Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Two dead princesses seek true love and a second chance at life. Princess Amala has spent her entire life trying to be perfect—docile, obedient, and above all, faithful to the god Ados. She sees her upcoming marriage as the only way to escape her abusive father and her sheltered life. But on her wedding day, she’s murdered—but she doesn’t know why or by whom. After the death of her beloved brother, Damien, the bold and brave warrior princess Kha’dasia has become angry and bitter. She didn’t get to say a final farewell to Damien, and she’s determined to make it up to him by visiting every one of the 34 places on the bucket list they created. But as she nears the final destination, she gets sick and dies. The princesses, who are Black, are visited by an Elder, who promises to bring them back to life if they complete a treacherous journey across The Garden to find true love’s kiss. While the quest is central, it doesn’t overshadow the book’s exploration of love and gender roles as Amala and Kha’dasia fall for each other. The pacing is strong, with new challenges cropping up in each chapter, contributing to the nonstop action, and the intensity is leavened by lighter moments. Johnson’s debut novel features strong worldbuilding and character development and will remain with readers long after they’ve finished reading. A queer romance with a winning combination of humor and magical adventure.(Fantasy romance. 14-18) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

What happens if "ever after" is just the beginning? Princess Amala believes she is about to begin her happily ever after with her political marriage to a prince of a neighboring land. Princess Kha’dasia hopes to keep the memory of her brother alive by visiting all the places he had wanted to see. When both princesses die, they are transported to a magical place known as The Garden, which is protected by gods and is at times dangerous. There they are given the chance to live again, if they can make it through the enchanted land and experience true love’s kiss. Kiss the wrong person, however, and they will stay dead. While Princess Amala believes finding her prince is the only way to survive, her growing closeness with Princess Kha’dasia leaves her confused. Told in the princesses’ alternating perspectives, this novel by first-time author Johnson twines the blossoming romantic relationship between the princesses with their personal growth to create a fairy tale unlike others. An excellent addition to teen romantacy collections.

Publishers Weekly
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In Johnson’s complex and insightful romantasy debut, two dead teens seek the reviving power of true love’s kiss. When 18-year-old Princess Amala of Rosewyn is murdered shortly after her marriage to Prince Vincent of Iman, she wakes up in an otherworldly forest realm called the Garden. There, the Elders of the Garden inform her that she’s been afforded a second chance at life, which she resolves to use to both learn who killed her and reunite with Vincent. She soon encounters prickly warrior girl Kha’dasia, similarly granted a reprieve from death, who takes an instant dislike to Amala. The Elders then set both teens on a quest: if they can survive the Garden’s many dangers, they may return to the mortal world. As the pair venture, however, they must also seek true love’s kiss, told that “the right kiss will save you. The wrong kiss will kill you.” Throughout their journey, the unlikely companions divulge their darkest secrets, hidden traumas, and deepest wishes, and rely on each other to survive. Amala and Kha’dasia’s percolating chemistry—portrayed via the duo’s distinctly rendered alternating first-person perspectives—is magnetic, and the novel’s traditional fantasy setting teems with timeless-feeling dreamlike elements as the Garden manifests challenges to test their fears. Characters cue as Black. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jamie Vankirk, Rainbow Nerds Literary. (Nov.)

School Library Journal
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Gr 9 Up—A quick-paced, dual point-of-view romantasy that takes readers on an identity journey with a fairy-tale setting. Amala, princess of Rosewyn, is set to marry her prince charming, Vincent of Iman, and live her happily ever after—that is, until she is murdered at her wedding celebration. She wakes up in a place called the Garden where the Elders tell her she can have a second chance at life. In comes Kha'dasia, a stubborn, tough "warrior girl" who was also promised a second chance at life. She immediately puts up a wall. The Elders then tell them they will need to work together to be able to enter the mortal world once more, and that they are to search for true love's kiss—the right kiss will save them, but the wrong one will be their end. On the surface, this novel takes readers on a journey for true love's kiss, but they also get themes of betrayal, loving oneself, grief, and so much more. The main characters have their differences at first, but they learn to trust one another as well as what true love really is. The ending is a little rushed, but that doesn't affect that heart of the story. Characters cue as Black. VERDICT Readers will root for the heroines throughout; hand this to romance and fairy-tale lovers.—Kylie Staigers