I love a story with strong FMC! This book has two strong FMC! Jae has been through so much in her 17 years after being tortured by Mordeus but she keeps fighting and trying to take back the power and get revenge! Jas falling in love with Kendrick and then finding out about his betrayal and lies was just another reason for her to never open herself up again. Despite having her heart torn from her chest by his betrayal, we find her at the end of the book heading out in her weakened state to end Mordeus. Felicity has so many secrets that we only skim the surface in this book! She has been running from her true father for so long that she never truly sets down roots. When she meets Misha (as Jas) she can’t help but fall for him! Reading about her feelings of love, loss, grief and regret before and after Misha learns of her true identity was truly heartbreaking! And the ending where she is taken?? I can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for giving me early access to this book! All opinions are my own.

I have not read These Hollow Vows, and did not realize this book was tied to that world. Even still, this was a quick read that was enjoyable. At times this felt like a typical YA read, but then there would be moments that surprised even me. Especially the ending! I really enjoyed the world, and now can’t wait to read These Hollow Vows to learn more of the background of the world. 3.75 ⭐️

Another amazing adventure from the mind of Lexi Ryan! I loved everything about this book. The story is wonderfully written. I adore all the characters. And I can’t wait for the next one! Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC.

Lexi Ryan crafts a captivating narrative filled with intrigue, romance, and twists that had me intrigued from the beginning. This story features dual points of view, allowing readers to experience the story through the perspectives of the two main characters, Felicity and Jasalyn. Each character faces their own challenges and obstacles, including navigating their complicated love interests, as they embark on their intertwined journeys throughout the narrative. I loved the reappearance of some characters from “These Hollow Vows,” especially Abriella/Brie and Finnian!

ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review :)

What a fun journey back into the Unseelie court and the Wild Fae lands! Misha was one of my favorites from the original story so getting to see more of him was an absolute blast! Hearing more about what happened to Jas during her months of torture was heart breaking and really made you ache for her to be able to tell her story. We also met a whole new cast of characters who are prepared to deceive you and break your heart all over again.

The story reads a lot like the first series, sometimes a strange mix of what feels like historical fantasy vibes but with modern language sprinkled throughout. Sometimes it’s a little jarring and can throw you out of the story but overall it makes it an easy read that you fall into very easily. I love the world, the ease in which it reads, and seeing some of my favorites again but through new eyes.

I strongly recommend if you enjoyed the first series! Felt a little slow at first but they’re rebuilding the world from Jas’ perspective so it makes sense.

I received this book through netgalley for an honest review. I enjoyed this story so much. Following two separate plots entwined together was genius. I was so engaged with all the characters in the story that I wanted to know what happened all the way to the end. And that ending, wow! I can't wait for the next one. You need to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

1) please read "These Hollow Vows" first. If you don't know to do this, like me, you will end up accidentally spoiling yourself on major plot points of THV, especially how that love triangle resolves.

2) This author is now on my read-their-other-books list! I really enjoyed her writing style and narrative voice, and look forward to reading her other works.

3) While I am *very* grateful this book didn't have a love triangle like her previous series, there is definitely an inferior pairing in this book of two romances (and it is by far the Jasalyn/Kendrick one). Felicity/Misha is a very fun/interesting pairing (even though it's built on the miscommunication/Shakespeare disguise trope), and I was really rooting for them & am eager to see where their story goes next book! Jasalyn/Kendrick? Their relationship doesn't feel *earned*. I would've loved some *flashbacks,* even, if the author was going to make the foundation of their friendship in the past. Also, Jasalyn comes across as whiny/hard-headed, which is *really* not my jam for FMCs (I know she's dealing with trauma but her personality was just very off-putting).

4) This is definitely YA but still very enjoyable to read, both in terms of romance and plot action.

Recommend!

Beneath These Cursed Stars is a spin-off featuring Jasalyn, Brie’s sister. Jasalyn is sheltered as Brie’s sister, but is forced out of her apathy when scars begin to appear on her. Jasalyn realizes that this could be a sign that the evil king is back. Jasalyn teams up with shifter Felicity, who will take her place so Jas can find out more. Felicity, as Jas, is sent to the Wild Fae Lands and instructed to grow close to King Misha. Meanwhile, Jasalyn joins her old friend Kendrick and his group to try and uncover whether the evil king has truly returned.

Beneath These Cursed Stars is a compelling and fast-paced adventure. I enjoyed how Jas has to work through mental health struggles and is genuinely impacted by her time in the dungeons. Jas being away from her sister gave her the ability to make choices for herself and grow. Felicity was also an intriguing character; I liked how she tried to impersonate Jas as faithfully as possible. I’m looking forward to them (hopefully!) being reunited in the sequel.

Misha and Felicity’s romance was my favorite, although it had a sense of inevitability to it since Felicity cannot portray Jas forever. Jas and Kendrick also have a strong connection and I’m excited to see where it goes. Jasalyn’s ring was a very creative and ominous piece of magic! The magic system is all about the vibes, instead of hard rules, and as long as readers can accept that then I think they will enjoy it. The final scenes and twist at the end were fantastic! I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Thank you to Lexi Ryan, HarperTeen, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Excuse me but how am I supposed to go on living life until I have the next book in this series?! Dramatic? Yes. But truth nonetheless. Beneath These Cursed stars was an excellent spin off to the These Hollow Vows duology!

I will admit I went into this book not even realizing it was a spin off and would be Jasalyn’s story. I was so pleasantly surprised right off the bat though!

Jas is Brie’s sister from These Hollow Vows, so you definitely need to read that duology first. There was a lot of context that I don’t think would make sense if you don’t read Brie’s story. We know from those books that Jas was in Mordeus’ dungeons and Brie rescued her, but we learn in this book just what she endured under Mordeus’ “care.”

Beneath These Cursed stars is told from two POVs - Jasalyn and Felicity. Both stories are in the same timeline but are in different places with the same end goal. Jasalyn is with Hale Kendrick attempting to retrieve the Sword of Fire to kill Erith, the Patriarch of the Eloran Seven. Felicity is Erith’s daughter and is destined to kill him. She is an Echo (a type of shifter) and has taken on Jasalyn’s form. As part of their plan, she has been sent to the Wild Fae lands to live with Misha. There she is tasked with seducing him to discover where the Hall of Portals is. They need this to access to portal to the Eloran Palace.

This story is full of slow burn romance, deceit, secrets, magic, and an ending you won’t see coming! I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!!

I went into this not knowing it was a continuation of the “These Hollow Vows” duology so I’m sure there was some context I was missing. The world building was also minimal since it assumes you’ve already read the other series first. I didn’t think it was too bad, I was able to sort of figure most of it out myself, but was definitely missing the backstory of the characters.

The pacing felt pretty on point and I liked the dual POVs. Their plan was a little hare-brained but it more or less worked. The “betrayal” at the end sort of came out of nowhere since it came from a character that was only mentioned in passing for 75% of the book. Kendrick’s secret felt like it came out of left field as well.

I also didn’t realize this was the start to another series until I was about 85% in and realized there was no way these stories would be getting wrapped up by the end.

Overall I really enjoyed it and now I’m looking forward to reading Brie’s story while waiting for the next in this series to be released.

It would have been nice to know this is not the first book., but a spin off. Based on the title and cover I thought this was the first book. A lot of world building is done outside this book which can be a bit confusing for new readers. The pacing felt off. The interactions between the characters went from zero to one hundred with grand live declarations. Wasn’t a fan of this one. And that’s ok! This book might be more suited for those who read the other books.

I'm saddened to say that this book was not my favorite. A few years ago, when I was getting back into reading, I stumbled upon These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan. I absolutely ate it up. When reading the second book in the duology, I was less enthralled, but, overall the series has a special place in my heart. When I heard there was going to be a new companion series, I was thrilled. Unfortunately, however, I didn't love Beneath These Cursed Stars. I wasn't sucked in by the plot, the romance didn't do anything for me, and overall I was fairly bored. That all being said, I do think it was still a good book and I think a lot of fans of These Hollow Vows will have a good time with it. I think, in my case, my taste over the years has drastically changed and some YA Fantasy's are just not for me anymore, despite my hopes.

I would like to note that I received this ARC with the mindset that I would provide an honest review.

When I applied for this ARC, I had not read These Hollow Vows duology but it was on my physical TBR list because of the positive reviews. Once accepted, I read the duology to make sure I gave this ARC my full appreciation.
There is enough information given in this book that reading the duology is not necessary. The background story for Jasalyn is what drew me in but her character kept me in this story. We are also introduced to a new character, Felicity, and her ability could lead to an interesting story line.

Magic and Fae
Slow Burn
Multiple POV
“Who did this to you??”
Strong FMCS

One thing that I wish I knew prior to reading: it ends on a cliffhanger. I hate cliffhangers because I now have to wait for the next book. I will definitely be reading the next book! The ending was written so well that I had to go back and read it again.

Overall, I rate this book 4 stars and strongly encourage you to check this book out. It was a great fantasy read and the story flowed nicely. I enjoyed the world building and the dynamic between the characters. It finally got the other 2 off of my physical TBR and I have no regrets.

Thank you so much for the chance to review this book.
Release Date: July 9th

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

#Netgalley #LexiRyan #beneaththesecursedstars #bookreview #bookrecommendations #booktok #bookstagram #book #booknerd #netgalleyreads

A fantastical fantasy book!

I loved These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds so I was very excited to snag an early copy of Beneath These Cursed Stars. It was so wonderful to return to this world & get wrapped up in this story. Lexi Ryan always dreams up such intriguing worlds and innovative plot twists! I can't wait for more in this series.

Big sigh. Deep breath. Cracks knuckles.

Okay, this book took me forever to finish which is typically unheard of for me. I really enjoyed These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds last year so I thought I would really enjoy this one. Unfortunately that wasn't the case.

There's so many tropes in this book that I adore, but Ryan failed to utilize them properly and the story was a big flop.

╰┈➤ First, and speaking as a reader who not that long ago read the duology that this is spinning off from - there wasn't much information given about the human realm, the rulers, who these humans are and why they have magic.

I felt a little thrown into the thick of it, I can't even imagine how someone who hasn't read the first two would feel. Totally lost I would imagine.

The story has the bones to be something great but I feel the author squandered opportunities away on boring and insignificant conversations - so many pages just snail-paced along and for what?

There was a lottttt of repetition. Over and over again we're told certain things - I got the memo - moving along please?

I literally started skimming around the 40% mark, then skipped from 60% to 80% then sped read to the end. I felt like a prisoner in this story and I just wanted to escape it.

╰┈➤ These so called big revelations at the end? I honestly thought it was common knowledge not an actual plot twist? So add predictable to boring, slow and repetitive.

Jas is one of the most bland FMC's I've read in a good long while. Whiny and meek. Non stop complaining.

Felicity was not much better but I did appreciate her more, but having the story split between her and Jasalyn did nothing for either character.

Felicity's storyline is more intriguing but got cut off and was underdeveloped due to half of the book belonging to slog-fest rock personality that is Jas.

Unfortunately, I don't believe I'll continue this series.



✨ Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins/HarperTeen and Lexi Ryan for the complementary digital copy in exchange for my honest review. 💐

I loved These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds, so when I saw this available to request I was so excited to jump back in to Lexi Ryan’s work. Unfortunately however, this book just didn’t live up to my own expectations of it.

The characters felt rushed and lackluster, and the story seemed quickly thrown together. It was good, but could have been more in depth I think.

Absolutely loved being back in this world after the previous duology. It's such an immersive and expansive universe with lots of fae/human places to explore. And I loved that this time we could experience everything through Brie's sister, Jasalyn. She definitely deserved her own story after what she went through in the previous duology! Jasalyn is a character you instantly want to root for after all her trauma and subsequent mental health challenges. She has her own quiet strength that you see blossom through the story. I can't wait to find out even more about her in the sequel to this!

There are plenty of big reveals in this book, and even a new POV with Felicity and her hidden identity romance with Misha. I did get frustrated with how long the hidden identity went on, but overall the book kept me entertained, and of course left me on a cliffhanger. I'm anxiously awaiting the next book!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, HarperTeen, for the arc!
Releases July 30, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: past torture and trauma, mild violence and murder, one vague open door scene

I went into this book not having read These Hollow Vows (oops!) but had no issue jumping right in! I’m sure there are parts that would’ve been more enjoyable to me if I’d read the previous series, but I still loved the characters and the story!
I’m not usually too big a fan of dual POV, but both characters were so well written and I didn’t find myself dreading going from one character to another.
Now I need the next book because, omg, cliffhanger!!

This was a fantastic read. I loved the characters and their complex layers that I got to explore throughout the book. The world that was created was really good and I enjoyed exploring it. I think Ryan was great at balancing the plot, world, character development, and narrative voice to keep it well-paced and structured when reading. It was an enjoyable book and I highly recommend it

This book was amazing! I loved These Hollow Vows duology, so I could not wait to read this one! I’m so excited for the next book to come out! Love! Love! Love!