A Thousand Heartbeats | ARC Review

“Love has a sound. It sounds like a thousand heartbeats happening at the same time.”

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.

Miles away, small comforts are few and far between for Lennox. He has devoted his life to the Dahrainian army, hoping to one day help them reclaim the throne that was stolen from them. For Lennox, the idea of love is merely a distraction—nothing will stand in the way of fighting for his people.

But when love, against all odds, finds them both, they are bound by its call. They can’t possibly be together—but the irresistible thrum of a thousand heartbeats won’t let them stay apart.

This book was a disappointment, although not the worst book I’ve ever read. It had some sweet moments, but almost completely missed the mark in the end.

A couple of things I liked about this book first.

I loved that Lennox had this morally grayness to him. That made him a little more interesting as a character. He was a man forced to kill and do horrible acts by duty, but was also someone who so desperately didn’t want to. He wanted to leave that life behind, but he did what had to be done.

Annika was a strong character. I liked that she was kind and good, but she was also brave and strong. She learned how to fight and defined herself and others. She knew there would be tough times ahead and he prepared for them. I liked that about her.

Now, onto the rest…

I was bored pretty much the whole book. We didn’t really get any action in this book until about a 1/4 of the way in. And even then, it was short lived. There were all these little bursts of action, but nothing that captivated me enough to propel me through the book. Even the end, where there was more action, felt slow and short lived somehow.

Lennox and Annika had the same voice. I couldn’t even tell it was dual POV, but I know it was. They literally had the same thoughts and acted very similarly. I needed something distinct about the two and I didn’t get it.

Lastly, they fell in love so fast! It was essentially instalove. It didn’t feel like there was a base for it and then there was this random childhood experience that linked them that felt contrived. I just couldn’t with the romance.

Overall, this was not it. I’ve begun to lose hope in Cass’ books since I haven’t enjoyed them since the third Selection novel. I do hope she finds her groove again soon.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed a gifted and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating

To read my other reviews, click here. Or to check out more books by Kiera Cass, go to her Goodreads profile or their website.