Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an ARC!

I have to be honest, I couldn’t get into this book. I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the mood or if I didn’t actually like the plot/characters, but something was stopping me from actually caring about this.

First of all, the writing style felt pretty inconsistent. I could get over the grammar and the slang, even though they felt kind of awkward, because at least they went with the world-building. It bothered me at first, but I could adjust.

But sometimes the writing was really nice and descriptive and it flowed well, and sometimes it was pretty clunky and annoying, and that made my reading experience just kind of rough. And what was worse, the slang and adapted grammar that I mentioned earlier was also patchy.

It came up mainly in the beginning but then petered out. I guess it was a reflection of Vika’s adaptation to high society rather than the slums, but it’s not that easy to change your thought styles and preferred phrases.

The world-building was actually really good. I loved the whole galaxy theme and the dystopian setting and how fleshed out all of society was. The economy of Philomenus and the corruption on Ploutos felt very realistic and well-thought-out. Not to mention the aesthetic this provided.

My one complaint is that the world-building within the book is mainly centered on the sister planets of Ploutos and Philomenus, and nothing outside of it - though it’s heavily implied that there’s much more in the galaxy beyond. I would have been interested in seeing more of this system of planets and how it all fit together.

The plot of this book was something I expected to be much more exciting. I kind of knew from the synopsis vibe of “poor girl with a mysteriously charmed life transforms into a fancy lady” that this was going to include some cliches, but it just didn’t feel that intriguing to me.

It took me a long time to understand what was going on and how relevant those things were to the plot, and by the time I was near the ending, I still hadn’t formed any connections to the story. I just found it hard to care.

Now don’t get me wrong, I have always and will always be a guilty bitch for the rags-to-riches trope, no matter how trashy it is. This was no different. When an unsuspecting girl has to navigate the bloodthirsty, glittering society she’s been sucked into?? Pure gold.

And Vika’s character did that a little too well. The second she went from Philomenus to Ploutos, she became this selfish, spoiled brat who refused to let herself feel anything but contempt.

I loved how scrappy and bitter she was in the beginning, because I thought it was setting up for actually good character development. It didn’t. It just made her ~ambitious~ and ~ruthless~ within the ranks of Ploutousian upper society. She became this self-absorbed pick me girl with no remorse and no emotions other than anger, scorn and stupidity.

I might be exaggerating. She certainly had the redeeming quality of being aware of everything around her. But the way she settled from poverty into wealth without even caring that much about the corruption of that wealthy (until it started affecting here) was just not it.

I love bitter protagonists. I love angry protagonists. I don’t like protagonists who acknowledge that “oh I should probably send my starving family money because I’m not working and providing money for them anymore” and then saying in the same breath “but they’re fine because I’m not taking up space and they never loved me so why should I care”

Like…girl??? Your sister and mother might be absolute bitches but they’re STARVING bitches, meanwhile you get yourself drunk every day and spend thousands on jewelry just so you can make friends with fake girls married to rich men twice their age.

Oh wait, you plan to be one of them too.

Then there was Sky Foster, who had as much personality as he did brain cells. That is to say, almost none. His entire narrative was pining after Vika or his ~awakening~ in finally seeing the ~bad things~ in the world.

He was so passive, it was pretty obvious his only role was to awaken sympathy in the audience for his horrible plight and to give Vika a love interest. Because no one else was going to fall in love with someone like her.

Speaking of which, the romance? Was literally not romance. It was Vika being a bitch and Sky being bland as hell, to the point that neither of them knew what to do in the same room except make eye contact and have ~internal monologues~. Vika looked down on Sky so much, and for what? Because he was creepy?

That didn’t stop her from going after an old divorced guy just because he owned a business.

The love triangle was just not even a love triangle because there was no relationship. Archer (who I didn’t talk about simply because he only appeared when it was necessary to lend more ~tension~) was just sooooo fascinating and handsome to Vika. Sky scared her because he made her feel guilty about being a spoiled bitch.

And Sky? He found Vika so perfect no matter how selfish she was. Because he just had no room in that brain of his for any other thoughts.

My main problem with this book was that everything felt so useless. Things happened to the characters, but were they actually doing anything? No. The story was driven by outside forces only, and they were just along for the ride, which gave the audience literally no interest in anything they actually did within the story.

The one climactic scene near the end was the only time I really actively read what was going on, and while that was actually really good, it wasn’t enough to carry the remnants of the plot for me.

I liked the messages this book carried about poverty and rebellion, but it honestly felt like such a constant dystopian trope that it was easy not to pay attention to. Nothing excited me, and nothing made me want to pay attention to what was happening.

Overall, this book was not my kind of thing. It’s probably correct to describe it as a “intergalactic Bridgerton” type of set, but I haven’t seen Bridgerton so don’t quote me on that. I just know it gives me very futuristic-Victorian-romance vibes with a little rebellion thrown in.

Maybe this book would be perfect for someone else, but to me it just wasn’t that great of a read. The characters were unlikeable, the story didn’t feel compelling, and the romance was just not really there. It would be a fun trash read in my opinion, but I couldn’t get myself to care past that.

The description of the book has sold me when I saw this. I immediately requested it and luckily, I was approved.

However, as I read on, I found myself kind of regretting it. The plot is confusing for me, the characters especially the main character are bland. And I cannot root for any of them. I was hoping the ending will change my opinion, but sadly it didn't.

The Stars Between Us, by Cristin Terrill, is a space opera-esque(heavy on the “esque”) fantasy about a struggling barmaid named Vika who desperately wants a different life.
I really wanted to love this book, but in the.end it was just missing a certain something, and I had a hard time connecting. I think it was something that could be fixed on the editorial side, because the story is solid. Additionally, this novel was described as a space opera, but that is quite a leap, since 99.9% of the story takes place planet-side.
3/5⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill was an interesting read. I liked the premise and the unique aspects of the plot, and there was a twist near the end that I didn't see coming. I thought Vika and Leo were good together and for each other, however we didn't really get to see much of them happy together. The majority of the book they were apart (because of plot related secrets and means), but Vika came off as unlikeable in many parts of the book as she was overly judgmental. I love a strong female lead, but Vika (way too many times) was downright rude and mean to Leo and it just made me not like her. Leo had his own flaws, a bit too meak and reserved, but that was how his character was meant to be I think (for character growth to happen). I would have liked the characters to get together a little sooner, or at least Vika to have been a bit less combative to Leo.

A girl who has been poor all her life finds herself as the candidate to be a bride for a billionaire’s son. Vika Hale is a barmaid, her family is poor and she dreams about so much more for herself. One day she discovers that she was named in the will of an elusive billionaire who has just died. She is named as the bride candidate to his son, Leo... except Leo Chapin has also just been killed in a bombing. Vika is then whisked away by the new heirs of the will to live with them, where she will experience luxury and opulence. In her new life she will get everything she’v ever wanted... except there is her employer’s new assistant Sky Foster who keeps watching her. She doesn’t trust him and despite the fact that the new heirs are also under attack and Sky is the only person who can help her find the identity of the bomber before the next victim. The closer she grows to Sky the more she realizes that there’s more to him and that he is hiding something. Sky Foster is hiding his real identity and he’s falling in love with the one girl he never expected. Together they’ll have to navigate this new playing field as well as solve a mystery that could place them both in danger. While the premise has potential the execution of the story was lacking for me, I think my biggest issue was Vika. She is extremely shallow and it’s hard to read from her or sympathize with her, while Leo on the other hand was a much more compelling and interesting character and even though we get to read from both their perspectives, I wish the story was more focused on his journey. Yes I can understand how Vika, a character who has grown up poor, would be selfish and cave under the luxury and wealth that’s landed in her lap, but she was just a bit much for me. The romance was eh, I would have rather them end up as friends instead but that’s just me feeling the lack of chemistry between them. Overall, this story didn’t work out for me but definitely give it a try if you’re looking for a romance with a splash of mystery.

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Poor barmaid Vika, living from hand to mouth each day, is suddenly offered an opportunity that could change her life. To earn her richest dreams, she only needs to marry a total stranger. Thrust suddenly into a world of wealth and parties, Vika has to choose between her integrity and the life she's always dreamed of.

Money changes people. I like how this book presented that with various characters as they either gained heaps of it or had to start working for it. It's a question of morals over greed, and I enjoyed how the story brought out the best and the worst of each character as they each grasped at the large fortune suddenly available.

The book began with an emotional roller coaster for Vika, and continued with an interesting chain of events. The story was a combo of Regency novel types of parties - fancy dresses, dancing, gossip..., but also included a mystery with some good plot twists. There wasn't much fast paced action. Instead, there It focused on character development and solving a mystery. The character development was really good. The author did a great job of showing how superficial items like money and beauty can change people's lives and lead them into stupid decisions.

Vika leaped from poverty to riches, but to avoid returning to the slums of her past, she needs to marry a stranger. With the help of some friends, Vika must discover who keeps trying to murder the heirs to the Chapin fortune, while at the same time, figure out how far she's willing to go to keep her riches.

Vika has grown up in poverty on a planet full of the lower class. She always dreamed of getting away and moving to live with the rich and beautiful on her neighboring planet, but is stuck working as a barmaid. Vika always had a little bit of a leg up when a benefactor would pay her family in exchange for Vika completing physical and mental screenings, although this benefactor hasn't been heard from in years. That is until she finally learns the reason for all of the tests - and she is chosen to become the wife of the richest bachelor alive.

The Stars Between Us is a space opera for the science fiction romance lover. Aside from the futuristic tech and space travel this is a story of two people who grew up in very different economical environments that fall in love. While I did enjoy this story I thought the conflict between the two main characters has been overdone. If you take out the science fiction elements you are left with a romance story that has been told many times over. I also wasn't a huge fan of Vika, she frustrated me as a character a lot, always trying to find the easiest solution. Thankfully she does have a character arc and a little bit of redemption at the end. I think this is a quick, easy read if you are wanting a mindless romance with some fun space themes thrown in, but I'm not sure I would want to read it again.

What a fun twist on a traditional romance! Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read.

When Rigel Chapin dies he leaves his entire fortune to his son Leo Chapin with one catch, he must marry a poor barmaid from another planet named Vika Hale. Vika, desperate to return her family's meager fortune to them is distraught at being "bought" but is also very aware of the opportunity she's been presented. When Leo dies in a fiery crash will all of Vika's dreams come crashing down around her or will she discover that sometimes, money is not the answer?

I was so surprised at how much I loved this story. A beautiful dystopian world filled with drama, gratuitous wealth and a revolution trying to change everything. It was so fun to see Vika grow and mature throughout the story. Just overall a wonderful read

*thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The cover is so pretty. The main character Vika was just so unlikable to me. I had a really hard time connecting with the main character. I really wanted to love the plot and the world. I just couldn’t get into it and ultimately DNFed it.

The stars between us is a standalone sci-fi/mystery novel that follows Vika Hale, a poor girl living on an impoverished planet. For almost her whole life, she’s had an unknown benefactor providing for her and her sister. She soon learns that her benefactor was a billionaire who recently died (under more than a little suspicious circumstances) and included her in the will. She then moves to a lush and shiny new neighboring planet where she teams up with a mysterious man named Sky after learning someone’s targeting the heirs to the will.

Although I found Vika to be quite annoying for most of the book I really enjoyed the pacing and plot of the book, even if some of the twists were a little predictable. Overall this is a great book for anyone that’s a fan of sci-fi and mysteries.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with a copy of this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to like this. I just could not get over Vika, I didn't like her as a character whatsoever. I couldn't connect with her at all, she was so spoiled and selfish. But not in the fun bitchy way that people can be spoiled and selfish, in the way that causes people to commit homicide. I'm people.

The only thing that kept me from giving it 1 star is the setting. I adore books set and space and I thought the concept of twin planets was super interesting. That's it.

Actually, I'll just give the feedback. The prose wasn't for me and I think the whole thing just skews a bit young for my taste. Nothing personal.

Saying this book is unreadable sounds harsh to my ears - but I have tried multiple times to get through this 400 page book and my frustration has increased each time I picked it up.

I’ll keep it brief. Veka is highly unlikeable as our MC. Which is my main reason for disliking this book - I found it difficult to connect with this world or it’s characters. The second is it’s too long and the plot is moving to slowly. Much of the dialogue doesn’t do anything to move the story along and caused me to skim quite a bit.

I’m very disappointed because I was very excited for this one.

DNF @ 60% - I really tried to like this one. it felt like divergent meets the inheritance games, but wayyyyy less interesting. the characters were bland, and I found myself caring less and less about the mystery at hand. it just didn’t even matter to me who the mystery benefactor was by the end.

The cover did it for me. The premise too had me eager to read this book. After a few chapters I was hooked and couldn’t wait to see where things went. We learn about Vika and her life and watch as it threatens to change only to remain the same. Then we learn about Sky and at first he came across weird but then allowed us to see who he truly is and I found myself rooting for him the entire time. I kept waiting for things to get going but it feels like the story stalled for quite some time. We see their daily life which is nice but it didn’t leave enough time for when things actually went left. It felt like all the action was squished in at the end and felt rushed. That sucked because otherwise I definitely would have said it was a 5 star read. Instead, it felt like everything was squeezed in to the end and left the ending feeling meh. I’d still recommend others read this as it was a fun read. I just wish some of the slower parts weren’t there. 3.5 stars.

There are so few Sci-Fi books out right now, so to find one that is also fabulous is just a bonus! Knives Out was one of my favorite movies, and this had all the same vibes!! Plus, anytime you can show the disparity between classes and the dysfunction of governments, I'm sold on that story. There were the perfect amount of plot twists that kept me guessing.

I like this book. The characters are interesting, so you might not relate to all of them. But the plot is solid. My only issue is that it moved a bit slower than I was expecting. The author wiring style is very descriptive which I particularly like.


Thank you NetGalley ,St. Martin Press and Wednesday Books for my ARC.

I had a really great time reading this book! I really enjoyed her first book, and this one sounded really great! I really enjoyed reading Vika's story, and watching her go from rags to riches. Well, not her own riches, because this story wasn't what I expected!

I thought that by being her benefactor, that the money would be going straight to her, so I wasn't expecting that it would be a condition that his son would get the money-if he married her. That the guy was evaluating her to see if she fit his standards of what he wanted from his son's wife. Yeah. That was strange, but I enjoyed watching it play out!

Sometimes, I wasn't sure if I liked Vika all that much. She got caught up in this world of glamour and glitz, and was kinda appalled at the thought of sending money back home. I'm like, do you really need to spend all that money on clothes? Really?

That ending though? I didn't expect that, that was pretty explosive, and I loved how everything worked out when the dust settled. It was great to see that they'd learned from their experiences-and how they grew from them. And I love what I can picture for their future!

This was a pretty great book from Cristin Terril, and I can't wait to read more!

This was a VERY different book than I’ve ever read. I had trouble connecting with the main character. I guess I thought she would be more, compassionate and sweet considering things she had been through. I just found her sort of boring to be honest. I liked the author’s writing style despite my lack of character connection.

The story itself was very interesting and that is what kept me reading.

There are a lot of things about Vika that don't quite make sense, but when Mr. Archer Sheratan stops by her family's small flat on Philomenus with news of her mysterious Ploutos benefactor's death, some questions are finally answered. Soon her world has been rocked and turned upside down, and she has to figure out what her self respect is worth and what she is willing to compromise to get the life that she wants.

I liked this book a lot. Vika , Sky, and Archer are interesting characters, and the fact that they aren't perfect, there are stumbling blocks and character growth for everyone (the growth may not be a positive thing for some). The only thing that I wished was included was a pronunciation guide since the book takes place on 2 different planets and that there are some word variances that made my brain stutter in trying to work out how something was pronounced.

I received this free Advance Reader copy from NetGalley and MacMillan. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.