theresarahel's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
stirlingsherman's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The sequel had more going for it in terms of the plot and characters since they had been established in the first book. The first bit was a little slow, but then it picked up real quick and I flew through the rest of it and was reading super late. My one big gripe about most Kiera Cass books is that she always cuts the endings off so quick and I always want to read more about what happened with the characters after the climax of the book. But I can also see why she does it sometimes to give it more of the fairy tale romance vibe. I called most of the twists in this book, but I still enjoyed the journey to get to the twists.
retroskyfirefly's review against another edition
4.0
I always enjoy Kiera Cass’s books and this one was pretty good. I think the only thing that kept this from being five stars for me was the seemingly out of character behavior of Jameson, and his very abrupt death. Both seemed rushed and implausible. Otherwise, it was a delightful read.
thereadingfits's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
paovilchis25's review against another edition
5.0
After loving one of the “worst” books of 2020, I knew I had to continue on with the duology because I needed to know what was going to happen and how it was all going to turn out in the end. Like I said before, Kiera Cass is a guilty pleasure for me, her Selection series is my favorite series of all time and I stand by it. So obviously I was going to read her new duology even if most people did not enjoy it. And I am glad I did because I ended up really liking the first book and I ended up loving the sequel.
In The Betrothed we follow Lady Hollis Brite, who when King Jameson declares his for her, she is shocked—and thrilled. 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. In the Betrayed we follow the events that happen right after the first book.
I know this is definitely not a literary masterpiece but I still love it. I don’t know what it is, maybe nostalgia for the author´s writing style, maybe my weakness for cheesy or maybe I’m just a terrible reader but I massively enjoyed my reading experience of this book. I understand every critique there is about this book, believe me I do, I get it. But for me, reading is not about finding a literary masterpiece, for me, reading is about enjoying it, having fun while doing a thing I love. So yeah, this book is not great, but I had the best time reading it.
Even if I deeply enjoyed this book, I can still be an objective reader and say that there were a few things that were a miss in the first book. However, everything that bothered me in the first book was massively improved in this sequel. The main character Hollis, grew exponentially and I ended up really connecting and identifying with her. It was really refreshing to see her grow and become a fierce main character. The secondary characters got more depth and I was able to connect and even care for some of them, especially Silas´ sister and mother. Delia Grace was still a pain to read about but in the end she got what she deserved.
This book, unlike the first one, is very fast paced and thrilling. Once it all starts unravelling you cannot stop reading. The plot twists come at you from left and right and I have to admit that some twist I did not see coming at all. The writing is adequate but for a YA romance novel I didn’t expect or need more.
Overall, like I said, this is not a literary masterpiece but it is fun and easy to read and it just fills my heart. This book is a real page turner and just a great way to get out of a reading slump.
In The Betrothed we follow Lady Hollis Brite, who when King Jameson declares his for her, she is shocked—and thrilled. 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. In the Betrayed we follow the events that happen right after the first book.
I know this is definitely not a literary masterpiece but I still love it. I don’t know what it is, maybe nostalgia for the author´s writing style, maybe my weakness for cheesy or maybe I’m just a terrible reader but I massively enjoyed my reading experience of this book. I understand every critique there is about this book, believe me I do, I get it. But for me, reading is not about finding a literary masterpiece, for me, reading is about enjoying it, having fun while doing a thing I love. So yeah, this book is not great, but I had the best time reading it.
Even if I deeply enjoyed this book, I can still be an objective reader and say that there were a few things that were a miss in the first book. However, everything that bothered me in the first book was massively improved in this sequel. The main character Hollis, grew exponentially and I ended up really connecting and identifying with her. It was really refreshing to see her grow and become a fierce main character. The secondary characters got more depth and I was able to connect and even care for some of them, especially Silas´ sister and mother. Delia Grace was still a pain to read about but in the end she got what she deserved.
This book, unlike the first one, is very fast paced and thrilling. Once it all starts unravelling you cannot stop reading. The plot twists come at you from left and right and I have to admit that some twist I did not see coming at all. The writing is adequate but for a YA romance novel I didn’t expect or need more.
Overall, like I said, this is not a literary masterpiece but it is fun and easy to read and it just fills my heart. This book is a real page turner and just a great way to get out of a reading slump.
hcorns's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I think this sequel is better than the original! Good pace, fun scenes, and more lovable characters. Plus a small twist at the end!
ptha2201's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
ryebreadgf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
sararose013's review against another edition
3.0
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and were not affected by the free copy.
I wanted so badly to love this series. The Selection series was one of my favorite series, but The Betrothed let me down. I wanted to give The Betrayed it's chance, and to be fair, it did improve from the first one-barely.
The biggest issue I had with the first book lingered in this book-the pacing was absolutely atrocious. Everything happens way too fast. Sure, fast pacing is a good thing when you are trying to steal a kingdom. But when you're falling in love? No thank you! I don't care for instant love, though The Betrayed did better with the development of the relationship-again, barely.
The character development was also marginally better in this book. Hollis is still shallow and Etan is still arrogant, but they do get better.
I will grant that the twists caught me a little off guard. I should have seen them coming, at least one of them was heavily foreshadowed, so I'm going to give Kiera a little credit for that.
The best thing about this book is it is a really quick read. If you can't get past the characters and the pacing, it's a semi-entertaining read. I probably won't end up rereading this series though.
I wanted so badly to love this series. The Selection series was one of my favorite series, but The Betrothed let me down. I wanted to give The Betrayed it's chance, and to be fair, it did improve from the first one-barely.
The biggest issue I had with the first book lingered in this book-the pacing was absolutely atrocious. Everything happens way too fast. Sure, fast pacing is a good thing when you are trying to steal a kingdom. But when you're falling in love? No thank you! I don't care for instant love, though The Betrayed did better with the development of the relationship-again, barely.
The character development was also marginally better in this book. Hollis is still shallow and Etan is still arrogant, but they do get better.
I will grant that the twists caught me a little off guard. I should have seen them coming, at least one of them was heavily foreshadowed, so I'm going to give Kiera a little credit for that.
The best thing about this book is it is a really quick read. If you can't get past the characters and the pacing, it's a semi-entertaining read. I probably won't end up rereading this series though.