Short and Tweet Review: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

The Jewel (The Lone City #1) by Amy Ewing

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.
Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.
Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

Publishes in US:  September 2nd 2014 by HarperTeen
Genre: light dystopia
Source: library
Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC (advanced review copy). I am not paid for this review, and my opinions in this review are mine, and are not effected by the book being free.
Series? The Lone City #1
The White Rose (The Lone City, #2) already released
The Black Key (The Lone City, #3) expected release October 4th 2016 by HarperTeen
plus novellas

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Karen at For What It's Worth and Mary at The Book Swarm occasionally post twitter-style reviews. Karen calls hers Short and Tweet, and I am going to borrow that review style here.

My short and tweet review: 

   I liked the main character and premise. Romance felt like insta-love. Agree with others that it has "The Selection" by Cass feel. Will continue the series. 

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Could you be a surrogate?