I wasn’t a big fan of Kiera’s last book but this one was everything I love in a fantasy book!

I enjoyed the plot and the characters. I actually felt I could have read quite a bit more to be honest. I felt it was fast paced and kept my interest throughout. Phew, can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Perfect. I adore Kiera Cass, I love all of her books so I was hyped for this one and even though I struggled to get into it at the beginning (I was always so tired not the books fault!) i flew through the final 50%

I really enjoyed all the characters and the plot was interesting and the ending was wholesome and wrapped up perfectly, I am looking forwards to what she does next!

A Thousand Heartbeats follows Annika as she's forced into a loveless marriage for political gain. Miles away, her enemy Lennox is helping his leader to reclaim the throne that was stolen from him. Neither think they'll find love but against all odds they do, and although they can never be together, nothing will keep them apart.

Although this one had an exciting plot, the main focus was the enemies to lovers romance. It was very much insta love but I enjoy that because it means more time was spent on them struggling to accept the fact they love someone they shouldn't. Both characters were well developed and I liked hearing their stories and the ways they were connected. The side characters were also a big part of the story, they each had their own defining traits and helped the story move along.

The plot was really good too! There were some fast paced action scenes and tense moments that left me a little stressed. I think it was a bit slow in the beginning and could've done with some more worldbuilding but overall it was a really enjoyable read!

⭐⭐⭐.5

As a huge fan of Kiera Cass in my earlier teens, reading this book feels like coming home.

"A Thousand Heartbeats" is the perfect book for a pre-teen, young teen looking for an epic story with fairytale vibes, an heroin who isn't afraid to speak her own mind (in a very respectful way may I add), a morally gray love interest/co-protagonist and many many lovable side characters.

The plot is very simple and, quite frankly, predictable, but Cass' writing style and the pace of the narration keep the reader intrigued all the way through, there's the perfect amount of plot twists to keep the reader interested while giving them little to no anxiety over what going to happen, because it's quite obvious things are going to end up just fine.

The book is written in double POV, the two protagonists are well-defined and recognizable, and the characterization is great, I really enjoyed the way the author portrayed Lennox's shame and regret, as well as Annika's struggles with her place in the world and her claim to power.

Now, onto the parts I didn't really like. There's so much death in this book, I was shocked to say the least, it didn't make me feel particularly emotional, but for a fantasy YA book, it's quite dark. Also, the veiled feminism throughout the book was a little too much for my liking, but I appreciate it nonetheless because I realize my 12-year-old self would've enjoyed it so much. Finally., some conversations were really eye-rolling and gave me really bad second-hand embrassment,

This was an enjoyable read, the pacing was a little uneven but overall it held my attention. It’s a good romance for teens, with mixes of fantasy and adventure. Definitely recommend for younger teens, particularly those who like The Red Queen series.

A Thousand Heartbeats | Book Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5 (rounded up to 4)

I have received this ARC from Harper Collins through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As I have enjoyed reading the “Selection” initial trilogy, I was quite looking forward to reading this YA standalone Fantasy Romance new book.

This book is set in a medieval-type fantasy world where there is a threat of the Dahrain clan having the right to claim the Kadier’s throne.

The plot-triggering event is when the Kadier’s Princess - Annika - is kidnapped by the Dahrainians’ right hand - Lennox.

The plot is described with Dual POV of the two main characters, there are enemies-to-lovers romance, forced proximity and some light fight scenes.

The two main characters are interesting, and the plot is predictable but enjoyable nonetheless, but the side characters’ arc wrap-up and world-building felt a bit flat.

I appreciate the constant reference that there are two sides to every story and that people should make an effort to understand and protect their History and to be able to distinguish which are the reliable sources.

In a world where fake news is abundant, and doctored / censored information like ours, I think this is a valuable lesson for everyone not just in fiction, but in our reality as well.

I enjoyed reading this book, and would definitely recommend it to a young teen.

This book is an enemy to lover romance.

Lennox and Annika never knew the other existed. Annika is the princess of Dahrain and Lennox the mistreated son of his mothers partner Kawan. Kawan’s group have been told that Dahrain is their land and they are trying to get it back with Lennox the one who is given all the hard tasks.

On a mission Lennox captures Annika and the sparks start to form, this leads to many challenging decisions needing to be made not only for the 2 personally but for their people.

At times the story i felt was longer and more drawn out than it needed to be however it kept my interest and was a really enjoyable read. I liked the build up of the relationship between Annika and Lennox and the way their relationship was described and played out. The book is definitely YA.

I received an advanced copy of #AThousandHeartbeats from #NetGalley and would recommend to fans of Kiera Cass

Finished reading 14 November - 9 December 2022

Less than 5-word critique: unexpected,  compelling, and as Cass describes it: sweeping.

Imagine my surprise when I got approval by NetGalley to read Kiera Cass' latest novel A Thousand Heartbeats. It was a bit slow during the beginning for me but then it got more grabbing somewhere close to the middle. Definitely quite a heart pounding adventure. I really hope this gets picked up for a film or TV series.

In the author's first dual POV YA romance book, we follow Annika, a feisty yet compassionate princess who is determined to rule her kingdom the right way and is forced to marry someone she doesn't love for political reasons, and Lennox, an emotionally distant but brilliant soldier from a neighboring land, who leads a team of young soldiers to take Annika's land, which Lennox and his people believe its theirs in the first place. Annika and Lennox's paths collide that leads them becoming enemies until it blossoms to forbidden and undying romance.

I thought the story was well done, perhaps Cass' most action packed novel yet. And the writing style was greatly mixed with engaging comedy and drama.

Princess Annika and I have a lot in common. Both of us love books, especially romantic ones, and personality wise: we're rebellious, kind, intelligent, emotional, strong willed, independent, and hopeful romantics. I loved her character and development. Same goes to Lennox for the same reasons regarding character. And the side characters were also fun and unique. The baddies were written terrifically as well.

The world building was fun and amusing to get into and read about.

Recommended to those who enjoy:
-Enemies to lovers
-Forbidden romance
-Royal MC
-Found family
-Marry for not love reasons
-Strong protagonists who can also fight with a weapon
-Family bonds
-Duty vs love
-Twists and turns
-"Touch her/him and you'll regret it"
-"Don't underestimate me"

Thank you so much NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for a copy of the novel. I really appreciate it.

Princess Annika has faced a lot in her few short years. The disappearance of her mother, the constant shifting moods of her father and now the marriage that she must accept and endure for her people. A strong, brave woman who has never loved, loves sword play and romantic novels and above all else, her people. A kidnapping changes everything when she is faced with the truth of her Mother's fate and a stranger from a land forgotten to her people that claims her family stole their kingdom. Lennox has been fighting valiantly to stay strong and do what ever he can to take back the kingdom that was stolen from them years and years ago. But with a brute of a leader that takes pleasure in hurting him and his mother on the brutes arm its hard. So when his mission leads him to the very woman who's family murdered his father it's like fate. But he can't stop thinking about her, even when she is gone and he may just find himself torn in different directions. A beautiful world, told from both Annika and Lennox`s point of view, that takes us on a journey of revenge, redemption, forgiveness, love and finding joy where you can. Surprising and unforgettable and I devoured it.

The Selection is one of my favourite guilty pleasure reads. I love the romance, the drama, the flirting and the all of a sudden Game of Thrones ending. I might love Siren even more. Heartbreaking. Beautiful. Touching and such a wonderful story. However, Cass' the Betrothed duology was not my cup of tea, so I was incredibly curious what I'd think of this book. Luckily publisher HarperCollins UK granted me an arc for this book via Netgalley to figure it out!

What I love about this book is that it's a stand-alone. Don't get me wrong. I love reading series, but sometimes it's just nice to start a story and to have a finished story once closing the book. And although that does mean that not everything is described in much detail and that there are quite some things that would maybe work better if they had been given a little more time and attention, I think in the end Cass really delivered a complete and satisfying story.

I have to admit that it took me a little while to really get behind the romance. From the start it's already clear that those characters are destined to meet and fall in love, which automatically meant that my brain could already guess the possible ways they could get a happy ending. At the beginning their romance seems very instant and I still think that I would have rooted even more for them if the characters had gotten the time to really build a meaningful and deep connection, but eventually I did still enjoy the story.

And that's mostly because of the mythology and the politics. Since this is a stand-alone it's not that complicated or big and sometimes there are info-dumps needed to really explain a situation, but I really liked how this story plays with actual political themes like changing history, erasure of people and what actually makes a good ruler. Because of the romance and the personalities of the characters, it's clear what the ending is gonna be like, but I did enjoy seeing HOW the characters eventually got there.

Although this book didn't have the impact on me that the Selection and Siren had, I enjoyed it much more than I enjoyed the Betrothed duology.

**Actual rating is 4.5 stars**

If you’re like me, you have a soft spot for The Selection, and was seriously let down by The Betrothed. Which means you might have been a bit hesitant to read Kiera Cass latest book. I’ve just finished A Thousand Heartbeats, and it’s so worth a read! There’s star-crossed love, enemies to lovers, a badass female mc, a male mc with a gray past but with a heart of gold, and forced proximity. There’s so many things happening, never a dull moment and the romance was hard earned with the build-up, but so so satisfying in the best cheesy way possible!

I liked Lennox from the start. He’s been beaten, shamed and forced to cruel acts - but under it he still has a good moral compass and a heart of gold. He tries to be emotionless, but that’s just his way to handle his life. So fair to say, that I was really rooting for him to get his happily ever after. Annika took some time for me to appreciate her, but as soon as she wasn’t trapped in her stuffy, old court anymore she really got to shine. She got to show off her badassery, her quick wit and princess perfect composure. Like as soon as she started to stand up to herself, I was literally cheering at the pages. Like “Yes, you go girl!”.

The book is a standalone, but could easily have been split into three. But I’m happy that it isn’t split up, because I don’t think I would have been able to wait to see what would happen to Annika and Lennox. If you love stories about true love, multi-layered characters and a highly engaging story about a kingdom about to crumble - then this is definitely a book for you.

Annika is a princess being forced into a loveless marriage. Lennox serves the Dahrainian army hoping they will reclaim the throne that was stolen from them. They meet during a crazy mission and amidst a struggle for a kingdom, they fall in love. Can their love survive and who will win the kingdom?

The antithesis of the protagonists' lives fuels the story, her leading a pampered but controlled life and him, dangerous and feared, under the thumb of a would-be king. Though they are both feeling underappreciated by those who should care more for them and trapped in their roles. Typical of Kiera Cass to write characters you immediately fall in love with and of course seizing your attention from the very beginning. The narrative feels intimate and friendly, delving into emotions and portraying vivid images and figurative speech. There are little hints of secrets on the way, hints of bigger things to come.

The back and forth between the touched-by-introspection POVs could have been whiplashy but it is actually engaging. Even though they are both 1st person, you are able to distinguish each one's distinct voice and follow their path. Annika is inherently kind, underestimated and maybe a little naive but is stronger and more capable than others realize. Lennox is stubborn, determined and championing what he thinks is a worthy cause. You can't really call him a bad boy. How about an unapologetic, swoony tough-as-nails boy? I am happy that the villain is as despicable and conniving as needed for you to properly hate him.

The 'meet' doesn't happen right away and that way the characters can be established before we have them dealing with each other. Of course, the book has the amusement and the heartbreak that goes with star-crossed lovers. I really liked the twist and turns and except for the falling in love and brewing of war, it is refreshingly unpredictable.

The action 'sings' a bit chaotic, which is a good thing in parts that it is needed. There are parts of the action though that are confusing, a few minor mishaps in the forging of the storyline. It is insta-love with a cheesy declaration but you like the characters and it is so smile-worthy.

This story is about love obviously but also survival, sacrifice, duty and honor. It is a forced together, love in dangerous situations, supposed to be enemies adventure of a romance that you will surely enjoy.

Thank you, Netgalley and Kiera Cass for an ARC!

I'm torn between giving this 4 stars or 5 stars because it was pretty darn perfect, in my opinion, but there is just something holding me back a little bit.

I have been following Kiera Cass ever since The Selection came out and after The Betrothed I was really nervous to start A Thousand Heartbeats, but I am oh, so glad I did.
While I did love every character at some point or another (with the exception of Nickolas and Kawan or whoever) almost everyone was a bit wish-washy. For example, (view spoiler)

Somethings I loved:
- Annika's brother and maid (love love love)
- The friendships Lennox forms over the course of the book.
- Lennox's character growth, in general.
- Annika being a total powerhouse and not a weak, timid princess.

Somethings I am nitpicking over:
- May or may not be a spoiler (view spoiler)
- Overall, how quickly Lennox and Annika fell in love.
- The parents... like why were both of their (alive) parents not putting their children first? Especially Lennox's mom.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book and I would totally recommend it to others. I also wouldn't be upset to see a few spinoffs later!

This was a compelling enemies to lovers romance set in a rich fantasy world. I liked both POV characters and the way their stories and histories entwined to deepen the romance. While the romance felt a little rushed in the middle, it did work to quicken the standalone to a complete story.

I LOVED this book. Kiera Cass has a way of writing that is stunning. I loved the plotline in this book as well as the tropes included such as enemies to lovers, forbidden love, stolen land etc.

I do think the pacing in part 2 was the most odd. But I still enjoyed it overall. Part 3 had the most action which I appreciated and I did feel myself caring about the characters.

I would 100% recommend this to others and am excited to read more of what Kiera writes!

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC!

I absolutely like the premises, the characters and the writings. It was easy to understand, easy to grasp what's happening without being confused. I had a feeling this would be a ya fantasy as it was written very simple and straightforward, which is a plus for beginner readers. However, I have a hard time trying to get interested in the middle of the book as some things didnt went as what I expected, and it led to disappointments.

Overall, this book is good for fantasy beginners, but it would be a bit better if the stakes are higher.

A very entertaining and enjoyable book from the author of The Selection!

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.

A Thousand Heart beats is a TRUE YA tale full of daring princesses, betrayals, multiple claims on the throne and a star-crossed lovers romance! This has a medieval setting full of deception that will have you wondering who’s on the side of good or evil. There is a plot that felt similar to a popular Disney show but it took on its own vibe.
I won’t deny it…when I read the Selection all those years ago I could NOT put it down, so I was curious what the author would do next and this cover is an absolute stunner.

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

I have enjoyed every single page. These two main characters are beautiful and lovely . I love the fox. I love that I can pick one of the authors books and she takes me to an adventure with a great love story. Thank you for your new work. I love it like your other books. A new treasure in my home and in my heart.

* Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, Children's, for providing me this arc for an honest review.*

"Grief is simply love with no one to receive it."

A thousand Heartbeats, is a fairytale with a not so ordinary princess. She's a badass who picks locks and fences. Lennox on the other hand, is a nice boy concealed in a bad boy. So when the two of them cross paths? The explosion starts.

This book was EVERYTHING! It was so good I didn't wanted to end. First of all it has my forever favorite trope: enemies to lovers. Secondly it has the bromance of Inigo and Lennox. My favorite duo characters were -aside from Lennox of course!- Inigo and Griffin. They reminded me Ari and Janco from Poison Study (my forever favorite trilogy). But I liked especially Inigo. He was so loyal and trustworthy. He's the guy you wanna be friends with, fight beside and know that he will always be beside you.

The world building was amazing and I really loved the dual POVs, from Annika and Lennox. It was a really nice book and if you don't read it, you're missing out!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review

I usually write these reviews in more visual way, quotes etc, but I feel like this one should be more of an essay. And considering this is the last book we get for Kiera Cass for who knows how long, I think I should indeed write it.

"How to make up for your mistakes, given you've already spinned the tales you wanted to tell"

I adored 'The Selection', its sequels I find enjoyable and considering my own attitude I did like Eadlyn there. 'The Siren' was just okay. I know people who were much more touched by it, but I guess knowing selection first my heart was already stolen by the usual by then castle setting for Kiera's books. Betrothed duology? It was disaster. In two installments. All I could take from them, is that the author is not good at focusing her books on politics. She's a romance writer, not a strategist. And as much as I love all the other of her stories, I was still too wounded to not come to this book full of scepticism. And what a surprise, in my opinion this is Kiera's redemption for Betrothed series, on how it should've been written. Of course story's not exactly the same, characters differ, BUT the tropes are very much the same, so I'll stick to my statement as it's opinion of my own which I'm allowed to have. Your's different? That's great, I'm just stating mine.

I don't want this 'review' to be spoilery, so you can read it when you're deciding whether to read this book, as you might've had same concerns as me coming from Betrothed. And my solution for you is yes, you should. Because even with author's idea of plotting a story based on politics is still quite poor, the romance was there, and it didn't hurt to read it.

Annika, the female lead is a fierce princess, you could see America through her acts of kindness, and devotion to what she holds dear. Thou she wasn't exactly the same which I do appreciate, because if I'd want to read another book of America's I'd pray for another Selection novella (which I hope we do get after netflix adaptation, and people noticing they can still earn some money from Selection universe stories), I did find her much more enjoyable than Hollis. I loved her connection to her older brother Escalus, the relationship she had with her maid Noemi (I think I remember Kiera some years ago doing surveys on twitter for all their names or something 😂👍 that's why they all sound so extraordinary (thou I do have a distant cousin called Noemi myself 😎)) — very America like, right? Good. First attempt for redemption — making a main lead we do care about, and one we want to pat on ones shoulder rather than shut behind a windowless room determined to finish story without her. On the other hand we have Lennox, male lead, devoted to his fox friend and people he's leading because a new lover of her mom said they deserve a kingdom to take. Although it doesn't exist on the cards of the history books (see? My only problem again is basing another book around politics when it's still not your good side. And it ultimately breaks my heart, as I LOVED the rebellion act in the selection series 🥲 see how fast the night changes). Anyway, Lennox has his group of friends (I know the author squeezed two books of length into one, but I think it could be better if she kept introducing new characters with time, not throwing a ton of them (with very unique names) at us at once right from the very beginning 🙈) and they run errands, preparing to take back assumingly their kingdom. That's their story. Wow.

They cross paths at pretty random moment, and since then (or way earlier 😏) their fates are forever intertwined. As I've mentioned I don't want to spoil you the story, as my intention is to get you to read this book anyway. My point is, if you've read betrothed — be prepared to see a lot of recurring motives. Some executed better, some without improvement, but definitely they won't make your eyes burn out of cringe.

Yes the romance was nice, it's just as much as you'd like to dissolve in the beauty of it, you can almost feel an urge to get characters attention and remind them they should currently get their focus back on politics, not being lovey dovey. So IF ONLY the main focus of the story wouldn't be on merging the world together from a battle between clans building it you'd be enjoying their love much more. But there are a lot of beautiful quotes to save, if that's what you're there for 😌

This part is a teeeeny tiny bit spoilerish, so if you want to avoid any please skip to the last part ahead with my final thoughts. To avoid anyone accidently glancing anyway, I'll just give you hints on what to expect: Prince Hans of Disney Frozen, Romeo&Juliet but they love their people more, you might think the traitor is obvious but actually they aren't (so now I want to reread just to see where the hell were the hints thrown all along xD), Audrey from Descendants plotting her whole life with a guy that ain't even considering her a competitor to his heart, no mass murd*r wedding copy pasted from Betrothed thank God, although, when it comes to politics, for the author wedding is the solution to every problem once again. AHH, I was expecting something more innovative 🥲 I did say this is a betrothed remake, so I don't find it a spoiler if you did read that series too 🙆🏻‍♀️

FINAL THOUGHTS
I'm still not over the fact we might be getting no more novels from Kiera, but this at least acts like a redemption for the eyerolls and head pain I got from her last series. Yes, it still stands nowhere near selection, but I can't expect anything to beat something so full of nostalgia and princess romance for me so easily, so I'm just glad Kiera did write more novels after it — because if you don't want to, you don't need to read them. But if we did want to read more from her, we got a chance to see to that. I did had fun with Annika and Lennox, but I'd had more if someone else took care of politics, and I could just follow along how they talk about stars and granola bars. 4⭐ from me, one day I'll tell my kids betrothed never existed and this was the real story of Hollis's alter ego.