Sorry but this book was disappointing. I should know by now not to trust what a book is compared to.

First of all the narrator was very off putting and did not suit the story what so ever.

The worldbuilding was so confusing and the author would of been better setting the world then going into the story. It's based on history, but with some events removed, and others added. As someone who's already familiar with European history, this just extremely disappointing. I understood bits and pieces, but I'm still confused as to all of the different kingdoms and why there was conflict? Like hello what's going on? It felt to me like a lot of different groups were thrown together.

I also expected this to really showcase Ireland and its beliefs, which excited me, because I'm always looking to learn more about my heritage. Some Celtic beliefs and icons were thrown in, but they weren't super prominent. I feel if your going to have a Celtic cross on the cover you need to actually go into details about the Celtics not just nit picking.

My main problem with this book was the insta-love, and connected love triangle. I really need to stop reading books that have the theme of soulmates or matches, because they always frustrate me. I love slow burn romances, and books with soulmates always seem to use it to establish insta-love. Despite having gone to school together for years, Cass saw Devyn, and was instantly in love. This was just so hard for me to read, because their attraction was super over the top.

I read this book pretty fast, considering that the plot is fairly nonexistent. This book was mainly used to set up conflicts for the other books in the series, and while I understand that, this book was too boring and long for what it was. I wouldn't say that it was romance driven, but the love triangle definitely got a lot of page time.

The painful part of this was that the book just had so much potential. I loved the characters, and the idea behind this, but I just found that the execution fell a bit short. I'll probably not be looking for the next book in this series as I suspect the next book might fall down on it's face also.

Thanks to Clara O'Connor and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

After reading the book and getting a bit muddled I felt I needed to revisit this story again via audiobook and I am so glad I did. I absolutely loved listening to the story. The narrator brought the story to life and I was able to follow the plotline perfectly. I was soon sucked into the world of Cassandra, Devyn and Marcus.

Her life was mapped out since she was adopted. She was expected to marry Marcus but ended up falling in love with Devyn. It's more than just a love story but you can't help loving all three. Devyn spending years looking for the baby, presumed dead, who he was born to protect. Marcus, whose magic was suppressed and unaware he had, which he used to heal the sick. A calling he would do anything to continue. Cassandra, adopted, also had her magic suppressed. Drugs made her compliant.

With lots of twists and secrets and hopes the three are too scared to reveal what they know for fear of the consequences. They need to trust each other but the code can make them stab each other in the back.

I also liked the place names, a misspelling of familiar British places and royalty.

Book one is up there with the best of the dystopian fiction. I can't wait for the next book to find out what happens next. I absolutely loved this story and I am so pleased I had the chance to listen to the story. Highly recommended.

Thanks NetGalley, Author Clara O'Connor, and One More Chapter for providing an E-arc audiobook of this book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
2.75 stars
This book had a great premise of a world that was created in an alternate world based on real historical events/people. The world building/society was a little confusing due to that fact some of the events that took placed were either added or removed or not fully explained. I was unsure why some of the kingdoms were mentioned as well as the rules that governed this world. The characters were not really well developed and kind of typical of YA fantasy. The romantic relationships were not likeable! The couples were not believable in their feelings for each other. First, the relationship between Cass and Devyn was insta-lovely and somewhat problematic during one scene that had questionable consent! Then, the relationship between Cass and Marcus had no real chemistry except for that was created by devices given to them during the hand-fasting. The story moved along pretty quickly despite the lack of any major plot. I really wanted to like this book more. The premise, of the story and the world building was what drew me to this book in the first place. I feel this first book was written to set up for the next book in the series to give the characters and plot more room to grow. I will look forward to reading the next installment in this series just to see where the author has decided to take this story.

I feel like this book was a bit of a mixed bag. I was interested, and I didn't ever just stop reading this book, but I also kept going back to the synopsis trying to see what it was that I was looking forward to. That Panem callout in the synopsis kept me going. It did feel a little like Panem from the controlling aspect, but I don't think that's enough of a connection to use that city.

The world is like ours, but with changes to history. I was really confused in the beginning. They reference historical British royalty family bloodlines, but their histories are changed, so just know going in that any history you know won't match with this version.

I didn't really enjoy the romance between Dev and Cass. It felt fast and forced. I did like her fiance, LOL, which I can't decide if I was supposed to or not.

Things I did like:
- Dystopian atmosphere with a controlling government.
- Cass's inner thoughts. I enjoyed her toiling with the need to be the perfect citizen.
- The narrator did a great job with this book. I think she had a compelling voice that pulled me into the story!

Overall, I think there are a lot of readers that will really love the YA fantasy, magical aspect of this book. I think it just felt rough around the edges and could have been further developed to really be an outstanding story.

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

I have mixed feelings about this book. First of all is the title secrets of the star-crossed of the once and future queen? The story is set in an alternate reality where the Roman Empire didn’t fall and Londinium is a shiny walled city where the British Wilders aren’t allowed in. The citizens of Londinium live by a strict code, which monitors their life and dictates everything that they do. The story centers around Cassandra a wealthy elite who is the daughter of a rich merchant with the world at her feet. She is matched to Marcus, the son of a senator and who is in effect the crown prince of the city, but falls for Devin a boy from her class who is brooding and mysterious and isn’t what he appears to be.

Even though Cassandra is meant to be in her 20s she comes across as very young and has the whole spoilt oblivious princess thing down pat. Even when her eyes are opened to her reality, she’s still very naive and annoying. I struggled to find her likable. Devin also lays the mysterious angle on thick and is quite annoying for most of the book. I actually liked Marcus the most. The whole is she the mysterious girl Devin has been searching for or not was very convoluted and took up 2/3rds of the book, The book is very long and quite slow paced considering not much happens in the first half. The 2nd half picks up and the various escape attempts are interesting. The end was ... enough of a cliffhanger for me to want to read the second series even as I’m not super invested in the characters.

I listened to the audio book version of this. I didn’t like the voices of the characters - Cassandra came across as very whiny and I don’t think the narrator carried off the voices of the men well. I couldn’t differentiate between any of the male characters or the older characters for that matter.

This is more of 2.5 stars than 3 but rounding up as I finished the book and I would consider reading the next one.

The world building in this book was so detailed and I was super interested in reading this further however the pace was sloooow and the characters not particularly likeable. It took until around 40% through the book for anything to actually happen? The writing style was pretty good, but the characters definitely felt younger than the age they were supposed to be. Cassandra was a decent enough main character, but she did feel whiny at times and I didn't particularly care about her relationship troubles. It was a bit of a struggle to get through, but I wouldn't be against reading the sequel.

Secrets of the Starcrossed is the first in the Once and Future Queen series. The first in a series is often a bit confusing as we are introduced to new characters and a new world is built as we go. Clara O'Connor has given us a first rate look at an alternate reality where the Roman Empire never fell. Her reality comes to life in the audio version, you will be able to see yourself walking these streets and meeting people who history did not treat kindly. The narrator did an excellent job of spinning this world into our reality. But, the characters often left me confused. The MC has been raised as a privileged child, her lack of maturity can be explained as well as her confusion when she is introduced to a side of her world she never knew existed. Having followed her parents guidance all her life, it's no wonder she was unable to make clear decisions. The love/ romance triangle seems a little too convoluted for me. The characters over all have a juvenile feel to their actions and speech. The narrator did a great job of conveying their emotions and their growth in this volume. Overall, the series shows great promise as the characters mature into their futures and the world sets them into conflicts, giving us a glimpse of a fantasy world.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This title offers an exciting tale of fantasy and romance. Unfortunately it does not quite deliver on this offer and instead leaves the leader underwhelmed and largely unsatisfied. The concept itself and the world which Clara O'Connor writes in holds a lot of promise however it feels let down by the heavy focus on an unfulfilling romance between characters who seem be much younger than they are. One would be forgiven for thinking that our protagonist Cassandra is around 15 and so the fact that she is supposed to be in her twenties makes her behaviours, decisions and thoughts not only unrealistic but also aggravating.,

In terms of plot,, Secrets of the Starcrossed is easy to predict and filled with multiple tropes found in just about every young adult fantasy novel without the finesse to make them engaging. The pacing makes an already average novel more difficult to read and, as a result, this is not a particularly engaging title.

I Got an ARC audio book of "Secrets of the starcrossed" by Clara O'Connor by Netgalley, for an honest review.

It's an interesting story where the Roman empire didn't fall, so how would it look like in Britannia when we have year 2020.

The story sounded promisesing, but I was a litle bored through the story. And it was a bit flat in it. But the story, the idea and the romance was okay and I liked that. But it didn't capture me, but rather get the feel of ain't it soon over.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the idea of a completely different and controlled way of life and seeing how brainwashed the citizens were.
I liked the characters and seeing them develop and overcome the control of the city.

Great book, looking forward to the second one!

Secrets of the Starcrossed by Clara O’Connor (One More Chapter, 21/01/2021) is a tale of young love in a world where the Roman Empire never fell and still dominates part of the UK. Cassandra, Devyn and Marcus live in Londinium, which is cut off from the parts of the country still under Celtic rule, and Britons are very much second class humans compared to citizens of the Empire. It’s an enjoyable story, though a bit basic and predictable. A girl falls in love with a mysterious boy while betrothed to another and at the same time finds out that most of her life so far has been a lie. Secrets of the Starcrossed makes heavy use of tropes to tell its tale of woe and resistance. But ultimately, there isn’t much special to this YA/adult crossover fantasy.

I wanted to like this more than I did but it was just so full of tropes, which weren't amazingly well done, and the main character was just so pathetic. Honestly most of her issues came from mooning over boys, even after finding out some major plot points she just immediately became a simpering moron when encountering one of the main boys. It just really wound me up. It's a shame because i think the idea behind it is an interesting one and the magic element had promise but my god the characters were just unlikeable.

This rating feels a bit harsh, but I just don't think I can go higher on this occasion. Rather than feeling up for book two I feel relieved to have finished this one. While the premise was interesting, this took a bit too long to get where it wanted to and the characters all fell a little flat for me. The audio narrator does also sound a bit too old to be believable as someone in their early 20s.

I do think that there are glimmers of a good series but am not sure that I'll be continuing with this one. I wouldn't rule it out but it probably isn't for me.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the audio in exchange for an honest review. I would try something else from this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for providing me with a review copy of this Auidobook.

I’m going to start out my confessing (I’ve read this book before, I reviewed a copy of the written book) and I LOVED it so when the audio appeared I wanted to know how well the narrator would perform.

Here’s my review for the book;
“This is the downside to reading Arc's, I have no idea how long I have to wait before I get to read the next one!
This is a fantastic start to a new YA trilogy, I usually shy away from comparison's to the bigger series for fear of disappointment, but Secrets of the Starcrossed definitely packs a punch. The story is set is an alternate history where the Roman empire didn't fall and continued to grow from strength to strength, resulting in a world that is recognisable but not not familiar. There is the perfect mixture of romance, action and world building for a first book. I also couldn't fault the pacing, by chapter 2 I was so engrossed in the storyline I read it in one sitting. AND THAT ENDING!
Highly recommended, for fans of dystopian YA.”

Well I’d now like to add the narrator does a FANTASTIC job, and I loved it just as much this time round. Still can’t wait for the next one.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Secrets of the Starcrossed in exchange for an honest review. Set against the backdrop of an alternate history where the Roman Empire never fell, Secrets of the Starcrossed follows the story of soon-to-graduate and secret fiancé of the most-eligible-bachelor-in-the-city Cassandra, a girl who was brought up with the Code and who must now face, for the first time, the knowledge that not all is as it seems.

It was very underwhelming, the beginning is just a lot of info-dumping which I struggled to make sense. Slow pace. The setting of this Roman history with technology wasn’t credible. I didn’t like Cassandra and the love interest was just too cheesy, the insta-love scene made me laugh and cringe at the same time. It's a trope-y story: love triangle, forbidden love, cold mother, dystopian society, lost heir.

This book was a classic run-of-the-mill YA Fantasy. I've seen this plot recycled many, many times and this didn't bring anything new to the table for me. The pacing was slow and it had a little too much info dumping for my taste. I wish there was a little bit more development with the world & magic itself in Londinium overall. Some of the history I didn't find relevant and it was confusing to sort through.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book really entertaining. I think 3 stars is the perfect rating for it as at times it felt like 4 stars and at others it felt like 2 stars. I feel like for every thing I liked, there was something that I didn’t like that dragged the rating back down. Hope that makes sense!

I found the plot quite slow, but the direction the story went in was very interesting. I liked getting the perspective of Cassandra, but I didn’t really connect with or like any of the characters. I enjoyed the to and fro of the romance, but I didn’t like how Devyn and Marcus both treated Cassandra and at times I felt like she was letting both men sway her decisions way too much. I LOVED the idea of all the different traditional settings coming together, but I’m not quite sure if it was executed perfectly. I think as someone from the UK who studies history I could follow it better than someone who perhaps isn’t from here and hasn’t got as much of a grip on general British history.

I didn't love the narrator. I found her voice quite boring at times and I think I actually would have preferred to physically read this book. However, she didn't do any off-putting impressions of male characters like some female narrators do!

Overall, for a debut novel this was really good and I hope the next book in the series will be even better! I think the series has great potential and I’m looking forward to reading the next book!

I’ve rounded up my rating to 3 stars and I both read and listened to this story. The world created in Secrets of the Starcrossed was one of an elite alternate futuristic/contemporary society but also one with people less fortunate. I didn’t find the world building immediately easy to understand but over time it did get clearer.

There was a lot going on in this story. A number of characters vying for prominence and essentially, I didn’t particularly connect to Cassandra. That lack of connection with the MC played out further into a lack of feeling of chemistry between the characters. This was a pretty fast-paced read with a good tempo, however.

I do have mixed feelings about this book. It has something of an identity crisis; is it fantasy or dystopia, is the underpinning culture Roman or Celtic? It’s a mix of all of the above and I remain unsure how I feel about those elements. Added to this, the gorgeous cover definitely says Celtic fantasy to me but the reading of it doesn’t leave me with this.

With regards to the narration, I did struggle with the choice of narrator who sounded into her 50s or 60s by voice. The main characters whose POV this was told from, was a teenager. That disconnect isn’t ideal, however I did like being able to experience both formats in tandem.

So overall, I’ve ended this book a little unsure of how I felt about it and what I think about future installments. I do think the synopsis comparisons to other famous worlds are a little ambitious and often not that helpful to readers, I don’t want to make those comparisons and feel left short. This is a book that is definitely worth giving a try to see if you gel with the culture and world, especially if you like Celtic and British cultures and history colliding.

Thank you to One More Chapter for the early review copies.