Meren and Tabra are the Twin princesses of Aryd, but officially, Meren does not exist. While Tabra lives at the palace and is being groomed to become a queen, Meren lives hidden in the city and only goes to the palace when she needs to take her place as Tabra’s body double for any potentially dangerous situation. When the ruling queen dies, Meren decides to go to the official meal before the coronation in Tabra’s place, especially since they’ve received news that their enemy, King Eidolon of Tyndra is coming for the coronation, and wants to ally their country by marrying Tabra. When Meren is kidnapped, she needs to act fast. She have to find a way to escape, and to go back to the castle where her sister is left alone with King Eidolon, but escaping is no easy feat when no one is even looking for Meren since nobody knows about Tabra’s twin. She accomplished her role and was kidnapped in Tabra’s place, so now all Tabra can do is go on as if nothing happened, meaning Meren is on her own.

Honestly, I was a little wary of this book at first because the blurb reminded me of Twin Crowns (I requested the ARC before I read Twin Crowns)… Twins separated at birth, one raised to be a princess, one who does not even exist as far as anyone knows and lives with the people, a kidnapping by a “bad guy” who turns out not to be so bad… There are similarities in the ideas, but thankfully, the plot and relationship betweeen the two sisters are very different.

I like the idea that Meren is not jealous of her twin, and Tabra is not a snob to Meren. They both very obviously love each other, and make the most of what little time they have together. I admire Meren for not being resentful, because even though she understands that it’s not Tabra’s fault, Meren’s only purpose in life is to be ready to become her sister’s double. While not being resentful, Meren still longs to be free and to be able to explore the world and be known as herself instead of having to hide in case anyone sees her face, but her love for her sister and her people is stronger than her desire for freedom, and so she stays and continues to be ready to give her life for her sister and country.

While the magic-system is quite easy to understand, I struggled a little at first because of the new words, so here is a quite recap of what you need to know about the magic of this land:
- Vexillium are people with no or close to no magic.
- Imperium have magic and they are separated into two groups. The hyloraes control physical things such as plants or water, and the enfernaes control non-tangible things like minds or emotions.
Meren is a hylorae that can control sand, while Tabra, her twin sister should be an enfernae, but her powers have yet to manifest.

Meren is a good main character. She is determined to do what’s best for her country and to go back to her sister, but she is also open-minded enough to see that she might be able to help others who need it even more. She has a sassy side that comes out whenever Reven tries to interact with her or to provoque her, and she is independent and able to take care of herself for the most part, thanks to the “survival 101” training she received. Meren also has a vulnerable side that comes out more and more as she realizes that she really wishes people would know the real her, because even when she ends up being kidnapped, it’s as Tabra the princess. Meren comes to realize that she yearns for true connection as Meren, and that makes her question her place in the world. This mix of snark and vulnerability made her quite relatable and likable.

Reven is also a great character, that I would describe as kinda morally gray I think… I don’t want to say too much about him so I don’t spoil anything, but let’s just say that he has a dark and dangerous side that is not always under control, and the author managed to create quite an interesting concept with his character (although she mentionned in her notes at the end that it was inspired by a Grimm’s tale, I just don’t know which one). And of course he is gorgeous and has a protective side that comes out when Meren gets in trouble, so of course we have no choice but to like him…

I apologize in advance, because I feel that I’ve been espcially picky for this one when it comes to the romance. I was honestly wary when I realized that Meren was having thoughts such as “I wish I could laugh with him” or “it hurts my feelings when he calls me a brat” after spending only about 24 hours with a man that kidnapped her, and I was really afraid that this would fall into the insta-love category. Thankfully, while the shift in Meren and Reven’s relationship started off too soon and too fast to my taste, it remained at that stage for a while before continuing to develop. Still, because of that too-early start, a part of me kept wanting to roll my eyes at Meren every time she had a thought about wanting to stay with Reven or wanting to hear his voice. I think that this hate to love would have been great if Meren waited longer before having nice and mushy thoughts about Reven, because even though he’s gorgeous and made sure that she remained alive, he still kidnapped her! There is a difference between thinking that he’s gorgeous even though he’s a jerk, and feeling all weird because he touches her or wanting to see him smile.

Overall though, it was a good romance, and while it had a rough start (in my opinion), it ended up not being too bad, and I like Meren and Reven together enough to want to know what will happen to them in the next book.

I kept trying to pick this story up. The cover is beautiful and will definitely grab anyone's attention. But I couldn't for the life of me read this. I just kept glazing over. This book wasn't for me.

Loved it! Meren is such an interesting character and I cant wait for the sequel. Meren is the hidden twin of the heir of the kingdom and takes the place of her sister at coronation when she is kidnapped. Enemys to lover and in intersting world make this a great book.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the Advanced Readers Copy.

Liars crown started off fairly strong and with a lot of promise. However about a third of the way in its gets over run with what feels like an unearned romance plot. I was excited for what was clearly going to be an enemies to lovers romance, but enemies to lovers is all about that slow burn and gradual change over time as the two love interest learn about each other and begin to respect one another. Instead in liars crown, the main character becomes enamored with her kidnapper only a few days after being kidnapped and can’t stop thinking about her desire to kiss him and how each accidental touch sends a rush through her. The romantic interest also becomes cringingly over protective alpha male towards her, things like “I don’t like him touching you” and lots of “glares” and “growls”.

The story plot was good, even after reading Twin Crowns, this premise still managed to feel unique with good world building. However the urgency of the plot ends up taking a back seat to the very angsty romance. The whole book started to become difficult to read at about the midway point. If I could talk to the characters I would tell them “ get a room and let someone else take over as being the protagonist, this is insufferable”. I wanted to like this book, it had all the makings of a good YA novel, but was ruined by the main characters lascivious cravings. On top of this I also found a lot of plot points not fleshed out like the sisters relationship, how the amulets work, her friendship with Cain. Often times plot points felt more forced than natural.

The book got a bit better towards the end, focusing more on plot, but by then I was pretty over all the characters and was just reading for completion.

Overall, good idea, poor execution.

I think this story would have benefitted from a map to understand where all the kingdoms are, and perhaps a different cover. After all there are no skulls or pink flowers anywhere in the book. Maybe something with shadows, desserts, and glass flowers?

The Liar's Crown started off strong. I liked how it jumped right into the action. Character development and world building were top notch. The writing style was appealing. The only major issue I had was the pacing. There were long periods of time where it felt like nothing was happening to progress the plot. Overall, a fun fantasy romp.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

The Liars Crown was so good. Amazing world building, unique magic, gripping story. I cannot wait to read the next one. This is a must read for fantasy and romance lovers!

This book was so good that I read it all in one sitting. I do wish that the author hadn’t been so vague about what happened to the other twin in history but other than that I really enjoyed the book and cannot wait for the next one.

Abigail Owen's THE LIAR'S CROWN was a mixed bag for me in terms of what I liked and didn't like.

The premise had so much promise (and that cover is stunning!), but the actual execution left a lot to be desired. Overall, I feel like the story would have benefited from more structure, development, and streamlining. I was never convinced of or clear about the threat King Eidolon posed and how this would affect everyone; never super clear on the need for or impact of twins every other generation; why King Eidolon wasn't actively looking for Reven (there definitely could have been more tension here), etc. I also feel like the story could have spent less time on the relationship development between Meren and Reven. While the tension is well done, it seems like we lost track of the plot in terms of the world around them. Furthermore, I felt like Cain, as a character, just really wasn't needed. His presence created an unconvincing love triangle, one where we know he stands no chance beside Reven. Without the whole subplot, I think the story would have been tighter--and more room would have been created to further develop other aspects of the story that needed fleshing out.

That being said, the story--while a bit confusing--is still entertaining.

Loosely inspired by a Grim’s Fairytale, The Liar’s Crown is the first book in a three part series. Fans of Brigid Kemmerer, Alyson Noel, and Adrienne Young will enjoy this one.

Meren is the second born princess required to stay hidden and be the double for her sister Tabra when needed. Cursed from birth, she’s known her fate all her life. Just when her sister needs her most, she’s kidnapped by a person made of shadows known as the Shadowraith.

All the lies quickly come unraveled as Meren and the Shadowraith try to save Tabra and kill the evil King Eidolon. As Meren struggles to understand everything that is happening, her head and her heart war with developing feelings for the Shadowraith. When the time comes, she must choose who to save and who to kill in order to save the kingdom and her loved ones.

This is full of political intrigue and intense emotions. I could clearly picture the world Meren lives in and appreciated her struggle with who she is as a person. I enjoyed the tense relationship she had with the Shadowraith and understood why she made some of the choices she did. It does end on a pretty big cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read book 2!

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Teen for a copy.

Meren is a twin, and is expected to stand in for her sister Tabra at dangerous royal functions and events, but otherwise is kept hidden. No one knows there are twins, and when Meren is kidnapped, the Shadowraith believes it's Tabra, not Meren, that he's taken. Soon she's forced to look at her world from an outside perspective, and work together with her captor to save everyone.

I honestly enjoyed everything about this book, and it was a quick read. It has a unique magic system different than anything I've read before, and I loved the relationship between Meren and Reven. Meren has such a fighting spirit the entire way through, and the banter was great.

Sometimes you can tell where the next book is going when you finish the first, but with this one, I really have no idea. I'm hoping for a duology, but honestly I'll take any number of books for this series; it was that good.

*Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*
*Possible spoiler alert*
This was such a fantastic book! Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down! It was a wild, action-packed, magic-filled ride! The Liar's Crown kept a consistent steady-to-fast pace from the first page to the last.
Meren is the princesses twin that nobody knows about. Forced to live in her sister's shadow unbeknownst to anyone. Her only purpose in life is to protect her sister while living without an identity to call her own. When she is mistakingly kidnapped by a dark, mysterious stranger, her whole limited existence explodes. We travel with Meren on an adventure packed with action, intrigue, and romance.
I loved taking the journey with Meren as she discovers her real place in the world and develops the powers within herself. I liked getting to know her and her spunky self and sharing her experience of self discovery and rising from the shadows (HA! See what I did there?) I loved her attitude, determination, courage and I even appreciated the occasional insert of her inner monolog. I feel in love with most of the characters in this book. Their development was top notch. From our badass heroine to our dark, mysterious Reven. I loved their quippy relationship and was delighted while watching him fall for her. While I was secretly shipping Meren and Cain, I came to love and appreciate the bond forged between Meren and Reven. I was not expecting any real "spice" so I was very pleasantly surprised with the elegantly written love scene. I read a lot of romance. Some borderline porn. However this love scene made me more uncomfortable then most. It was so much MORE! It caused me to blush for intruding on their breath-taking intimacy.
This was a beautifully written story with ample imagery. While the world building was so great in some ways, it was severely lacking in others. The detail was so plentiful and complex but missed the mark in some areas. Okay, I pretty much surmised the gist but I feel like there could have been more explanation into the Imperium, the Enfernae & Hylorae. The magics and the details therein were somewhat glanced over. It was up to the reader to figure it out and draw their own assumptions. The author painted an incomplete picture. Albeit a beautiful picture, but with pieces missing.
All in all, this was a great book. Excellent writing. Unique concepts and storyline. Wonderfully captured characters. Just a little short on building this new world. Solid 4.5 stars and eagerly anticipating the next installment!

Thank you Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of The Liar’s Crown in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. I absolutely LOVED this book! This was one of the few books in the genre that had multiple action scenes that kept me engaged and didn’t feel like the book was leading up to a single defining moment.

While I personally felt like the Stockholm syndrome type love story was a little much at some points, all of the main characters had so much depth that the aspects I didn’t love, didn’t detract from the story. I think it also helped that the actual book was so fast-paced, as mentioned above, that it became impossible to get bored by the romance aspect.

The plot of this book revolves around twin princesses, one destined to be queen and the other destined to be the body double. That gets flipped on its head when the body double princess (Meren) is the one that gets cursed as a baby instead of the older twin. From here the book follows the POV of Meren and her eventual kidnap and getting back to try and rescue her sister. While I was confused about what was going on at some points, I love how the author was able to link back to the prologue near the end. The ending was also amazing and I cannot wait for the second book in this series to eventually come out!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (4.5)
Steam Level: 🔥🔥🔥 (one mildly descriptive sex scene)
Trigger Warning: kidnapping

No one knows Meren's true identity. As the second born twin princess, her sole purpose in life is to act as her sister Tabra in dangerous situations so that there will always be a sister left to rule if the other is killed. When the queen dies, Meren is meant to take her sister's place at the pre-coronation ball, but instead she's kidnapped by Reven- a mysterious man who seems to control shadows. He has no idea that he's taken the wrong princess, and Meren is determined to get back home and protect her sister. For she knows that the evil king Eidolon intends to wed Tabra. But Reven has secrets that will change everything, and Meren can't deny the pull she feels when she's with him. Could Meren's captor really be her ally and be trusted with her true identity?

Okay I am definitely invested in this story, especially after that ending! I liked the premise of this book and found Meren to be a lovable heroine. She's feisty and determined, but she also wants to find a place of her own without being in the shadow of her sister. Speaking of shadows- Reven was mysterious, powerful, and protective. I loved how he was possessive of Meren at times, but he still had a softer side underneath. The chemistry these two had was undeniable and played out perfectly. Their steamy kisses were perfection 🔥🥵 The truth about Reven's identity was interesting and threw another plot twist into the mix. And I loved how Meren had powers of her own that we get to see developed throughout the story. I will be impatiently waiting for book 2 so I can see what comes next for Meren!

Thank you Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me hooked from the start! The writing was really good, the world building wasn't overly complicated and of course the broody, dark-haired male protagonist is always a plus.

Meren is the queen of Aryd's twin. So, you'd think she was a pampered princess but, in reality, she lives away from the castle and is trained in to take her sister's place in case there's any life-threatening danger. But when her sister Tabra is finally going to become queen and Meren is to step in as her during the coronation, everything goes wrong. Cause Meren is kidnapped by a handsome stranger who thinks he's got Tabra instead.

Give this book a read! I can't wait for the next one (yeah, it ends on a sort of cliffhanger).

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC. I am leaving this review willingly and honestly.

When I originally was flipping through NetGalley's archives of available ARCs, I came across this one. The first thing that captured my eye was definitely the cover, I mean, look at it!

The second thing that caught my eye was the description. It's very similar to some of the more recent Young Adult books that I've read, so I said why the heck not! Well, I'm glad I did.

This book follows the story of Meren who's the twin sister to the Princess of Aryd. The long generational line consists of twins every second generation. It also holds a tradition of the second born twin (in this case being Meren) basically being a body double for the Princess/Queen in case of emergencies. Meren has grown up learning how to be a princess, but never actually getting to be the princess.

When her grandmother (the current queen) passes, her sister Tabra has to take her place as the new Queen. With an evil King Eidolon lurking in the shadows (see what I did there), Meren takes her place at the pre-coronation event, as he is rumoured to be there. However, when she is on her way to the event, she is kidnapped by the Shadowraith.

This book follows the adventures, ups and downs, romances, and truth/lies around Meren and her world. It does end on a cliff-hanger, which isn't my favorite thing, but it's definitely worth the read!

This just didn't work for me at all. I couldn't even drag myself through it. The premise had such promise, but I was let down by th execution. When writing a fantasy novel, it's paramount that you know how to convey the structures of our world to your readers. Owen failed in that regard. Words and terms specific to this world are thrown around at random with absolutely no explanation. I was holding out for those explanations to come, but when they still hadn't materialised at 20% through, I was sufficiently annoyed to just call it quits. Life's too short.

I really like this book. Never read this author before. Characters were great. I love the story line. Will read more by this author

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book! It will be published August 30th!

Every other generation of royals, twins are born. The first born is the true heir, while the second born becomes the body double. This is because of an ageless King, who has been killing Queens in this line of family for a long time. Enter Meren, our second born. She is to take her twins, Tabra, place when there is danger, so as the true heir can be safe. After a death, Meren steps in to keep Tabra safe, only to find herself kidnapped by the Shadowraith. While having to keep her true identity a secret, can she find a way back home and keep her sister safe?

I love Meren! She's sarcastic, witty, and amazing. When faced with danger, she's eyeing it down and cracking jokes. I love Reven even more. He's a huge cinnamon roll with layers - and I mean layers - of darkness. Their interactions and relationship is amazing from the beginning.

I love how quick I read this book, not wanting to put it down, but I also felt let down a bit with questions unanswered. I feel it's mostly because of the characters we were introduced to and them not being able to know the answers. The sequel, I'm sure, would have the answers to my questions. I hope. I also felt a little underwhelmed with the villain of the story. Again, based on plot and this story, I understand why we didn't know more of him, but he was hyped up and I wanted more of him. I think he'll be featured more in sequel. ( Hopefully ).

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I went into this book thinking it was a standalone and then discovered it's not (it's a trilogy). I am equal parts disappointed and thrilled--I expected the whole story and conclusion to be contained in this one book, but I definitely want more of this story and the world it's in.

The story is compelling, and I love that the inspiration was an obscure Grimm fairy tale. (I don't want to say more than that because it would kind of give some things away.) Meren (18, almost 19) is feisty and protective, and I love those things about her. I liked her even more when she started to realize that she had value beyond being her sister's double. Reven (23) is one of those characters I knew I'd like eventually even though he didn't make it easy at the start. And I did, even if he remained somewhat prickly the whole time.

Abigail Owen successfully crafted a book that I was quickly sucked into. Her writing delivered the story very well rather than distracting me from it. I think I forgot I was reading a few times--just experiencing. My biggest complaints, though, were the swearing and the sex scene. Any time a character swore, it was just so jarring and felt out of place in that world. I think the book would have been much better without it or the sex scene. I would have enthusiastically given this book five stars and a strong recommendation if it hadn't contained those two elements.

Note: Some swearing but lots of f words (about 10). A moderate sex scene.

I haven't read a whole lot of YA recently, and when I do, it's definitely not Fantasy, but the cover for this one was so pretty I just couldn't turn away from it. The story starts with two baby girls being born, which is common for that family line. Also common is the theft of one of those girls when she comes into her magic, so that her twin sister (who's been hidden) takes her throne, and the citizens never know that anything was amiss. However 18 years later, the secret twin, Maren, gets kidnapped by someone called the Shadowraith.

There is a lot of character building in this one, as you'd expect from the first book in what will inevitably be a series, but the characters are real and entertaining. Even though the male love interest is technically a bad guy, you can't help rooting for him. I enjoyed this one in a way I haven't been able to connect to YA books lately, and couldn't put it down.