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A review by ashction
The Betrothed by Kiera Cass
5.0
When I first started this book, I wasn't sure that I was going to like it. But by the end of it, I'm pretty sure I love it, and I'm definitely, absolutely hooked!
Hollis Brite (whose name unfortunately makes me think of Rainbow Brite and not a sophisticated young woman) has recently left King Jameson infatuated. Though Jameson has been a bit of a player of late, dating one girl for a while before moving on to the next, Hollis has snagged his attention with her humor, her laughter, and her beauty. However, as Hollis seems on track to be the next queen of Coroa, she meets a family from a neighboring country, including their oldest son, Silas. In the midst of her heart fighting between an elevated position and love, Hollis also must face and come to terms with the realities of what being a queen - and being wife to Jameson - would mean for her.
Full disclosure: the first third to half of the book feels so achingly like The Selection that it's ridiculous. The only difference is that Hollis is falling for the "poor" boy instead of the reverse this time around. Hollis seems rather vapid, too, for much of our book, and though I never disliked her, at first I found myself a bit bored. However, if you're able to push past the initial boredom and cheesiness (Hollis thinks Silas's blue eyes are special! Because apparently no one has them in her country, which is one thing, of course, but she couldn't be more basic if she tried!), then this book actual takes a pleasant turn into something inherently more feminist, enjoyable, and compelling.
The real story begins when Hollis chooses to follow her heart or her head. I won't spoil that choice for you (but know I did think it was done rather quickly, with not nearly enough build-up for my taste), but I will say that her choice leads the story to a path I didn't foresee, and one that makes me suddenly much more interested the trajectory of this series. What makes this feminist - especially considering the 15th century setting - is the way Hollis commands her own destiny in a time when many women were unable to do so - or, at least, not as outwardly as Hollis does. And when the plans change, she takes it in stride and follows her choices once more.
I wasn't sure I could find more than a historical version of The Selection here, but I was pleasantly surprised that this turned into something more. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in this series to see what happens next!
I received this book from Edelweiss and Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review.
Hollis Brite (whose name unfortunately makes me think of Rainbow Brite and not a sophisticated young woman) has recently left King Jameson infatuated. Though Jameson has been a bit of a player of late, dating one girl for a while before moving on to the next, Hollis has snagged his attention with her humor, her laughter, and her beauty. However, as Hollis seems on track to be the next queen of Coroa, she meets a family from a neighboring country, including their oldest son, Silas. In the midst of her heart fighting between an elevated position and love, Hollis also must face and come to terms with the realities of what being a queen - and being wife to Jameson - would mean for her.
Full disclosure: the first third to half of the book feels so achingly like The Selection that it's ridiculous. The only difference is that Hollis is falling for the "poor" boy instead of the reverse this time around. Hollis seems rather vapid, too, for much of our book, and though I never disliked her, at first I found myself a bit bored. However, if you're able to push past the initial boredom and cheesiness (Hollis thinks Silas's blue eyes are special! Because apparently no one has them in her country, which is one thing, of course, but she couldn't be more basic if she tried!), then this book actual takes a pleasant turn into something inherently more feminist, enjoyable, and compelling.
The real story begins when Hollis chooses to follow her heart or her head. I won't spoil that choice for you (but know I did think it was done rather quickly, with not nearly enough build-up for my taste), but I will say that her choice leads the story to a path I didn't foresee, and one that makes me suddenly much more interested the trajectory of this series. What makes this feminist - especially considering the 15th century setting - is the way Hollis commands her own destiny in a time when many women were unable to do so - or, at least, not as outwardly as Hollis does. And when the plans change, she takes it in stride and follows her choices once more.
I wasn't sure I could find more than a historical version of The Selection here, but I was pleasantly surprised that this turned into something more. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in this series to see what happens next!
I received this book from Edelweiss and Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review.