Happy Birthday, DEFY!

The first I heard of Sara Larson's fantasy, girl pretending to be a boy, DEFY was through one of my CP's. She told me this was her second favorite book of all-time, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. When it popped up on NetGalley, I grabbed it, sent it to my kindle, and did my "I'm so cool I got this book" dance. But that I didn't open it. I was afraid.

What if it wasn't as amazing as my CP thought?

In seventh grade when I started to seriously work on my creative writing (and I had a gem of a teacher who encouraged me), I wrote so many stories of girls pretending to be boys at boarding schools, on soccer teams, in battle, etc.. And yes, I had the boob wrapping, awkward locker scenes, as well. I LOVE these types of stories, but they have to be done just right for me to be sucked in.

The other reason I was slow to open DEFY was because I'd met Sara at LDStorymakers and I rather like her. I didn't want to NOT like her book, so the safest course of action was to put off reading it. (Not only is she tall and gorgeous, but she is also outgoing, easy with everyone, and just plain fun.)

Finally, over my first road trip with only a kindle for my reading pleasure (scary!), I got over my fears and opened DEFY.
AND gulped it down in five hours straight. Any book that keeps me up late reading is a winner (IMO).
If you enjoy fantasy, butt-kicking heroines, love (triangles), and page turners, give this one a go. But I'm warming you, make sure you have time to set everything else aside because DEFY will suck you in to the last page.

From Goodreads:
A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?