2 stars

When I read the summary, I thought that it sounded a little like A Court of Thorns and Roses but nowadays, most of them sound like that book so I thought nothing of it.

However, especially the ending, was a little TOO similar to ACOTAR. I won’t mention any spoilers but those who’ve read ACOTAR will guess what I mean with the ending.
Furthermore, I get why authors want to make the book a little dramatic and have a cliffhanger in order for readers to salivate over the sequel but it was a little too overdramatised.

In conclusion, I was a bit disappointed as to how similar it was to A Court of Thorns and Roses because I felt like I was just rereading it but characters having different names.

Loving all things fantasy and fae I was looking forward to reading this book. It has an interesting world build and characters that develop along the way. What I wasn't prepared for was all of the plot twists along the way. Seriously! I thought I'd be safe reading this book, it'd be a nice fantasy but oh no, by the end of it my heart was torn out from that plot twist of an ending! I need a sequel ASAP.

Wow! I don't even know where to start with this review. This book was absolutely incredible. This is the first book by Lexi Ryan I have picked up. I know she writes Contemporary Romance and as someone who rarely reads that genre, I've just never read any of them. After hearing that she was bringing out a fantasy novel, I couldn't wait to pick it up. And let me tell you... she has arrived on the fantasy scene with a bang! I loved every single moment of These Hollow Vows! Right from the very first page I was super intrigued about this story and I couldn't put it down! I don't think I have enjoyed a Fae book this much since Sarah J Maas.... yes it was THAT good!

These Hollow Vows follows the story of Brie. Brie is struggling to survive paying off the debts that she owes. She could easily make the money from bargaining with the Fae, but she refuses to do that as she despises them. But when her sister is sold to a dangerous Fae, she plunges headfirst into the Fae lands and will do anything to save her sister.

I seriously cannot put my love for this book into coherent words. I fell head over heels in love with Lexi's superb character development and world building. I absolutely loved this concept of someone who hates the fae having to work with not only one, but two of the fae courts to try and save her sister. Now, before reading this book I was a little bit worried as the blurb shows that there is obviously a love triangle and I have never been one to love a love triangle. If you're having the same concerns, let me put your mind to rest... this book is phenomenal and THIS is how you do a love triangle right! There was none of this 'oh who should I choose' or 'OMG two guys are in love with me' that I feel like you often find in a YA love triangle. Instead Brie was this totally kick ass heroine who was like who should I trust? Can I trust these guys to help me get my sister back? Why am I feeling like this? It was done PERFECTLY!! And I loved both guys so, so much! I switched my "team" like every couple of chapters. It was utterly brilliant.

These Hollow Vows was such a fantastic, romantic and steamy read! If you think YA books can't have steam... read this book and you will eat your damn words! I loved this book so much. I guessed some of the twists and turns, but that didn't stop me enjoying the book. I actually ended up getting super excited when I'd guessed things right. And those that I guessed right? They happened in a way I would never have expected so it was still surprising and kept me on the edge of my seat. If you're a lover of Fae romances then this one is a must-read! I cannot wait to see how everything plays out in the second book. So what are you waiting for? Go pre-order it now!!

Thank you NetGallery and Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC of These Hollow Vows.
First up, the US cover of this book is absolutely stunning, and I will definitely have to add a physical copy to my bookshelves as soon as it’s published.
The synopsis of this book which markets it at fans of ACOTAR, one of my favourite series, catapulted it right to the top of my TBR list, so I was delighted when I was approved for an ARC.
When her sister is sold to the sadistic king of the Unseelie, Brie enters the fairy realm to try and free her at all costs. To gain access, she poses as a potential bride for the Seelie prince. Brie is forced to enter a deal with the Unseelie King, agreeing to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court. She accepts the help of a band of Unseelie rebels, and soon her loyalties are divided between the Seelie and Unseelie courts, as she finds herself falling for the charms of Prince Ronan, as well as the brooding and charismatic Finn.
The story contains magic and romance, betrayal, and while I found some plot twists predictable, I was totally engrossed in the story and couldn’t put this book down. I adore a story with a love triangle, and this YA fantasy certainly delivered on that count. These Hollow Vows is the first instalment in a duology, and while it took me most of the book to pick a side, I’m firmly on #teamfinn and can’t wait for the sequel to find out who Brie ends up with.

Firstly why say a book is like another book? This is NOTHING like A Cruel Prince and shouldn't be referred as like it. It's very much similar the The Iron Fey world but with smut.

Secondly why the hell is a YA book full of sexual references thoughts and action? YOUNG adult, they start at 13, I'm sick of authors bringing romance smut to fantasy. I've stopped reading romance lately because it's hellishly boring with endless pages of smut, bores me to tears, so I moved to fantasy and have been loving what I'm reading so far and although I did mostly enjoy These Hollow Vows, you could absolutely tell the author is an erotic romance writer and had to bring the smut with her in the crossover to fantasy. It was dirty minds led rather than plot led. Disappointing. Why should a 13 year old read of a woman being drugged and then very sexual, jeez let kids be kids instead of shoving sex at them in YA reads. This book should be sold as adult, pure and simple.

But I digress. As to the characters, I didn't like Abriella as much as I should, I didn't dislike her, I just didn't care if she got the right man or not, to be honest she was highly sexed up towards both, and let both manipulate her, and then regarding Jas, jeez!

I did like the backstory of her mother as it came to light, I enjoyed the 'silence' and why it was there. I enjoyed Pretha and Finn and little Lark with her sight. I don't think her power was built on enough and to be fair all I could picture was Grisha when reading about the shadows, so it crossed over to feel like I was reading elements of Shadow and Bone.

I think this must be the first Fae book I've read where the Fae are too similar to humans and use the F bomb and swear a fair bit. I wish they had been more other wordly creatures. The world building was okay, it could have been a lot deeper and transport the reader more to that realm and the courts.

To sum it up, These Hollow Vows is okay. and often in places very good. It was the romance smut that let it down for me and the triangle. For die hard fantasy readers it will be okay, for romance smut readers it will be excellent I would think. That's my take on it.

Will I read book 2? Absolutely, because I didn't hate this book, it is easy reading, and I'd love to know the outcome. It's a cross between a 2 and 3 star read, maybe bordering a 4 in some places. Will I be disappointed if it's the tingle between her legs driving it again, and the drool over a male's body, then yes I will be.

Firstly, thank you to both Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for giving me the e-arc if These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I’ve heard this book described as “Cruel Prince meets A Court of Thorns and Roses“ which is always a worry, they are damned good books that take a lot to live up to!

But, Lexi Ryan delivers (at YA level,) think feisty, take no crap female protagonist, fae world, lots of fae princes, an evil unseelie king and a golden queen - all boxes ticked there. The fae world also fits with both Seelie and Unseelie Courts, and if I’m honest I definitely got Deal with an Elf King vibes, albeit far tamer as this is a YA not adult book.

The main protagonist is very likeable and it isn’t hard to get into her skin, she definitely goes on a development arc throughout this book, but it was pleasing to see there wasn’t a sudden short practice and alakazam she has all the skills!

I’m definitely interested to see where she goes in the next book, especially following the almighty cliffhanger at the end of this one!

Yes, there’s a love triangle, but it’s not all instalove, there is background and previous development with at least one character and yes, I do have a preference!

The world building is great, no major infodumps or lectures and the writing style is so easy to read. I didn’t want to put this book down and found myself picking it up, even if I only had a few minutes! I’m definitely hooked, and looking forward to book 2 - a solid 4 star read for me.

I really really loved 'These Hollow Vows', the author has created such a beautiful yet complex faerie world which although is full of monsters and deceit, I somehow still want to be there right now. Even though there are very few wholly good characters within this story I somehow still adore them all, especially Sebastian and Finn, usually in a love triangle there's a clear winner for me, but I just couldn't choose in this case!
I will recommend this book to everyone I love it so much, if you love faerie stories then 100% you should give this a go!!

This book gripped me from the first page. I thoroughly enjoyed this, It reminded me of SJM and it felt like a classic ya book. The characters were lovable and you never knew who to trust which I loved and the entire book carried a great sense of urgency that spurred the story on. I would highly picking this book up as I devoured it in a couple of sittings. The world was extremely well built as was the magic system and the politics and deception's of the other courts just added another layer of story building that was fascinating.

In this book, we follow a human thief, Brie who gets mixed up in the world of Faerie on account of her sister being kidnapped by the Unseelie king and now Brie has to steal 3 artifacts from the rival Seelie court if she wants to save her sister. But, to do so, she will have to win the heart of the Seelie Prince, who is looking for a wife. So naturally, a lot of the usual stuff happens, there's drama, and betrayals, and friendships and love etc. etc. which all wraps up in an amazing cliffhanger.

The writing and the world-building in the book is decent. The author tried to include some real world and prevailing issues in the narrative such as separation of immigrant children from their parents and in general, the plight of immigrants which was much appreciated. I also really liked the little crew of misfit from the Unseelie court, they were definitely the highlight for me.

However, the biggest complain I had was with the three main characters. Firstly, Brie is dumb, she was great in the human world but as soon as she arrives in Faerie, she becomes this damsel in distress, who needs rescuing all the time, trusts too easily when she should be asking questions and never thinks from her brain. Sebastian is the worst, he manipulates Brie at every turn and she just shrugs it off.. all because she has this crush on him and had known him back in the human world but if we are being honest, did she really knew him that well, when he was hiding such a huge part of his life from her.. oh well! Finn, on the other hand, I definitely liked him better than Brie and Sebastian, but I felt there wasn't much page time dedicated to him and his character suffered because of that.

Also, this might be a little thing but there wasn't a lot of court intrigue involve in the story like there generally are in fae books. We rarely ever got to see Brie interact with members of the Seelie court. Idk, it just felt a little flat in terms of viciousness. I mean its been compared too The Cruel Prince, so I expected more ruthlessness from characters. This book however, leaned more on to clever manipulation, which I enjoyed at times but I also just needed more, I guess.

I am pretty sure, I know how the triangle will get resolved and in whose favour so I think I'll read the next book just for that. Overall, this wasn't bad but it wasn't very remarkable either.

This book started off strong and I was really enjoying it but once I got into the plot I started getting a little bit bored. However, the world-building was really good and I really liked Finn. I hope Abriella ends up with him. I didn't like Sebastian and I hate love triangles.

This book was enjoyable. Was I obsessed with it, not wanting to put it down or wanting to read throughout the night just to find out what happens next? No. But, it was okay.

i enjoyed the opening of the book, with Ryan immediately drawing us into Abriella's thievery, however, it felt as though those high stakes and adrenaline vanished as soon as we entered the Fae realm, despite the her still having to sneak around and steal.

I liked the family relationship that is explored through Brie and Jas but but arguably, it felt as though there were times where that was forgotten as well.

the world building was ok, most of the action was done in the palace so there were often times that it fell flat. similarly, it was quite predictable, with some of the tropes being quite obvious, yet the reader is stuck seeing the world through Brie's eyes and for me this hindered the book somewhat because the reader is subjected to info dumping rather than show not tell.

that being said, i did enjoy the writing style, i though Ryan expertly immersed the reader in Brie's plight, with the end of the book (around the last 10%) being a particular highlight, and the final pages leaving me arguably more excited than the whole book did.

finally the romance; once again this was very predictable and personally i think she chose the wrong boy in the end but i enjoyed the betrayals and the twists that Ryan interspersed throughout.

i'd give this book a 3.5, i would recommend it, but personally it wasn't to my taste because it fell flat sometimes.

i'm a bit ambivalent on this book. i did like it, i enjoyed the setting and the way the magic worked, but the pace of the events was too fast and simple, and the storyline a little too predictable to read. the plot twits were easily guessed in the early chapters, and nothing in the story makes you think otherwise. it has potential, yes, and i'll probably read the second book, i want to know how the story ends

Very imaginative and enjoyable. I thoroughly enjoyed the time with the faeries, There were a few familiar tropes that potentially can make your eyes roll but it all contributed into the plot and setting. Really good.

I binge read this in less than 24 hours because even tho it wasn’t amazing, it was addictive as fuck!

I don’t care for love triangles but I don’t hate them either when they’re done well. Although I’m pretty sure I know the outcome of this one, I’m still intrigued and invested enough to continue with the series.

Brie was not the brightest and was, occasionally, pretty dumb but I sympathised with her plight enough to care about what would happen to her and her sister Jas.

Pethra and Finn were my faves. I loved their relationship and how they cared for each other’s well-being like family. Finn reminded me only a tiny bit of Cardan which is probably why I liked him better than Bash. I just wish he hated Brie more cause I am a sucker for enemies to lovers.

Sebastian on the other hand... I didn’t hate him. But I never trusted him (Tamlin is it you? Jk not exactly) I found it odd how he forgave her for everything...

The comparison to ACOTAR put me off a little (and I think the similarities are pretty clear) but the Cruel Prince comparison compelled me to request this e-arc. In the end, there were very little similarities with the latter but it was still a very enjoyable read and I’ll continue with the series.

This story follows Brie, who lives in a fantasy world whereby there is a division between the Seelie and Unseelie courts. After her sister is taken by the Unseelie King, she ventures into the Seelie court to manipulate and deceive her way back to her. This book is full of mystery, faeries, romance, and intrigue, and definitely matches its marketing tag line as being perfect for The Cruel Prince and ACOTAR fans. I’d also recommend it for people who enjoyed Mark Blackthorn’s storyline from The Dark Artifices.

Brie was a very determined, and strong main character to follow. She was constantly deceiving those around her, which really emphasised her loyalty towards her sister. I could definitely relate to how protective she was over her younger sister, and I always love reading about those types of sibling relationships in fantasy books. I was really invested in the love triangle between her, Sebastian, and Finn. It added so much drama to the plot as well as the other high-stakes fantasy elements, which I am a sucker for! I could really feel the chemistry and tension between her and the two boys, so the love triangle felt very believable, which often love triangles are not.

The fantasy elements were really well written. The world was so well constructed, and it was clear that the author had spent a significant amount of time plotting everything out. In particular, I loved learning about the myths and backstories behind why there was a conflict between the Seelie and Unseelie people, and would love to know more about this in the sequels. The plot never had a dull moment, and I could rarely predict what sort of twists and turns would arise next and make the stakes even higher for Brie. Overall, I highly enjoyed this and would definitely recommend to all YA fantasy fans!

The beginning feels like a Cinderella retelling, with fairies. The twist! That was right at the end. I admit, I didn't like Brie at the beginning, or the middle, but I started to like her towards the end. I felt that this was very much a second part read, where all the good stuff happens. This beginning was a bit of a slog to move through but once you got past that, its a very enjoyable read. I loved the last part and am really, really looking forward to the second.

Massive thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow this book was addicting.

Was the start a bit slow? Yes. It took me a little while to get invested.
But about halfway through? I physically couldn’t put it down. I absolutely devoured the last half.

Now I know a lot of people hate love triangles (I personally don’t mind them). But this was a love triangle done right.
There was no obvious correct choice, since there’s so many betrayals and reveals, which leaves the reader to constantly rethink and reflect on who they prefer (though I always had my personal favourite), which I absolutely loved.

Though in my opinion some parts of the romance could’ve been fleshed out a little better, to allow the reader to fully invest themselves, by the end I was definitely hooked.

The fae & magic isn’t exactly a new concept in ya, but I think the author did a wonderful job of creating a new and enticing world and magic system that still felt fresh, especially when delving into the social structure & political aspects.

Overall this was definitely a fun read and I’m really looking forward to the next book in this series!

What can I say? I loved this book. This is definitely a must read book if you enjoy YA faerie novels - definitely for fans of SJM and Holly Black. Although this faerie idea nothing new, I love the way that Lexi Ryan built the world and really stuck to the rules of faerie as well as sprinkling in interesting facts about both the Seelie and Unseelie Court, which really engaged me and kept me interested, as well as that dash of heart melting romance which I am a HUGE SUCKER for.

I really loved all three characters, and I'm excited for the next part of the story!

As soon as I saw “Cruel Prince meets A Court of Thorns and Roses” I knew I had to get my grubby little hands on this book (and it did also say “sexy” soo… count me in!)

Abriella (Brie) absolutely hates the Fae. After her mother runs away to Faerie, Brie becomes a thief in order to pay for the roof over her and her sister’s heads. But when her sister is sold to the cruel Unseelie king, Brie will do whatever it takes to get her back, even if that means making a deal with the king himself.

This book had me hooked straight away! The writing is so engaging, the characters *chefs kiss*, and the world building was so so good - the different courts, the human world, the creatures… I loved it all!

Plenty of twist and turns, magic, fae, romance, and broody hot males… need I say more??

Brie finds herself torn between two hot AF fae princes, each with their own agenda. Can she trust either of them?
Now, I’m not usually a “love triangle” kind of gal, but listen, I didn’t mind it. Even if I KNOW who she should end up with, I still love the dynamics of each relationship as we go.

Just saying, my book bf cart has a new addition *I see you Finn*.

I’m still not over how much I liked this book!

UUUGHFFF THE ENDING!!! How am I going to manage waiting a WHOLE YEAR for book 2?!

So, incase you can’t tell, I really really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it for all you fae lovers out there!

This book surprised me. In a good way. It didn't blow my mind, but I did really enjoy reading this. Quality wise I can only give it three stars, but my oh my, I can't wait for book two! THAT ENDING!!

Writing style: There's nothing special about the writing. I would have preferred less info dumping, but we find out about things when Brie does and she finds out all at once so I guess it worked well enough for this story.

Characters: The characters felt very flat to me. They could honestly have any name, look any way and it would just work. I barely noticed personalities and that was very disappointing.

Story: This was definitely a plot driven book. The story is really fun, and at times quite intriguing, but it dragged a lot. It started off on a good pace and then it became stagnant, only for the last 50 or 100 pages to pass in a blur.
I really thought I'd like the two princes vying for Brie's attention, but it was obvious from the start who she'd end up with. I was definitely rooting for Finn...maybe in book two?

The ending was absolutely badass and the only reason I'll pick up book two, so bravo for that 😂 These Hollow Vows gets three stars from me.