Summary: Before she became the Queen of Hearts, all Cath wanted to do was open the best bakery in Wonderland.In Cath’s parents’ opinion, their daughter should be more concerned about her impending engagement to the King than baking lemon tarts. Cath dreads receiving the King’s proposal at a royal ball, until she meets Jest, the handsome court joker. With Jest by her side, Cath is more than ready to open her bakery, even it its means losing her way to the throne. However, Cath forgets that this is Wonderland after all, and Wonderland has its own plans for Cath’s future.

Star Rating: 4.75/5 Stars. I really loved this book, however, I disliked some parts and couldn’t give it a full 5 stars.

Cover Lust?: Yes! The cover art and its typography is stunning, but what makes this books even more aesthetically pleasing is that IT IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL NAKED!

My Thoughts: When I picked up Heartless, I was a craving a fun, fantasy read and this book more than satisfied my desire. Marissa Meyer created her own Wonderland, along with reflecting Lewis Carroll’s original tale. There was croquet with hedgehogs and flamingos, mad tea parties, three creepy sisters in a well, talking animals, and so much other whimsy!

I really enjoyed Cath as the main character because of her determination. I adored how baking was her true passion, and  learning how to make lemon tarts is on my priority list. I loved her friendship with Mary Ann (yay positive female friendships!). However, the one problem that I had with Cath was her agonizing over the King and Jest. While there was some action and excitement in between, I needed more of a conclusion sooner. Along with Cath, I loved Jest so much. He was so mysterious and lovely and brought his own magic and whimsy to the story. I wasn’t a huge fan of his bestie, Hatta. From the moment Hatta met Cath, I suspected that he had something behind his back.

I knew going into this novel that it was a Queen of Hearts retelling, but I admit, I rooted for an ending where Cath didn’t become the Queen of Hearts. When Cath re-enters Hearts toward the end, I was somewhat convinced that Marissa Meyer would deliver an alternate ending. However, I did enjoy Cath’s transformation and seeing the title of the book come to life. As a fan of Meyer’s The Lunar Chronicles series, Cath’s story reminded me of Levana’s transformation in Fairest.  I look forward to Meyer’s future books, and I really hope she keeps writing about fairytales!

Have you read Heartless? Share your thoughts and feels in the comments below!