Overall, I give this book 3.5 stars!

Firstly, thankyou so much NetGalley & the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Review may contain spoilers!!

Secondly, if you are looking to read this book I would absolutley take in mind that this is a direct spin off from the previous duology. I thought this would be more of a standalone, but in essense if follows from the events in the previous books, just 3 years in the future. While it could probably read as a standalone, I think it might take some getting in to if reading on it's own. I read the These Hollow Vows duology recently, and devoured them, but I have that lovely trait where you easily forget components of a book soon after reading, so even for myself this book took some getting in to. But, once I found my way with the story line, much like the previous books, this one was totally bingeable!!

In saying this, the author does a fantastic job in introducing enough of the past events in to this story line, which not only refreshed my memory but also gave enough context for a new reader. Equally, if you have plans to read the original duology, I would absolutely say do not read this book first as it will contain major spoilers and ruin that reading experience.

When I was accepted for this ARC I was so happy to be back in the world that I adored in the previous duology!! We have two POV's Jas, who teams up with her kidnappers on her quest for revenge, and Felicity, a shapeshifter tasked with impersonating the Princess during her absense, but she also has her own motives! I thought I would end up preferring one over the other but alas, although each POV came with its issues for me, I enjoyed them both as much.

The romance in BTCS was a bit iffy for me. Whether it's because we are following two POV's I am uncertain. Neither one seemed to have had the time to develop and feel at all believable to me. Felicity was doomed from the start with her love interest since she was glamoured to look and act like the princess, and there was a sour taste in my mouth with the situation Jas found herself in too. But, in true Lexi Ryan fashion, there were some truly SWOON WORTHY moments that had me blushing like a school girl, and of course this book ended on one hell of a cliffhanger (SOB). I am certain the second book will bring more to the table and flesh out the bits that fell flat for me in the first book, and I look forward to seeing where the story goes for all our characters.

All in all, this book was OK. It wasn't overly original (for a minute I forgot what book I was reading with the deadly kiss situation!) and I didn't enjoy it as much as the original duology, but I will still read the sequel and very much look forward to it!

3.8/5 stars

As a fan of the These Hollow Vows Duology, Lexi Ryan did not disappoint with this spinoff. With dual POV and a longing romance it was easy to jump back into this magical world. Even though this book could be read as a stand-alone, I do think reading the previous series made it more enjoyable, as we are introduced to both new and old characters. The plot focuses on Jasalyn and Felicity who both follow different goals. With Felicity’s shape shifting abilities and Jasalyn’s enchanted ring, it made for a very enjoyable read.

An absolutely brilliant stroy that expands in the related hollow vows series.

It was so nice to meet jaslyn more formally in this book, and get to m kW her for better than through her sisters stroy in these hollow vows. It was fun to learn new things and revist old things. It felt bktg new and fun, and nostalgic at the same time to be back in this world.

I love that this is dual pov with the two FMCs. I love the concepts, and hadn't really read anything with deaths kiss in, in a very long time, and that was such a fun edition that meshed well with the story and really spiced up the whole assassin plot line, taking it away from your typical fantasy assassin tale.

In short, recommend. Really fantastic and can't wait for the next book . But I would recommend reading the hollow vows duology first, or you won't really know what is going on in the world as the world building is minimal here, as it was done in the first duology. Also if you do want to read it and don't want spoilers, read this book first as there will be so many spoilers if you do choose to read this first.

1.5 stars ✩
➳ a spoiler free arc review


💌 what to expect:
⤿ dual pov
⤿ cliffhanger
⤿ forbidden romance
⤿ forced proximity
⤿ who did this to you
⤿ a kiss of death
⤿ hidden identity
⤿ insta-love

"beneath these cursed stars" by lexi ryan can be read as a standalone, although it contains major spoilers from the author's previous series. however, before requesting this arc, i had no idea that this was the first instalment in a spin-off series, which may be the reason i have so many problems with this book.

for starters, the world building is minimal, i don't understand the magic system - how do mortals possess magic? nothing was every explained nor expanded on, it was just thrown at me, which again may stem from the fact that i had no prior knowledge of this world.

secondly, the characters and their relationships were painful to read about. everyone was infuriating and had little to no depth and character development to them. the romance between jas and kendrick felt forced and superficial, and the one between felicity and misha just made me uncomfortable.

the betrayals and secrets were not surprising in the slightest. the only thing i was shocked about was how the characters hadn't realised any of this sooner.

‎ ‎౨ৎ • overall thoughts: i have not read the hollow vows duology yet, but if you have, you may enjoy this more than i did

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Lexi Ryan is a master of fantasy! A companion to her Hollow Vows duology, this book takes the reader back into a world of Fae and magic, the world building already vibrant and engaging. I loved the new characters, and learning more about the old, and cannot wait for the conclusion to what is so far and excellent story!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

“We don’t get to choose the burdens we bear, only how we bear them.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Princess Jasalyn has a secret. Armed with an enchanted ring that gives her death’s kiss, Jas has been sneaking away from the palace at night to assassinate her enemies. Shape-shifter Felicity needs a miracle. Fated to kill her magical father, she’s been using her unique ability to evade a fatal prophecy. When rumors of evil king Mordeus’s resurrection spread through the shadow court, Jasalyn decides to end him once and for all. Felicity agrees to take the form of the princess, allowing Jas to covertly hunt Mordeus—and starting Felicity on the path that could finally take her home. While Jasalyn teams up with the charming and handsome Kendrick, Felicity sets out to get closer to the Wild Fae king, Misha. Kendrick helps Jasalyn feel something other than anger for the first time in three years, and Misha makes Felicity wish for a world where she’s free to be her true self. Soon, the girls’ missions are at risk right alongside their hearts. The future of the human and fae realms hangs in the balance as fates intertwine. Between perilous tasks, grim secrets, and forbidden romances, Jasalyn and Felicity find that perhaps their stars are the most cursed of all.

Jasalyn has dealt with a lot of trauma and is still attempting to process it. She’s skittish and withdrawn - until she wears the ring she bartered so much for. Then she is cold, unfeeling and dangerous. It was certainly interesting seeing two very different versions of Jasalyn over the course of the story. We get to see her gradually come out of her shell whilst simultaneously dealing with setbacks she has no control over. Her whole journey is one that intrigued me because she is such a raw character - one I so desperately want to see grow and come into her own.
Felicity is quite the lone wolf and it shows in her abilities to successfully imitate Jas. She’s an interesting one because there are a lot of complex layers to Felicity that are unveiled to us as we go along. She’s guarded and has plenty of walls in the beginning but as the story progresses, those walls start to drop. Her way of thinking also adapts to her situations and I liked that. She’s quick on her feet - both physically and mentally - which made her character better because you never entirely knew what to expect from her. Considering where she ends up, I am very eager to see what happens next.

Having enjoyed the These Hollow Vows duology, I was very excited to pick up this book and revisit this magical world. The plot is pretty good, harking back to the original duology and what happened in them. It does say you can read this book without any previous knowledge but I do feel it is probably best to read the other books first. I jumped straight into this without rereading and I feel I am missing a bit of a spark with all the callbacks in here. That said, the story that unravels is great. It flows well and kept me interested throughout. We have a great cast of characters, all of which were interesting. I liked that we got expanded backgrounds of characters we were introduced to in the These Hollow Vows books as it helped add more to who they were, but allowed new readers starting with this book to get a better grasp on the characters. There was a lot of focus on the mental state in this story but I think it was handled very well. Jasalyn went through some harrowing things and they are going to leave their mark, regardless of what is said or done. I think Ryan handled it sensitively and also produced a realistic timeline of healing for someone wanting it all to stop, wanting the darkness to leave them alone. Well done to Ryan. The romance here was a mix of sweet and steamy. I just found myself wanting more and more of it. I do think the relationships that were written felt realistic which was a bonus. They weren’t too sudden or too magical which is always a risk for a plot like this. The ending was quite the bombshell but perhaps a little bit rushed? I felt like all of a sudden everything was happening and then bam, the book had ended and I’m left adrift. I must say though, it has left me incredibly eager for more!

Overall, Beneath These Cursed Stars is a great revisit to this wonderful world that has left me shocked.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

Such a great book to read. Loved the characters and the author wrote trauma really delicately (if that makes sense) loved the magic and the twists in the plot. I will definitely be reading more from this author and will continue with the series

I really enjoyed Jasalyn’s story! The dual POV with Felicity kept it fun and interesting, I liked both pov equally too and found myself invested in both sides of the story. The romance developing with felicity and the wild fae king was so sweet, I hate that I have to wait for book two to find out what happens there!!

Lots of little details with Jas that I’m excited for more of too! A super easy romantasy read, completely binge worthy!

Absolutely adored this, Lexi Ryan has written another amazing book. Dual FMC perspectives with separate but interconnected storylines, lots of fantasy and the sweet longing kind of romance. I strongly recommend reading these hollow vows and twisted bonds before this one as the storyline has spoilers, but it would be readable without this. The lead shifts for this book and we get to see a different perspective to the previous two.

Thank you so much for the free advanced copy via netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a gorgeous fantasy! This book really grabbed me from the beginning. I cant wait for the next installment in this series!

Thank you so much for letting me read this book. Wow, just wow! Lexi Ryan once again managed to capture me with her storytelling. But that cliffhanger sure is brutal, I need the next book now. It is good.

Whilst this *technically* could be read as a standalone, it follows side characters from Lexi’s first series, and contains major spoilers - so please do read that first!

𝙢𝙮 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ★★★★

𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧…
💫 YA fae romantasy
🗡️ dual storylines
💫 betrayals & plot twists
🗡️ hidden identities

𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨…
Princess Jasalyn hasn’t been the same since she was captured & tortured by Mordeus three years previously. When an old acquaintance has a proposal for her, she agrees to let shifter Felicity go to stay with King Misha in her place.

𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨…
I can’t believe I hadn’t read any of Lexi Ryan’s books before a couple of weeks ago - I have loved all of them!

I really enjoyed of the storylines in this book - Felicity & Misha and Jas & Kendrick. I always think it’s so challenging to write two plots that the reader is equally invested in!

I did find myself wanting more of Felicity’s PoV - I really Ioved her as an fmc, and I had been desperate for more Misha after These Hollow Vows 🫶🏼 Jas definitely gets more of the action in this book, however her vengeful attitude means her chapters are not always an easy read - but I’m looking forward to her character growth in the next book.

Similar to These Hollow Vows, I didn’t see the twist at the end coming! Lexi has set up the next book perfectly, and I will definitely be racing to pick it up in 2025 💫

<i><b>“We’re all a little broken.”</b></i>

<u>Trope</u>
• Forbidden Romance
• Forced Proximity
• Slow burn Romance
• Dual POV
• Kiss of 💀
• Who did this to you?
• Betrayal & Secrets

Beneath These Cursed Stars is the first instalment in a spinoff duology of These Hollow vows series staring Brie’s sister Jasalyn and a new character named Felicity.

Felicity is a shapeshifter who pretends to be Jas while Jas teams up with a charming guy from her past, Kendrick, she soon uncovers secrets she was never suppose to find out..

What happens when Jas learns that Mordeus might be alive can she work together with Kendrick and his team to defeat Mordeus once and for all. Find out July 9th, 2024!


<i><b>”I relish the sight of the scar, cling to the reminder that I was the victim, not the one inflicting the torture. But you enjoy killing his followers. You relish the moment life leaves their eyes.”</b></i>



⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As soon as I saw the cover I knew I had to preorder and read Beneath These Cursed Stars. I knew going into this story I didn’t need to read These Hollow Vows or These Twisted Bonds but I definitely recommend reading that duology before you read this spinoff. It’ll definitely give you some background information about a few characters like Brie and how she became the Unseelie Queen.

From the very beginning I was hooked with the story about Jas and Felicity and how life was before and leading up to their story being told. I was in so many emotions from feeling happy seeing the two girls falling in love to being sad when witnessing Felicity being haunted by the memories of Jas’ time in Mordeus dungeons.

I can’t wait for my preorder of Beneath These Cursed Stars and can’t wait to read the second novel in the duology. I need to know what happens next!!

<b>Thank you so much NetGalley, Lexi Ryan, and Hodder & Stoughton for the chance to read and review this e-arc in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions remain my own.</b>

Being a massive fan of These Hollow Vows, I was thrilled to receive this arc

We have so many new characters and an old one which was amazing (silently fangirling here)
There is still room for growth in the characters and plot but I have no doubt Lexi Ryan will knock it out of the park

Thankyou for the ARC

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for allowing me to review this early.

As a massive fan of These Hollow Vows, I was SO excited when Lexi Ryan announced her next duology! I also had a feeling that more books would be coming after finishing These Twisted Bonds!

Beneath These Cursed Stars is a dual POV following Brie’s sister Jasalyn (a human with fae ancestry) and a new character Felicity (a shifter). Both with a different end goal! Misha is back, I repeat, Misha is back! I loved his banter in TTB, so I was glad to hear he would be featured in this book! I’m not 100% sold on the new male lead, but we shall see! Also! I didn’t expect the twist with you know who! That was a bit wild.

This definitely felt like a setup for the next book and although I didn’t love it as much as These Hollow Vows, I can’t wait to read the next one! Also!! I really think people should read the THV before jumping into this! It will definitely help to understand the world and connect with the characters!

First, let me get this out of my chest before I post my review: I CAN'T BELIEVE I RECEIVED THIS ARC! There, I feel better already.

I loved These Hollow Vows Duology, and when I heard they were doing a spinoff, I couldn't believe it. I watched patiently as everything started to unfold until we had a release date and a blurb. When I read Misha was involved, I knew I needed to read this story because I think we didn't get enough of him in the previous books.

One of the things I loved most about the spinoff was the opportunity to delve deeper into Jas's character. She was a secondary character in the previous books, but her journey and transformation into the shadow princess and soon Fae were captivating. I couldn't help but feel a personal connection to her story, and I'm sure other fans will too.

This book felt a little more YA than These Twisted Bonds, but that's how it started with These Hollow Vows, and I hope to see more maturity in the characters as the story progresses.

I just can't get over the fact that Jas is 17 with everything happening, and that's all I am going to say...

Now... When can I get the next book?

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

this was one of my most anticipated reads this year and it did not disappoint. . I enjoyed the characters and the world building. I am a big fan of the first duology and I am happy to say I loved this one just as much! 5 stars!

Beneath These Cursed Stars
By Lexi Ryan

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
🌶️/5

🙋🏼‍♀️ 1st Person POV
👯 Dual POV
🐴 One horse trope
🖤 Forbidden romance
🗻 Cliffhanger
👤 YA

Beneath These Cursed Stars is the first book in Lexi Ryan’s new duology. This series follows on from the These Hollow Vows duology. I highly recommend reading the THVs duology first, but the world building in this story is so good that it isn’t essential.

I absolutely loved These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds and didn’t think any else Lexi Ryan could follow on with would live up them…. I have been most pleasantly surprised!

BTCS begins 3 years after the end of TWB. We were briefly introduced to Jasalyn in the previous duology, but there was so much left unanswered. Jas’ character development was incredible and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her grow throughout this book. There were several twists in her story that I didn’t see coming and came as a complete surprise.

I feel bad for saying so, but I didn’t vibe with Hale at all. His character seemed a little bit too likeable - perhaps even a little too heroic?! Suspicions regarding his character were roused within the first few chapters and let’s just say the ending didn’t shock me at all.

We are introduced to Felicity for the first time in this book. For me, she was a standout character and I really can’t wait to read more about her in the next book. Lexi has managed to create such a likeable, easy to relate to character that had me feeling all the emotions. Felicity is a character that I wish all the best for and is the main reason that I’m sat on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book.

MISHA 😍😍 That’s all. We all loved Misha in the last series and he really delivered in this one. I genuinely can’t wait to read more of his and Felicity’s story.

Overall, this was a great start to this spin-off duology. It’s always a good sign when I’m still sat wondering what the characters are up to 2 days after finishing a book. Roll on book 2…

This book was so difficult, for many reasons.

For starters, it would have been nice to know before starting that it is a spin-off, the cover and the title font are just not enough hints. I was actually looking for any clues before applying for the ARC and found none, so I thought I was safe to go. Apparently, I was wrong.

I didn't read the original duology for reasons, which include love triangles not being my thing and trying to avoid the Rhysand syndrome like the plague. Perfectly reasonable, except this spin-off heavily builds on that (so expect spoilers if you're bothered by them). I could understand the story, because let's face it, it's not complex, but I still have some blind spots, which I guess is not the best if you already go out of your way to trap new readers.

Now to the story itself. In short, it was a hot mess. I'm not sure if it's just me, but the relationships and character development felt shallow and superficial rather than being a natural evolution based on the events in the book. Jas was one bane of my experience with this story, but the dynamic between Felicity and Misha had left a lot to desire, and the thing that bothered me more than anything.

Don't get me wrong, I am all here for immortal age gaps, they can be fun if done right, but what we have here simply rubbed me the wrong way. I know Felicity is not Jas and Misha has his own motivations, but as far as the story goes, the incredibly old fae dude is pining after a 17-year-old who is struggling with severe PTSD, depression, and survival guilt. All the things that make it all wrong. Sure, there are layers to this situation that try to absolve the issues with it, but when it comes down to the reality, from Misha's perspective this is exactly what happens.

And then his romance happens and it doesn't feel believable because we only get to see like 3 or 4 interactions between them and they both spiral into talks of this great love for one another (*cough* mates *cough*). This felt incredibly shallow somehow. There was barely anything to back those feelings or the eventual romance. On day 3 they were already falling in love while spent together maybe an hour or so up until then.

Again, this might very much be a me issue, but I need more depth and girth from my romances.

And then we have Jas, or as I like to call her, the princess of never asking any questions. The way this girl is bottling up <i>everything</i> is not even cute. She goes from a rageball who hates any sort of human contact to a desperate girl, throwing herself at Hale left and right. And whenever a slight inconvenience comes up, her inner monologues are reduced to "I should ask about it, but rather not and just jump to conclusions or ignore the issue altogether"... It quickly got old.

There aren't many books these days that can make me feel this way. It's either a good story or not, but this just proved I'm too old for the superficial conflicts of YA lits.

I'm still grateful for the opportunity to read this ARC, and hope the fans of the original duology will love this one as well.

Beneath These Cursed Stars is a spinoff series of These Hollow Vows and takes place following the events of the main story. I am really glad that we are getting more from this world as I felt like a duology just wasn’t enough.

In this case however, the story follows two main characters - Jasalyn, who is Abriella’s younger sister; and Felicity who is a shape shifter. Both girls did not have an easy life and this book focuses on their healing journey as they attempt to navigate life following the individual traumas they had faced.

I usually find that in books with multiple POVs I tend to favour one character over the other, however in this case I loved reading them all. The author has done a great job at making the reader engaged with both stories and I honestly could not choose a favourite.

However, I do think that this story is more about emotional healing and the politics of the world, which means that this is not an action packed book. This is not a con, however, and I think it sets up the next book quite nicely. I do think though that reading the main duology is important as it provides a lot of context for this series and will make more sense to the overall plot.

On a side note, each time Misha is mentioned I imagine Helion from ACOTAR. He gives me the same vibes - love him!

Overall I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the sequel. (That ending though!)

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a review copy.