The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

In an effort to prevent war, Arabella is being forced to marry an old man who she has never met before.  Seeing no other way out, Arabella (or Lia as she is known throughout the rest of the book), takes her ladies maid and runs away to start a new life far from wars, kingdoms, and being a princess.  Lia soon discovers, however, that no matter how far she runs, she cannot escape her destiny or her duty to her kingdom.

Content Notes:

The book has bad language & mild sexual content (kissing, discussions about sex, a character is an unwed mother).

Teacher Notes:

This book is not appropriate for middle school students but would be appropriate for mature Jr. High and High School students. While a little slow at the beginning, the storyline did pick up as the book went along.  This book is similar to The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson.