Book Review: The Crown

Title: The Crown

Series: The Selection

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: May 3, 2016

Source: Purchased

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When Eadlyn became the first princess of Illéa to hold her own Selection, she didn’t think she would fall in love with any of her thirty-five suitors. She spent the first few weeks of the competition counting down the days until she could send them all home. But as events at the palace force Eadlyn even further into the spotlight, she realizes that she might not be content remaining alone.

Eadlyn still isn’t sure she’ll find the fairytale ending her parents did twenty years ago. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and soon Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more impossible—and more important—than she ever imagined.

Blog Tour: The Selection Series + GIVEAWAY

Hey, everyone! I don't know if you've heard, but the fifth and final book in Kiera Cass' Selection series, The Crown, came out yesterday, and I am so so so so so excited! I've been there since the beginning with these books, and I feel like they are a special part of my reading life. Today, I'll be sharing a few of my favorite quotes from the series, but before we get to those, let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit the books.

The Selection Series Book Blitz + GIVEAWAY

Today is the day that the fifth and final book, The Crown, in Kiera Cass' super popular Selection series publishes!

It's kind of a bittersweet day for me because I've been with these books for such a long time. I remember seeing all kinds of hype on The Selection on Goodreads, which led me to preorder it, and I've preordered every book in the series since.

Keep reading to catch up on all of the books and enter to win the entire series from Irish Banana Blog Tours!

Waiting on Wednesday (49)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bookish feature created and hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Each week, bloggers and readers shine the spotlight on upcoming book titles that they are waiting on.

You might be able to tell that this is one of my favorite bookish memes. I usually post a Waiting on Wednesday every week because I just think it's really fun to explore upcoming titles and authors.


 It's pretty simple to participate in Waiting on Wednesday:

• Create your own Waiting on Wednesday post that features an upcoming title (or titles) - I usually only go with one book a week because seeing all the titles can be a bit overwhelming for me.
• Be sure to credit Jill somewhere in your post (see how I credited her above?)
• Link up to the Linky on Jill's blog so that others can see your post

Book Review: The Heir

Title: The Heir

Series: The Selection

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: May 5, 2015
Source: Purchased from Barnes & Noble

Goodreads | Amazon

Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon -- and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she'd put off marriage for as long as possible.

But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection -- no matter how fervently she protests.

Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought.

My Review

Stunning, beautiful, and eventful. These are three words that one might think of after finishing the highly-anticipated fourth book in The Selection series by Kiera Cass. I knew as soon as The Heir was announced that I would read it. I mean really... did you even have to ask? (It's one of those "Shut up and take my money" series for me.) You may or may not know that this series and I got off to a rocky start, but I fell in love with it. Once again, Ms. Cass was able to steal my heart and make me swoon with a lovable cast of characters and her witty banter. 

So The Heir takes place twenty years after America stole Maxon's heart and became the queen, and now a new selection has begun, but with a twist. Instead of the prince doing the selecting, this time, the heir is a princess! I loved this new dynamic that Cass brings in with this new novel, and it's entertaining to meet thirty-five goofy guys all vying for Princess Eadlyn's heart. Readers get to see how the privileged princess views her people. Sometimes, it isn't pretty. There is some dude drama (you know... fisticuffs and such), and I found it to be a lot more interesting than some of the cattiness that readers saw in The Selection, The Elite, and The One. I'm really hoping that Cass allows Eadlyn to really get to know some of these guys a lot better in the next book.

Then there's Princess Eadlyn herself. I'm no princess, but I felt a strong connection to her the minute I started reading. She's has huge shoes to fill eventually, and the whole country is watching her with an observant eye because she's the first female heir. Everybody is wandering what she'll do when she finally ascends the throne. I loved her disposition. Cass has created a beautiful blend of both America and Prince Maxon's best qualities with Eadlyn, and she's a true royal-pain-in-the-ass. Yes, she's a little bratty, but when you really get to know her, you see that she's a bit insecure like the rest of us. She doesn't want to admit when she's afraid, and she wants to give off the always-in-charge appearance of a future queen. She's built walls that she doesn't want people to climb, and she is very adamant about not falling in love because it only makes one vulnerable. She's doing what she thinks is best to be the next monarch on the throne. She seemed like a very normal YA character, despite her royal lineage.

For those readers looking to see how things for America and Maxon turned out, you're in luck. Kiera includes a few mother/daughter and father/daughter moments, and she also includes a few tender moments of Eadlyn and her siblings. She also offers Eadlyn's commentary on growing up with the two who set the standard for her own Selection. Readers don't get a lot (and I've already seen a few complain about it), but what do you expect when Kiera is writing two books for something that she once fit in three? There just isn't enough room unless you want her to write 500+ page books. I thought she did a great job at getting readers focused on Eadlyn.

And it wouldn't be a Kiera Cass novel if there weren't a cliffhanger. I can't even deal with that ending and the shocking events that Kiera includes in her non-resolution. All I know is that waiting for the fifth and final book will be extremely hard.

About Kiera Cass

Kiera Cass is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Selection series and The Siren. She is a graduate of Radford University and currently lives in Christiansburg, Virginia with her family. Kiera has kissed approximately fourteen boys in her life. None of them were princes.

The Heir Cover Reveal

Ladies (and gentlemen), The Heir has a cover!

Excuse me while I drool over that gorgeous dress, the lighting, the new cover model, and basically everything about this cover.

Synopsis:
Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won Prince Maxon’s heart. Now the time has come for Princess Eadlyn to hold a Selection of her own. Eadlyn doesn’t expect her Selection to be anything like her parents’ fairy-tale love story. But as the competition begins, she may discover that finding her own happily ever after isn’t as impossible as she always thought.

Waiting on Wednesday (3)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. Every Wednesday you have the chance to share a book that you are oh so patiently waiting to get. As for me, there is a long list of books that I am waiting on, but to save time, I'll only share one a week. I know I could probably share like two or three with everyone each week, but that seems like a bit much.

After taking a week off of Waiting on Wednesday, I'm back with my third installment of the weekly meme. This week, I'm waiting on a book that doesn't even have a cover yet! Can you believe it? That just means I'm going to have to wait even longer. I know for a fact that when this book is released, I am going to throw a royal dance party.

Curious? You should be. Would it help if I said I would probably throw a royal dance party to One Direction songs?

Are my clues helping you at all? Probably not. Although I'm sure some of you have already guessed what book I desperately want.

Alright... Out of guesses? Just tired that I'm stalling? This week, I'm waiting on The Heir by Kiera Cass. It is going to be the fourth installment in her Selection series.

Kiera recently announced that there would be two more books in the popular YA series in addition to a paperback binding of more Selection novellas. The Heir will be released next spring (2015).

From the title and the recently unlocked epilogue to The One, I'm guessing this one deals with a new person. I'm actually kind of nervous about it. What if it's not told from America's point of view? I keep getting all these new thoughts in my head like it's going to happen like fifteen years after The One.

 Really... there isn't much information about the fourth book yet, but as a huge fan of the books in The Selection series, I am excited to see that this is happening. I just hope it is as good as The One.

Book Tag: Most Owned Authors on my Auto-Buy List

Yay! It's time for another book tag! These things can be so much fun, but I was kind of scared when I was tagged to do this one. Rachel over at A Perfection Called Books tagged me to participate in this one, and it's all about the number of books I own from authors on my auto-buy list.

Now some of you might be wondering why this book tag scared me. Well... the answer is kind of simple. I really don't have many auto-buy authors. I'm a taste test kind of reader. I read whatever looks interesting to me at the moment. If you ever see a picture of my shelves, you'll probably notice it.

I'll try my best to complete this tag, but it might seem a bit odd to you. Just hang in there. This should really be called Auto-Acquire Authors for me because a lot of these books were given to me. Oh well. I hope it makes sense.

• J.K. Rowling (12 books) - Okay. This one might be a bit of a stretch because my grandma bought all my Harry Potter books for me when I finally decided to read them. Now I can say that I have bought a few of her books with my own money. I own all seven Harry Potter books and the Hogwarts library box set. I even own an extra copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard because I bought it for myself before finally deciding that I wanted the pretty box set. I also own The Casual Vacancy, and when I find her other books for a cheap enough price, they will have a spot on my shelves. 
• Lauren Oliver (6 books) - Lauren Oliver is an author that I wouldn't have heard about if it weren't for winning a Goodreads giveaway. I was lucky enough to win Before I Fall, and then I quickly purchased the first two books in her Delirium trilogy. Her new adult book is coming out soon, and I'm going to get it. I'm also impatiently waiting for her new YA book, Vanishing Girls.
• Rainbow Rowell (4 books) - The first Rainbow Rowell book I read was Eleanor & Park, and I quickly bought Fangirl and Attachments. I waited patiently to get Landline, so now I have one copy of all of her books. I know I'll be buying anything she releases in the future.
• Veronica Roth (4 books) - I was a little late to hop on the Divergent train, but after I bought it, I ordered both Insurgent and Allegiant and binge read them. I pre-ordered an autographed copy of Four, and I really can't wait to see what she writes next. It'll be on my shelves.
• Sarah Ockler (3 books) - Twenty Boy Summer started it all for me, but I don't even own a copy of it. Don't worry... I'm looking for a decent looking hardcover. Sarah writes beautiful YA books, and I really wish more people would read her books. I still haven't gotten my hands on #scandal, but only because I haven't seen it anywhere. Her new book, The Summer of Chasing Mermaids is one I am going to run out the door for on release day.
• Kiera Cass (4 books) - I own all the books in her Selection trilogy plus the paperback companion short stories. I probably won't buy The Siren, but I'm sure I'll give her next book a chance.
• Nicholas Sparks (19+ books) I own at least one hardcover of every book he's released, and quite a few dupes because my grandma buys them every time she goes to a thrift store. I swear that I could start my own bookstore and just sell his books.  I haven't really liked many of his newer releases, so I don't know if he is still an auto-buy author for me. 
• Marissa Meyer (3 books) - I only just recently read Cinder for a Goodreads read-a-long, but I bought all three books in The Lunar Chronicles series. I can't wait to get a copy of Fairest in my hands, and I really want to get Winter.

So now I get to tag some people! Okay, I'm going to go with my two co-mods at All About YA, Angie and Robin.