Mystic Harbor Press, 2014.

Princess Meredith dreads her eighteenth birthday. She is bound by a marriage contract written at her birth in order to unite two kingdoms against the kingdom of Talos. It is her duty and, though anxious about marrying someone she’s never met, she is resigned to the union. But months before her birthday she learns that assassins have been sent to kill her. Her father and the family of her betrothed arrange for her protection. In this new arrangement, Meredith finds a modicum of safety, and an overabundance of love, considering she is soon to be married to another. It will take all of her strength and a good bit of luck to survive to her wedding day, but will that day be the worst day of her life?

I was a little nervous about reading this book. I’d been given a review copy and a copy for a giveaway, and I was afraid that I would find it lacking. But something in the description appealed to me, and I decided to go ahead. I’m glad I did.

The Kingdom Within presents a familiar premise for teen romances, but it doesn’t feel stale. Gillespie’s Princess Meredith is spunky and appealing, and the world building is interesting. There’s intrigue and danger and violence. It was a fun read and engrossing enough to make me finish in two evenings. The cover and back cover text do their job well, too. My teenage daughter picked the book up and declared, “I want to read that when you’re done!”

This is the first of a series. I’m looking forward to the next one!

I received a copy of The Kingdom Within from Mystic Harbor Press in exchange for an honest review.