Book Review: The Light of Stars by Jenelle Hovde

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Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for The Light of Stars by Jenelle Hovde, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Light of Stars
Author: Jenelle Hovde
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Release Date: July 14, 2026
Genre: Historical Romance

An arranged marriage. A powerful company tainted with corruption. Two souls caught between obligation and a longing to find their true calling in this Regency romance set in glittering London ballrooms and Calcutta street markets.

When Kitty Grenville’s grandfather announces her engagement to Sebastian Sinclair, she’s appalled. She barely remembers the boy she met once as a child—and now he’s a man tied to the East India Company, the very organization that tore Kitty and her brother from their mother and home in Hyderabad years ago. Unwilling to relinquish her dream of a love match or her passion for astronomy, Kitty is determined to refuse the marriage and find freedom in her own way.

Sebastian Sinclair carries the weight of duty and regret. To atone for past sins, he complies with his grandfather’s orders to return to England, fulfill a long-standing betrothal, and defend the maligned East India Company before Parliament. Though Kitty makes her disinterest clear, Sebastian is drawn to her intellect and spirit.

As Kitty navigates her first London season, her opinion of Sebastian begins to shift, especially when he shields her from scandal. When he’s abruptly called back to India, Kitty stuns everyone by marrying him and going with him, hoping to escape her grandfather’s control—and to find her mother.

But the challenges that await in India are greater than imagined. Together, Kitty and Sebastian must confront the legacy of family and empire—and discover if a marriage born of obligation can grow into a love strong enough to endure.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Tyndale | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop | BookBub

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About the Author

My review:

Three words—Loved. This. Story. I think I may have found another favorite historical romance author. This story had it all—love, hate, conflict, tension, immersive settings, sweetness, romance… I had to keep turning pages. Not too many regency romances take the reader into two starkly different settings like this one did. So very interesting to read about India compared to London.

While the settings could be characters of their own, I truly adored Kitty and Sebastian. They were bruised and battered by the suffocating control of others, but managed to hold onto their view of goodness in the world and determined to make it a better place. Their romance—sigh—how wonderful to watch them grow together. Definitely recommend.

What I enjoyed most about this book:

Gentle but swoony romance

What I didn’t like about this book:

Nothing

Would I recommend this book to others? You bet. Great, relatable characters, lovely inspirational message, page-turning tension and mystery, and wonderful romance. This is a standalone story.

Note: I received this book complimentary as a participant of the JustRead reviewer tour. I was not required to give a positive review. All of the opinions I have expressed here are honest and my own.

-Loraine Nunley

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $25 gift card to their choice bookstore!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight July 21, 2026 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on July 28, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!