I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
A Sky Full of Stars
by
Kristen Painter
paranormal romance in a Kindle edition that was published by Sugar Skull Books on January 15, 2024 and has 340 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Blood Rights, Flesh and Blood, Bad Blood, Out for Blood, Last Blood, House of the Rising Sun, City of Eternal Night, Garden of Dreams and Desires, Miss Frost Solves a Cold Case, All Fired Up, "Prologue to The Vampire's Mail Order Bride", The Vampire's Mail Order Bride, The Werewolf Meets His Match, The Gargoyle Gets His Girl, The Professor Woos the Witch, The Vampire's Fake Fiancée, The Shifter Romances the Writer, "The Witch's Halloween Hero", The Dragon Finds Forever, The Vampire's Accidental Wife, The Reaper Rescues the Genie, The Detective Wins The Witch, The Vampire's Priceless Treasure, The Werewolf Dates the Deputy, "When Birdie Babysat Spider", Miss Frost Ices the Imp, Miss Frost Saves the Sandman, Miss Frost Cracks a Caper, Miss Frost Braves the Blizzard, "The Werewolf's Christmas Wish", The Vampire's Cursed Kiss, Her First Taste of Fire, The Trouble With Witches, Moody and the Beast, The Vampire's Sunny Sweetheart, Miss Frost Chills the Cheater, Lost in Las Vegas, Wrapped Up in Christmas, Mystified in Music City, Sucks To Be Me, Suck It Up Buttercup, The Forgettable Miss French, Sucker Punch, The Suck Stops Here, Nixed in New Orleans, Miss Frost Says I Do and Spider Too, The Witch's Christmas Catastrophe
Seventh in the Shadowvale paranormal romance series and revolving around a town that protects the supernatural. The couple focus is on Lexi Gardner and Edgar Hyde.
My Take
It’s a pair of characters moved by a premonition, and three of them are helpful creatures, but one, Lexi, is too helpful. I know, a lot of numbers that don’t match up . . . not to worry. It’ll work out *grin*
Painter uses third person protagonist point-of-view from Lexi’s and Edgar’s perspectives, so we know their thoughts and fears. The most critical part of the story is Lexi and if she should run out of magic . . . Worse, too much of the wrong kind of magic and Lexi could turn into a sin-eater. As for Edgar, he fears who and what he was before he became a tree. We also learn how relentless Amelia can be when it comes to Pasqual and Shadowvale. Although, I gotta say, it doesn’t quite ring in my mind.
It’s so cute how clueless Lexi and Edgar are about daily life. Cooking, doing laundry, using a phone, driving . . . They are so lucky to be in Shadowvale where the people are so supportive and helpful.
Both of them are learning about deeper meanings in life. We also learn how Amelia was able to create Shadowvale and the promise she had to make.
It’s a tit-for-tat situation in which Lexi must make a dreadful decision that will impinge on the rest of her life. A greedy action that can go one of two ways.
In some respects A Sky Full of Stars is an irritating read. Lexi is too helpful, especially considering the consequences, although I did have to admire her willingness. It was also too easy. Sure there’s a bit of tension around Lexi’s magic, but the story needed more.
The Story
Lexi Gardner needs a massive refill on magic if she’s going to move on. Only she cannot resist helping people. Including that unusual tree in the forest.
All that help comes with a price as Lexi uses up all her magic . . . and still owes Amelia Marchand a favor.
The Characters
Lexi Gardner is a sylph, a.k.a. a starchild, whose magic is running out, and she’s ready to move on to another . . . place. She’s purchased the Five Bells Pub from Teddy.
Edgar “Eddie” Hyde, a curse, is a tree (Monster in the Mirror, 6) who thinks he’s a monster.
Shadowvale is . . .
. . . a town created by Amelia Marchand, a very powerful witch, who lives in the fabulous Indigo House. Pasqual is/was her vampire lover for whom she created Shadowvale. Thoreau is her pet tiger. Becket, a reaper, is her majordomo. And her warden. The town is heavily financed by the gem mines.
Dr Henry Jekyll is married to Izzy. They have two Flame Point Siamese cats: Saffron “Saffy” and Clementine “Clemmy”. The doctor is in need of a research assistant.
The Five Bells Pub is managed by Trip Carson. Belle is one of the bartenders.
Thomas Wilson and his daughter, the sleepless Kacy, run Sunshine Cabs.
The Creamatorium has a fabulous range of tasty ice cream. Stella, a woman with exceptional gifts, owns Stella’s Bargain Bin where you can get fabulous deals. Joel Campbell’s son, Logan, is dreadfully sick. Tim works at Shadowvale Pet Rescue where Rambo/Reggie is found. Josh is a server at The Table, a fancy restaurant. Deacon Evermore, a raven shifter, is the main peacekeeper in town and can marry people.
There’s a book in Dark Acres, a very bad part of the Enchanted Forest, that can lift your curse. The meteor shower has several names: the Tears of Anubis, the Aerarii, and those meteors contain magic that can be harvested or grant wishes. A meowl is a cat with wings who prefers to live in the cemetery. Lylianna appears to lead the grove nymphs.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a dark background of a night sky with golden stars and a bright and sparkling gold ball in the center around which double trails of gold swirl. At the very top is an info blurb in white. Immediately below that is the author’s name, also in white. Below that is the series info in a radial gradient of royal blue to turquoise in a fancy script. Below the ball is the title in white with a purple outline.
The title is about A Sky Full of Stars, of meteors that promise to fulfill wishes.
