Love Chosen by Marne Ann Kirk

Synopsis:
For millennia, dragon and fae have peacefully co-existed, but the fae themselves have lived segregated and very different lives. Now a malevolence threatens to separate them all permanently. Can a Queen's guard and a rebellious outlaw join forces to defeat this common enemy? Tyler's touch sparks fierce desire, drawing Issie to him, ut she despises his way of life and al that palace society represents. If he learns she wields majic to help the less fortunate escape the kingdom, he'll charge her with treason. Her punishment - death. Issie is a sassy rebel who is constantly looking for ways to circumvent the conventions of their society. Tyler's head warns that she's a non-majical lower, beneath him. His heart sees by her inner strength and outer beauty. Only a binding love will lend them strength to save her life- their world. Can either of them be enough to trust that love?

Review: 
This is definitely a book that is more a high fantasy romance than anything else. I am a reader who can really enjoy a well written high fantasy, but often times for me they feel more stiff than anything else and aren't character driven enough for me. This book is the perfect blend of high fantasy themes, character driven plot, and exciting romance.

The book has a lot of bittersweet moments, and a lot of separation both in terms of people and the classes. I like the way that this book doesn't just revolve around a couple trying to find their way to each other, or a two people solving a problem and ending up together. Granting there is a couple involved, but the issues at play within the novel have to do with fae society as a whole. Sure there is a bad guy, the society itself is suffering from its own problems, and the bad guy just takes advantage of the situation.

Issie's particular situation is both happy and sad. She feels like she belongs where she is, she has made a good life for herself, and she seems happy on the surface. But when you dig a little deeper you see that she has a had a rough past, and was cast out by the Uppers, separated from her family and deemed to be less than she is. Even though she is happy when she ended up and the life she has now, she carries what happened with her, and sees the impact the rules their society has plays on all families.

Then you have Tyler who came from the Lowers, but is now an Upper, and how accepting his is about society status quo, he doesn't really see anything wrong with it. In the beginning it's really easy to want to smack him upside the head, because he never really looks deeper and makes a lot of assumptions about people. Thankfully he starts to open his eyes as the book goes on and realizes how things really are and that maybe a change is needed.

I was unsure of how I would feel about the dragons in the book. I like the concept of dragons, but a lot of times I don't feel like the are utilized well, they tend to overwhelm books, like the author forgets that books are primarily character driven. Thankfully Kirk has some really well established characters, and the dragon more enhance the story than try to drive it. I like the way the dragons themselves become characters in a really nice way.

Overall, I was really happy with the book, and with the ending. I am really curious to see what direction the second book takes, given the ending of the first. I like anyone who enjoys fantasy with romance will really enjoy this book. I love the fae, the society, the dragons, the whole package was just really nicely done. I would seriously recommend it to anyone looking for a good book.