THE HEART TRIALS, by J. Elle, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, Sept. 1, 2026, Hardcover, $21.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
In a world where love is forbidden, one girl must fight for her heart and freedom through deadly trials in The Heart Trials, by J. Elle.
Welcome to The Heart Trials. The prize is love. The cost is everything.
In Ethyria the highborn may love; the lowborn may only feel what the Benevolent allows.
Saltblood lowborn Axira Merreri survives the decaying districts by keeping her heart locked tight, couriering goods by day—and smuggling the ruler’s euphoric Heartfillers to the highborn by night. Until a drop goes wrong and her execution looms.
When she strikes a dangerous bargain to steal something from the Tournament of Hearts, a ruthless dating competition to gain highborn citizenship, she enters. Not for love. For freedom. But as the twisted allure of the competition turns deadly, an unexpected connection cracks her defenses, forcing her to confront a truth she fears: In a regime built on engineered happiness, the most dangerous weapon she has is her heart. —Synopsis provided by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
The Heart Trials is a page-turning slow-burn YA romantasy from author J. Elle.
At the heart of the story is Axira, an orphan trying to help her found family survive. Axira is smart and quick on her feet, but she’s also spent her entire life being told that any kind of touch is dangerous. When she’s thrown into a contest to find true love, she has to work through fears she never even imagined she’d have to consider.
The plot of The Heart Trials is compelling on its own. Add in Elle’s strong world-building, and you get the whole package.
Strong character building among contestants, and a magical system that feels supernatural and plausible next to two characters you easily are drawn to, makes The Heart Trials a no-brainer. It’s the first book in a planned duology. Here’s hoping we won’t have to wait too long for the sequel.
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