Title: The Favorite
Author: Kiera Cass
Series: The Selection #2.6
In: Happily Ever After (Kiera Cass)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Easy reading, Romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: As they whipped the canes around, warming up, I averted my eyes.

While America Singer’s heart was torn between Aspen and Prince Maxon, her friend Marlee knew exactly what she wanted—and paid the price.

Marlee and America’s relationship is what we all want in a girlfriend – somebody who sees into the very heart of ourselves and still loves us, regardless. Her punishment for falling for a guard was a GIGANTIC turning point in the series, and it was interesting to see what truly happened in Marlee’s own words. This tale also helped to show the character of Marlee, her sweetness, her faithfulness and her amazing inner strength. The willingness to do anything for love is such a noble trait that quite frankly, few people have, and for me, Marlee epitomises this in such an understated way.

Discovering what happened to Marlee and Clark before their whipping, and what hand Maxon played in it helped to further the simple beauty of their love. But, it also showed that Maxon truly tried everything to save these integral characters, and truly had no hard feelings for what many saw as a very public betrayal. The ending to the tale, and the revealing of how Marlee and America were finally able to continue living their lives together helped to seal this faith in Maxon and trust that everything eventually turned out alright for all of the characters.

Image source: Epic Reads

Title: The Guard
Author: Kiera Cass
Series: The Selection #2.5
In: Happily Ever After (Kiera Cass)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Easy reading, Romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: When she left, my thoughts turned back to America.

Before America Singer met Prince Maxon . . .

Before she entered the Selection . . .

She was in love with a boy named Aspen Leger.

I found Aspen kind of difficult to love when I first met him, not that I disliked him in any way, shape or form, but I just didn’t quite love him. To be fair, it took me a while to truly fall in love with Maxon too – both men seemed to have a fair chance with America and they are both flawed enough to have made the falling for her difficult. However, The Guard helps to provide more insight into why he acted like a total and utter twerp. Well, other than being the beginning of the story and love triangle that is so integral to the series.

Although most of Aspen’s words focuses on his regret and love for America, it was his insights into the castle and King Clarkson relationship with his son that I enjoyed the most in The Guard. His abusive and underhanded nature was slowly revealed throughout the first three Selection books, but it was the overheard conversations and his horrifying actions that truly revealed this. I’m glad that I only read this short story after I finished reading The One, because it wasn’t until that point in the series that his actions truly began to make me worry not only for the overarching love story, but for America’s life itself. That’s not to say that it’s not worth reading The Guard before The One, but I enjoyed finding out how truly horrible the man was through America’s eyes.

Image source: Kiera Cass

Title: The Prince
Author: Kiera Cass
Series: The Selection #0.5
In: Happily Ever After (Kiera Cass)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Easy reading, Romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Reaching toward the back of the rack he pulled out a pair of denim pants.

Before thirty-five girls were chosen to compete in the Selection…

Before Aspen broke America’s heart…

There was another girl in Prince Maxon’s life…

The Selection, The Elite and The One tell us the love story of America and Maxon, but all from his point of view. It was incredibly enlightening to see some of his first impressions of the Selection process and America in The Prince short story. His awareness of his father’s manipulations and his reluctance to truly trust anyone lest they hurt him helped to make more of his somewhat questionable reactions to America and their courtship more understandable and enlightening.

I always found it hard to understand why a somewhat sheltered prince like Maxon would keep America in the Selection process after their first meeting and first date. However, by enabling a porthole through which to view his ideas and how truly close he came to dismissing her, it seems far more realistic. And honestly, when I read a romance story I want it to be realistic. Blinding devotion and an inability to view the others’ flaws is all well and good in fantasy-land, but it is incredibly unrealistic, and I find it more than a little painful to read about.

Image source: Fanpop

Title: The Queen
Author: Kiera Cass
Series: The Selection #0.4
In: Happily Ever After (Kiera Cass)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Easy reading, Romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: I took my seat in the dining hall, blushing when Clarkson winked at me.

Before America Singer’s story began, another girl came to the palace to compete for the hand of a different prince….

Don’t miss this digital original novella set in the captivating world of Kiera Cass’s #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series. This prequel story takes place before the events of The Selection and is told from the point of view of Prince Maxon’s mother, Amberly. Discover a whole new Selection with this inside look at how Maxon’s parents met—and how an ordinary girl named Amberly became a beloved queen.

If it wasn’t for the introduction that Cass wrote at the beginning of this short story, I would find this a slightly awkward story to read. Although later in The Selection series, we realise that Clarkson is quite abusive, and even as a Prince, something was obviously not quite right about the man. Amberly’s blinding devotion to the man also sent shivers up my spine – I can’t comprehend anybody being that singularly obedient to one being.

Having said that this story gave me slight goosebumps, and not in a good way, Amberly’s innocence and sweetness did leave me feeling quite content in her character. Her ability to soothe even the tempers of Clarkson is not something to be misjudged, and it makes you wonder what could have happened if she had used this talent a little more. Although, as she was just as flawed in her own way, that probably could never have eventuated.

Cass’ use of The Queen to illustrate how two severely flawed characters can fall for each other was not only touching, but also very insightful into the different ways in which relationships can develop. Her knowledge of their past helps to inform why even to the end, Amberly loved her husband dearly and was able to sacrifice everything for him.

Image source: The Bookwhore Diaries