I cannot say enough about how much I love Brigid Kemmerer's writing! She has created complex characters you think you know until they show you their humanity. People are both good and bad. Kemmerer has the ability to show both sides of her characters while making you both love and dislike them at the same time. I cannot wait for the next book!!!

A Heart so Fierce and Broken adds the aspect of Grey’s point after he helps break the curse. Grey is missing, largely assumed dead, after destroying Lilith by bringing her into Harper’s world. The true villain to be dealt with this time is Karis Luran as she tries to overthrow Prince Rhen. Lia Mara, Karis Luran’s eldest daughter (though not her heir) does not fully agree with her mother’s violent plan of overthrow. When Lia Mara and Grey are suddenly thrown together, it becomes Lia Mara’s objective to convince him to stand against Prince Rhen and stand with her instead.

A whole new view of Rhen was presented in this novel, one that I wasn’t extremely happy about after growing so close to the character. It made him a more relatable and realistic character, however, because I could really see the stresses that would come with running a country. But it also made me dislike him for the majority of the book.

The ending of this book left me DYING to read the next one!! I completely loved the ending in an “I need the next book now” kind of way. It was completely unexpected to me, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next installment!

Would love to read and leave a review but can't open the protected pdf on my computer. I get no making it available for Kindle (sort of) but a pdf that won't open at all? Impossible. To. Read.

Unfortunately I am not able to download this file to my kindle and cannot leave a review. I look forward to reading and reviewing the finished version!

I dearly loved book one in this series, so was overjoyed at the opportunity to read A Heart So Fierce and Broken. While it went a different direction than I anticipated, by centering on Grey as the protagonist, I still really enjoyed the story. It was actually nice to get a better understanding of Grey, while still maintaining some aspect of Rhen’s portion of the story. The only problem I have is that now I face a looooong wait to see how things come together. #thecliffhangerendingsarebrutal

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars: Fans of book one will love this sequel! And Grey fans will definitely enjoy it. I’m so glad he got his own book and adventure! But dang. HELLO CLIFFHANGER. Lol at me thinking I wanted an arc but now being done and realizing I have ages to wait for the conclusion.

Wow. Just wow. It's everything you want the sequel to A Curse So Dark and Lonely to be and so much more. Thank you to Brigid Kemmerer for this amazing book!

I was looking forward to this book after reading 'A Curse So Dark and Lovely'. I found myself enjoying this one more than the first. Grey stood out to me when I read the first book and it was nice to see him as the main character. Lia Mara was a likeable female lead, compassionate and determined even while struggling with self esteem as a sister and daughter. Rhen and Harper took the backseat for this installment, but their brief appearances were dispersed enough throughout the story that they still kept their roles as a major part of the trilogy.
Although romance was definitely a driving force of both the first and second book (and I did quite enjoy Grey and Lia Mara's blossoming relationship), it was the dynamic between Grey and Rhen that had the most impact for me. To be honest, I didn't care much for Rhen throughout the book, beginning with his treatment of Lia Mara and escalating quickly into something much darker with Grey (no spoilers, you'll know what I mean when you read it). That being said, wondering how their twisted relationship would progress certainly kept me invested.
4.5 stars which I will round up to 5

I feel like my heart is broken after finishing this book. Step back into the world once again with Scary Grey, or should I say Prince Grey? Once again we are enchanted by the magical scenes of swords, castles and princes. Grey is doing all he can to survives, mentally and physically.

Enter Lia Mara, the daughter who has never been favored or loved by her mother. She's always been looked over and everyone doesn't believe in her, nobody except for Grey. Step out into an adventure that will take you over and beyond your hearts desire as Lia Mara and Grey set out to battle Prince Rhen.

This book focuses on Lia Mara and Grey, or should I say Prince Grey and....I will leave it at that. I would have loved to seen more of the perspective from Prince Rhen and Harper, but I understand that the second book wasn't meant to include them.

This second addition will truly leave you clinging to the end, grasping for more. What will Prince Rhen do to save his kingdom? To save Harper? Will Grey and Rhen ever comes to any kind of agreement? Only the third book will tell us this, and the wait is already leaving my heart screaming for more!

Just as good as the first book--a great story told from Lia Mara and Grey's points of view.

What has been happening in Emberfall since the end of the last book? And will Harper ever get home? Who was the magesmith that Lillian had talked about (the unknown heir to the throne of Emberfall)? So many questions are answered and many new ones appear. I LOVED this story and cannot wait for book #3.

I loved the first book, I was eager to read this one, however, it’s not going to happen. I just can’t spend hours staring at a laptop screen to read this one. (It’s not been made available for my kindle which is where I do my primary e-reading.) I tried and made it only through the first chapter, so my ranting is just for that chapter.

I was desperate to read the second book in this series , and was so excited to finally get my hands on it ! I was not disappointed . The second book goes into more of the story of one of the less prominent characters from the first book , and delivers a satisfying, engaging, and exciting adventure that had me on the edge of my seat . Can't wait to read the next book ! I love Ms. Kemmerer's writing , and frequently refer my customers at the library who are interested in YA-ish literature to her works .

A Heart So Fierce and Broken was a disappointing sequel to A Curse So Dark and Lonely. The first book pulled me right in, but the sequel became a bit of a slog to get through. The book alternates in perspective from Grey to a new character Lia Mara. Both were pretty boring narrators and not very interesting characters in general. Their chemistry, as well, was pretty lackluster. Rhen and Harper are pretty absent from this book, which I thought was a mistake. Rhen has a major change in character that seemed to come out of no where in the sequel. There was no signs of this before to make it more believable to the reader. The surprise in the epilogue was too little too late to save this one. Overall, I wish this would have been better.

Brigid Kemmerer is one of my favorite authors for writing characters I don’t want to say goodbye to. I genuinely did not want this book to end and can’t wait for the next installment. I felt anxious throughout this reading and was on the edge of my seat with frustration, but I was shocked and oddly relieved by the twist at the end. Kemmerer takes the Beauty and the Beast tale and kicks it up so many notches it is off the chart. She writes believable (i.e., flawed because aren’t we all in some wonderful way?) and likable protagonists which draws the reader more fully into the story. She builds tension both through action and the characters’ inner struggles.

I would love to actually be able to read and rate this, but the file won't open on any app I have on my computer nor will my kindle open it. I love Brigid and all her books, so I'll happily buy this when it pubs, but it would've been nice to help create buzz with a real review.

Thank you, Bloomsbury, for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

IF YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN PLACE A CROWN ON MY HEAD AND WIELD ME AS YOUR PUPPET, YOU ARE VERY MISTAKEN INDEED. — GREY

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is one of my favorite books this year. So far, it’s the only one with a five-star rating. I couldn’t wait to start the sequel because I loved Harper and Grey individually and as a potential couple. The ending of the first novel was too abrupt that I couldn’t get over it even if I wanted to. But now that I have the answers to my questions, I feel a bit displeased.

Before starting A Heart So Fierce and Broken, I messaged Brigid on Instagram and asked if the title was like a promise or foreshadowing of pain. She replied with a teasing wink emoticon. So if you love/ship the same characters that I do, you already know what to expect. Indeed, the Enchantress is dead. However, does that guarantee your preferred happy ending?

Unlike its predecessor, this novel doesn’t focus on Harper and Rhen. Instead, it follows the perspective of Grey and a new protagonist named Lia Mara. Grey is in voluntary exile since he doesn’t want the throne of Emberfall, which is apparently his birthright as Rhen’s older brother. On the other hand, Lia was the crown princess of Syhl Shallow before Karis Luran transferred the crown to Lia’s vicious sister, Nolla Verin. Eventually, Grey and Lia Mara meet and come to an understanding: to spare their respective kingdoms from another costly war, they have to dethrone Rhen.

I liked this book’s take on sibling relationships because it was reminiscent of British/European history; brothers and sisters competing for sovereignty were ubiquitous during the Wars of the Roses. I could almost imagine the Emberfall and Syhl Shallow royals as characters in The Cousins’ War Series by Philippa Gregory. Even though I love stories with strong family dynamics, sibling rivalries fascinate me, especially when they’re done well.

In contrast, I can’t tolerate fictional parents who despise their children. Is the bad parent unavoidable in YA fantasy? For the life of me, I couldn’t understand why Karis Luran treated her daughters like playthings. And speaking of Lia Mara and Nolla Verin, do twin sisters always need to have opposite personalities or appearances? If one is kind, the other should be cruel; if one is pretty, the other should be plain. I admit that I expected more from the author.

Grey was the one who maintained my interest in the book. He was selfless, loyal, and brave. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t want to fight Rhen. Regardless of their differences, Grey and Rhen had much history; they practically went through Hell together. His relationships with Thomas, Jake, and Noah were also meaningful, but they weren’t as strong as what he had with Rhen.

As for Lia Mara, I didn’t care about her at first because she inadvertently stole the spotlight from Harper. Both heroines expressed their strength in different ways. Lia Mara stayed kind in spite of her upbringing, while Harper didn’t let her cerebral palsy stop her from living her life to the fullest. Nevertheless, between the two of them, Harper had more chemistry with Grey.

Overall, I probably would’ve given this a higher rating if the first book hadn’t been such a masterpiece. Harper was barely in the story, Rhen’s character regressed, and Grey…well, he dashed my hopes of a lovely romance. So yeah, my not-so-fierce heart is quite broken. Still, I’m sure that the finale will be much better.