Plot is very captivating. The plot twist was surely unexpected for me. Vika is a hard-ass which is understanding with the struggles she's been through but she could've given Sky some slack. This is a truly engaging and interesting read that will appeal to Science Fiction fans.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Just barely 3 stars.

Look, I didn't hate this. I wasn't spite-reading just to see if it got worse. I didn't feel the need to put it down and walk away forever. I've certainly read worse. But it's trying to do too much and fails on all fronts.

There's a lot of potential. Vika needs the most work because she is thoroughly unlikable. I get it, she's at an age where you learn to be your own person outside of family and such but she is awful. And I can't for one minute believe that she'd be so easily able to throw off years of habits built from barely surviving. She wouldn't become that ridiculously shallow creature we see when she first joins the Gardeners.

If you're going to set a historical romance in space, lean into it more. It felt like two disparate ideas that didn't have enough time to meld. The mystery of it wasn't really a mystery after the reveal 1/3 of the way into the story. I agree with a lot of other reviewers: this was much longer than it needed to be. And don't get me started on the romance of it!

I can't really see myself recommending this to anyone.

I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did. I love the whole premise of this book. I was excited for a Dickens inspired sci-fi novel but I think the plot just fell flat for me. I didn’t find this book as memorable as I wanted to.

When I heard that this book was being pitched as a cross between Bridgerton and Illuminae I was hooked, and Cristin Terrill did not disappoint.

I loved All Our Yesterdays by the same author, and was excited by the premise of this book. However, I was unable to get into it. I got maybe 30% before I put it down and just didn't pick it back up again. It doesn't have the same engaging pull as All Our Yesterdays, and moved fairly slowly in my opinion. It felt like I had read a lot of book but didn't get a lot of story.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

While this book just came out and my review is a bit late, I am definitely glad I got to read this one! It's science fiction, my first love of genres for books, it was a space opera with the perfect dose of mystery, action, romance and humor that makes Soap operas.... well...


You know, DRAMATIC.


Now, onto the chaos.


Short Summary? A Barmaid in a faraway planet gets the news she is to marry the richest heir of one of the richer empires, all to find out that *SPOILER ALERT* he got killed before he met his destination and from there, this barmaid gets swept into a world of glittering courts, crazy chases and stopping bad guys from getting all the power.


Longer Summary: Vika is a simple barmaid who hates her job and hates the planet she lives in more. When she gets a visit from an ambassador informing her that a former tutor recommended her as the perfect bride for the prince who has recently lost his father, her task is to marry a stranger so he can unlock his fortune. In exchange, she can get a better life for her and her family. It should be easy... but not as easy as it actually seems.


When said prince gets caught in an accident (but not really, y'all) that seemingly takes his life away, Vika's life gets thrown into a chaotic series of events as she becomes royalty, one of the most coveted women in the galaxy, and most importantly, a target for those who wish for Vika's death along with anyone who is included in the will for the big fortune.


So... no pressure, right?


I've always loved soap operas and even when they take place in space, it adds more onto the tension and chaos that unfolds which is *chef's kiss*. I loved Vika since page one and some of the other characters like Sky Foster *cough cough, don't get me started with him* keep you going and before you know it, you get pulled in and by the time you're done, you're wondering where your time went, and why it had Marissa Meyer's The Lunar Chronicle vibes too! (Honestly, The Lunar Chronicles and Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff's The Aurora Cycle is what I recommend as similar books in this genre of sci-fi space soap operas!) Although my one issue with it was it being a standalone, I think we can live with some standalone books in our lives.


Overall: 4/5 stars

The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill

371 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books
Release Date: August 2, 2022

Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Teens, Young Adult, Dystopian Worlds

Vika Hale lives with her parents and sister in a small apartment but it was not always this way. Her family once lived in a nice house with a yard and her father had a good job until the world changed. Now Vika works at a bar earning her share to support her family while her sister mopes and her mother dreams of the past.

One day she receives information from an attorney that a man she met one time when he bought her an ice cream, has left his entire estate to his son with the condition he marries her. This comes as a shock to Vika since she has never met the son and has no explanation for this action. If she agrees to marry, her family will be in a better position, and they will not need for anything ever again. Before Vika can decide, there is an explosion, and the heir is presumed dead along with her future.

The book has a steady pace, the characters are well developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. I had mixed feelings of Vika throughout the book. At times she is arrogant and selfish, and the thought of money consumes her. These are real emotions I am sure people have when the thought of inheriting a fortune is in front of them. The only family member I thought was likeable was her father. It definitely shows the underbelly of society. That said, I really enjoyed the book. The story did not go where I originally thought it was going. If you like sci fi & fantasy books with a twist of greed, you will enjoy this book.

DNF. Something about the writing style just didn’t sit well with me, and I found it really hard to connect to the story because of it. I also found it very hard to like the main character at all, a problem I’ve notice many reviews repeating. While I thought the premise of this book had great promise and the cover is beautiful, I don’t think the story itself delivered enough to pull me in.

I didn’t love the story and I wasn’t drawn in because the main character seemed a little too snooty and bratty, but it was still an interesting story, it just wasn’t for me.

2.5/5, rounded up

listen. i am not the type of person who has to like their main character in order to enjoy a book. sometimes characters aren't likable! that's fine! that's fun! but something about vika just was not working for me as a main character, i was just TOO against her for most of the book to really get invested in the story. some of the reveals? twists? explanations? felt contrived and not well backed up, and while some of the universe's setup was really interesting, it didn't get explored enough. especially once we got into bigger picture stuff beyond just vika. and the mystery part was just...fine.

honestly, remembering some of the twists makes it even less whelming but there's a nice aesthetic? i don't know this was so meh to me and i did really want to like it because i think i could've, the execution was lacking for me. that being said it is a quick and easy read so if it sounds intriguing might as well give it a shot

This YA novel is delightful and I would definitely recommend it for younger adult readers with little violence, no inappropriate content, and no "real" language (cuss words are replaced with "local dialect" that emulates our curse words).

The world building was limited, but I had the general sense of these planets' imaginary realm. The rags to riches and secret millionaire tropes were sweet and I rooted for the protagonists to fall for each other.

I struggled with Vika's portrayal once she had a change of status. She suddenly became a shallow, self-agrandizing, inconsiderate girl. The same goes for Sky - he suddenly became this submissive, self-deprecating fool who couldn't stand up to anyone. So, I think that the characters could have retained more of their initial personalities once their situations changed.

I appreciated the ending wrapped up in a nice little bow and I enjoyed the quick-paced, smooth writing.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin's Press for sharing this sweet novel with me!

While this wasn't my favorite read lately, I still found it enjoyable.

THE STARS BETWEEN US is set in a glittering new world, about a girl who discovers that behind the glamor and romance, the world is teeming with conspiracies, secrets and murder.

I listened to the book on audio, and the narrator was a good choice for the story and held my interest. It just came down to pacing for me, but it may have been a case of me not the book.

*many thanks to Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy for review

Vika’s entire life was provided by an unknown benefactor making sure she had the best of educations but as she grows she wants more. The dreams seem so far away but she feels like she can touch them. When her mysterious benefactor turns out to be a billionaire that died she finds she was included in his will. She soon realizes she has a target on her back. There is so much stellar world building in this one and a jam packed story!

Thank you #Wednesdaybooks and #Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The worst feeling is not enjoying a book. Authors pour their hearts and souls into writing. It feels so snobbish for me to sit here and say "well i didn't like it, so."

I don't necessarily think this was a bad book. It was incredibly predictable from page one, but honestly, I think that's just the result of me having read YA books for years upon years.

Vika was rather insufferable, and it was physically painful to read from her point of view. But teenagers are often insufferable, so I have to take that with a grain of salt. In fact, this is probably an excellent example of a teenager in Vika's position. I don't think she was shallow or one-dimensional, but she definitely fell flat as a main character. Not one-dimensional but not an incredible amount of depth either.

But honestly? It was kind of nice reading from someone's perspective that is flawed because that's how people are, truly. Especially teens. Can't hate a girl for enjoying herself, you know?

This is a VERY character based story. If you're looking for a fast-moving plot, look the other way. It's a slow paced book, but it's still enjoyable. This is a nice introduction for anyone wanting to dip their toes into science fiction without the strong science stuff. Just planets, aircrafts and vibes.

Unfortunately, I couldn't really get into this book. I think part of the problem is that it isn't my usual favourite genre, it was a little too sci-fi/dystopia for my tastes. That being said, there were some interesting themes that even I enjoyed, such as the impact money has on our lives and what makes someone inherently good or bad. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and found that I was often procrastinating picking it back up to keep reading, which is usually a sign it isn't the right book for me, but who knows? It might be perfect for someone who enjoys this genre more. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

First off I think that the cover of this book is beautiful., but I will say that I was overall hoping for a bit more. This book definitely had its strengths and its weaknesses but for me personally I think the main weakness was me not exactly caring for the protagonist.

As much as this gorgeous cover enticed me, the story within it’s pages did not. This read more like an fictional economic crisis story than a sci-fi fantasy, with a badly characterized main character. Fortunately, it was fast-paced and quick to read so it was over and done with swiftly.

Vika is a great character who intrigued me. I liked the storyline and enjoyed where this story went.
It has love, romance, family bonds and a great mystery plot.

Bridgerton meets Illuminae? I’m in. When the benefactor who provided for Vika and her sister suddenly passes away, Vika is invited to live on the glittery, luxurious planet as part of his will. But soon the benefactor’s heirs are being targeted and she has to work together with another mysterious heir, a young man named Sky, to uncover the identity of the attacker before her new lavish life is taken from her.