I love Kiera Cass, and this book was no different. I am a huge fan of the enemies to lovers trope so I knew I was in for a good ride, but I was slightly disappointed that they fell for each other so quickly, a slow burn is usually the best burn. Annika was a great character, even though she was submissive to her father (I man- he is King), she wasn't an entitled brat and when it came down to it she was brave and willing to do what she needed to. Lenox was a very well written "cold on the outside, warm and fuzzy on the inside" kind of character which I also loved.
My only issue was the world building wasn't as strong as it could have been. But honestly I felt that way with Kiera Cass's earlier works and I still loved them too.

A THOUSAND HEARTBEATS by Kiera Cass is a hard book to categorize for a lot of reasons. It reads like YA historical fiction, except the land it takes place in is a fantasy world. There are no magical elements that would cast it as a traditional fantasy, however. The other difficult thing about describing the book is that it is split into several distinct parts. For at least the first third of the book, we are following the MMC and the FMC in their independent story lines. We visit each of their lives and learn about their personal histories. I don't know if we needed this part. It went on for a long time and much of the information was repeated when the characters meet up in the second half of the book. The back part was solid, with a romance that was gripping. I did have a lot of questions about character motivations and resolutions. Things that seemed like obvious solutions took a long time and things that felt like real barriers were often quickly hurdled.

I would have really liked if the book started with the main characters meeting and continuing past the ending to see them working to tackle some of the challenges that their choices would certainly spark.

Overall, it was a solid read.

This was so fun. Cass is great at storytelling and romance. I was cheering for Lennox the whole time, and even teared up hearing about Thistle. It was a tad slow but I kept coming back wanting to hear how they finally end up together.

Princess Annika is trying to navigate what is truly means, and by truly I mean politically, to be a princess. She tries to settle for an arranged marriage while learning about the possible corruptions and secrets that come with ruling. Lennox is just a soldier trying to keep his long lost people safe, despite his ruler getting in the way.

This is a sweet enemies to lovers romance that has a satisfying ending. The light fantasy setting with these two kingdoms persay fits it well and gives it enough difference from modern life to make me happy. I felt the relationship was believable and was easy to root for while not making either character annoying. It’s a pretty light read but still has some twists and surprises that keep you invested.

It wasn’t my favorite from this author but still a very enjoyable read! (Also, no where near my least favorite from her 😬)

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got an eGalley of this book through NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: I ended up setting this aside about 20% of the way through. Previous to this I had read Cass's book "The Selection" and thought it was okay, I never read anymore of the series. I thought I would give her another shot since I enjoy fantasy adventure romance. This book was not okay.

This starts out super slow and you alternate between two POVs, a female (Annika) and a male one (Lennox). The writing style and the dialogue is super simple and immature. The story is very, very slow. The beginning felt like it was written for a young child and was just so simple it was awkward. I didn't like either of the characters whose POV we read from; they were both very whiny, one dimensional and immature.

I just had an intense dislike for this book and the writing style after the first couple chapters. I tried to stick it out but decided I have better things to do with my time.

My Summary (2/5): Overall this was not for me. I thought it was slow and poorly written. I am not sure what audience this is intended for since the language, characters, and plot were incredibly simple. I think I can say that I am done with reading Cass. I don't plan to pick up any of her future books.

“Love has a sound. It sounds like a thousand heartbeats happening at the same time.”

I absolutely adored Annika as a character and truly think that she is a perfect example that we can be more than the standards that are held by people who dont want the best for us but we feel obligated to because of our relations to them. There was something about the forbidden love aspect that just also really worked for me. I think overall I found this to be immersive, beautiful and have so many messages beyond just being an enjoyable fantasy.

Star-crossed lovers who should hate one another find a way. A sweeping YA story of betrayal and forgiveness.

For me, I think this relied too much on the notion that Kiera Cass has a large following, and less on creating an engaging new story.

After loving the Selection, I was really disappointed by this book. The prose were cringe-worthy and repetitive, and the characters were boring and trite. It read like a bad book with tropes straight from 2012. I had to force myself to finish, and was at least rewarded with an explanation for why the betrothed seemed like he had multiple personalities, but it was too little too late to save this book for me.

I Love KIERA CASS. Her Selection series literally got read in a weekend and this book met all of my expectations. The impossible love story line has always been a favorite and this one hit all the right notes. For me it was a nice easy romance that had me loving the couple and wanting them happy in the end. Another great one Kiera Cass!

I was really looking forward to reading A THOUSAND HEARTBEATS by Kiera Cass, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The story was underwhelming and predictable, lacking any real depth or complexity. The premise seemed promising, with a princess forced into a loveless marriage for political gain and a soldier fighting for his people, but the execution fell flat. The plot felt like it was going through the motions, hitting all the expected beats of a typical romance novel without offering anything new or exciting.

One of the major problems I encountered in the story was the insta love between Annika and Lennox. The romance felt rushed and forced, with the characters falling for each other almost immediately without any real development or depth. This made it difficult to become invested in their relationship, ultimately feeling hollow and unsatisfying.

The book's characters were flat and one-dimensional, lacking complexity and depth. Their actions were often predictable and contrived, making it hard to care about their story.

I hoped for more nuance and complexity, but unfortunately, the story failed to deliver.

Overall, A THOUSAND HEARTBEATS failed to live up to its promise of sparkling romance. While there were some enjoyable moments, it ultimately fell short of being a truly engaging and memorable read.

2 out of 5 stars

I was so excited when I saw Kiera Cass had a new book out. I loved the selection series but this novel just didn’t do it for me. I never felt like I enjoyed the characters and it felt a little flat. I made it about half way and then had to give up on it. Thank you netgalley for my review copy.

No one in the world of young adult publishing writes romance quite like Kiera Cass. The author of the bestselling The Selection series and The Betrothed duology is known for her strong female characters, lush and fully realized settings, and, of course, swoony love stories full of twists and longing. And her latest novel, A Thousand Heartbeats is no different.

The story of a pair of star-crossed lovers on opposite sides of an impending war, the tale follows the dual POV story of Princess Annika of Kadier and Lennox, a mercenary from the exiled clan of Dahrain. Annika is a dutiful young woman who agrees to marry her overbearing cousin in the name of strengthing the throne and placating her father the king, who has become cold and distant in the wake of her mother’s disappearance. Lennox, for his part, believes that Kadier’s throne rightfully belongs to the Dahrainians and is willing to fight to reclaim what his people have lost. But when a series of potentially deadly events throw the two together repeatedly, they discover that their bond might just be strong enough to overcome the uncomfortable history of lies and family secrets that have kept their kingdoms at odds with one another for so long.

‘A Thousand Heartbeats’ by Kiera Cass was a fun read with some great characters and I highly recommend it.

I adored A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass. It brought me back to her earlier writing style and I am saddened to hear she is taking a break.

I loved the Selection series and I had high hopes for this book. Though I did enjoy the story, it was definitely too long and not as gripping as previous books.

The King of Kadir was once a loving father to Annika, but he has transformed into a cold, shell of a man who is sending her off to be married to a man she neither knows or loves. Lennox is heir to the Dahrainian throne, but he feels more at home as a soldier on the front lines of a battlefield and has no desire to find a wife or fall in love. When a twist of fate throws these two together, they feel an instant connection and before long, their hearts beat for one another, but they will have to uncover secret threats and forge a new path if they want the life their hearts yearn for.

I was so excited for this one, I loved the Selection series. It wasn't baaaad....but it didn't grip me like that series. My high school readers will be a fan though.

Would you sacrifice your happiness for the wellbeing of a kingdom? This is a dilemma that hunts Annika's heart. Like any young woman her age, Annika dreams of finding love and marrying the man of her life. Dream that she puts aside until she meets Lenox. Since this is the first book that I’ve read by the author Kiera Cass, I'd started reading it with high expectations. Although, the passing of the story was kind of slow, once Annika and Lenox meet the story changes its course. I’m definitely looking forward to read the next book by Kiera Cass.

I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Teen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was an immersive fantasy land full of twists and turns. A couple who despite all odds fought to be together, rival families, so much that should have kept them apart, making their HEA that much well earned. A sweet YA read.

Steam: 1