Unfortunately this just did not hit the spot with me.
The characters felt under developed and did not draw me into the story as I was expecting.
Overall though this is a nice story with a mix of romance and magic with no great surprises.

I felt this book would've been better served set in space. A princess with no power on Earth seems almost unrealistic and the writing of this story left me feeling like our princess was a very one dimensional character. Overall, I didn't like this book as much as I wanted to, although there were some sections that I was intrigued by and wanted more from, I might give this book another try if there is a sequel to see if those sections get featured more.

*******full review to come soon*******
sorry, life has been deadly busy and i have to choose between reading and reviewing right now so i'll just wait for the xmas week to review bc i'll be at least able to breath, til there i'll just read all the time
#toreview

I like all of Katie Clark’s stories because they are clean romances. This one was sweet, charming, and simple. The only thing I did not like about this novel was that the plot dragged a bit and there was instant love. Still, I recommend this for fans of Melanie Dickerson.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book which I received
through Netgalley. I reallu like princess stories and this one wasn't an exception

Charming young adult fantasy set. Lovely young princess Roanna is set to marry a much older man that pretty much creeps her out and she has to deal with her true feelings for her best friend, Ben, a young prince from a neighboring nation that she's grown up with. And while she's dealing with these relationships, she begins to think she's turning crazy as she begins being able to hear other people's thoughts. I thought this story was a little different from the normal boy-meets-girl and shows a resourceful young woman in unusual circumstances who has to deal with deal with issues that threaten to bring war to her kingdom. I hope there's a sequel!

Roanna is our princess, her older brother is heir to the throne. Roanna is expected to marry for alliance. She is betrothed to a man much older than her who she does not like. Her best friend, Ben, is a prince from another kingdom. There’s a long standing friendship between them, and he’s betrothed to the heir of Dawson’s edge, a third kingdom. Dawson’s edge has no princess yet, so Ben will be marrying someone a lot younger than him.

There’s magic detected in the blood called anomalies, and people with these anomalies are rejected at birth, either euthanized or live in an orphanage.

The book is spilt between Roanna and Bens point of view. They are investigating why Roanna is showing signs of being an anomaly while fighting their feelings toward each other.

There’s intrigue and politics between rival countries. A little more time could have been used to differentiate the differences in the kingdoms. This is a stand alone novel, so there were constraints with length I’m sure. There are also medieval things, like castles, horse and carriage, and technology like cars, genetic testing, and phones at the same time. It’s a little confusing.


3.5 stars

This was such a great read! I am a huge sucker for anything with princesses being bada$$es and this book definitely went above and beyond that.

I can't quite put my finger on what didn't work for me with this book, but I'll give it a go.
We have three countries forming marital alliances to prevent war... among themselves? In actuality, it is two old friends (Ben and Roanna) from two of the ruling families who wouldn't be allowed to marry because they each have to marry someone from the third ruling family - so it is the third ruling family that they are trying to appease. Ben and Roanna love each other, but have never said anything because what's the point.
Roanna is to marry the third brother, Roland, of the third ruling ruling family while Ben has to wait for an heir to be born, or so he thought, until the third royal family insists he marries a woman of noble birth. Why? No real explanations at all about the conflict or threat except they exist.
People with 'powers' are deemed dangerous - this is mentioned in one throwaway sentence in the first chapter and we don't hear much more about it for a very, very long time.
Roanna comes into her 'powers' when, like Samson of legend, she lets her hair grow.
Countries outside of these three have superior technology -including computers and video conferencing - but only royalty use it, including flying, albeit rarely. It seems completely incomprehensible to me that a governing body wouldn't make the best use of technological advances and encourage it, teach it, etc.
There's a whole thread running through it about abortions and 'rejects' and another about the power of faith and religion, with our main protagonists being anti-abortion and pro-religion as if it is highlighting their 'goodness'.
The main characters did nothing to endear me to them - they were mere puppets for the first half of the book and at one point <s> (Roanna hears talk of rebellion, but doesn't tell anyone until she understands more? What an idiot - she knows her parents are trying to prevent war, knows she's kept in the dark about everything, so why not go to her parents who are the rulers and know so much more and could decipher it in seconds?) </s>
The writing was slightly confusing and I had to reread some paragraphs two or even three times to work out what was supposed to be happening - including the first few - so the author needs to consider place and position. Slow reveals are great attention grabbers, but not for everything tiny thing and certainly not at the risk of being confusing.

To be truly honest I had no idea what I was thinking when I requested to review this book. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not into YA Fantasy novels but this one looked interesting. I had bad expectations going into it...And now I live to regret it.

This book captured my attention from the beginning with it's fast paced storytelling, beautifully crafted words, and a romance that is unforgettable.

Princess Roanna knows one thing. She has to keep her hair short and her feelings for Ben a secret. But when she discovers something about why her mother is so adamant about keeping her hair short the only person she can confide in is Ben. Soon, mysterious powers begin to occur in Roanna. She's reading people's thoughts and has the ability to control them.

She has what is called an "anomaly" and for that she could join ranks of the Rejected no matter if she was born into the royal family. With an impending unwanted marriage, Roanna must put her trust in Ben and pray she doesn't start a war.

I highly recommend this book for all readers. This is perfect for fans of Melanie Dickerson's "Hagenheim" series as well as Keira Cass's "The Selection" series.

The only thing I wish for this novel was as if there were sequels.

3 stars maybe 3 and a half, I liked the book, I enjoyed it, but there were some problems with it. The world building wasn't good enough, the setting, where exactly are we? North America, South America, Europe? When is it all happening? Past or future, I suppose future, cause there is some technology and they are talking that it is preserved after the wars, but still, too many unanswered questions. Terminations - is that an analogy with abortions or is it not? You can come to your own conclusions but the book itself doesn't provide a lot of answers. Love story - I'm happy about it, I liked Ben, also I like when there's active female character. So there were positive sides, but still the book felt lacking.

If half stars existed, I would give this a 3.5 rating.

Over The Rejected Princess is an easy, but enjoyable read. It's nothing special though and is lacking an element other YA fantasy/sci-fi books have.

The parents of Princess Roanna of Chester's Wake arranges her marriage to a prince of Dawson's Edge, a long-time rival, to maintain peace in the kingdoms. Roanna is devastated because she is in love with childhood friend and heir Prince Benjamin Lox. Due to an agreement with Dawson's Edge, Ben is contracted to wed the King of Dawson's daughter, although they've yet to produce a daughter. Roanna starts feeling strange shivers once she meets her fiancé and the King of Dawson. Slowly, she learns secrets that has been buried.

I thought this was more of a romance novel than a fantasy book. There weren't any world-building. Remember when your English teacher used to tell you, "Show, not tell?" Well, the author did a lot of telling but no showing. She emphasized too much on the romance aspect. However, I did enjoy it. It was just a book I'd really to pass time but there was no "WOW" factor.

Thank you to NetGalley; the publisher, Pelican Book Group; and author, Katie Clark, for providing me with an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

If you are a fan of the popular Selection series you have to read this book. It had a similar feel to it with the futuristic royal theme and strong female character. The book had hints of romance and some mystery to it to keep my interest through the entire book. I couldn't tell if a sequel is in the works but with a few unanswered questions I hope there is!

"Hope was renewed. Hope that others would see the beauty in differences"

THIS IS A RARE STANDALONE YA FANTASY!
Rejected Princess is a whimsical fantasy tale full of romance, power, family, war and deceit.
Katie Clark has a simplistic writing style that makes it a quick and fun read. Don't be fooled by it's ominous title 'Rejected Princess'. The word rejected actually relates to a plot point in the story, not the princess being rejected from her family or a love interest (which is what I thought when I first read the title).
It's easy to find yourselves liking the two main characters, Roanna and Ben. I loved their relationship and found myself rooting for them throughout. If you're looking for a quick, fun, YA fantasy read then this is the book for you!
Although if you do chose it, don't expect too much. It is an enjoyable, BUT I give it 3/5 stars because there was so much potential plot, writing and world development wise. I feel as though the plot could have been thickened and that the ending wasn't done well. I was hoping for more developments and twist and turns but was sadly disappointed.

When Princess Roanna Hamilton’s parents arrange a marriage with a prince of Dawson’s Edge the mysterious and backwards kingdom to the south Roanna reluctantly agrees, accepting that peace must be put ahead of her lifelong relationship with Prince Benjamin of Lox.But when Roanna is introduced to Dawson’s royal family, strange mind-bending anomalies are awakened within her, and she discovers the Dawsonian royal family holds secrets of their own. Roanna becomes locked in a battle between kingdoms. Rebels wish to eliminate people who possess powerful anomalies. With threats growing daily, Roanna comes to realize the danger she is in not to mention how her own family, and Benjamin’s, would react if her anomaly was revealed.When I started reading I couldn't put it down I read the book in one day.Katie Clark is magnifysent writer.I cannot wait to read more of her books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.

This book starts off as just your regular run of the mill romance and ends up being a futuristic twist on royal love. It is also about identity, a kind of switched at birth plot if you will. Not being able to choose the length of your hair. Having every decision made for you. Embracing people as your parents. Finally admitting love for the person you truly need. It is an amazing book with a vague dystopian plot and twists that are fun, surprising. Solid read. A must have in my book. 3/5.

A princess finds challenges and how she grows in them and finding her search for those answers.

Clean read with romance. Would definitely recommend for older teens.