I have no idea what to rate this. For the love of cheese and crackers, please explain to me what just happened.
I think it it time for a pro and con list.

Pro:
Squeaky clean
They got married (unlike all other ya which says, “no marriage/marriage is bad”. I still don’t get that.)
Retelling of Ruth and Naomi
The plot twist (see con)

Con:
Not much personality
Insta-love (although it was not as bad as normal)
Silas and Hollis hardly knew each other. Seriously, they NEVER talked.
The writing was...erm...interesting
The plot twist (see pro)

Is Hollis supposed to fall for Etan in book two? Is it only me or did you think that too?

One last note, why does Coroa look so much like Corona? ( )

For me the read was more of a 2.5 star but I rounded up to a 3 star. This read was a little disappointing. It took over half the book for it to become interesting to me. Then the ending was lack luster. ( )

Oof. Wow. I honestly don't know what to think of "The Betrothed." I know I built it up in my head SO much. It had been years since "The Selection Series" and those books I rave about every chance I can.

Hollis is rumored be to King Jameson's future queen. And she is all on board with it until she meets Silas, a young man whose family is seeking asylum in Coroa (from their home in Isolte). As you might imagine, sparks fly between Hollis and Silas.

The plot line is predictable: girl is with one boy. New boy enters. Girl falls for new boy who is below her station. New boy and girl run off together.

And then new boy and all of the male female members get killed off a la "Red Wedding" style. (Because they have Isolte royalty heritage and it makes their king nervous.)

While normally Kiera Cass's writing is loved by me, I felt this book was incredibly weak. All over the place. NO character was likeable. There was next to no romance--This book was hyped up as more steamy Young Adult. Yeah, okay. "The Selection" was more steamy. Honestly, there wasn't much buildup to key scenes. It was like "and we are there apparently."

This review makes me sad. No, it won't stop me from reading the next one. But I am disappointed.
( )

This book is all about following your heart and doing what is right vs what is expected. Hollis is betrothed to the King and is presumed to be his wife. But when a chance meeting with a family from Isolte happens, something changes for Hollis. The entire time i was trying to figure out which boy she would choose - Jameson, the king or Silas, the boy from Isolte. This book captivated me from page one. Kiera has this ability to write such a fantastic love story that you just get swept up into it and are like a fly on the wall. Loved every second of it and cannot wait for the sequel. Highly recommend. ( )

Really enjoyed this rather sad book, but loved the family message. Families are love and can be random groups of people who love each other and value the real person. Also liked the realization that being "queen" is not what matters, nor is wealth. King Jameson was also basically a good guy although being king has a down side for most people.

A would-be queen. A handsome young king. A perfect match…or is it?

When King Jameson declares his love for Lady Hollis Brite, Hollis is shocked—and thrilled. After all, she’s grown up at Keresken Castle, vying for the king’s attention alongside other daughters of the nobility. Capturing his heart is a dream come true.

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. And when she meets a commoner with the mysterious power to see right into her heart, she finds that the future she really wants is one that she never thought to imagine. ( )