YA - Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

  I was so in love with this book that I asked a co-worker to read it just so I could confirm that I wasn't overreacting.  She agreed.  Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson is FABULOUS!  There's murder, romance, political intrigue, rich imagery - it has it all.
  When we meet Princess Lia, the First Daughter of the House of Morrighan, she is horrified that she is to be married to a man she's never met.  She is a peace offering, a pawn in a political alliance, secured by her own father.  Lia can't do it, and so, she flees with her closest confidant - her handmaiden.  
  As Lia settles into life in a sleepy, yet beautiful fishing village, she is intrigued when two beautiful men walk into the tavern in which she is working.  What she doesn't know - one is the prince she left at the altar, the other is an assassin who has orders to kill her.
  Kiss of Deception is the first book in a trilogy that promises to be one hell of a ride.  And, may I say, whichever movie studio is bidding on the rights to this book has a huge hit on their hands.  I can't wait for the next installment which, unfortunately, isn't set to be published until sometime in 2015.  My advice: read this book before everyone else catches on!