ARC Review: The Traitor's Kiss by Erin Beatty

The Traitor's Kiss
Author: Erin Beatty
Series: Traitor's Trilogy (Book 1)
Publication: Imprint (May 9, 2017)

Description: An obstinate girl who will not be married.
A soldier desperate to prove himself.
A kingdom on the brink of war.

With a sharp tongue and an unruly temper, Sage Fowler is not what they’d call a proper lady―which is perfectly fine with her. Deemed unfit for a suitable marriage, Sage is apprenticed to a matchmaker and tasked with wrangling other young ladies to be married off for political alliances. She spies on the girls―and on the soldiers escorting them.

As the girls' military escort senses a political uprising, Sage is recruited by a handsome soldier to infiltrate the enemy ranks. The more she discovers as a spy, the less certain she becomes about whom to trust―and Sage becomes caught in a dangerous balancing act that will determine the fate of her kingdom.

With secret identities and a tempestuous romance, The Traitor’s Kiss is full of intrigue, espionage, and lies.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this epic fantasy which is the first of a trilogy. One of the main characters is Sage Fowler who is an orphan under the guardianship of her uncle who is a Lord. She is upset and angry when her uncle tells her that the matchmaker is going to try to find a husband for her. She had hoped to become a teacher or other independent career. She sabotages her interview but becomes the matchmaker's apprentice. She assists the matchmaker as they take a group of upper class girls to the capitol where they will be matched with upper class young men. Sage is observant and quick to form accurate judgments about the girls.

Captain Alex Quinn is the other main character. He is new to his command in the army. It is a family business. His father is the general and his younger brother is a page. After Alex acts too hastily when his troops locate a group of Kimisar invaders, his father makes his next assignment escorting the group of young ladies who are being matched to the capitol. It is supposed to help him learn patience.

But it doesn't take long for this simple assignment to become dangerous. There are still groups of Kimisar wandering in the country. There is also a duke whose family once held the throne scheming to hold the throne again. And Alex is suspicious of Sage because of her habit of chatting up various people and then taking notes each evening in her notebook. She's just gathering data to help her boss make decisions about future matches for the matchmaker but Alex seems convinced that she is a spy for Kimisar.

There is lots of intrigue, spying, concealed identities, and a bunch of evil villains. The book was filled with action and had a strong thread of romance as Alex and Sage get to know each other. The romance hit a number of rocky bits which added to the emotional intensity of the story. I liked the characters and look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

Favorite Quote:

She dropped her eyes. "I feel foolish now."

"Don't. We'd be both blind and helpless without you. That is truth." He chucked her chin gently. "Your ability to figure things out on your own is unparalleled, but also aggravating. You know too much."

I received this one for review from Macmillan. You can buy your copy here.