I didn't realise how much I missed Lexi Ryan's fantastical world until I picked up Beneath These Cursed Stars.
While this new book follows new perspectives, it's definitely a continuation of the These Hollow Vows series and I would highly recommend readers visit those first.
I was never a big fan of Princess Jasalyn, but her complex character was deeply explored and I have a new appreciation of her and her motives. I absolutely adored reading from shape-shifter Felicity. With intense romantic and politically charged tension between our main characters and their love interests, I've found some new OTPs to root for!
My heart was in my throat with each plot twist and discovering where this story was going. I can't wait for Between These Broken Hearts.

I LOVED These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds, so I was very excited to pick up the companion book to that duology. It has been said that this book acts as a standalone and can be read independently of the initial duology, however I think it would be confusing to readers that haven't read These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds. There was no additional context, so even for someone like me who has read the books (although a couple of years ago), it was a bit jarring to be thrown straight into the book without any scene setting or descriptions.

If this book delivered as a standalone with plenty of context setting and perhaps some review of the magic within the duology, I would've loved it. As it is, I found the writing a bit hard to follow, and the story even more so.

- YA romantasy
- hidden identity
- forced proximity
- slow burn
- who did this to you?
- low spice
- dual pov
- cliffhanger ending!

Beneath These Cursed Stars is an incredibly unique fantasy romance. Our two switching POVs are Princess Jasalyn and Felicity, a fae shifter. They're on two separate but parallel journeys, working toward the same goal. So you get two slow-burn, secret identity romances for the price of one!

Another unique aspect was the book was definitely more character-driven than most fantasy books. I think this is worth noting before reading, as some people may be disappointed by the slower pace.

THAT ending has me waiting impatiently for book two.

3.75⭐

I was so excited to be approved for reading These Cursed Stars after reading These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds earlier this year and looked forward to diving back into the riveting world that Lexi Ryan had created.

This book starts 3 years after the events of the previously mentioned books and follows Jasalyn. The younger sister of Abriella, who was held prisoner and tortured by King Mordeus. Jasalyn’s story is interesting and touches on the emotions and trauma of someone who has survived horrific events and is trying to heal. We also see a few returning fan-favourite characters from the first book (mainly Misha) and are introduced to some new ones (Kendrick).

While this book would technically be classed as Romantasy, I did feel it leaned a bit too heavy on the romance side. Particularly because we are following two separate couples and their romances. This unfortunately made the fantasy elements feel more like a subplot, rather than the main event. A more even split of the romance and fantasy storylines would have made for a stronger story.

While I believe this can be read as a standalone, I do think people may struggle if they do so without context of the previous books events. A lot of the world building is established in the first two books with little recap in this one, which could lead to readers feeling thrown in the deep end. Regardless of these things I still enjoyed the book. Lexi Ryan is a talented author and this is obvious in her writing. I am looking forward to continuing the series.

Big Thank-you to Netgalley and Hodderscape for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review

As someone who still hasn't gotten around to reading Lexi Ryan's "These Hollow Vows" (despite it sitting on my shelf for what feels like forever), I went into "Beneath These Cursed Stars" with high expectations, fueled by all the praise I'd heard.

It took me some time to get into this book, and even after finishing it, I'm still grappling with how to review it. Here’s why:

1. I'm not entirely sure if having read Ryan's previous works would have helped me understand the world better. It felt like there wasn’t enough detail about the human realm, its rulers, and how magic fits into it all.

2. I struggled to feel invested in Jas's story. On the other hand, Felicity and Misha? Their chapters were the ones I couldn’t wait to dive into. Misha, in particular, hit that sweet spot of my probably unhealthy obsession with Thranduil from LOTR. That’s all I could think about—I wanted more of him, more of Felicity, more of their relationship growing and him *hopefully* continuing to love her.

Those are the feelings I should have had for the main storyline with Jas, but they just weren't there.

Will I continue with the series? Yeah, I will. And that’s why this review has been tough to write. Because am I sticking around to see what happens with Jas? No, I’m here for Misha and Felicity.

A great YA romantasy book, I loved Lexi Ryan’s previous duology These Hollow Vows and this was along the same vibes for me. I’m keen to see where it goes, loved the dual POV, the slow burn tension build up.
Can’t wait for book 2 to come out.

I loved it!

I loved being back in this world and loved that we are following Jasalyn and her journey of healing. I love that there are two story lines in this book and I love that we are getting multiple protagonists.

I think Lexie Ryan knows what she is doing with the world that she is created and I am looking forward to read more!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher!
I loved this book, the story it’s beautifully written.
I really enjoyed the returning characters and enjoyed getting to know the new one! If you enjoyed these hollow vow books then up will enjoy this story as well

2.5 stars
This book had so much potential. I honestly struggled to get through majority of this book which was disappointing because I had such high hopes.
I did not know this book was a spin off series and I think it would be so much easier to read having read the original series beforehand.
The actual plot wasn't too bad but it's how that it was written that I have an issue with. I think it was too confusing at the start the way were a just thrown into this world and that there is little to no world building/understanding of the world explained to us. I also found the switching POVs to be quite annoying. This took me a month to read and I honestly would have DNFd this if it wasn't an ARC. However I am grateful I didn't because the last 30% of the book was quite enjoyable and I kept wanting to know what happened next. I don't know if I will be reading the rest of the series but I personally would not recommend this unless you had read the original series first.

Thank you so much to both the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I wish someone would have told me to reread … For some reason my brain did not connect how close in story this book would be. I would definitely consider this book 3 or continuation of the These Hollow Vows seires, as so much of the story revolves around the world building in the original duology.

Once I got around 15% in a lot of the original stories came back to me and i really got into the book.

I think i am going to have to give all books in this world a reread before the next book comes out and i low key cannot wait!

10/10 would recommend if you loved the OG books

Wow!!! This book was so much fun to read. The whimsical vibes were incredible and I enjoyed this book from the very beginning all the way to the end.

I’d give this 4.5 stars, the only thing keeping it from being 5 stars for me was that it was predictable at times and I saw a number of the twists coming. I still thoroughly enjoyed it!

The characters were super fun to follow, I do love a little life swap moment. It was so intriguing watching both characters evolve and progress in their journeys.

I wish I could jump straight into the next one, that last 20% of the book was a true rush of adrenaline! I couldn’t put it down. This is exactly the book I needed to get me out of my reading slump.

NOTE: I advise to read These Hollow Vows prior to this because this book felt like it was missing some building/context that was given in previous books.

I enjoyed this story. For anyone who has loved Lexi's previous books then you most likely enjoy it too.

🖤 Fantasy Romance
🖤 Dual POV
🖤 Slow Burn
🖤 Forced Proximity
🖤 Secrets
🖤 Human FMC
🖤 Fae MMC
🖤 Forbidden Romance
🖤 Revenge & Healing

To start this review, I must admit that I made a mistake by not reading Ryan’s These Hollow Vows duology, which precedes this book and centers on Jasalyn’s sister, Brie. While Beneath These Cursed Stars can be read independently, I felt that some context, character development, and world-building were missing without it. That being said, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were well-crafted, and I found their backstories captivating. The romantic tension for both female leads was palpable, though if you’re looking for explicit romance, this book doesn’t deliver on that front. The pacing was well-executed, and I appreciated the dual points of view between Jasalyn and Felicity, though I personally preferred Felicity’s perspective. Ryan’s descriptions of the Wild Fae court were so vivid and enchanting that I wanted to pack my bags and move there. The book concludes with some twists and cliffhangers, leaving me anticipating the next installment.

✨ beneath these cursed stars review ✨

This story is a spin off from the These Hollow Vows duology and has many of the same characters intertwined (I read the original books a long time ago so it took me a minute to remember who everyone was lol)

The dual POVs being both female was novel for me and it took me a long time to feel the plot of the story and where it was going.

Saying that, once I figured out what was going on, I was hooked! The mix between fae magic, human feelings and other creatures, along with the sizzles of romance sprinkled through, it made for an enjoyable read. It’s definitely a little more on the cliche/predictable side of things, but that didn’t detract from the storyline. And the ending?? Such a cliffhanger and now I have to wait for the next book to be released 😂

It’s very much YA fiction, so if you’re looking for something more adult, you probably won’t find it in this book.

Tropes/themes:
💋 forbidden romance
✨ past trauma and healing
💋 fated love
✨ dual POV

I really enjoyed this book, it was well written and the characters were likeable. It took me a bit longer to get into than the other books in this series but I still really enjoyed it.

Ok…. So I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either. I think because I haven’t read the duology first (The Hollow Vows & These Twisted Bonds), I really found this hard to follow. It took me ages to finish because I was trying to keep up.
I think it needs to be noted that it is probably best to read the duology first even if it’s just for the background.
I will be now going back to read the duology so I can re-read Beneath These Cursed Stars. I’m sure once i have all my ducks in a row, my rating will go up.
***Thankyou NetGalley for this ARC as always ☺️

A Princess and the Pauper adventure with fate, Fae and magic - and a lot at stake!

This novel was a fun, page-turning read that had me constantly guessing. The two main characters, Felicity and Jasalyn, are both thrown into perilous quests they didn't choose and fall in love with men they shouldn't.

I did feel a little thrown into the story at the beginning, but recovered quickly and really got into it.

I loved the characters, and I am invested in what happens next. I will be impatiently waiting for the sequel..!

First impressions 💭
After reading these hollow vows, Jasalyn was not a character I was drawn to, or to be honest, felt like I needed to hear her story. Then straight off the bat, we get Jas in her revenge payback era and my mind was immediately changed.

What I Loved ❤️
- I loved that you can’t judge a book by its cover, or in this case judge a character from someone else’s POV. It’s only when you are put in their shoes that you start to understand the depth of their character, their feelings and struggles. So I’m happy it was written in first person for this very reason.
- Misha - need I say more? He was a favourite character of mine from the previous books, I love his tongue in cheek banter, and I’m so happy we get his POV too and perhaps finally, his happy ever after.
- often with 2 seperate storyline’s I find myself skimming one to get to the POV that interests me more but it was not the case at all with Jasalyn and Felicity! I was equally invested in not only both of their love stories but also in their character development. The fact that both storyline’s could hold their own, but also were intertwined so beautifully, chefs kiss 🤌

What I didnt love 👎🏻
- give me second while I try to think of something…
- I have read the first duology, but from a standpoint of someone who hadn’t read Levi Ryan’s other books, I feel beneath these cursed stars definitely should have had a little bit more world building. Especially since Lexi Ryan has mentioned that it’s not necessary to read the first duology.
Someone who hasn’t may have struggled with the first 100 pages of the book and not given it a chance.

Favourite Quote 📝
" Sometimes it is that which we readily sacrifice at our lowest that we wish for most ardently when we finally emerge from the darkness.”

Final verdict ⭐️
I laughed out loud, I gasped at the plot twists, I teared up at the heartbreak and betrayal.
I cannot wait to read the conclusion of these 4 characters who have certainly become favourites!

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice 0 YA Romantasy

This was interesting! Two FMCs leading the story, with their own missions, strenghts and weaknesses, and their own romantic developments in a world of magic, and an impossible common mission to end an evil king. Watch out for the cliff-hanger though! Dayummm.

1. Princess Jasalyn seeks revenge, armed with an enchanted ring bestowing death's kiss,
2. Felicity needs a miracle, fated to kill her father, she's been using her ability to shape-shift to evade a fatal prophecy.

⚔️ Dual POV (of the FMCs)
⚔️ Humans, fae, shifters and magic
⚔️ World-building & magic systems
⚔️ Forbidden romances
⚔️ Suspense, twists and turns
⚔️ Romantasy
⚔️ Hidden identity
⚔️ Forced Proximity, Must Work Together
⚔️ Pining / Insta-love (two romances)
⚔️ One Horse Tropppeeeee
⚔️ ‘who did this to you’
⚔️ found family

Looking forward to the next in the series.

Thank you Hachette Australia & Netgalley and the author for an e-arc for an honest review.

Beneath these Cursed Stars is a romantasy about a princess armed with a deadly power, and a shifter, who switch spots and become allies to kill an evil king.

We follow both Jasalyn, the shadow princess, and Felicity, a shape shifter who has taken on Jasalyn's identity. They are both excellent, strong women characters who are a little flawed at times. I really enjoyed reading both stories, with both being vital to the overall plot.

This is for you, if you love:

❤️ high fantasy
⚔️ romance plots
❤️ dual pov/dual story lines
⚔️ cliffhanger
❤️ hidden identity
⚔️ forced proximity
❤️ forbidden romance
⚔️ insta-love

I haven't read the first duology - These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds - but I didn't struggle with this one at all. That's entirely my fault, as I didn't realise this was the continuation of that universe.

Thank you Hachette Australia for an e-arc of this one! All opinions are my own.