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
Also Available
About the Author
Book hangover. That’s what I’ve got. This book has just left me with all the feelings, and I loved it so much, I haven’t yet found the wherewithal to start another.
Torn from her childhood home in India by her grandfather, the “Iron Colonel,”given a new name, Kitty Grenville and her brother Edward have come of age in England. Kitty, an intelligent young woman with a deep interest in astronomy, chafes under her grandfather’s restrictions. While Edward appears to be frittering away his opportunities for higher education, Kitty is isolated at the family estate. And when her grandfather informs her that she is to marry Sebastian Sinclair, Kitty determines that she will do no such thing. She longs to return to India, to find her mother, to marry for love, and an arranged marriage to a boy she barely remembers has no part in that vision. Especially not one affiliated with the East India Company.
Sebastian Sinclair has some baggage of his own. He’s the black sheep of his family, pressed into service for the East India Company at his grandfather’s behest for the East India Company following the death of his older brother – a death for which Sebastian blames himself. He might consider working with missionary William Carey, but instead he accedes to his grandfather’s politely worded directive that he return to England and go to Parliament to take care of Company business. Oh, and he’s also to marry Kitty Grenville, one way or the other. No pressure.
Hovde’s book is well researched, rich in historical detail, and oh, so marvelous at making me care for Kitty and Sebastian! My heart ached for Kitty, who felt like the life she wanted was denied her at every turn. She can’t understand why her grandfather and aunt tell her so little about what happened in India. She is a woman ahead of her time, with her interest in the stars and science and literary salons, and I love that. She isn’t one to fake social niceties to make someone else happy. And Sebastian is so burdened by what he sees as his fault, but he’s a good man. He’s willing to be patient with Kitty, to work to win her heart even when it seems hopeless.
I’ve decided a good Regency romance is just about my favorite, and this one is delightful. Arranged marriage isn’t necessarily one of my favorite tropes, but enemies to lovers is, and the sparks flying here are delightful. I loved how Kitty tried to show Sebastian everything about her that might put him off, and how those things kept working against her! Instead of being appalled at her interest in a bluestocking salon, he was not only a hit with the others there, but it drew him to Kitty’s wit and spirit even more.
Faith is woven throughout the story, not in a preachy way, but as a steady pulse. Sebastian realizes that flawed as he may be, God has a purpose for him and can use him for good. Kitty sees that God, the same God who put her beloved stars in the heavens, is with her and has never left her. The two of them are drawn to God and so to each other, and I loved seeing how their story unfolded.
Five stars, big and shiny! Jenelle Hovde is a new favorite author for me.
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.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
Book looks and sounds like a good read plus new author for me so really looking forward to trying this author and reading their books not only that really liked booked excerpt
what a great review, Lisa! I agree – it definitely gives a book hangover 🙂
Will the marriage survive? Sounds like a good book.
This sounds great!
I’m so glad to hear that you loved it! I’d love to read it. Thanks for your review.
Sounds wonderful