Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

I admit that when I requested this, I didn't even register that this would have Jane Austen vibes. I just saw "space" and "The Bachelor" and wanted to read it. I enjoyed The Selection so I figured I would like this as well. I'm not a huge Jane Austen fan, so when I did find out this had those vibes, I understood why the characters were so irritating to me. I kept reading, though, because it was well-written and I wanted to see how the story would progress.

It's been a while since I've read Persuasion, so I didn't register that this was a re-telling of that story until another reviewer pointed it out. But I feel like this one increased the social divide by making Leo a princess. Sure they keep saying that royalty is meaningless, but clearly it still means enough. For me, this made her backing out of the engagement more understandable and Elliot's initial attitude that much more asshole-ish. It also made it really hard for me to root for him as a love interest, especially as things developed.

I liked some of the minor characters, like Evy and Daniel. Honestly, I feel like poor Daniel got the worst deal out of all this. His story didn't even feel concluded, and I was really unsatisfied with how all that was handled. I would've liked Carina to be a lot more fleshed out than she was, as she was portrayed as very oblivious and careless most of the time. Also would've loved more development out of the father and Captain Lind. Stuff at the end felt like it escalated quickly with very little clue that this was what would happen. I get the element of surprise and wanting to put in a twist, but a bit more of an idea that this was possible would've helped.

There's very little reason to set this in space. In fact, setting it in space in the future made the whole country divide feel weird and out of place. You're living in a spaceship; who cares or even keeps track of if you're German, Swiss or whatever? Also, how in the world do they get all these resources? Where do they come from? Where is the fleet going? Why do they elect captains like a democracy? Don't captains need to have experience running a ship that big, know how the various parts work, be able to delegate tasks, etc? That kind of thing is just never explained, and the problems with the social divide are never really addressed or handled in any meaningful way. This could have very easily have taken place on some random planet and almost nothing would've changed.

The book does have a nice writing style and there is some rep here (lesbian, gay, asexual, mentions of non-binary and bisexual) but not much in the way of racial diversity that I noticed. Which... again, doesn't make sense if you're in a spaceship fleet and you're trying to diversify the gene pool. I still liked parts of it, but I think if the setting were more simplified then it would've been better. Decent romance, but I think The Selection was closer to The Bachelor than this.

THE STARS WE STEAL is a fitting prequel to BRIGHTLY BURNING. I missed this literary universe and discovered a new set of characters to love. I enjoyed Donne's sci-fi twist on Persuasion though I've never read literary classic myself. I also appreciated the story's social commentary and what she was trying to convene, but it was somewhat shallow. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It is a fun fluffy read meant for teens, so there are instances where shallowness of deep topics are most suitable for teenaged consumption. This book was a definitely page-turner for me even though the pacing drudged at times. However, with a cast of interesting characters, the pacing didn't bother me. Hate-to-love romances are my jam on buttered toast, so I was going to keep reading anyway.

Alexa Donne is definitely an auto-buy for me and I can't wait to see what she does next.

#TheStarsWeSteal
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review the E-arc copy of The Stars We Steal.

The Stars We Steal is a light and fun YA book that combines the “Bachelor” and the “hate to love” tropes which are two of my all-time favorites. Alexa Done handles them in a way that compliments her diverse cast of characters but fails to make the plot more enticing to the reader.

The story unfolds in space, 200 years from now, where all humanity resides in spaceships. Our protagonist is the 19-year-old princess Leonie “Leo” Kolburg who is the heir of a European spaceship on the verge of financial ruin. The Valg season, in which every wealthy/royal single person tries to find his/her perfect match, is upon her and she must seek a rich candidate to marry if she wants to save her ship and her family. What will happen when her ex-boyfriend makes an appearance after three years and from a poor boy is now the rich owner of a whiskey ship?

Reading the synopsis, I knew the book had the potential to be one I could love. Unfortunately, while I enjoyed it, I can’t say I fell in love with it.

My main issues were the plot and pacing. The plot was way too simple and the plot twists were predictable. Every problem was easily solved, and I didn’t feel that the characters were in danger even if they were, actually, in dangerous situations. All in all, I can say, the plot was bland and pretty much unmemorable. The pacing slowed down a couple of times, due to the lack of tension, and that’s the reason I dropped the second star from my rating.

The strongest point of the story was definitely the characters. Leo and her ex-boyfriend, Elliot, were well-developed and had chemistry with each other. Their bantering and their interactions were interesting and fun to read but, I have to admit, I expected more tension between them. The side characters such as Carina, Evgenia, Klara, Daniel, and Ben felt like real people and I loved the fact we had so many characters with different sexual orientations and body types among them.

If you want a book full with the good kind of drama to pass the time and with not that much of a plot, world-building or high stakes, then look no further; The Stars We Steal is the perfect choice for you.

I received this e-arc from NetGalley for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Leo was a princess in name only. Her family was financially struggling and her father counted on Leo to save them by marrying not for love but money. Enter Elliott the boy she loved but was forced to end an engagement with years before. Needless to say he was angry. Now realize all of this takes place in space.....in the future. The story begins as the Valg, a chance for all eligible young people to meet and find a marriage partner, begins. Love was the least of the reasons many of these young people searched for a mate and many, like Leo, were not interested in marrying at all. This was an interesting story, despite being a bit predictable at times. There was mystery, deception and entertainment through out this book. It was an enjoyable read. Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

A cute, romantic, quick & easy read! It felt like a beautiful contemporary/romcom wrapped in a sci-fi novel.

I was already hooked by the synopsis because I’m a sucker for a good romance and this gave me vibes from the selection series and matched series. So if you loved that vibe definitely pick this one up!

Also, the lgbtq+ representation was cool to see! I felt less forced which made it feel more natural especially since it’s not marketed as some lgbtq+ novel. Though such a story with an lgbtq+ lead character would also provide such a unique twist in their world that emphasizes marriage and ranking so much.

Also loved that the main character is a brainy, curvy girl!

Ultimately, this is the book for you if you want to feel some romantic tension. It’s like a romcom in words and you’ll be whisked away on a starry, romantic rollercoaster.

I really enjoyed this. It was slow at times and I found myself skipping some parts, but overall the book was good. A future where we live in space and resources are going scarce. A romance and teen drama.

Princess Leonie is the sensible one of her family (dad and sister), she's trying to earn them some extra money by hiring out their spaceship during the Valg season - when all the aristocrats of the fleet party and pair off. Her renters include Elliot, Leo's former fiance, and as well as having to try and work out how she's going to avoid being pushed into marrying for money, she also has to work out how to navigate that complicated relationship.

It's a version of Persuasion, and it's quite fun. Persuasion is my favourite Austen novel, and this is nowhere near as good - but if you take the theoretical base out of the picture, it's enjoyable. Leo is a good main character, she's pleasingly sarcastic about the idea behind the Valg season and actually has some agency about her - even if she does have to be rescued by Elliot. Carina, her younger sister, is much less irritating than Elizabeth in Persuasion! Several of the other characters are appealing, Evgenia in particular, and even annoying cousin Klara is well drawn enough that she's more than her petty surface.

If you want proper social commentary on the problems of listening to others and how women lack agency in society, then read Persuasion. The Stars We Steal doesn't cover that very well at all, but it's quite good fun and enjoyable, so ignore the claims for the plot basis and read it on its own merits.

The bachelor meets... Jane Austen? In space?

In The Stars We Steal, our protagonist, Leonie, is steadfastly keeping her small family together, all the while getting ready for Valg Season (AKA the bachelor in space except with a bunch more options) and pining over her lost love, Elliot (Elliot Wentworth... I really couldn't read his full name without snort laughing at the heavy handed Persuasion reference).

There is some political drama involved but it's really all secondary to the romance between Leo and Elliot. The romance is interesting enough, but everything else in the book feels so shallow compared to it. There could have been way more attention paid to the setting of the book as this is a post-Earth colonization of the stars, which has a lot of potential story telling punch. But, it was mostly for naught. As for the Austen retelling, I can't say that this book really does her work a service.

I would recommend this book if you're looking for YA romance with a little politics and space stuff thrown in the mix for good measure.

I really liked this book. I have been in a reading slump lately and this one helped me get out of it. The plot was very active and i never became bored with it. I will be recommending this book to everyone.

I had SO much fun reading this! I couldn't put it down. I don't even know where to begin-- it was just really satisfying all around! I loved the Austen retelling in space, with the different ships representing mankind's attempt at clinging to long-gone Earth-based cultures and class conflicts. So cleverly done! The pacing and plotting were just right, and the characters drew me in. Leo is a protagonist I can get behind- she's smart, bookish, dedicated to her family, and flawed in relatable ways. And the romantic conflict was top-notch... so much pining! Loved it.

This book was received as an ARC from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group - HMH Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

When I first read this book, I thought I wasn't going to like it at first because I did not agree with Princess Leo's plan to find the most eligible bachelor that can help her get our of her financial distress and not for love or someone to spend the rest of her life with. But, as the story progressed, you feel for Princess Leo a little bit and get to know her at a personal level when Elliott returns in her life and her childhood memories resurface. They always say, your first love is the one you never forget. Even when you base your story on lies and not brave enough to let him know the truth. This is also a good example of how ALWAYS, the truth will set you free even if it is hard to say.

We will consider adding this title to our YFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I thought this book was so, so much fun from start to finish--I love the space background because it gives me Ascension/The 100 vibes, but the romance is full of all the angst you could possibly want in a Jane Austen retelling. The cast of characters covers a wide variety of sexualities (Like! An! Asexual! Guy!!! Daniel is my favorite!!!) which makes the Valg-Season-courting-circuit far more interesting.

This is a great readalike for fans of The Selection, because it has a lot of the romance, plot, and characterization that dystopian readers gravitate towards while also being different enough they won't continually compare the two. A great YA novel that can be safely recommended to the whole middle school bracket.

I think this one may just not be for me. I was very iffy on the author’s previous retelling of Jane Eyre in space – and for many of the same reasons – so I should have known better. Part of the problem is seeing the romance arc from my favourite Austen novel set in space and given only the most shallow of interpretations (honestly when are people going to realise that Austen wrote deeply political books that challenged the status quo, not mere light romances?) So it started as a disadvantage and then I didn’t engage with the characters of the style. I’m giving this 3 stars here because NetGalley doesn’t allow you not to rate books. I won’t rate it on GR when I post my review because this was clearly not intended for me and it just wouldn’t be fair. If you have enjoyed other space set retellings of 19th C classics then give this a go, I think you’ll really like it. If you’re a fan of the classics in their own right then this may jar you.