Cherish has always been just a normal girl. Lately, Cherish has been seeing some weird glimmering surrounding certain people. At first, she doesn’t think anything of it. Until three guys transfer to her school with three months left in the year. When the three new students suddenly take a liking to her things start to get heated. As the guys explain to Cherish that she’s the last Elvin princess of their kingdom, Cherish has to decide if she believes them or not. Especially when they tell her that her life is in danger. This is a full length, paranormal reverse-harem romance, recommended for 18+
A.M. (or Autumn) Hardin was born and raised in Holland, Michigan. She's married with three girls. Her favorite books always depends on her mood, though her tastes are very eclectic. As long as it's romance there's a high chance she has or plans to read it. When she doesn't have a book in her hand or spending time with her family she can be found writing in either a notebook or on her computer.
Cherish is turning 18 and working on her senior of high school. Things are going great until she starts seeing strange things as well as three hot new guys that transfer in towards the end of the year. Then they start telling her she is really a princess with magic to boot. While trying to deal they get attacked forcing her to go home to realm she does not know early where things quickly spiral out of control until we hit the end cursing that it is over. Sort of YA into NA story that sets the stage very nicely for future installments as now I am hooked. If you want a royal fantasy reverse harem novel then try this one. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
Cherish is a typical high school senior, two best friends and a boyfriend that is acting odd the last week or so. Except that lately, she seems to be seeing a 'glimmer' around certain people. She mostly ignores it, thinking that there must be something wrong with her eyes. Then on her 18th birthday, her boyfriend dumps her at the same time that three new students show up at school. For Cherish. The guys explain to Cherish that she’s the last Elvin princess of their kingdom, that magic is real, that they are her royal guards, and she is in great danger. Cherish has to decide if she believes them but when her ex starts behaving in a threatening manner and tragedy hits, Cherish knows that she must trust them with her life and go 'home'. Unfortunately, she's not totally welcomed back in the kingdom and the danger there is even deadlier.
Marked has promise. It's not terribly original but the storytelling does capture your attention. It needs more detail; more world-building, more character-building, more of a connection between Cherish and her guards. I don't feel that we got to know Andrei, Kade, and Xander and to believe that they have any feelings for the princess other than duty. Cherish is too surly. I think she was supposed to be strong and independent but it came across as moody or childish at times. I did like her sass when there was a hint of humor involved.
I think this book is close. I do look forward to the next part since the ending set us up nicely for a major battle. I only hope there is more detailing and less death.
Marked was a great story. Cherish just turned 18 and suddenly things in her life started changing. She finds out her origins are not what they seem and her whole world gets turned upside down.
AM Harding wrote a great story that sucked me in and kept me guessing. I look forward to my next trip into Cherish's world!
There’s adversity ... then there is heartache and strife
The MFC goes from the perfect, idealic teenage life to heartbreak in a matter of weeks. Why? The author could have done anything with the storyline but choose to write about one tragic event after another. There is little hope in this story. As for the characters, they were flat. I did not feel the romance. I wanted something more. Not the worst book I’ve read, hence the 3 Stars.
I enjoyed this new series by A.M. Hardin. Sucked me in right away, it was hard to put down. A.M did a great job with the storyline and the world building, can’t wait to see more in Book 2!
Cherish has to deal with a lot of tragedy in this book, I hope things start looking up for her in Book 2. I enjoyed a lot of the side characters, especially her 2 best friends. Some of the interaction reminded me of my best friends when we were in high school, so it was nice to read and made me giggle. I really wanted to know more about some of them, but understood that wasn’t possible with the storyline projection. I am excited to see more of the relationships develop between Cherish and her guard. I kept flipping back and forth between Kade and Xander as my favorites, but I think thats because they have had more time with Cherish and have broken down some walls already. The twist at the end makes for an intriguing premise (has been done a lot, but it didnt feel super repetitive because of how A.M. got to that point).
I will admit I wish some scenes were more fleshed out, some seemed a little rushed and could have been superb if expanded. Excited to see where A.M. takes us in the next month, hopefully we don’t have to wait too long for it 😊
I received this book as an ARC in return for an honest review!
I liked this book a lot! Once I started reading I couldn’t stop!
For being such a young girl, Cherish is a very strong character. She stands up for what she believes is right and says so no matter who she is talking to. She has to go through loss and thus, heartache in this book, nonetheless she doesn’t let her head down and pushes through it. Though her life changes from one moment to the other she tries to adapt and accept her new life without giving up herself in the process. She really resonated with me as a fictional character. This world needs more Cherishes! As this is a RH novel there are three MC. This book does not reveal a lot about them, their pasts and character traits, nonetheless they seemed likable and I’m sure that in the follow up books we learn more about them and how they complement Cherish as her partners.
I can’t wait to read the next book and find out what happens to Cherish and her guards, what her powers are and how she will deal with her responsibilities!
Marked is the first book in a new series, Last Princess. This book does a good job of introducing us to a new world filled with elves and magic. Cherish isn't the human she was raised as, but an elven princess. After turning eighteen, Cherish is introduced to this new world and meets a family she didn't know she had. With the help of three guys, her guards, she learns who she really is. Cherish endures a lot in this story. It is filled with loss for her, but with the help of her guys she is able to keep going. The plot flowed really well and the story grabbed my attention right from the start. Most of the characters were developed well and I look forward to learning more about them as the series continues. So much happens in this book and the ending definitely left me excited for the next part of Cherish's story. Can't wait for book 2!
Favourite Quote: ‘The path ends a short while later, but he keeps leading me through a thick patch of woods, and I glance around, noticing there’s no one around. “Is this where you kill me?” I joke. Xander rolls his eyes. “God, you’re dramatic. We’re almost there, just another few minutes.” He was right. A few minutes later, I’m standing at the edge of a waterfall that falls into a crystal-clear lake that looks like it’s got diamonds glistening from the sunlight under the water. My breath catches in my throat as I take it all in. The trees. The water. The sun glinting off the water. The fresh air.”
Whilst browsing through Goodreads for some inspiration, I came across this fantasy story Marked and was intrigued. I’m still not sure where my emotions are with this book, I felt that the story had soo much potential but it lost a lot of ingredients to make it a great book. That’s not to say that I’m not looking forward to the next one in the series, because even though it wasn’t perfect, the cliffhanger for this story has got me wanting more.
Our story beings with Cherish who has just turned 18, who has great friends, a lovely family and a passion for drawing mythological creatures. She’s beautiful but doesn’t care about her appearance, skinny but eats a lot and doesn’t care what people think of her. Not your typical prom queen candidate, but that doesn’t stop her from being one; not that she cares. Cherish has started seeing strange things around random people, which can only be described as a shimmering shiny blanket in the air around them. It’s causing her some concern but mostly she just dismisses it after a few moments. Everything else is normal after all, everything except the three gorgeous boys who join school with only 3 months left of term. What’s more unusual is their sudden drawness to her.
‘I frown when my gaze lands on a beautiful woman. She isn’t doing anything specific, just talking on her phone. That’s not what snagged my attention though. It’s the fact that the air is shimmering around her, almost like a shiny blanket. What the hell is going on with me? A shiver crawls down my spine as I think about that fact that this has been happening way too often lately.’
You see Kade’s, Xander’s and Andrei’s individual perspectives throughout the book as you discover that they are looking for their lost princess from their elven world as instructed by King Leander. Cherish seems to be the one they are looking for, but they are already running out of time, she is not safe in this world and they must convince her to return to their world as soon as possible. They make attempts to get close to Cherish, Kade in particular, to try and convince her of the truth about who she really is and where she belongs.
‘I nod. “I understand. I don’t like it, but I understand.” I covered her hands with mine. “If what you’re saying is the truth, do you think that the new guys at school are the ones my, um, biological father sent for me? Do you think they were telling me the truth?” She smiles sadly. “I think that if you stormed out of there without hearing them out like I believe you did, you should probably apologise and hear what they have to say” I purse my lips and nod. “Okay. Thank you mom.” Her hands drop from my cheeks. “For what, honey?” “For raising me like I was your own when I wasn’t. I love you and daddy more for that, and I don’t think I could thank you for that enough.”‘
..Then her mum tells her to go up and do her homework. Seriously?! She’s just found out that her entire life was a lie, her parents aren’t her real parents, her sister isn’t her sister, magic exists and her biological father has sent strangers from another mystical world to collect her from everything she’s known and grown up with… That was her response. “I understand. I don’t like it, but I understand”
One of the frustrations I found with this book is the lack of emotion and detail I felt with the characters, Cherish in particular. Huge changes happen to Cherish, everything she thought she knew and loved is gone and she’s forced to move to a magical world to live with elves and I feel like you could have told her she failed her exam in school and gotten the same reaction. A bit of shock, disappointment and feeling guilty but then just accepting that it’s happened and move on. Does she miss her family? Does she miss her friends? What does she think of her biological father and the siblings she’s now discovered? Who knows!
When Cherish leaves her life to move to this new world, she stubbornly refuses to play the role of the princess. No dresses, no acting on ceremony, would rather eat alone in her room and doesn’t care about finding any affection with her new family. When the royal family is under attack from an endless war they’ve been fighting, Cherish finds herself in more danger in her new world that the one she left with only her guards to trust.
SPOILER ALERT Both Kade and Xander know that Cherish is off limits, nothing can ever happen between a princess and her guard, but that doesn’t stop either of them from making a move. You don’t see it coming with either of them because the author doesn’t build up any passion or emotion towards their feelings towards her, they could easily have just been doing their duty of guarding her by spending so much time around her. Does Kade know that Xander likes Cherish? Does Xander know that Kade likes Cherish? Does Cherish like either of them? It’s frustratingly difficult to say. Will Andrei fall for her too? This is why I need to know what happens next!
I don’t take back what I said, the book has so much potential for being a great story, add a bit of emotion, make the romantic attractions more evident and add a bit of description to the characters and in the new magical world she’s ended up in and you’ve got yourself a fantastic fantasy book.
First off I’m not sure how I feel about this book, don’t get me wrong I like it however I feel like there was something missing, I’m just not sure what. Could be that I felt that it was quite cliché and I was able to read between the lines; I didn’t find much surprising although it was well written and easy to follow. There were a few parts that could have been a little more in-depth (ie. when she discovers her family) but missed the opportunity to character build.
Otherwise Marked is the first in its series. It’s a slow burn Paranormal RH. If you like stories that revolve around the Fae then you’ll probably enjoy this. It’s not a particularly long novel but it is full length, so no cliffy. Despite my initial feelings i am intrigued to read the next book to find out what Cherish does.
There were quite a few issues with this book. From the first chapter where there's a contradiction regarding whether or not she slept with Adam. Then there's her insta trust for the guys. We also have the instant acceptance of being adopted and absolutely no conversation with the dad she supposedly loved so much. There's no way in the world that someone like her character is portrayed goes from finding her dead sister to etiquette classes within a week. The book then just glosses over the rest to set up for another book, which is just a way for an author to stretch something into two books that should honestly only be one book. I've "marked" this author off my list, I'm not going to read anything else written by them.
AM Hardin happens to be one of my favourite authors, not this book though. I will assume that I failed to read the blurb properly and that this book/series is aimed at 14-15 yo’s. It needs editing, there are a lot of spots with double negatives which makes the sentence the opposite of what it should be, ie, they couldn’t call Andrei in case he was fighting, the sentence had two nots in it which made it read as they couldn’t call him in case he WASN’T fighting, this wasn’t the first example. I still would recommend any other book/series by this author, this one just wasn’t for me but I hope others read and make their own opinions.
What a surprise! This story is a great start to the series I hope continues soon. A young woman is finishing high school when her whole life is uprooted. She learns a lot of truths when she turns 18 and then is devastated after a tragedy. While she is still trying to recover from the trauma, she is thrown into a whole new world. Thankfully, she has 3 hot men to help guide and protect her. Slowly they show their feelings for each other. Slow burn but totally worth the wait. Intrigue, angst, attitude and love throughout. I was given an ARC for my honest review.
I really enjoy A.M.’s books. Cherish is a strong character that doesn’t really take crap from anyone. She stands up for what she thinks is right and doesn’t let anyone walk all over her, read what happens to her boyfriend. Each chapter is written from a different characters point of view. The guys are all great and have great different personalities that compliment Cherish. I liked her two best friends. They were a fun addition to the story giving more depth to the overall book. I look forward to the next book in the series. check out the complete review at underthebookmark.com
This is my second book i read by ms Hardin and i was absolutely not disappointed i always like a little kick with my romance nothing like a back stabbing brother to have you sitting on the edge of your seat and cherish is such a bad ass female Mc i absolutely love her personality she so strong and handle everything going in her life well she has no filter and is unapologetically herself. Her guys mmm her guys totally book boyfriend material.. add them to my book boyfriend haram. Really a great book
I always enjoy a good lost princess story and this one didn’t disappoint. Cherish is a fun and spunky MC with a bit of an attitude problem. She goes through a lot through the book and has her guards to help her along. Not much happens between her and her guards but it’s set up great for the next book. I really liked the storyline and the ending leaves you wanting more.
I wa and not terribly thrilled with this book. The writing was good but I felt the characters never really developed. And the body count was ridiculously high. Also, Cherish kind of annoyed me. She has this major chip on her shoulder. I think her "tough" attitude was supposed to make it seem like she's strong but she just came off as a spoiled brat. I doubt I'll read the next one.
No spoilers of any kind because I’m not the type that does that. All I’m going to say about this book is that it’s a amazing story! This makes the second book of A. M. Hardin’s that I’ve read and I must say she knows how to create very believable worlds and characters. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. So yes I definitely recommend this book to anyone who’s interested in reading a awesome story and getting lost in it.
I really enjoyed this book! I immediately loved Cherish with her blunt, filter less attitude and her penchant for punching people in the nose.
You quickly become enamored with Kade, Andrei and Xander. You cry with Cherish ... twice and love with her ... three times. I look forward to what happens in the next chapter of the story!
(I received this book directly from the author, in Hope's I would write an honest review.)
I really enjoyed this first in the Last Princess series. Great beginning, with writing that brings the whole story to life. I that Hardin is able to make this fantasy seem so realistic. I love the humor that Cherish brings with her attitude and comments and the chemistry that starts to spark with her royal guards. I can't wait to see what happens next.
I received a free copy and am voluntarily providing this honest review.
Very ya, but dark due to numerous deaths. As the title predicts, our heroine is a young half eleven princess who was raised as a human unaware of her powers or heritage. Her father, the king of elves, has sent a unit of handsome elves to retrieve her so he can unlock her magic. The elven world is at war though and tragedy plagues her reintroduction to the realm. Very short easy read.
This is a really good start to a new series. I like Cherish's character. She doesn't give in to what others want. She stands up for herself. As she learns she isn't human and her parents aren't her real parents she has some tough choices to make. She is just getting to know her guards and what it means being an Elven princess. I'm looking forward to the next book
I liked this book! I haven’t read any books about elves before so that was new and interesting. Cher is a kickbutt kind of girl that doesn’t take crap from anyone and she’s pretty awesome! The story was fast-paced and full of action and drama. Definitely leaves you wanting to find out what will happen next!
This book is amazing. A.M. Hardin knocked it out of the park again. Cherish is a princess that doesn't know she's a princess. Enter guys who knows who and what she is. After tragedy strikes she's tossed into a whole new world. She handles this amazingly well and I loved watching her grow and how the relationship grows with her men. I can't wait for book 2!
This book was definitely worth the read. Cherish doesn’t know she is a princess. When she turns 18 she gets thrown into a world she knew nothing about. Enter her hot guys who know who she is and what she is. You get to watch her grow as a character and watch the relationships grow through out the story. Looking forward to book 2 ☺️
I'm honestly thrilled to have run across this book. It was a fabulous story. I never got bored and I can't wait to see what happens next. I love books about elves, fae, or the supernatural this book is a must for any RH fan who likes this kind of stuff. You will not be disappointed. One click this and know you will be enthralled and entertained.
This book was an exciting start to what promises to be a really fun and good series. Cherish is such a funny and strong lead character. She is passionate and feisty. Add in her 3 guardians and you have a recipe for a delicious reverse harem. The story was quick paced and filled with drama and some action. I can’t wait to see what book 2 has in store for me.
Loved Marked very much!! The characters are engaging. Our main female lead goes through so much, not just finding out she is half human. The guys are a perfect blend of what she needs! I need more!!
I love this! I love the characters and the story line. I wish it was longer so I could get more details during this timeline but that is okay! I can’t wait to learn more about the guys and see how this plays out