Boy oh Boy boy this book was so GOOD! I wasnt too sure what I was expecting when I first requested this title, but I am glad to find this little gem. Right off the bat, this book has you hooked, it kept me reading for hours on end. Erin Beaty weaves a story of love and misconceptions, spies and war with wit and poise. Fans of The winners Curse and Kiss of Deception will love this title. The story is compelling the the romance is swoon worthy. I highly recommend this read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a digital ARC of “The Traitor's Kiss by Erin Beaty. This is such a fun debut. The characters are colorful and full of personality. I love the matchmaking aspect. The romance in this story is swoon worthy. Perfect for fans of fantasy with some steamy romance. I will definitely be recommending it for the library where I work. Also, the cover is gorgeous!

Don't let the Jane Austen comparison scare you away quickly; I enjoyed this book though I dislike that style. However, this book relied quite heavily on romance and there definitely could have been more to the plot.

My biggest issue with this was world building and characterization of general populations. I felt like this book benefitted from previous fantasy books I'd read; I could see it happening in the general realm that all fantasy books tend to take place in. There were a few races that really weren't given personalities other than being bad, and I wished that they had had more interest and humanity to them so that I could better understand their motivations.

The romance definitely drove this book. While Sage seems at surface level to be another exciting heroine, she's not really the most sociable character and I was kind of disappointed by how her relationship with her mentor didn't really progress. Sage is smart, but she looks down on basically everyone else, and I wanted to see some humanity in her--some jealousy or some desire or something. Instead, she falls for her own boy, and that drives the latter half of the book.

Nonetheless, this sucked me in and was an easy read. I felt like the romance between them, while it escalated far too quickly, was believable. I got pretty confused about all the characters and their switching, but I could see how each character's motivations affected them.

This is a pretty solid fantasy and I think that a lot of people would enjoy it. Though I was ultimately disappointed at how it fell for a lot of the gimmicks that prior fantasy novels have set up, I recommend it for those who enjoy the genre.

This was a fantastic debut! The main character, Sage, was smart and resourceful, feisty and strong, and I really grew to like her! The development was amazing! Also, the budding romance, while a small part, was so well-done and swoony! I eagerly look forward to future books by Beaty!

If you love any girl who doesn't see the world like the rest, a girl who doesn't need a man to complete her, sage fowler is the heroine you're looking for. This book had so many twists, so many turns I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait to read the rest of this awesome trilogy. Seeing as the first one completely ruined (and slightly) put my heart back together again.

Actual rating: 3.5

Sage Fowler is a wonderful character, at least for the first half of The Traitor's Kiss. She's smart, sarcastic, and unable to hide the disgust she often feels for the rituals of social niceties. In addition, because of her unusual upbringing, she's perhaps more comfortable in the woods in boy's clothing than she is dressed and behaving as a proper young lady.

When she comes into the employ of an powerful matchmaker, Sage's character expands further, and her ability to read people becomes a crucial skill in her new work. Things get even better when, through a series of only vaguely plausible (but, seriously -- who cares?) events she begins to use her skills to spy in earnest rather than just watching the eligible brides around her. At this point, the book is wonderful -- funny, well-paced, and a ton of fun. During the second half of the story, however, additional characters are introduced and the focus shifts away from Sage, something which immediately cause the book's light to dim. In addition, once the central romance begins, Sage loses many of her dimensions and is too often little more than a stereotypical smitten girl.

I'd eagerly read a trilogy of books about Sage doing cool stuff in her matchmaking career, but the romance and politics are much less compelling. Frustratingly, those things were very much the focus of the story's end, so it seems likely they'll be at the center of book two as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC!

[the above review will go up at the link below a month before publication]

Sage completely refuses to be married, and because of this, she is apprenticed to a matchmaker, to pair others together in relationships. But the matchmaker Sage works with encourages her to hone her powers of observation, and those powers of observation turn out to be useful when Sage is recruited to be a spy. But when everyone around her has their own motives, Sage will have to be very careful. Trusting the wrong person could be fatal. Sage is a headstrong, compelling character, and readers will enjoy getting to know her and the world she lives in.

Thank you, Netgalley, for a copy of this book. My opinions are entirely my own.

Oh man, this book was SO GOOD!

When I first jumped into The Traitor's Kiss, I wasn't expecting this beauty. Such a welcome surprise, and it left me reading for hours on end. I honestly couldn't put it down.If you are a fan of Kiss of Deception, you are sure to love this book. Twisty, smart, engaging and thankfully bereft of Purple Prose, debut Erin Beaty weaves a story of love and misconceptions, spies and war with wit and poise.

Our heroine, Sage Fowler glows and blossoms, and Beaty gives her just the right amount of character development to leave us enamored. Sage isn't perfect, and just the right amount of admirable and witty for her character to be engaging and adored. Beaty's supporting cast is each given their time to shine and grow as well.

The twists will keep you reading, the romance will keep you dreaming. If you love Kiss of Deception or The Winner's Curse, you must read this book!

This is the best book I've read so far in 2017! The plot was amazing and there were a lot of characters but they were all very unique and unforgettable. The romance was so swoon-worthy, the chemistry between Captaij Quinn and Sage was off-the-charts! I couldn't put the book down! This is easily one of my all time favorite books. I highly recommend it!