“And what if you find yourself living beneath nothing but cursed stars?” “Then you go find yourself a world with a whole new night sky.”

⭐️ 5 stars

I didn’t realize this was a spin off series from “These Hollow Vows”. I wish I re-read that duology before reading this, as it took me a little bit to remember all the important characters. This is a dual POV FMCS with slow burn romance. Beautiful writing with intriguing characters and creative magical system. The two FMCs have separate missions with multiple mysterious occurrences throughout. There is found family. It ends on a cliffhanger, so now I’m desperately waiting for the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Harperteen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have already read the previous duology from this same world from Lexi Ryan (which I feel is somewhat necessary to fully understand the characters and world-building in this novel that was previously set up in the prior books). This story follows the younger sister from the first series and includes a new cast of characters as well as some returning ones. I think readers need to understand what happened prior and the sister's relationship to fully grasp everything that is happening in this new story. Overall, it was more of the same and an enjoyable read. I look forward to the next book, as this one ends on a cliffhanger.

An enjoyable return to familiar lands and characters from the previous books, although this book felt a bit heavier, with a focus on the lasting effects of trauma. The two main characters, Felicity and Jasalyn are both dealing with the mental fallout from previous traumatic events and end up working together to find out much needed information about an old foe. Lexi Ryan creates a rare dual story where both plot lines are equally interesting, and builds up to an ending that will leave readers desperate for the next book. Can't wait for the sequel!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Beneath These Cursed Stars picks up about three years after the conclusion of These Twisted Bonds, and follows the story of Jasalyn as she makes a life in the Unseelie Court, doing her best to hide the depths of her trauma and fear after everything she experienced in Mordeus' dungeons.

While on the surface she appears timid and withdrawn, Jasalyn is secretly exacting vengeance on all those who did her harm in the dungeons.

This book was a great beginning to a new chapter in Ryan's world that began in Hollow Vows. The magical elements remain consistent from the first duology, but this story kicks off with a new cast of characters and a dual perspective narrative. Ryan incorporates multiple missions the characters are pursuing, several mysterious occurrences throughout the plot, betrayal, and some slow burn romance to round it out.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read and I was excited to jump back into this universe. There were a few stretches in the plot in the last third of the book that felt like a bit of a leap, but they still work and maintain the pace and needs of the plot as a whole. Definitely recommend this for anyone who enjoys YA romantasy that is very plot driven and light on spice while still maintaining romantic vibes.

Interesting premise but I wasn’t clear on the fact that you should read the authors other series prior to this one.

Even though this is a new series from Lexi Ryan, (and it says it can be read as a stand-alone), this is a new series best enjoyed by reading THESE HOLLOW VOWS first. Admittedly, I have not read these hollow vows yet - it's sitting on my TBR - I enjoyed this story.

It took me a while to get into it because I felt like there was information and characters that should recognize as important but I failed to grasp it. Ryan does a good job getting new readers caught up with in the world and everything that happened in the other series. By the time I was 60 pages in I was well-informed and able to keep up with the new characters and the new problems in the world. I love the back-and-forth between Felicity and Jasalyn's POV. The tension between their plots and their unusual love interest was hair-raising.

And the plot twist that happened, I did not see coming. It had me sucked in and I'm dying for the next book. I'll be catching up on her other book while I wait and better appreciate the world she created.

Definitely reccomend.

Loved it loved it! I couldn’t put this down! Love the fact that it was dual POV! Jaslyn was a fantastic FMC. Her character development was done just right! She felt very real and relatable!
I’m also a sucker for new found family and the characters were written so well. Loved the chemistry between Kendrick, Remme, Natan and Skylar.
Love the plot twist in the end! I can’t wait for the next book.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for eARC!

3.5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫

An easy, enjoyable read for fans of YA. 2 POVs from the FMCS, but I did find myself enjoying Felicity’s POV more because Misha was my favorite character! This book is advertised as a spin off of Ryan’s These Hollow Vows duology, but I would still recommend reading it prior to reading this! It helps the reader understand the background and worldbuilding to make it a more enjoyable read.

FYI there is a cliffhanger 🥲 now I’m just impatiently waiting for the next book!

Beneath These Cursed Stars Review ⚔️⭐️🧚🧌🐦‍⬛

4⭐️
1🫑

This book was so much fun! Going in, I didn’t realize that it was a spin-off of another series, but it was still an enjoyable read.

I loved the dual POV between the two FMCs, the slow-burn romances in both POVs, and the found family with Jas.

The one thing that lacked for me and held me from a 5 star rating was the lack of world building. I’m sure that it would’ve made more sense or been easier had I read “These Hollow Vows”, but reading this series on its own lacks descriptions and background information.

I wasn’t expecting such a cliff-hanger ending- I thought I had one more chapter to go and when I flipped to the last page I literally gasped. I can’t wait to see where this series will continue to go!

Read if you like:
⚔️ Strong FMCs
⭐️ Unique magic systems
🧚 Fae
🧌 Found family
🐦‍⬛ YA fantasy with NA romance

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book and think you will to.

I've thoroughly enjoyed every Lexi Ryan book I've read so far, and this one was no exception. The story was beautifully written, with the same captivating magic and intrigue that characterizes Lexi Ryan's work. I highly recommended this to my friends. “A human princess armed with death’s kiss and a fae shifter on the run..” that should grab everyone’s attention and I already can’t wait for the second book in this duology.

Dnf @ 30%. I was very optimistic I would like this—the summary sounded great and if you’re a big fan of romantasy this is for you. It just wasn’t for me and that’s okay.

I believe I received an email suggesting this book and it was an automatic download. If it wasn't for this I wouldn't have gotten it. It's kind of marketed as a standalone but without reading the other books, I felt like I was missing some context of the world. But nonetheless I tried to read it as is and DNF'd at 15%. It's not a world or writing style that I want to dive into and I honestly should have put the book down when the second word of chapter one was "male".

Thank you to Netgalley for an early review copy in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited to see I was approved for this novel. I devoured the first two and could not wait to see what was next for Brie and Jas. This story follows two main point of views, Jas and Felicity, a shifter of sorts. There are rumors of Mordeus rising from the dead and together but separated, they work to discover how to stop this from occurring to get the rightful Queen of Elora on the throne. Jas travels with Kendrick and his crew while Felicity, disguised as Jas, lives with Misha in the Wild Fae realm trying to locate the portal to the Eloran palace.

I really enjoyed this book! I was happy to be back in these realms and cannot believe Lexi just left us hanging at the end like that. Sprinkle a little romance, a little betrayal, and a lot of magic and you have this book. I highly recommend this book and These Hollowed Vow to YA fantasy lovers. I cannot wait for the next one!

This book-- this story! 5 stars! Stunning! I loved everything about it! Right from the prologue I was utterly hooked, all the way through to the end. And let me say no one does a betrayal twist like Lexi Ryan-- "What do you mean you're not a poor human boy, but a (hot) fae prince?! How dare you?! The audacity! You know I hate (hot) fae!" *chef's kiss* Perfection.

Fan-girling aside: I read the original Vows/Bonds duology and enjoyed it very, very much. But this follow-up/return-to the same fantasy universe is incredible. The story feels so rich and thick, like a delicious treat, with callbacks and echoes to the original, that make everything feel both familiar and fresh. It's like something old (Brie! Finn! Bash!) something new (Natan and Remme-- my hearts!), something borrowed (compelling side characters, found family, rebellion) and something blue (I'm looking at you, Hale, with side-eye). Reading it I could feel such growth from the author, a command over the storytelling abilities, and a confidence, that left me in awe-- and wishing on stars (cursed and otherwise ;-) that I can one day achieve an approximation.

I received an arc copy of this book. This was actually my first time reading Lexi Ryan and I really enjoyed her writing. Without having the background of These Hollow Vows, I think she did an amazing job conducting this book as a standalone. I never felt confused about the world or characters, just motivation to learn more about them and wanting to read her other series. The characters were all very likeable and the plot was intriguing. The cliffhanger though was brutal, I need the next book immediately. I’ll definitely be reading more by her.

Beneath These Cursed Stars is a tale about Jas, a princess with a magical ring that grants her the dark magic of “deaths kiss.” When rumors arise that the evil king Mordeus is resurrected, Jas decides it’s up to her to end his life forever. She teams up with Kendrick, a fae. Being a princesses means that Jas cannot leave he kingdom, which results in Felicity, a fae shifter taking her shape and place.

Rating: 3.5 stars ⭐️

This was very close to a 4 star rating. I enjoyed reading this book the majority of the time. There were times that it just couldn’t grasp my attention. I found myself drifting off. I liked Jae and Kendrick’s story, but I was much more invested in Felicity and Misha.

The writing is good, I had no problems with that. The cliffhanger ending felt rushed and made the end of the book feel unfinished. I know that’s the point of a cliff hanger usually, but in this case it doesn’t feel like there’s enough to it. Hopefully that makes sense!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beneath a cursed stars was the perfect continuation to Lexi Ryan’s faerie world. I’ll admit, at first it was hard to get the pace of the book and get myself invested in the book. But I gave it time because I knew Lexi doesn’t disappoint and once I got the hang of the characters it was easy to remember everyone’s role in Jas’s story.

I liked how Jas is trying to get over her past, even when it’s so hard since she feels broken. And at the same time she is trying to make peace with the fact that she has faerie blood and will turn into one at her 18th birthday, but there’s nothing she hates more than the fae. But once she meets with Kendrick things start to change; for the first time she is able to see a future, and she starts to believe she is stronger than she first thought, but things are not as easy as they seem, she made bad decisions based on fear and revenge and she can’t undo them now.

My favorite part of the story were the scenes involving Misha and Felicity, I loved the conflict within Felicity about her role in the story, especially since Misha thinks she is Jas and she starts to get jealous of herself. The chemistry between characters felt natural and right paced, and their relationship was the best thing in the book, more so because I didn’t really like Kendrick and Jas’s relationship. It feels a little forced and I’m still not sure if I like him.

The ending was so good, I admit I didn’t see it coming but it was the perfect cliff hanger and can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series.

I really enjoyed the These Hollow Vows duology so I was I was very excited for this book. However this one just fell flat for me. The characters and their relationships just felt a little underdeveloped. The 2 love stories didn’t really have much emotion which caused me to grow bored a lot throughout this book. I was missing the tension and chemistry for both. Overall, the plot was a bit predictable. I think this just wasn’t the book for me. Thank you for providing me with an arc!

OH MY GOD WHAT THE FFFF, I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW 😭😭 THE CLIFFHANGER IS KILLING ME

So I haven't read These Hollow Vows, and this is set in the same universe -- it took me a couple of chapters to understand the context and the lore but it was pretty to understand everything after that!

I absolutely loved the writing and the pining and the angst. In fact, the angst is gonna slowly kill me till the next book comes 😭

TWs - murder, torture

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!