This review technically doesn’t have spoilers but may be spoilery on accident so adding the warning now. I have been in a reading slump for a while now and this book grabbed me my the hand and took off. I’m not usually one for love triangles but this one was very well done and I felt conflicted for a while with the main lead. At least I say that but I totally would’ve dropped the whole world for Finn the second I met him just because I’m sucker for a good morally grey character with dark curly hair!

There are many books about the fae out and I genuinely find this book was unique in its story. I love that we were in the classic Seelie and Unseelie fae world as I am trash for stories that go more classic fae route. This book fed my Iron Fey loving heart. I know it is compared to Sarah J Maas and I believe fans of Sarah will adore this book but I think it’s definitely more in route with sarah when it comes to how love lives go and that it’s realistic in how first lives can be. I don’t want to get spoilery here I just like that love is taking a more realistic approach of now sailing away with the first person you meet. I also love that our leading lady has past experience with lovers as that is uncommon for women in YA but always has the love interest that was experienced.

That being said- this book was HOT HOT. Without spoiling, I reread a certain shower scene multiple times over. This book brought the HEAT. I suspected some of the twists but in a natural way and I believe we were intended to be suspicious and doubtful as the readers. I cannot wait for the second book to read more about Brie’s character growth as I see her finally getting over some of her issues to stand up for herself. We see a lot of moments where she wishes someone could take care of her and take her problems for her even when forced to do everything herself and I think she has had enough of people controlling her. I already know book 2 is going to be so badass and can’t wait to get my hands on it!

"Brie hates the Fae and refuses to have anything to do with them, even if that means starving on the street. But when her sister is sold to the sadistic king of the Unseelie court to pay a debt, she'll do whatever it takes to get her back—including making a deal with the king himself to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court."

These Hollow Vows has everything you could ever need in a fantasy novel. Brie is one of the strongest characters I know. She will stop at nothing to protect and save her family. While I enjoyed the world building, and the strong set of supporting characters, I did not like the ending. I am not sure if I will pick up the sequel. Sometimes books that end with too much betrayal just don't sit well with me, I would still recommend this novel to anyone who would like to read about a strong female lead.

Yaaaaaaaaaaas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a great start to this duology and yes, it is a book one to an action packed, hide and seek, MYSTERY. The cover is gorgeous and the storyline intriguing. I will say this, those who are familiar to fae lore, this doesn't really follow fae lore in the traditional sense, but I was okay with that. This was about a girl, a girl who cared about her sister and PEOPLE. This had a whole lot of Cinderella vibes with a touch of the goose girl and who isn't for a fae inspired fairytale? Or at least that's what I originally thought as I read this book and went to the conclusion and then BAM, TWIST I never saw coming came and hit me! That was great! I'm not a fan of cliffhangers. In fact, I hate them. But BUT, I will say this, if the author had left the story there, it wouldn't go with our heroine and her personality at ALL. And that's something I've come to see. Characters just ignoring what they normally wouldn't ignore for the sake of a clean finish. This did not only NOT ignore it, but LIT IT UP. And that's why I'm pretty psyched about the next book. The character goes through this whole journey, and she stays true to herself. There is a message of hope, love, betrayal, and broken promises. You will root for this character. I'm excited. Kudos to the author.

Content warnings: violent, drugging, sex, language

Huge thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I am so mad at the end of this book. Ugh I want to scream and shake the main character so much it isn't even right.
And what is worse I have no one to fan girl abut with this book, to rant and rave about it to. I don't want to go into detail about why I am so upset, because honestly it would spoil it but if you are looking for a book with romance, love triangles, magic and secrets then this is certainly the one for you

These Hollow Vows kept me entertained the whole book, and made me stay up to late hours to see what will happen next! One thing I wish was different was the ending, but I didn’t mind the choices!

Ahhh this was so good! A bit of a Cinderella start to a twisty new world of fae and power, secrets and lies, and it was GREAT. Sebastian sure had me fooled and then I doubted and then was fooled again and now I NEED to know where this story goes and if Brie goes back to Finn and if she breaks the bond and gah! So much good! So glad I was able to read this story as an ARC and can’t wait to read more!

This is a perfect read for fans of Sarah J. Maas! Love, secrets, betrayal and 2 handsome fae to choose from; the sun prince and the moon prince. How's a girl to choose? Brie will go to any lengths to rescue her sister, but is she willing to sacrifice her heart?

This book is about a human girl named Brie who has had to turn to the life of a thief in order for her and her sister to survive. However, their debts become so large that her sister gets sold to the Faeries and she has to travel to the Faerie world to do whatever it takes to save her.

I absolutely loved this book! There's some definite ACOTAR themes throughout the book - a shadow prince and a light prince... Who will she choose??! And there's also a little bit of influence from the Selection Series as one of the Fae princes has to select a future bride. There's some twists and turns to keep you guessing what is going to happen and the cliffhanger at the end has me wanting more! Overall I gave this book 5 stars! If you're a fan of ACOTAR, I think you'd enjoy this one.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC of this book!

I had very high expectations when I began this book. As a huge fan of YA fantasy, especially everything involving the fae, I was especially excited when I saw that this title was similar to A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Cruel Prince. I instead found a story more comparable to Kiera Cass’s The Selection, with some elements being incorporated in. That being said, it was interesting to see the two ideas of The Selection and faerie-lore converge. I loved watching the story unfold, and seeing how everything decided to fit together at the end. That being said, I could’ve done without the main character’s tendency to “not be like other girls”- similar to the protagonist of The Selection, America Singer. Despite this, the romance was enjoyable to read, and added a nice element to the main plot- while some books are romance with plot or plot with romance, this book appears to need both aspects to create a fulfilling story. I especially loved the royalty aspects- especially the balls and parties. There is a nice sibling bond incorporated into the story as well. However, I would’ve loved to see more world-building, and more action, depicting what the protagonist, Brie, goes through to achieve her end goal. I will definitely be keeping my out for the sequel- the ending left me wanting more.

After Abriella’s sister gets sold to the Unseelie court- the most dangerous court of the faerie realms, Abriella risks everything to save her. Once in faerie, Abriella makes a deal with the Unseelie king- she must infiltrate the Seelie court and steal the prince’s heart, win his trust, and steal some artifacts or risk Jas’s life. As some truths come to light, Abriella does not know who to trust, the Golden prince Ronan or the dark prince Finn? With a war between the two courts looming and Abriella’s heart growing more and more conflicted , she must make a decision that could doom them all....
Yallllll this book is SO GOOD! I knew from the first page I was going to be completely addicted and I WAS. This book has everything I love, a sharp-tongued protagonist who would do anything for her sister. The dark and broody fae prince of the Unseelie court- handsome and mysterious with dark curls and silver eyes. The Golden cinnamon roll fae prince of the Seelie court- who has more to him that than meets the eye. A RAGTAG GROUP OF MISFITS WHO HAVE BANDED TOGETHER FOR A BETTER FUTURE. There’s also a bachelor/ the selection type vibes as the Seelie prince must pick a bride soon and I loved this little element too!
This book has so much ANGST, action, adventure, crazy twists and turns, hidden secrets, traitorous truths, steamy romance, and magic!!! Not one page of this book was boring and I kept wanting more and more... also that ending.... WOW. WOW. WOW. I NEED MORE.
Gosh I am so in love and I know this is going to be fan favorite for SURE! Is it too early to reread it?

The beginning of this was slightly confusing and a little rushed but overall I really enjoyed this book. If you are a fan of steamy romance, epic love triangles and Fae I would definitely recommend checking this one out.

So what to say about this book. I read it in a day! I couldnt put it down that is how good it was for me. Thank you for the ending *chef kisses* I love a good cliff hanger like this.

The flow of the book is easy to fall in to and you just keep reading and reading. The characters keep you guessing, as the moment you think you know who they are and what they are after they 180 on you.

The tag line was ACOTAR meets cruel prince, but this so better the ACOTAR and the twist and turns are better plan out the cruel prince. Just need book 2 right now!

Brie and her sister have lived a tough life and just when they make a plan that could potentially change it for the better her sister is sold to the King of the Unseelie court. Now she must go to one of the most dangerous places in Faerie and rescue her sister.

This is a quest involving magical artifacts with a mix of Cinderella, and Labyrinth. There is plenty of danger, intrigue, ball gowns, and misfit companions. Brie goes into the realm knowing it is dangerous and she doesn’t romanticize it at all. She tries to make the best decisions and sometimes this can lead to a lot of angst. She is not dumb, but sometimes she has her moments.

The two love interests were equally compelling and I’m not convinced of who to be mad with. I read the love triangle with a lot of apprehension. I think Ryan does a great job at making the reader fall a little for both, well at least to a certain point.

The story was not hard to get into at all and before you know it you’re in the heart of the tale. It was a fast read because it was gripping. As for predictability, there are some elements where you can guess what is going to happen but the ending truly was a surprise.

Definitely give this book a try if you like Elise Kova, Holly Black, and Sarah J. Maas.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group (HMH Books for Young Readers) for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

3.5
All I have to say is that I freakin' knew it.

At this point in my life I feel like I've read a billion YA fantasy books. I know their relative formulas, I know their relative character types and plot points. And that's not me saying that they're all the same and that they're all boring--no, that's not the case. So many of them have put their own unique spin on different tropes and old tales that they never cease to engage and entertain me. However, I still can usually guess how things are going to pan out (usually).

This one featured a loose Cinderella re-telling, a kind-of love triangle (which I realize I haven't read one of these in forever), and one of my favorites, unrest between the Seelie and Unseelie courts. Brie, a human girl who has hated the faeries basically her entire life, ends up having to enter into a bargain with the King of Unseelie when he buys her sister from her wicked aunt. He needs her to steal three old Unseelie relics from the Seelie Court and will be able to do so by winning the heart of the Seelie prince, Ronan.

Of course along the way she meets a mysterious, broody guy named Finn. He, of course, turns out to be the rightful heir of the Unseelie crown and throne and ends up teaching her how to use her mysterious powers of darkness. Right away I knew Finn was going to be my guy. It doesn't matter that she had liked, maybe even loved Sebastian for a few years--nope, Finn is it. They do get one steamy scene which I obviously loved, I'll say that.

As for the rest, let's just say that Brie finds out a LOT that had been hidden from her and in the end is betrayed pretty badly. The end is quite a nice lil cliffhanger and I will definitely be picking up the next book, especially because I know in my heart of hearts that Finn will be victorious, lol.

Overall pretty good start to a series (which I think I read is a duology). Writing was good though I could tell she hadn't done a ton of fantasy writing before, but that's okay. Story and world building was gripping and I finished this baby in about two days.

</i>Huge thanks to NetGalley and HMH Books for Young Readers for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. &hearts</i>

**Review to be posted on my blog on 7/5/21.**

**3.5 STARS**

I Liked:
*I am a sucker for stories about the Fae so I was intrigued by the premise of this book. This was like a combination of ACOTAR and Cinderella. I love the world building with the Fae world and the history between the humans Fae.

*Brie has a problem – she needs to save her and her skills as a thief is the only want to help her. She gets caught in a power struggle game between the Unseelie and Seelie court and there is deception everywhere. But who can Brie really trust? I honestly didn’t know who to trust either as I read the book.

*I liked the second half of this book way more than the first half. It had much more intrigue, reveals and twists that I wasn’t expecting. Also that part in the blurb that calls this book sexy…yeah well, things do get sexier in the second half!

*The Princes – oh for Brie to be caught between two handsome fae princes? Lucky girl. Did she choose the right one? I still don’t know!

Random Thoughts:
*I got bored in the middle of the story, because of the love triangle and mistrust – it was a lot of angst and drama. I just didn’t care for the “Cinderella” or The Selection vibe to Prince Ronan finding’s a bride.

*Love triangle (Think Tamlin/Rhysand from ACOTAR). I don’t blame Brie but she kept reminding herself she loved Sebastien. Does she really if she has to keep reminding herself?

Final Thoughts:
I think this will definitely appeal to fans of ACOTAR because it has so many similar themes. I had trouble connecting to Brie but the story does get juicy at the end when some secrets are revealed. Will I be reading the sequel? Most definitely after that wild ending. It will be interesting to see how this story concludes.

As a librarian and a fan of YA fantasy, I really enjoyed 'These Hollow Vows', and I can already see this becoming a huge hit when it's released in July 2021.

'These Hollow Vows' tells the story of Brie, a Fae-hating human, who has to venture into the world of Fae in order to rescue her younger sister, who was sold to the King of the Unseelie court. When offered help by both Prince Ronan, the prince of the Seelie court, and Finn, an outcast of the Unseelie court, Brie has to manipulate her relationships with them whilst working out where her loyalties and trust should lie.

The plot had good pacing, and kept me wanting to read on, even when I should have been asleep! The book begins with 'Cinderella' vibes, although that quickly disappeared. However, the whole book reminded me of 'A Court of Thorns and Roses', with the love triangle trope and good/light versus evil/shadows. I really enjoy these tropes, but I was a bit disappointed in the book's ending, as it was so similar to ACOTAR.

There wasn't much diversity in the book, but the characters were likeable/irritating in varying amounts. It would have been good to see all of the characters fleshed out a bit more, and learn more about the side characters in the sequel (assuming that there will be one).

To summarise, I really liked this book, and am quite sad to think that I now have to wait years for a potential sequel. I have no doubt that this book will be a huge hit with my customers, and can't wait for them to read it.

This is an epic fantasy book that is set in a world of fae and magic!

Initially, I found the whole cinderella-ish aspects of the character Brie to be a little stale and made for somewhat of a slow start. . However, the book quickly moves past this re-telling of sorts and develops its own, and in my opinion more interesting, plot once Brie makes her way to the fae kingdoms and becomes embroiled in their politics and problems. The book does set up a love triangle between the main characters of Brie and the two male characters of Sebastian and Finn, and inevitably both of them are not 100% who they seem to be, but this does not lessen the story, and I enjoyed learning more about each of the fae male's backstories and motivations. I will say that the character twist with one of the fae males really threw me for a loop and of course it comes right at the end of the book as a cliffhanger, so the next installment of the series can not come soon enough in my opinion. I think that Lexi Ryan has done a great job with this first novel and if the sequels are anything like the first, this promises to be an exciting and epic series.

Overall this was a great fantasy story, and I think readers who enjoy books with magic or fae will really enjoy it. I also recommend it for fans of the author Sarah J. Maas who are looking for books that may read similar to her many popular series.

Fae Fiction. When Brie's sister is kidnapped by the Fae, she finds herself in their world -- even though she has hated them her whole life. But she must learn how to navigate their ways, so she can save her sister. Who would have thought that Brie would ever become friends with the Fae -- much less be attracted to them -- but now there are two very handsome possibilities. Little does Brie know that her future was determined long ago. Students of Fae will definitely be attracted to this novel.

I really picked this one up because I saw that fans of ACOTAR would enjoy it. It definitely had the vibes. Human girl ends up in the lands of the fae to save her family, torn between the powerful dark fae and the light fae. She falls for the wrong prince. Turns out she's got power of her own. Yada Yada Yada.

The WHOLE time I had this gut feeling that she should stay away from Sebastian. I wish she'd had that feeling. 🤦‍♀️ Keeping someone in the dark isn't love. Using them isn't love. I only hope that she bands with Finn to help overcome the scheming dick.

Also, for a second I thought we had a Cassandra Clare "they might be related" situation on our hands with Brie and the males. Glad that didn't happen.

The twist at the end was definitely not what I expected, and this book left me wanting more. What more can you ask of a first book in a series?

It's a little difficult for me to decide on a rating for this book. Even though I flew through it and enjoyed my experience while reading, there were a few issues I had that stuck out to me and slightly took me out of the story.

As far as I can tell, I believe this author has many previous works, however in the romance contemporary genre as opposed to fantasy. While reading I got the impression that this was perhaps a debut book, and at least for fantasy I believe this is Lexi Ryan's first foray into the genre. But I tend to rate debut's slightly differently because if I see so much promise and potential for the story to grow and continue I tend to overlook some things that can be pet peeves of mine. Which was certainly the case for this book. I could see that this book definitely has a great scope in where it could progress to, so even though it wasn't perfect for me, I'm still looking forward to the next instalments.

This book's premise ticked a LOT of boxes for me. I read primarily fantasy so even though I'd seen many of the aspects included before, they were still some of my favourite elements and tropes so I was still very much looking forward to giving it a go.
I would describe this book as a mix between The Kiss of Deception by Mary E Pearson and A Court of Mist and Fury, (specifically the first third of the book) with fae elements that I enjoyed from Holly Black's works and last but not least, shadow magic. A definite plus in my book.

This is definitely for readers who enjoy a heavy romance plot in their fantasy. I do enjoy fantasy romance however there were a few moments where I wished there was a little more focus on the other characters and wider plot lines.
I wasn't a huge fan of the love triangle, partly because just in general they're not my cup of tea, and also because Brie just got on my nerves going back and forth between the two male characters. Because I've read so much YA fantasy it becomes predictable who she'll end up with. So unfortunately, there was no mystery there for me.

Honestly Brie's character traits and some of her decisions/motivations were the only thing that makes me not rate this as five stars. Many times I found myself aggravated and rolling my eyes at her actions. It also made me question how realistic her decisions were in certain situations. Without spoilers I found some of them unbelievable comparing her motivations she set out with to her behaviour from the middle of the book onwards.

I really wish I could have got more from Brie's character, apart from the love triangle and looking for her sister (which she seems to completely forget about at some points) there doesn't seem to be much to her personality. She read like a mix of many other stereotypical YA heroine characters but without her own depth or conviction. On the other hand I'm still glad that she wasn't this absolutely perfect, snow white character. I'm really hoping to see her grow and mature.

I did, however, enjoy the writing. While I usually favour quite flowery, lyrical styles, this was very easy and pleasurable to read through. So easy to digest, it really keeps you turning the pages.

Books about the fae are some of my absolute favourites and I really enjoyed the political element in this book between the Seelie and Unseelie courts. I'm excited to maybe see some more of these underhanded shenanigans continue into the next book.

I would definitely recommend this to older YA readers as there is some sexually explicit content. Also if that's not you're thing, perhaps keep that in mind. However it's not overdone throughout the novel. For fans of Sarah J Maas, Holly Black, Jennifer L Armentrout, and K J Sutton