I was like sign me up!⁣
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It started off slow with us being introduced to the protagonists in switching dual povs - one is Annika, the princess of Kadier and the other is Lennox, a fighter under Kawan who wishes to reclaim the throne that they say was stolen from their ancestors. So, it is enemies to lovers in the truest sense as someone Annika loves was killed by Lennox and Lennox's dad had also faced the same fate under her parents. I was wondering how this would work because those are some things that you can't forgive/forget 👀 But as they do meet and interact with each other I could see it happening!⁣
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Both Annika and Lennox are bound by their duties with some things that they are unwilling to do, but have to. I liked the fact that Annika wasn't a damsel in distress and she knew how to save herself, but not too bad ass in an unbelievable way either. Lennox was equally interesting with thoughts that differed from his actions and the way he slowly bonded with the people around him. There's a good build up with their relationship but after a particular point it felt a bit too fast and there could definitely have been more development (but I guess the book would have become longer than it is now😂). Either way I was rooting for these two to have their happy ending. The writing was definitely my favorite followed by the cast of secondary characters (though some made some questionable decisions). Anyway I don't want to give any spoilers away but I'd definitely recommend this book if you're in the mood for a standalone enemies to lovers/forbidden romance YA story with light world building (felt similar to a medieval kingdom) and if you're a Kiera Cass fan too!

This was a very fun read. I loved the two main characters. They were both really strong and likable. I just felt like the ending was rushed. I didn’t find the ending to be satisfying and I wish there had been a little more detail. The middle of the book was good, but the beginning did start off a little slow.

I cannot wait to share this with my YA readers! I cannot keep Kiera Cass books on the shelves in my library because they are wildly popular.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

I loved the characters in this novel. Lennox is both dangerous and endearing. Annika is a tough princess that believes in her duty to country and family. Their first meeting happens to be a kidnapping but all is not as it seems. Will these two stay sworn enemies who will defend their clan at all costs or will unimaginable change occur in their lives? Where does the real commitment to royalty lie? I definitely couldn't put this book down. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

“You know, even in places that are dark, even in the midst of war, sometimes, people find light in each other.”

✨YA Fantasy Romance
✨Forbidden Love
✨Enemies to Lovers
✨Arranged Marriage
✨Royalty
⚠️ TW: Death of Parents

Kiera Cass has come out with another YA fantasy romance novel with this one set in the Kingdom of Kadier. Princess Annika is struggling with her sense of duty to the crown and her personal wants when her father says she is to marry Duke Nickolas, a man she does not like let alone love. Lennox is a soldier in the rebel Dahranian army who is sent on a Commission in order to test his loyalty to the rebel mission and their people. Annika and Lennox’s paths cross when he finds her outside the gates and decides to kidnap her. The ensuing events will forever change their lives and their hearts.

I am a big fan of The Selection series by the author and was excited to get an advanced copy of this book! This book is perfect for those who also enjoyed The Selection series. This was a cute story about loss, love, and duty and I’m always a sucker for my big 3: fantasy romance, forbidden love, and enemies to lovers. I loved that Annika is not some timid princess but a fierce and cunning warrior who hides that she knows how to swordfight, pick locks, and who also has a witty tongue. 3.5 ⭐️ 1 🫑

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Children’s Books for the advanced copy! This book is out now! ❤️