This story was interesting and kept me engaged. I wanted to know more about all the things happening and what the characters were going to do next. The ending was a bit abrupt and just ends. I mean there is an ending but felt a bit jarring. I will be on the lookout for book 2.

Thank you to Netgalley for the gifted copy.

I already have read the actual book, and enjoyed it. It is the reason I signed up for the audio version. I had to listen to it as well. When I was reading this on my own, I had this idea of what I thought the voice was going to be for Isabel's character. I'm not sure if this was the voice I thought of in my head, but it works. It's almost like listening to a princess run through this character. There is some kind of romance that brews in this storyline, but it's definitely not until the end. I think my first review stated that it was slow burn, but after hearing it, I feel like it's more of just enemies to lovers. There were tons of banter between Isy and Erik in this story, but I don't think that there really was anything between them until towards the end. This story is really more about Isy and who she is as a person. Meeting Erik was a side story. Where she ends up with Erik is more of a side story. I think the adventure in its entirety is figuring out where she places herself and who she is in this as a character. I think the person who narrated her character played her well, and you can see the growth being played out.

Page’s debut novel offers a unique storyline with some truly raw and beautiful moments. Isy’s story is intriguing, and the emotional depth built into her character really stands out. The relationships feel genuine, and there are plenty of heartfelt scenes that left an impression.

I listened to the audiobook for this one, and the narration was a definite highlight! Jacci’s performance was spot-on—she has a way of bringing the characters and scenes to life. Paired with the lyrical writing style, her narration made the story an absolute joy to listen to and really enhanced the experience for me.

That said, the story’s pacing was a little uneven. While some parts pulled me in, others dragged and felt slower than I would have liked. The worldbuilding and lyrical prose are undeniably beautiful, but at times they became so detailed that they overshadowed the plot. I also found myself wishing for a bit more growth from Isy—her cautious, timid nature stayed consistent throughout most of the story, and I hoped to see her take a more active role as things unfolded.

Even so, the audiobook gave the story an extra boost for me! This is the kind of book that’s more about the journey and emotions than big action or twists. If you enjoy descriptive, character-driven stories with a touch of magic, this one might be right up your alley.

For me, it’s a solid 3.5 stars, with the audiobook narration earning a 4. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the mood for sweet moments, slow-burn storytelling, and introspective characters.

The narrators did such a good job either this book, it loved the range they had and how they brought the characters to life

Infiltrate the enemy, find out who murdered her best friend, get the General to reveal all the secrets and DO NOT FALL FOR HIM.

Isabel was struggling to be what she needed herself to be and after the murder of her best friend she’s desperate for answers to questions she may not really want the answers too.

This book is a SLOW BURN romantasy that will have you chomping at the bits for the next book.

I 100% will never think of a snake the same again!

I was able to receive an advanced audio copy of Illusion of Stars to listen to, and it just makes everything better! Jacci Prior does an absolutely amazing job narrating as Isabel. She brings all of Isabel’s insecurities through her voice, and her resolution and strength when she’s made up her mind about something. Not to mention her voicing the other characters! Simply astounding. When Isabel’s true job was brought to Erik’s attention in the climax of the story, you can hear the different types of heartbreak in both of the voices that she brought. And getting just the tease of Rusty Mewha as Erik right at the end was great! I truly hope that both are able to do the sequel to this duology as well!

Calling all fantasy fans this will be your new obsession! This book had me on the edge of my seat wondering what will happened next for Isabel and Erik and now I need the next book to get my answers! This book is an amazing enemies to lovers romance that involves magic and mystery in a new medieval fantasy world!

The tension filled relationship between Isabel and Erik was so well written and the banter between them was great! There spice was definitely fade to back but the chemistry is still there.

The world building was well done and had me really interested in all the different magical abilities the different groups of people have. I did listen to the audiobook which gave me a slight disadvantage because I wish I could have seen a map of all these lands.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration by Jacci Prior was absolutely fantastic! I really hope she continues with the next book! The final chapter was read by Rusty Mewha from Erik's point of view and I hope to hear more from him in the next one as well.

This audio is FANTASTIC!! The narrators voice is so pretty like a Disney Princess and brings the story to life with emotion. Sarah Marie Page crafted such a unique and epic romantasy that is an absolute 5⭐️ read filled with heartbreak, danger, mystery, banter, and romance with all the feels and I cannot wait for book two!!
5⭐️ 🫑🫑🫑 (very steamy fade to black with some spicy language)

❤️‍🔥 Enemies to Lovers
❤️‍🔥 Strong FMC
❤️‍🔥 Broken to Healing
❤️‍🔥 Mystery
❤️‍🔥 Magic Powers
❤️‍🔥 One Horse
❤️‍🔥 Betrayal

Confession: I already read and loved Illusion of Stars, so I knew the story and the characters.

And now there’s an audiobook, and it’s perfect. The narrator does an immaculate job of conveying emotion and helping pull you directly into the story. The tense moments FEEL tense; the humor is there. Isabel, Erik and crew have been done justice.

This was a five-star listening experience for me. Time to go add every other book Jacci Prior has narrated to my TBR!

Definitely took a minute for me to get into, but it was an interesting adventure. At times the FMC fell a little flat for me, but overall the story was exciting and felt like it was setting up for a good second book.

I read an eARC of this story in 2024 and jumped at the chance to get to listen to the audiobook. Illusion of Stars was one of my favorite reads of 2024 and I want to experience it in all forms.

The audiobook was so well done! Jacci Prior did such a great job and was the perfect choice for Isabel. It was so fun to get to listen to this story come to life. I once again laughed, cried, smiled. It was perfection! There were so many good lines, but one of my favorites from this read through is below. I laughed out loud when I got to hear this line.

“Buttercup was indeed a b***h.”

This story was so beautifully written. I felt like the world building was done in such a great way where the reader doesn't feel overwhelmed by all the information. The magic system was interesting and unique to the story. The way that Sarah Marie Page shows anxiety and panic in the story really made the reader feel what the characters were feeling. The pacing was great and the book never seemed to lull, it kept moving forward in a way that didn't seem rushed.

"Isabel Moller, you are not allowed to kiss me, then awkward swim away."

I loved Isabel and Erik. Isabel is entirely relatable with the way that she was awkward yet endearing, smart, brave, determined, and the struggle that she has with believing in herself. Erik is a cinnamon roll MMC if there ever was one. He is swoon worthy, strong, and determined to prove that he's more than his power. The way Isy & Erik come together once they realize that they are both fighting for the same thing, self validation & acceptance, is beautiful and fully lends itself to a naturally developing slow burn romance. Plus their banter had me laughing out loud. The author did an amazing job of developing not only the main characters of this story, but the side characters as well. Signey, Bo, Kaspar, and Tyr were some of my favorites.

This story is perfect for anyone that loves fantasies full of angst, hope, witty banter, magic, political intrigue, believable and likeable characters, all with a side of romance. If anyone needs me, I'll be sitting here praying for the second book in this duology because I need more.

I struggled getting into this book. I had a very hard time with the narrator. Lovely voice, but not at all what I would imagine for this book, ends many words with “uh” for some reason, and struggled with male voices. The plot was *okay*. I felt like we were taken down a few different paths of possible plots and then -skrrt- on a different path. And instead of digging more into the characters and their relationships, there was a lot of filler. Lots of whimsical metaphors for things the FMC was seeing and feeling. But when we got into the good stuff, I was here for it. I would definitely read the next book, but I won’t be waiting on pins and needles for it.

I did not consume the same book that everyone else did apparently. I found this extremely thin and flat. The FMC was awful and very juvenile feeling and I genuinely thought the MMC/love interest was another character towards the end. This is not a slow burn, it's a 'no romance until the end" burn and even then it didn't make sense for the prior interactions. The romance has no chemistry and honestly gave me the ick at the end (re: interrogation tactics). The characters just have no life.

I really wanted to like it but I think it's a miss. There are too many formulaic romantasy books out there to spend time on one that's underdeveloped.

I will give credit that it picked up over the last....15% of the book but the pay off wasn't there for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for the audio ARC. I attest I am leaving my review voluntarily and honestly.

I don’t know if this book will be for everybody but it was for me. Sarah’s use of briny, salty, ocean air imagery brought be back into the fantasy world of my childhood. It is exactly the kind of setting I have been yearning for. The world she has built sings to my soul and I am frothing at the mouth as we wait for the next installment.

Aside from the sense of nostalgia she had bestowed on me, this is a solid book. Is it perfect? No, there are for sure improvements that can be made but there is something innocent about her writing as well. It’s noticeable that this is a first published fantasy but it doesn’t take away from the magic. The romance feels pure and new. These moments of screaming off the bluffs and discussions of puffins bring a sweetness to the otherwise dark undertones of the book. I’m rambling a bit here but it’s safe to say that I really loved this book. It’s fresh, it’s innocent, it’s nostalgic, and it’s a fantastic read from start to finish.

“Do you know how to use a cup?” This perfectly sums up who the FMC, Isabel, is. She is quirky and awkward and so unintentionally funny. Sometimes awkward characters can give me secondhand embarrassment, but in this book, I found it so endearing.

I really enjoyed the magic system (illusion and secret magic boxes, etc). I don’t feel like it was like anything I have read before.

It’s a slow burn hate to lovers romance with fade to black scenes. The banter is so cute between the characters, you can’t help but root for them and fall in love with them.

We’ve all heard of the one bed trope, but how about the one horse trope? There is a scene there that was so awkward and funny, I found myself giggling!

The narration of this audiobook was fantastic and really brought the story to life!

I really hope there is a book two because that ending?!? I need to know what happens next!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review!

This audio started out strong. Isabel is a healer for the Royals and has to do things like keep the King from running around naked and rubbing the Queen's sore feet. (It's very strange lol). When her friend is murdered, she goes on a mission of revenge. The magic system in this story is pretty cool and I think worth the read. The characters though felt a little more juvenile than New Adult, so while I enjoyed the story, it was a little young feeling for me. I think a ton of people will love this audiobook though and I think it's worth it to check it out and find out if it's for you.

“Illusion of Stars” is the first book in “The Enmity of Hearts Duet”.

I received an ALC from Dreamscape Media via Netgalley but I also read the e-book available in Kindle Unlimited. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is an enemies-to-lovers romantasy with a slow-burn romance.
Isabel is a royal physician turned spy with the mission to seduce Erik, Volgaars’s general son (who is also an enemy). The story is told almost entirely from Isabel’s perspective in first person. She is a strong character and I loved following her story.

The audiobook is narrated by Jacci Prior and Rusty Mewha and both managed to make me get lost in the story. I have to say that in this case the audio enhanced the reading experience. I recommend listening to a book while reading if possible.

Overall I liked the beautiful writing, world building, magic and the twists. Also, the ending made me look forward to the next book.

An interesting concept, though not entirely original as the “faerie portal” is a common trope in fantasy. While this book is intended to be new adult it read very young and juvenile to me. The characters felt fairly shallow.

This was my first ARC audiobook from NetGalley, and it did not disappoint!
The story had excellent world-building that pulled me in right from the start. The phrase "hold the door" kept me guessing until the very end—it was such a clever hook!
While the book had a YA vibe, it offered a good mix of suspense, intrigue, and a hint of romance. There was a noticeable spice buildup, but unfortunately, it remained in the realm of closed-door moments.
The narrators were fantastic and did an incredible job bringing the characters to life. The plot itself was gripping, with engaging twists and turns that kept me thoroughly invested in the story’s progression.
One standout element was Isabelle’s internal monologue—it added depth to her character and made her relatable. I also loved the banter between characters, which provided several laugh-out-loud moments!
The book starts with a confession letter from Isabelle and gradually takes us through her journey. I loved how the story begins at the end and slowly unravels her path to that point.
Overall, this book was fantastic—a steady, captivating journey with strong character dynamics. I cannot wait for book two!

While I really appreciated the concept of *Illusions of Stars*, it wasn’t 100% for me. That being said, I feel like it’s more of a “it’s not you, it’s me” situation than anything else. The book definitely has a lot to offer, but for some reason, it just didn’t completely click with me personally.

First off, the writing is solid. The author has a way with words that pulls you into the story, and I was impressed by how well the world-building and atmosphere were crafted. It’s clear a lot of thought went into creating a unique and immersive setting, and the pacing kept me engaged for the most part. The plot itself is fascinating, with twists and turns that kept me intrigued, and the premise had a lot of potential for depth and emotional exploration.

That said, I think the book’s style or tone just wasn’t what I was expecting. It felt like there was something missing emotionally for me, something that would have allowed me to fully connect with the characters and the stakes. While I enjoyed the story on a surface level, I didn’t feel the depth I was hoping for in certain key moments. Again, I think this is more about personal preference than a flaw in the book itself.

Despite that, I do think *Illusions of Stars* is a book that many readers will enjoy, especially if you like well-crafted plots with intriguing twists and engaging world-building. The writing is strong, and the concept is original, so I’d definitely recommend giving it a try. Even though it didn’t quite hit the mark for me, I can see how it would be a great fit for readers who enjoy this genre.