This was a super fun YA fantasy with a nice, sweet romance mixed in. Predictable at parts but no less enjoyable.

In the second half of this duology, we are reading about the characters struggling to heal in the aftermath of the fight against good and evil. Princess Jasalyn was tortured as part of her sister's battle against King Mordeus, while Felicity's family fell apart.

In different ways, both women have spent the years since the war hiding from themselves, so when both are forced into action to keep Mordeus from taking over the kingdom, both are forced to reckon with their own demons.

I really loved the challenges that both these women face - Felicity, as a larger woman, has always felt so insecure in her own body - her role as a shifter who seamlessly takes the identity of others feels like the perfect metaphor. While Jasalyn, who spent years feeling powerless, has a ring which influences everyone around her to follow her wishes. This book felt incredibly relevant to a lot of the issues that young women today are facing - insecurity, body shaming, coping with trauma in a time with a lot of unrest and chaos.

I also appreciated how their love interests interact with them. There are misunderstandings and hidden backstories, but the men take their feelings seriously and are good with communication. We live in a world that really does often minimize young women's experiences and I think this would be a wonderful book for teenaged girls to read about healing, about trusting others and about being kind to yourself.

This was a great addition for March for me this women's month.

Thank you so much to HarperCollins Children's Books for providing me with an eARC book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book kind of started off weird to me. Both characters were on their way into love at the end of book one but their relationships just felt like it picked up in a weird spot. For example, with Misha and Felicity, it went from totally in love with her to now I hate her at the end of book one. But then it started off in book 2 with Felicity questioning her feelings and Misha in limbo. Instead of the storyline building their relationship back up throughout the book I don't feel like they really addressed anything until the end. I wish their relationship would have slowly built back over time with Felicity believing in Misha again and Misha not constantly hinting at loving Felicity without actually saying it. I felt like they had the same conversation a thousand times where Felicity wasn't sure how Misha felt and Misha kept hinting at always loving her. Like just tell her you fell in love with her and not the body. As for Jas and Kendrick, it kind of gets old her constantly walking away from any help. I get her wanting to protect her family and friends but at some point in time you have to recognize you have very few days left and need some help. If she was exhausting every option she should have found out better ways to work with them. I don't understand why they couldn't have at least passed notes to each other to work together. I liked the storyline and plot twists though. If I removed the issues with the relationships this would have had a much higher rating. It was very hard to read book one though and then immediately read book 2. It felt like I was walking on one path in a forest and then somehow ended up in an entirely different forest. The path looked similar but something just feels off. I loved the first two books in the series and the first of this duology but this one feels off in the relationships.

Lexi Ryan does it again. The queen of fantasy is back. This book did not disappoint, you need to pick it up!

I loved Lexi Ryan's "These Hollow Vows" duology, but the spin-off had me struggling. I was so excited to receive an ARC of "These Broken Hearts," though it ended up disappointing.

The fast-paced adventure expected from a fantasy wasn't there. The storyline dragged; nothing pulled me in to keep reading. When the battle scene arrived, it was finished too quickly.

I also struggled to connect with the two main characters. I wanted to experience more of that confident, badass female rage. The magic was underwhelming and not explored as much as it could have been.

I wished the spin-off had included more of Bree and Jasalyn's sisterly bond or a scene with Finn instead of barely mentioning him.

This series has been an absolute ride and this finale was spectacular. It gave me everything I could want and more.

However, I am rating this four stars because while I feel it ultimately delivered there were times where I felt the story dragged and some scenes were finished way to quickly. There wasn’t enough of that female rage we all love and the magic system was underdeveloped.

I haven’t read any of the previous 3 books which I think is the only thing keeping me from giving it a full 5 stars. I love the main characters but a lot of the references to, what I’m assuming happened in the past, left me a little confused. But overall it was an enjoyable fantasy novel, with a great battle, and it left me wanting to know more about who Jasalyn is and what her story is. I definitely recommend this book but I also am definitely going to go back and read the other 3.

Thank you netgalley and Harper Collins for an arc!! Between These Broken Hearts picks up 8 month after the end of Between These Cursed Stars. The story moves very quickly, but I will be honest, I found myself skimming to get through it. I think overall Jasalyn’s story did not do it for me like Abriella’s did 😭 I really enjoyed These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds but struggled to connect to the story and characters in this second duology.

I felt this was a solid conclusion to the duology. With the looming deadline of Jasalyn’s 18th birthday and the visions set forth by the seer, all of the parties are working towards solutions from different sides as part of the larger battle. This book is non-stop and a bit rushed feeling, which makes sense for the YA genre.

I like how Jasalyn deals with her PTSD and Felicity comes to terms with feeling as belonging to her chosen family. While there is tension and pining, Hale and Misha are almost too perfect in their love interest roles.

Thank you HarperCollins for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lexi Ryan, and HarperCollins Children's Books for allowing me access to the e-arc.

4.75 stars

I loved the way this duology ended. I adored the first book so I was expecting a lot out of this second book. I will say that for the first 100 pages, I was a bit confused. But after that, the story was smooth sailing. I will be re-reading this duology again. The characters drove the story for me. They have a found family vibe to them which I am sucker for. I do hope we get more books in this world. I’m going to miss these characters. This book brought out so much emotion from me: sadness, anger, and happiness. I was not expecting to cry so much.

I highly recommend this duology!

I am a huge fan of These Hollow vows and These twisted bonds. I also really enjoyed Beneath these cursed stars.
So to say I was beyond excited to receive this ARC is an understatement!

However, I feel that Between these Broken hearts suffered from some pacing issues that made the reading experience a bit disjointed. The first 25% of the book is so quickly paced that the story feels like it lacks momentum when you hit the middle and progression with felicity feels a bit like it stalled.

Once you get further into the story — the overall plot development picks up and I genuinely adore Jas. I am a true sucker for prophecy and a huge yes to forbidden romance. Overall I found the conclusion to be satisfying and the full series is definitely worth the read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

I LOVED These Hollow Vows but sadly, I ended up DNFing Between These Broken Hearts because I couldn't handle the age gap of the romance. It grossed me out.

This was a great finale!! I usually prefer adult books over YA but I really enjoyed this series. I loved the plot, the pacing, and the character growth. Looking forward to reading more from this author, especially if she decides to write something more adult.

Between These Broken Hearts is a thrilling conclusion to Lexi Ryan's fae saga. With Princess Jasalyn racing against time to break a deadly bargain and Felicity confronting ominous prophecies, the stakes have never been higher. The blend of forbidden romance, mysterious prophecies, and epic battles kept me hooked. While some plot points felt a bit predictable, the character development and immersive world-building made it a satisfying read. This was a great addition to the series.

I needed some time after this one. Time to just sit and reflect on the incredible ending I had just read. Two young women have been forged through fire (literally for one case) and have gone through so much character growth over the course of these two books. I am just in awe.

This sequel starts 8 months after the previous book’s ending. 8 months of lost time for both Jas and Felicity. 8 months of frantic searching by their loved ones. 8 months closer to the end approaching quickly, as there’s only a few weeks left before Mordeus rises to claim a bargain made with a traumatized Jasalyn and a mysterious witch.

High stakes with literal lives on the line, Lexi Ryan does a phenomenal job with wrapping up this dual-FMC led fantasy duet. There’s so much character growth that can be clearly seen from the start of book one until the ending of this one and, while going on that journey with Jas and Felicity was rough and emotional, it was amazing to see them step into their own and fight for their futures. Plus, the romances with wonderful for each as well 😉

I would definitely not be mad if Lexi chooses to tackle another side character’s story and romance in order to return to this world but I also love where our girls Brie, Jas, and Felicity are finding themselves.

For me, this book suffered from some of the same issues that I had with These Twisted Bonds. The first book of the duology was much stronger than the second. One thing that consistently stood out to me while reading Between These Broken Hearts, was how rushed it felt. When I reached the halfway mark, it felt like we'd experienced a whole story worth of setbacks for the characters, but still had too much to solve for the series to conclude within a single book.

On a mixed note, I enjoyed having a character that fell outside of the traditional beauty norms for the world, but I also felt like we were beaten over the head with her insecurities. It got to the point that, while I was still grateful for having a variety of characters, whenever we got into Felicity's head, I was actively bracing myself for the inner thoughts I knew were coming.

Overall, this was a decent read that, if you've enjoyed the series so far, you are likely to have a good time reading.

I’m so sorry. I tired so hard to get through this book but just could not do it. I loved these hallow vows and these twisted bonds. There was zero character progression with felicity in my option and I did not enjoy her POV. I got 50% through this book before I gave up. I did not leave a review on Goodreads because I did not finish it.

Thank you so much to HarperCollins Children's Books for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I loved this book and will definitely recommend the series to my friends, especially the ones who enjoyed any books by SJM, Rebecca Ross, or Penn Cole.

Between These Broken Hearts is the fourth installment in the These Hollow Vows series by Lexi Ryan. The first two books focus on Abriella while the second two focus on her sister, Jasalyn. It's extremely helpful and enjoyable to read all of the books; however, you could just read Jasalyn's story starting with Beneath These Cursed Stars if you wanted.

This was a great ending to the series! Princess Jasalyn and Kendrick must find a way to defeat the evil Mordeus while Felicity, an echo who can shift into other people's forms, and Misha, the king of the Wild Fae, work to vanquish Erith and ensure that he doesn't take over the realm of Elora. Their adventures were exciting, the romance was sweet, and the world was full of lots of whimsical magic and moments.

The story was fast paced and picked up eight months after the end of book 3. I was a little confused at first and did need to review what happened in the last book to better understand where the plot was going and why in book 4. There are references to the past that intertwine with the new story, but I still needed to review the previous book to not feel lost. I got my bearings pretty quickly though and was able to move forward in this story.

Some of my favorite things were:

* the goblins: I love how they are used to help transport our main characters far distances and how they deal in gross things like nail clippings and pieces of hair. I might need a goblin novella to find out what exactly they do with them, lol. I found it funny how the main characters avoided traveling by goblin when possible as everyone knows what gossips they are.

* Misha's ability to speak mind to mind: what a quick, efficient, intimate way to be able to communicate!

* the blood magic and ring that transformed Jasalyn into the Enchanting Lady: these were simultaneously horrifying yet so very intriguing!

* the wolpertinger! Imagine a cute little bunny with horns that can turn psycho and super dangerous on a dime! That surprised me, made me laugh and scared me!

* there were so many fantastic supporting characters and villains that made this story richer! Shae, Konner, Brie, Amelia, and Squird, to name a few.

* the Grimoricon being able to transform from a cat into a locket that could easily be worn and transported was one of the coolest moments

* I loved how the oracle was presented in this book! You have to jump into a little puddle and can only speak to the oracle for as long as you can hold your breath. It really was one of the coolest moments in the book for me.

* the concept of the phoenix: just wow. Mind blown. Love, love, loved how this was incorporated into the story!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s | Storytide for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this so much! While I do think I prefer Beneath These Cursed Stars, this is a great conclusion to the duology.

My biggest complaints all take place in the first maybe 15-20% of the book and once I got past that I enjoyed it way more. Minor spoilers ahead. First, there is an 8 month time jump from the end of the previous book. I understand the need to jump a bit since it is a duology and our main characters are missing but I would have preferred some info on the search. Jas and Felicity were found very quickly and it almost made it feel like they weren’t gone at all. Second, we jump right into dreams and scenes that left me confused and thinking I forgot things from the first book. It was all explained but for a couple chapters I was convinced I had characters names/relationships all messed up. My other complaint is more about preference but I tend to get a little annoyed with spin-off series when the main villain is the defeated villain from the main series. Always makes me feel like the work the other characters did was for nothing.

I did love the personal journeys that Jas and Felicity went on outside the main villain. Jas’s battle with anxiety and depression was realistic. Both characters were well-rounded and had good character arcs. Overall, I enjoyed Between These Broken Hearts and would recommend this series!

3.5 stars rounded up.

First off, I have never been SO excited to get an arc of a book as I was for this one. Thank you to HarperCollins and Lexi Ryan for allowing me to read this in advance!

After Beneath These Cursed Stars I was left on the edge of my seat absolutely drooling over the relationships between our four main characters Felicity, Misha, Kendrick & Jasalyn. I couldn’t wait to continue their stories, see their relationships deepen, and the four of them in the same room for once.

My biggest hangup was the beginning of the book. I get that we aren’t supposed to understand what is initially happening, but it was really confusing/jarring for me. I kept flipping back to Beneath These Cursed Stars trying to see if I misunderstood something.

The immediate passing of 8 months was a big no for me. I get that it is a duology, so things needed to speed up, but I would have preferred a chapter or two before skipping a few months, and then repeat before catching up to where we were. Even by the end of the book I feel we were robbed of explanations or moments seeing the characters work through the complex emotional situations they were in at the end of book 1.

Otherwise, I loved each character’s story and romance, feeling that their actions struck true with who we got to know in book one. I really enjoy the world that Lexi Ryan has built between the two interconnected series and am sad to see it complete!

I was pretty lost for the first 20% or so, but I don’t know if that’s a me-thing or a book-thing, so I can’t necessarily rate this book lower due to that. Maybe I should have re-read Beneath These Cursed Stars right before starting Between These Broken Hearts, but honestly, I’ve read books where the author does a really good job of bringing us back into the story and sort of re-capping what happened without it being super obvious, and I wish Lexi Ryan had done that a little better here. That being said, I was already a little less into Jas’s story during book three than I was with Abrielle’s in the first two books. But I LOVE Misha so I was still very excited to continue his journey in this, book four. I did definitely prefer the Felicity chapters over the Jas chapters, the latter continued to keep me a little lost for most of the book.
Still, an overall enjoyable ending to the series!
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advance copy and allowing me to share my review!