A Thousand Heartbeats: Tiktok made me buy it! A compelling new romance novel for young adults Paperback – 8 Dec. 2022

As an avid fan of Kiera since the Selection days, I was scared that I wouldn’t love this book. But oh boy I loved it with all my heart. Though some things were predictable, I’d rather call that good breadcrumbing rather than a flaw of the narrative. 5 stars. Netflix better hurry up making the Selection films so this can be turned into a film too.

“Love has a sound. It sounds like a thousand heartbeats happening at the same time.” - ‘A Thousand Heartbeats’ by Kiera Cass.It’s been some years since I read Kiera Cass’ The Selection series and while I don’t often read Teen/YA fantasy romances, my recall was that they weren’t overly mired in teen angst. So I was pleased to read her new standalone title.Annika is the Princess of Kadier and lives in luxury. Yet since the disappearance of her mother, her father has grown cold-hearted. He has decided that now she is eighteen, it is time for Annika to marry and decrees that her cousin Nickolas will be her husband. This is a political alliance though they do get along. Still, once the engagement is announced Nickolas becomes increasingly controlling including insisting that she styles her hair as he wishes. Definitely a red flag.On the outskirts of the lands where Annika’s family has long ruled, Lennox is waiting for his moment. His father is dead and he is constantly seeking to prove himself to his mother’s new partner, who is a nasty piece of work. The leaders of his peoples are planning to overthrow the Kadierian monarchy and reclaim the land of Dahrain, its original name, since as they believe it is rightfully theirs.On a reconnaissance mission Lennox and his companions come across Annika and Nicolas, out for a ride accompanied by a small protection detail. Things do not go well for the Kadierians and Annika is captured.Despite her situation, Annika is determined to escape while Lennox is constantly threatening to kill her if she doesn’t divulge details of the Kadierian defences. So, quite a lively animosity commences that given the tropes of YA romance suggests that these enemies may soon find themselves falling in love.Even though I am not a fan of Insta-love, so common in YA fiction, I felt that sufficient groundwork was laid between Annika and Lennox before hearts started fluttering.The narrative viewpoint shifts between Lennox and Annika. There is a political aspect to the story that includes the machinations of the leaders on both sides, few battles, betrayals, twists of fate, and the like.Overall, I enjoyed ‘A Thousand Heartbeats’ as it had all the ingredients of an engaging heroic fantasy with a believable romance at its heart. Not too soppy! While intended for a teen/YA readership, I felt that it will appeal to readers of all ages drawn to this genre.As always the publishers’ design team are to be applauded for creating such beautiful cover art for Kiera Cass’ novels.

another great book from a great author

I love reading Kiera’s books so much!? They are incredible, I genuinely lost sleep with this book, thinking one more chapter each time. I can’t wait for her next one!

“Love has a sound. It sounds like a thousand heartbeats happening at the same time.” 💓✨I really enjoyed this read! It was a lovely, easy romantasy with captivating character development and an intriguing enemies-to-lovers plot. I particularly liked Princess Annika, the main character. She always strived to do what was right and was both bold and strong.The book did take a while to get into with a slow build-up in both the plot and the romance, and the world-building felt a bit underdeveloped. One thing I thought could be improved was the transition from enemies to lovers, which felt a bit quick and unrealistic. But hey, maybe I’m just a bit cynical haha! 😅That being said, the moments between Annika and her love interest were truly special and beautifully written. 💖✨What's your favourite enemies-to-lovers book? Do you prefer slow build-ups or quick-paced romances? Please give me your recommendations below! 📚💬

If this book were a trope, it would be the walking definition of slow-burn, found family romance. When we first meet our MC’s, Princess Annika and Dahrainian army soldier Lennox, they couldn’t be more different. Although Annika has grown up in a life of luxury as a beloved Princess, she still has so much down-to-earth kindness in her soul. Alike for Lennox, who has a deep compassion within himself even though he shows up as this tough-exterior-warrior, fighting for the cause of taking back the kingdom that he believes is wrongly claimed.Princess Annika used to be able to lean on her loving father with no reservations, but recently he’s turned—becoming someone she hardly recognises—and now she’s being made to marry someone she doesn’t want to, just for him to get the political upper hand. Lennox won’t let anything distract him from standing up for his people, no matter what it takes or who gets in the way. But everything changes when Annika and Lennox meet under whirlwind circumstances. From there, it’s no longer a guessing game, with unpredictability, a long-time-coming battle, and hearts raised for the taking, leading to the enemies-to-lovers romance that was promised.Overall, A Thousand Heartbeats had my heart rooting for everything it stood for. It took me a good hundred or so pages to get into it (which isn’t surprising, since it’s a thick, more-than-500-page book!) but once I was in, I was hooked. Annika had this heart of gold that really shone through the writing. And Lennox, underneath that stone exterior he had to put on to survive, was just as kind. They really mirrored each other in a multitude of ways, in most that are completely true to the thumbprint magic of Kiera Cass books. If you’re a fan of royal romances with high-stakes and all the addictive tropes we love best, this is your new favourite read. A glittering four-star book!

Amazing story and amazing characters , just love it.