Madly (Potion # 1) - Amy Alward
Book Synopsis: When the Princess of Nova accidentally poisons herself with a love potion meant for her crush, she falls crown-over-heels in love with her own reflection. Oops. A nationwide hunt is called to find the cure, with competitors travelling the world for the rarest ingredients, deep in magical forests and frozen tundras, facing death at every turn. Enter Samantha Kemi - an ordinary girl with an extraordinary talent. Sam's family were once the most respected alchemists in the kingdom, but they've fallen on hard times, and winning the hunt would save their reputation. But can Sam really compete with the dazzling powers of the ZoroAster megapharma company? Just how close is Sam willing to get to Zain Aster, her dashing former classmate and enemy, in the meantime? And just to add to the pressure, this quest is ALL OVER social media. And the world news. No big deal, then.
I don't know what took me so long to write a review of this book. It was beautifully written and well-imagined - (I read this book a few months ago.) Every time I read Zain's name I immediately thought of the former One Direction band member, Zayn.
It was really annoying, because the whole book, I pictured Zayn from 1D as Zain from ZoroAster. For Samantha, I imagined that she would be Lily Collins. Is it just me that actually tries to cast the perfect actors and actresses for books? The princess of Nova actually fell madly in love with herself, hence the title. I love reading books about magic and potions, just not books about witches and evil hexes.
What a unique and interesting concept. The nail-biting finish to the story was great and well timed too. I had a feeling who the victor of the alchemy hunt would be and I was right!
The sequel is titled, Royal Tour - I'm not sure if she is planning to write a third book, but the dust jacked cover isn't as nice as the first book's design. Not really a big deal, however, I can't wait to see what happens next and read about Sam and her alchemy background.
Rating: ★★★★★