Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

This is a YA dystopian romantasy that combines a deadly game with a dating show. We have the typical power dynamic where a powerful ruler surrounds himself with sycophants who live a privileged life. In this world they are the only people allowed to touch another person and fall in love. All others live in squalor with no hope of improving their lives. That is, until the ruler announces the Tournament of Hearts. The winning couple become highborn citizens with all the privileges that come with it. Our FMC Axira is a lowborn smuggler that gets into a sticky situation and makes a deal with the MMC Prince Caelus to enter the tournament to steal something for him. On the day the trials start, Caelus enters the tournament at his father’s command.

Among the contestants are the usual bullies, crazy people, determined people, and one or two nice people that Axira forms a bond with. She and Caelus form an alliance which leads to an attraction that slowly builds as they move through the trials. The contestants are put through brutal phases that test their strength, trust, and loyalty. As people start dying, she and Caelus’ bond gets stronger as they try to survive the trials and get to the end. The last third of the book was pretty nuts and it ends on a huge cliffhanger.

The book was interesting and kept my attention. I liked how determined Axira was and her street smarts and fearlessness served her well. Her obsession with “saving” a young orphan girl, Serafina, she took under her wing is the driving force behind her smuggling and her deal with Caelus. Serafina came up way too often and it got old after awhile. The romance between Axira and Caelus was pretty good. They had some chemistry and it didn’t feel too forced. Caelus was really secretive and kept Axira in the dark a lot, so you know something’s up with him. I hope we get more backstory on him in the next book.

The side characters were pretty one-dimensional and other than “I’m doing this for my family”, we didn’t find out too much else about them. It would have been good if they could have at least brought a little comic relief to the story once in awhile. It was pretty grim and moody throughout and could have used a bit of lightness.

Overall I enjoyed the book. It wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be, but the storyline has potential and I’m willing to give the next book a shot.

I received a complimentary ebook from NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons. All opinions are my own.