Goddess Crown works best as a lower YA/Middlegrade book with its writing style. Too much telling and not enough showing.

The book starts with a bang with Kalothia’s guardians being targeted and death and kidnappings around every corner, but it felt emotionally flat. If we had more time with certain characters, maybe I’d be more invested. 

Kalothia did well for her circumstances, but I didn’t connect to her. Or the beginnings of a first love, and I absolutely love the

royalty falls for the bodyguard and vice versa

trope.

It's technically not instalove because these two have history, but it their connection is hollow because they've had so few conversations with each others

The court politics were boiled down to the world is sexist/hates women. It worked for me, but I can understand others looking for more intrigue. 

 Overall, the cover is lovely and drew me to it. I think this was a slow start that might improve if there's a sequel. But this story left me indifferent. The writing style just wasn't for me, but thank you for shorter YA books.