I loved this new installment in the world of These Hollow Vows. I found the first book at a bookstore because I liked the cover. I know that’s shallow but these books do not disappoint. I enjoyed being able to glimpse Jasalyn’s life since the ending of previous book. This book jumps forward 3 years. It introduces new characters and continues the story of other characters. I was just as eager for both storylines as it jumped back and forth. Let’s just say Misha. This book did end on a cliffhanger and I cannot wait to find out how it finishes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! I was familiar with some of the characters from These Hollow Bonds and These Twisted Vows, but I enjoyed learning more about Jasalyn's story. The tale is told between two alternating viewpoints, Jasalyn's and Felicity's, who is impersonating Jasalyn at the Wild Court. I thought that there was a lot of action throughout, and readers will become engrossed in the mystery of what is going on with Jasalyn with respect to Mordeus' blood magic. I thought it was a well-written fantasy tale with likable characters. I would very much recommend this to fans of fantasy with a little romance, particularly if you enjoy tales of the Fae!

I could not put this book down—it was that good! The plot had me hooked from start to finish, and the characters were so captivating, with Nigel being my favorite side character. I live for those unexpected plot twists, and this one had me totally enthralled! Without a doubt, this book is my favorite in the connected series. I am so excited for the next book; it cannot come soon enough! For fantasy fans who crave high stakes and a sprinkle of romance, this is a must-read.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!

At this point, Lexi Ryan is an immediate "click & purchase" author for me! I don't need to know anything about the premise, just need to see her name and I'm sold!

For fans of "These Hollow Vows" duology, the story continues with Jasalyn, Abriella's sister, who had been kidnapped by the evil King of the Unseelies. She faces unimaginable horror while imprisoned that has affected her way of life, as well as her relationships, with those who care for her.
It also follows shapeshifter, Felicity, who has been unable to live in her true skin for years, lest her evil father find her. She has been fated to kill him however, the cost of doing so is not something she can live with and as a result, has exiled herself and hidden her true identity from everyone.
Jasalyn and Felicity's paths cross and they are forced to confront not only the evil that comes for both of them, but also their own personal demons they're running from.
This was such a fantastic read, from start to finish. My only complaint is the helluva cliffhanger it ends on. I need to continue this story!

Thank you NetGalley, Lexi Ryan, and HarperCollins for ARC.

I’m torn on how I feel about this book. On one hand, there was a fairly long period in the middle of the book that seemed to drag and almost made me lose interest. I felt like I kept reading just to try to get to the end.
On the other hand, the last few chapters definitely drew my attention back in! The stake became high and I was concerned for our main characters, Jasalyn and Felicity, and their friends.
I definitely wouldn’t read this without reading These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds first. There are major spoilers for that duology and I think a lot of the world won’t make sense without that background knowledge.
Overall, should you read it? If you enjoyed the original duology and want to return to that world, then yes! It was fun to see familiar characters again and learn more about the world.

*thank you NetGalley for the ARC and the chance to leave a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

i loved this! i recommend reading the “These Hollow Vows” series first because this is a spin off!

i love being in this world that the author has created. secret identities, who did this to you, magic, and so much more!

i feel like with dual POVs, one is always better than the other or one captivates you more and that was the case in this one for me.

i can’t wait to read more of this series!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!

Beneath These Cursed Stars is a spinoff series to Lexi Ryan's These Hollow Vows duology. In this book we follow Brie's sister; Jasalyn and a brand new character, Felicity. We also get a lot of time with Misha (my favorite from the OG story), which was my favorite part of the book.

Beneath These Cursed Stars follows Jasalyn, the Shadow Princess who is armed with a cursed ring and a vendetta against King Mordeus's followers and Felicity, a shape shifter who is on the run from her father who is trying to kill her. When rumors spread of Mordeus's return, Jasalyn decides to end him once and for all, and she needs Felicity to take her form so that she can hunt Mordeus in secret.

I loved the idea of this book: two girls switch places to hunt down an evil king and bring peace to the realm. We're given duel pov's, forced proximity, who did this to you, hidden identity and a cliffhanger. All things I love in a YA fantasy book. But it took about 200 pages to get into the story and things only started picking up the last 30 pages.

Some of the issues I have with this book are:
- shape shifter lying to potential love interest about who she is,
- slow paced,
- very little character development,
- age gap and romance with a minor.

The cliffhanger was the most interesting point of this book, but I'm not sure if it'll be enough for me to want to read the next in the series. There are so many questions unanswered and both FMC's were so whiny and hard to root for. It was tough for me to continue picking up the book when I just found all the characters so incredibly frustrating.

This book lacked the magic of the original series which is a shame because the original is so good. I think it's important to read the first two books before diving in to this one, because without it the world and the magic system is confusing. Overall the potential was there for a really great story. I just had a hard time connecting with the characters.

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

thank you to netgalley for providing me an arc to review! These thoughts are my own and have not been influenced by anyone.

I enjoyed Beneath These Cursed Stars. I liked seeing the development of Jasalyn as she leaves the castle and has to face the consequences of her actions made while hurting. The flashbacks helped the readers understand her traumas a little more, and i liked that they also went to Felicity as she was pretending to be Jasalyn because it added more depth to her character and made me feel more for her without Jasalyn's POV.

That being said- I wanted more. I felt like there was such a big opportunity for Jasalyn to have her story be told and instead we got stuck in the cycle of I'm angry, no one understands me, I am a burden. About halfway through it started to get bogged down for me. Having Felicity's POV helped me tremendously with this, because she has a front row seat that a trauma she didn't endure. It helped me to feel more for Jasalyn and helped me justify the decisions she made. I wanted to learn more about how she meet the witch that gave her the ring, and how the transaction of her morality came into play. Also how Hale is not affected? Does he truly not remember or is that another deception. I LOVED the scars coming up and how it was revealed to be blood magic. It was such a unique plot point that I don't think I've ever read before. That uncovering had my jaw on the floor.

I wish we had gotten more of Felicity's Orcale reading since it plays such a large role in her doing this, and it impacts not just her but Hale, and Jasalyn. Especially because we meet her in a place that she ran to, to escape it. I would have liked to have that flushed out, just a little bit more to make me feel more connected to her. I liked the romance budding between her and Misha, it added the complexities of relationships that had you rooting for them, even knowing she isn't in her true form. Him seeing her in his dreams, and him revealing that after we heard the conversation with his ex-wife. It makes me believe that they are mated but now have this to work through so I'm excited to see how their story gets told.

The betrayal of Shae wasn't super shocking to me, however I would have (again) loved more hints of it. Him not showing up on time to meet Hale and burning the hair to force Felicity to move faster was great, but a few more scenes discussing his character would have made me understand why. I'm sure it will come up in the next book in the way this ended, but some background to build would have been helpful.

I would recommend this book to my friends, I love Lexi Ryan's writing and the way she builds worlds and relationships. I read these hollow vows previously and it was so fun being back in the world with Finn, Brie and the gang. I liked seeing bits of the previous books in this as well.

I didn't read These Hollow Vows so I'm new to this realm I'd characters. There are several things in here that are pretty predictable but one that definitely wasn't and on that cliffhanger ending I'm like, ok I need to know what happens next. Bonded fae creatures will never not annoy me but the hint that drops about two and then what comes later....that was well played.

Let's see where this one goes. 3.5 stars

Beneath These Cursed Stars
by Lexi Ryan
Pub Date: Jul 30 2024

Princess Jasalyn has a secret. Armed with an enchanted ring that gives her death’s kiss, Jas has been sneaking away from the palace at night to assassinate her enemies.

Shape-shifter Felicity needs a miracle. Fated to kill her magical father, she’s been using her unique ability to evade a fatal prophecy.

When rumors of evil king Mordeus’s resurrection spread through the shadow court, Jasalyn decides to end him once and for all. Felicity agrees to take the form of the princess, allowing Jas to covertly hunt Mordeus—and starting Felicity on the path that could finally take her home.

While Jasalyn teams up with the charming and handsome Kendrick, Felicity sets out to get closer to the Wild Fae king, Misha. Kendrick helps Jasalyn feel something other than anger for the first time in three years, and Misha makes Felicity wish for a world where she’s free to be her true self. Soon, the girls’ missions are at risk right alongside their hearts.

The future of the human and fae realms hangs in the balance as fates intertwine. Between perilous tasks, grim secrets, and forbidden romances, Jasalyn and Felicity find that perhaps their stars are the most cursed of all.

*Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book; it made me very happy.*

As someone who remembers thinking that the original series needed another book, this pleases me.

Jasalyn is a fascinating MC. Her mental state is wild. I cannot fault her really because she has been through it, but she would seriously benefit from intensive therapy. Her method is not healthy.

Felicity is lovely. I actually really like her. I am glad that she got a POV because I find her more feminine and refreshing than Jas. She wants to be good and tries even when she is doing something shady, and I just think that is wholesome.

Kendrick. I am not a huge fan. The amount of times he spews an inspirational quote at Jas, you would think he is her AA sponsor and not her friend. It is mildly exhausting. His little band of people are chill. Natan seems to be the most likable, but Remme is fun, too. I find Skylar a little much 80% of the time.

The plot of this book…is actually really intriguing. I am not gonna be spoiler-y (if I was, I would have put it where I talked about people ‘cause woah), but the magic and depth of lore are very intriguing. Jas’s storyline (while I don’t like her as much as Felicity) is incredibly gritty and harsh and daunting, and it keeps me engaged.

As with every book in which the original characters are older, I find that there is some discontinuity between who they were and who they are now. Everyone seems softer in their “later years” (meaning Abriella and Finn). Misha is still a freaking delight. I mean wow. But really, what can I say…it’s a M name.

So grateful to have been able to read this one early. Such a good read! Can’t wait for the next one!

Honestly, folks, it’s harder to list things I liked about this book than things that absolutely pissed me off. In the name of transparency, I have not read the initial duology that this is a “spin-off” (more accurately, a sequel from a different POV) of, and that in itself is a problem because I am not the only one who seemed unable to tell how this related to the first two books based on the novel’s description listed on Netgalley. But that is a separate issue of marketing. Let’s talk about the book itself, which had me repeatedly asking myself and the author: what the hell are we even doing here?

Wow. How many tropes can one book cram into 300 pages to drive me up the wall? Here is a summary list of SOME of the problematic aspects of the novel (many of which are not noted enough in other reviews):
age gap featuring a minor
shape shifting identity and therefore perennially lying to a love interest
“I’m traumatized and will not speak to anyone about my trauma, but will make my traumatized nature everyone else’s problem”
trauma and PTSD solved by a man liking you back
FMC who NEVER asks questions ever—regardless of how fishy and fucked things are

To be more specific, both of the romances failed to feel authentic. If the plot and the horrific age gaps were not so abhorrent to read about, there were certain scenes where the romance could have been nice, but with the storyline given to us, I did not find myself invested in the couples at all. Plus, again, let me repeat, the options being a romance with a minor OR a romance with a thousands-of-years-old fae just felt wrong on both sides. Lastly, both Jas and Felicity were written really whiny, and for a character who was supposed to be incredibly skilled at impersonating other people besides herself, Felicity absolutely utterly FAILED to be anything like the quiet and closed-off version of Jas that she had been TOLD to impersonate explicitly. So I repeat: what are we even doing here?

On the whole, I hated the entire experience of reading this. The writing style was not special or unique in any way; the tropes were all terrible; I was forced to read sexual scenes featuring a minor in a book where Jas being 17 and a minor was actively part of the plot, so I couldn’t just pretend she was 20; and on the whole, I just did not find myself caring about any character at all. The last TWO LINES of the book potentially piqued my interest, but if it means I have to read about young women being pursued by much older men any longer, my head might explode, so I doubt I will be reading a future sequel OR going back to read the original duology. People who read the initial two books may like this book a lot more than me, but for those who haven’t read the prior books… I’d save your time. 1.5⭐, rounded to 2 on Goodreads.

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

4.5/5 ⭐️
I had the pleasure of reading Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan. As someone who absolutely devoured These Hollow Vows & These Twisted Bonds, I was so excited to read this one!!
I had a wonderful time reading this as it was definitely hard to put down at some points!
However, I feel as if some plot points were very rushed and could have easily been fleshed out more. Especially with the romance between Felicity/Misha & Jas/Kendrick it felt way too sudden and didn’t feel natural (thats the reason for .5 off)
But with that being said, I was thoroughly entertained and already can’t wait for the next book to see what happens!! I need more! ❤️

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc, All opinions are my own.

I have to say that I jumped at the chance to read this book. I loved the original duology and getting the chance to see Brie’s sister in action, especially after all that she went through, was so enticing!

Unfortunately, the majority of the book was pretty slowed paced. It took till about the 25% mark for the book to become interesting and even beyond that part, there was something missing. The magic that I felt in the original duology was lacking and I found myself struggling to want to pick it up.

The writing style also felt slightly different with this book. It reads more YA with most of the romance being off the page. It was a bit of a jarring change, especially if you are coming from the original series and expecting it to continue over.

Lexi continues to be amazing with navigating multiple POVs and weaving them together to give you a well rounded picture. The way she interlaced flashbacks from three years ago when our FMC was being held captive during Brie’s story was one of the better parts of the book.

The cliffhanger was the most interesting part of the book as there are numerous loose threads that have yet to be tied up, but I don’t know if it will be enough to pull me into wanting to read the next book.

Overall, this book was fine. I didn’t love it like the original series but it was a pretty decent read.

Started a little slow but I could not stop reading by the midway point. I am genuinely invested in what's going to happen to these characters and already need the next book asap.

We don’t get to choose the burdens we bear, only how we bear them.

Jaslyn was first introduced in the These Hallowed Vows series as sister to Abriella, now Queen of the Unseelie Court. It’s several years after Abriella defeated the false king Mordeus and rescued her sister from his clutches. Jaslyn was horrendously tortured by Mordeus, and now has the fear and hatred and scars to show for it. A deal with a witch provides Jaslyn with the ability to move forward, but it comes at a cost that may be too high to bear. Kendrick, someone she need within Mordeus’ dungeons, has his own quest, to defeat the Elora Seven and take his rightful place as the chosen King of Elora. He has many secrets that if they come to light, might alter the trust Jaslyn has placed in him. While Jaslyn is helping Kendrick on his quest, Felicity is holding her place in the Wild Fae Kingdom with Misha. It is only a matter of time before her disguise is discovered, and what will Misha do when he finds out about her ruse?

Fear isn’t a measure of cowardice, and pain isn’t a measure of weakness. You’re brave and strong and anything but broken.

So much is going on in this novel! It is essential to read These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds since these two books handle the bulk of the world building that Beneath These Cursed Stars Depends on. Lexi Ryan does a phenomenal job in weaving multiple points of view into an intriguing tale of secrets, betrayals, and heartbreaks. The cliffhangers that this book ends on are insane! I counted at least 5 loose ends that I must know the resolution to.

The winds are changing, and our fates with them.

I wish I hadn't requested this title, because my experience with Beneath These Cursed Stars is very much a "me" thing and not a "book" thing. I ended up DNF'ing it around 10% for a few different reasons. The first: I didn't know this was a companion title to the author's first series, which were very much not-for-me books. I'm not usually a good fit for fae as fantasy creatures (versus fae as folkloric and mythical beings), which was a big part of the reason These Hollow Vows didn't work for me. Had I know this book took place in the same world, I never would have downloaded it for review.

The second reason comes up in the very first line of the book, in which the perspective character, Jasalyn, refers to a man or male character as a "male." I know that Sarah J. Maas popularized this kind of phrasing, but it is a particularly strong ick for me and not one I can get usually get past. That was the case with Beneath These Cursed Stars. While I'm sure it's a good book for a lot of readers, I am very much not the intended audience, and if I had continued reading, I know it would receive a low rating from me. I want this book to find its readers, so for that reason, I've decided to put it down.

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

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Was very excited to get to read this new spin off from Lexi Ryan as I enjoyed her original fae duology very much.
This was also good for a spinoff. It didn’t capture me as much as the original duology, but that’s probably personal preference. Ryan continues to be a fantastic writer! I enjoyed the romantic subplots, though the book overall felt more YA than NA like the original, and that’s part of what left it lacking a little for me personally.

Beneath These Cursed Stars is a great addition to Ryan's previous fae romances. I enjoyed being back in the Fae courts with some familiar characters. Will the human and fae realms be able to find a balance before it's too late? I felt like this could have been wrapped up in one novel, but I will definitely read the next installment.
The romance in this story is mostly off the page giving this novel more young adult vibes; however, I would recommend this for more mature young adult readers.