About the Book:
Title: Until the Stars Fall
Author: Vanessa Rasanen
Series: Immortal Reveries #1
Page Length: 510
Publication Date: Feb. 13, 2024
Publisher: Crab Apple Books
Synopsis: The last time a fae king took a human bride it started a war.
This time it could prevent one.
One of the few humans at the palace, Lieke has served the royal family her whole life, enjoying their protection from the fae who hate her kind. Unfortunately, nothing could protect her heart from falling in love with her best friend–the prince. Even if he returned her love, he could never marry a human, let alone a servant.
But holding onto her mother’s words that love can conquer all, she refuses to give up, no matter the costs.
As the crown prince, Connor is preparing to be king and doing his best to rebuild the king’s armies and neutralize a rebel threat. Tasked with also ensuring his younger brother ends his licentious ways and marries a neighboring princess, he thinks things can’t get any worse. Until a human servant–a woman he saved years ago–catches his brother’s eye and threatens to ruin everything.
When Lieke finds herself sentenced to death for murdering a fae noble, she’s shocked to see it’s the older brother—Connor—who steps in to save her. And not in the way she expected.
In a world jaded by war, where love is weakness, a fae prince finds himself torn between his desire to save his country and his growing love for a human. He can’t save both, but how can he choose between his duty and his heart?
Until the Stars Fall is the first in a new fantasy romance collection of interconnected stand-alones, sweeping you to a magical war-torn world. This fated mates tale with a fake engagement brings you a noble fae prince who falls first–and hard. Loosely inspired by the movie, Sabrina, this slow-burn romance will have you swooning.
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My Review:
As soon as I saw this story compared to the film Sabrina, I knew I had to read it. I adored that film and its swoon-worthy slow-building, love story, and there are some wonderful nods to it throughout the novel. The story also uses some of my favorite romantasy tropes, and I loved it!
Lieke is a human girl living in a fae castle after her mother dies, and she is in love with her fae best friend, Prince Brennan. But when Lieke kills a fae, it’s Connor, Brennan’s older brother, who comes to Lieke’s rescue. Connor is delicious. The author described him as a grumpy Captain America, and that’s totally how I pictured him. He’s honorable and caring, and he’s selfless to a fault. A prince and heir to the throne, Connor shoulders a lot of responsibility, even more so when he arranges a fake engagement to save Lieke’s life. I love that under his tough exterior is a young romantic who believes in soul mates and yearns for his own happily ever after.
The slow-building love story between Connor and Lieke is EVERYTHING. I’m not a huge fan of love triangles, but in this case, I thought it was fantastic. Of course, it’s clear who Lieke should be with, but I enjoyed her growth as she learns who truly cares for her and what she really wants in a partner. Her relationship with Connor is filled with sexual tension, chemistry, delicious banter, and some humor. My word, some of the things Connor says to her made my knees weak!
Other relationships in the story are also intriguing. Connor’s complicated relationship with his brother, the multiple relationships Lieke has within and outside of the castle, and even the princes’ difficult relationship with their father are layered and compelling. There are some fantastic, laugh-out-loud moments sprinkled amidst the intense and suspenseful scenes. So good!!
The story is well=balanced with developed characters and an equally layered plot, and it’s a little heavier with the romance than it is with the world-building and fantasy elements. The political intrigue and brewing rebellion make for an intense and potentially dangerous backdrop to the story and highlight the social inequities that Lieke and others experience. It’s well-paced and suspenseful, and I found it hard to put down.
I would definitely recommend this to romantasy readers. It was one of my first reads of the new year, and I have a feeling it will be one of my favorites of 2024. Special thanks to NetGalley and Crab Apple Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Rating:
Favorite Parts:
- The romance!
- The banter.
Favorite Lines:
As long as we have breath in our lungs, we have reason to be thankful, for it means we still have time to make a difference and have a chance to be someone else’s joy.
Until the stars fall.
Tropes:
- enemies to lovers
- fated mates
- Who did this to you?
- forced proximity
- fake betrothal
- only one bed
- slow burn
About the Author:
Vanessa Rasanen writes new adult fantasy romance filled with sassy attitudes, relatable characters, and slow-burn. She loves a good cliffhanger, judges books by their covers, and wishes she could write faster. Her books include a smidge of salty language, a bit of blood, and a serving of swoon-worthy romance perfect for readers who don’t mind waiting for the spice.
She lives in southeastern Wyoming with her Army pilot husband and their four kids. When she’s not writing you can find her mixing up a gin & tonic, rewatching New Girl, running a small business, and wasting time on Instagram.
This sounds like a gorgeous romantic read and that cover is just stunning.
I love the cover too, and the book. It was a good one. 🙂
Sounds like a really great read! Definitely adding it to my tbr.
Nice! I went in not knowing much about it and really enjoyed it. 🙂
Just added it to my TBR!
Yay!! 🙂