The Hunted Heir (The Veiled Kingdom Series) Paperback – August 20, 2024

4.5 ⭐ 3 🌶I was so excited about this book. It probably one of my favorites. The author does well without over placing the backstory and fills with action and banter/dialogue. Which for me is good because too much can be boring and take away from the story. However, in this book I am not sure if less was a good or bad thing. For example, that ending was not the big ending or cliff I thought it would be. The story itself is only 208 page which I do not think was enough to cover the whole story as some parts were rushed. It also would've been nice to have received previews of the next book not of another series (A Kingdom of Salt and Stars - so tired of a blank of blank and blank). We are left hanging with that ending AND has to wait a while for the next one? Not fair.Spoilers below so do not read if you don't want it ruined for you.That aside I do love the story. Seeing Verena (Nyra) running through the woods as she was just used and reading Dacre side afterwards was all the things we need to put our anger of him aside. However, I found myself upset that Verena would trust Eiran so easily, like girl you just was betrayed and placed out like nothing (her words not mine). I would've appreciated having more time with Dacre once he did catch her and had his best friend and sister catch up to them then maybe she gets captured? Because the ending we got I'm not sure about. One part of me is glad she got her powers and they are mates the other half feelings like what was the point if they could not conquer all? I guess for the plot it had to be this way but the mates thing felt forced/rushed because the time Dacre and Verena spent together was rushed and did not last long.I think any book that could evoke emotional turbulence is a good book. I was mad, sad, shocked, happy, and mad all over again. When they finally had the conversation about him using her, it gave me so much satisfaction. There intensity and fury was felt."You Mean the name you lied to me about over and over again.""Was it his idea for you to make me 🌶 before you told me you knew who I really was?"I was like FINALLY!! Then to see them love .."Like salt in the sea, you have become ingrained in every part of me, and I have been drowning in my regrets""A kingdom torn in born, a world turned to ash".. "But with my soul, I the worship"It was so worthy of a read!Dacre character development was the very best. He stepped out of his fathers shadow like the brave knight and he was ready to risk it all for his little traitor."She was the heir to the kindgom, the princess to the king who killed my mother, but none of that made her any less mine""You're a coward, father"Giving very much "touch her and 💀"Oh my goodness, do not get me started on Eiran. It has pissed me off. I wish we could've seen more of Kai and Wren I was hoping that they would have snuck out and came to the rescue as in the beginning of the book I thought that's where this book was going to be head when Dacre spoke with them before his father asked him to go with him to find her. I am hoping for the next book they get together and try to save Verena but we shall see.

Here I am downloading book 3 because book 2 blew my mind.THAT ENDING !!! I hope he has an awful end 🤣

Verena is on the run from both the rebellion and the king’s men, but which is worse if the catch up to her?Dacre did the only thing he could when he father discovered Verena’s identity, he made it seem like he hated her and kicked her out. It was the only way he could protect her. Now she is out in the wilds, being hunted, alone, and powerless. He must find her before anyone else does.This had a much better pace than The Veiled Kingdom. There was a lot more action, though it was still semi slow.Verena is at war with her own emotions. She doesn’t know who she can trust and no matter how hard she tries, she can’t stop wanting Dacre. The love hate relationship these two have is something else. They are like magnets, drawn to each other but being stuck together drives them insane.I became much more invested towards the end of the story, however, the way Dacre was speaking just didn’t seem like it was consistent with him from the rest of the story.All in all, 3.5 stars

The Hunted Heir dives straight into the action, picking up where the jaw-dropping cliffhanger ending of The Veiled Kingdom left off—damn you, Dacre. The pulse-pounding adventure and sizzling romance will leave you breathless, furiously turning pages, and staying up way past your bedtime. And speaking of romance—buckle up, baby, because you are in for one hell of a ride.Verena is on the run once more. Barely escaping the hidden city and Dacre's stunning betrayal—which still lingers like an open wound—she must alone navigate Marmoris' treacherous landscape. Her true identity as the princess is no longer a secret; the rebellion is closing in, and her father's soldiers scour the kingdom, intent on capturing her. With no one to trust, Verena knows only two things for certain: she's a hunted woman, and her only hope for survival lies in reaching the ocean on the southern coast. She must find a ship and escape Marmoris before the rebellion, the king, or Dacre find her.For Dacre, letting Verena escape has created a maelstrom of problems. The lost princess, the rightful heir to Marmoris, is now a traitor—and he set her free. His father is hell-bent on exploiting Verena to further his own ambitions with the king, but Dacre's allegiance to the rebellion and his father is faltering. His need to protect Verena, his little traitor, burns hotter with every passing moment. Logic dictates he should despise her, yet he'll stop at nothing to keep her safe from the forces closing in around them.Holly Renee's writing is as captivating as ever, drawing you into a world of magic, political intrigue, and forbidden love. But what truly makes The Hunted Heir shine is the characters. Verena is a strong, complex heroine, desperate to find freedom and protect those she cares about. Dacre is a brooding, passionate hero, struggling to reconcile the loyalty he should have to his father's rebellion and his intense feelings for Verena. Their relationship is fraught with tension, and their chemistry is off the charts—a delicious mix of anger, passion, and hurt that adds depth to their already complicated relationship and makes every scene they share sizzle.With all that said, I wish the book had been longer. I devoured it in a few hours and was left wanting more. The cliffhanger ending DESTROYED me. First, I was sobbing uncontrollably, then I stared blankly at a wall for a bit, and now I'm partially dead inside. But even after being emotionally scarred (again—this woman and her cliffhangers), Queen Holly has cemented my devotion to this series. I need to know what happens to Verena and Dacre. Can they overcome their pasts and forge a future together? Luckily, The Rivaled Crown, book 3 in The Veiled Kingdom series, is coming to a Kindle near you on March 18, 2025.Would I recommend it?Absolutely! But only if you've read the first book in the series. With its captivating characters, breakneck plot, and STEAMY romance, The Hunted Heir will entertain and delight you. Be prepared for a wild ride full of twists and turns, a healthy dose of angsty groveling, and a major cliffhanger ending that will leave you desperate to know what happens next.NOTE: The Hunted Heir is the sequel to The Veiled Kingdom and the second book in Holly Renee's Veiled Kingdom series. To avoid spoilers, this series must be read in order.Thank you to Valentine PR, and of course, Holly Renee for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.