"Damsel, Not Distressed" had the potential to be an amazing read, but it fell short of my high expectations. The relationship between Kera and Skylar was heartwarming and beautifully crafted, and I loved the concept. However, the lack of clear separation between third-person POVs disrupted the flow, with one character's perspective blending into another within the same paragraph.

Additionally, the book suffered from numerous grammatical errors, particularly the misuse of "you're" instead of "your." While I understand that no one is perfect, these oversights should have been caught during editing, as they diminished the overall reading experience. Moreover, the ending felt abrupt and unsatisfying, leaving me with a sense of incompleteness rather than an exciting cliffhanger.

In conclusion, "Damsel, Not Distressed" had its moments, but it needed more refinement to reach its full potential. Despite the enjoyable aspects, such as the heartwarming relationship between the main characters, the plot holes and editing issues prevented it from being the captivating read I had hoped for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Writah's Touch Publishing Group for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The premise and the cover drew me in, but this book was overall underwhelming for me.

One of my biggest hangups when reading is show, don't tell. The beginning of this book was a history lesson, written pretty much like a history book. I think a lot of the things explained could've been incorporated into the narrative and teased out, instead of the info-dump right at the beginning. This was a repeated offense throughout the book and it really put a damper on my enjoyment of the story.

I think a few rounds of proofreading and editing would really polish this novel up and make it shine. It has everything that I enjoy in other novels so I hope the author keeps going because there is a gem here, it's just a little rough.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this review copy

This book did not draw me in or engage me as much as I would of liked. I enjoyed the premise though.

Damsel, Not Distressed is a thrilling and captivating fantasy novel that takes place in a future where a long-standing war between old faith and the new world of technology and science is underway. The book follows two teenagers, Kieran Endi and Skylar Locklear, who come from different upbringings, beliefs, morals, and family histories. The story is aimed at older teens and young adults who enjoy dystopian literature such as the Divergent series, the Hunger Games series, The Giver, and The Maze Runner series.

Set 400 years from now, the world consists of four remaining countries governed by their respective militaries, where religion, freedom, and poverty are a thing of the past. Kieran and her grandparents are living in Bulwark, a country where people obediently follow the military regime. However, Kieran's family is different, as they possess knowledge of the past and follow a religion taught by their ancestors, which is considered a crime punishable by death. Kieran must navigate a dangerous and unpredictable life, hiding her family's secrets and blending in with other teenagers at school.

The novel follows Kieran's interactions with Skylar and Riley Locklear, who are the sons of the military general of Bulwark, Thaddeus Locklear. The brothers are caught up in their own feud, but Kieran offers them something more than they bargained for. As the story unfolds, the characters' family histories, the meaning of life, and the search for purpose and belonging put them at odds with their beloved general of a father. Thaddeus must eliminate all possible threats to the New World Order, leading to a chain of events that could change their world forever.

The author, Kody Boye, expertly weaves together a tale of danger, love, and survival. The book is a page-turner, and readers will find themselves fully immersed in the world that Boye has created. The character development is impressive, with each character having their own unique voice and personality. The novel is a great addition to the dystopian literature genre, and fans of this genre will find it difficult to put down. Overall, Damsel, Not Distressed is a must-read for those who enjoy dystopian fiction with a touch of romance and a whole lot of action.

I like the idea of this book and the detail Walker goes into this dystopian world building. However the writing didn't draw me in and parts felt jumbled to me. Overall I felt that the book was okay and the idea is really interesting but it just didn't work for me - I feel like perhaps the writing style needs to change for the demographic and the different POV's should be separated to help with confusion.

I really had such high expectations for this book but it did not excite me as much as I expected. I love the concept and the relationship that Kera and Skylar formed, but there were so many other things that dulled the reading experience.

Firstly, there isn’t a clear separation of third person POVs in the writing. Normally I’m used to a large space between paragraphs or an entirely new page or chapter to show the switch of focus on characters. However, everything was jumbled here. One sentence would be about Kieran then the following one would be about Skylar or Riley or someone else. I really didn’t like how that ruined the flow.

There were also so many grammatical errors. You’re being used instead of your was one of the biggest ones that I noticed. I understand that every human is not perfect and many of us make mistakes sometimes, but I feel like this was a huge oversight on the editor’s part and the book could use a bit more refining.

Finally, and most importantly….what was that ending? It was abrupt - and not in a good cliffhanger way. It felt super incomplete and that threw me all the way off.

Overall, it was okay. So much potential to be an amazing read.

Despite the attractive cover design, the story line was not enough to keep me engaged with the book till the end. However, I do not doubt that other readers will enjoy the story.