kaitlyn carter brown – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 451 pages
Author: Kaitlyn Carter Brown
Publisher: Whimsical Publishing
Release Date: March 12th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A crownless queen. A cursed prince. One summer to live.

The stars have aligned in the kingdom of Instanolde, or so Lystra believes as she eagerly awaits her wedding day. Her beloved, the king, is everything her heart desires, but when a brutal attack leaves her betrothed dead and Instanolde on the cusp of collapse, she finds her future in ruins, and the throne beyond her reach. With invasion looming across the desert, Lystra refuses to let grief keep her from defending her kingdom—even if that means forging a marriage alliance with Elerek, the brother of her lost love, a prince shrouded in secrets.

Elerek, now heir to the throne, has spent his life waiting to die. An untouchable curse lurks beneath his skin, and though he aches to see its suffocating hold severed, he’s long given up hope. When his brother’s death drags him from the shadows, Elerek must find the strength to shoulder the crown’s burdens and secure a queen—a wife to protect his kingdom after the curse claims him. With the adoration of the people already in the palm of her hands, Lystra is the ideal candidate. But even if she doesn’t spurn him for his ruinous curse, he’ll need to protect her from its dangers—and his heart as he finds himself steadily drawn to the girl’s unbreakable spirit. With death on the horizon, Elerek must become the king he never planned to be and save Instanolde before his time runs out.

Lystra and Elerek only have one summer to prepare their kingdom for invasion, but more than one threat prowls their desert, and the cost of survival might just destroy them all.

Queen of Shifting Sands is a fantastical romance adventure where duty and endurance grapple amid the sands of chaos. Lovers of intrigue, high stakes, and slow-burn romance will fall in love with this escape into a rich, immersive fantasy world.

A BIT LET DOWN.

This wasn’t everything I hoped for when I saw the initial trope list and marketing.

It lacked in a lot of places for me. This didn’t feel like a romance. I honestly felt more connection between the Lystra and a side character than I did with the MMC, Elerek. Somehow they found love without much conversation or time together and I’m still trying to figure out how we got there. I think the curse only added to that because there were opportunities for tension I didn’t feel.

The inner monologues were repetitive about everything. And I kept waiting for the plot to DO something and nothing happened until the antagonist finally showed up at 88%. The lack of location change was felt too and I wish I had a better understanding of the world.

I don’t think I’ll be picking up book two.

Overall audience notes: