Bound by Stars by E.L. Starling was an enjoyable read. Starting the book, I was thrown into another time with different technology and adventure. I enjoy reading a book that immerses me in the adventure and storyline. It continued with other bumps along the way and a conflict between two characters. This young adult story was an easy read. If you're looking for a book with little turmoil but lots of exciting, daring experiences, this is the book for you! I recommend this book not only to young readers but also to adults.

I sadly only made it to 7%. Not even the Entangled read along kept me. I was really excited about the premise of this book. A YA Titanic space opera sounds awesome. But the book read very juvenile to me. The characters were very whiny and a little unrelatable.

I think as a mom Weslie stressed me out way too much running away to Mars. I didn’t find myself excited to come back to Weslie and Juniper, even after their meetcute.

I did like ILSA. I want one of her haha. Maybe if we had a POV from her perspective I would stay. She’s a real cool robot.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC. Opinions expressed are solely mine.

This one started off a little slow for me, and I found myself making pretty slow progress at times—but I’m really glad I stuck with it, because I got so into it toward the end.

I loved the concept. I was obsessed with Titanic when I was little, so the idea of a space version immediately caught my attention. It felt familiar in all the right ways, but the sci-fi twist made it feel fresh. And I appreciated that the ending wasn’t completely heartbreaking like Titanic. Although it didn’t fully wrap up enough to my liking, so I’m hoping there will be a book two.

Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend it, especially to anyone who likes romance, space, or disaster stories with a bit of a twist.

This is an interesting, gender-flipped interpretation of The Titanic. Instead of a ship crossing the sea, this is a different type of ship in space.

I enjoyed this and will definitely be reading the next book. I liked Jupiter, and the friend’s group. The twists at the end were somewhat excepted due to the foreshadowing but still hit just right and left me full of suspense. I didn’t really care for Weslie, she is just too hardheaded and full of herself but it’s acceptable for her age. I liked the story overall, I just wish there was more world building and more detail. The book entirely centers off of the relationship between Jupiter and Weslie, which is fine but as a scfi-fi book, I wanted more world building.

I’m ready for the next book!

Bound By Stars is a YA Titanic retelling. Weslie is an Earther who gains passage on the Boundless when she wins a competition with her ILSA robot life-saving companion. Her accommodations are in first class with Elysians passengers or the well-off passengers who live on Mars. Weslie meets Jupiter, who is immediately her enemy, because he's an Elysian. Yet as they work together on her ILSA project, they strike up a friendship that slowly developes into a romance. This is the second space Titanic retelling I've read this year, and it was just OK for me. I think a major part of my underwhelming feeling is the pacing. I felt like the first 80% of the book just dragged, and nothing really happened. It was the same things happening daily, and all the action and plot twists were stuffed in during the last part. The ending left me kind of wondering if the book is truly finished or if the author has plans for another.

I’m obsessed with this book! Weslie is sharp, independent, and determined to live life on her own terms, while Jupiter, one of the Big Six, has everything mapped out for him without a choice. Their paths crossing was pure magic, and the tension between them had me hooked from the start. And ILSA? Hands down the best bot ever—her dry, hilarious comments gave me life! 🤖 The plot twists caught me totally off guard, and that ending… my heart is still recovering. Weslie and Jupiter’s connection was cosmic and unforgettable.

e as well as a teen’s desires for freedom of choice vs family expectation for a family business were appropriate themes for a YA novel. This is one that I would have been happy to read with my children, though there is one short section where physical intimacy was intended, but interrupted. I’m not sure that would appropriate for a thirteen year old. This book could easily be made into a movie! I recommend this book for readers who enjoy YA Sci-Fi/Dystopian/Romance.

I am voluntarily writing this honest review after reading a free ARC via Netgalley and Entangled Teen Publishing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5, rounding up!)
Bound by Stars is giving Titanic in space meets enemies-to-lovers YA romance, and I was absolutely here for it.

Weslie Fleet is a sharp, no-nonsense Earth girl who wins a golden ticket (okay, scholarship) to board the Boundless, a luxury starliner headed to Mars. She’s expecting class tension and snobby stares… not to get caught up in a rebel conspiracy or attract the attention of Jupiter, the golden-boy heir with a chip on his shoulder and serious main character energy.

The premise is super fun and genuinely fresh. Class conflict, rebellion, slow-burn romance, a sassy robot sidekick, what more could I want? I thought the pacing was solid throughout—fast enough to keep things moving but not so rushed that the emotional moments got lost. The dual POV adds depth too, and I loved watching both Weslie and Jupiter evolve.

✨ Tropes & vibes:

🚀 Enemies to lovers
💕 He falls first
🤖 Sassy AI sidekick (justice for ISLA)
💔 Slow-burn + tension
🧬 Found family
🎭 Secrets, sabotage, space drama

I look forward to reading more books from E.L. Starling. I enjoyed her writing. This book was such a fun, heartfelt ride!

My goodness… what just happened? This book! These characters, that twist, the ending… I’m a wreck and need ILSA to help me sort some stuff out.

Don’t let the adorable first half of this book fool you into thinking it’s all going to go as planned. The second half will gut you. I was on the edge of my seat the whole last half… reading at warp speed and sci fi isn’t even really my jam.

This book had me from the first chapter. I was lucky enough to find this because of Fae Ball coming to Portland. So happy to have met these characters and this story. Getting to meet the author will be icing on the cake.

Don’t hesitate to pick this up even if science fiction isn’t really your thing… if you loved Titanic, you’ll love this. Trust me. ILSA will win you over.

Bound by stars is A young adult novel. About a girl who knew she was different. A boy who knew where he stood in life. Both are forced together in a world that is no longer there's

Thank you to Entangled Teen for the ARC of Bound by Stars by E.L. Starling. All opinions are my own.

Bound by Stars is a romance set in space with a lot of similarities to the movie Titanic.

This book swept me right into the story from the very beginning with the hints of danger, secrecy, and romance.

As a big fan of the Titanic movie, I really enjoyed finding all the different references throughout the story. While many things were the same, this story definitely held up on its own.

Because this is a young adult novel, the characters were definitely immature in a lot of ways, but I thought that they were realistic and not annoying. While Weslie could be very judgmental, it made sense because of how she grew up. Jupiter was a bit oblivious to the realities outside Mars, but it was understandable because of the way his parents treated him.

Weslie’s robot was one of my favorite characters in this story because it was sassy and learned so much from Weslie’s own personality.

I also liked not always knowing what characters could be trusted since this story was told from both Weslie and Jupiter’s perspectives.

Overall, I enjoyed this story, and I hope that there will be a sequel to answer a lot of the questions I still have.

What this book needed was more of ILSA, and more intrigue and less a teenage angsty love story with all the typical cliches ( mean mom ; evil ex girlfriend ; a fairy god mother to dresses her for the party …. And more ) . I think the overall concept was interesting but the story just never delivered to its potential . Yes I know this is YA and I think there was a great SCI FI story ( with a dash or romance) which would have been much more unique than a romance story with a dash of sci -fi . Having said all that , if there weee to be a. Book 2 I’d want to read to to find out what happens next

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you’ve been around here for a bit, you know I read a huge variety of books, and there are just times when a girl needs a cozy feel good YA Romantasy. Bound by Stars found the perfect way to catch me, because when you throw the words Titanic Vibes in; SEE ME RUN.

Bound by Stars was such a nice, cozy, feel good read for me, and I enjoyed every moment. The nostalgic feel of the titanic vibes was tied together into a space love story, complete with its own twists, unexpected surprises and characters I was rooting for the whole time.

You might want to read this too if you love:
✨Enemies to Lovers
💛He falls first
✨Found Family
💛Star Crossed Lovers
✨Slow Burn
💛High Stakes Survival
✨Trapped in Space
💛Opposites Attract

This started off really slow. After a while it got interesting cause to a extent it reminded me of Titanic. Right down to Miss Molly Brown… or in this case Quilly. I loved how the author really kept with the celestial theme right down to the names of one of the main characters, Jupiter. The friendship that was slow building between Jupiter and Weslie was beautiful.

It was such a good scifi drama! I love the cast especially Jupiter and Weslie. I loved getting to see the story from both their POVs. The mystery and intrigue throughout the story kept me hooked.

Sometimes it felt like something was missing when after an intense chapter the characters were just doing life the next day. That did take me out of the story some. Some plot points were also left out in the air and didn't feel complete - so I will be waiting on the sequel to hopefully finished the job. The ending was a HEA/Cliffhanger combo seting up for the next book.

Overall, I really enjoyed it and will definitely be watching for the next book.

Thank you to Entangled for the e-arc of the book!

I would give this 3.5, almost 4 stars. it took a lot for me to get into this book. like a lot. I refused to DNF it.and it wasn't bad it was just me, I struggle with space stories. my mind always goes to Star Trek and Star Wars. but that is not why I would give it that rating. okay, taking out the space element, the love story with the Jupiter and Wesley was hard to swoon over. he was groveling most of the time and Wesley seemed like a bipolar bitch. the mystery element a d love triangle saved this for me. even though I was like WTF JUPITER GET ANGRY ALREADY." BTW, spoiler.....he doesn't. the robot ILSA was too damn funny. Those comebacks were golden. everyone says this is like a space titanic, and they aren't wrong....just Jupiter is Rose in this depiction. like full blown didn't stand up for her when he should've, always putting his foot in his mouth. and to me, it was not an appealing male lead character, but for me, i need a strong male lead. he was more like a gentle male. I would recommend to all my space reading friends, and...that ending will make you do a page flip back in forth like u missed something

gotta love a titanic retelling.

i’m not usually the biggest fan of books set in space, but this? completely blew me away and had me hooked from the start. the writing is intricate, the worldbuilding is rich, and the tension? so so good. add in a slow burn romance with a whole lot of banter? chef’s kiss.

it’s such an interesting premise with a wonderful, well-developed cast of characters — i was rooting for them the whole time. definitely excited to read more from this author!

thank you to netGalley and entangled teen for the ARC — opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A cute, sci-fi YA romance.

However, as a lover of YA, the characters felt a bit young for their ages (they're both 17). Like they're coming face to face with real, life altering decisions (talking about engagements and being trained to take over companies and moving to a different planet....), but are also kind of naive about a lot of things.
I'd say the comparison to the Titanic is a bit of a weak one - yeah, White Star Line, but also not really? There's talk of rebellions and interplanetary sabotage and class warfare. It hints at a greater world outside the realm of this spaceship that wasn't really explored or explained further.

Things are pretty slow for the first bit, and then they start picking up and really speeding off the rails - only to come to a really abrupt ending that makes me feel like this is intended to be a series; but I don't know what else a second book would have to say?
(I do feel like some things were explained too cleanly/not given much depth of explanation that might be setting the groundwork for another book)


All that aside, I had a fun time reading this - I always love a love story set on a spaceship, with the added drama of the ship going down to keep things tense.

The romance was a little fast for my taste, but it was cute and fluffy, opposites-attract/dislike to lovers.

Four stars and a soft gasp into the void of space. This book said “what if we did Titanic, but make it Mars, and also genderbent with a heroine who grew up in the ash and a hero who’s allergic to authority figures?” And I said: launch me, emotionally.

It’s giving Xenon: Girl of the 21st Century but with trauma, class politics, and pining in the observation deck. Weslie Fleet is all grit and heart and Jupiter is basically a sad golden retriever in a space tuxedo, which is to say: perfect. They’re assigned to fake-collab but end up emotionally spiraling in zero gravity.

The vibes? Immaculate. The ship? Crumbling. The romance? Star-crossed and slow-burn in the best, most torturous way. I loved the contrast between Earth-grime and Mars-glam, between legacy and longing. The prose leans a little young and dramatic (“defying the stars,” etc.) but honestly? So do I.

One star docked because the pacing went full hyperdrive in the third act and I wasn’t emotionally prepared — but the ache in my chest says I cared too deeply. Would absolutely board a doomed space vessel again if it meant finding something real in the wreckage.

Final verdict: moody, romantic, shiny on the outside and tender on the inside. Bring tissues. And a helmet.