They had to cool first, or else the sugar would melt into unattractive puddles on the surface. Her fingers itched to dust the tart edges now, but she refrained. She had boiled and candied the delicate strips of lemon peel and ground sugar crystals into a fine powder for garnish. She had glazed the crust and crimped the edges like a lace doily. Five hours of weighing the butter and sugar and flour, of mixing and kneading and rolling the dough, of whisking and simmering and straining the egg yolks and lemon juice until they were thick and creamy and the colour of buttercups.

The aromas of sweet citrus and buttery, flaky crust curled beneath her nose. Setting the towels aside, she picked through the curled, sugared lemon peels laid out on parchment and arranged them like rose blossoms on the tarts, settling each strip into the still-warm centre. The tarts trembled for a moment more before falling still, flawless and gleaming. She refused to take her eyes from the tarts as she padded across the kitchen floor until the tray’s edge landed on the baker’s table with a satisfying thump. The tarts’ sunshine filling quivered, as if glad to be freed from the stone chamber.Ĭath held the tray with the same reverence one might reserve for the King’s crown. She reached her towel-wrapped hands into the oven, ignoring the heat that enveloped her arms and pressed against her cheeks, and lifted the tray from the hearth. Purchase Links: Bookshop | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound | Indigo (Canada) | iBooksĭisclosure: I am an affiliate of and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.THREE LUSCIOUS LEMON TARTS glistened up at Catherine. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.įor more about Heartless and to read an excerpt, check out: Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next Queen.Īt a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the king’s marriage proposal, she meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend and supply the Kingdom of Hearts with delectable pastries and confections.

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland - the infamous Queen of Hearts - she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.Ĭatherine may be one of the most adored girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the yet-unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer