The Key to Love ~ Review

The Key to Love

By Betsy St. Amant Haddox

Bri Duval's life is the Pastry Puff, the bakery that she has worked at for years, following in her late mother's footsteps. But now her ex-boyfriend has set his sights on the Pastry Puff and replacing it with a chain-brand coffee shop. Bri is not going to let her last connection with her mother be so heartlessly destroyed. When owners Mabel and Agnes, aka the Love Angels, create yet another match that Bri uses to promote the bakery it goes viral. And it garners the attention of Trek Magazine and finds a travel writer en route to Story, Kansas. 

Gerard Fortier is not happy about being sent to a little nothing town in the middle of nowhere but his job and the magazine's future ride on this article. Gerard is jaded, having come to the conclusion that love is nothing but a fantasy following an "almost once" moment that has sent him in the opposite direction ever since. But Story, Kansas, is different than anything he's ever experienced and Bri is about to make an impression she just may regret.

Together Bri and Gerard are about to learn that what they believe about love isn't what it truly is. Influenced by what they have observed over the years they have both come to conclusions that are about to tested as they challenge one another. But can such opposites ever agree on another other than disagreeing?

The Key to Love is a Contemporary Romance that takes the reader on a discovery - what is love? Is it a Jane Austen novel? Or is it just a series of heartbreaks and betrayals? Or is it something in between?  

  Love doesn't always look the way we expect

As Bri helps her friend Casey prepare for her upcoming wedding she is struck by just how different Casey's proposal is from her idea of romantic. Is love blind or is it settling for something less just for the sake of marriage? 

I enjoyed visiting Story, and its residents who so perfectly represent small town Mid-America in all its facets. The close-knit friendships that are more family than friendship and the petty spites that can occur. Roots are the binds that hold it all together and sometimes change though difficult is just what we need to truly appreciate what we have. Many times change, though unwelcome, is needed so that we can grow beyond what we are, what we have settled into. Change is not necessarily happy but it can help us discover what we have been missing. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

The only thing Bri Duval loves more than baking petit fours is romance. So much so, she's created her own version of the famous Parisian love-lock wall at her bakery in Story, Kansas. She never expects it to go viral--or for Trek Magazine to send travel writer Gerard Fortier to feature the bakery. He's definitely handsome, but Bri has been holding out for a love story like the one her parents had, and that certainly will not include the love-scorned-and-therefore-love-scorning Gerard.

Just when it seems Bri's bakery is poised for unprecedented success, a series of events threaten not just her business but the pedestal she's kept her parents on all these years. Maybe Gerard is right about romance. Or maybe Bri's recipe just needs to be tweaked.

The Sound of Falling Leaves ~ Review

The Sound of Falling Leaves

By Lisa Carter

Tessa Goforth hasn't sung since the night of the fire that changed her life and the night that took her friend and the future she had planned. She's been working on her dissertation rather than focus on her operatic pursuits when she learns that her Aunt Dicy has been injured. Going home to help with her aunt and to help with the apple harvest she hopes to escape the pain and the guilt of that night. 

Ezekiel Sloane has been Dicy's orchard manager for nearly a year and he is less than impressed with her niece who hasn't had the time to visit Dicy in a while. Zeke, as he prefers to be called, makes no bones about how he feels about Tessa's absence and his utter contempt of her. But there is more to Zeke than is first observed - his silence and taciturn nature is hiding a secret.

But Buckthorn, North Carolina, is a world unto itself, ruled by the Cozart family and at the mercy of the family's corruption. When Tessa's research into a forgotten folk singer leads her to an unexplained disappearance of a young woman she is determined to get to the truth. There is just one problem with her inquiries - they are about to bring her to the attention of the Cozart family.

The Sound of Falling Leaves takes the reader into the Blue Ridge Mountains and a world that is still well isolated from the modern world. This is a story about healing and forgiveness that is well wrapped in intrigue and suspense. It is interesting to get to know both Tessa and Zeke as they try to hide their true selves away from one another and those around them. Letting go of their pain is something neither of them is quite ready to do. 

The pacing of the story is just right and one can connect with the characters as they navigate their lives and the secrets both hold close. If you are looking for modern fiction that you out of your norm you will want to give this one a try. No reader's remorse with this one so sit back and get ready to delve into a good read.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations - All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

After aspiring opera singer Tessa loses her voice in a fire, she needs both a place to heal and a way to keep music in her life. She retreats to her aunt's apple orchard in rural North Carolina to collect folk ballads. But amid the autumn splendor of this isolated Appalachian community, she uncovers an unnerving connection between a murder case and a long-ago disappearance. Tessa gets a glimpse into an almost-forgotten world, encounters a corrupt, small-town political dynasty, and finds superstition and prejudice at every turn.

She's also drawn to Zeke, the handsome but enigmatic orchard caretaker, who shows her that mountain justice is neither impartial nor just. But battling a conspiracy of silence, Tessa isn't sure if she can trust him. Yet somewhere in the mists of the Blue Ridge Mountains, evil lurks, and a killer is determined to keep the past where it belongs—dead and buried.

The Gathering Dark ~ Review with Giveaway

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour & Giveaway for 
Quest of Fire: Succession & The Gathering Dark by Brett Armstrong, 

hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

The Gathering Dark

Quest of Fire #1

By Brett Armstrong

Stumbling into an inn to escape the rain is a pivotal moment in the life of Jason Landsby. If he hadn't been trying to find a temporary refuge from the storm he would not have heard the story the old innkeeper was relating - a story of long ago when the world teetered on the edge of the abyss of darkness. But the past as portrayed by the innkeeper is viewed as the mutterings of an old man. But these mutterings are also forbidden and just by listening Jason is endangering himself.

But what story could so enrapture Jason you ask? The relating of Anargen and the quest he undertakes for the High King. A fabled being even in Anargen's day to those who refused to believe or listen to his call. But Anargen has heard the King's call - a vision hinting at the quest he is to undertake. But before he can start out he must pledge himself to the King's call and become a Knight of the Light. His only hesitation is that it will take him far from the only home he has ever known and from those he loves. 

But Anargen is not setting out alone, accompanied by his mentor Sir Cinaed and three friends, who are also Knights of the Light on their first quest. But this quest will challenge them and their thinking. They will face what they thought were only legends and myths. They will confront a darkness that threatens to destroy not only them but the world that they know. To fight the darkness they will have to grow up quickly and learn to put their trust in the quiet whisperings of the High King. And they will have to help others find their way back to the truth - for only in the High King's strength can they hope to overcome what is certain to be their defeat and death.

Those who enjoy the timeless works of C.S. Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia), J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings), newer works by Patrick Carr, Thomas Locke, Nadine Brandes, and S.D. Grimm will find themselves drawn to this book just as Jason is drawn to the story of Anargen.  I would say the book is between Chronicles and LOTR as far as length. The book has an epic feel to it and it will be interesting to see where the series goes from here as this is the first book in it.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but to provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Be sure to check out my review of Succession here

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

ABOUT THE BOOK 

Title: The Gathering Dark 

Series: Quest of Fire #1 

Author: Brett Armstrong 

Publisher: Expanse Books 

Release Date: June 24, 2020 

Genre: Christian Epic Fantasy 

Jason is an expert at running from his past. But when it catches up, he finds himself hiding in a peculiar inn listening to a tale from centuries past. 

The story is Anargen’s, a teen who is pulled from all he loves to follow his oaths of loyalty to the fabled King of the Realms. Together with his mentor, Cinaed, he rides north on a special quest to mediate peace talks between ancient foes—the men of Ecthelowall and the dwarfs of Ordumair. Nothing goes as planned. Many on both sides of the dispute despise Anargen’s Order. Worse, an arcane evil has returned to the North. This “Grey Scourge” seeks to ruin the peace talks and ensure a lost treasure held by the dwarfs is never found by those for whom it is meant. 

As Anargen’s story unfolds, Jason begins to wonder whether it is truly just a fable. He soon finds himself drawn into the conflict Anargen faced. A battle that has shaped and can destroy his world.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brett Armstrong has been exploring other worlds as a writer since age nine. Years later, he still writes, but now invites others along on his excursions. He’s shown readers haunting, deep historical fiction (Destitutio Quod Remissio), scary-real dystopian sci-fi (Day Moon and Veiled Sun), and dark, sweeping epic fantasy (Quest of Fire). Every story is a journey of discovery and an attempt to be a brush in the Master Artist’s hand. Through dark, despair, light, joy, and everything in between, the end is always meant to leave his fellow literary explorers with wonder and hope. Always busy with a new story, he also enjoys drawing, gardening, and spending time with his wife and son.

CONNECT WITH BRETT: Website | Facebook | Twitter

---

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a story inspired prize package including: 
• One copy of The Gathering Dark and Succession 

(Winner’s choice print or e-book) 

Custom signed bookplates for each if the print format was chosen 

• One copy of Wardrobes, Wizards, and Halflings: A Faith in Fiction Devotional 

(Winner’s choice print or e-book) 

• Two pieces of book swag (winner’s choice from book swag pics) 

• Flash Drive with Digital print of previously unreleased The Gathering Dark artwork, MP4 of Quest of Fire’s theme music “Lament for Father” and Digital poster “The Making of Wirgerd” describing the visual and story development of Succession’s monstrous villain!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. 

The full tour schedule linked below. 

The giveaway will begin at midnight on October 26, 2020, 

and last through 11:59 PM EST on November 2, 2020. 

The winner will be notified within 2 weeks of the close of the giveaway 

and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of the prize. 

Open to the US only. 

Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

The giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

---

 

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Succession ~ Review with Giveaway

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour & Giveaway for 
Quest of Fire: Succession & The Gathering Dark by Brett Armstrong, 

hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Succession

Quest of Fire #0.5

By Brett Armstrong

Meredoch has had a dream, a vision that the peace the Ecthelowall and the Ordumair are negotiating will fail and that his father will fall. Though his dream played out differently it was a warning of what was coming. When the Ordumair's Thane falls, Meredoch's father, Sir Augustine MacCowell, Defender of the Realm is blamed. 

In a matter of days, Meredoch's life is forever altered - his friendship with Duncoin is ended and his family is exiled from their home among the Ordumair. Lack of basic necessities becomes the norm as they struggle to survive. But Meredoch is determined to follow the Great High King, even during these trials, and become a Knight of Light. But he has a task he must complete before he can succeed his father as Defender of the Realm. He must make peace with his past and the Ords. But forgiveness is not easily given when past offenses have been allowed to fester in the heart. 

Succession is a prequel to The Gathering Dark, for the majority of this novella, this story is set 40 years beforehand. Though this is a prequel I would recommend reading it after The Gathering Dark so as to not reveal information that if revealed too soon will be a bit of a spoiler. This book will take you to the beginning of The Gathering Dark. 

At 120 pages this is an easy read and one that fleshes out the backstory of one of the characters of The Gathering Dark. Altogether an enjoyable story that fans of Speculative fiction will enjoy reading.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion all thoughts expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOKS

Title: Succession 

Series: Quest of Fire #0.5 

Author: Brett Armstrong 

Publisher: Expanse Books 

Release Date: November 10, 2020 

Genre: Christian Epic Fantasy 

Son of the Northern Realm’s Defender, raised among the dwarfs of Ordumair, Meredoch was anticipated to succeed his father. Some whispered he would bring the longed-for peace between Ordumair and their ancient foe, Ecthelowall. All of that changes when Ordumair’s Thane is killed and Meredoch and his family are exiled. From prestige to poverty, the young boy must chart a new course. 

As the years pass and the idol that was his father’s legacy tarnishes, his past threatens to resurface. An artifact of immeasurable worth to Ordumair is found and if recovered by the cruel Elder Ulster it means disaster for those Meredoch cares about. Battling creatures he believed only myths and racing Ulster’s minions to the prize, Meredoch must face the truth of his place in the world and claim his right of succession. 

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository  

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brett Armstrong has been exploring other worlds as a writer since age nine. Years later, he still writes, but now invites others along on his excursions. He’s shown readers haunting, deep historical fiction (Destitutio Quod Remissio), scary-real dystopian sci-fi (Day Moon and Veiled Sun), and dark, sweeping epic fantasy (Quest of Fire). Every story is a journey of discovery and an attempt to be a brush in the Master Artist’s hand. Through dark, despair, light, joy, and everything in between, the end is always meant to leave his fellow literary explorers with wonder and hope. Always busy with a new story, he also enjoys drawing, gardening, and spending time with his wife and son.

CONNECT WITH BRETT: Website | Facebook | Twitter

---

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a story inspired prize package including: • One copy of The Gathering Dark and Succession (Winner’s choice print or e-book) Custom signed bookplates for each if print chosen • One copy of Wardrobes, Wizards, and Halflings: A Faith in Fiction Devotional (Winner’s choice print or e-book) • Two pieces of book swag (winner’s choice from bookswag pics) • Flash Drive with Digital print of previously unreleased The Gathering Dark artwork, MP4 of Quest of Fire’s theme music “Lament for Father” and Digital poster “The Making of Wirgerd” describing the visual and story development of Succession’s monstrous villain!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. The full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway will begin at midnight on October 26, 2020, and last through 11:59 PM EST on November 2, 2020. The winner will be notified within 2 weeks of the close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of the prize. Open to the US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

The giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

---

 

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

The Light of Wyndcliff ~ Review with Author Q&A and Giveaway

The Light of Wyndcliff

Cornwall #3
By Sarah E. Ladd

Evelyn Bray has called Wyndcliff home since her grandfather's disgrace took her from the life she should have had - a life of wealth and privilege. She has lived on the promise of restoration that her mother gave her, but the years have passed, and Evelyn is no closer to the life that should have been hers. With her mother pursuing a life without her, Evelyn must decide how the rest of her life will proceed - one of her Grandfather's choosing, the elusive dream of her mother, or one that she finds for herself. Change is coming, and the arrival of the new master of Wyndcliff Hall isn't the only one.

Liam Twethewey has a dream - a dream he hopes will bring financial aid to the tenants of Pevlyn and stability to the estate and himself. But Pevlyn isn't what he expected; the financial situation is direr than he was lead to believe, and the estate is in a deteriorating state in need of attention. But trust for a newcomer is not easily won, and there seem to be many who are working contrary to his goals.

When a shipwreck occurs shortly after Liam's arrival, he is shocked at the behavior of those who live along the coast and their attitude towards the wreck. With but two survivors, Liam opens his home to them as they hopefully recover. Evelyn helps as she can, though her grandfather frowns upon her taking part in such common activities. But helping out at Wyndcliff leaves her with questions about the night of the shipwreck. Questions that she and Liam both want answers to. But learn the truth can be dangerous, especially when keeping secrets has become a way of life.

This is the third book in The Cornwall novels series, and it is as delightful a read as the first two books. I appreciate this glimpse into the past, which in this case, is 1820. Life isn't easy, and livelihood depends upon the estate one finds oneself living near or on, which in this case has not been tended to since the death of Liam's great uncle. While this is a Historical Romance/Fiction, there is a thread of mystery that runs through it. This is most definitely a book that will draw one in from the opening page that sets the stage for Evelyn's life in the years to come. This book can be enjoyed without reading the previous books in the series, but I would recommend going back to read them afterward if you haven't yet enjoyed them.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book: 

The Light at Wyndcliff

Paperback: 352 Pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (October 13, 2020)

Set in 1820s Cornwall, this Regency romance evokes the captivating worlds and delicious dramas of Jane Austen, Daphne DuMaurier, and Winston Graham.

Raised on the sprawling and rugged Wyndcliff Estate near the dangerous coast of South Cornwall, Evelyn Bray lives with her grandfather, a once-wealthy man reduced to the post of steward. Evelyn is still grieving her father’s death and her mother’s abandonment when a passing ship is dashed against the rocks. The only survivors, a little girl and her injured mother, are rescued and brought to Wyndcliff Hall.

Liam Twethewey is just twenty-two when he inherits Wyndcliff Estate from his great uncle. His optimistic plans to open a china clay pit to employ the estate’s tenants meets unexpected resistance, and the rumors of smuggling and illegal activity challenge his new-found authority. Though wise beyond his years, young Liam quickly finds himself out of his depth in this land where long-held secrets and high-stakes agendas make no room for newcomers.

Brought together by troubling questions surrounding the shipwreck, Evelyn and Liam uncover even darker mysteries shrouding the estate. But as they untangle truths from deceptions, their loyalties separate them—and their budding love might not be strong enough to overcome the distance.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes and Noble

About Sarah E. Ladd

 Sarah E. Ladd received the 2011 Genesis Award in historical   romance for The Heiress of Winterwood. She is a graduate of   Ball State University and has more than ten years of marketing   experience. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing family and
 a spunky Golden Retriever.

 Connect with Sarah

  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Author Q/A:

1) What attracted you to this time period?

 

I was drawn to this period by ... reading! 

Growing up I loved the literature and poetry of the Romantic Period, and the Regency Era overlaps this time. I adored Austen, Keats, and Byron and how they each gave us a glimpse into their world through their writing. The more I learned about that time in history, the more I wanted to know about it, and that is what started my research. 

 

2) Who is you favorite character to date in this series?

 

This is easy for me ... Evelyn Bray from The Light at Wyndcliff. (But that isn't really a fair answer, because my favorite characters are always the ones that I am either currently writing or have just written!) 

 

 

3) What one question do you wish you were asked and how would you answer it?

 

Interesting question! 

No one has ever asked me the following question: If you were to write in another time period besides the Regency Era, what time period would you choose? 

My answer would be Edwardian England ... which takes place roughly a century after the Regency Era! Like the Regency Era, the Edwardian Era was a time of great social change, I think that social change is a great way to ground fiction into actual history.

Enter the Giveaway:

One (1) winner will win a copy of The Light of Wyndcliff

Entry limited to those with a US mailing address only

The giveaway will run from October 21, 2020, 12:00 am CDT

to October 27, 2020, 11:59 pm CDT.

The winner will have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be

selected. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sarah E. Ladd’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, October 12th: Amy’s Book-et List and @amysbooketlist

Monday, October 12th: She Just Loves Books and @shejustlovesbooks

Wednesday, October 14th: From the TBR Pile

Thursday, October 15th: @addie.yoder

Sunday, October 18th: @nurse_bookie

Monday, October 19th: @the_unwined

Tuesday, October 20th: Christian Chick’s Thoughts

Wednesday, October 21st: Blooming with Books

Thursday, October 22nd: Reading Reality

Monday, October 26th: What is That Book About – excerpt

Wednesday, October 28th: @myreadingchronicles

Wednesday, October 28th: @lowkey.bookish

Friday, October 30th: @shobizreads

Monday, November 2nd: Leighellen Landskov and @mommaleighellensbooknook

Wednesday, November 4th: Books Cooks Looks

Thursday, November 5th: @adrianna.reads

Friday, November 6th: Living My Best Book Life and @livingmybestbooklife

Monday, November 9th: Laura’s Reviews and @laurasreviews_1

Wednesday, November 11th: @booktimistic

Friday, November 13th: @rendezvous_with_reading

Tuesday, October 13th: @thebookdistiller

The Broken Prince ~ Review

The Broken Prince

The Broken Prince #1

By Kara Linaburg 

Prince Milosh is bidding his time - not taking sides in the conflict between his father and the people he has subjugated to his rule. Ripped from the only home he has ever known by a father he didn't know he had, Milosh finds himself both needed and hated by King Thayer. Forced by the king to carry out his decrees or face more time being punished, Milosh finds himself falling into the darkness that is all too ready to consume him. But when he finds himself being questioned by a young peasant girl, he finds himself facing the very questions he has avoided.

Serena is one of the Gifted, which is a life sentence under King Thayer's rule. Marked, she must conceal who and what she is or face execution. But where Serena feels empathy towards Milosh, something she never expected, the other Marked feel only hatred. 

When her brother Hunter sets out to save the young boys that Milosh is ordered to bring in to be trained as soldiers, he has signed his own death warrant. Determined to keep Hunter safe, Serena sets out to warn him but finds herself taken prisoner by Milosh. But Serena carries a secret, a secret that she has been ordered to bring about the death of Milosh. But Serena can she bring about the death of another? Even if it means keeping her brother safe, Serena is left with a weight upon her heart. Can she convince Milosh that the path he is on isn't the only choice before him? 

In a land ruled by cruelty and fear can one young woman change the heart of a broken despairing prince? Or has the damage to his soul gone too deep to pull him from the darkness that pulls him deeper with every passing breath?

The Broken Prince is the first book in Kara Linaburg's Broken Prince series and absolutely must be read before reading book two The Crownless King.  This is an excellent book and highly recommended to fans of YA fantasy and fairy tale retelling styled books. The various characters are well balanced and intriguing to get to know. 

In this land ruled by hatred and fear, hope is a thing to grasp and hold onto tightly. For as long as hope lives the darkness is held at bay.

About the Book:

In all the fairy tales the maiden falls in love with the prince...

but she has to remember that this isn’t a fairy tale.

Born into a kingdom where those of magical Gifts are rejected, feared, and even killed, Serena has spent her life striving to hide her ability and keep her younger brother safe.

The bastard son of the hated king and father he hardly knows, Prince Milosh is considered an outcast. He never expects to feel anything but contempt for the peasant girl who unexpectedly shows up in his life, forcing him to answer questions he never wished to ask.

When two very different worlds are thrown together under less than desirable circumstances, both hold deep judgment towards the other. But will they learn to see beyond their stations and birth so that they may defeat the coming darkness, or will labels given to them at birth continue to define them?

Beguiled ~ Review

Beguiled

The Fairest Maidens #2

By Jody Hedlund

She's has fled for her life in the hopes of returning and rescuing her younger sister. But first, she must learn how to defeat and outwit her mother - Queen Margery of Warwick.  Finding refuge among the outcasts she must keep her identity hidden or she will be forced to find sanctuary somewhere other than the Isle of Outcasts. But when she takes a captive from one of the other bands of outcasts she had no idea that she was taking a royal prisoner. A prince of Scania in the midst of his testing.

Mikkel can't reveal his true identity when he is taken captive, his testing must be completed if he hopes to become king of Scania. And to reveal who he is would result in his being rejected by the outcasts who call the isle home. But can he look upon the heart and become worthy of the duty of king? 

When forced to protect his identity Mikkel reluctantly agrees to marry the young woman he has come to know as Veil. Her disfigurement hidden beneath the veil she always wears. But Veil too hides a secret - a secret that she fears will influence Mikkel's opinion of her. Can he see beyond her outward appearance? She fears the answer. But to save Ruby she reveals her true identity to Mikkel. But marriage, even to a princess, could keep him from being king if it is not approved by King Christian and his advisors. 

Queen Margery is not about to let her daughter live, not when she has need of her. But Pearl has no idea just how deeply her mother's greed and avarice goes. And if she's not careful not only will she die by her mother's hand so too will Mikkel. Can Pearl and Mikkel learn to trust one another enough to survive or will their independence be their undoing?

This is the second book in The Fairest Maiden's series and IF you have not read book one you can still enjoy this book. But it is better to read the books in order to fully enjoy the series. This is a delightful read with a fairy tale twist (no magic involved). And those who have read Jody Hedlund's previous YA series The Lost Princesses will love this series as it adds to the story world she created. 

The characters are relatable (not the prince or princess part, of course) and one can empathize with their situations. The growth of character that Pearl and Mikkel experience is believable as the story progresses. I truly enjoyed getting to know these characters and look forward to the third and final book in the series. Jody Hedlund has again created a world one will enjoy visiting again. These are most definitely going on my reread list. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In a land where being the fairest maiden is a curse...

A princess rejected and hunted by her mother and a prince who lives as a shunned outcast. Princess Pearl flees for her life after her mother, Queen Margery, tries to have her killed during a hunting expedition. Pearl finds refuge on the Isle of Outcasts among criminals and misfits, disguising her face with a veil so no one recognizes her. She lives for the day when she can return to Warwick and rescue her sister, Ruby, from the queen’s clutches. Amidst his royal testing on the Isle of Outcasts, Prince Mikkel of Scania has kept his identity a secret. Captured by a warring band of outcasts and condemned to die, he finds himself making friends with an intriguing but feisty young veiled woman. Intending to win her trust and gain her help to escape, he soon finds himself coerced to wed her. Mikkel reluctantly agrees to the union to save his life, and Pearl hopes the marriage will provide protection for her and Ruby. But the queen is more determined to kill her daughter than either Pearl or Mikkel realizes and has a sinister reason neither expects—one that could rip their new love apart forever. The real Snow White story.