I heard this book compared to Marvel's The Winter Soldier, and I knew I wanted to read it! From the very beginning I was hooked when we met Ivy and Philip as orphans hawking newspapers on the streets of DC. What follows is a well-written adventure brimming with assassins, secret societies (hello, S.H.I.E.L.D), and romance.

This was a book I didn't want to put down but also had to put down at times to take a little bit of a breather. The action is intense and descriptive and the evil presented is truly evil. I loved how engaging the story was.

What I didn't love was the super dark feel (which may not bother some readers) without much hope. As far as content, there's talk about the "Fates" controlling life but also a mention of an Almighty God. There is one use that I recall of a curse word. There is a wedding night scene that is a bit of fade to black. This isn't Christian fiction by any means. There's a running theme of the end justifying the means that will get you to thinking about what you would do in certain situations.

All things considered, I was enthralled with the plot and the characters and holding my breath on more than one occasion. I will definitely be reading the sequel!

Recommended to Marvel fans for sure!

*I received a copy of the novel from NetGalley and the publisher, but I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.*

Incredible, romantic page turner. I absolutely loved this book and I cannot wait for the second one. The author has such a beautiful style of writing, the romance is on point, and the history and suspense are delicately balanced and well done.

I loved the premise of The Brilliance of Stars, not to mention the gorgeous cover! Two orphans, Ivy and Philip, are taken in by a covert government agency, Talon, dedicated to keeping worldwide peace and the overall greater good. Ivy struggles with knowing her worth as an agent in Talon, and falls in love with the dashing and daring agent, Jack. Ivy and Philip are sent on their first overseas mission which takes them deep into the heart of Russia which will test them to their very cores. I love Ciesielski’s way with words and the romance between Ivy and Jack. The plot starts out with very Mission Impossible like vibes; however, the latter half of the book becomes rather cheesy and I found myself pushing to finish to just close out the plot. I was surprised by the cliffhanger ending and a little disappointed that loose ends weren’t tied up just a little bit. *spoilers* the whole “risers” idea was a little crazy and farfetched. I did love the time frame and the setting and will be interested in reading the next book in this series.

A departure from J'nell Cielsielski's other historical romances, "The Brilliance of Stars" is an intriguing Romantic Suspense complete with a secret paramilitary society determined to eliminate a dangerous megalomaniac. This complex novel features a cast of interesting characters; there's not a dull one to be found.

Rich in historical detail and sweeping in scope, this action-packed novel is also intensely romantic. Jack and Ivy's love for each other is deep and genuine. There is violence in this book; assassins' tools of trade are knives, guns and in the case of Philip, explosives. And while "The Brilliance of Stars" is clean, closed-door activity of a married couple is mentioned. The sparkling dialogue includes some humorous observations as well: “War and Peace made walking through the snow sound much more romantic than it actually is.”

Cielsielski's prose is crisp and evocative. A question I had about a certain character is answered at the end of this work, and sets up the continuing story arc. I look forward to the second novel in this outstanding two-part series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for an ARC of this compelling novel.

War may be brewing in Europe, but that's the other side of the world to Ivy Olwen and her adopted brother, Philip, spend their days scavenging for food in the alleys of 1914 Washington, D.C. Ivy has never stepped foot outside of the city, and even certain parts of the nation's capitol are off limits to her. When she ventures to a new neighborhood to try peddling her newspapers for a pittance, she stumbles upon a dangerous exchange that endangers her life and Philip's.

From this point the story quickly evolves into a tale of secret societies, deadly training, and mysterious men who all answer to the names of founding fathers.

The Brilliance of Stars is far different than Ciesielski's past few books, but if you're looking for assassins, danger, European bad guys, you'll find a new favorite within these pages!

I found The Brilliance of Stars was a great start to the Jack and Ivy series by J'nell Ciesielski. I highly recommend it. Five stars.