By: Cait Marie
Goodreads Blurb
The king hired her to find him a wife. She fell for him instead.
Marriage is the only thing that can save King Davin’s most-hated reputation. And to make things worse, Davin hired the one girl he’s most attracted to, but her social class makes her an impossible choice for his future.
Emree Dutson has one goal: raise the king’s approval ratings so she can get a permanent job at the castle. Falling in love with the king wasn’t part of the job description. Now her feelings for him are ruining everything.
Will Davin risk his crown for love?
Review
This book was such a sweet, fun read!
I’ve been struggling the past year to read new-to-me authors for a number of reasons, especially in fantasy and other speculative fiction. Between my anxiety and writing my own books, my brain just could not handle taking on a whole new world with all the elements that come with these genres.
That being said, this book reminded me of why I need to push past that struggle. If you like YA/NA fantasy, with a sweet romance, this is the series to start.
I was first drawn to this series by the covers. They’re some of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen, and I had to mention them.
The story within was just as great. It reminded me of The Selection quite a bit, but it was still very different.
The characters both felt very well developed. I enjoyed Emree and Davin’s snarky encounters in the beginning, and I loved seeing them grow into friends and more. They were realistic, with real concerns and ambitions. The world building was done just as well.
My only wish is that there was more. I know there are additional books, but each focuses on a new couple in a different kingdom. I feel like Emree and Davin’s story could have been expanded; we just barely saw glimpses of their world on a bigger scale because the majority of the focus was on them. But it was so intriguing I want more. I want to know more about the Desolation and this new kingdom that evolved from it. I also want to know more about some of the side characters, in particular, Davin’s head guard Millar. He seemed like such an important character, like it was building up to something involving him, but then it didn’t. I think the side characters just could’ve used a little more development, showing that they have lives continuing outside of their interactions with Davin and Emree.
Don’t get me wrong, the book is a fantastic standalone. The story does end, there is closure, and it feels complete. I am just greedy and didn’t want to leave their story so soon. I still highly recommend reading it, and I’m so excited to jump into the next book!
Functionally Fictional 