I made a mistake 😅
I forgot I hadn’t read book 2 yet before I picked this one up. 🫣

But I don’t mind the spoilers for book 2, and I really enjoyed this one! The cliffhanger is a bit of a bear, so if you’re not a fan of those, fair warning. I can’t wait for more of Felicity and Jasalyn’s stories!

If you loved the first two books, don’t skip this one!

I received an advance copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own and a review was not required.

I feel lost, so very very lost with all these characters that are just kind of thrown at me with no background. So, searching I went and I found out this is a 3rd book after These Hollow Vows duology, so that is why I have no idea what is going on. I went back and found that I didn't enjoy the first book and that's probably why most of this didn't even come to my memory. So I will wait on giving this a full review as I think I need to try and push through the second book before finishing this one.

This was such a fun read! Did I know it is connected to an established series when I started this? Nope. It took someone telling me, which to me shows how well it stands by itself, I was not confused at all and could easily follow the world building. Highly recommend reading this, I'll be adding Lexi's other books to the top of my tbr!

Lexi Ryan knows how to write books that break age gaps. While this may be a YA book it will appeal to adults as well. I was completely swept up on the sisters take in fairy and how unlike her sister she wanted nothing to do with the world they had found themselves in.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and am leaving my review voluntarily.

PLEASE stop what you are doing and go read this book right now. Right. Now. AMAZING. This is definitely my favorite read of 2024, no competition.

This was a multiple POV with Jasalyn, the shadow princess, and Felicity, a commoner. Jasalyn's chapters were packed full of romantic tension, action, and amazing character-building. Felicity's chapters were more secretive with backstory and even the romance plot line. The two characters complimented each other so well.

There were so many unexpected twists and turns throughout the book that it kept me hooked. Another thing that kept me hooked was the world-building. Or lack thereof I should say. I know this sounds backwards but I find that most fantasy books have too much world-building for me to properly understand what is going on. I love that there was definitely some background knowledge for us, but it wasn’t too overwhelming.

If you couldn't tell from my first sentence, I highly recommend this book. The only thing I'm upset about is waiting for the new book to come out.

I didn't realize this book was part of the These Hollow Vows series when I started reading it. I found it very confusing initially because I do think you need to have read the other two books to understand what is going on. I will continue to recommend These Hollow Vows to YA romantasy readers and let fans of the series know about this book.

Adding a little caveat before my review: I did not read These Hollow Vows or its sequel. Like other reviewers, I had no idea this wasn't technically a standalone, and takes place in the same world, with many of the same characters, as the previous duology. I wish that I would've known this, because I definitely would've read These Hollow Vows first, and I probably would've enjoyed Beneath These Cursed Stars more. I think it's a huge failure of the marketing, considering so many of us ARC reviewers had no idea we'd need to read the previous series to not feel lost in this one.

Because lost definitely IS the vibe here. I adored the first chapter, with Jasalyn using her enchanted ring to take revenge on her previous captors, but as soon as that chapter ended, I felt like I was plunged into the book with absolutely no guides. And, considering the story ends up being so intricately political and (presumably) connected to its companion series, it made it hard to really engage with the stakes. Who is Mordeus? Why is he bad? Why do we care about him coming back? I assumed he's a companion series Big Bad, but without that context, he felt like a rather vague and bland threat. So, for me, the entire arc that propels the story fell flat. Similarly, Jasalyn's emotional arc did not work for me; Felicity ended up being my favorite character of the pair of MCs, because she was an entirely new character (mostly) unmoored from the previous series.

The romance, however, was quite good. For fans of romantasy who've read These Hollow Vows, I can see this book really working. It also felt reminiscent of a condensed version of the Zodiac Academy books, tonally, romance-wise, character-wise, etc. So that part I enjoyed. I liked Kendrick as a love interest for Jasalyn; their banter was good and the build-up of their ship was very nicely done, although the twist at the end was a little obvious. Felicity and Misha also work well; there's a fun little "hidden identity" trope in Felicity's POV, as she's a shapeshifter pretending to be Jasalyn and watching Misha fall in love with the shifted version of herself.

It was a quick read, a good slowburn, and a good palette cleanser between heavier books. I guess I just expected more -- and didn't expect to be so confused.

Many thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Lexi Ryan for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Oh my goodness gracious I already cannot wait for the next book in this series!! This was AMAZING and I couldn’t get enough of it!

I didn’t realize Beneath These Cursed Stars was a continuation of the story from These Hollow Vows but from Jasalyn’s POV before starting. I loved the original duology, so I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, I found the pacing a bit too slow for my tastes and I struggled to find the desire to read this until past the 70% mark. Once I got close to the end, the story really picked up and I became super invested! That ending cliffhanger has me so excited for the next installment; I can’t wait to see where the story goes. The character development for Jas was very well done and I admired the author for not shying away from her trauma. Do I think this story needed to be two books? Not really, especially since it felt so drawn out for the majority of the book. However, I will definitely be picking up the sequel and hope it’s a bigger hit with me.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperTeen, and the author for sending me an early copy!

I loved the blend of fantasy and romance in Beneath These Cursed Stars! Princess Jasalyn’s journey was compelling, and her determination and strength really stood out to me. The addition of Felicity, a shape-shifter with her own burdens to bear, added a fun twist that kept things interesting. Their stories intertwined in a way that made me eager to see what would happen next.

The relationships in this book are definitely one of its highlights. I was drawn in by the tension between Jasalyn and Kendrick, and Felicity’s connection to the Wild Fae King, Misha, gave the story a great romantic spark. With a fast-paced plot, emotional moments, and a tantalizing cliffhanger, I’m excited to see where the next book takes these characters!

Tropes:

Forbidden romance
Shape-shifter
Vengeful princess

Okay okay, I was totally planning on this to be a one book spin off of the These Hollow Vows duology and so I was NOT ready for that ending. Ummm obviously there is going to be more and I am totally here for it!

I loved getting to learn more about Jas and Misha. I loved Misha in These Twisted Bonds and I hope he ends up getting his happily ever after! He is definitely an easy character to root for! I’m also looking forward to learning more about Felicity.

Kendrick is my new favorite though. As his story unfolded, it was admirable to see the burdens he carried with him. I hope some of the revelations at the end aren’t true or that there are explanations for them because it was so painful to read.

Definitely read this after you read These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds!

Spice: None, just kissing

Read this if you like:
🌟 Deception and revenge
🌟 Second chance for beloved characters
🌟 Who did this to you?

Oh my goodness such an incredibly magical continuation of the beautiful worlds from These Hollow Vows. I loved Jas’ story from trauma to healing. She is a very likeable Nesta-type character. The journey, the betrayals, and the twists hit just right. The story is incredible ❤️‍🔥 You will love all of the characters, their pasts, their current missions. And, this is a unique dual POV story where you get 2 FMCS and 2 MMCs, and you even get two love stories. I am obsessed with this book, and the These Hollow Vows duology. They are 100% a must read.

This is a 5+⭐️ 🌶️ low spice read.

Thank you Harper Teen for the gifted physical and digital copies.

This was an enjoyable YA fantasy novel! I had never read this authors work before and have come to learn there was a duology that came before this that is set in the same universe, I quickly added those to my wish list and TBR! I probably would have appreciated some aspects of this book more had I read that duology first, but this also read just fine on its own.

A quick glance on Goodreads showed me a lot of not so great reviews for this but I liked it! I enjoyed that the dual POV were somewhat separate missions/stories but at the same time were connected and working toward the same end goal. This book has royalty, fae, humans, and goblins! What a fun cast of magical characters. There were two sloooowwww burn romances, which I am always a fan of. There are family dynamics, found family vibes, secrets and betrayals, trauma and some mental health rep, and of course magic. The ending definitely left me wanting the next book so I can see what’s going to happen!

Absolutely solid.

Would give to teens who are enjoying fantasy romance and don't mind a little bit sauciness to their characters.

I am in love with the world that Lexi Ryan has created, and having another novel set in it made me so happy.

This was just what I needed after These Hollow vows. It scratched an itch that I needed. It’s fun, emotional, and sooooo good. If you loved the These Hollow Vows series, this spin-off is for you. I'm excited to see where the story goes next!

I was extremely disappointed by this one sadly. While I think it was still a good book it just did not hit the same way these hollow vows did.

Beneath These Cursed Stars is apparently a companion novel to These Hollow Vows which I have not read. So—two comments here.

1. It is quite readable without knowing these past books. Though you would know the MCs past story better, I still do not feel it affected the present story in not knowing.
2. My review is on this book alone, I see a lot of people either enjoying it more or substantially less than THV and I have no comparisons here to make.

BtCS follows Princess Jasalyn and a shapeshifter named Felicity on their separate journey’s with the same mission—save the country they care about from corruption and the resurrection and return of evil king Mordeus.

I enjoyed princess Jas and her storyline though I did see some of the twists coming it was fast-paced and left on a cliff hanger that has me WAITING for the next book.

BUT Felicity’ storyline to me was the most intriguing and I am fully invested in her. Her POV ended on a cliff hanger and THAT has me pleading for time to fast-forward to the next book. And because I can’t ever go through a review without the #crushofthebook being mentioned Misha is everything thanks bye.

This was set in the same world as These Hollowed Vows. I read the duology, but I have no memory of it, so there were some references that itched at my brain and didn’t ring any bells. You don’t have to read the duology, but the author doesn’t re-explain much. I definitely could’ve used a recap and new readers who haven’t read the duology might be confused.
I actually loved the premise of the book! I felt engaged and sometimes on the edge of my seat. I loved the dual POVs of Jas and Felicity.
I have similar criticisms as I did for the duology and that is the decision making capabilities of characters, especially the Mab ladies. I’m irritated by Brie, as she dismissed her depressed sister. She never thought to question why she’s sleeping all day (like maybe she’s out all night trying to get revenge?!)
I understood Jasalyn’s motivations, but I was skeptical of the ring. I’m shocked she had no qualms about it and also absolutely no understanding. She didn’t want to be Fae, but… how about instead of thinking about what YOU are losing by getting the ring, you think about what someone ELSE might be gaining? It’s like magic bartering 101 and I don’t even have magic in my world! The conflict could have been avoided if she wasn’t so focused on herself and her emotions.
There were some surprises, but overall the book was predictable. I was more interested in how the relationships would pan out once secrets were revealed and less on the plot twists, anyway.
The audiobook was good, but the Jas narrator trails off softly and I had to keep adjusting the volume in my car, so a heads up to my fellow car listeners!
Overall, it was a decent story. I wish the author had given her teen characters just a little more credit.. so much hinges on the impulsiveness/lack of communication and it is just tiring. Like could you imagine being a 100 year old Fae ruler and some 17 year old comes bopping in with just complete chaos and destruction?

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.