This made me remember that I didn’t like this authors other works. I am not a fan of her writing and her characters but if you enjoyed her previous books I think you’ll like this

This book was a great spin off from a series I loved, while also being able to stand on it’s own. The characters felt fully fleshed out and fun. The tension was high and so were the stakes.

What a story and what a world. I love Lexi’s storytelling as it stays classic to the series fans fell in love with but also creates its own legacy to stand on. I love the duel storylines happening in this book. I love Lexi’s ability to write character that we root for but maybe can’t fully trust all the way.
This story is a great continuation where we are now following Brie’s sister Jasalyn as she finds and struggles her way through this world she doesn’t want any part of. I found the trauma and depth the Jas’s story heartbreaking and tough. I liked see this side of the timeline as you grow to approaches Jasalyn as a character. Her and Kendrick’s relationship was great BUT the real showstoppers were Misha and Felicity. I NEED MOORREEE. I’m so utterly obsessed with them I’m pacing my room. The aspect of the “hidden identity” was fabulously done. I cannot wait for the next book!

I tried reading this on two different questions and this just didn't deliver. This was my first from Lexi Ryan as it was marketed as a standalone, but it felt like I needed to read her other works as there zero world building in this. Also this is a YA book. Why in the world does a 21 year old like a 17 year old. What was wrong with making her 18? I feel like there was so much potential here as the premise and blurb were really good. The only person I liked was Misha, but the rest fell flat. Ohh and the trauma is dropped right away, but never explained.

Loved the first two books so was really excited to be back in this world!

I will say it took a bit to get into and a bit confusing with the character POVs (one who is pretending to be the other). But overall once it picked up, it was full of twists and turns. Only other down side was not realizing this wasn't the last book in the series and now having a cliffhanger I need answered immediately!

It was great to get back into the world we shared with Brie and Finn. I enjoyed the book and cannot wait to see what happens next in book 2.

A fantastic start to the spin off! I can't wait to read more! I loved the nods to the original series and it was great to revisit some beloved characters!

Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan is a Spellbinding Journey of Love, Secrets, and Redemption.
Beneath These Cursed Stars is a captivating, enchanting read that will leave readers longing for more. Lexi Ryan has created a story that is not only impossible to put down, but one that will stay with you long after the final page. If you're a fan of immersive fantasy with an emotional core, this is a must-read.

I loved when someone is fighting a prophecy. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't stop reading. I loved it.

So I didn’t read book 1 or 2, I thought I could read it as a stand alone and I just couldn’t get into the story.

It was so much fun diving back into this world. It felt like visiting old friends. New characters are introduced, and the plot really had me wanting to know how things would play out! That ending is criminally unfair, but that's life, and I am eager to see how things continue in the next book!

"Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this title*

I was completely captivated by this book. The story pulled me in from the very start with its mix of magic, adventure, and romance. The characters are complex and easy to root for, and the world-building is incredible—it really feels like you’re in a whole new realm. If you love fantasy with a touch of romance and mystery, this book is a must-read!

This book took me a little longer to complete than the other two in this series. I loved Jas and Kendrick and rooted for them throughout the story. Felicity is also brave and determined, doing whatever is necessary to help in defeating Mordeus. What Lexi Ryan does so well is she makes the magic truly mesmerizing and obvious. She never makes the reader guess; she creates awe and wonder in her readers with the intensity of the magic her characters possess. I am patiently waiting on the next book in this series because the story simply cannot be over yet.

I enjoyed this. It had one of my favorite tropes (the infamous slow burn 🔥) Overall it was good and I enjoyed the dual pov as well!

I hadn't read the other two books in the series before I read this one. After I finished it, I went back and read the other two and I think that changed my opinions on this one. The fact that I went back and read the first two after reading this meant that I enjoyed it. However, I thought less of it after I finished the first two.

There’s a lot about the world I was picking up on without reading the first books, so I assumed those would fill in when I read the other books. That’s true to an extent. Because a few years have passed since the events of the first two books, there’s a lot that has happened that wasn’t in the other books. There’s a lot of background that we don’t fully get explained. Why is Misha Brie’s best friend, for example, and has he really liked Jas for a while? And if he liked Jas and trained her closely, why wouldn’t he notice that the girl he was with wasn’t her? There’s a lot of unanswered questions and it feels like being thrown into something without a lot of information.

This book is also darker than the others, with a lot of mentions of PTSD and torture. Because of her trauma, sometimes Jas doesn’t make a lot of sense. She’s somehow both trusting and naive and absolutely hates everything about the fae. While Brie has a lot of hatred for the fae in the first book and the reasons for both of their feelings make sense, but it’s frustrating. Jas is so reluctant to change her mind about things — even with her own sister being a fae and living around fae for the last few years — that she’s making decisions that have horrific consequences. It makes it hard to like her or root for her, even as traumatized as she is. I also found myself frequently frustrated with Hale, especially when we learn more about his motivations.

Because of this, I like Felicity a lot better, even though I had a difficult time understanding her backstory and felt like there was a lot that was left out. I also found myself rooting for her relationship with Misha a lot more than I cared about Jas and Hale.

The big reveals were… disappointing. The biggest problem was it felt like the characters all should have realized these things a lot sooner, and I found myself frustrated with everyone.

After reading the other two books, I started to have a few additional complaints. It seems like all the male love interests are essentially the same. They’re obsessed with the female main characters (sometimes for very unclear reasons) and are somehow always perfectly understanding, lovely, snarky, and flirting. There’s not a ton of variety between them.

The book ends in a cliffhanger, or even a double cliffhanger for both POV characters. I don’t mind cliffhangers if it feels like a plot wraps up to some level as a book. This I didn’t feel like that was satisfactory, so I found the cliffhanger more annoying than a reason to read the next one.

I will gladly read the next one when it comes out because I did enjoy the overall experience and I want to see what happens with the characters, but I do think there are a lot of things about the book that aren’t as strong as they could have been.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review. The opinions are my own and were not influenced by receiving a copy.

I really do not think this series is for me personally. But I was recommending it to fae fans. For me though it did feel like yet another ripoff of popular romantasy books

5 Stars

Consider me obsessed! I haven't been sucked into a fantasy romance so quickly and now I'm over here BEGGING for the next book to come out ASAP.

I haven't read the original duology in this series, but I dove straight into this story and now have These Hollow Vows jumping straight to the top of my TBR. The two different romances and the overall world building are exceptional and I need more RIGHT MEOW.

Ok so first off I feel like you definitely need to read the first duology before reading this book. I didn’t re-read these Hollow vows or These twisted bonds before I read this and I was definitely confused on some things. I still really enjoyed the story, but it was a little hard for me to get into it in the beginning. I am eagerly awaiting the next book but will definitely be doing a re-read of all 3 previous books.

Lexi is one of my favorite people and authors! She really puts her heart and soul into her book, and it shows. This is a spin-off of another series, and you HAVE to read that series, as well! I can't wait for the next one.

4 1/2 Stars

When I started this book, I didn't realize it was the third one in the series. Fortunately it was still enjoyable and didn't seem to matter that I was hopping into the middle of a series. That said, I still plan to go to the beginning and read the other two because I enjoy the storyline and the world it's set in.

This was a fantasy that was well thought out and had some originality to it. The characters felt original and were easy to connect with. This book had a good blend of fantasy elements while still having a storyline that carried an emotional pull. It was a solid read and is a series I look forward to continuing since I'm quite invested in the characters now.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy.