Down the Rabbit Hole

“Love has a sound. It sounds like a thousand heartbeats happening at the same time.”

Princess Annika has lived a life of comfort—but no amount of luxuries can change the fact that her life isn’t her own to control. The king, once her loving father, has gone cold, and Annika will soon be forced into a loveless marriage for political gain.

Miles away, small comforts are few and far between for Lennox. He has devoted his life to the Dahrainian army, hoping to one day help them reclaim the throne that was stolen from them. For Lennox, the idea of love is merely a distraction—nothing will stand in the way of fighting for his people.

But when love, against all odds, finds them both, they are bound by its call. They can’t possibly be together—but the irresistible thrum of a thousand heartbeats won’t let them stay apart.

Kiera Cass brings her signature sparkling romance to this beautiful story of star-crossed lovers and long-held secrets.

Overall Recommendation:

A Thousand Heartbeats presents itself as a grand romance and it truly does deliver in that aspect, although I personally believe the enemies-to-lovers trope was too rushed to fully satisfy the perfect angst that was set in the beginning. The fantasy half was subpar with very little originality besides the entangled history between the characters’ two kingdoms. If you come at this as a romance with some fantasy, I guarantee this will be a fun read. If you want more of a fantasy, be warned this will probably not meet your expectations.

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covers

Birthstone Covers: November 2022

November 27, 2022November 27, 2022 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Leslie @ Books Are The New Black created a fun monthly post featuring book covers that fit the birthstone of the month.This can be the color of the cover or the color in the title.

Anyone can join, just give credit where it’s due.

This month has been a bit of a stressful one for me and hasn’t been all that great mental health wise. But I’m taking it bit by bit so praying this obstacle will also come to pass.

Onto a brighter note. The beautiful topaz is this month’s stone and I thought a mix of beautiful yellow or orange covers

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discussion

Let’s Talk Bookish – Books that You’re Grateful For

November 25, 2022November 25, 2022 Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Aria @ Book Nook Bits will be the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

November 25: Books That You’re Grateful For

Prompts: What are some books that you’re grateful for? What books have had the biggest impact on your life? How did you discover them?

Welcome everyone to the last LTB of November! Today’s topic is great, and I believe it is either suggested by Aria herself or perhaps someone anonymous? I have never thought about what books I am “grateful” for, so this ought to be interesting.

I think books that I am grateful for often have a huge impact on me and end up becoming some of my favourite books. It may not change how I necessarily act or think, but most of the time it does give me perspective or at least affect a little bit my opinion of similar books.

When I was young, I really enjoyed a book called The Supernaturalist and honestly I hardly remember what it was even about or why I liked it. But I definitely remember that I liked it. Later I read Memoirs of a Geisha, and I think that really changed the way of how books affected me. Is a pattern starting to appear? Finally, in this new age, my new favourite impactful book has been The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

I think the pattern are these big melodramas, with realistic scenarios with heartbreaking choices and decisions no one could make. Something about the way that even as a third person omniscient, there was just almost no right answer, and everything is just a choice and a path you take, and you can’t look back. I really admired the persistence of all the characters as well, despite whatever obstacles life threw at them (and there were many).

I think all of these books were really just randomly discovered. Two were suggested by friends, and I believe one was given (donated) to me! I really don’t know if there’s any rhyme or reason as to why I ended up reading these books, but I think that’s the beauty of it too. When you are looking for a book to change your mind, that already alters your perception of the book. I think it’s impossible to try and do that intentionally; rather it just happens when you read books that resonate with you.

Which books changed your lives or perspectives? Let me know in the comments below!