ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
I am so excited to have a new Cassia Leo book, she writes romance like no one else and The Heiress is no different. The Heiress introduces us to Kristin and Daniel, two strangers from opposite sides of the track who have a chance meeting. Kristin works hard to take care of her mom, she'll do anything to keep a roof over there head and food on the table so when Daniel stands up for her and helps her make that happen she agrees to a date. She notices he's a little moody and seems to be hiding a Bronx upbringing under his wealth, but she feels comfortable and finds herself trusting him. Daniel falls for Kristin under the guise that he's a wealthy businessman, but the truth is far worse. He started everything with his family in mind, but as he gets to know her he knows he has to do what is right. The stakes are high and he's putting it all on the line, but protecting her is worth it.
If I was in over my head, I didn't care. He was worth it.
The Heiress is told from the alternating perspectives of Kristin and Daniel, each giving a glimpse into their relationship and how it blossomed so quickly. We get to see Kristin's past, starting with her move to the Bronx at the young age of eleven until present day at twenty-two. We get to know her family and friends, but there's secrets in her past even she tries to ignore. Kristin is a firecracker of a character, she has some fantastic one-liners, but she's also an excellent damsel in distress. Daniel, from the start, was obviously keeping something from Kristin. He really is perfect on paper, but like Kristin the reader too catches onto his shifting moods and the reader also sees just how coincidental their meetings are. It's hard to deny them once they're together though, they're sweet, they're romantic, they have a pile of sexual chemistry between them, and they seem to bring out the best in each other. Getting to see into both of their perspectives as they recognize what they feel for one another was so interesting. Then there's the twists, and oh are they good. I wondered for a while where the title of the novel came into play and it's perfect. Cassia Leo manages to write a fairytale romance story that doesn't feel over the top, is cushioned by quite a bit of suspense, and has an incredible message about forgiveness.
I didn't know how long this thing with Daniel would last. The beautiful things in my life were never permanent.
I think I liked this story so much that I just wanted more. There's some great secondary characters that I wish had more page time, I felt like they brought so much more to who Kristin was and who Daniel was. I also, selfishly, want more after everything plays out. Like always, I wanted more than the epilogue, though it was fantastic too.
If Daniel and i were on a collision course, from this moment forward, I was going to close my eyes and remain blissfuly ignorant until the moment of impact.
The Heiress is a fantastic new release from Cassia Leo and a much needed fresh story in the romance genre. It's a unique, fun story that was fun to read and absolutely the HEA romance story I dreamed of. Romance readers are going to love Kristin and Daniel's chemistry.