Cover Image: When Stars Come Out

When Stars Come Out

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Member Reviews

I was hooked from the first page. The premise was intriguing and the magic system very unique. There was some cliche stuff and Shy felt sometimes too good too be true. But that doesn’t matter, because it’s a very entertaining read that keeps you wanting more. Highly recommend!

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you to Scarlett St. Clair and Netgalley for providing me with this free eARC!

Exciting, a well thought out world, with just a splash of romance. A good twist on a classic story!

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Anora can see the dead. Not something she wants known when she moves to a new town, this ability nevertheless draws her into a gothic fantasy she could never have expected.

This book was OK, but the characters felt a bit flat and undeveloped. The plot was a bit slow in places and I found the writing style a bit frustrating! The overall story was interesting though.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

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I read this whole book in one day, and the fact that I don't have the sequel right now is killing me. The miscommunication trope always kills me, and I wasn't a huge fan of the characters themselves, but I enjoyed the plot and the writing style.

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*Thank you Source Books Fire for my advanced copy!*

"My words flood the air between us far past midnight, when stars come out and monsters come to life."

This is my second Scarlett St. Clair series and I am absolutely in love with her dark, gothic writing. It was really refreshing to read a retelling of a Greek Myth - Eurydice and Orpheus - that isn't considered one of the more popular stories.

This book is full of plot twists, betrayal, mystery, and mythological references. It is YA, so the main cast is obviously slightly juvenile and the romance is very PG & slow burn - which I felt necessary to call out since Scarlett's adult books are very steamy. It reads like a CW Paranormal Drama show and I was obsessed. (I honestly really need someone to adapt this to TV.)

The only critique I have is that the plot is very slow-moving. The last 20% is WILD and action-packed and definitely made up for the 50% build-up, though. I NEED book two ASAP and hope that we get some NA vibes in future content. Overall, this was a very entertaining read and I'd recommend to anyone who loves Urban Fantasy & Greek Mythology.

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3.5 stars

Sometimes a paranormal YA romance is exactly what I need. There's excitement and action, fantastical creatures, and a mysterious boy who the heroine is immediately drawn to. This was fun and quick and I read most of it in one sitting. I liked the Valryn, a sort of human-crow hybrid, since I haven't heard of them before. Then there's ghosts and a thread of fate and I was drawn in.

Anora can see ghosts and is having trouble living with this strange new ability. She's also grieving the loss of her grandpa and dealing with a mom that struggles with her own mental illness and isn't always the best parent. Anora needed someone to be on her side and help her figure out the strange things going on. Luckily she makes several friends at her new school and starts to put together what is actually going on.

The plot wasn't too complicated and the romance took a bit of time to develop, which was nice. I had fun following Anora and learning about the Eurydice and Valryn. I did think we should have gotten more information about the gates and guiding spirits, but maybe that comes in the sequel.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Bloom Books and NetGalley for the copy.

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Publication Date: July 26, 2022

Anora has just moved with her mother to a small rural town. She is determined to blend into her new school but that isn’t so easy when you can see the dead. At every turn there seems like a spirit wanting to be seen. So when she accidentally claims the soul of one of the deceased and turns it into a coin, it doesn’t look like she’s going to be able to fly under the radar. Not when she has caught the attention of Shy, a shapeshifting shadow-knight, tasked with protecting the town and who just so happens to be a good looking quarterback.

When Stars Come Out is actually a novel self-published by St. Clair many years ago. As part of a new publishing deal, Sourcebooks has acquired and is re-printing Scarlett’s back catalogue. We are even getting new books in this series! It is a young adult fantasy and there is no spice so if you’re looking for a new Daddy Hades, keep looking.

I honestly didn’t even notice the absence of spice because I was hooked by the plot from the very beginning. Why can Anora see the dead? Why do Shadow Knights live in secret? Who is behind all the strange events? The mysteries will keep you enthralled until the very end because even when you thought you knew what was happening, you only guessed a fraction of the truth.

This is a reimagining of the story of Eurydice and Orpheus where Eurydice is taken to the underworld and Eurydice is allowed to take her back only if he walks in front of her and promises not to look back the until both had departed the underworld. Spoiler alert… Orpheus looks back.

The romance was a Romeo and Juliet type situation which played out pretty satisfactorily.

I believe I read somewhere that St. Clair stated that while this was a young adult book, further novels that will be published in the series will graduate to new adult. If this is the case, I can’t wait because like anything Scarlett publishes this book is magic.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Bloom Books for providing an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Anora Silby just moved to a new town in Oklahoma to escape her past in New York. She is starting at a new school and just wants to be normal. But Anora has a secret. She can see ghosts and can capture their spirits and turn them into a coin.

When she loses one of her coins, Anora is concerned that someone may know her secret. Pretty soon, a classmate dies mysteriously and Anora figures someone has found a way to manipulate the coin. She has to find it before anyone else ends up dead and her powers are revealed.

This is my first book by this author. I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more in the series.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Scarlett has done it again. I literally could not put this book down. I haven’t read much YA lately and was hesitant starting but within the first two chapters my mind was changed. The story is such a unique take on a fantasy YA book. This book brought back so much nostalgia from my high school days. I love books that take place on campus. There are so many teen related topics that are explored so well in this book. I haven’t quite read a YA book that’s like this! Scarlett is such a great story teller. I really hope she is able to continue this as a series because I will definitely be reading the next book if she does!

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Anora can see the dead. She can also turn their souls into gold coins. Her mother is in an ongoing state of depression and denial so they move across the country to run from their troubles. Anora quickly realizes that hiding her powers and identity will be harder than she thought... also, there’s a boy. A boy who draws her in and feels so familiar. Great move, mom. Surely, everything will be just fine, right? Let’s find out!

Read if you like: YA paranormal romance, dual POV, the ‘what am I?’ trope, murder mysteries, Greek mythology, secret societies, fate, forbidden love, doing the right thing even if it’s against the rules, sweet and steamy slow burn teen romance.

Anora is trying her best to be normal. But there’s nothing normal about her these days. Running from herself and trying to make her mom happy has become her sole focus. Unfortunately, there is nothing normal about her new town, school, or classmates. On her first day she meets Shy. He’s gorgeous, kind, and the resident golden boy. Surely, he’s just being nice. But why can’t she stop thinking about him?

Shy has a lot of expectations from a lot of people. And everyone expected him to know better than to get involved with the new girl. But there’s something special about her and he can’t help but want to be near her and get to know her. Unfortunately, her arrival coincides with some very strange events and the gossip fueled school can’t help but make their own assumptions.

I absolutely adored this book. YA Paranormal Romance is my first love. How do I get more of this story? I love the mythos. I love the setting. I love the feel of the writing and characters. It’s DUAL POV!!! Beautiful. It’s dark and slightly creepy. There are some slightly nebulous terms when getting into the magic but they are basic enough to get an understanding of what’s happening. And there’s plenty of space built in the story for them to be explained later.

Anora questions things. No blind trust here. She makes mistakes and tries to fix them. Shy is poised to make a name for himself. But he does what is right. He doesn’t use his status to bully or coerce anyone. I love them. I love their friends. I love the questionable people. The mom is flawed and struggling. Heck, all the parents are!
There are so many questions pinging around my head because there were so many well laid foundations that I cannot wait… I CAN NOT WAIT to see what is in store for Anora, Shy, and crew. Scarlett St. Clair have mercy on my soul… for the love of Hades 😉… give us more of this world.

Thank you to NetGalley, Scarlett St. Clair, and Bloom Books for my eARC. I’m off to preorder this beauty.

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Thank you to NetGalley for this review copy. When I saw this book was available, I was excited because I love St. Clair's other books. This one is very different though. It is solidly YA so if you are into her NA books, you are in for a surprise. The writing is solid though and the story was interesting. I liked the idea of the plot but since I was unfamiliar with the myth this book is loosely based off, I didn't get a sense of the story until about 75% the way through. I think the story would have been better executed if the cast was in their 20s but oh well. It is also worth pointing out that this was previously self-published and is now being republished and "rebranded." Overall, I give it 3.5 stars. It was a good book just not what I expected from this author.

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I quite enjoyed this dark story. The main character was likable and I felt for her with the burden of seeing the dead. It has strong themes of suicide and death. I definitely think it’s not a book for everyone but I enjoyed it

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This was such an interesting Orpheus/Eurydice retelling
As this is my favorite Greek myth I was so excited to dive into a retelling of it
I am not a huge paranormal romance reader but this one was filled with so much action that I could not put it down!
I also really loved the paranormal/creepy elements
Our protagonist, Anora, can see the dead and she can see them as they were when they died- so the ghosts are SO creepy! The very first night I started this book I almost had to sleep with the lights on lol
Anora also has a mysterious power where she can take people’s souls & turn them into ghosts
She despises this power and is constantly anxious that people will figure out who she is
Our second protagonist is Shy who is the golden boy of the school with a big secret… he is Valryn a group of shapeshifters that are trained in combat through the Order
The Order is a secret society that deals with the paranormal… especially the Influence which is responsible for the turmoil of the world
However, the Order is desperate to find the Eurydice… the one person able to open Charon’s gates and help lead souls to rest
When Anora & Shy collide, they are instantly drawn to each other
But a rise in Influence & chaos has them wondering if they can trust each other….

I enjoyed this book, it was fun and I loved the paranormal aspect of it the most
I do wish it was more like the myth (which is what I was hoping for) but it was still a really cool twist of the myth
The romance was a little insta lovey for me but it made sense at the end and I wish their history was talked about more
Overall, this was a fun paranormal romance that I think many will enjoy

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There’s a lot of YA Greek mythology out there at the moment, but I adore Scarlett’s style of writing and her ability to keep you entertained. So this is one of the better YA/mythology books out there.
It’s very different from the spice she normally writes but I’m here for it! Liked the magic system, the characters and world building. Will be fun to see where she takes the next book in the series!
Hopefully we get a touch of chaos first though!

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As a massive Scarlett St. Clair fan I was so excited to read When Stars Come Out.

This story had all of the things I have come to love from Scarlett's writing.
- captivating characters
- the perfect balance of romance and drama that helps drive the plot forward at a good pace
- creative twists scattered throughout

Overall, a wonderful YA read that was gripping throughout, and has me desperate for the next installment,

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📚Book Review📚

This one is not my typical genre (I’m more of a spicy gal), but I saw it was from Scarlett St. Clair and I just had to!

The concept of this book was so interesting. Anora is going through a difficult time with loss and coming into these powers she’s not familiar with. As well, she’s dealing with relationships, moving to a new school, new love interest and everything she knows has changed.

I love the way she processes things and stays strong and true to herself. This book is a little dark just with her powers being centred around the dead, but it does a good job building up the characters.

Would reccomend! It’s a YA, but a great read. I was invested and I can’t wait to see what’s next. I received this as an ARC for an honest review.

🪦🪦🪦🪦/5
0/5🌶 for the YA fans

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Thank you to Net Galley and Source BooksBloom Books for the Arc of this re-release.

This story follows a girl named Anora who starts over at a new school and tries to keep her ability to see ghost a secret. In addition to her powers of seeing spirits, she can trap ghosts into coins. She finds herself on a hunt to uncover who stole her coin before more students go missing.

I was so excited to get to read one of Scarlett St. Clair’s novels. I enjoyed the take on a young adult fantasy inspired by mythology. This story would be highly recommended to older teens and adults who love fantasy and paranormal themes.

5/5 Stars!

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I really enjoyed this book! I love anything to do with Greek mythology and definitely enjoyed the modern twist on it. If I had to sum up this book in one word, it would be fun. I just had such a good time reading this and it was fast-paced, action-packed, and entertaining.
This book totally made me feel nostalgic for old school ya urban fantasy and it just gave me all the good feelings!

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It was a unique take on Orpheus and Eurydice myth retelling as YA fantasy!

I read Scarlett St. Clair's Touch of Darkness series, and I love how she creates her own spin in greek myth so when I heard about When Stars Come Out, I run to read it. It was great! I love the magic system and somewhat dark academia feels, reminds me of Shadowhunter, Beautiful Creatures, and Fallen.

I love Anora's power! Seeing ghosts, creating deathly threads to turn people souls into coin, and of course I love personal hellish guard dogs. For me her character development seems a little slow, although her confusion could be understood because poor girl suddenly thrust into a whole mess. Still, I hope to see her growing and have stronger personality in the next book!
Shy is typical YA hero, as in broody dark mysterious kind, and I'm pretty intrigued by him. Thane was also as intriguing, and I was a little disappointed we didn't get more of his backstory. The romance was fine, but for me it's just a little too fast (maybe I'm just a fan of slow sloooww burn haha).

Overall, it was a great dark fantasy, dark academia YA!
Recommended for those who love all the series I mentioned above :)

< Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for providing review copy in exhange with an honest review >

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This book was great! Had a different storyline, was action packed. The queen Scarlett does it again with putting a more modern touch on Greek mythology and young adult audience. I throughly enjoyed it, even if it was her normal “steamy” writing it had an enticing storyline

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