A Thousand Heartbeats: Tiktok made me buy it! A compelling new romance novel for young adults

Product Information

It took me by surprise when the publisher offered me a review copy of this book– I was pretty over the moon, honestly.

Cass: I really do like playing with impossible situations and scenarios where the love story affects more than just the two people falling in love. Those things tend to come up a lot in my books. I also love seeing strong friendships or seeing friendships grow where they seem unlikely, and that comes up in A Thousand Heartbeats as well. Small luxuries are hard to come by for Lennox. In the hopes of one day assisting them in regaining the throne that was taken from them, he has dedicated his life to the Dahrainian army. Love is the last thing on his mind. A THOUSAND HEARTBEATS by Kiera Cass is a YA fantasy novel told in dual POV from Annika, a princess grappling with a fractured family and obligations to the crown, and Lennox, a young warrior, brutal with his sword and friendless because of it. Seemingly, they are worlds apart, but when their paths do cross, what gets set into motion cannot be undone. Now, Annika must figure out how best to protect her country while keeping what’s left of her family together, and Lennox needs to decide when he’ll step forward to take what’s rightfully his. With so many wanting different things from these two, the most difficult question they’ll face is: does one of them have to die for the other to succeed? Princess Annika has lived a life of comfort—but no amount of luxuries can change the fact that her life isn’t her own to control. The king, once her loving father, has gone cold, and Annika will soon be forced into a loveless marriage for political gain. Paste: How does A Thousand Heartbeats compare to some of your other works, like The Betrothed or the Selection series? What sets this one apart for you?Cass’s storytelling is flawless as she presents the star-crossed lovers’ attempts to stay true to their own kingdoms. It’s an enchanting tale that readers will enjoy watching unfold." — School Library Journal An engrossing tale reminiscent of Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy and Ally Condie’s Matched. Fairy-tale lovers will lose themselves in America’s alternate reality and wish that the next glamorous sequel were waiting for them.”— School Library Journal

I’ve been a Kiera Cass stan for at least a decade. I binged The Selectionwhile on a bike at the gym, which I later only regretted the location in that situation. That series has been finished for a while, and now she’s releasing book number ten, A Thousand Heartbeats. After Annika and Lennox’s worlds collide, they can’t stop thinking of each other. Annika has waited her whole life to find out what love truly feels like—but could it be that she’s found love with someone she can never have?

A Thousand Heartbeats Book PDF Summary

Cass: I’ve learned to never say never when it comes to any of my characters or worlds. Right now, there’s nothing in my head, but that doesn’t mean something won’t come. I have more of The Siren, and there are things from The Selection world in my head, so you really never know! Annika, the princess of Kadier, believes in the love of fairy tales but knows it’s not in her future since her father demanded she marry to secure a political alliance. Not too far from their kingdom, there is a growing army of those who believe Kadier rightfully belonged to their ancestors, and they plan to reclaim it. When stoic, hardened soldier Lennox is given the opportunity to prove himself, he makes a plan to sneak into the kingdom. Neither Annika nor Lennox is prepared for the ways their lives and those of everyone around them will forever be changed upon their meeting. They start as enemies, but their hearts have other ideas, and soon their love is impossible to ignore. This stand-alone fantasy romance shifts between the two protagonists’ points of view, giving readers access to the interior lives of both. Patience is required, as the tale is slow to start; it finds its footing eventually, but readers may find it to be too little, too late. Much of the narrative feels bloated with story yet hollow in characterization and emotional depth. Even moments meant to evoke big emotions, like important deaths or grand romantic gestures, wind up falling flat since there’s not enough substance to give them weight. Characters are assumed White. Paste: One of the things I loved best about this story is that it doesn’t shy away from the brutality of war and the ugliness that can come with ruling a kingdom, while still leaving a place for kindness in (well, at least in some) of your characters. How did you balance all these competing elements of this story? Kiera Cass brings her signature sparkling romance to this beautiful story of star-crossed lovers and long-held secrets. Critical Praise Paste: I know A Thousand Heartbeats is meant to be a standalone story, and the book’s epilogue does leave everything in such a satisfying place overall. But could you ever see yourself revisiting this universe in some way?

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.Lennox… That guy took me on a journey. At certain moments, I did not think I could like him. He serves his leader as a kind of enforcer, doing the dirty tasks that no one else wants, but have been decreed to be done. It takes him a long time to realize his own worth and even longer to really decide what to do about it. It’s been a while since I read anything by Kiera Cass, but I’ve recommended her books to some teen readers. I remember good things about The Selection series, though I’ve only read the first three books in the series.