Leo grudgingly joins in even though she has other ideas: She’s invented a water filtration system that, if patented, could provide a steady income-that is if Leo’s calculating Aunt Freja, the Captain of the ship hosting the festivities, stops blocking her at every turn. In order to salvage the fortune they accrued before humans fled the frozen Earth 170 years ago, Leonie’s father is forcing her to participate in the Valg Season, an elaborate set of matchmaking events held to facilitate the marriages of rich and royal teens. Nineteen-year-old Princess Leonie Kolburg’s royal family is bankrupt. However, some of their scenes together are more erotic than many written for adult novels, so they might be more appropriate for an older YA or adult audience.Ī compulsively readable YA novel that seems like an adult romance, which may appeal to older teenagers looking for something in the vein of Gossip Girl.įor the second time in her life, Leo must choose between her family and true love. Although her relationship with Reed begins on an antagonistic note, it gradually evolves into one that crackles with passion.

Ella is a dynamic, sympathetic protagonist who appreciates Callum’s generosity while trying to remain grounded. She doesn’t overplay her hand by revealing too much too soon instead, small details, such as a mysterious bruise on Reed’s face, lead to shocking revelations later in the story. Watt’s novel moves along at a brisk, enjoyable pace, and it’s built on an intriguing premise with well-developed characters. They fall in love, but secrets from the past soon threaten their relationship. Ella soon discovers dark undercurrents in the family while also discovering her attraction to the sullen Reed. They’re also openly hostile toward Ella, particularly Reed. Their mother died under questionable circumstances, and they have a strained relationship with Callum. Wary of his motives but hoping to learn more about her father, Ella accompanies Callum to his estate, where she meets his five sons, Gideon, Reed, Easton, and twins Sawyer and Sebastian. He’s helping to settle Steve’s estate and support the daughter whom Steve never located. They served together in the Navy, he says, before they built a successful aviation company. One day, a man named Callum Royal comes to her school and tells her that Steve died and he’s her new guardian. After her mother’s death, Ella moves to a small town in Tennessee, enrolls in school, and takes a job as a stripper. Raised by a single mother, she’s never met her father however, she has a few clues as to his identity: his name is Steve, and her mother met him while he was in the U.S. Seventeen-year-old Ella Harper is determined to overcome a difficult childhood. An orphan enters a world of privilege and decadence after she’s taken in by a wealthy family in this debut YA romance.

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