Vika Hale lives on a struggling planet with her parents and little sister. She works as a barmaid even though she doesn't necessarily need to. You see, there's a secret-side to Vika's life, a mysterious benefactor who has been watching her since she was a child and providing in certain ways for her and her sister.

As she nears adulthood, Vika suddenly gets summoned to the wealthy nearby planet of Ploutos. It's requested she attend the reading of the will of her benefactor, who as it turns out was a billionaire. Lucky Miss Vika is included in his will. We love an inheritance story!

It's at the reading of the will that Vika first learns that she had been hand-picked by the dead billionaire to marry his son, Leo Chapin, the largest beneficiary of the will. I can hear the wedding bells now! But then in an incredibly ill-timed twist of fate, Leo Chapin is killed in a spaceship explosion, cause unknown. Can you even believe that terrible luck?

Vika is allowed to stay on Ploutos thanks to the kindness of Leo's one-time caregivers. They have been loyal employees to the Chapin family for years and now it seems their loyalty has paid off. They've inherited a huge sum of money. Mira and Hal, the couple in question, take Vika in, provide her with a healthy allowance and allow her to ingratiate herself into the upper echelons of Ploutos society.

Perhaps she can find a suitable ((read: rich)) husband, thus ensuring that her family will continue to be cared for. With a little sparkle and glamour, she's sure she'll be able to do it. There are still questions surrounding Leo's death though, especially after another ship carrying Chapin heirs is attacked. Vika vows to get to the bottom of it.

This book was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed Terrill's writing and like the world she created here. I found the tone of the novel especially interesting.

I read in another review that this felt like a retelling, original source material unspecified, and I absolutely agree with that. It does feel like a retelling. It carries similar themes to a lot of Victorian literature. I was personally channeling a bit of futuristic <i>Great Expectations</i>, or <i>Vanity Fair</i> vibes.

The whole idea of a have-not plucked from their dire existence and place into the sphere of the wealthiest families in their society; that entire dynamic is fascinating and watching Vika navigate it, the choices she made and the motivations behind her choices, I found to be completely engaging.

This novel is told as a dual-POV. You mainly follow Vika, but you also get the perspective of Sky Foster, a rather mysterious young man who she met just prior to leaving her home planet. He actually is a lodger at her parent's home.

Sky does work on Ploutos though, for Hal, the man who has taken Vika in. The pair have a relationship fraught with tension, but when Vika fears her life may be in danger by whoever is coming after the Chapin heirs, she turns to Sky for help.

I really liked the relationship between Vika and Sky. Make no mistake, Vika is not a perfect character. She struggles with making choices that feel right to her. After moving to Ploutos, she sort of cuts herself off from her family. She feels like she is doing things for them, but to them, it doesn't seem that way. It's a really tough position for her to be in.

I felt for her, I really did. Some may see her as selfish, but I felt like she was doing the best she could. She's young, torn between two worlds, trying to figure out what would be best for her future. There were a lot of people willing to take advantage of her, but she had to learn how to be cunning enough to prevent that from happening.

It's all a game. It's chess pieces moving around a board. Eat or be eaten; extremely engaging content. With this being said, I'm not sure how long this one will stay in my memory, but I'm happy for the time I spent with this story. I loved the futuristic world with the classic themes woven throughout.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I am definitely interested in reading more from Cristin Terrill!!

4? stars

I think I forgot just how much YA sci-fi focus this book promised to have. It was a bit wild, and it almost lost my interest within the first few chapters, but I’m glad I kept going. It wasn’t exactly a mystery or dystopian thriller the way I’d initially thought it might be, but once I got used to the style of writing, I did mostly enjoy it. I think it’s a story I would’ve enjoyed more as a teen; since it’s intended for that audience, that’s probably a good thing. I liked but didn’t love it. Either way, I’ll be looking out for what the author creates next.

The writing was good, but I couldn’t get into the story. I don’t know what made it impossible for me to get into it, but I couldn’t do it. Based on what I read, I’d suspect there’s huge potential in this story, it just didn’t captivate my interest

The story started out a little slow, but I am glad that I stuck with it. Vika Hale lives on Philomenus, which is a very poor smoggy sister planet to the bright and sunny Ploutos. Vika’s life is about to change due to the death of a super rich man on Ploutos. The twists and turns of the story kept me changing my mind on who was behind the bad things that happened. I have been hoping to find a sci fi book more like this and am happy that I found it. There is romance and mystery in a science fiction setting.

I received a free copy of this book to review through NetGalley.

I love sci-fi but every time I start a new sci-fi book I get nervous because there's always a learning curve. The first few chapters of The Stars Between Us had me nervous with the lingo and language. Fortunately, it quickly got me settled in the world and I felt more comfortable. Vika is a bartender on a planet of poor blue collar workers. She finds out that she is in the will of a man she met years ago, who has recently died, but only if she marries his son. But before she can do anything about it, the son dies too, in an explosion (or is it a bombing?) Vika is still thrown into a world of rich and elite, but she fears that other people in the will are being targeted as well. Can her benefactors assistant help her figure it all out before anyone else dies?

So! We have a mystery, a romance that isn't really a romance, and lots of sci-fi bits. The story was fun and moved fairly fast. However, don't expect to like Vika very much. She is brash, rude, money goes to her head pretty fast, and she is judgmental. She is close to being redeemed with some character growth by the end of the book, but it wasn't enough for me. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why Sky (the assistant) was attracted to her after how mean she was-but she is beautiful, so that covers a multitude of sins. I suppose that is kind of realistic at least! I simultaneously liked the ending and wanted more.

Recommended if you like YA sci-fi mystery, unlikable characters with some growth, and futuristic societies. Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the e-ARC!

Vika’s life was certainly grim prior to her good fortune of becoming a ward to the heirs of a billionaire, but quickly starts to wonder if all of that money is worth the changes it makes to your person and your life? As Vika starts to navigate her new world she quickly gets caught up in the empty social cues and moré’s that have built that society. During these chapters I found myself not liking Vika too much, especially in the way she treats Sky Foster. Of course, that doesn’t last too long but I really struggled through those first few chapters because I found her pretty unlikable. Luckily, she pairs up with Sky and becomes a more likable character.

Other than not connecting quickly with the main character, I thought the world-building was well done and enjoyed the mystery solving. Sky Foster was a good foil for Vika’s more outrageous personality, but I didn’t really feel like they connected as a romantic pairing. Sky’s inst-love for Vika, a woman who treats him really horribly, is unbelievable, but I do see a change in her character by the end of the book so I gave them a pass on those earlier plot issues.

I usually love reading science fiction space operas and despite feeling a little let down by these characters, I still think others may like to give it a try. Especially if you’re a fan of this genre. ❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

I'm really not sure how I want to rate this one! One the one hand, I was super invested in the plot and the world. On the other hand, Vika was an insufferable and intolerable main character, and Sky was booorrrrrringgg. This was touted as enemies to lovers but it was "unrequited love at first sight" and "snobby poor-turned-rich person who doesn't know what they're about."

Okay, so I guess I'm going to give it a 3 star rating. The plot vs. characters are a pretty even balance. While I could walk away from this and never think about Vika and Sky again, I was absolutely enthralled by the mystery & world building and am still thinking about it after finishing the novel.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book had a great way to grab the readers with the characters and the plot! It got me hooked so fast that I was already in another dimension!

I'm ALWAYS down for a good space epic, and this was definitely a good one to feed that craving! I loved the suspense, the twists, the SPACE! (I really love space, okay?!) Highly recommend, especially to sci-fi and romance readers.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill is a cozy sci-fi mystery for YA readers.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The first thing I noticed about the book is the cover. The stars forming a beautiful ballgown are so stunning. The cover's cartoonish quality tells me this book is more of a light read, perhaps even humorous. The book description, interestingly, reads like a sci-fi thriller. So, I feel like I'm getting mixed messages about the book, which I've learned to take as a warning to the reading experience.
Actual Reading Experience:
The Stars Between Us, read as a cozy mystery, is compelling, and has some shocking twists and turns – all of which I enjoyed. I knew the culprit early on, but I had no idea the why. There is a predictability to the story, but that really wasn't a huge concern until I became bored with reading it. At that point, I could see what the predictability was doing to me as the reader in this case.
The writing, though otherwise, is wonderfully accessible and flowed with an ease that I enjoyed. The dialogue flowed naturally, and the descriptions detailed a world foreign to me, which sounded very intriguing. However, the world-building stayed highly focused on Vika, so I couldn't immerse myself in a world I didn't know much about.
I did find the plot highly entertaining. Vika has been chosen to marry a billionaire's son, and he only gets his inheritance if he weds her. On his way to meet Vika, his spaceship explodes, ejecting him into space. Once Vika goes to live with the couple that ended up inheriting the money by default, she makes it her mission to learn the killer's identity before they strike again. This is a very compelling plot and leads to many thrills, spills, and shocking twists.
Characters:
The main character, Vika, is so shallow that I had a tough time with her. She professes to love her family, but she jumped at the first chance to get off the planet and live a life of luxury with complete strangers. In many instances, I didn't understand her choices versus the words she said or thought. I would have understood, however, if she went with the couple to solve the mystery. Still, she didn't decide to do this until further into the story.
None of the characters are particularly well-developed. They seemed to me to be almost as cartoonish as the cover. This story could have used more character development to add the depth it lacked.
Narration & Pacing:
I loved the story's fast pace and the many thrills and spills. And the third-person focused narration was well done. I particularly loved the little breakaway sections that focused on the culprit and what they were thinking and feeling. This kept the intrigue up throughout the entire story.
Setting:
This book is set on two different planets: Philomenus and Ploutos. Philomenus was for the lower classes of this world's society, while Ploutus was the planet for the upper classes. Travel between the planets frequently happened as the people on Ploutos often had business dealings in Philomenus.

To Read or Not to Read:
I think this story is perfect for younger YA readers unfamiliar with sci-fi and who want to get a touch of the genre. I can see where the story would positively captivate their young minds.

This is a futuristic mystery set on two planets with vastly different living conditions. On one, most people are barely scraping by, living in squalor without much electricity or technology. The other is wealthy and people live in excess, throwing lavish parties. Vika dreams of moving up in the world, so when the chance presents itself, she throws herself into it.

I liked guessing who was behind the bombings and following one character as they hide their identity. There weren't too many people to suspect, but it was fun watching things unfold as we put together more clues. What I didn't love was the main character Vika. She's unnecessarily mean at times, especially to Sky. She also basically forgets her family once she leaves the planet and starts changing herself to be a spoiled rich girl. If she were more likeable, I probably would have bumped up the rating.

Sky is a cutie and I rooted for him to find happiness after he grew up in an abusive household. He just wants to help people and has a crush on Vika for some reason. He's been mistreated a lot and still maintained a sweet personality, so I'm glad for how his story turned out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy

I’ve read both of Cristin Terrill’s other books, and I enjoyed them both– her debut more than the second book, but both still good. So, when I saw she had a new book coming out, I knew I needed to read it. I loved the sci-fi elements of her first book, and the suspense/mystery elements of the second book, and THE STARS BETWEEN US looked to combine them both. Seemed like a sure win to me! Plus, I admit, the description “Dickensian” definitely left me intrigued.

I think my favorite thing about the book is that I felt like Cristin Terrill wasn’t afraid to play around with the usual stereotypes and push them further. We’ve all seen the strong-willed, pushy heroines, and the lovestruck heroes.

In THE STARS BETWEEN US, Vika is not only pushy and driven. Sometimes she’s straight up unkind. In the moment, she feels sure of her accusations and her words. Later, she often realizes how her words sounded and the ways she may have been wrong.

I loved that Sky was unapologetic about his feelings for Vika. Sometimes he seemed embarrassed or afraid, but he never apologized for loving her, and I loved that. He tried to do what she asked, not assume that he knew more than she did or that he could do something else and she’d understand later. He gave her space. I liked that.

The plot of the story kept me hooked all the way through. I had a list of suspects and really enjoyed the back and forth game of trying to figure out who the saboteur was and why.

All in all, I’d call this my favorite of Cristin Terrill’s books so far. I think fans of STARFLIGHT by Melissa Landers or ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA by Diana Peterfreund will really enjoy this book.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Vika Hale has grown up on the struggling planet of Philomenus.  Dirty air from pollution fills the air, there is no reliable energy resource, and most of the residents live paycheck to paycheck and are uneducated, serving as the working class for the nearby planet, Ploutos.  Vika, however, was given an exceptional education by an unknown benefactor. Now, the unknown benefactor has passed and he has named Vika as the wife for his son in his will.  In order for Leo Cashin to inherit his father's legacy, he must marry the girl his father wants.  Vika's life is turned upside down as she imagines a life of luxury on Plutonius, but she must decide if she wants to give up her life for a stranger.  Although, just before Vika and Leo meet a tragedy strikes that will change Vika's path once again. 

The Stars Between Us is a sci-fi romance that hits on economic disparity.  I was really interested in Philomenus and Ploutus, how they were colonized and how they became so disparate.  The information about the planets is dispersed throughout the story, but I could have used a little more background. Vika's character is very interesting, she is not exactly the most likable person, but her strong-willed, stubborn nature and tendency to go after what she wanted were the traits that her benefactor admired.  Vika's feelings about potentially being rich and having the life she has always dreamed of were understandable; however, it seemed that she was ungrateful when the opportunity was handed to her. Vika's relationship with Sky also seemed unbalanced, I was rooting for them, but wasn't sure why Sky was so entranced.  Overall, an interesting science fiction romance with a lot of drama and some twists that shows the impact of money, greed and choosing your own destiny.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

This dystopian fiction shows money shows a future of worse economic disparity.

Ever since Vika Hale was a child, she had an unknown benefactor that paid for her and her sister's education and ran her through a variety of physical and psychological tests. These allow Vika to dream of a life where she no longer lived on an economically and emotionally poor planet and instead lived on its cousin with the rich people. Suddenly, she is given a choice to do just that; give up working at a bar to marry the richest man on the two planets. But she cannot decide if she wants to sell herself or if the money is worth her morality. But her life shifts again as her betrothed is killed. Soon she finds herself part of a plot against the family because the next heir has included her in their life.

I liked that the author took instalove love and gave it a twist. It isn't the main character who falls head over heels. Instead, the instalove is flipped on its head and was made into a male character. I do have to say I don't understand the instant love in this incident but maybe it's because the woman is more complex and not some kind of angel. I was just happy Vika wasn't starry-eyed over some man.

I called the answer of the “who dun it” pretty early in the book. But Cristin Terrill feeds red herring after red herring along the way. Because of this, I didn't see the biggest twist coming I always love a good surprise. The novel needs that twist to really stand out in the world of YA Dystopia, especially those dealing with economic differences.

I really enjoyed that the characters were able to put economic status aside to solve the mystery. It is quite clear that while the poor planet will get the brunt of the danger, the more affluent planet would also suffer as well. And it's not easy for Vika who has moved up in the world.. Her home planet treats her shoddily, and the citizens don't trust her even though all she wants is to save the places and people she loves.

The Stars Between is a new take on the betrothed story with a stunning twist.

The Stars Between Us is a young adult science fiction novel with elements of romance and mystery.
Vika (Viktoria) Hale is a bar waitress on a miserable polluted planet when she is suddenly named in a rich man’s will. She’ll have to marry his son Leo Capin (whom she has never met) but she and her family will be assured a life of luxury and comfort. But Leo is killed in a rebel attack before they have a chance to meet and she thinks her dreams are over when the new heirs (the former Capin domestic help, Hal and Mira) invite her to their planet for an extended visit. For the first time since she was a child she has clean air, good food and beautiful clothes and Vika decides that finding another rich fiancée might solve all her problems. But she finds herself distracted by the attentions of Hal’s assistant Sky, a young man whose awkwardness sets her on edge and the handsome family solicitor Archer. Soon another deadly attack targeting her and the new heirs has her investigating who else would benefit from their deaths. As she delves further into the mystery cracks start appearing in the Cinderella lifestyle of her, Hal and Mira and she questions if she can follow through with her plan to find a rich husband.
I really enjoyed this mystery romance set in a science fiction setting. Vika wasn’t your typical too perfect YA heroine but was pretty realistic about how money could benefit her and her family and get her off the planet. I also liked how Sky wasn’t the obvious leading man and most of the time his friend Ariel got to be the actual hero (note: Ariel needs her own book). There were a few things I found unlikely with some of the character’s double-lives and secret identities but did enjoy watching money change the arc of Hal’s character.
Overall, this was an entertaining mystery and romance with a science fiction setting that is appropriate for all ages. It also has a solid message about wealth and privilege and staying true to your own values.
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was pitched as Bridgerton in a science fiction world and I can see that. It was definitely a science fiction meets a romcom which is always fun. I thought this was engaging and fast paced but I didn't love the main characters which makes it hard to enjoy the overall book.

This book was so incredible. It was packed full of fantasy, mystery, and so much more. I was on the edge of my seat page after page. I never wanted to put this book down. I loved following Vika's story. The concept for this world and the story was very unique and interesting. It captured my attention quickly, and it held on through the whole story. The fact that the person her took care of her and her sisters that she never knew had been a billionaire that died under suspicious circumstances gave me a bit of a Clue or Knives out feels for a bit. It was so intense when she nearly died and realized that the will's heirs were being hunted down. I genuinely could rave about this story so much. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this story.

The Stars Between Us is the perfect book for new sci-fi fans.

I wasn’t expecting much from this based on the synopsis and reviews, and I’m glad. This is the perfect book for newer YA readers, or more romance based sci-fi/fantasy lovers. I’m not either of those groups.

I did enjoy the worldbuilding, and it felt very similar to Red Queen, which made it easy to understand. The travel, dystopian world and characters all feel very young compared to the plot of the book, but it’s definitely great for getting back into the world of sci-fi.

The one thing that I didn’t enjoy as much as I hoped was the actual plot. The amount of insane plot twists kept building and building and the ending was nice, but it felt very bland compared to everything that happened mere pages before. There were some twists that I felt could’ve been left out, and were simply added to create more of a build up.

That being said, I do love books where the guy falls first, and this is one of them. Vika, Sky, Archer and the rest of the characters are all very well developed, and it’s safe to say that one of them carried the book more than others.

Overall, this was a super fun read. Thank you NetGalley, Wednesday Books and the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Eighteen year old Vika lives on one of two sister planets - hers being the one full of laborers, pollution and poverty that supports the wealthier other. After years of struggling to help keep her family comfortable and afloat, she discovers that she was named in a wealthy businessman’s will to gain a fortune if she marries his son - someone she has never met before. But just as this news sinks in and Vika is warming to the idea of having some financial means, plans are thrown out the window.

The Stars Between Us follows Vika as she tries to balance what it is to have wealth and still stay grounded. How to trust when you are not sure who to trust. Who to love when you are not sure of motives. And how to stay true to yourself. I enjoyed this novel but wasn’t instantly drawn into the characters and setting. Having this story take place on fictional planets is interesting but not defining. The love interest is a roller coaster of yes, no & maybes and at times felt choppy. But overall a decent read if you like a slow burn where you can root for the underdog. 3 stars.

Review based on an Uncorrected Digital Galley from Wednesday Books and NetGalley. Thank you!

This was the first book I’ve read from this author and while I tend to love YA books, this one felt more like a children’s book with a little bit of romance tossed in. And while I’m not a huge fan of science fiction books, I at least expect some twists and turns and I didn’t feel like I got very many of them with Vika’s story.

And speaking of Vika, I wasn’t a big fan of hers. I found her to be juvenile, spoiled, and immature throughout most of the story with a lackluster character arc. The blurb had me thinking we’d get this extravagant, thrilling story but instead I found myself rolling my eyes at the FMC and wondering when the slow moving story would end.

I mean, it’s not HORRIBLE, but it’s a bit too childish and bland for someone like me.