I didn't fall in love with The Winner's Curse like I had hoped to but it was nevertheless a solid start to what I know will be a fantastic, heart wrenching trilogy. 
 Kestrel is easily my favourite part of the story. She has a quiet fierceness to her that I really admired. Her endless strategizing is fascinating to follow and I love constantly trying to keep up with what she has planned next. 
 I knew going in that the romance would be one of the biggest aspects of the story, and while I do really enjoy Kestrel and Arin and their complex, forbidden romance, I'm not 100% sold. I'm almost there so I'm hoping the next two books will sway me over. Another thing I appreciate about their relationship is that they don't put it above all else. They have other obligations and loyalties, and they take those into consideration as well. 
 For an awesome mix of romance, politics, social classes, and rebellions, amongst other things, this is definitely a good place to start.