Disappointing

Kiera Cass' "Selection" series was a guilty pleasure of mine and I had been looking forward to a similar experience with "the betrothed". Again, we meet a female character who catches the eye of royalty and tries to figure out her personal path, wondering whether or not she is the right person to become Queen herself - and whether her suitor is the right match for her.
Only this time, our protagonist, Hollis, has almost no personality aside from being "optimistic". The performance exaggerates that problem by making Hollis sound like a heavily stereotypical teenaged cheerleader on a bad sitcom. The side-characters, be it the king, Hollis' parents or her closest friend, all seem to lack personality, as well. Cass' attempts at creating depth in the characters feels strangely forced and artificial to the point that most of them felt wooden and clunky.
The arc of suspense, too, is all but nonexistent. Cass tries to convey throughout the story that there is more to come, giving the audience hints as to what that may be - by lifting the stories metaphorical skirts. Very little is left for the imagination and when the "revelations" take place, it allows for little more than a "yeah, figures"-type of reaction.
Too bad. Selection was quite a bit more entertaining and well thought-out. This one might just be one of the few audiobooks I'll be returning to audible for a refund.

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