Thank you NetGalley & HarperCollins for the gifted ARC! 3.5 🌟 the first half of this book dragged a bit, but the second half was really good! I wish I had remembered more from these original duology because I feel like most of the world building was done in that.
I liked the dual POV, but I definitely felt like I was more interested in the Felicity/Misha chapters than I was the Jaslyn/Kendrick chapters. Sometimes Jaslyn’s thoughts/motivations irritated me, but I was also keeping in mind that she’s 17 so she doesn’t necessarily have adult thought processes all the time.
I definitely didn’t see some of the plot twists towards the end coming. After the ending, I definitely plan on continuing this series.

Before I started reading, it was hard for me to find this information so here is the TLDR: this is a new series by Lexi Ryan but it does continue the story line from the These Hollow Vows duology. I personally think that this is not a standalone series and that it is very important to read THV series. I say this because there is minimal explanation of the magic system and the history leading up to the beginning of Beneath These Cursed Stars. Not to mention there are big spoilers for THV. Beneath These Cursed Stars follows Jasalyn, Brie’s sister from THV and how she goes on to deal with what she went through in the previous books. This one is a bit darker than THV and has an underlying theme of depression and anxiety as well as dealing with trauma.

I am glad Lexi chose to continue to write about this universe and write more about Jasalyn’s journey. Jas leaves home with her newfound new powers that have a dark twist. She runs into Hale (a blast from her past) and, if a little reluctantly, joins him and his friends on a quest to help the kingdom. The book is dual POV with a new character Felicity, Hale’s stepsister, who shapeshifts into Jas in order to keep up appearances and cover for her in Brie’s court.

If you loved the THW series you will definitely love this book as well as if you are an avid fantasy and romantasy fan. You cannot go wrong with picking up this book. This book was 💯 for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I have tabbed this book so much while reading but there is a message from the Acknowledgements that really resonated with me so I will share it here:

“Depression lies. Anxiety deceives. I know they can be so loud at times, but keep going. The sun will rise again tomorrow.”

Thank you NetGalley & Lexi Ryan for an eARC of this book. The following is my honest review of Beneath These Cursed Stars.

Beneath These Cursed Stars brings us back to the world of faerie and Elora in this exciting follow-up to These Hollow Vows. Three years after Abriella Kincaid took the Unseelie throne but her younger sister Jasalyn is still haunted by the horrors wrought on her during her time as Mordeus’ prisoner. Now, wielding a ring that gives her the kiss of death, rumors of the former false king rising from the dead are spreading, and Jas reunites with the one person who kept her alive in Mordeus’ dungeon.
Shapeshifter Felicity has been running from her the fate her entire life and takes Jas’ place in the court so that Jas may finally get her revenge on the faerie who haunts her nightmares.
I really enjoyed coming back to this world. I love how Lexi Ryan imagines the Seelie, Unseelie, Wild Fae, and beyond. The new creatures and magic systems we are introduced to are exciting and unique and give us new things to discover in this continuation. I always love delving deeper into this fictional worlds and Ryan's world has so much history to explore.
It did take a little time to get adjusted to the story. This is a spin-off of the original duology, following familiar and new characters side-by-side, but it felt as if the new characters were introduced as if they'd been around in the previous books. It was a little jarring to be thrown in with so little context but over time, you see their history unfold. I really liked Kendrick as our MMC and his storyline. Though it feels a little disjointed from the original story, it slowly comes together for a compelling continuation of these characters' journey. I also liked Felicity. She's an interesting character whose powers and backstory are a highlight of this book and I'm eager to see what happens next for her. And also, justice for Misha. That's all I'll say.
The cliffhanger ending had me searching for more. Ryan is good a leaving the reader at the edge of their seat, anticipating what's going to happen next. I will be waiting impatiently for the second book.

Beneath These Cursed Stars is a great start to a new duology, a spin off set 3 years after These Hollow Vows duology, following that FMC’s sister.

Jasalyn has lived in fear since being tortured by the false king, and has vowed revenge on anyone who hurt her. She sneaks away at night with a ring that gives her the kiss of death, until she is caught by a revolutionary wanting her help to take down the corrupted rulers of the human realm. Kendrick was her saving grace in the dungeons and Jas agrees to help him as it furthers her vengeance plans, and she feels safe with him as she hasn’t with anyone else. They send his sister, Felicity, back to the Moon court in Jas’ form.

Felicity gets sent to the Wild Fae court as Jas to heal, and to find the rumored portal to the human castle. But doesn’t expect her connection to King Misha to be so strong, and becomes torn between keeping up the ruse as fearful Jas and letting her true feelings through. Both women have been trapped by their pasts and looking for a way to escape their fates and save those they love most.

You can expect:
YA Romantasy
Fae & Human Portal Realms
Princess and the Pauper
Friends to Lovers
Forced Proximity
One Horse/Bed
Bonded Mates
Found Family
Choose Your Own Fate
Revenge/Betrayal
Dual, 1stP POV

The story alternates between Jasalyn and Felicity’s POVs, and it is interesting to see what they are both discovering along the way through their travels and memories being revealed. I liked following both in their relationship developments, both are forbidden in different ways, but the forced proximity heats it up quickly. I rated this 1 spicy pepper as they do get to 3rd base with low descriptive language.

I really enjoyed going back to this world, and while I didn’t remember many of the events of the first series, there were enough flashbacks to clue me in, though not necessary to enjoy this story on its own. It did end with the characters hanging onto that cliff, but not plummeting quite yet. I am interested to see how the revealed lies and betrayals play out in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing an eARC for my honest review.

Actual Rating: 3.75/5 stars

Lexi Ryan’s latest doesn’t miss!! She takes us back to the politics of the Unseelie court and explores the court of the Wild Fae in a new duology centering around two strong female leads, Jasalyn & Felicity.

I loved the original duology and personally felt that the story felt a little lacking for my taste. However, I’m curious enough to see Jasalyn’s character development through to the next book, and that cliffhanger has me on the edge of my seat!

Thank you again to NetGalley and HarperTeen for a chance to read and review an advanced copy of this book!

I didn't love this as much as the original duology but it was still good. I'm anxious to see where things go in the next book

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy!

2.5/3⭐️

Oh man, I really wanted to like this book. I enjoyed These Hollow Vows, so going into this book, I thought it would be the same. Honestly, it’s a good book. There’s a dual POV of a broken FMC who is out for revenge on those who have wronged her and whose past trauma constantly haunts her. She doesn’t know whether to just give in to the darkness and pain or allow herself to put the scarred pieces of her life back together and finally live. In the dual POV, we also get a hidden princess, FMC, who is trying to escape and remain hidden from her ruthless father, who wants her dead. She will never be free of his clutches unless he’s dead, but that is a prophecy foretold she vows to forever run from to save those she loves.
In this book, we also get secrets, betrayals, high stakes, mysterious/dangerous magic, secret missions, secret/hidden identities, insta love, and dangerous foes lurking around, threatening the lives of our characters and all of the kingdoms.
Now, I started to struggle while reading mainly because of the pacing. I felt that, for me at least, it was too slow for my ADD brain, and I was having a hard time staying with it and focusing. It was just kinda blah.
I’m also not really into insta love, which I feel both couples experienced. I want the tension, the banter, the yearning, and I didn’t get that with this.
I just don’t think this book was for me, which is okay, because I know it will be for others. Even though it wasn’t my cuppa, it is still a good fantasy book. Just make sure if you do pick it up, be prepared for lots of anguish and heartbreak, haha.

Thank for the ARC harper teen and netgalley!

Let me start off by saying i have not read the first duology but alot of times i will read standalones in the same world first and go back to the original series and it all makes sense to me!

For this book i did not feel that way it was a dnf at 45% i didnt understand the world at all there was no world building you are kind of just thrown to the wolves.

I may come back and re read it after the duology


Thank you all my thoughts are my own!

Publication Date: July 30, 2024

"And what if you found yourself living under nothing but cursed stars?"

I want to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read the ARC of one of my most anticipated reads of this year. I was screaming when I got the email that I could read this one early. I was so excited to be back in this world, my review for These Twisted Bonds actually said that I wished it was a trilogy instead of a duology. Beneath These Cursed Stars follows Abriella's sister, Jas three years after the events that took place during These Hollow Vows. I highly recommend reading the These Hollow Vows duology before reading this, even if it could be read as a stand-alone. I was a little confused for the first 15% because It kind of just jumps into the future without including a little recap of events however, I really enjoyed this book. The ending felt like a bomb went off and all of a sudden everything that I was waiting for happened, I need the next book now!

I really loved that we got more of this world! I did however feel that there would be no picking this one up without reading the first two. There also seemed to be too much to continue off of the first two books to not have more dialogue from the first fmc and mmc.
I also felt like I would rather have the two povs be two separate books. It took me while to get into that. I would rather have just Jasalyns pov through the whole book. That would have helped me get through much faster. And I would have liked Felicity’s pov as her own book. Overall I liked it, but felt like it was just missing those few points to really make it stick.

ARC Review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Beneath these Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan

Jasalyn is a human girl living among the fae, her sister is queen, and she is dealing with some major PTSD after being trapped and tortured by Mordeus. With her 18th birthday swiftly approaching, her impending shift to a Faerie is highly anticipated by those around her. Jasalyn is a shell of her former self and she is about to face more challenges than she ever deserves.

Before reading this book I decided to read These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds to get a good background, as it takes place shortly before Beneath These Cursed Stars. I think I may have enjoyed this one more without doing that. It’s also marketed that it is unnecessary to read those before this one. Changing gears and following a new character was difficult at first. Things seemed so vastly different as far as the history and character personalities, but after a while the story found its groove for me.

The series as a whole is a solid romantasy with cute couples galore. The different POVs in this book were enjoyable. Felicity and Jasalyn are such different people and it made for a more interesting reading experience. Im so glad to get more Misha and the Wild Fae Lands in this one. I loved Jasalyn’s character growth, and meeting a whole new cast as well. I am looking forward to reading more in the next book.

Thank you @netgalley and Harper Collin’s for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book takes place after Ryan’s previous duopoly- These Twisted Bonds. Which I read in 2021/2022. Honestly, I didn’t remember much from the duopoly except that I had overall enjoyed it, and I think this book would have benefited from a recap of major events of that series. I often felt very confused, especially regarding the politics of the human realm. I think anyone who hadn’t read the previous series would be completely lost.

Jasalyn wasn’t my favorite protagonist- she has been through hell but comes across whiny and selfish. We get another POV in this book- Felicity, and I thought her story was much stronger and I was far more invested in her journey. I also had some issues with the pacing of this book, it’s extremely slow going and it took me much longer to read through than a typical YA.

Overall, if you enjoyed These Twisted Bonds, you could give this one a try and hopefully enjoy it more than I did! Thank you to @netgally and Harper Collins for this ARC for review.

2.75 stars

First of all, thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing this ARC!

To start with the things I enjoyed: it was an easy, fast-paced read, and I thought that the dual POVs were handled pretty well- especially considering that Felicity impersonating Jas could have made it much more confusing than it was. I struggled to get into it in the beginning and was pretty convinced that I wouldn’t be picking up the next book, but I’m reconsidering after that ending! The plot kept me engaged and I’m intrigued to find out what happens to Felicity, specifically.

Now, as someone who hasn’t read the books that this spins off of, I felt like I was thrown into the world with little to no real explanation, which was a bit confusing. I wasn’t aware that there were other books so closely tied to this one (oops) and the author clearly expected me to have read them, but if it isn’t a series, then I think it needs to stand on its own two legs a little bit more. I could handle the references to events that clearly happened in the other books, but I think it would’ve been beneficial to spend a bit more time building the world here, too. Although, ironically, I also found that there was far too much overly obvious explanation in this book. I would have appreciated maybe a slightly slower beginning in order to more seamlessly weave in some of the necessary details about the world and the characters’ pasts. I also found a lot of the world that I did get exposed to fairly unoriginal, so that may have contributed to that feeling like I was missing something. Unrelated, but I also reeeeally struggled with some of the dialogue that just felt very cheesy and stiff.

Overall, I think I’ll consider checking book 2 out from my library when it releases if only to find out what happens, but I would definitely hope that some of the issues with dialogue and world building (/its continuation) are addressed more.

Beneath These Cursed Stars blew my mind in the best way. I enjoyed the 3 year time jump.
The cliffhanger at the end truly has me chomping at the bit for the next book (in true Lexi Ryan fashion, might I add)
I read this book so fast and I can’t wait to read it again.
I can’t wait to continue in Jas and Felicity’s journey through this world.

BENEATH•these•CURSED•STARS✨
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Beneath These Cursed Stars in a new spin off duology by Lexi Ryan. (These l Hollow Vows was a 5 star read for me, so I was super excited to get my hands on this book.)
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Beneath These Cursed Stars is a dual POV story following Princess Jasalyn and Felicity, a shape shifter. When news that the evil king Mordeus has been resurrected, Jas and Felicity both have a mission to bring him down once and for all.
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✨YA romantasy
✨dual POV
✨forbidden romance
✨hidden identity
✨forced proximity
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I found that I was more invested in Felicity’s storyline because, hello, Misha…😍
I did find the magic system a bit confusing at times, I will however read the next book, because holy CLIFFHANGER.
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Thank you @netgalley and @harperteen for the opportunity to read and review this book. It releases 7/30
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Princess Jasalyn has an enchanted ring that gives her death’s kiss, enabling her to assassinate her enemies. Shape-shifter Felicity is trying to avoid the prophecy saying she will kill her magical father. When rumors of evil king Mordeus’s resurrection spread, Felicity takes the princess' form as Jas hunts Mordeus along with Kendrick. Felicity gets closer to the Wild Fae king, Misha. Both girls have their hearts on the line with this mission, and the future of the human and fae realms hangs in the balance.

This must be the start of a duology or trilogy, because it ends on a cliffhanger. Jasalyn is tormented by memories of her time of being tortured by Mordeus before her sister and allies rescued her from those dungeons. Her time is now spent using her enchanted ring to kiss-kill Mordeus' followers, and a supposed plague is now present in the country. Kendrick, who was once imprisoned in those dungeons as well, is working with a team to find a weapon to kill Erith, head of the Magical Seven keeping Elora under his thumb. This same man is Felicity's father and once had worked with Mordeus. Felicity is prophesied to kill him, but she doesn't want to be part of that prophecy. She kept herself hidden, but Kendrick needs her to take on the princess' form to find the location of the Hall of Doors that can get him and his team to find the magic sword that can kill Erith and restore the queendom of old.

Got it? Because as convoluted as it initially sounds, the different courts and kingdoms are not necessarily different. Each one has a particular territory, and most don't want Mordeus back. But he has followers who are rumored that he will be resurrected, and the former followers are stirring up trouble for Jesalyn's sister, the Queen. She'd rather kill Mordeus' followers to get a measure of power back after being tortured so much, and she trusts in Kendrick's plans. Felicity doesn't mean to get closer to Misha because Jesalyn wouldn't, but she is drawn to him anyway. As the novel continues, both discover new information they hadn't been aware of before, and we the reader can draw the conclusions that they can't. There's a bigger plot at work, one that neither knows about but is drawn into just the same. It's an engrossing story and will be a fun summer read.

Beneath These Cursed Stars is the start of a new These Hollow Vows spin-off series. As someone who did not read the original duology, I thought that Ryan reminded the reader of enough world-building to understand what was going on, but it wasn’t very fleshed out.

The story itself is dual POV between Jasalyn and Felicity. They both undergo missions that risk their lives as well as their hearts (that’s right, we get two romances!). The romances themselves were fun. The book is focused on the romances, making it dialogue heavy and slow-paced. The heaps of secrets in this book really slowed down the plot as well. Only the reader has all the details at once, as no one wanted to truly work together and share information. I personally prefer a bit more external motivation and action sequences, but folks who like character-driven narratives will like this one.
Of the two POV’s, I really appreciated Jasalyn’s emotional journey in this book. She starts off riddled with anxiety and depression and trades her life for a magical ring that grants her emotional stability and death’s kiss. Over the course of the novel, she questions her fear, anger, and prejudice and realizes that maybe she traded away her future too quickly. Healing from trauma is a major theme, which I enjoyed.

I think if you’re a romance fan and love slow burns that you’ll love this book, but I personally wished it was a bit faster paced.

I had previously read and enjoyed the These Hollow Vows duology and was very excited to come back to this world and continue on a new adventure.

This book did not disappoint! I had sooo much fun with this and the plot. It gave me all the vibes that I was wanting from a YA fantasy. At times it even gave me Harry Potter vibes haha. I know I should’ve expected it but gahhh why did it have to leave on such a cliffhanger!? Also really enjoyed all the twists and turns.

I was thoroughly entertained and can’t wait to read the second part… when it is coming out!!!??

Beneath These Cursed Stars is an exciting and magical story full of curses, revenge, and romance.

Several years after the events in These Hollow Vows/These Twisted Bonds, Princess Jasalyn has been struggling. Not feeling like she fully belongs in Faerie, but also not feeling like she can go home to the human world, she is avoiding everyone and stays in her room. But what her sister doesn't know is that with the help of a magic ring, she is sneaking out at night and killing those who harmed her when she was locked in Mordeus's dungeons. Rumours abound that Mordeus has been resurrected, and Jasalyn is on a deadline to seek her revenge before her 18th birthday. When an old friend, Kendrick, seeks her out requesting her help, Jasalyn agrees, and a shapeshifter Felicity takes her place at the palace. Felicity, impersonating as Jasalyn, is staying with Mischa, the king of the Wild Fae. When both girls start to fall for the handsome and charming yet forbidden men, they begin to wonder if the stars have cursed them after all.

This was a fun YA fantasy read. While it is a standalone, there are elements that are easier to understand if you have read the earlier duology. I enjoyed the previous books, so revisiting this world was exciting, and I enjoyed the new characters and challenges. It was a little confusing to follow at times, because of the hidden/switched identities, but I enjoyed both Jasalyn's and Felicity's storylines. The romances were sweet and picked up more in the second half of the book. There were some exciting twists and reveals as the story progresses. As a YA book, the characters are young and are still learning about who they are and how they fit into this world. Beneath These Cursed Stars does end on quite the cliffhanger, so I am super excited to see what happens in the next book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan was a phenomenal YA fantasy!
The spellbinding characters and clever storylines made for an absolute stellar story!
The banter, wonderful characters and forbidden romance was so well done.
I was literally hanging onto every word.

Thank You NetGalley and HarperTeen for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!