Really loved the 1st 3/4 of the book. The story line and characters were well developed and captured your attention. I loved Nor's strength and bond with her sister. Nor's instant attraction to Talin. However the end felt rushed to me. I felt like it was missing something and the end although ended happily for Nor and Talin, it left me wanting something more. Overall, great novel even if the ending was a little lacking.

I received a ebook copy of Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford from NetGalley, and I was immediately drawn to it by the description and it’s cover. It’s absolutely gorgeous and hello, there is the ocean and people have an entire village suspended over it! Amazing!!! I seriously love anything to do with the ocean, but even more so when there is folklore behind it (real or made up).

Description- from NetGalley

“For generations, the princes of Ilara have married the most beautiful maidens from the ocean village of Varenia. But though every girl longs to be chosen as the next princess, the cost of becoming royalty is higher than any of them could ever imagine…

Nor once dreamed of seeing the wondrous wealth and beauty of Ilara, the kingdom that’s ruled her village for as long as anyone can remember. But when a childhood accident left her with a permanent scar, it became clear that her identical twin sister, Zadie, would likely be chosen to marry the Crown Prince—while Nor remained behind, unable to ever set foot on land.

Then Zadie is gravely injured, and Nor is sent to Ilara in her place. To Nor’s dismay, her future husband, Prince Ceren, is as forbidding and cold as his home—a castle carved into a mountain and devoid of sunlight. And as she grows closer to Ceren’s brother, the charming Prince Talin, Nor uncovers startling truths about a failing royal bloodline, a murdered queen…and a plot to destroy the home she was once so eager to leave.

In order to save her people, Nor must learn to negotiate the treacherous protocols of a court where lies reign and obsession rules. But discovering her own formidable strength may be the one move that costs her everything: the crown, Varenia and Zadie.”

Everyone needs to read this book!!!! I couldn’t put it down!!!! I was even sneaking time on my phone on Mother’s Day just to keep reading it. 😳😂 I absolutely loved the magic of the village of Varenia and the magic and danger surrounding the Blood Coral. Not to mention who doesn’t love a cruel prince and a love triangle? Nor and Zadie definitely share an unbreakable twin bond and it was so heartwarming and heartbreaking to see how far they would go for each other. Tarin is definitely my newest book boyfriend, so hands off ladies!! He’s the younger half-brother of Ceren, the Prince and crown regent who is to marry Nor (disguised as Zadie). The character development was well done, and the world building is great! I want to know more about what is outside or surrounding Varenia and Ilara though, so maybe that will come with a sequel? Hope so!

I don’t feel that this story is quite finished based on the ending of the book, so I’ll be heartbroken if I find out that Mara isn’t planning on writing a sequel. I just didn’t feel there was enough of a resolution for it to be a standalone. However, this is definitely another ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me! I can’t believe how many 5 star reads I’ve had this year, but hey… I’m not complaining!! Keep ’em coming! 😃

Ok well I have to get moving and off to work soon, not that I’ll be functional after the book hangover this read has left me with. 😂 Happy Reading friends! 🤓

I- I am so underwhelmed.

I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU.

3.5/5 stars

Crown of Coral and Pearl was a release I have been looking forward to for MONTHS. I was so excited when I received an ARC, and was looking forward to finally getting to read it. Unfortunately, I found myself to be underwhelmed by the story, and the ending was extremely weak as well.

Before I start, let it be known that this was originally meant to be a duology. It was instead sold as a standalone novel, AND IT SHOWS. The amount of time it takes for us to get from one setting to another -where most of the story should've taken place jsyk- is over a third of the way in. Once you pass that third of the book, things start to pick up pace as we finally get to what the summary was describing. While there were scenes that took place in Vaneria that were very much needed for the plot, a lot of it could've been cut down in some way.

So, we finally get to Ilara... That means things pick up for sure now right? Well...kinda. We start to see the conspiracies and the mysteries on why Nor's people are suffering, but there's so much fluff in the mix that it feels so far in. I found myself zoning out quite a bit in this middle section,, and that's not a good sigh. I found myself to thoroughly enjoy Nor here though, as she struggles to be her sister but also remain true to herself. We also get introduced to Prince Ceren and Prince Talin, both opposite sides of the same coin. While I enjoyed these 3 characters, after thinking I found that they weren't very developed. We see Ceren and Talin a lot in this part, but yet there doesn't seem to be much to them. Even Nor wasn't as developed as I imagined she would be, considering she's spying to save her home.

So the last third and the ending. 75% through, and I FINALLY was enjoying myself. Like, I was LOVING it. And I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. The pacing just picked up SO FAST, and we were getting some serious development in the conflict as all the pieces were coming together. It was really amazing! I was actually quite happy with it...until I saw I was at 93% and nothing was resolved yet. I then was terrified because this is a standalone, and that could only mean 2 things, Either we got an open-ending/cliffhanger and just imagine what happens or hope for a sequel, or we get a rushed ending.

This was a mix of both.

This has the most rushed explanation of dialogue between characters that I have ever read in my entire life. All of our questions were squished into these 2-3 pages of exposition where a character explains to Nor everything that happened. What sucks is, there is NOTHING in this entire book that has any clues to let us realize that these things were happening. Only the most vague lines uttered, which were easily brushed away, were able to be connected to the explanations we were given. I hated it so much, and I was severely disappointed that an extra conflict was entered in -I KID YOU NOT- the last 2 pages. It was such an unnecessary blow to what could've been a kinda happy open-ending. The last third won me over, but the final chapters ruined it once again.

I seriously hope that the publishers consider giving this book a sequel. It was clearly written as a duology, and it should've been published as a duology. This book suffered in it's final act due to constrictions, and also unnecessary conflicts that should've been left out if it is indeed a standalone novel. I rated this as high as I did because I admit that I did find enjoyment out of this. I can't bring myself to rate it any higher though due to how many issues there actually are. My thoughts? I won't be buying this anytime soon, and I'd actually recommend going to your local library instead. I still look forward to whatever the author writes next, as I really did enjoy her style of writing. Crossing my fingers for a sequel!

ARC provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book: Crown of Coral and Pearl
Author: Mara Rutherford
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Inkyard Press, for providing me with this ARC.

I must say that I was very impressed with this book. This is another one that I was only basing on the summary. I mean, the summary sounded good, but sometimes that can be a real let down. The writing is beautiful and the world is amazing. I love the idea of one group living in the ocean and another on land-in the same kingdom. There was just something about this that made it really magical.

What I really loved about this book was the relationship between sisters. Zadie and Nor live in a world in which the most beautiful girl in the village is chosen to marry the prince. Their whole lives have been centred about this and they have been taught to see beauty as being on the outside, not on the inside. The two sisters share a bond. Both are in the running, but they really don’t want it. Both of them have their hearts set on something else. When something happens, they are forced to live a life that neither one of them of them thought. I loved how Mara made their bond one of the main focuses of the story. I know romance is a major factor in this book, but I love the family relationships even more.

Mara’s writing is beautiful and stunning. I love how she put in little details throughout the story that really added to the world. Inside of us being told about the world in one setting, like it is with most fantasy, we get world building throughout the story. It just makes everything that much more wonderful and engaging.

The pacing was okay. To me, the pacing is what made me knock a star off. The ending felt rushed. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but it seemed like Mara was aiming for a longer book and that didn’t happen. It felt like so much time was taken on other things and the final battle was just cut short. Hopefully, there will be a second book to pick up where this one left off-I really have no idea what’s being planned.

Overall, not a bad book. This one comes out on August 27, 2019.

This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I liked every single one of the characters, except for the bad guy. I truly despised him, and was happy with the state Nor had him in when the book ended. His brother on the other hand... well I’ll just say I was a fan of Talin from the start. Even Zadie and Sami were great characters that I felt I got to know well, despite their being in only 40% of the book. The plot was very unique and I’ve honestly never read anything quite like it. Mara Rutherford had a way of weaving the story together that made it a very cohesive and enjoyable read. 5/5 stars, I would definitely recommend.

I received a copy of Crown of Coral and Pearl from Harlequin TEEN (US & Canada) through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In this book beauty is a curse that will get you sent away to marry a stranger.

Nor has been scarred and is out of the beauty running but must take her place.

Wow, the villain in this one is a creeper!

Oh man, having finished this book I'm a little disappointed. This was one of my most anticipated books for the second half of the year. The premise sounds so incredible. There is a centuries-long pact between the ruling kingdom of Ilara and a small ocean community, Varenia in which the most beautiful girl is chosen from Varenia to marry the heir to Ilara every generation. Twins Nor and Zadie are the focus of the novel, Zadie is a front-runner to be this generations chosen girl ever since an accident left a small scar on Nor's cheek. The beginning of the book felt a little clumsy to me. There was a lot of worldbuilding vomit to give a quick rundown of how everything in Varenia works and their relationship to the rest of the world, Ilara in particular. The way it was written just didn't feel organic to me, it was merely a lot of facts laid out and then we moved on. The book does eventually find its stride in this, there's a lovely scene where the girl's mother tells the story of how the tradition of sending girls got its start. I thought Varenia was a beautiful community. The ocean-living and the hierarchy of members in the community was so interesting to read. I loved Nor and Zadie. Their relationship was so beautiful to read and they're each great characters on their own. Nor is headstrong and curious, while Zadie has been perhaps a bit forced into the role of the perfect daughter. Prince Ceren is by and far the most interesting character of the entire novel. Every scene he was in had my full attention and he felt like the most fully fleshed out character. I wasn't as sold on Prince Talin, he felt a little wooden to me. He fit the role of Prince Charming too well and while I always love a good forbidden romance, I wanted more from the relationship between Nor and Talin. The ending completely fell apart for me, all of a sudden it felt like the author realized the book needed to end soon and so just cut right to ending everything possible. It's also very clear that the story isn't finished. This is a standalone novel but the author has said she intended it to be a duology. There's so much that still isn't wrapped up at the end and so it made the finish feel a little flat because I have so many more questions and as far as I know they will not be answered. That said I loved reading 80% of this book, the characters and the settings were both really well done. I just wish it could have ended stronger because that's the final impression of the book and it really brought down my overall impression of Crown of Coral and Pearl.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC. I was very excited to get approved for this and thought this was a great read!

I love the premise, but just felt it did not deliver on the substance. Nor is the main character, and it seems she is intended as a heroine, but it just isn't conveyed well enough. There is no acknowledgement of the selfishness of her twin, and the the impact of her actions on Nor which would have provided great character development and more substance. The brother dynamic was basic fantasy: one light, one dark, one evil, one good. Again, missed opportunity for characters that could feed a fandom. While a standalone now, a sequel could elevate the fabulous world-building and create a story line I can invest in.

First off, I'll get to the reasons why I think Crown of Coral and Pearl is worth the read despite some of the faults I had with it.

• Ceren is a very compelling antagonist. He is a young man with a realistic and complex personality. I love that the author exhibited his many dimensions and I found him to be one of my favourite characters, despite hating his personality.

•The relationship between Zadie and Nor and crafted perfectly. I loved that the author spent so much time fleshing out the powerful bond the sisters had with each other. It really helped to establish the differences in their personalities and draw out their complex emotions pertaining to their situation. The first part of the book was my favourite because of that.

• I thought the world building was solid for a fantasy that doesn't take on a very large scope. I FELT the culture shock that Nor experienced when she was uprooted from her simple life in Varenia to a luxurious one in Ilara. I had a clear idea of the differences between each culture as well.

The one glaring fault that I can't ignore is Nor's relationship with Talin. I thought Talin was a solid character. He seemed just as complex as any of the other characters in the book. However, I felt as if the two main love interests did not get enough time together for their relationship to, believeably, develop into what it did. The instant attraction was fine. However, I felt like there should have been more steps in the process of their relationship development after Nor first saw him again in Ilara. It went from 0 to 60 very quickly, in my opinion.

That being said, I believe that the pros outweighed the cons with this one. I didn't read it for the romance so I'm not too disappointed. I think that the author did well with fleshing out all the main characters. I would even love to see a spin-off in Zadie's point of view!

I really enjoyed this book and the cover adds a little extra to the story. Honestly they are so many books now that have crowns on them or in the title. It’s kinda hard to know if the book will live up to the hype compared to the last book that had a similar title. I really adored this story though and would definitely recommend it and buy the physical copy for myself! The cover is beautiful! I look forward to seeing how they make it stand out against all the others.

Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford
Rating 3 stars

When I started reading this book, I expected it to be a full fledged romance. I basing this on the synopsis which originally had drawn me in. But this book was not so much a romance but rather a love story about two sisters and their inseparable bond.
I loved and adored the relationship between Nor and Zadie. In all the books I have ever read, I have never found one that captured the true dynamic between sisters, that is until I read Crown of Coral and Pearl. I find that the dynamic between Nor and Zadie is incredibly similar to the dynamic and relationship I share with my younger sister. There is nothing in this world I wouldn’t do to keep my sister safe from others and occasionally herself. Like I said earlier, I had expected this book to be a romance between Nor and her love interest Talin, but this book was more so a story about the love shared between sisters.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved the romance between Nor and Talin. I loved the tension between the two of them, I loved the complicated emotions, I loved their relationship in general. But what I loved most of all was the fact that Talin was not Nor’s rescuer. No, Nor was perfectly capable of saving herself and the ones she loved.
The other thing that I absolutely adored about this book was issues that it addressed. First and foremost, Crown of Coral and Pearl addressed a the issue of women’s value in society. In the world that Crown of Coral and Pearl takes place, the queens are chosen based solely on looks and appearances. This tradition creates a toxic atmosphere where girls are raised valuing beauty more than anything else. Because Nor had scars people thought she was worthless, but in the end Nor discovered that beauty isn’t everything and beauty does not equal value.
The only major issue that I had with this book was the ending. I personally felt that the end was a bit rushed. I felt that the end resolution was a bit disjointed from the rest of the novel. I had been sure of how I thought it would end but then new information was thrown in that threw me off. I think that some of the revelations that were revealed in the last couple of pages could have been explored more throughout the book to give it a more coherent ending.
Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for an amazing story about the bond shared between sister, an intense romance, and royal intrigue.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of the book really reminds me of The Selection. It's a familiar plotline but the author's execution and the unique writing style really sets it apart.

I really liked the characters. They were really strong but still doubtful and insecure of themselves. I really liked how the author showed you can be strong and tentative at the same time. The characters are written beautifully flawed and well developed.

The plot was really gripping and the action was well paced. The world building was really unique and refreshing and the characters were as well. Everything from the plot to the setting to the writing to the characters was amazingly well done. I really hope this book gets the success it deserves.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the chance to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

First things first, can we just change the title? Please. That's all. This book as a lot of potential and it will be sad once it gets trampled on by the million other titles of "Blank of Blank and Blank."

Now that I've got that out of the way, this is a pretty surprising YA fantasy! It follows a rare duo set of twin girls, Nor and Zadie who reside on Varenia. The whole premise basically consists of your classic YA plotline. The prettiest sister will be chosen and sent away from her family by the royalty of the Kingdom of Ilara. Yes, I said it. A familiar plotline but I think the authors writing style really sets this apart. It did for me anyways..

I loved Nor. I thought she was a really strong character, even though she doubted herself and her ability, and she was fiercely protective of those she held dearest to her. The theme of sisterhood is strong between the pages and I desperately wanted to know how the story ended. I found it to be very gripping, refreshing and well-paced.

All things considered, I really enjoyed this. It gave me what every bookworm deserves: a wonderful and worthwhile reading experience.

Enjoyable fantasy stand-alone about a village at sea and the nearby kingdom with a castle literally carved into a mountain. Though the twin sisters at the center of this book have a healthy and loving relationship, the two half-brother princes are as different as night and day.

Title: Crown of Coral and Pearl
Author: Mara Rutherford
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN

Note: Review to be posted to Goodreads on May 6, 2019 and on retail sites (Barnes & Noble, Amazon) upon publication date, August 27, 2019.

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mara Rutherford’s debut novel, Crown of Coral and Pearl, completely captivated me from beginning to end. With each word, I was spellbound by this story, which dazzles from Rutherford’s gorgeous world-building and standout cast of characters.

In the ocean village of Varenia, a woman’s worth is determined by her beauty as the girl deemed most beautiful will be selected to marry the crown prince of their kingdom. Here we are introduced to twin sisters Nor and Zadie, who are inseparably close and considered to be among the most attractive girls in their village. However, it is understood that Zadie is most likely to be chosen as Nor is seen as imperfect due to a scar on her cheek from a childhood accident.

Unsurprisingly, Zadie is chosen to be the crown prince’s bride; yet following a complicated set of events, Nor is sent in her sister’s place. Although she always dreamt of seeing the world beyond her village, Nor slowly begins to discover that her dream may actually be a nightmare. Told solely from Nor’s perspective, Crown of Coral and Pearl follows her journey to self-discovery as she navigates a dark new world of court politics and intrigue.

As an adult reader, I loved that Rutherford’s writing included more mature elements that are not always present in YA books, such as the message that real beauty does not lie only on the surface and the overall feminist undertones present (i.e., queendoms, woman kings). Furthermore, one of the standout elements of this book was its memorable female characters, especially Nor, who reminded me of Feyre from the A Court of Thorns and Roses series (one of my all-time favorite heroines). Nor is a strong, independent woman who loves fiercely and stands by her values. Within the first chapter, I felt a strong connection with her and thoroughly enjoyed watching this story unfold through her eyes.

My only critique of Crown of Coral and Pearl is that the last several chapters felt a little rushed, with a lot of information and plot twists thrown at the reader within the span of a few pages. I think the full effect of these turns in the story would have been more dramatic if they were spread out over several more chapters. That being said, I was satisfied with how this book ended and felt most loose ends were tied up neatly. However, I would love to see this story expanded into a series.

Crown of Coral and Pearl was an impressive debut novel and a standout of the books I’ve read thus far in 2019. I would love to read more from Mara Rutherford in the future (this book continued to a series or otherwise)!

YA/teen fantasy with romantic elements and some violence. Nor and Zadie are twin sisters that grow up in the seaside village of Valeria, whose economy is dependent on export of pearls to the sovereign kingdom of Ilara. Zadie is chosen to marry the crown prince of Ilara, but because Zadie is in love with someone else Nor ends up taking her place. The court of Ilara is not what Nor expects and she must figure out who to trust and how to save Valeria. I like how principled and brave Nor is, and the loving relationship she shares with her twin. There is also plenty of YA melodrama and a love triangle of sorts. The main love interest could have been better developed (a bit of “insta-love” there) but overall entertaining read. I couldn’t tell if it was the first in a series - ending was satisfying but also left the door open for more later. Note: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved everything about this book: the title, cover art, unique plot, setting, writing style, characters… It hooked me from the start and was a pleasure to read.

The character relationships, particularly the sisterly “twin bond” between Nor and Zadie, were wonderfully depicted, and I even enjoyed the scenes between Nor and Ceren. In fact, I felt Ceren was a callous, despicable (and incredibly well-developed) villain, which the stories I’ve been reading lately have lacked. Ceren was so complex that my feelings about him were complex, as well. He may have even been my favorite character as I felt his actions and dialogue were rich and completely inhumane. I despised him as much as Nor did, and yet I held such a fascination with this character throughout the novel and couldn’t get enough of him.

My one complaint, I suppose, would be the very end of the novel where everything sort of unraveled. I ultimately felt that the final fight scene, the romance, the truth about a particular royal, and what should have been a special reunion was rushed, which left me a bit unsatisfied as a reader. Of course, another reader may feel completely the opposite.

Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope it has much success upon being published.

Themes of sisterhood, loyalty and longing all play beautifully in Rutherford's Crown of Coral and Pearl. Lovely, intense character relationships set the tone of the novel, with stark reality and intrigue adding another layer to both the plot and character dynamics. Rutherford's writing is smooth and comforting, effortlessly transporting the reader into Ilara and Varenia. Otherwise a fluent read, Crown suffers slightly at the end -- it is obvious that a sequel was planned, but the novel seems to be written as a stand alone. Let's hope for a second novel!

Zadie and Nor, twins, live on Varenia -- an atoll in that provides the Kingdom of Ilara with two exports, pink pearls and a bride for the Ilarian prince. Raised to be the future queen, the most beautiful sister will be separated from her family and sent to live in Ilara. Nor lives her life care-free, the small scar on her cheek guaranteeing her a life stuck in Varenia, even if she wants more. When Zadie's life is at stake, Nor makes a decision that will alter both her life, and an entire kingdom.

This book just blew me away!! I was hooked the moment I started reading! I just love how beautifully written this book is and how well rounded the characters are!!
As far as Zadie and Nor go, I just love their bond!
My favorite has to be Nor as I love how strong and brave she is! I hope there's another book! I am so happy I was able to get an advanced copy of this!