thank you to net galley for the e-arc!

quickly dnf'd this one. the exposition was just not good and i love lexi ryan's other fantasy series so i had such high hopes for this, like others.

she really just drops you into the story with no explanations and i had no motivation to continue reading without proper explanations or world building. her writing normally is so easy for me so this was a huge bummer.

still looking forward to her new work, this one will have to be a skip for me though.

I will say I was drawn to the cover and the fact that we were going back to the world of These Hollow Vows. I didn't even read the summary on the side because I just wanted to go back into that world so bad. To start off with this book, you have to read the previous duology These Hollow Vows to really understand the plot and even some of the characters motives. I don't think this has been stressed enough because someone could pick it up thinking it was a totally different story. No, this feels more like book three and the next being book four of the duology. Though this one has Brie's sister Jasalyn point of view.
Jasalyn's story is a lot about trauma and her finding who she is in this new world. Nothing that is thought provoking or new in this genre. Her story is one that is sad and I feel like a lot of people will relate to it because of how much the pandemic affected people. And this story is about accepting who you thought you hate could be someone you are becoming. I like how she is underestimated and considered weak by everyone but her friend Hale. I don't think the plot twists were all that surprising and you could probably figure it out by half way through the book where it was headed. Honestly there was already a good guess that was right on one of them by the third chapter. But I don't read these books looking to analyze the plot. I like the predictable nature that makes the journey enjoyable vs trying to play detective with every sentence the author writes.
The other character Felicity was a just a mirror image of Brie and really didn't have anything that was stand out amazing about her. Her story line is more instant love with Misha which was nice to see him finally getting some time on the pages. I felt like there's probably going to be some kind of mate twist in the second book for both girls. It does feel very similar to the story Cursed Crowns but that could be because they are both princess and the pauper based.
Overall the book was good. I enjoy them as light reads that are cheesy lines and cutesy endings.

Princess Jasalyn secretly uses an enchanted ring to assassinate her enemies, while shape-shifter Felicity evades a deadly prophecy. When rumors of King Mordeus's resurrection emerge, Jasalyn plots to kill him while Felicity impersonates her. Jasalyn allies with Kendrick, who stirs feelings she thought were lost, while Felicity grows closer to Wild Fae King Misha, who makes her yearn for freedom. As their missions intertwine, both face perilous challenges and forbidden romances, with the fate of the human and fae realms at stake. Jasalyn and Felicity discover their destinies might be the most cursed of all.

Beneath These Cursed Stars is marketed as taking place in the same world as the author’s previous releases These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds. However, this book feels more like the sequel to that series. I have yet to read those two books and starting this one felt like I was starting in the middle of the series.

With that said, I did thoroughly enjoy this book! Once I could piece together some of the world-building and get to know the various characters, I found it to be a fun adventure story! I particularly enjoyed the characters of Jasalyn and Kendrick! I will pick up the next book in the series (assuming there is one) and the These Hollow Vows series!

If you’re questioning: Can I read Beneath These Cursed Stars before These Hollow Vows? I would say no, I think you will miss too much setup and it will leave you feeling lost. But once you read that series, I recommend continuing the story with Beneath These Cursed Stars!

Thank you to BookSparks and Netgalley for the advanced copy! All opinions are my own.

Five Stars!
Absolutly loved this book and cannot wait for more!
Enemies to loves, kidnapping, ugh does it get any better than this??

I assumed this was part of the Twisted Bonds series which I LOVED. It’s not. It’s a spin off. As excited as I was to start, it took WAY too long to finish. AND NOTHING HAPPENED. There’s no point A and point B. The entire book feels like they need to “come up with a plan” and the ending lacked the surprise Ryan meant to land. I cared absolutely ZERO about all the characters, and truthfully remembered almost nothing from the original series. There was no refresher about what happened in the series, and felt like I was drowning in a world that made no sense.

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was hoping to love this book because I adored the series that this is a spin off from, but I found myself forcing myself to read it and unfortunately that caused me to DNF it about 60% through the book. I will most likely go back and give it another shot. Our FMC seems VERY whiny, like I understand she is not happy at the outcome and has a lot of trauma from things that happened in the OG series, but everything in this book fell flat to me.

I feel for anyone who picks this up without reading the OG series because they will be so lost and will DNF the book. Nothing in the "history" is really explained which makes it a little hard to read at times.

Thank you NetGalley and Lexi Ryan for the chance to read this ARC.

Having loved These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds, I was excited to dive back into the world in this new book. Overall I really enjoyed it and was happy to see both new and returning characters. It did hit a slow point for me but ultimately picked back up. I knew I was headed for a cliffhanger and now I can’t wait for the next book to come out!

Wow, what a ride! "Beneath these Cursed Stars" is one of those books that grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go. The plot is packed with action, intrigue, and just the right amount of romance. I loved Jasalyn’s character—she’s fierce, determined, and her secret nighttime escapades as an assassin make her such a compelling heroine. And Felicity? Her struggle against a fatal prophecy and her journey to find herself was equally gripping. The dual perspectives of Jas and Felicity add so much depth to the story. Their missions were intense, and the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. Plus, the world-building was phenomenal. The dynamic between the human and fae realms felt fresh and fascinating. And I have to mention Kendrick and Misha! The chemistry between them and the girls was electric, and I found myself rooting for both couples despite the dangerous stakes. The forbidden romance angle was done so well without overshadowing the plot.
If you love fantasy with strong heroines, high stakes, and a dash of romance, this book is a must-read. Five stars all the way!

Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan is book 1 in a duology. This is a young adult romantic fantasy novel. It really helps to have read These Hollow Vows duology. Luckily I had and it really added to my understanding of this book. The concept behind the plot of two girls one human and one fae swapping places was an excellent plot twist. It added to the excitement of the story and to the love interest as well. The book is loaded with adventure, mystery, romance and fantasy. The characters were well written and likable. Making them easy to follow. I also enjoyed watching each character on their individual adventures. Both girls had to overcome trials in their past and learn to deal with things. They also found love interests. I am excited to see where this goes next. I can not wait for book 2!

~2.75 stars.

We love a Charlie Bowater cover.

Turns out this is a spinoff of a duology by the author. Guess who didn’t know that? It’s me. And from what I had/have been seeing, it’s not really being clearly advertised as such.

While you technically can read this without reading the other books, I think I would’ve enjoyed it a lot more if I had. I found the world building and magic system to be very confusing and under-explained. I now know that that’s because it’s mostly done in the author’s duology.

This was a trope heavy YA fantasy that isn’t exactly pushing the envelope or doing anything new, but it had some enjoyable elements that made me nostalgic for the YA fantasy books I enjoyed in middle and high school.

Typically with dual POVs, you’re inevitably going to prefer one narrator over the other. However, I found myself only interested in Felicity’s POV. I actually found Jas to be pretty bland yet insufferable.

If you’re going to read this, I’d recommend reading the duology first, and/or go in knowing that you won’t be reading anything especially revolutionary! Thanks to the publisher for granting me access!

Ok I enjoyed it!! But through out it made allusions to things I had no context for - come to find out (at 75% from a friend's review) that it's connected to another series. But nowhere that I've seen has connected this new release to the books that I assume are about her sister? I went and bought the Kindle versions of the sister books, but I really wish I could've read them in order! ANYWAYS!! I'm excited to see what comes next after the cliffhanger I just read!

This book absolutely blew me away!!!! It was so addictive and two romances brewing at the same time!!!! My oh my this story was on fire!!!! Now I went into this not even knowing if it was a standalone or a series and wow that ending did not disappoint! Recommend this book 1000%!!!!

after really loving the these hollow vows duet i was so excited to find out that there was a spin off for them. however i am disappointed to say that i do not care for the way this one is set up.

even having read the previous books, the lack of reviewing the world building and magic system and what happened in THV duet makes this feels extremely jarring and like ive been dumped in the middle of a story without any clue as to want happened in the previous 50%. as this takes place 3 years after THV i truly feel there needs to be more explanation of what the heck has been going on.

maybe we get that later in the book however it was a major disservice to this book to not do this from the get go. especially for the people who pick this one up first not realizing that without (and even with in my case?!?!) having read THV they will have even more of a hard time figuring out what exactly is the point of everything.

when the time comes of lexi creating a new series i will happily jump right in however i do not think i will be continuing my journey with this spin off.

So, I loved These Hollow Vows & These Twisted Bonds, and I was so excited to be back in this world, unfortunately, this book was a bit of a snooze. I understand what the author is trying to setup and that takes time, but this was too much of setting up something bigger, and not enough entertainment to keep the reader going. I ended up speed reading 80% of this book. I will say, I’m giving this 3 stars because, I enjoy the authors writing and the ending gave me hope for more in the next book . It was a great ending and I’m a sucker for a cliffhanger!!

Thank you NetGalley for the E-ARC!

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I think our dear author here has improved from her previous series!

I found the main character, Felicity, a true delight! I loved her from the beginning and Misha was my favorite character in the previous series so its no shock that I absolutely loved them. I loved their adventure and how they connected. It made my heart hurt in all the right places, with Felicity not being sure if Misha would ever love her for her, and not the beautiful Jas. It wasn't the main focus but the underlying tone that Felicity is self conscious of her true image just broke my heart. Also, Misha has been seeing the true Felicity in his dreams?? He thinks that girl is LITERALLY the girl of his dreams?? Soul mates??? 👀 Still mad at him tho for the way he treated her in the end.

Now listen, if you write a book with duel POV, there is just one point of view I won't love as much, and sadly that was the case for Jas. Half the time I just wanted to shake her and tell her to get over herself. I understand she has sever PTSD from her time in the dungeons, and is trying to protect her sister, but so far all it has done has cause more harm. As someone with a good understanding of trying to hide your true feelings from loved ones, I get where she's coming from but still. Hendrick and her also just never really *connected* for me. I mean I get he helped her, but he has also been lying and manipulating her since day one.

I did find the ring concept really interesting, I just wish it hadn't affected Finn, Jas's sisters' husband. It would've been cool if the ring didn't affect someone already truly and deeply in the love. Speaking of Finn, he wasn't the same Finn from the past books! He lost all his charm for a silent brooding asshole, and I miss him.

✨💙🗡️
You'll like this book if you like...
- Sweet vs kickass main girls
- Heist through the kingdom
- Cliffhanger ending
- Forbidden romance
- Plenty of twists

I enjoyed this! I loved the original duology that this is a spin-off from, and this was a great addition to it. I would have liked a little more world building, but I did like a lot of the tropes that the author included in this book. Overall a fun read. I hope to see more in this series in the future.

I was so excited to read this book! While you did not *technically* need to read the other duology that is set in this same world, I feel like it definitely helped forward the story as a lot of the 'meat' or world building would have been lost. I felt that Jas was a bit more relatable, and while could be a bit whiny and bland at times... who isnt, especially in the given circumstances of this book? I think that given the nature of this book, and while it IS an interconnected book, I would not really count it as a 'standalone' as you really should read the first duology before containing on to Jas' story.

Amazing , great history in the same world as the series before, loved the characters the plot , i was left wanting more. Love it do much , thanks for the opportunity to read it

I absolutely devoured These Hollow Vows and These Broken Bonds, so when it was announced that Lexi Ryan would be diving back into that world, I was ECSTATIC. I can’t get enough of fae courts and seductive kings, so this book hit in all of the right ways.

I really enjoyed the dual POV, with two slow burn romances happening at the same time. It kept tensions high and helped me stay engaged with both storylines. Felicity and Jasalyn faced so many obstacles and uncovered information that changed everything they ever thought about the world around them, and I could have never predicted the betrayal that’s revealed in the end. That cliffhanger? My mouth was left wide open.

I definitely recommend this one for YA fantasy lovers, but would recommend you read These Hollow Vows and These Broken Bonds before diving in!

I never do this, but I've decided not to finish Beneath These Cursed Stars. This was my first book by Lexi Ryan, and as it turns out, I don't think I'm the right reader for their books. I tend to prefer a more folkloric take on faeries and fae, and this author's characters seem to be more in the vein of Sarah J. Maas fae. Nothing wrong with that, it's just very much not for me. Fortunately for the author, I anticipate that there will be a lot of readers clamoring for their books for just this reason.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!