DNF at this time. This book was not a good fit for me at the moment but I think it will be better for me when it comes out on audiobook.

The cover is what drew me in but unfortunately the book could not keep my attention. I abandoned this book at 25%. I skimmed the remaining 75% just to get the full plot.

The Stars Between Us is YA sci-fi murder mystery. That’s a lot of genres to cram together. Sadly, it didn’t work for me. The main character, Vika, felt too one dimensional. None of the characters really stood out to me. I kept reading character names and thinking “what who was that again?” The plot moved far too slowly for my liking, it wasn’t enough to make me want to pick up the book and continue reading.

Okay this is a YA dystopian/sci fi book that is an easy read! The world building is not extensive, but enough to get a good picture of what you’re dealing with.

The pacing of this one is a touch slow, but once I got past the 11% mark I really got into it and didn’t find it hard to keep reading. I wasn’t sure if this was a standalone or not considering at 90% I wasn’t sure how it could possibly wrap up. However wrap up (albeit quickly) it did.

It was a satisfying ending although I’m still a little confused over the particulars of the money. There are two different things that happen and I’m not sure how they can happen at the same time.

Anyways I think it’s an excellent YA story for a YA audience. It’s Inheritance Games, crossed with Red Rising, crossed with Hunger Games… but the light version of all those stories haha basically similar themes less intricate and in depth. I say 3.5 stars but I rounded up.

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for my eARC in exchange for my honest review!

A Pygmalion/Great Expectations story set in space.

Vika works in a bar on the poor, haze-covered planet, Philomenus. A mysterious benefactor paid for tutors for Vika and her sister during their childhood, but Vika’s dire lot in life now seems fixed. One day, a handsome young Ploutosian man arrives to tell Vika that her benefactor was the famous billionaire, Rigel Chapin, who has just died. Thrust into a glamorous new life on the wealthy planet Ploutos, Vika is now caught in a web of danger—someone is targeting the heirs to Chapin’s fortune. Sky, who works for her benefactors, cannot be completely trusted but is Vika’s only hope to find out who’s behind the attacks.

The descriptive writing was lovely and drew me into this world but I was annoyed by Vika’s vernacular—it’s fine in dialogue but distracting in the 3rd person exposition.

The pace of the mystery was slow and not very exciting or detailed. It had enough clues for me to guess the ending but I wasn’t certain until the big reveal.

As the story progressed, my feelings about Vika kept changing. She is unlikeable—often selfish and quick to rationalize any wrongdoing to absolve herself of guilt—which made it hard for me to root for her. At other times she genuinely cares for others and seeks to improve her family’s life at the cost of her own happiness. She was imperfect but she grew so I was more on her side by the end.

In contrast, I liked Sky from the start. He was pleasantly mysterious and even though I guessed his secret early I still enjoyed his story as it unfolded. I rooted for him, even when he made complicated choices. But he was a little inconsistent too, sometimes wanting to make the world a better place and sometimes wanting to disappear and just take care of himself.

Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the digital ARC in exchange for my review.

This book was so tense but so fun at the same time! This world is vivid and I loved it! I think the best way to describe this book is a little bit of Bridgerton, a bit of The Inheritance Games, and a golden retriever love interest, all wrapped up in a pretty bow. I just had a great time reading this story. 4.5 stars ⭐️.

This story was super atmospheric, full of sparkles, and packed with alluring intrigue. I loved the characters, I loved the plot, the execution, the pacing, ALL OF IT.

Viktoria was an interesting protagonist. She had a lot of traits that I wouldn’t have expected considering her upbringing. Most notably she was selfish, completely self absorbed but not in a way that was distasteful. That stood out to me as we progressed through the book because of how she battles that fact about herself, and how she feels so guilty for allowing her “selfishness” to overcome her when it reality she is just enjoying the one time she allows herself some sort of happiness. Besides that, she was stubborn and caring and she fixated a lot. I feel like this combo is something I haven’t seen before, which I liked. Also, she wasn’t perfect by any means, and I respect the author for writing her like that because it just added dimension to her character.

Book: The Stars Between Us
Author: Cristin Terrill
Rating: 2 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Wednesday Books, for sending me an ARC.

This one sadly missed the mark for me. I thought I was going to enjoy this one, but it just ended up falling flat. The idea of having all of these different social classes in space and being selected for marriage did appeal to me. I thought that if this was done correctly that this would be something different and change the YA world. However, there was something missing from the book that prevented me from fully enjoying myself. I think this is just another case of a good idea that just ended up falling flat.

I had a really difficult time getting into the characters. While I did find them to be somewhat complex, I had a different time building any kind of bond with them. I’m just going to be honest. I thought they were brats and spoiled. Now, normally this would not bother me. I like seeing characters who start out as being brats and undergoing some kind of change that makes them a lot more likeable. However, the more I read of the book, the more I realized that I just did not care. No matter what I did, I could not see the good in these characters and just felt a lack of hope for them. There was nothing to give them any kind of redemption. I found that they did not change nor did they learn anything throughout the course of the book.

I also found the idea of the different social classes to be very interesting. However, I just felt, again, that the idea just didn’t go through like it should have. It was just missing something to really drive the point home. We needed something more to give us a reason to become fully involved in these different social classes. Again, I think a lot of this comes back to the fact that I did not have any kind of bond with the characters. I just didn’t have a reason to care. I didn’t have a reason to be fully invested.

The writing was there, but, again, it was just missing something to really drive it home. The makings of a great writer are there, but it felt like she was holding back. It felt like she had the idea down, but just didn’t know how to carry it out. I kind of wonder if things have been fleshed out a little more or had a bit of a connection, then I do think I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

I just think that overall I was missing the connection that I was seeking with this one.

This book comes out on August 2, 2022.

Dystopian sci-fi romance? Sign me up! This is my first foray into reading Cristin Terrill’s work and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was such a fun romp that has showcases delightful tropes in faraway places.

A very good read. I highly enjoyed the places this book took me. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from this author in the future.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Stars Between Us has a pretty cover and a tag line that doesn't go well with the book. The synopsis gives the impression of a captivating and entertaining story but falls way short of those expectations.

Vika, the main character, is one of the most selfish, vain, shallow, and ridiculous characters I've ever encountered. I normally don't mind a difficult character if they have a reason to be difficult but Vika is ridiculous. Sky Foster/Leo Chapin is a love sick guy who falls for Vika because she is beautiful and admits that she is vain and shallow and doesn't get why he's in love. Neither do I, Sky.

The Stars Between Us is a rags-to-riches story where for some reason this rich guy Riegel Chapin, a complete stranger, put Vika in his will to marry her to his rich son, all based on a chance meeting. Vika finds out later that his son died in a space craft bombing leaving her to continue her normal poor life. The Gardners, a couple who knew the Chapins, decides to take in Vika, for some reason, and Vika leaves her family and gets to live a life of riches.

This book is decently written and should have been 100 to 200 pages shorter. For 90% of the book Vika is completely unlikable and has a personality that just rubs me the wrong way. All Vika does is go to parties, look for a rich husband, treat annoying Sky like crap, and doesn't even give one thought to the family she left behind. Vika doesn't even bother sending anything to them either to help.

Vika and Sky are the two POVS we follow and both are infuriating, disappointing and stupid.

I don't think I've ever been so disappointed with a book since The Betrothed by Kiera Kass came out.

I wanted to enjoy the sci-fi plot mixed with a little mystery but I don't recommend this book.

1.5 stars

Lots of lingo in the beginning that didn’t make sense to me. Grock, bits, uzso, toser. It’s a lot to throw at a reader and assume they understand it. It made the story not fun to read. The world building seemed to just depend on the use of these strange words and that made it hard for me to understand and appreciate the world I was reading about.

Vika is… something else. I like that she wasn’t entirely likeable, but her attitude got old after a while.

This would be a great introduction to young adult sci-fi for a reader looking to get into the genre.

3/5 for me.

Rom-com thriller set in a sci-fi setting? Yes, please!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a very quick read for me and once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. The perfect amount of mystery and romance set in intergalactic space had me picking up my Kindle whenever I had a moment! The plot was well-executed though a little predictable at times. I really wanted to love this story but I had issues with two things: first off, I hard time with the FMC, Vika. Greedy and self-centered, her whiny attitude got old real fast. I love complex characters but found it difficult to find redeeming qualities with her. Second, the ending felt incredibly rushed.

Overall, I'm rating this story 3.5 stars out of 5 as I still enjoyed it.

This was so good! One of the first books I've read in a long time where I think about the story and characters when I'm not reading. Kept me guessing and engaged the entire read.

Terrill has built a beautiful universe for our characters to live in. Vika was a multifaceted character with so much depth and life to her. I loved being privy to her inner struggles with her new life versus her old one. I can honestly say that the ending caught me slightly off guard, which was refreshing! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Big thanks to Edelweiss and Wednesday Books for the arc!

Reasons to read: rags to riches, themes of knowing your own worth, seeing people and not money

First off, look at that cover. It is even prettier in person, trust me! Vika is all glitz and glamour and fiercness! She lives in a lower-income area with her family. Ever since she was young, an unknown benefactor has been providing a good education for both Vika and her sister and her family is like, "uh sure, we aren't passing down this opportunity no matter how prideful we are." I give her family huge props, but I digress. After the death of a billionaire, Vika discovers she's been included in his will. She's been being studied all these years, rating her intelligence, mental strength etc and she's been chosen to marry the heir, Leo Chapin. But poor Leo is soon after killed in a sus accident. Seeing her future snatched away, Vika resigns herself to her lowly barmaid life when suddenly she's invited to the rich home of Leo's aunt and uncle (Hal and Mira), now the inheritors of his fortune. They quickly thrust her into the life she'd briefly dreamed of.

Let me cut in and say how much I LOVED Vika's reaction to living in luxury. Not once does she feel bad about enjoying every moment of her new life? Why should she? She sends some of her allowance home to help her family, but the girl is basking in her new digs. But to keep her wealth, she'll have to marry rich. Whatever shall she do??

They're a few hot men to drool over, especially the mysterious Sky whom Vika is quickly suspicious of when he shows up as an assistant to Hal and Mira. Rewind. Vika had met Sky earlier on when he rented a room from her family. Now you're caught up.

But things aren't always what they seem. Vika realizes that Leo's death may have been an inside job and that the same people are also trying to kill Hal, Mira, and herself. I love a good conspiracy, so this tickled me.

This is sci-fi, but it's not bogged down with tech talk. It mostly reminded me of Final Fantasy 7's Mdgar city slums and Vika is very much my Tifa! The worldbuilding is good but contained to two planets, so it's not too confusing.

Overall, I loved the writing, I loved the pacing, and I loved everything. If you're looking for a swoon-worthy story, this is the one for you.

Even though I usually love YA books like this, I just couldn’t get into this one. The start was very slow, but it did pick up in time. I didn’t really connect with the MC either as much as I tried rooting for her. Sky and Vika were cute, but I feel like we didn’t get to see how their relationship really developed. Overall, this was an okay read. It just wasn’t for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I had little to no expectations as I went into this book. I didn’t know what to expect or even barely what this story was about. And yet, this book still managed to blow any expectations I could have had aside. I was sucked in early on and eagerly awaiting each next plot devise and twist. It was very exciting and suspenseful.

Let me start off by saying that I did enjoy this book. It was bridgerton in a galaxy far far away. And it did turn out to be a page turner and a beautiful love story.

That being said I do think it fell short. The characters and world were both lacking depth and richness. I kept finding myself trying to remember what the characters looked like or where I was in the world within the book. I think it had so much potential to be truly magic but I was left a little unsatisfied.

But overall an enjoyable read.

This one was solidly meh for me. I was really intrigued by the plot description, but when it came down to reading it, it felt like a slog. Took me a solid two weeks to make it through when usually I could read it in a couple days. The MC wasn’t very likeable, though I appreciated her growth, and I just feel like even the surprises weren’t that interesting. Unfortunate. Cuz I really thought I would like it!

I received this book in exchange for fair review

This book was an engaging read from beginning to end. It managed to engage both the sci-fi and dystopian genres with a healthy amount of romance. This book also balanced interesting main characters with a complex and ethically gray moral question, which is why I loved it so much.

I highly recommend for fans of Veronica Roth's Carve the Mark series and Marissa Meyer's Cinder series, or anyone wanting to get into the space subgenre of YA science fiction!