Review: For Your Heart by A.L. Davroe

Title: For Your Heart (Retellings #1)
Author: A.L. Davroe
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: October 31st 2013
Source: A.L. Davroe

★★★★

Four stars.

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In Jeanette's younger days, she went into the park with her very best friend.... But came out alone. She hasn't been the same since his disappearance, and she hasn't gone back to the park since that day. It's been seven years and she still can't shake what happened, living her life through a series of distractions to try and forget. Meanwhile, a knight of the summer court named Tamrin has been given the task of protecting the queen of the summer faeries' very special rose patch. Unaware of the consequences, Jeanette picks one of these roses, and Tamrin vows that he will right his wrong. The consequences? A rose is worth a human heart. But can Tamrin go through with it, the longer he gets to know Jeanette?

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This is an upper level paranormal romance novel, and is a re-imagining of a well known Scottish tale, The Ballad of Tam Lin. I was unfamiliar with the tale before reading For Your Heart, but was pleased by how Davroe integrates the story.

For me, the characters were a strong element of this story, and what made it so likable. Jeanette is true to her morals, and Tamrin has this cute naivety when it comes to how the human world works. He's adorable, and I grew to love the pair of them as they grew to care about one another. It was a sweet romance that I was entranced by. This book is told through multiple POVs, which helps the reader get to know each of the characters better. It was clear to tell who was speaking, and didn't muddle the story at all.

And speaking of entrancing, I love the fantasy world and aspects that Davroe writes about within For Your Heart. Personally, I got an Alice in Wonderland-esque vibe about the two worlds and how one can travel between them. Being a massive Alice fan, this was a huge intrigue for me. I'd love to see more books that take place in the Otherworld or explore them more in depth.

I also loved the pop culture references that were sprinkled throughout this novel. References were made to things like Doctor Who and different animes, and I got kind of excited and fangirly when this happened. They added to Jeanette as a character and made her more relatable, at least to me.

My issues with this book were minor. I didn't like one of the side characters at all, but I don't really feel like I got to know them well.

Plus, look at the cover work for this. Gorgeous.

All in all, I'd recommend this to the older half of the YA spectrum who love fantasy and romance, or have an interest in retellings/re-imaginings of classic stories. I was very fortunate enough to beta read this title: An advance reading copy of For Your Heart was provided to me by the author, A.L, Davroe, in exchange for honest feedback. Thanks!

For Your Heart is available TODAY on Amazon, so pick up your copy here! Also, add it to your Goodreads to-read list by clicking here!