Overall: 3.5/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Plot: 3/5
World-Building: 3/5

Romance: 3.5/5
Spice Factor: 1.5
Themes: 4/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Enjoyment Factor: 3.5/5
Review: The premise was really intriguing, but i feel like the execution was missed as a lot of plot points in the beginning felt rushed and glanced over just to get characters in the right spot. I did very much enjoy learning about Jas’ story and background as it gave so much context to her character and her overall story arc. I wish we got more of Felicity’s story in the beginning as I never really connected to her in her chapters until the very end, Once the plot got going I was invested as there were many twists and turns. The climax was very well executed and i am now fully invested in the story. I wish this was slightly longer to be able to fully development the plot in the beginning and to develop Felicity sooner to make me care about her POV during her chapters.

Thank you NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book early.

When I first saw this cover I fell in love. At the time I did not know that this book was connected with Ryan’s The Hollow Vows duology, and I had just finished reading both of those books this month. Going in I did not fully realize what kind of book Jas would have after the awful violence committed against her in Mordeus’s dungeons. I should have known, but Jas kept everything from Abriella, which means the reader wouldn’t necessarily know either.

This is a hard book to read at times only because of Jas’s trauma. Anyone like myself who has gone through trauma at any level may need to shelve this book until you’re more confident and comfortable with your emotions..

Aside from the darker parts of the book, I really enjoyed Jas’s and Felicity’s stories. While I was more intrigued by Felicity and Misha’s relationship and experiencing Felicity’s internal struggle about her identity, I found my heart breaking for Jas. She needs a break, and she keeps getting the crap beat out of her. I can’t wait to see what happens next for these characters, because I am fully invested in this story now.

I loved seeing old friends again, especially Abriella, Finn, Bash, and Misha. I even liked the rare moments we see Amira. There is a balance between the parallel plots, flashbacks, and relationship building between the characters that makes this story so compelling.

Read this. It will make you smile, make you cry, make you hope and, most importantly, it will make you dream.

Unputdownable is an understatement — this story stole my heart.

In “Beneath These Cursed Stars,” readers are drawn back into the fantasy realms first introduced in “These Hollow Vows.” But this time, with the exception of reappearances from beloved side characters and old foes, the story focuses on a whole new slate of POVs. Jas, Brie’s younger sister and reluctant princess of the shadow court, is thrust into the role of protagonist here, and her perspective is as shattering as it is immersive.

Although I do think BTCS can be read as a standalone, as a devoted Lexi Ryan fan, I would urge anyone interested in picking this up to consider diving into the previous duology beforehand. Ryan is so impossibly good at crafting enchanting characters and profound storylines for her readers, there’s little chance you’ll leave any literary worlds of hers unchanged.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I loved Lexi Ryan previous books in this world and These Hollow Vows was so fun I was hoping the same for this and it totally delivered. I just love how fast paced and fun her books are. Does it read very YA at times and have a lot of tropes? Totally but who cares it is enjoyable and entertaining! It was great to see some familiar faces while also getting a whole new story - I don’t think you need to read her previous works to understand but it certainly helped add to the story. I really enjoyed the romance and it’s a nice break from books that feel overwritten with world building. Will be purchasing for our library and my personal collection.

This book made me so excited! My heart pounded through every chapter which made me fly through this book. The plot was exciting and fast paced and the characters were interesting but relatable. I highly recommend this book and will be telling all of my family and friends to read it!

I genuinely feel so ecstatic to be back into this world. I can’t even tell you how many different things I felt while I was reading this. The writing was effortless and enthralling and I felt like I was watching a movie of the events rather than just reading them. Every scene came alive in my mind as though it were happening right in front of me. Lexi Ryan really outdid herself.

tl;dr
Dual leads and plots with plenty of romance. Not necessary to read the previous series to enjoy this one.

Thoughts
I spent so much of this book thinking "The sister has so much MC energy." Turns out the sister was the MC of the previous series, so, nice. The good news is I had no trouble understanding this book, even with no knowledge of the prior one. (There are, however, significant spoilers for the previous series.)

There are two main POVs and two plot lines running parallel. Jasalyn gets the lion's share of plot and development, with more action and adventure. I found myself caught up in the main mystery, and the reveal with equal parts surprising and scary. Jasalyn herself could probably have an easier time of it if she didn't hate all fae so much, something that other characters point out to her pretty quickly. I understand she'll likely grow out of it, but it was a frustrating roadblock. Felicity is easier to read because she has no such prejudices, although she falls prey to one of my lesser liked plot conceits - instalove. Even with the instalove, her storyline was my favorite, and I want only good things for her. I think fans of two broken hearts finding each other will probably really enjoy her plot.

I have no idea how this stacks up to the previous series, but readers who think this one sounds interesting should be totally comfortable jumping in here.