I received this arc via NetGalley and I would like to say thank you to St. Martin’s Press Wednesday Books imprint as always all thoughts are my own.

The Stars Between Us follows Viktoria Hale and her life on a planet destitute with poverty and every generation repeating the cycle, until one day the legal team of her mysterious rich benefactor; who been providing for her since a child shows up to give her the news that she was in his will to receive his inheritance by marrying his only son. But as the story progresses Vika starts to realize just how much money shows a person true colors.

There were things that I enjoyed about this book but also things that I would change, let’s start with what I enjoyed. What I enjoyed about this book was that the running theme throughout the story was money and how when people have a certain amount of money they tend to transform into a person that’s unrecognizable. In the story we see Vika struggle with this a lot because she wants to become rich and never have to go through the poverty on my planet anymore and provide for her family, but can she be okay with losing who she is a person if she gives herself over.

Personally what I would change or did not like was how slow moving the book was in certain places like when I started the book the end of the prologue hooked me from the beginning but then it would lose but by the middle of the story a plot twist would hook me in again and I would keep reading to find out but it would take multiple chapters to get be hooked again. But that should not stop you from reading this book because it does tell an important message of what greed does to a person and lengths they would go to achieve it.

The Stars Between Us is available in all major retailers on August 2nd 2022.

2.5 stars**

We started really strong but then in the middle it went down hill.

Enter Vika, a girl who suddenly may win a fortune, thanks to the will of a wealthy man, but there's a catch, she had to get married.

This begins intriguing and then... yeah.

I think the biggest problem with this book is Vika herself, at first she is a hard working person and then out of nowhere she's extremely ambitious (but in the stupid way). She loves her family, but then totally forget about them. This transition is not smooth and her hate for Sky is uncalled for, she met him and immediately she hates him.

Another big problem, the romance. I didn't feel a lot of chemistry, sure there were some, but NOT that much.
I could go on, I won't because the thing is: this got potential, all the elements for an excellent book are there but need more polish. The romance, the characters, the world building.

This is a very mix review but I will wait for more of this author in the future.



Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I had high hopes for this. I mean… Bridgerton in space?? Sign me up. However, I felt this fell very flat. The worldbuilding was sloppy, the science iffy, and the plot kind of lackluster. While I’m sure there is an audience somewhere out there for this book… It was not for me.

The Stars Between Us was so much more than I expected. It's a constantly moving story filled with romance and complex politics. Vika, the main character, went through a pleasantly realistic arc and went from being a character I didn't like to one that I felt close to. My favourite part had to be her realization about money: both the benefits and the consequences. Good read!

This was an incredibly unique, interesting book!! From the twists and the turns to the incredible world building, I found myself on the edge of my seat often. One of my favorite things for me though was the character ARC with our heroine. Cristin did a wonderful job of making her flawed and complex, and also making her go from someone you frankly wanted to throw your book at to routing heavily for. You don’t often see heroines this flawed, but it was real and raw and done well. This read is lower on the romance scale but definitely high on the YA/Sci-Fi, so if that’s what you are looking for, its definitely worth picking up!

I was provided a free ARC of The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill from St Martin’s Press via NetGalley in return for my honest review of this book. Any opinions stated in this review are mine completely and are not influenced by outside sources.

I want to start off this review by saying I really frekin love this book, which is weird because usually I'm not a sci-fi fan. Vika felt so realistic as a character and I felt that I could really put myself into her shoes and see why she made certain decisions. I never really knew who to trust in this book and just as I thought I could trust someone they were hiding something. I highly recommend this and I will be purchasing it when it comes out.

I wasn't sure what to expect from The Stars Between Us, and I read a lot of mixed reviews; however, now that I have finished, I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed the book! I really liked Vika as the protagonist; she definitely had her flaws, but, for me, that's what made her so relatable. At times, she is selfish, egotistical, and brash, but at other times, she is kind and thoughtful. I also really liked Sky as a character; his chapters were some of my favorites! Similar to Vika, he is not a perfect character - there is plenty to dislike about him, but he is realistic. Ariel is just great!

The book follows Vika as she transitions from being a bartender and taking care of her family on a more rundown planet to living the life of luxury (to include gowns, galas, and all the riches) on the more well-off planet. How she got to Ploutos and whether she is able to stay is all part of the narrative. I thought the book was well-paced and the dialogue was well-written. The ending is satisfying and there is plenty of action.

While this appears to be a one-off and not the first book in a series, I'll definitely be reading more from this author! I'll also be recommending The Stars Between Us to anyone who is looking for an exciting and well-written YA fantasy/Sci-Fi.

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.