Week 20 Review: Masquerade of the Heart

From Goodreads:

Cursebreaker Marlow Briggs must deal with the aftermath of her fake romance with one of the most powerful nobles in the illustrious—and deadly—Evergarden society, all while uncovering the mystery behind her mother's disappearance. This edge-of-your-seat duology finale is perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron.

Caraza sits poised on the edge of chaos. Tensions rise between the Five Families and trouble brews in the Marshes—and Marlow is at the center of it all. In the tragic aftermath of the Vale-Falcrest wedding, Adrius refuses to speak to her, publicly vowing to find a wife before the year is out. Despite her heartbreak, Marlow is still intent on breaking his curse. To do so, she'll have to play loving daughter to the man who cast it. But the closer she gets to her father, the more she starts to question if he's really the villain she's made him out to be.

Marlow has learned by now that in a city steeped in secrets and lies, not everything is as it seems. As the lines between enemy and ally blur, Marlow must decide who to trust—and how high a price she's willing to pay for the truth.

My Review:
I loved reading this book! I loved the first one, and after the ending, I needed to know what was going to happen next, so I basically pick this one up as soon as I could, and I'm glad I did, because it was an excellent read! 

I loved watching Marlow deal with the events of the last book, with the reveal of her dad-and her dad being the one to lay the curse of Adrius. So that was really complicated, and so good to read. Plus she was dealing with the upcoming trial, the gangs, and a plan to stop her father's plot. There was a lot going on! Oh, and plus her and Adrius. I was really scared that he actually meant that he would find a wife, that he didn't want to be with her anymore. 

Not to mention, things about her mom continue, as well as conflicting emotions. I mean, Vale did have a point, but he went about it in the worse way possible. He's her father, and that's new to her, and the Five Families have a lot of power and a lot of corruption, it's only a good system for those on top. But his methods, his plan, the costs? Too high. 

This is a world where things don't always end well, don't have a happily ever after. And I loved that about this world, and in this book in how it ended. It was just such a great ending, and where we left these characters! 

This was an amazing read and I can't wait to read more by Katy Rose Pool! 

Author: Katy Rose Pool
Series: Garden of the Cursed #2
Read: May 14th, 2024
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and the first book, and it's a End of Series 2024 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Holt Books for Young Readers
Expected Publication: June 18th 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars