I received this ARC free from the publisher.

This book finished the duology on such a good note. Were there tears? Yes, so many tears were shed. So much heartbreak and drama and loss. Did Hollis overcome? Yes she did. She shone like a bright star. She is like the energizer bunny who will not give up-no matter what hand is dealt to her.
This quote especially stood out to me in this book.

“ People were not their introductions. They were not their lineage or country. They were but themselves. And we had to dig past all the rest to find them.”

I really enjoyed this book, Book 2 in this series (The Betrothed & The Betrayed). I just couldn’t put it down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Author, Kiera Cass, is such an amazing storyteller & I haven’t been disappointed so far.
In book 1, we meet Hollis who has caught the eye of the young king but so much happens. And even though she thought she wanted the king, she found live somewhere else.
In book 2, Hollis has gone through so much. Lost her love & family, all she has is her love/husband’s mother & sister, & their extended family. And her destiny becomes bigger than herself. She started out as a fun loving, free young woman but life & a new love call for something greater.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys this genre of books.

In this, tjhe second book (be sure to read The Betrothed first) we again find Hollis as she was at the end of the last book: newly widowed after her very brief marriage to Silas. Hollis finds herself without a family, save what is left of Silas's family. The fiirst book was good, but this book is better. What will become of Hollis as she tries to adapt to life in Isolte? And what about Jameson? All questions are answered and of course there is a new love story here. I just hope there's a third book.

This stor.y did not grab my attention I couldn't get into the story I was actually underwhelmed. I usually like Kiera Cass books but not this one.

I received this book as a NetGalley digital ARC. This book was amazing!! I loved the entire book from beginning to end. I could not put this book down. In "The Betrayed" the sequel to "The Betrothed" we see the main character, Hollis, figure out who she is, and what it means to love. This book is brimming with adventure, romance, and plot twist. A must read for 2021!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a digital review ARC of this book via NetGalley!

I truly was not a fan of the first book in this duology (The Betrothed). I felt like this book, The Betrothed, was a subtle improvement on the first, if only for the entertainment value alone. This book is cheesy and sappy, and oftentimes did not make any sense at all. There were a lot of really convenient plot points in this book. I never felt any investment in any of the problems or emotions of the characters. Their problems disappeared instantly and conveniently. Emotions seemed shallow, not well-focused or expressed, and I didn't feel any true lasting effects from the characters feeling these emotions.

This book was almost ridiculous with the amount of clichéd plot points that happened, but it was an entertaining read in general. Sometimes that's just what we need. I DID enjoy the relationships between Hollis and her in-law family, especially with her sister, Scarlet. Those seemed genuinely heartfelt (although I would have liked to see them developed even more).

Disclaimer: I got this ARC in exchange for an honest review.


*contains spoilers?*

I have to admit, I was team Silas!! Although it's predictable, it's still a pretty enjoyable book. I'm not a huge fan of Hollis, but I really enjoyed Silas's character. Etan was a jerk and Hollis shouldn't have to deal with him.