Review: An Uncertain Choice by Jody Hedlund
Rosemarie's parents promised her to the convent on her 18th birthday. A month before her birthday, a friend of her dead parents' comes to tell her that there is an exception to the rule: If she is able to fall in love and marry before midnight on her 18th birthday, she will be released from the vow.
Suddenly faced with three handsome and charming knights, Rosemarie wonders if it's possible to fall in love with someone and have them love her in the span of a month. And it doesn't help that a disease seems to be spreading through the outskirts of her kingdom either.
Thoughts:
This is one of the books that I received ages ago from NetGalley and never got around to reading because I fell so heavily behind on reading those books. It was also the first book this year that I was nervous about reading because I really wasn't sure if I was going to like it. After re-reading the synopsis, I knew that I was either going to enjoy this book or really dislike it, and I'm glad to be able to say that I enjoyed it thoroughly.
I wasn't really keen on the whole idea of three knights competing for Rosemarie's love, though I suppose it made a lot of sense. I knew from the beginning who I wanted her to end up with and who would make her the happiest, so I would've enjoyed just reading about how they fall in love, but I suppose that it makes a lot of sense to write the romance in this way. It added comical value, tension, and entertainment, especially as the contest continued and her month slowly drew to an end.
The entire plot really revolves around this contest for Rosemarie's love. Behind that, there's the mystery of the plague that seems to be spreading for an unknown reason, and also conflict with one of the authorities in her kingdom. Part of this also deals with the fact that as she's growing up, Rosemarie is learning to make a lot of her own decisions in a the political sense, as she wants what's best for her kingdom and to be able to give herself and her people the best possible chance at life.
I spent most of my time being really invested in the love story and paying less attention to all of the other drama going on. Because of that, I can say that until the book crept up to the climax and conclusion, I really didn't know if I was on the right track with everything going on outside of the romantic contest. That being said, I wasn't really surprised by the conclusion, but I do think that it was very well done.
I did like Rosemarie a lot. She was a really great main character to follow, and I think the author did a good job of making her likeable, age appropriate, and fun to read about. I enjoyed hearing her voice and I liked her ability to stand up for herself and learn to rule a kingdom after the death of her parents. I can't say that there was a point in which I was annoyed with her at all.
4.5 stars. The only reason I didn't give this a full rating is because I can't say that this will be a favorite of mine. I didn't have any problems with the book, and I did really enjoy it, but I don't think I'll be following the series or re-reading the book.
I do recommend this if you're looking for something light and fun. It's something quick to read and it's entertaining, so I would think about picking this up if you're interested in the plot.
