My Very Own Book Mayhem

3,5 stars

This is the fictional retelling of Catherine the Great a.k.a. Prussian Princess Sophie's arrival to Russian court, at age fifteen. I would classify it as mature YA, since the main character is inserted in an extremely harsh reality.

That said, I'll move on to the GUYS. The MEN. The HOT DUDES.

SERGEI: Loyal friend and Sophie's tutor of Russian. She often mentions he is the only person she can fully trust in court. Damn, he sexy.

ALEXANDER: The mysterious Lord who becomes the love of Sophie's life. Don't get me started on their relationship. I nearly died from the tragicness of it all. Helena and Paris. The starcrossed lovers. I do love a good old-school romance, especially when it is well-written, which was the case with Sophie and Alexander's love story.

PETER: Heir to the throne of Russia, he's a spoiled brat who enjoys manipulating everyone around him. He's a motherfucker. I hate his guts.

I know what you're thinking, fellow reader. Three guys? It crossed my mind, but you'll see that the circumstances will change their interest in her.

If "Queen of Someday"'s amazingness level were to be represented in a chart, it would hit its peak toward the last 5% of the book. Those 5% were the best of the best.

If Sophie started out as a coy, weak and innocent girl, she ended up a cunning and strong future Queen who will stop at nothing to guarantee her position. I like grown-up Sophie. The hardships she faced (which left me quite angry and sad) shaped her into a fighter, destined to rule all of Russia.

Most of the book had a fairly ordinary, YA-like romantic focus. However, the grand finale was a game-changer and saved the story in my eyes. In just 5%, this book went from a little depressing to badass.

**ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**