Oh and about that “pretty boy”… Silas is about as interesting as a piece of white bread. Hollis and Jameson had not been an item for any significant amount of time, so it was not surprising to see her be attracted to another pretty boy who gave her longing looks. She is a silly, aristocratic girl, who enjoys attention and both Jameson and Silas are more than happy to give it to her.

While I personally don’t care for Hollis as a character, I will say she read as realistic. In their country, being a queen was a huge deal, and they often outshined the kings themselves. I also enjoyed that he was a king and not a prince, and that Hollis would be ruling alongside him as queen. I liked King Jameson and found that, despite his playboy reputation, he was genuinely kind. Sweet, classic, tropey YA fun, just like The Selection and similar novels.

So, when King Jameson suddenly proposes and Hollis realizes the expectations she would have to meet as queen, she begins to wonder if life as a royal is all it is cracked up to be. Enter Silas- a blue eye, blonde artisan who Hollis feels inexplicably drawn to.

Naturally, she is delighted to have caught the King’s attention and enjoys the gifts he continuously showers upon her. During their courtship, a refugee family from a neighboring country seeks protection in the castle where Hollis and Jameson live. The story follows a young Hollis Brite, an aristocrat who has caught the eye of the playboy King Jameson.

The betrothed cass