I really enjoyed this. It was slow at times and I found myself skipping some parts, but overall the book was good. A future where we live in space and resources are going scarce. A romance and teen drama.

Princess Leonie is the sensible one of her family (dad and sister), she's trying to earn them some extra money by hiring out their spaceship during the Valg season - when all the aristocrats of the fleet party and pair off. Her renters include Elliot, Leo's former fiance, and as well as having to try and work out how she's going to avoid being pushed into marrying for money, she also has to work out how to navigate that complicated relationship.

It's a version of Persuasion, and it's quite fun. Persuasion is my favourite Austen novel, and this is nowhere near as good - but if you take the theoretical base out of the picture, it's enjoyable. Leo is a good main character, she's pleasingly sarcastic about the idea behind the Valg season and actually has some agency about her - even if she does have to be rescued by Elliot. Carina, her younger sister, is much less irritating than Elizabeth in Persuasion! Several of the other characters are appealing, Evgenia in particular, and even annoying cousin Klara is well drawn enough that she's more than her petty surface.

If you want proper social commentary on the problems of listening to others and how women lack agency in society, then read Persuasion. The Stars We Steal doesn't cover that very well at all, but it's quite good fun and enjoyable, so ignore the claims for the plot basis and read it on its own merits.

The bachelor meets... Jane Austen? In space?

In The Stars We Steal, our protagonist, Leonie, is steadfastly keeping her small family together, all the while getting ready for Valg Season (AKA the bachelor in space except with a bunch more options) and pining over her lost love, Elliot (Elliot Wentworth... I really couldn't read his full name without snort laughing at the heavy handed Persuasion reference).

There is some political drama involved but it's really all secondary to the romance between Leo and Elliot. The romance is interesting enough, but everything else in the book feels so shallow compared to it. There could have been way more attention paid to the setting of the book as this is a post-Earth colonization of the stars, which has a lot of potential story telling punch. But, it was mostly for naught. As for the Austen retelling, I can't say that this book really does her work a service.

I would recommend this book if you're looking for YA romance with a little politics and space stuff thrown in the mix for good measure.

I really liked this book. I have been in a reading slump lately and this one helped me get out of it. The plot was very active and i never became bored with it. I will be recommending this book to everyone.

I had SO much fun reading this! I couldn't put it down. I don't even know where to begin-- it was just really satisfying all around! I loved the Austen retelling in space, with the different ships representing mankind's attempt at clinging to long-gone Earth-based cultures and class conflicts. So cleverly done! The pacing and plotting were just right, and the characters drew me in. Leo is a protagonist I can get behind- she's smart, bookish, dedicated to her family, and flawed in relatable ways. And the romantic conflict was top-notch... so much pining! Loved it.

This book was received as an ARC from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group - HMH Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

When I first read this book, I thought I wasn't going to like it at first because I did not agree with Princess Leo's plan to find the most eligible bachelor that can help her get our of her financial distress and not for love or someone to spend the rest of her life with. But, as the story progressed, you feel for Princess Leo a little bit and get to know her at a personal level when Elliott returns in her life and her childhood memories resurface. They always say, your first love is the one you never forget. Even when you base your story on lies and not brave enough to let him know the truth. This is also a good example of how ALWAYS, the truth will set you free even if it is hard to say.

We will consider adding this title to our YFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I thought this book was so, so much fun from start to finish--I love the space background because it gives me Ascension/The 100 vibes, but the romance is full of all the angst you could possibly want in a Jane Austen retelling. The cast of characters covers a wide variety of sexualities (Like! An! Asexual! Guy!!! Daniel is my favorite!!!) which makes the Valg-Season-courting-circuit far more interesting.

This is a great readalike for fans of The Selection, because it has a lot of the romance, plot, and characterization that dystopian readers gravitate towards while also being different enough they won't continually compare the two. A great YA novel that can be safely recommended to the whole middle school bracket.

I think this one may just not be for me. I was very iffy on the author’s previous retelling of Jane Eyre in space – and for many of the same reasons – so I should have known better. Part of the problem is seeing the romance arc from my favourite Austen novel set in space and given only the most shallow of interpretations (honestly when are people going to realise that Austen wrote deeply political books that challenged the status quo, not mere light romances?) So it started as a disadvantage and then I didn’t engage with the characters of the style. I’m giving this 3 stars here because NetGalley doesn’t allow you not to rate books. I won’t rate it on GR when I post my review because this was clearly not intended for me and it just wouldn’t be fair. If you have enjoyed other space set retellings of 19th C classics then give this a go, I think you’ll really like it. If you’re a fan of the classics in their own right then this may jar you.