Goodreads Synopsis
Engagement season is in the air. Eighteen-year-old Princess Leonie “Leo” Kolburg, heir to a faded European spaceship, only has one thing on her mind: which lucky bachelor can save her family from financial ruin?
But when Leo’s childhood friend and first love Elliot returns as the captain of a successful whiskey ship, everything changes. Elliot was the one that got away, the boy Leo’s family deemed to be unsuitable for marriage. Now, he’s the biggest catch of the season and he seems determined to make Leo’s life miserable. But old habits die hard, and as Leo navigates the glittering balls of the Valg Season, she finds herself falling for her first love in a game of love, lies, and past regrets.
Review
This book has been somewhat on my radar so when I saw that Bookstaholics Anonymous were doing a readalong of it I knew I had to join in (plus the girls who run it are absolutely lovely and I do recommend giving them a follow on Instagram).
This book sounded right up my alley and I really enjoyed immersing myself into this fantasy/sci-fi young adult novel, especially with what is going on in the real world at the moment! Whilst it is a re-telling of Jane Austen's Persuasion (which is on my TBR pile) this book was very much its own.
The characters in this book were extremely realistic which is something I always like to praise in these futuristic fantasy books where sometimes that element can be lost! I really liked our main character Leo and found that she was extremely strong-willed and fought for what she believed in.
This story had a really good flow to it and I found myself eager to continue reading! I really liked the idea of the Valg Season and gave me The Selection vibes with all it's beautiful descriptions and dress choices! However I think I would have liked to have seen more of the final ceremony!
I do feel like the story could have done with more world building. I felt like I never truly understood the impact of the past and why everyone was now in space. I also think that the story lacked depth and context. It was a very dialogue driven and I would have just preferred more descriptive narrative to help truly set the scene.
This is a very light read set in a futuristic universe that I enjoyed! With its range of representation and romance at its core! I look forward to reading more of Alexa Donne's work in the future!
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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