I’ve been a Kiera Cass stan for at least a decade. I binged The Selection while on a bike at the gym, which I later only regretted the location in that situation. That series has been finished for a while, and now she’s releasing book number ten, A Thousand Heartbeats.
We’re following two characters through this chunky boi of a novel. Annika is a princess, but things aren’t all glitz and glamor. Her mother disappeared years before, and her father has kept her close ever since. Lennox is part of a clan that lives in an area the other six think is uninhabited. His father was beheaded during a mission into Annika’s kingdom, and he’s holding a bit of a grudge. Making matters worse for him, his mom is in a relationship with the leader of the clan, and that guy is abusive and awful.
Lennox is sent out on a mission to prove his loyalty and runs into Annika out on a ride with her fiancé (who is also pretty awful), so logically, Lennox kidnaps her. He just doesn’t quite know what she is capable of.
The first quarter or so of A Thousand Heartbeats was a little slow for me, but then we have this peace summit and things pick up quite a bit. Like, a lot. I don’t want to spoil it for you, so I won’t say much more about the plot, but it’s a fun ride. It feels like a less stupid version of Romeo and Juliette, and I’m here for it. Annika and Lennox’s stories are so intertwined, and it’s beautifully written.
Side note: there is a character named Inigo with a scar on his face. I asked Kiera about it and she said that this guy is not inspired by The Princess Bride and I am super saddened by this unfortunate fact.
But, Kiera is an absolute delight in person and that makes me happy.
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Literary HypeWoman 