As Many Souls as Stars: A Historical Fantasy Romance of Gothic Magic, Reincarnation, and a Battle for Dominance Across Centuries

First the cover is stunning!! Gorgeous, historical setting with high stakes reincarnation with an absolute "burn the world down" energy that explores the thin line of being consumed and being loved.

3.5/5 A conjured demon, witches, a familial curse through the ages and oh my yes, toxic lesbians!!! Miriam Richter is a demon brought to life in a conjuring that doesn't quite go to plan and she's off to bargain away souls from humans to feed her and allow her to experience the human condition. The Harding family is a prominent British family that has an unfortunate curse upon it, any first daughter is cursed to bring darkness and death to those around her. And yes, they are on a collision course that will not only end in lust, tragedy and death, but alter the destiny of many in their orbit. Natasha has lovely prose and always sets the time and place so well and then throws in the slow burn that always has you waiting to see how this relationship is going to develop. Let's just say in this case, it's definitely not love at first sight not really.......it's complicated. This is my third Natasha book, and I really love her writing, and each story has something unique about it. This is certainly the darkest thematically and I did like the magic of the Harding's and how Cybil, Ester and Rosamund took charge of their lives in order to try and end the curse. My only real issue was not finding an emotional connection in the relationship; I liked the barbed back and forth and the tension, but I wasn't on edge wondering if they would end up together or not. So overall, it's an intriguing story that has some terrific elements that just missed a bit for me, but I will definitely…

As Many Souls As Stars had such a compelling premise, and while I enjoyed parts of it, it ultimately landed at a solid 3 stars for me. Cybil’s story hooked me, her curse and the weight of being a “First Daughter” made her chapters feel urgent and tragic. I really felt for her constant fear of hurting the people she loved, and her choices carried emotional weight. Miriam, on the other hand, was fascinating in a different way. Her immortality and bargain added an intriguing layer to the narrative, though at times I found it harder to fully connect with her emotionally compared to Cybil. The dynamic between Cybil and Miriam across lifetimes was interesting, but I wanted a bit more depth in how their relationship evolved. Many moments felt rushed when they should have hit harder emotionally. Esther and Rosamund added texture to the story, but they sometimes felt underdeveloped, like there was more to explore with them that we only just scratched the surface of. The writing itself is beautiful and atmospheric, and the concept of love, consequence, and time is handled thoughtfully. However, the pacing was uneven, and I occasionally found myself drifting during certain sections. Overall, it’s a unique and imaginative story with strong ideas and memorable characters, but it didn’t fully deliver the emotional impact I was hoping for.

This is a book that truly understands the appeal of a toxic enemies to lovers romance; the yearning, the pining, the cat and mouse of it all that spanned centuries and lifetimes! Even the ending was great.

I absolutely loved this book. The tension between the characters and the shifting balances of power kept me enthralled. The ending was so satisfying for me. I highly recommend this one. I also love the cover!