The Traitor's Kiss
Series: The Traitor's Circle #1
Author: Erin Beaty
Published May 9th 2017 by Imprint

Goodreads Synopsis
An obstinate girl who will not be married. A soldier desperate to prove himself. A kingdom on the brink of war.

With a sharp tongue and an unruly temper, Sage Fowler is not what they’d call a lady―which is perfectly fine with her. Deemed unfit for marriage, Sage is apprenticed to a matchmaker and tasked with wrangling other young ladies to be married off for political alliances. She spies on the girls―and on the soldiers escorting them.

As the girls' military escort senses a political uprising, Sage is recruited by a handsome soldier to infiltrate the enemy ranks. The more she discovers as a spy, the less certain she becomes about whom to trust―and Sage becomes caught in a dangerous balancing act that will determine the fate of her kingdom.
Goodreads

Review
I honestly can't remember how I first heard about this book, but it is quite honestly one of my all time favourites, and I'm so glad that I ordered a copy! I'm going to say it already that if you haven't read this book, you seriously need to - it is fantastic!

Orphaned at a young age, Sage Fowler has being living with her aunt and uncle, helping to teach and care for her cousins, when she is told she must either marry, or find another occupation and leave the household. As a member of the aristocracy, she visits the premier matchmaker in the land - through who all good marriages take place - and is told that her wit and sharpness, as well as her temper, would make her wholly unsuitable for marriage. Unlike what most girls would probably be thinking, Sage loves this fact, as she had no wish to marry anywhere. However, the matchmaker, Darnessa, sees potential in Sage, and chooses her to be her new apprentice, making the long journey to the capital with all the other eligible ladies who actually are looking to marry. Sage is to pose as a prospective bride, and learn all about the ladies, in order for the best matches to occur. As there is a large caravan of young ladies making the long journey, they are to be escorted by highly trained  soldiers, led by Captain Alexander Quinn. Alex has a secret mission that he has to complete during the journey, and at first thinks the ladies with be a hindrance. However, he soon realises that Sage could be a big help to him, and working undercover, they discover a plot that could bring down the entire government, centering on the Concordium Brides. As they work to find out all the key details that will help them succeed, they realise they are falling for each other, which was definitely not in any of their plans. 

Like I said earlier, this was a book that I can’t even remember why I ordered my copy, but I’m so glad I did. I’ve re-read it so many times, and there’s nothing about it that I dislike. The world building is shown to us in drips and drabs, as is the history of the empire. I felt like this was the right way for us to learn about it, rather than being inundated with loads of information at the beginning, that would just turn me off the book. We also learn about why the girls who are taking part in the Concordium do so at a certain age, and why Darnessa, the matchmaker, has such a pivotal role in society. 

Sage is one of my all time favourite characters, and though some people may say that her change over the course of the book was out of character, but for me, it was just her growing in herself, and discovering who she actually was, after having a turbulent childhood. After seeing her parents love, being an unmatched couple, she thought the fact that being matched was such an important aspect in society, was abhorrent. After the deaths of her parents, and living with her aunt and uncle, who wants her to be married off as soon as possible, she sabotages her matching interview, but endears herself to Darnessa. Darnessa sees her value, and asks her to masquerade as a prospective bride, in order to somewhat spy on the girls and learn more about them, but also to learn about the nobles at the homes they'll be staying at on the way to the Capital. An educator at heart, when she meets the soldiers escorting them to the capital, and learns that one of the young sergeants can't read or write, she automatically jumps at the chance to teach him, also use him to spy on the army. However, the sergeant - codename Mouse - is spying on Sage in return, and when they realise that there is more at state than just some weddings, they work together, and grow close, in order to stop the treasonous plot.

There were so many twists and turns in this book that I couldn't possibly mention them all, and some would be spoilers to do so as well. All I can say is that I've now read this book so many times, that it remains one of my all time favourites, and I want everyone to read it, ASAP!