The Key by Jennifer Anne Davis

Embarrassing admission happening in… 3… 2… 1…

This book totally joined my TBR list because I was obsessed with that terrible show Reign (loosely based on Mary, Queen of Scots) and read this series had a similar vibe. I’d say sue me, but I lack the funds to make that worth your while and any true remorse to make a different decision, given the opportunity.

Anyway… I finally plucked this off my virtual shelf and took the plunge.

Royal family extinguished minus the baby daughter. Baby daughter raised in the middle of nowhere with zero knowledge of heritage. Meets Tall, Dark, and Handsome dude only to be forced into an engagement with TDH’s brother.

Basically what happens to the rest of us on, like, a Tuesday.

So, some things I loved…

• Love triangle! We all know I love me the drama (insert watching Reign here). Although the prince is more into taunting his brother, it’s a solid triangle that drives tension.
• The “who’s a rebel supporter” question. It adds a layer of questioning that I appreciate. A little whodunnit, if you will.
• A blonde haired heroine. I’m brunette, so I love me a strong, dark haired main character, but it feels nice to have someone else represented for a change. Helps me feel more like I could choose to be a heroine rather than being genetically predisposed to it.

Aaaand some not so loved…

• The Amer/Rema thing. I get it, her name’s backward. I feel like it’s not that clever and people would catch on given the clues like “an heir to the throne lives.” BUT there’s also a healthy dose of “don’t flatter yourself because you absolutely wouldn’t get it” in there too.
• It feels like sometimes the language is overly formal to match the era described and at others more on the normal/casual side. The inconsistency grates a little bit.
• Rema’s attachment to Darmik. He shows his true colors, yet she still wonders if he loved her? While this seems plausible because I’m a girl and have these types of wondering about dudes, I want more for my leading ladies. Be above the guy drama! Be better than me!

Ok, enough musings… final reco? It’s not the best first installment to a series I’ve read, but I already downloaded book 2 to find out what happens next, so it’s fairly solid.