The Betrothed

The Betrothed by Kiera Cass (HarperCollins) PB ISBN 9780008158828

Kiera Cass is back with a glittering royal romance sure to captivate her legion of loyal readers and lovers of courtly intrigue. Here is a historical novel for readers of Cass’s selection series which have been on the New York Times bestseller list.

Lady Hollis Brite has grown up vying for King Jameson’s attention, hoping one day to become Queen of Coroa. The king has many other daughters of the nobility to choose from, so when he declares his love for her, Hollis is shocked—and thrilled. Capturing his heart is a dream come true.

But Hollis soon realizes that falling in love with a king and being crowned queen may not be the happily ever after she thought it would be. And when she meets Silas, a commoner with the mysterious power to see right into her heart, she finds that the future she really wants is one that she never thought to imagine.

Cass’s latest novel moves along at a steady and engaging speed. There are many characters in the story but it’s nevertheless possible to keep up with each of them and with the courtly goings-on. The characters are not three-dimensional characters, though, with some of them, such as Delia Grace and Nora and Hollis’s parents repeating the same actions throughout the book. The only really interesting character was Valentina who Hollis befriends.

The main plot was Hollis giggling over Jameson and then falling into love with Silas the moment they lay eyes on each other. It takes a few minutes of conversation spaced over two or three days for them to realize they love each other.  Before long, Hollis is ready to ditch Jameson to marry Silas. As for Silas, he has the audacity to be offended over Hollis's initial rejection. (He knew she was practically engaged to the king and yet still decided to kiss her.)

Having said that, the book is nevertheless a satisfying read and is sure to be enjoyed by teenage girls who like the idea of romance.