beneath the starlit sea focused on a sorceress, who is asked to help out the king when bodies of men start to wash up, their murders being mysterious circumstances, unsure who or what killed them. it also had a sweet side plot of forbidden romance - was a well written magical world with intricate characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

I was very intrigued by the synopsis of this book, but unfortunately, I just couldn't connect at all. It felt like a first draft with a lot of potential, but it read extremely rough. Each scene was laid out as if they were checklist items. The expression "show don't tell" comes to mind.

Lovely book, I did not fall in love with it as I thought I would by the description, but it was still an enjoying read

Okay this wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.

The story was okay but there was a few plot holes and because of that it started to fall flat for me. The magic system was good and I enjoyed reading about that but I felt there wasn’t much back story and so it felt a little hollow to me. The two MC seem to be in their own little world while the drama was going on around them and so kind of felt like two different stories. But it was an okay read and my inner witch was fed and so I was happy

Although I have struggled reading Fantasy books lately, this book ahd the right amount of romance to keep me reading on.

This book is worth reading in between large books, it is fast paced and very light in my opinion. If you're wanting a quick read, try this book.

Even though the plot is short, I think it still lacked a good story line. I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing style and therefore gave this 3 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC of this title. I enjoyed reading this title. Would recommend for my library.

I want to thank Netgalley and Nicole Bea for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

I was disappointed by this book. Why?
The story has a lot of potential, the script is interesting, but this story has not been developed enough. The book is unfortunately not finished for me, it lacks proofreading, and sentences are much too long and complex.
The idea is present but the book deserves for me to be reviewed.

First things first, the cover of this book is stunning, it 100% drew me to this book

I really did like the concept and the synopsis for this book and i really did enjoy reading it but it certainly was a struggle. i couldn't really connect with this book in the way i wanted too and while all the characters were fun, the setting was atmospheric maybe this just wasnt the book for me.

I am afraid that this book just was not for me. I just didn’t click with the book I found that it lacked something but I’m not sure what.

The premise of the book caught my eye right away but the execution was just not for me. I loved the idea of a sorceress investigating a murder was so intriguing but this didn't play out in a way that I enjoyed. I struggled to immerse myself in the story as the writing and dialogue didn't feel genuine. Certain ideas were really interesting and I wished that we could have gotten more of the sorceress's and their magic. The love story felt rushed and a bit lack luster - I just really wished for something more from.

I really wished I could have loved it as the ideas behind this were solid. Just the execution was not for me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for arc.

Absolutely loved it. The characters were fun and the setting was atmospheric and sucked you in. I would recommend this to anyone fairytales, folklore, or adventure.

I received a copy of Beneath the Starlit Sea by Nicole Bea from NetGalley. The story is a fantasy romance. It follows a sorceress Illyse and a doctor, Garit. Both are tasked with finding the culprit behind the mysterious murders in Sjökanten.
Illyse is a witch who prefers to be on the sidelines by herself and her familiar foxes. She is not interested in the conflict between her coven and humans. In the beginning, she is taken to the King and forced to help him figure out what is behind the murders in Sjökanten. The iron band limits Illyse’s power, she is forced to wear it by the King. Garit is the doctor working in the castle, and now, both have to work together to figure out what's murdering people.
Illyse and Garit start working together, and it is clear that she has feelings for him. It's challenging to understand where Garit stands, but soon it is noticeable that he too, has a soft spot for Illyse. There are strict laws in the kingdom about human and magical beings mingling. The situation is dangerous for both of them, but the punishment is severe for Illyse. Their relationship blossoms and they get together pretty early while continuing work on their murder investigation.
Overall, it's an interesting read. It has all the fantasy elements, with a cute forbidden romance and intriguing plot. I liked the way this world of Sjökanten was built. It has potential; it was different from the other fantasy books I have read recently. Beneath the Starlit Sea by Nicole Bea has an intriguing plot and does well combining, fantasy and romance in the story. I enjoyed reading it.

First off, the cover of this book is stunning! It is right up my alley of books I gravitate towards.

Now, on to the book.

I find a lot of this book is telling me how I should feel and who I should support rather than telling me why. I love a fast paced book, so no issue there, I just wish there was more of allowing the reader to experience the emotions naturally rather than telling. Once such example is the romance- we are told that there has been a spark since the beginning, told about the feelings, but not much showing. I think the fast paced speed to this book has made it more difficult for the reader to stop for a moment and smell the roses, which one I'm sure some readers enjoy, I for one personally didn't.

The writing style is very pretty and I can definitely see how the author went for a traditional fantasy prose. Mentioning the pace again, I think the style would have worked well with a slower story or even a story that had moments of slowing down. This would help readers become connected the story and characters.

My only serious critique, mainly because I see it being done in books all the time, is 1) a character being chosen for a mission/quest but the reader not really being shown or told why the character is the one, and 2) when we're told that culturally, something is taboo, but then when it's done, everyone just kind of shrugs it off. Point 2 personally makes me feel like it was pointless to tell me and that it was simply added in the story to create an unneeded tension.

Overall, a little pacing work and plot developments, and I think this could be a five star read.

I really liked the concept and the synopsis of this book. Sadly, I struggled a lot with getting through it and was not able to finish it. ( 25& in ). I think that this book had a lot of promise and the concept sounds amazing. But like quite a few others it just didn't quite make it for me. I missed the world building and I believe it just went a little bit too fast for me to actually get invested.

I really liked the synopsis of this book. It sounded really good. But I don't think it was for me. I got about 25% in and I was still struggling to enjoy it. This ended up being a DNF for me unfortunately.

Interesting concept for a YA fantasy, but this one ended up being a DNF for me. I struggled thought they entire book. I found I couldn't connect with the characters at all or the story.

I quite enjoyed the is little fantasy romance. Love is the main theme of the book, everything else fit naturally into the story. The plot wasn't something too intriguing. Some parts were repetitive, and some parts of the story were rushed, everything moved along too fast. Likeable characters.

In a society where sorceresses are seen as monsters, Ilse is forced to work for the king and help solve a series of mysterious murders. I really liked the premise of this book and enjoyed following Ilse and Garit as they worked on solving the mystery of the men washing up on the beaches of Sjökanten. The prose was beautiful, and the witchy vibes will make this a great autumn read. The forbidden relationship between Ilse and Garit developed a bit too quickly for me, though, and felt only partially believable, 3 stars from me for this slow-burn romance fantasy.

This is my first book by Nicole Bea and I loved it! A fantasy forbidden romance that was fast-paced but not too heavy. I loved the writing style, it was so beautiful and had me hooked from the very first page. I finished this book in two sittings because I needed to keep reading on to find out what happened next. Have already recommended to friends.