The Sweetest Betrayal

I'm going to be honest and say that this is going to be a really hard review to write without spoiling much so please bare with me. First, holy moly I'm SO GLAD that Natalie ventured off on her own to make sure this book got published. WE NEEDED THIS ENDING! It was honestly everything I hope for and more. The first book was out of this world fantastic. Then a slow descent of Zahru happened in the second book and to be honest, I wasn't a fan of the "corruption arc". But Natalie is a genius and made everything work out in such an believable way though. I wasn't able to guess the major plot events and twists that happened. This book kept me engaged the entire time. I loved the pacing and how Zahru tries so, so, so hard to do things a peaceful way. This was truly the perfect way to end this trilogy.

The characters. This is where it's going to get really hard without spoilers. I'll say that I was Team Jet since the beginning. I understood why more people were Team Kasta, but I love Jet. And honestly, this is how you make a love triangle work. How did it work out? Well... you'll have to read it to find out but I 1000% approve of how things went down. Zahru is surrounded by all of the familiar faces and I'm so glad they were still all apart of this story. And the best thing about book 3? MORE HEN. Because we can always use more Hen. I really enjoyed the way Natalie closed out each character and their story line.

Overall, The Sweetest Betrayal by Natalie Mae was the perfect conclusion for this trilogy. I was a little skeptical going in on how I would feel about this after Book 2 but it was amazing. I enjoyed the way events progressed and how each plot line concluded. This was a fantastic way to tie together all of the loose ends that had occurred throughout the book. Then whether you are Team Jet or Team Kasta, Natalie made this love triangle work and I loved her workaround for it. And more Hen. Enough said. If you enjoyed the other two books then PLEASE pick up the ending of this trilogy and find out the conclusion for yourself. Or I'm pretty sure Hen will find out where you live and force you to read their story.

I am not naturally a fan of changing love interests. I was rooting for Jet and Zahru and enjoyed their relationship so the second book was hard for me when he started pulling away from her. However, the intensity of her interactions with Prince Kasta in this book had me riveted. I didn’t want to switch sides but I guess when you are crying at 1:30 in the morning and determined to finish the final few chapters no matter how late it is getting, then I have to applaud the author for forcing me to consent to the relationship change.
I felt bad for Zahru who is trying her absolute best to find a path to peace. Her new powers are intoxicating and it would be so easy to become a tyrannical monster. Especially when facing allies that would sooner believe rumors and betray her than stick to their agreements. When she tries to be friendly that makes them think they can take advantage of her. It is hard for her to find respect as a young female so it is satisfying when she succeeds. It was upsetting how easily the rumors spread and how hard it was to prove innocence that she was not a power-hungry dictator bent on taking over the world. I don’t like the part Sakira played in that fiasco and how easily Zahru forgave her.
Her friend Hen is a delightful character and yes, I will admit that I enjoyed the scenes between her and Jet. The ending was satisfying and the big scene that ends the war felt like a natural series of actions that each character would have engaged in. After staying up late, being on an emotional roller coaster, and not being able to stop until the end, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book.