I love books written about fairies and the fae in general that when its done poorly it makes me depressed. This book was so badly written, it made me question whether or not it had an editor. The plot was non-existent and the story line was VERY hard to follow and many times I found myself confused as to what was going on on the page. Cannot believe this book was green lit. Safe to say I will not be continuing the series.

This YA fantasy was enjoyable and easy to read, but it felt very predictable and kind of cookie-cutter for the genre. I appreciate the author’s attention to character development and the inclusion of a juicy love triangle, but at this point, I feel like it’s a little overused.

Many of the tropes in this story were just so similar to the other fantasy books I’ve been reading and it impacted my enjoyment of this overall story. This would be more enjoyable for someone who is new to reading fantasy/romance and doesn’t yet know the “formula.”

Thank you #Netgalley!

Brie's father is dead and her mother ran off. She is trying her best to keep her and her sister going while living under her aunt's roof. When a chance to save her and her sister presents herself, Brie jumps at the chance even though it means trying to wed a fae. While in their land, Brie struggles with knowing who she can trust and what to do.
Opinion
This book got my blood going. It was a true joy to read, so much so that I immediately got the second book. The ending completely threw me, and of course I have to know what happens next. I highly recommend this book.
Many thanks to Net Galley and to Clarion Books for providing me with an ARC of this book, and many apologies for taking so long to review. The pain is truly mine as I loved this book.

These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan is a compelling story that pulls the reader in from the first chapter. Although she has little to her name Brie would do anything for her sister. Forced to make a devil's bargain with the king of the Unseelie Court to save her sister. Brie's character is well thought out and compels the reader to root for her even when she is forced to do things she really doesn't want to do. Although there are lot of books that realize fae lands in different ways, I feel like Ryan's story draws enough from the what is to be familiar while making it her own.
The male love interests are both compelling in their own way and the other side characters are well developed. Full of intrigue and plenty of romance this is a book that will keep you reading!

If you are looking for a good solid read, this is the one for you. It was written well, the characters were fascinating and the world was delightful. I will be reading the next instalment.

"These Hollow Vows" by Lexi Ryan is an enthralling and enchanting fantasy novel that weaves a captivating tale of magic, romance, and sacrifice. The story follows Brie, a determined young woman who enters a Faerie court to save her sister but becomes entangled in a web of intrigue and forbidden romance. Lexi Ryan's writing is lyrical and atmospheric, immersing readers in a beautifully crafted world of fae and magic. The book is filled with twists and turns, keeping you guessing until the very end. "These Hollow Vows" is a spellbinding read that explores themes of love, loyalty, and the high cost of power, making it a must-read for fantasy lovers looking for a tale of dark enchantment and fierce determination.

This was somewhat entertaining but also sort of annoying at times? It's a fun and fast-paced adventure with fairies and intrigues which was kind what I was looking for. However, I think I would've enjoyed it even more had there been more focus on the Fae world, the Seelie & Unseelie court conflict, the overall political situation, etc...I wanted to read more about that!
Full review on YouTube

Wow, I didn’t think I would get to invested in this story. I see why people say it’s like ACOTAR, The Selections, and The Cruel Prince all mixed into one.

What a mess of lies and betrayals, love triangles, and survival just so Brie can save her sister.

I really enjoyed the world building and the side characters. Im very interest to see what Brie does through out the second book and what decisions she makes…oh man, and the two princes!

- World Building
- Lies
- Manipulations
- Betrayal
- Love Triangles
- Fae
- Magic
- Royalty
- Interesting Side Characters

I am loathe to admit that I kind of liked this book while simultaneously hated this book. I couldn't stand the main character and don't even get me started on the love interests, because of course there had to be more than two. But it was so addictive and putting it down was HARD once I got into it.

(i received an e-arc from the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

sometimes romantasy hits that sweet spot for me. sometimes, it does not. i'm afraid that this falls under the latter. it's really not the author's fault though, because my tastes have gone past the need for fae-human fantasy plot lines.

While I liked elements of this one, the SJM-like Fae are becoming overdone. I'm not one for love triangles either, so while I often found myself intrigued, it was not enough for this book to be an compelling enough read to want to recommend. The worldbuilding was..okay. Just okay. I wanted more, and I felt like the author sacrificed good character development and wolrdbuilding for pace--a common theme I've noticed in YA.

Absolutely fantastic YA fantasy. I was hooked from the start of the book. The characters are fantastic, the plot is as well, and the cliffhanger.

I liked this one. Parts of this book felt like I have read them before - there were a lot of familiar tropes- but I think that's what I enjoyed. There were a lot of elements that I feel make up a good YA fantasy book with just enough differences that kept me interested. I really liked the ending and can't wait to see where it goes next.

This has echoes of other popular ya books, but I think it stands firmly on it's own and was unique enough to be a blend of popular ya archetypes and tropes.

When I see a book will have a love triangle, I just want it to make me feel conflicted. More often than not, I have strong feelings one way or another and am just waiting for the obvious no to leave the main scenes. However, in this one, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to happen.

I loved the themes of siblings and parents, duty to self and duty to kingdom, and acting for the good of the people vs your own interest. There was some twisted family themes going on here and I devoured this.

This is also a must read if you enjoy backstabbing and betrayal. That ending meant I started book two the moment I was finished.

Thanks so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for giving me access to this book.This book felt like a retread of so many books before it. The characters really annoyed me. I will not be recommending this book. But thanks again for letting have a chance to read it.

I very nearly put this book down about 40% of the way through. Honestly, it's kind of a miracle I even finished it.

And honestly, I can't tell if it's good or bad that I did. On the one hand, I had to put up with this absolutely trash novel for far too long, skimming at times only to need to go back to figure out what the hell I'd just skim read and waste even more time. But, on the other, at least now I can call it out for being as bad as it is?

If you've followed my reviews at all, you'll likely know that I have zero tolerance for romanticizing abuse.

I'm cool with enemies to lovers -- in fact, I absolutely love that trope! -- but I simply cannot abide by authors presenting abusive behavior as romantic. It's utterly infuriating and it happens in this novel. The bypassing of consent that occurs is unacceptable. Teenagers who don't know better are likely to pick up this book and the lack of awareness some YA authors have is despicable.

Also, that ending was terrible.

A thief, Abriella, breaks into the vault of a man who became rich from selling females into prostitution. She only steals enough to carry so he won’t notice it’s missing. On her way home, Brie (Abriella) stops at a friend’s home to pay for the contract her daughter has just signed with the rich man. She did this to get medicine for her mother. Now Brie doesn’t have enough money to pay her rent to Madam V., her greedy, horrible aunt who makes Brie and her younger sister Jas live in a basement storage room. Brie and Jas also have to slave away taking care of the house and two spoiled cousins. When Jas is sold to the Fae King, Brie travels through a portal pretending to be one of the many human women wanting to marry the Fae Prince Ronan. She meets an intriguing Fae male that keeps showing up wherever she goes but then she’s caught by the king and finds out he took Jas as bait to get Brie’s help. The king wants Brie to steal artifacts from Prince Ronan’s court. She sees Sebastian where she never thought she would and runs from him because she’s surprised and angry. Once she comes to terms with who Sebastian really is, Brie realizes that she can use it to her advantage in finding the relics and getting Jas back. She does care for Sebastian and feels guilty for using him. The intriguing Fae male is Finn and she works with his group to stop the king. They help her with the shadow magic she has. Brie feels trapped and alone throughout the story because she doesn't know if she can trust anyone but she perseveres to get Jas safe again.
I enjoyed reading this book because of Brie, the main character. She’s strong, resilient and will do anything to save her sister. The conflicting two main male characters make the story interesting, especially since they’re both vying for Brie’s attention. 5 stars for this fantasy full of conflict!

These Hollow Vows follows Brie who has grown up hating Faeries, but after the Seelie Court invites humans to their kingdom in order for Prince Ronan to find a bride, Brie agrees to visit the court with her sister. Before they leave, Brie's sister is taken by the Unseelie King and in order to get her back she must retrieve three items from the Seelie court and give them to the Unseelie King.

These Hollow Vows definitely had a slow start, but by the end of the book I was very invested in the story. I can’t say I was too attached to any of the characters or relationships in this book, but I enjoyed the overall story of a girl who hated faeries her whole life and is now caught between two faerie princes. The ending of this book has made me really excited to pick up book two. After that ending I need to know where Brie will go and what she will do after everything that took place.

Overall, if you love books that involve Fae and are looking for a new book to pick up, I recommend trying These Hollow Vows. I’m curious to see where this story will go in book two and where all these characters will end up.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

OH MY GOSH.

I am stunned.

I absolutely loved this book.

First of all, I immediately disliked Sebastian. Not because of anything he did...but because i don't like friends-to-lovers. But BOY did that opinion change so many times throughout the book.

I love the way that Lexi Ryan had me switching sides the entire time. I didn't know if we should trust Sebastian or Finn, and every time Brie was with one of the guys, that's the guy that I would believe and would think the other one was up to something sus.

I truly forgot that I was even reading a YA book, because the stakes felt higher and the main character wasn't acting like an annoying teenager.

I can't wait to read book two, which I also received an ARC of and will be devouring.

“You know that the powers you have in my realm aren’t so new. You’ve been using them for years.”


This book had a few things I really wanted to love. It had Fae from two different courts, magic, a heist, and a prince having to pick a wife. Unfortunately it fell a little bit short for me to absolutely love it. The ending is what really ended up with my still liking the book. I’ll probably pick up book 2, but I’m not in any rush right now.


} v i b e s {

~ minor hidden identities
~ fae unseelie and seelie
~ shadow magic
~ selection vibes but only interested in one
~ thief
~ human who hates fae
~ sister bond and willing to go to great lengths for the other
~ adorable romance scenes
~ choosing your own path