Evermore by Jody Hedlund

About the Book

An ancient key. A secret treasure. And a princess destined to use them both to fight evil and restore peace.
Raised by a noble family, Lady Adelaide has always known she’s an orphan. Little does she realize she’s one of the lost princesses and the true heir to Mercia’s throne…until a visitor arrives at her family estate, reveals her birthright as queen, and thrusts her into a quest for the throne whether she’s ready or not.
Unable to tolerate King Ethelwulf’s cruelty and lawlessness, Christopher Langley left Mercia years earlier, training a group of rebels in neighboring Norland. When he returns home after his mother’s death, he discovers that not only is Adelaide all grown up, but she’s also the rightful queen of Mercia.
When King Ethelwulf discovers Adelaide’s location, he’ll stop at nothing to capture her and the key she holds to the ancient treasure. Christopher is just as determined to protect Adelaide so she can lead the growing rebellion. When feelings ignite between the two old friends, forces threaten to destroy their love and rip them apart forever.

My Thoughts
This was a great follow-up to the prequel novella! Adelaide was a character you could rally behind, she was definitely queen material. She had a combination of strength and fighting ability with a kind and generous heart. Christopher was a good complement to her, especially since they'd grown-up together so he wasn't cowed by her new found royal status and he wasn't afraid to stand up to her when the situation called for it. Their romance was sweet and I enjoyed watching them reconnect as adults and seeing them reconnect. The other brother, Mitchell, wasn't my favorite character, especially when he got petty. But he wasn't all bad.
Hedlund does a great job of transporting you to her medieval world, without bogging you down with details, and keeping you hooked into the story. Everything moved at a pretty fast pace and kept you turning pages to find out what was gonna happen next. It was definitely written to gear toward the YA market and I know teens will love this story! I enjoyed it even though I'm a few years past my teens!

Meet the Author
Jody Hedlund is the author of over twenty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award.
Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).
When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.