A review by theespressoedition
A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Ummm... what the heck? Why do some people find it necessary to villainize a character you love in order for you to love a new character? It's just... not necessary at all! I already loved Grey. I would have continued to love Grey without making Rhen into a true bad guy. I had no problem with Rhen. And now I'm supposed to think of him as toxic, abusive, and vile? And simultaneously, you're going to make me dislike Harper because she chooses to side with Rhen??? That just doesn't seem fair at all. There had to have been better ways of making Grey run off with Lia Mara without breaking down everything that the first novel built.

Now, if I were to just disregard all of that - pretend that the first book didn't exist and read this story on its own - I think I would've enjoyed it much, much more. Grey was my favorite character, so I was looking forward to his tale, especially after finding out what we did at the end of the first book. I was already excited to learn what would happen next. While I wasn't the biggest fan of Lia Mara as a character (I found her to be pretty dull and kind of dumb in comparison to how smart Harper was), I did enjoy their chaotic relationship.

My biggest hope is that A Vow So Bold and Deadly redeems the hot mess that this book was.
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