Book Review: A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass
Published: November 29th 2022 by Harper Collins
Rating: ★★★★ (4)
Genre: Young Adult // Fantasy Romance
Quick Thoughts: A glittering royal romance, true to the thumbprint magic of Kiera Cass books.
About The Book:
#1 New York Times bestselling author of The Selection series Kiera Cass is back with her most epic novel yet—a sweeping enemies-to-lovers standalone romance.
“Love has a sound. It sounds like a thousand heartbeats happening at the same time.”
Princess Annika has lived a life of comfort—but no amount of luxuries can change the fact that her life isn’t her own to control. The king, once her loving father, has gone cold, and Annika will soon be forced into a loveless marriage for political gain.
Miles away, small comforts are few and far between for Lennox. He has devoted his life to the Dahrainian army, hoping to one day help them reclaim the throne that was stolen from them. For Lennox, the idea of love is merely a distraction—nothing will stand in the way of fighting for his people.
But when love, against all odds, finds them both, they are bound by its call. They can’t possibly be together—but the irresistible thrum of a thousand heartbeats won’t let them stay apart.
Kiera Cass brings her signature sparkling romance to this beautiful story of star-crossed lovers and long-held secrets.
First Thoughts
As someone that hasn’t read Kiera’s Selection series (I know, I’m ashamed of me, too) but is a fan of The Siren, her other standalone book, I knew that I had to say yes when offered the chance to read her newest standalone! (BTW: I actually do own the entire Selection series, but I’m waiting for the right time to binge-read them all one after another, so please don’t hate me just yet.)
My Review
If this book were a trope, it would be the walking definition of slow-burn, found family romance. When we first meet our MC’s, Princess Annika and Dahrainian army soldier Lennox, they couldn’t be more different. Although Annika has grown up in a life of luxury as a beloved Princess, she still has so much down-to-earth kindness in her soul. Alike for Lennox, who has a deep compassion within himself even though he shows up as this tough-exterior-warrior, fighting for the cause of taking back the kingdom that he believes is wrongly claimed.
Princess Annika used to be able to lean on her loving father with no reservations, but recently he’s turned—becoming someone she hardly recognises—and now she’s being made to marry someone she doesn’t want to, just for him to get the political upper hand. Lennox won’t let anything distract him from standing up for his people, no matter what it takes or who gets in the way. But everything changes when Annika and Lennox meet under whirlwind circumstances. From there, it’s no longer a guessing game, with unpredictability, a long-time-coming battle, and hearts raised for the taking, leading to the enemies-to-lovers romance that was promised.
Overall, A Thousand Heartbeats had my heart rooting for everything it stood for. It took me a good hundred or so pages to get into it (which isn’t surprising, since it’s a thick, more-than-500-page book!) but once I was in, I was hooked. Annika had this heart of gold that really shone through the writing. And Lennox, underneath that stone exterior he had to put on to survive, was just as kind. They really mirrored each other in a multitude of ways, in most that are completely true to the thumbprint magic of Kiera Cass books. If you’re a fan of royal romances with high-stakes and all the addictive tropes we love best, this is your new favourite read. A glittering four-star book!
About The Author
I am a graduate of Radford University with a B.S. in History. I grew up in South Carolina and currently live in the LA area with my family. Said family consists of a Seminary Student Hubby, a Video Game Wizard Son, a Experimental Artist Daughter, a Sun-Loving Dog, and a Family Assistant Turned Friend/Roommate! I’m a #1 New York Times bestseller, woohoo! I’m super into boybands, gluten free cake, and my collection of tiaras. In my free time, I like making my readers cry. Such fun.
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happy reading!
