Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
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The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill was a sci-fi, mystery YA stand-alone novel.
Vika’s mysterious benefactor has loomed large over her life, popping in and out unexpectedly and with no known reason as to why they were or weren’t doing the things they were. Until the death of a billionaire magnate and lawyers appearing at her home to let her know that she was chosen out of several other young women to marry the dead man’s son, in fact marrying her is a necessity for the son to inherit the man’s money.
Nothing like being a pawn in someone’s schemes.
Vika wrestles with the choices. She remembers life before, when her family was fairly well off and could afford luxuries, before the economy tanked and her father lost the job that kept them well off. This could be her chance to bring them even higher than they had been. Is she marrying for love? No. But who needs love when you have money?
About the time Vika comes to her decision she finds out the ship carrying her maybe-to-be-husband has exploded and there were no survivors. Ready to give up and let all her hopes go of a better life fate intervenes again and the couple that have now inherited the money invite Vika to live with them and get a taste of what she would have if her maybe-husband hadn’t died. Vika jumps at the chance and finds herself surrounded by wealth and glamour but realizes quickly that there is a dark undercurrent to it all. A darkness that may target her if she doesn’t start looking for answers and quick. Meanwhile she also has Sky, a young man she met shortly after the death of maybe-husband, that she keeps running into, Sky makes her uneasy, something about him sets her on edge and so she does her best to keep him at a distance while trying to get answers and maybe find a new maybe-rich-husband to finish what she had already planned to start.
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A lot of people aren’t going to like Vika. They are going to call her whiney and she is, a little, but above all else Vika is ruthless. She is goal oriented and she has her sights set on a goal and she means to reach it. That goal is money, at the expense of her own happiness, because she doesn’t expect love out of this, she expects to at least help both herself and her family and that is enough for her.
Was this my favorite book of the year? No. Was it absolutely fun still? Yes.
This book was like a popcorn movie, you know? Like, not the best but fun enough it kept you with it. Pretty predictable and nothing entirely exciting or new but the writing style was good, and kept me going. It was fun.
I got the chance to listen to this in audiobook format and the narrator I thought had a pleasant voice and did a good job with it. I’d definitely look forward to hearing her as a narrator for future books.

I was 100% drawn to this YA fantasy mystery/romance for the gorgeous cover but was pleasantly surprised by just how much I really enjoyed the story too! Set in space, this was a rags to riches type story featuring Vika, a poor barmaid who was betrothed to a rich heir. When its assumed he dies in a spacecraft crash his family reaches out and offers Vika a place among their household, introducing her to a life of wealth and riches she's only ever dreamt of before.

I loved what a relatable character Vika is! She owns how selfish and avaricious she is and isn't afraid to marry for money if it means helping change her family's circumstances. What she doesn't realize is Sky, the servant boy who turned up mysteriously out of nowhere is hiding a secret identity. While the storyline was a bit predictable I still really enjoyed both the romance and the mystery and thought this was great on audio too! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

The Stars Between Us was A novel by Cristin Terrill and narrated by Stephanie Willing. I listened and read this one. I thought the audiobook was better because Stephanie Willing was really good and perfect for this story.
Sooooo, I thought this was to long for what it was. It all could of been done with less stuff. I felt like it took forever for the romance and I struggled to care about most of the book. I also didn’t like the protagonist. She wasn’t very likable and these are my honest thoughts. I’m only going to give it 3 ⭐️.
Thanks Macmillan Audio St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

3.5/5 stars

This is a Great Expectations inspired YA story about a 18 year old girl living in significant poverty being suddenly dropped into a world of obscene wealth after being named in the will of a billionaire on a neighboring planet.

Part Sci-fi, part romance, part mystery, this was an easy fun read. Our protagonist is unlikeable, and that made her much more relatable. She reacts to the wealth in a way that was uncomfortable to read but was honest and true to the characters age.

This book had ALOT of ideas. Cramming them all in made the pacing feel off, the relationships feel manufactured, and the major plot reveals feel lackluster.

I will say that whoever said this was Bridgerton meets Illuminae hasn't read this book or those cause I dont get the connection whatsoever. Instead I would say that if you liked books such as Truly Devious or The Inheritance Games, you will enjoy this.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Wednesday Books for this advanced copy.

AUDIOBOOK Review:
I found the audiobook to be very well done. The narration was spot on and helped me to connect to the storyline. Truly, the fact that I split time between the ebook and audiobook probably helped my overall rating for the book itself because I liked the narration so much. 4 stars.

Book Review:
3 1/2 stars

The Stars Between Us had great potential. I loved the idea of multiple planets where some were wealthier and more desirable than others. It basically takes current world situations and amplifies them a bit to a larger scale. It was an intriguing idea for a storyline. Throw in the arranged marriage plot and I was totally all in for the ride then the story took a screeching halt sideways twist and completely changed the storyline in a way that I'm not sure improved it. That said, I stuck with it.

I do believe this was an inventive and original book that was different from anything I've read recently. Unfortunately, I like to connect with characters when I read and I did not find the main character Vika to be someone relatable. She didn't prove to be someone I could like. For the most part, she seemed to be a bit selfish early into the story. She does evolve some as it progresses, thankfully. But it takes a while and the author almost loses me in the process. In addition, she takes some other characters down the less than likable path as well. Overall, I just felt a little icky through a good deal of the book.

Everything kind of works itself in the end in a way. Yet, it still felt a bit stilted to me. The flow of things just never really clicked. It could have been me, I'm not quite sure. I just know that I wanted more from this book than I got and I really think the potential was there for it. That said, it was still a good read and I'm sure many will love it. I just found it to be okay.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read, listen and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Vika is probably the most dislikeable MC I've had the misfortune of reading in recent history. Her entitled bullshit attitude made it an absolutely miserable reading experience and she made zero growth throughout the book. She remains the same spoiled brat from page 1, so prepare yourself for that. What was the plot? Murder mystery but I can't tell you much more than that because I was distracted by how awful Vika was.
Terrill has a writing style that agrees with my tastes however.

I always fall for gorgeous covers. The Stars Between Us was no exception. The story itself is a pretty basic YA Science Fiction story. It reminded me of the Starbound trilogy by Amie Kaufman. I'm picky with narrators but I definitely enjoyed this audiobook.

This book had a really cool concept and an unique setting which I really enjoyed. I liked how not naive the FMC was and that there was no instalove on her part, but for more than 30% of the book she was so unlikeable I was tempted to DNF, but then a huge twist happened and the book hooked me from there! The MMC is extremely likeable and so are the side characters and the FMC does come around to become somehow a better person so I did end up enjoying the book, I just wished it didn’t take me so long to like the character enough to care about her story.

Great narration. Interesting story line and plot. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity for an early listen.

Fantastic audiobook. I really enjoyed this narrator, especially since part of the story is different accents based on class. The narrator did a great job distinguishing between the lower class and upper class accents. I feel like the audiobook was a fabulous way to take in this story.

Full Review:

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.

While there is nothing new here and the characters a bit too YA in their lack of nuance and depth, it is enjoyable enough in its own right. I was greatly reminded of the Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner Starbound series (even the title is nearly the same) so I imagine those who really enjoyed that series will like this stand alone.

Story: Vika's family ekes out a living on a poor mining planet. When she finds herself a sudden heir to a fortune, she's at first relieved and then disgusted: she will have to marry the dead millionaire's son in order to inherit. Will Vika be able to remain true to herself in the process? Will she discover a plot to wipe out the potential heirs before she becomes the next target?

As main characters, Sky and Vika were what I expect from YA: too shallow to be an interesting set of protagonists and in a world that is both underdeveloped and highly unrealistic. Neither of those issues will likely bother the target YA audience who often are more interested in a romance and with a heroine who is doing things (even though they are rather inane). The lead male is written to be a milquetoast, leaving Vika to be able to make all the saving moments and solve the mysterious the adults never can figure out.

The science fiction in here is ludicrous - but again, most aren't reading this for the worldbuilding. So discard any notions of realistic politics, legal systems, space science, etc. and just enjoy the ride as Vika solves all the problems and saves the day.

I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator was fine. She personified the young heroine and made the male voices interesting enough as not to be distracting. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Full of wonder and the dream of living in such a paradise will definitely appeal to readers. This story was enjoyable and I loved the hidden identity component. I did struggle with Vika’s character - she was a bit too whiny and quick to judge. For her age and background, I expected her to have a bit more maturity about her and she just didn’t have that. Leo was perfect - the silent, patient boy who despite his near death, was not as vengeful as I thought he’d be. Their relationship really reminds me of Wesley and Princess Buttercup of The Princess Bride - how he was EXTREMELY patient with all of Buttercup’s whiny comments and self sacrificial behavior, I really liked the concept of the plot and how realistic it is, illustrating that the more money you have, the more cruel people can be. Overall, it was a good read but not one I’d revisit.

Main character is a pieces of trash, A WHOLE BIG PIECE OF TRASH. She's extremely greedy, so much so that she wants to marry for money, just money, doesn't care about how the guy is at all, just wants them to have money. She goes speed dating and considers some very older men just because they were rich. Once this girl gets off planet, she changes her name so she can "begin again" in this new rich life. She has no feeling towards her family at all, you think she does for a minute, but then she gets the chance to be rich, and drops them quickly, and doesn't even send them any money when she is rich, yet keeps trying to tell herself that she can't send money because she needs her money right now to dress nice to get her a rich husband. She's just a horrible human.

But of course the horrible person gets the happy ending. LAME.

I really enjoyed this one, and after something like 18 months without reading sci-fi, I think this one put me back in the mood for one!

Of two neighboring planets, Vika Hale has been stuck living and working on the one filled with the have-nots, the one filled with pollution, the one full of poverty. Her time is spent slugging grog at a local bar, doing chores for her mother, and helping her father with his job. Then one day she receives a glimmer of hope—a possibility of money and of living on that glittering, shining, affluent planet next door.

That potential ticket comes at a price, though—she will have to marry someone she has never met—but for Vika, even that doesn’t go smoothly.

And then there’s Sky Foster. He enters her life when things are in upheaval, and there’s something off about him that she can’t put her finger on.

My description is an oversimplification of course, but I don’t want to give too much away. This is a YA sci-fi romance centered around a hierarchical social structure and the many players at the whim of a dead man’s will. And those players are trying to either work within the restrictions of the confines they have received or are grasping and scheming for more.

We see the sociopolitical ramifications of what one man invented, controlled, and manipulated on both a macrocosm and a microcosm scale.

I was sucked into the story and became invested in the outcomes of the main players and many of the supporting characters, too, the impact money or the prospect of money has on their decisions and actions, and who they truly are deep down.

Vika enters a world where the decision of whom you marry is often driven by necessity and finding that successful match in terms of status, wealth, and support for one’s family, but as readers, we still want her to have love. I became wrapped up in all the family and found family relationships and, naturally, in the romantic relationships, too.

Strap in for an interplanetary romance, a heavy dose of intrigue, a smattering of societal functions, and a glimpse at the grit of the working class.

I listened to the audiobook version. Stephanie Willing’s narration brought the story to life, and she captured the multiple points-of-view and characters’ voices well. I became easily immersed in the worlds she described.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

What I thought would be my second arranged marriage book of the month went QUICKLY awry as the potential husband is offed in about the first 30 minutes of the audiobook. So...things were off to an interesting start!

There is a lot of focus in this book on the problems of poverty and what women will do to escape it. Vika had the opportunity to marry herself into wealth, and when she has a taste of comfort as a ward of the SECOND set of Chapin heirs, she determines that she is NOT going back to a life of want.

Her narrative counterpart, Sky, also has thoughts in marriage, love, and wealth, but he's fallen on another side of the equation: he'd rather have freedom than wealth. So, the two had best stay out of each-other's way.

...they do not.

All surrounding this main plot of romance and finance is the greater story of economic exploitation between one wealthy planet and its colony. Vika's family scrapes by as Vika parties it up as the Chapin ward, police brutality lurks in every scene on the colony planet, and a rebellion looks for a foothold to gain freedom.

While the book was a bit predictable, I figure that's what's wanted from a romance. The sci-fi of this is really more of a backdrop than a core element, so don't be scared off if you read in just the romance genre. You could just as easily make the two planets into two islands, and it'd work great. Just set dressing and a bit of ambiance. An enjoyable listen.

Advanced copy provided by the publisher.

I wanted to like this book but I just could get on board with it. Something about the fantasy world that was created just didn’t hit with me.

In an odd twist of events Vika goes from living a poor life to living a life of luxury. She settles in quickly and decides it’s the life she wants forever. With that in mind, she sets out to find a rich husband.

After some odd events Vika starts to realize foul play may be amiss and works with her nemesis Sky Foster to figure out what is going on.

I’m a shocker of an ending, the two solve the mystery of what is going on and end up getting the life they both seek.

Bridgerton meets futuristic sci-fi world had a fun premise to it. A girl who is suddenly whisked away to a rich planet to live out her dreams and help her family. Unfortunately, the Stars Between Us wasn't a hit for myself.

I loved the world building that author Cristin Ferrill and narrator Stephanie Willimg brought to the story. It was fascinating to listen to the two planets brought to life and the characters inner thoughts. However; once Vika is able to move in with the Gardners she became a selfish person that I had no want to read more about. I wanted more from the story, especially with Sky being the prince and wanting to hideout from the world. I also would have loved to read about the other planets and their role in society. Overall, with the length that the book is, I felt there was a lot lacking.

I would give THE STARS BETWEEN US a 4.5. it is a solid YA book with relatable characters and impressive world building. There is a well timed out love story as well as a mystery that uncoils throughout the story. Almost all of the characters were well through out with clear motives and intentions. There is only one arc of the mentor/guardian from jovial to miser that seems a little forced for the purpose of creating conflict, however that was the only hole I found. I was intrigued by the use of the two planets to create the rich an poor societies on this world. I would definitely recommend this to teens and lovers of fantasy/sci-fi YA.