I went into this not knowing it was a continuation of the “These Hollow Vows” duology so I’m sure there was some context I was missing. The world building was also minimal since it assumes you’ve already read the other series first. I didn’t think it was too bad, I was able to sort of figure most of it out myself, but was definitely missing the backstory of the characters.

The pacing felt pretty on point and I liked the dual POVs. Their plan was a little hare-brained but it more or less worked. The “betrayal” at the end sort of came out of nowhere since it came from a character that was only mentioned in passing for 75% of the book. Kendrick’s secret felt like it came out of left field as well.

I also didn’t realize this was the start to another series until I was about 85% in and realized there was no way these stories would be getting wrapped up by the end.

Overall I really enjoyed it and now I’m looking forward to reading Brie’s story while waiting for the next in this series to be released.

It would have been nice to know this is not the first book., but a spin off. Based on the title and cover I thought this was the first book. A lot of world building is done outside this book which can be a bit confusing for new readers. The pacing felt off. The interactions between the characters went from zero to one hundred with grand live declarations. Wasn’t a fan of this one. And that’s ok! This book might be more suited for those who read the other books.

I'm saddened to say that this book was not my favorite. A few years ago, when I was getting back into reading, I stumbled upon These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan. I absolutely ate it up. When reading the second book in the duology, I was less enthralled, but, overall the series has a special place in my heart. When I heard there was going to be a new companion series, I was thrilled. Unfortunately, however, I didn't love Beneath These Cursed Stars. I wasn't sucked in by the plot, the romance didn't do anything for me, and overall I was fairly bored. That all being said, I do think it was still a good book and I think a lot of fans of These Hollow Vows will have a good time with it. I think, in my case, my taste over the years has drastically changed and some YA Fantasy's are just not for me anymore, despite my hopes.

I would like to note that I received this ARC with the mindset that I would provide an honest review.

When I applied for this ARC, I had not read These Hollow Vows duology but it was on my physical TBR list because of the positive reviews. Once accepted, I read the duology to make sure I gave this ARC my full appreciation.
There is enough information given in this book that reading the duology is not necessary. The background story for Jasalyn is what drew me in but her character kept me in this story. We are also introduced to a new character, Felicity, and her ability could lead to an interesting story line.

Magic and Fae
Slow Burn
Multiple POV
“Who did this to you??”
Strong FMCS

One thing that I wish I knew prior to reading: it ends on a cliffhanger. I hate cliffhangers because I now have to wait for the next book. I will definitely be reading the next book! The ending was written so well that I had to go back and read it again.

Overall, I rate this book 4 stars and strongly encourage you to check this book out. It was a great fantasy read and the story flowed nicely. I enjoyed the world building and the dynamic between the characters. It finally got the other 2 off of my physical TBR and I have no regrets.

Thank you so much for the chance to review this book.
Release Date: July 9th

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

#Netgalley #LexiRyan #beneaththesecursedstars #bookreview #bookrecommendations #booktok #bookstagram #book #booknerd #netgalleyreads

A fantastical fantasy book!

I loved These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds so I was very excited to snag an early copy of Beneath These Cursed Stars. It was so wonderful to return to this world & get wrapped up in this story. Lexi Ryan always dreams up such intriguing worlds and innovative plot twists! I can't wait for more in this series.

Big sigh. Deep breath. Cracks knuckles.

Okay, this book took me forever to finish which is typically unheard of for me. I really enjoyed These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds last year so I thought I would really enjoy this one. Unfortunately that wasn't the case.

There's so many tropes in this book that I adore, but Ryan failed to utilize them properly and the story was a big flop.

╰┈➤ First, and speaking as a reader who not that long ago read the duology that this is spinning off from - there wasn't much information given about the human realm, the rulers, who these humans are and why they have magic.

I felt a little thrown into the thick of it, I can't even imagine how someone who hasn't read the first two would feel. Totally lost I would imagine.

The story has the bones to be something great but I feel the author squandered opportunities away on boring and insignificant conversations - so many pages just snail-paced along and for what?

There was a lottttt of repetition. Over and over again we're told certain things - I got the memo - moving along please?

I literally started skimming around the 40% mark, then skipped from 60% to 80% then sped read to the end. I felt like a prisoner in this story and I just wanted to escape it.

╰┈➤ These so called big revelations at the end? I honestly thought it was common knowledge not an actual plot twist? So add predictable to boring, slow and repetitive.

Jas is one of the most bland FMC's I've read in a good long while. Whiny and meek. Non stop complaining.

Felicity was not much better but I did appreciate her more, but having the story split between her and Jasalyn did nothing for either character.

Felicity's storyline is more intriguing but got cut off and was underdeveloped due to half of the book belonging to slog-fest rock personality that is Jas.

Unfortunately, I don't believe I'll continue this series.



✨ Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins/HarperTeen and Lexi Ryan for the complementary digital copy in exchange for my honest review. 💐

I loved These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds, so when I saw this available to request I was so excited to jump back in to Lexi Ryan’s work. Unfortunately however, this book just didn’t live up to my own expectations of it.

The characters felt rushed and lackluster, and the story seemed quickly thrown together. It was good, but could have been more in depth I think.

Absolutely loved being back in this world after the previous duology. It's such an immersive and expansive universe with lots of fae/human places to explore. And I loved that this time we could experience everything through Brie's sister, Jasalyn. She definitely deserved her own story after what she went through in the previous duology! Jasalyn is a character you instantly want to root for after all her trauma and subsequent mental health challenges. She has her own quiet strength that you see blossom through the story. I can't wait to find out even more about her in the sequel to this!

There are plenty of big reveals in this book, and even a new POV with Felicity and her hidden identity romance with Misha. I did get frustrated with how long the hidden identity went on, but overall the book kept me entertained, and of course left me on a cliffhanger. I'm anxiously awaiting the next book!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, HarperTeen, for the arc!
Releases July 30, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: past torture and trauma, mild violence and murder, one vague open door scene

I went into this book not having read These Hollow Vows (oops!) but had no issue jumping right in! I’m sure there are parts that would’ve been more enjoyable to me if I’d read the previous series, but I still loved the characters and the story!
I’m not usually too big a fan of dual POV, but both characters were so well written and I didn’t find myself dreading going from one character to another.
Now I need the next book because, omg, cliffhanger!!

This was a fantastic read. I loved the characters and their complex layers that I got to explore throughout the book. The world that was created was really good and I enjoyed exploring it. I think Ryan was great at balancing the plot, world, character development, and narrative voice to keep it well-paced and structured when reading. It was an enjoyable book and I highly recommend it

This book was amazing! I loved These Hollow Vows duology, so I could not wait to read this one! I’m so excited for the next book to come out! Love! Love! Love!

I received a free ARC of this from NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.

I really enjoyed this book, although I did enjoy the original duology more (These Hollow Vows & These Twisted Bonds) simply because I liked those characters better. At the end of the original duology, I wanted more from this world and was so very happy to get that in this book.

In this story, we get Jas's POV and what has happened to her since being taken prisoner and tortured by Mordeus. There is enough information given to explain the biggest events that took place in the first duology and how we came to be where we are for this book. So this book could be read on its own, but I would definitely recommend to read the other two books first just to have all the information. We also get Felicity's POV, who is a new character with the ability to shift into another person. She takes Jas's place in the Fae lands to do some sleuthing and try to find something the gang is missing.

Everything that Jas has gone through tugs at your heart and makes you understand her craving for revenge. She makes some terrible decisions for what she wants and things are slowly revealed to you as the book goes on. Felicity relives some of Jas's worst moments and that helps to unearth the mystery of what is happening.

We also get to see more of Misha and the Wild Court. He was so lovable in the first two books, so I'm happy he's going to be a bigger character in this duology.

And that ending with the revelations... already burning for book 2!

Some tropes included are:
-Who did this to you
-Secret identities
-Only one horse
-Friends to lovers


I found a few minor grammar errors in the book. I also am unclear the difference between Elves and Fae and I'm not sure if it was explained badly or if I missed something and just couldn't comprehend it. My biggest complaint is that Jas is 17 and while there wasn't an explicit spicy scene, it was still a bit uncomfortable with her age. I was also confused on the difference between Fae and Elves and not sure if I missed something or if it was explained poorly.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book is that the next one isn’t out yet! I loved the series before this and now I love this one even more! I especially liked how the author showed jas’ ptsd and was so real with how she handled writing it. I loved both female MCs and the male MCs. The plot comes together pretty well, and the angst is perfect! I was leery about two romance plots in one book but the author really made it work well. I can’t WAIT for the next one to come out! Thank you so much to Netgalley for the ARC.

I absolutely loved the These Hollow Vows duology, so I jumped at the chance to read this ARC when I had the opportunity.

Beneath These Cursed Stars is a stand-alone book (possibly part of a duology or series?) in the same realm as the These Hollow Vows duology. With that being said, I would recommend you read those two books before you read this one. Without reading them, it would be difficult to understand the world, how magic works, etc. If you don't care that much about understanding those things, then go for it.

In Beneath These Cursed Stars, we follow the journey of two characters, shadow Princess Jasalyn and shape-shifter Felicity, who trade places in attempts to complete their own missions. Along the way, they meet/are reintroduced to men who they develop feelings for in ultimate slow burn romances. Being YA you don't get too deep into them, but what we got was enjoyable.

I thought the plot development was well done, and the characters were well-written. I do think that Jasalyn took to Kendrick a bit too quickly. I realize they had a history but she went from being unable to stomach having anyone touch her, including her dear sister, to craving his touch almost immediately. I felt she needed more time to warm up to that. Additionally, it felt like Jasalyn's mission was taking way too long. I don't know the exact time frame in the book from beginning to end, but it felt way too fleshed out and like it could've been much shorter.

The cliffhangers at the end! With all of the above being said, I did enjoy the book and can't wait to find out what happens in the next one.

If you enjoy YA, magic, fae, slow-burn romance books, I think you'll enjoy this. Just keep in mind you may not fully understand the world and magic without reading the previous duology.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Can we please stop pairing minors with 1,000+-year-old men? It's the year of our lord 2024; the conversations about this very subject have been done to death, but the fact it's still prevalent in mainstream YA pisses me off so much.

There's a lot of stuff about this book that pisses me off, too, but I had to say that first.

With that in mind, here's the other things about Beneath These Cursed Stars that I really hated:

The constant use of referring men and women as males and females. WHY IS THIS STILL A THING?? It's gross, weird, dehumanizing, and objectifying all at once. I don't care if this is a fae thing or not (It really doesn't matter because the fae here don't act different than regular humans), I still hate it. Authors! Stop doing this!

Additionally, the fact this book wasn't marketed as a direct sequel to the These Hollow Vows duology is so weird. I think I tried to read the first book when it came out, but I only got 10 pages in. I returned it and never thought of it again. If I had known this book was about this book followed that duology, I never would have picked up the ARC. How the hell was I suppose to know Jas was Brie's sister? The fact the description makes no mention of this is such an act of neglect from the marketers.

This then leads me to the next thing I hate about this book: The worldbuilding. There's constant info-dumps about the fae and the realms and all that, but I still didn't understand anything?? Apparently the humans also have magic, too, but it's different than the fae? Also, elves existed but went extinct?? I had no idea what the hell was going on with this world and how it worked. I don't think Ryan does, either, considering her two main characters think more about their love interests than anything else.

Speaking of which, I found both Jas and Felicity bland, uninspiring, cardboard cutouts explicitly made for their guy love interests to suck lips with. I was more sympathetic with Jas because of her past trauma and the depression she was experiencing throughout the story, but she was still very insufferable due to her stupid romance with Kendrick (Who's 20 compared to her 17 years 🤮, but it's ok because they were in prisoned together when she was fourteen! He knows her trauma and can fix her with kisses and sex 🙄) She is travelling with three other companions, two of which serve as an unnecessary insert of homophobia in this world and one is a girl who constantly berates Jas for being a coddled princess (Did Kendrick tell her he and Jas were imprisoned/tortured?? I'm not willing to reread anything more to correct myself on this) and tries to prevent her from getting with Kendrick. Other than that, the only purpose they serve is to interrupt the lovebirds when things get heated, a saving grace for me because all the romance scenes in this book made me want to gag.

Felicity is so much worse, both as a character and because of the story that follows her. She's pretty much catfishing the aforementioned 1000+-year-old man the whole story only to get sad when he inevitably gets mad he was being catfished. I don't feel bad for either of them, to be honest, especially Misha, because he thought he was romancing a seventeen-year-old girl when he's an ancient ass fae king whose kingdom is hounding him to find a wife and produce heirs. There are even several instances in this book where Felicity makes fun of him for being old. Like, was this supposed to make it seem self aware? If so, it failed spectacularly. All it made me do was gag and groan in reminder that this man was knowingly going after a minor and she was letting him think that (She's 19, but that doesn't make this romance any better, really). The only thing worse than the romance was the fact her POV in the story was entirely useless. Felicity was planted there to find a magic portal, but she spent 98% ogling after Misha only to fail her mission when she finally attempted to find it. In all my reading have I come across a main character more pointless than Felicity.

If you already couldn't tell, my conclusion is this: Don't read this. Not even as a hate read, because it's not even entertaining enough for that. Go read something amazing, or go outside. Anything but pick up this book.

I really enjoyed this book. It was my first book my Lexi Ryan and won't be my last. I'm excited to read more books from her. I enjoyed the characters and the story a lot.

Thank you NetGalley & Harper Collins for the E-ARC

I'm such a fan of Lexi Ryan. She did it again. I loved these hollow vows. This book hit the mark for me. The plot and story kept me hooked... this was exciting to to the chance to read it in advance

The beginning was confusing because there was little to no info on this ring situation, but I still loved the whole damn thing. And yes, you definitely need the prior duology to know any of the main characters. Parts were flawed but I enjoyed the shit out of it.

After reading the These Hollow Vows duology (this book is linked to another of her series, but they can be read separately) I was so excited to hear there was a spin off series set in the same world, with characters we already know and love. Like the first 2 books, expect lots of angst, backstabbing, and crazy plot twists. Reading her books is such a joy although I secretly wish we got more interactions with Finn. I truly enjoyed this read and am super excited for the next in the series.

I loved These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds so I was very excited to jump into this one and be back with some beloved characters.

I loved both Jasalyn's and Felicity's POV's. It was really great getting more of Jas's story since everything that happened with Mordeus.
I absolutely loved Felicity and how she dealt with playing the role of Jas but also growing feelings for Misha.

There are deceptions upon deceptions in this one, and I loved the shocking twist/ending and cannot wait to see what the next book will entail.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.