I read this book not knowing what I was going to get. Mainly as it sounded like the bachelorette in space and so thought yeah I am going to know the whole plot by chapter 6. 

How wrong I was, this was more the bachelorette means a murder mystery it was fast paced with complex character, a good romance story line and some interesting twist

I received this as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for giving me access. 

I love me a story set in space! The Stars We Steal was a fun story about a princess - that really isn't a princess anymore - having to be married off for money and finding love. 

The story was entertaining enough, but I wasn't 'wowed' by it. The characters were a bit dramatic about things and the story could have been more developed. Overall, I did enjoy it, but I wouldn't go out of  my way to read it a second time.

I always enjoy Alexa Donne's YA adaptations of classics and this one was just as much of a gem as BRIGHTLY BURNING. The book is a take on PERSUASION set in space and it is very romance heavy in a teen way which is exactly what I'd market it as!

Imagine that there was The Bachelor for members of the royal family in the TV show The Crown and it took place in space... and there were pirates... that is this story in a nut shell. It’s a fun read but you need to check your brain at the door. Then it’s each the very young YA dialogue and the explanations of the crazy spaceship world. There are star-crossed lovers, back-stabbers and betrayals. The main character is a bit holier than thou and entirely naive to the world around her but she is likable. It’s a space soap opera and if that’s your thing, you’ll love this. If it’s not you will still probably enjoy the light, whimsical read. 

3.5 stars for me.

Alexa Donne has truly reached up to the heavens and plucked out a little slice of glittery perfection to serve to us on a midnight platter.
The Stars We Steal is a masterpiece meets sparkle and glitter, bringing us a story about old-royalty, failing titles and difficult sacrifices. This book brings together Love Island, Anastasia and The Selection by putting them all in space, completely unaware of what is about to happen. And boy does a lot happen!

This book follows Leo, a strong, family-orientated Princess who knows she’s the only one who can save her father and sister from a life of devastation and poverty. With her father pressuring her to marry rich, Leo signs up to take part in a match-making system thats designed to help her find her perfect match. Only, she isn’t looking for love. She’s looking for money.

Leo keeps up the facade, effortlessly manevouring the politics of the game all whilst coming up with her own way to save her family – an ingenious device that recycles water and turns a limited resource into an unlimited one. However, this… ambitious side of her is not one her family is proud of. Her father is determined she ties herself down and forgets her dreams of marrying for love.

But then her ex-flame signs up to be partnered off to a young hopeful, and… suddenly? The game is ON.


You know those TV shows that you either watch religiously or flick past when they come up on screen? You know the ones, where the cheese is undeniable and everyone is partnering off with each other or stabbing each other in the back. The ones that you guiltily pay attention to and tell everyone else that “you don’t watch it”. The Stars We Steal gives you all the addictive rush of a cheesy show like the Bachelor or Love Island, with none of the embarrassment. Alexa has taken this weirdly addictive concept, destroyed the earth, and placed us all up in space for a wild ride between the galaxies.

The “world” (as there are no actual worlds) building is gorgeous and I’m always fascinated by the technologies and advancements made by humankind in science-fiction. It makes me wonder how far away we are from living on spaceships because we’ve destroyed the Earth in its entirety. This question drives the wonder Alexa builds around us and makes the scenario she’s built for her book so much more relatable. In reality, we probably aren’t that far off being forced away from our planet due to not looking after it properly. Which, yes, is terrifying (especially if you aren’t rich royalty who would be assigned your own spaceship) but also a matter of intrigue and sets a stage that can be explored in a thousand different ways.

The Stars We Steal does really dive into this concept, unlike a few other science fiction books where Earth is barely mentioned and very little is established as to why humankind makes its home between the stars. I really like how Alexa brought in this focus with her use of Leo, who is a vibrant and outstanding character. The characters were really well written and I’m always a sucker for believable personalities and I felt what we were given definitely ticked that box. There’s so much teenage drama and angst brought on by young people being forced to take bigger steps than their legs allow and the political manoeuvring these poor people are forced through for the sake of their parents is honestly devastating and really highlights some of the issues going on in our own world, where children are used as a device for fame.

I really loved the entire vibe of this book. It managed to bring in so much humour and happenings and really kept me on the edge of my seat, as cliched as it sounds. It isn’t often a book really captures me and encourages me to read it. I sadly find myself procrastinating reading a lot by writing blog posts or gaming, but nothing was allowed to stand in the way of me reading The Stars We Steal – not even impending exams or life responsibilities. It felt… urgent. Like if I didn’t absorb it as fast as possible the enjoyment wouldn’t have been the same. Like watching half of an episode of Love Island and just being confused and not allowing yourself to get to the part where they eliminate people. It just wasn’t happening ok??

As you probably know by now, I adore romance books. I really liked how The Stars We Steal managed to touch on bigger topics whilst also having a friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers sideline. THE ANGST GUYS. I could have drowned in it! The romance is ridiculously well done, with the tension brewing between the two main characters actually making crackling noises and occasionally just bursting into flames. I’m not sure I agree entirely with the expectations they place on each other, I think they were overwhelmed by their feelings and didn’t see rationally at times, but that didn’t take away from the relationship at all.

This book was truly a master of all trades. Not only does it have realistic characters that practically hold your hand all the way through and a beautiful world of glamour and spaceships, but there’s so much more going on too. There’s a rebellion trying to disrupt the ‘matchmaking’ and gain traction for starving populations. There’s a murder mystery. There’s a presidential race. There is SO MUCH that goes on in what’s not that long of a book, but there’s enough details about everything that it doesn’t fall flat- unlike other books that try so hard to tick every box.

The Stars We Steal is perfection and easily become one of my top 3 YA science-fictions of ALL TIME. Thank you to Titan Books for optioning this one and bringing it to UK readers, like little old me.

I really did enjoy this book - it was easy to read once I had got used to the very descriptive writing style. The storyline was good fun but it still managed to touch on some interesting and serious topics. I'll probably read this book again (which is unusual for me).

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

There are some positives here, a strong and resourceful set of female characters, an interesting futuristic world, the odd well placed nod to a literary classic. This however is overshadowed by the entirely underwhelming writing style. I actively took to rolling my eyes when Leo and Elliot managed to "accidentally" see each other in some level of undress. Or when the narrator AGAIN mentioned her ample breasts or the fact she was 'the only young lady at the buffet table'. It all just felt so forced and ridiculous. I felt no thrill from the romance, no excitement from the black market or threat from the almost cartoonishly evil "captain lind". All in all a thoroughly 'meh' futuristic romance in my opinion but I'm sure some people will like it.

So I think this might be a stand-alone, but it could also be a series????

The Stars We Steal is an interesting and addicting combination of The Selection and The 100. It has space, a Bachelor-esque romantic intrigue and is slightly addicting with all of the drama and politics.

The Stars We Steal follows Leonnie “Leo” as she has to attend the “Valg” a Selection like process of eligible youngsters choosing a betrothed. But for her, it’s extremely stressful, because her family is running out of money and she needs to marry for money, and her ex has returned after being gone for three years and trying to decide if he still has feelings for her. In addition, an election is coming up that could really determine the outcome of several class systems and their survival.

This book had a lot going on. The romance did a good job of making it seem more light-hearted, but there was a lot of corruption, murder, and politics. The main character gets seriously involved in a lot of bad situations and becomes essentially powerless to get herself out of it. The ending may have been a little rushed, but at the same time I really liked it? It was halfway believable enough and a lot of the problems were clearly being worked on throughout the book. And why does a book always have to have a long drawn out ending? Is that realistic?

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It was a very quick read and I found myself going through a multitude of emotions. Fans of The Selection and The Uglies series will surely enjoy this one.

I wanted more from this book—either more from the bachelor competition side of the plot or more from the rebellion side, or maybe both. They both felt like not enough was devoted to either aspect of the plot, and in turn, the characters themselves were shorted on their development—in particular, the romance fell rather flat, failing to convince me in earnest. The premise and the location were great draws for me, but I wanted more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy of this book. This felt very familiar to me. As though I had read it many times before. That being said it is beautifully written. I will not be purchasing it for the library as it is similar to others we have. Also the cover does not catch y attention.

An interesting take on the YA fantasy genre.  It's a combination of Battlestar Galactica, The Selection, and a typical teen drama.  Will definitely appeal to teens, but not likely to have lots of crossover appeal for adults.  It hinges on the typical "big misunderstanding" and the characters make a series of (understandable for teenagers, but) ill-advised decisions that engineer a dramatic ending.  The characters are interesting enough, and the plot moves along at a nice pace.  That, combined with a great cover design, should draw in the teen readers.

THE STARS WE STEAL was a fun, witty and romantic romp through space, peppered with delightful nods to PERSUASION. I'd love a sequel to see how the characters are getting on as they all definitely have stories left to tell.

I really wanted to like this book (Jane Austen meets The Bachelor!) and I did feel that Donne's writing is compelling, but I unfortunately didn't enjoy the characters, romance, or plot structure. I would absolutely try a different book from this author, but I just don't think that The Stars We Steal was quite the right fit for me.

"The Stars We Steal" is an exciting examination of classism and the privilege that comes with it. Framed within a futuristic world where those that could afford it fled Earth to live on spaceships of varying luxury. Now, hundreds of years later, the royals bloodlines come together every five years to intermingle their children of marriageable age (16-21) to allow them to choose a spouse and ensure the continuation of their bloodlines without becoming incestuous. We follow unenthusiastic participant Leonie (Leo) as she suffers through the Valg season at the insistence of her father to find a wealthy husband to keep their aging ship in their possession and restore their lifestyle to its previous glamour. However, Leo has other ambitions: to patent and sell her water filtration invention to other ships and support her family with her own income. When her ex-fiance, Elliot, returns to participate in the Valg season her life is turned upside down watching the boy she still has feelings for flirt with the other eligible ladies. 
Leo is a wonderfully developed strong female lead in the truest sense. Her unfailing loyalty to her imperfect family and crumbling ship strike at the true heart of what it is to be the child acting as the adult and caregiver of a family in the wake of losing the heart of their family and their fortune with it. Despite Leo's feelings for Elliot, she holds fast to the need to care for her family and their financial future but without losing the humanity that would make her ruthless. Will Leo become the captain of The Scandinavian and make changes to the hierarchy of the classes? Will she win back the love she thought she had lost?

What a fluffy space opera of a book. Nothing like I was expecting. Thank goodness. I liked Persuasion, I never read The Selection and despise the Bachelor so my expectations were not high. I am so glad to be proven wrong. I simply adored Leo our heroine, curvy girl represent was smart and strong and resourceful.. And Steal the stars has our heroine Leo actually having good friendships and interactions with other women. So many times books have women being unnecessarily catty towards another when we should be celebrating each other. And if you love a pauper to riches love interest you are in for a treat.  

Overall If your looking for a better version of the Bachelor and a cute Persuasion retelling you are going to love The Stars We Steal.

This is one that I can tell students will love! It has a lot of the themes that students look for in their fantasy/sci=fi reads (romance). It's not too heavy on the science fiction, which might be a downside for some, but it goes over my head sometimes, so I like a light hand. 

 Thank you, NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read books that I get very excited to bring back to my work and start recommending to people.

The Stars We Steal, pitched as "The Bachelorette in Space," is not-so-secretly a futuristic sci-fi retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. Set 40 years prior to Alexa Donne's Brightly Burning (a Jane Eyre retelling in space), TSWS stands alone but tries to cram an awful lot of plot into one book. Leonie is a Princess in a stratified society that doesn't have kingdoms but clings to notions class and privilege. Instead of countries, there are ships. Many came from individual countries or areas, so for example, the Lady Liberty is the ship from what used to be the United States (Earth is not habitable) and Leonie's breaking-down ship is a private one called the Sofi. Leonie's family has a title and a ship, but they don't have money, so her father has ordered her to enter the Valg Season to find a wealthy husband and save the family.

While docked at a larger, wealthy ship for the Season, Leonie rents out their small ship as living quarters for a group of four travelers. Little does she know, one of them is her first love, Elliot. They were engaged at 16 and forced apart by Leonie's father because he wasn't of the right class. Now he's back and has the money... but also a lot of anger.

What follows is a complex plot involving a second-chance romance, a scheming aunt and cousin, an election and lots of secrets. Leonie doesn't want to participate in this marriage game because she wants to find a way to be financially independent (and thus marry when and if she wants to), and a significant part of the plot hinges on her water filtration system, designed to improve quality of life on all ships, including those with food and resource shortages. Those shortages, of course, are only experienced by the lower classes and Leonie is part annoyingly-obtuse rich girl and part social justice advocate.

 The cast is more diverse than some, with characters of color and queer characters, but some of it was clumsily done. One of Leonie's friends is a lesbian and she's often found making jokes about looking for a pretty woman to make out with. I would've liked for her characterization to be more nuanced. SPOILER: Leonie enters into an engagement of convenience with an asexual friend at one point, only to abandon him the second she realizes that Elliot still loves her.

In all, The Stars We Steal was fun but not perfect. Some of the plot twists were predictable, some were not. The aunt was a Disney Villain, but *gestures at United States.*  If I had one critique, it's that I think as a stand-alone novel, there was too much plot, especially when Donne tried to wrap it all up at the end.

If you're interested in a Persuasion retelling in  space, complete with fancy dresses, second-chance romance, Easter eggs and class differences, this will be an enjoyable read. Fans of pining and angst will find something to love here as well.

 

Suzanne received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

Content Warnings: murder, past: parental death, theft, smuggling, mentions of hunger and illness due to poverty

I loved this book! I was so excited going into it because I love Brightly Burning and I loved The Stars We Steal even more!! The characters were fantastic and so well developed! Each had their own backstories and little eccentricities that really made them feel like real people. I really appreciated all of representation; Leo is plus sized, her friend is a lesbian, there’s a gag couple, and an asexual person. I really enjoyed how natural it was. There was no big coming out scene because it didn’t matter; they were all accepted! I love seeing representation like that without it being the focus of the narrative! 

Just like in Brightly Burning, the foreshadowing was amazing! Looking back, there’s so much that was alluded to previous; some I guessed and some I didn’t. I loved the intricacies of the plot and while I would’ve loved a bit more political intrigue, what we did get was great! I was so hooked, especially towards the end, which is why I binge read the last 200 pages in a day! 

I highly highly recommend this book! Donne’s writing truly is excellent and I cannot wait to pick up her next release!!

The Stars We Steal is a fun and frothy romance - with just a dash of mystery & sci-fi atmosphere - that fans of The Selection and Kathrine McGee will eat up. If you're someone who is normally intimidated or put off by sci-fi, no need to fear - this book is anchored firmly in the world of pretty dresses, makeovers, romance, and drama. Space just provides a pretty background to #princessproblems. While the story has hints of political intrigue and mystery, the core of this story is fluffy and light romance that will strongly appeal to tweens and teens.