Unfortunately, this series is not living up to other books that Cass has written. This book is just okay, there wasn't anything that gripped me and made me really want to find out what would happen so what should have been a quick read for me dragged.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I absolutely could not get through this. I didn't enjoy the first one, but I loved The Selection series, so I wanted to persist and see if this series got better. Unfortunately, it didn't get better at all, and I had to DNF at about 30% because it just wasn't worth continuing. The main character is super unlikable, there's no romantic chemistry, and there's just no world building.

I think Kiera's books are becoming the equivalent of fast romance reads? There seems to be elements that are too simplistic and would be more enjoyable if drawn out and given more depth. For example, her romance with Silas was fast-paced and desperation (ok, we can forgive this--she was trying to get away from King Jameson and needed a way out...), but after her romance with Etan seemed to turn on a dime, it just seemed to need a little more push/pull between the characters to go from hating to liking each other. Once instance does not a romance make.
Also, it ended extremely quickly! Like too quickly to be satisfying? I still felt there was a story there at the end, or even it needed a real conversation between her and Etan when Jameson died. I liked it, but because I wanted more depth, I can't say I LOVED it, despite still thinking that it's a mashup of Ruth/Boaz and Esther retellings and really wanting to love it.

Usually I love this author, but this book is lacking. I didn’t remember Etans character because I was so wrapped up in Silas, but their romance feels a little under developed.

Well...this was okay. I blew through the first one, The Betrothed, since I saw the second part of this duology arrived. I was hoping for another story that made me gush the way that Cass’s The Selection series did...and this didn’t do that for me. Our main character, Hollis, needs to figure out how to move forward now that her world has completely changed. Gone is the girl that lives in Keresken castle, and here to stay is a girl living in the face of tragedy.

I will say that I thought The Betrayed was the stronger novel out of the pair. Hollis does get some more development, and there are cute moments that did make me smile. But overall, there were times that I cringed, and those moments unfortunately were the majority. Some of the conflict resolution is so unrealistic that I rolled my eyes. Some of the “romantic” language was so awkwardly written that it felt forced and uncomfortable. The pacing, especially towards the end, left a lot to be desired. Even though the outcome I hoped for did happen, the rush to tie everything up made me frustrated.

I thought Cass had great ideas for what could have happened in this novel, but it just missed the mark for me.

This sequel to the Betrothed was an enjoyable quick read. Fans of Kiera Cass’s series The Elite will find this entry familiar and enjoyable. I did not read the Betrothed so can not compare this title to it. The Betrayed can be read as a stand alone novel. Romance fans will quickly begin rooting for Etan and Coroa through all the obstacles they faced to keep their kingdoms. The ending was interesting and this reader found it enjoyable while seeing a life lesson of compromise take place.
I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley and the publisher, Harper Teen, in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating 2.75

So this actually wasn't as bad as I expected, considering The Betrothed was a disaster. It wasn't perfect by any means but at least it had more to the story than a Romeo and Juliet instant-love turned wedding.

I honestly expected Silas to come back from the dead (because no one stays dead in books anymore) and rescue poor Hollis in a time of crisis so I was mildly surprised when that didn't happen. Hollis spends maybe 40% of the book grieving over her dead husband, and even she says she has spent more time as a widow than knowing Silas. That statement automatically tells the reader Hollis falls quickly in love with any good looking guy willing to give her the time of day. First it was Jameson. Then Silas. And finally Etan which I predicted from the opening chapter. It was a pure enemies to lovers situation that quickly transformed into love within a few days.

Unlike The Betrothed, The Betrayed was a happier story. Happy in the sense of everything works out for Hollis and the problems are easily dealt with without any hiccups. The characters spend a long time detailing all the issues and pondering how to solve them, and then when the time comes the bad guys are easily defeated with little effort. Especially Jameson which was a laughable situation.

Like The Betrothed, descriptions of characters were nonexistent. Scarlet and Hollis have blonde hair (like Silas) and Etan has slate colored eyes. I think one random girl had an upturned nose, but that was it.

Overall, this was better than The Betrothed but nothing spectacular actually stood out.

4.5*

You curl up with a Kiera Cass novel to inhale the literary confetti of a fairy tale romance. Like cotton candy, it’s gone before you know it, and you’re left with the sticky satisfaction of a well spun treat.

Betrayed offers up the second book in Cass’s Betrothed series, with Hollis, a young widow on the run from the kingdom of Coroa, after an attack on her wedding feast that kills her young promising groom. Hollis escapes with the survivors of her in-laws, the Eastoffe’s, into the adjacent kingdom of Isolte which has long been at war with Coroa. Along for the ride, her grooms’ cousin Etan Eastoffe, who cannot keep a running criticism and snarky dismissal of Hollis. Etan views Hollis as a ditsy debutante, who courted and then spurned the king of Coroa’s marriage proposal. Hollis views Etan as imperious, condescending, and shallow. The lines have been drawn.

Ensconced in the Eastoffe’s manor in Isolte, the family faces danger as they’re the last direct bloodline to the Isolte throne, and the evil king of Isolte has engaged a band of knights to kill off any threats to his power. The Eastoffe’s have to save both themselves and their beloved kingdom. And of course, Hollis will have to rise up to play a crucial role in this effort.

Dramatic plot twists ensue as Hollis and Etan move from hostility to friendship to admiration, political battles mount to save the people of Isolte as well as Coroa, and a frothy confection of plot twists ensue to bring both the competing kingdoms and Hollis and Etan to a harmonious heart-warming, joyous end.

So I did not like the first book at all, just thought it was very bland BUT the ending of the last book did leave me wanting to know what happened honestly.
This was a lot better than the first, but not really enough to redeem the entire duology. I did enjoy Hollis by herself and also with ~new love interest~ their banter was nice, but all in all, I feel like there wasn't enough build up to things that happen in this book. Like,, stuff just happens a little too clean. There weren't enough struggles in these tasks the characters are trying to accomplish. Of course as a real person, you'd want everything in your life to happen without struggles, BUT in a book if that happens, it feels too fake because almost everything has struggles. Yes, there were some struggles in this book, but not enough compared to all the things in this that just fell right into place. The ending was also very predictable which isn't bad necessarily but I feel like it needed some kind of punch of an ending considering everything else just fell flat, and it did not deliver.

Unlike most people, I actually enjoyed the Betrothed. But this? Not so much. Everything felt oddly out of place. The pacing was all wrong and everything was crammed into 2 books.
The plot was okay I guess, but it was highly stereotypical. The characters were flat and the twists could be seen from a mile away.
I love Kiera Cass with my whole heart, but I wouldn’t recommend this to others.

It pains me to say it because I love Kiera Cass, but.... this one was just really rough. The pacing wasn't great, it felt like things just kind of happened with no buildup, and there was just soooo much jam-packed into it. I feel like the first book and this one could've been made into a much longer series, with more detail and spacing out of things, and it would've been more believable.

Really enjoyed it and a solid improvement on book one! Lots of character growth and it didn’t feel as predictable.

The best way I can describe this book is just "meh". The characters had a little more development than the first book, and the romance in this book was more compelling, but the pacing and writing still felt lacking. I predicted all of the major plot points, but I did manage to read the book fairly quickly (all in one sitting) and I enjoyed the banter between our two main characters.

One major issue I had with this book was the fact that it says the g-slur 3 separate times. I discussed this in more detail in my review of The Betrothed, but it shocked me that it was still an issue in this book when that feels like something that could easily be removed. Hopefully, it won't make it into the final edition.

In the end, this sequel was better than the first, but it didn't redeem the series for me.

Full review to come, and to be posted on my blog, twitter, and instagram, closer to release date.

I really liked this sequel for the content, but it seemed rushed. I would have liked this to take more time on the relationships within the story and add another book rather than gloss over important relationship development. It ended with a great solution, but again, it was EXTREMELY quickly written in at the end so that I felt almost as if it was an afterthought.

This book was what I was looking for from the author. The story had depth, the characters had such growth, and the storyline was what I was hoping for. Hollis grew into such a wonderful character and this book made me want to re-read the first one. The family and friendships in this were wonderful and endearing, Scarlet was epic and fantastic. I love when side characters are strong and wonderful. I'm not sure if Hollis is a complete favorite character, but I loved that she did whatever she could to help those she loved, even though she didn't think she could help much, she persevered. Her friendships and her determinations was inspiring. Etan was a character that really grew for me as well, and I loved that about this book, the characters grew with the story. I loved the lines that Scarlet used when she was like too much has happened, but you're alive so live. A wonderful sequel with compelling characters and story that will stay with you. Highly recommend to anyone wanting a good story!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was a really fun and enjoyable read and great sequel. The characters were relatable and had great depth. I definitely recommend it and will be ordering copies for my library.

As a reader, I was left on the edge of my seat after The Bethrothed and this book just kept me racing to the end. The second book in Kierra Cass's new series did not disappoint and I liked it just a bit more than the original. The plot had its fair share of twists and let me just say that when you hit chapter 20, you won't know what hits you. It had my heart in a puddle of goo by the end. I was grinning in some moments, and taken aback in others cursing myself for caring so much about Etan and Hollis. I don't want to spoil much, but my favorite relationship trope is in this book, ;). The romance was there, but not overwhelming and very sweet. The storyline seemed to fall into place after a few chapters, a bit predictable, but honestly, it was welcomed. The Betrayed felt a lot like the movie, A Knight's Tale, and I couldn't help but compare Etan to Heath Ledger's character of William in that movie pretty much the whole time. Before in the Bethrothed, I didn't have much kindness towards Etan, but let me just say, I was wrong. This was a good sequel. It was delightful and I would love to have the opportunity to read this all again.

Hollis arrives in Isolte with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law and meets their relatives, the Northcotts. The Northcotts have been trying to prove that King Quentin has been breaking the law for years so they can peacefully dethrone him and replace him with a member of their family. The Northcotts are invited to the palace for Prince Hadrian's wedding where they reaffirm allies and gather support. Meanwhile, something happens between Hollis and Etan. With the help of Queen Valentina, the Northcotts are able to bring charges against King Quentin and make Etan the new king. Quentin confesses to many crimes, but says that he did not kill Silas and Hollis' parents. Hollis takes off across the country to confront Jameson. Etan goes after her. During their argument in front of the Coroan court, Jameson refuses to admit that he had Silas and Hollis' parents killed. He then reveals a secret marriage arrangement signed by Hollis' parents that shows that Hollis is already married to Jameson. Hollis refuses to accept this, and in his rage, Jameson trips and impales himself on his sword and dies. Hollis accepts the position of Queen of Coroa, but this means that she can no longer marry Etan. Three months later, Hollis and Etan are trying and failing to move on from their relationship. To make things easier for them, both of their fiancés run away. Hollis comes up with the idea of uniting Coroa and Isolte. Etan agrees and they live happily ever after.

In The betrothed, Hollis left her engagement to the king to run off with Silas, who was murdered an hour after their wedding. Her parents were also murdered, so the only family she had left were Silas’ mother and sister. She went back home with them to Isolte. The betrayed picks up in the middle of their journey and reminds us why the family left in the first place. Their king was killing off his own citizens and family members, and Hollis’s new family were his closest blood relatives. Her new Aunt and Uncle welcomed her with open arms. Their son Etan not so much, but Hollis remembered Silas saying he was a good person. She joined forces with them to bring down the treasonous king (and save her friend Valentina at the same time, hopefully.

Featuring the lovely sister Scarlet, a shocking romance, and a huge twist at the end, the second in this duology was as good as the first. That is to say, not as good as the Selection series, but still good enough to make me lose track of time. Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

“You will never catch me as a groom.” -Etan Northcott’s famous last words

This book started right where the first ended. After losing everything, Hollis chooses to accompany her family to Isolte, but she can’t help but think she’s walking straight to her death.

After how The Betrothed absolutely shattered my heart, I didn’t have high hopes for The Betrayed. To my pleasant surprise, I found that I liked this book better than the last, and I especially liked Etan as a love interest. Hollis suffered a few growing pains in the last book, and in this, she grew up a little and did what needed to be done, no matter what it was.

Unfortunately, just like in book #1, I feel as if Kiera Cass just didn’t stick the landing. In the last two paragraphs, they find their happily ever after, and then it was just done. Nothing to drag it out, especially after how well the romance was built up until this point. Although the ending wasn’t satisfying for me as a reader, I still enjoyed the rest of the book.