This book had some much possibilities but I just could not keep up with story. I was in a constant state of confusion.

Beneath the Starlit Sea is a fantasy romance between Illyse, a sorceress and Garit, a doctor who need to work together to uncover why men in the kingdom are being killed. The book was quick-paced and easy to read. Segments of the prose were beautifully lyrical and I did enjoy some of the characters (particularly Idaia and Analesia). I personally would have liked there to have been more focus on the mystery of the murders and uncovering who was responsible as this section felt a little rushed.

Warning: the rest of the review contains spoilers.

Unfortunately the relationship is what gave the book such a low rating. The pair seem to go from mild attraction to devoted, all consuming adoration within a matter of days. We are also told repeatedly that their love is forbidden, yet we're rarely shown any large threats. Similarly they don't take any great lengths to hide their relationship despite the supposed risk. All of this makes the relationship feel unrealistic.

However the more pressing matter is how toxic and abusive the relationship was. At one point Illyse gets angry and burns down Garit's rooms, half blinds him and turns him into a fox against his will. Moments after this Garit willingly goes into exile with her and whilst their relationship dynamic shifts, there is no real discussion of the horrendous abuse Illyse has just subjected Garit to. The whole thing felt incredibly uncomfortable and if it wasn't an arc I would have DNF'd at this point.

Another issue I had with the story was the motivations/actions of the three other female characters. Idaia and Analeisa were held captive in necklaces by the King for hundreds of years. When they're released in order to help fight the Nixies, they are both completely happy to fight for him. and after the fight has been won are happy to remain by his side and live at his court. They should have murdered him, and to give my mind some peace I like to believe they did. Pieretta (the main antagonist's) motivation didn't make a lot of sense. We're led to believe that the Nixies attack the shores of the realm under the orders of Pieretta because she is angry the Garit has abandoned her for Illyse. However the only reason Garit and Illyse meet is because the Nixies are attacking the shores. This is likely me reading this wrong because it's such a large plothole, but if I have read it wrong it still indicates that the writing of this reveal is confusing and needed further editing to make it clearer.

Overall this book was a huge disappointment. 1.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Sword and Silk for the ARC.

Witchy magic meets mysterious court politics meets an unexpected team up to solve a murder mystery.

This book had all the things I enjoy in a novel. I have not seen nor read many fantasy books with a murder mystery where two characters are charged with investigating and solving it before and it was incredibly intriguing and exciting. It was also interesting to see a more immortal female character matching up with a younger mortal male character for once as most novels I have read are the opposite.

I really believe this book could shine with a bit more reworking. A lot of things felt a bit rushed. The prologue of Illyse being captured was smartly done to set up the story but the development waned from there. I think this book suffered a bit from the “show don’t tell” philosophy. The reader needed more information in order to truly peace the world together to understand the character’s motives. We are introduced quickly to another witch and the politics around the witches is breezes over so quickly in the beginning that it was hard to understand or empathize.

All in all the plot was there and with some tweaking and elaboration this book has potential to truly be amazing and stand out!

Bound by the chain of law, and threatened by the murders of the Kincajd, Illyse and Garit’s was a love contested from the first spell of attraction.

While the bones of Illyse and Garit’s illicit affair held a sea of promise, I personally felt the romance arc moved too quickly and the thrill of something forbidden brewing was a missed opportunity. As it happened, their love occurred relatively quickly for these two and I missed seeing the initial push and pull between law and attraction before love claimed them.

Nicole Bea writes with an artful balance of prose and poetry, some of the details and imagery utilised rich and captivating as the court of Castle Rose - and all its “monsters” - was brought to life in a believable fashion. I just wish there had been a bit more history built into the world building to take things to that next level.

This was a light and relatively fast-paced fantasy read with a fresh perspective for those looking to dip their toes into something new. I enjoyed the role played by the Nixies and the added twist to their deception - the union of fantasy and folklore beautifully portrayed - and this is a world I would love a second shot at losing myself in. Bad-ass females fighting for their place and a man who can wax poetry in a single breath are their own form of magic, and if this echo of witchcraft appeals to you, then perhaps Bea will too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sword and Silk Books for the advanced copy of this book.

Okay I have to start with this book was absolutely beautifully written. I so enjoyed the poetic detail of the scenery and captivating detail of the characters and world building. The plot was very unique and something I hadn't read before. I only wish it would have been longer because I think the length and additional explanations would have satisfied my want for more background and understanding on the relationship between Illyse and Garit, more history behind the relationship between the mortal kingdom and the sorceresses/"monsters," and detailing into the Whys' decisions and attitudes. Thierry was so heartwarming and one of my favorite bits of the novel :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a free copy in exchange of an honest review. The story is pretty self explanatory from the blurb though of course there’s more to it. Honestly reading the blurb I thought the book would be interesting and it had so much potential. Unfortunately the end product is not bad. The characters are okay and the plot too but the pacing is off. In some parts there’s nothing happening but at some there’s a lot going on. Also I don’t know if it’s just me since I’m experiencing reading withdrawals but it was kind of hard to get into in the beginning. If I didn’t push myself, I’d probably DNF. Overall it’s not hard but I think the pacing and introduction to the world building needs to be improved.

I really enjoyed reading this story where I felt like the Fantasy wasn't too much or intricate and the romance was sweet and refreshing. I didn't expect that from looking at the cover but it was very good and this was my first time reading from this author!

**I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Beneath the Starlit Sea follows a powerful sorceress, Illyse. Captured by the king and bound by iron to dampen her powers, Illyse is forced to find the source of the strange murders occurring throughout the kingdom. With the help of a human doctor, the two spark a forbidden romance as they uncover secrets and face grisly creatures.

The synopsis of the book really caught my attention and all the elements of a great fantasy romance are there. However, this book unfortunately reads like a first draft. It's missing key emotional building, tone and character development that helps makes a story complete. The main characters are very 2 dimensional and the romance is so insta lovey that it just left me bored. And much of the dialogue and narration is repetitive.

I'm trying not be a negative Nancy, but the story just simply feels unfinished. The premise has real potential and I can see what the author was trying to accomplish. If this story ever gets a rewrite I'll definitely give it another go. However, as it is, I can only give this book 2 stars.

I enjoyed this book, the premise was very interesting! I'm giving it three stars, because at times it read almost like a draft which made it drag for me a little. I think it needed a bit of refining and that would have helped the story out a lot! I still thought it was a good read though and I liked the characters.

A well written and riveting story that I coldn't put down. The characters are really well developed and likeable and the book is full of vivid descrip[tions and rich imagery. I loved it.

Beneath The Starlit Sea is a fantasy romance with tropes that include enemies to friends to lovers, forbidden romance, forced proximity.
We follow a sorceress who is tasked with the king to solve the murders of men in the area. With the physician, they set off to solve the mystery.

I wanted to like this I really did. However, everything felt very flat to me. The whole story seems really quick with a lack of descriptions for some plot points. Really the first 50% should have been expanded to one book and the second 50% could have been a second book.

The chemistry with the love interests seems very insta lovey and it made it seem not forbidden at all.

I will read more from the author to see if this particular one was just not it for me.

Thank you for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

2 stars

3.5/5

This was such a sweet romance read, with magic, forbidden love, and adventure.

I really enjoyed the writing - everything about how the story was told was well done - and I loved the mc, the sorceress Illyse. This is a light fantasy read, with a splash of romance.

I do wish there was more buildup for the romance and world building, but overall, I enjoyed the story and the light romance.

This was a very cute, fun read. I loved the fantasy aspect and the sweet romance. I loved the main character's POV, and I really enjoyed the writing. It was lyrical and very beaitiful, I will definitely read more books by this author. The cover is also stunning and this was a great experience.

Illyse was an interesting protagonist. She is flawed, but that's what makes her so relatable. She learns, she grows, she feels, but she's determined and resilient, which is something I really liked about her. The love story was great and I love its take on the cliché star-crossed lover's trope. I wish there was more build-up to their relationship, but it was alright..

The world-building was okay, and I like the aesthetic. It just all felt really "pretty", thanks to the flowery writing style. There was maybe a little too much details at times, and not enough at others, but nothing terrible. It's more or less average.

Overall, this book was okay. It's a nice, short read if you're in a reading slump, which I'm sure is what it was meant to be. It's good for the genre and I enjoyed it.

I read this one in an afternoon because I really did get hooked. I have to say the idea behind this one was really cool and it’s got the skeleton of something beautiful but needs a little more work. I wanted more of everything, more to the romance, more depth to the world, and more background for each character (I felt like we got dropped in with no background for a lot of this). Again, I really think it has potential to be great, it just needs a few tweaks.

I DNF’d at 45%. The writing was beautiful, and the author has a lot of potential, however I wasn’t pulled in enough to continue reading. There’s a lot of telling rather than showing with the characters and their feelings. We’re dropped into the story months after the 2 MCs meet, and aren’t really given an opportunity to see how their relationship progressed to the point that it is at. There’s little connection to the characters and their relationship with each other.

The premise itself is intriguing, and definitely something I would typically enjoy, so it could be a just not right at the moment for me. I’d still recommend giving the book a try if it sounds interesting!

I won't lie this story was a bit slow from the start and I struggled to get into it but it was worth the read. It is a strong and confident FMC who has to find her bearings in a world in which the humans she works beside see her as a monster. However, the monster that is killing men is in the sea and the FMC is their only hope to potentially stop it. True rating would be like a 3.5 but I round up.

I really struggled with this as I found the reference to monsters to be confusing, particularly as the heroine was also classed as a monster.

The story was a mix up of fairy tale, mystery and romance which just did not seem to combine.

Not for me.

Beneath the Starlit Sea, Nicole Bea

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Sci-fi and Fantasy.

I enjoyed this book, it was an interesting read with some different takes on the supernatural. Where it fell down for me was in the backstory, the witches in ore, why, when, how, what exactly did it mean. Illyse and the foxes, how did they get together, what was her story. How did the king just have to power to pull her in the way he did.
I liked the characters but felt they could have been fleshed out a little more, so we understood them better. Of course I'm way past the NA tag I've just noticed ;-) so that could be part of the issue.....

There was a lot going on here, and at times it seemed Illyse and Garit ignored the real world and its issues that they were supposed to be solving. That didn't really feel like the type of person they were.
The story and the characters/creatures were believable but for me things could have been a bit more in depth, so that it didn't feel quite so disjointed. I did enjoy the fact that the story was very different to so many “witch” stories.

Stars: Three and a half, a story that I enjoyed, which has some unique aspects but when I felt needed a little more clarity and depth.

Arc via Netgally and publishers

I’d like to thank Netgalley for giving me an e-arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

From the description of this book, I could tell I could really love it or I could be disappointed. It seemed like my type of fantasy novel.

The romance left much to be desired. I can handle some unrealism in rom-com books, however in a book such as this that deals with high stakes and dark themes, the unrealistic relationship is much to be desired. It breaks the immersion and doesn’t fit. The best way to describe it is it just kind of happens.

The wording and mental imagery were absolutely beautiful. I was enamored by the flowy language. However, it was not enough to make up for the subpar character development, plotting and scattered pacing.

The premise for this book was fascinating, it just needed a bit more refining on certain points. I enjoyed the novel for what it was.

(2.5 rounded up to 3 stars)

I definitely came out of it wanting to spend more time in the world and with these characters, and to watch their world . enjoyed the plot and the world building in this book. I felt that the romance came from nowhere and it was beautiful.Thanks to the author and her team