urbookishamiga 's review for:

Shadows of Stardust by Leigh Miller

3.0

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I want to start by saying that I absolutely see the vision for this story, and I plan to return to it at a later time when I’m in a better headspace for it. While I don’t usually watch reality TV, I’m familiar with Love Island, so I picked up on the vibes and setting right away.

What’s made it difficult for me to fully engage right now is the pacing. By the 40% mark, the story still hadn’t moved beyond the gameshow format, and I found myself waiting for the main plot to really take off. Even after the characters began revealing their true intentions and feelings, I struggled to stay fully invested due to how slow the momentum felt.

That said, I’m giving this 3 stars as of right now because I refuse to give it anything lower. Leigh’s writing is excellent—rich with detail, and the emotions the characters experience genuinely radiate off the page. I truly believe this is a story worth revisiting, and I’m hopeful that once I dive back in, I’ll be able to update this review with a fresh perspective.

Thank you again, Leigh, for giving me the opportunity to read Shadows of Stardust ahead of its release.