The Brightest Stars - beloved

Brightest Stars #3

by Anna Todd

Das Finale der großen Bestsellerserie

Für Karina ist Kael der einzige Mann, dessen Nähe sie zulassen kann. Der einzige, der sie wirklich versteht. Für Kael ist Karina das Licht, das ihn aus seiner Dunkelheit führt. Immer und immer wieder, wenn die traumatischen Ereignisse seiner Vergangenheit ihn wieder einholen und in den Abgrund zu ziehen drohen. Gemeinsam versuchen sie, sich ein Leben aufzubauen. Doch als jemand unerwartet in ihre Welt eindringt, beginnt ihr Glück zu bröckeln. Und die Fehler der Vergangenheit scheinen sich zu wiederholen. Karina und Kael können nicht miteinander. Ohneeinander jedoch sind sie vollkommen verloren. Wenn sie sich die Zukunft, von der sie schon so lange träumen, aufbauen wollen, müssen sie sich entscheiden, zu kämpfen. Gemeinsam. Doch Kampf erfordert Opfer.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Military Fiction, New Adult

384 pages, Paperback

First published July 23, 2024

About the author

ANNA TODD (writer/producer/influencer) is the New York Times best-selling author of the After series, the Brightest Stars trilogy, The Spring Girls, and the After Graphic novels. The After series has been released in 35 languages and has sold over twelve million copies worldwide—becoming a #1 best-seller in several countries. Always an avid reader, Todd began writing stories on her phone through Wattpad, with After becoming the platform’s most-read series with over two billion reads. She has served as a producer and screenwriter on the film adaptations of After and After We Collided, and in 2017, she founded the entertainment company Frayed Pages Media to produce innovative and creative work across film, television, and publishing. A native of Ohio, she lives with her family in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back with Kael and Karina for a final time.
Book two ended with Elodie's husband suddenly showing up - on the day Karina found out that her brother is in love with Elodie. Whoops.
And of course Kael and Karina's happily ever after is still very far away too.

🥂

Well. I'm kinda glad that this series is over now.
I don't know. It was okay but nothing special.
I wanted a Karina and Kael love story with drama and excitement and all the things. And I got a little bit of that (and then it was way too immature and silly) - but I mostly got Elodie and Austin and Mendoza et cetera. Not that we hate them - but they should've gotten their own books.

I also almost stopped reading when Anna made Karina drive a car completely drunk. What is it with you (book and movie) Americans and your drunk driving?
That is NOT a thing that belongs in a book Anna! That's so dangerous. People will read this and think oh - Anna lets Karina do it, so it's totally okay if I get in the car drunk! Not okay!

Well. The book had a few interesting and moving and sad moments. But over half of it was not about Kael and Karina. So I didn't really care all that much.
I read it. But I pretty much only read the parts where people talked to each other - all the other stuff I raced through - if at all.

As I said before. One single book with a great love story and some drama and whatnot would've been great! But here we are - with three way too long books - with too long to wait between books and too much non-Kael and Karina fillers!
This could've been great but it just wasn't.
But don't get me wrong. It was okay. It was worth reading. But I just hoped for something better. Something just ... more!

Also? The title? What does that even mean? What kind of light does dust have? And why do we need it to have a light? Maybe it was mentioned in the book and I just overlooked it. So weird though!


💜 💜

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting more out of this series. I felt like it focused on everyone except Karina & Kael.

[Alicia Musgrove · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was slightly less disappointed in this final book of the Brightest Stars series. The first 2 books left a lot to be desired for me but this one wasn’t as bad.

I still really couldn’t stand Karina about 90% of the time. She is just so wishy-washy and her inner monologue was just irritating. It felt hypocritical most of the time and then just whiny.

I felt for Kael throughout this one. He was just trying to do the best he could for everyone he cared about and that ended up biting him in the long run. Especially with Karina. He was trying his best to protect her after all the hurt she has had in his life and she refused to see anything from his POV.

In the end, I was left just wanting more resolution. I also could’ve been happy with this book just being about Austin and Elodie 😅

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you @annatodd for the advanced arc. It’s been a year in the making but Karina and Kael’s story is finally complete (and I’m emotional 😭)

Karina and Kael’s story has been nothing short of dramatic and complicated so far. Now they must fight for what they really believe in: love. With lies, twists, and revenge all from their closest friends, the two are finding out just how hard fighting will be.

I missed this world so much and I cannot wait for the ending to be out in the world this summer! This is by far my favorite military romance and Anna’s writing is truly something powerful. Yes, I cried at the ending and it was so beautiful to see how the story wraps up.

[Randi Beauvais · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted this book to be the key to this series redeeming itself. Unfortunately, it was not that book. Book 2 was just a filler episode for this book. This book was action packed with affairs, true love, blooming relationships, unleashed childhood trauma. I wanted to love it!! Until the last 50 pages.
We never found out why the dad and Kael truly hate eachother for what happened (TELL US WHAT HAPPENED OVER THERE) We never find out what happened to Kaels leg. We find out whose funeral it is, but it is severely underwhelming. I had to go back to even remember who the person was!
The writing my overall was quick and easy to follow, and for once no typos!

[Nicole Marinelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel had that same couldn’t put it down quality that I felt when I read the After series for the first time. I flew through it excited to get the answers to the questions that have been building throughout the course of this series.

Anna Todd excels at writing these realistic and flawed characters and I think that’s part of what makes her books so enjoyable. You’re not reading about this perfect couple, with their perfect life and perfect friend group. The topics touched in this novel are raw and real, and you can tell she took her time to carefully craft those characters struggling with PTSD.

And of course, she’s a master at creating a web of drama, secrets and lies. I loved the Phillips/Austin/Elodie storyline and the chaos it caused. However, I didn’t love how it was wrapped up. It was all tell and no show. As a major plot point in the book, I would have liked to see how everything played out in real time. Instead, we never learn the full extent of the events and are given one or two throwaway sentences of dialogue that XYZ happened.

This ended up being a common theme I found throughout. The story tried to wrap up all the loose ends with a neat little bow (which I appreciate) but I was left wondering how exactly we got there, and often times it lead me to more questions than feeling like anything was actually resolved. The entire ending felt rushed as there was a whole two years of details omitted. And while I don’t mind the open-endness of it all, I was confused on the events that led us there.

Overall, I enjoyed this, but it didn’t feel like the final novel in a series. With all the questions I still have, this story feels unfinished.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Steffi · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Infinite Light Of Dust • Anna Todd ✨

SPOILERS 🚨

This book was very slow moving. I hardly remember what the first half was about, and then, like, 10 big things suddenly happen at once (including a 3rd act breakup followed by a questionable reunion two years later in the epilogue???). There are so many loose ends - I’m really frustrated honestly. I loved the first two books of this trio 😕

There was a very heavy & unnecessary focus on side characters, it felt like a lot of filler stuff with people who weren’t that important.
There was also still lots of miscommunication & insecurity within the main couple, which shows that they haven’t progressed much from books 1&2. The epilogue had so much potential, but you are just left to wonder about all the characters & where they ended up - including the main couple. Like am I supposed to just assume everything worked out for everyone??

This book could have been twice as long if the author had given some more detail on how things worked out. I have questions for basically every character. Where did they end up?? Elodie, Austin, Mendoza, Gloria, Phillips, Mr. Fischer & his wife???? Like I feel so led on and let down tbh, I was really rooting for Kael & Karina.

I guess they can’t all be good 🥲 I don’t think I’ll pick up another Anna Todd book again to be honest. 1/5 🌟

[Liliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was honestly disappointed by this book. I loved Kael and Karina's story so much and I feel like this book didn't do them justice. I felt like this book was more about Austin and Elodie. I hated Karina's mom and I don't understand why Anna Todd chose to make her a bad person when in the series is called after her saying. And also, after having read the After series, the Landon series and this one I feel like Anna finishes all her book the same way: the couple break up, spend a few months/years apart and then get back together
Also: are you really telling me that the reason they broke up was that? I mean, the books made it seem like it was something really big and unforgivable and it turned out to be that?!
I'm really sorry this book was not up to my expectations!

[Haleigh Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

i bought this book, THIS MORNING, and could NOT put it down. the first book of this trilogy is freaking PHENOMENAL, everything was so perfect. the second one was okay, but this one…wasn’t it - to say the least.

i feel like everytime i turned the page, i missed 3 chapters, and it was ssooo focused on everyone else BUT the main characters. too many plot lines for what is supposed to be the ending of a trilogy, not to mention this book did not give me a single ounce of closure from anything that left me hanging on the hook from the other 2 book.

love love love kael but karina doesn’t deserve him and this book shows that. not sorry!

[Dani A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t get the ending that I wanted from this story. I enjoyed the writing and the ups and downs throughout made me want to continue to read but the ending just fell flat for me. I felt like Karina and Kael deserved more. I know it’s the reality of life but I read books to escape real life. I know the military life isn’t glamorous and I am more than happy that this book discussed some hard as heck things. But dang it, I wanted more from them!

[Ann Folino · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series was good, but I don't understand, what lies did he tell her? He did keep things from her but he really believed he was doing right. I know he should have told her so she could decide for herself.
I did not like the ending, I wanted a little more romance for them at the end of the book.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more!!

I can't believe that this series is over. I need more of all of it. It is so raw but so beautiful!

[Cindy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Doesn't give much of Kael and Karina who made us read the books in the first place. The wait after the second one was too long. Dont feel that connected to the characters after the wait.

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly this book was one big disappointment. Knowing what Anna Todd is capable of I expected this to be so much better. The writing itself was sub-par at best and the plot had so many holes making it genuinely frustrating to get through at times (what happened to her dad?). This book was so wordy, but those words mostly didn’t make a meaningful contribution to the story. Sometimes it felt like she put more words in just to have more words. I’m left with more questions than answers. Book 1 starts with a prologue that leaves us with questions we don’t get answered until the epilogue of book 3… and when I tell you it was a VERY disappointing answer. Lastly, this is not some grand, beautiful love story. The ending made it seem like they had some sort of deep profound relationship and, maybe I missed it, but I never felt that way when reading the rest of it. The 2 stars are for the 2 brief moments this book genuinely made me excited (only to quickly be let down). I have more to say, but it’s all negative, so I’ll leave it at that.

P.s. the title made no sense? I have no idea why it was called this.

[dunjica♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first time I’ve really enjoyed an open ending! All the characters had fantastic development, and I love how it wasn’t entirely about Karina and Kael, yet still focused on them.
And that ending?! The new reset? Yesss!!

[Kayla Maliniemi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Anna Todd so much but…. This series was not what I was expecting at all.

[Yannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so so much 😍Kael’s and Karina’s story is so beautiful

[Melissa Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe a 4th book???

[Brit · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third and final book in the Brighteat Stars trilogy. My first military romance series did not disappoint. Karina and Kael's journey hasn't been easy. They both have trauma they're dealing with and friends & family adding to the chaos. They lean into each other, but when lies are exposed, how do they move past it? Love how Anna ties-in the beginning of the Falling. The ending had me in tears, although I wish there was a tad more to it. But maybe not wrapping it up in a tight bow leaves an opening for a 4th book?

Thanks to Netgalley and Anna Todd for advanced digital copy. Can't wait to get the hard copy in hand later this month.

[Hannah Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, as I have loved this series so much. It’s filled with love, emotion, heart break, and second chances. I’m hoping for a fourth book in the future!!

[Lana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4 / I’m not sure what to think. Again, the drama was alot. I wanted more focus on Karina and Kael…They got back together without really talking about it even with knowing he was leaving. And that she was not going with him. I didn’t think it was really fair of her to be so mad at him for not mentioning her dad or her mom, ofc he should have told her as soon as he knew. But there was always something going on so it’s understandable. everything that happend then her freaking mom showing up and not giving a shit, she was going trough it. Also I was expecting her and Austin to actually talk about it and her be mad at him ! He had seen their mom for weeks and didn’t tell her but she wasn’t mad at him, they didn’t even talk about it !
I didn’t expect the 2 years time jump to happen that way at. all. I’m not sure if I even understood correctly, have they been in contact during those 2 years ? Bc she’s literally moving to take care of his mom, so I’m going to assume that even if they were broken up the were still in contact. Right ?
I feel like it ended abruptly. No epilogue, noting ? I was disappointed…..I really wanted more of these 2 characters ! This ended up being underwhelming.

So anyway the 2 second book could have been better, the potential was there I wished it was developed more.

[Laura Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great ending to the Brightest Stars trilogy. I enjoyed the character development and was invested in all the storylines. I especially enjoyed the nontraditional ending to the book. Loved the hope and possibilities for Karina and Kael.

[McKenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I CANNOT BELIEVE I just read three books for that terrible ass ending. No epilogue? No nothing??? I legit flipped to the end to see if she had decided to write a fourth book or something of the like. What an entire disappointment.

This book was actually 4 stars for me until the last 80 pages when Karina became absolutely unbearable. People around her are almost DYING and she's in bed upset that her hair got pulled. She is the most self righteous, emotionally immature character I think Todd has ever written. Karina has an internal monologue 200+ pages in where she legitimately lists all the awful things happening to OTHER people, then says SHE'S overwhelmed... please give me a break.

The ending then took this mess from 3 stars to 2 stars. I am legitimately flabbergasted that Todd (of ALL authors!!) is allowing the story to end like this. What a disservice to both readers and the characters that were put through hell for THREE BOOKS. The entire story feels so empty now. I would have rather just read a Fischer/Elodie spin off novel because at least they seem HAPPY.

I am truly just floored by this shit.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Possible spoilers!!!!! Discusses plot and ending!!!
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Why Anna! Why?!?!? L really liked the complicated characters of the After series but with this series of Kael and Karina - I feel like it fell flat. All the build up, splitting up and getting together again- I knew there were some obstacles for each but I wanted an HEA, at least!?!? I feel like the ending was so open ended and left up the reader- which is fine for most people-I have no issue really…but….why not wrap up the story for both mc’s, give them some closure. Ugh! I wish I wish I wish the ending was different. I felt so strung along as a reader and to not have closure for both mc’s is frustrating. Esp since Karina expressed her feelings of distrust etc in the epilogue but then suddenly change her mind at the very last paragraph—-doesn’t make sense. I kind of felt like my time was wasted a bit (I did the audio follow along as well as read the book too) All in all: I liked the characters, the storyline kept me pulled in, but not happy with the wrap up.

[Elora · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to like it so badly but I have so many unanswered questions. I re-read the last couple of chapters just to make sure I wasn’t crazy and missed something major. Honestly, pretty frustrated with this series was wrapped up.
Why even have the mom come back? What did she want from the dad? What ominous thing was the dad afraid of happening that he wanted his kids out of Benning? Why did Austin need to lend their mom money? Why even introduce the mom if she wasn’t going to dive into why the mother seemed indifferent to Karina, but caring of Austin?! What happened to Phillips? And biggest undeveloped plot line: what actually happened during the 2 years? Why did they meet for coffee before the funeral? Why was Karina continuing to visit Kael’s mom after they broke up? Why wasn’t Kael invited to the dinner with his mom, Karina, Elodie and Austin? WHAT DID KAEL DO THAT WAS THE LAST STRAW that everyone, including his mom, seems to understand, but never actually acknowledge or verbalize (to the readers)??

Sooo many unanswered questions.

[Blane Rivera · Rating 2 out of 5]

“I want to be by your side until your hair is silver, until our backs hurt and our joints ache. I want to stay next to you as we make something of our names, struggling then succeeding, and until our memories fade. That's what I want. “ 💜
I am mind blown at how much I disliked this book. So many words for nothing to happen !!!
Book 1 and 2 left little to be desired. Kael was the only character and reason I even continued to read it. There were so many characters and I didn’t care for a single one.
The main girl didn’t like her either. Sure the kael made mistakes who doesn’t. There was a disconnect between all the characters. To many storylines. And the main one sucked so badly. The quote I put up is the o my reason I am rating it 2 stars. The only reason kael knew what he wanted. I don’t understand why she said no to him over and over again to end up taking care of his mother!!!!
Mam, this man wanted to make you his wife and you said no. I’m over the trope of “ I need to find myself “ . Hated it. Anna Todd wrote so much for Nothing of value to happen.

[Cas Mac · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I’ve enjoyed the After series and I really enjoyed the first book of this series, I really felt disappointed and let down with the conclusion! A lot of major concepts were sprinkled throughout the whole series and handled seemingly carelessly when they were all added up together. In this book I couldn’t help wondering….where the romance was? The ending was extremely vague and sad. I felt like I missed something, like the chapter of Kael and Kare at the coffee shop before the funeral….what was the point? So disappointed but still couldn’t put it down, hoping for a great ending.

[Hallee Grimm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m glad the characters finally got closure. Karina was the most frustrating this book, but overall I enjoyed reading how it came to an end. I literally read the whole book through in a sitting just because I needed to understand where everything was ultimately going to lead. Not thrilled with how everything went throughout this trilogy, but again it was a unique plot to me and I’m glad I read it. I wish the book was more focused on Karina and Kael because side character plots felt forced at times. Overall, After is definitely a series in its own league!! 3.25⭐️.

[Crystal Yocum · Rating 2 out of 5]

Its been quite a few months since I read the first 2 to the series but I don't recall it being like this. I feel like the main characters are pretty immature and the same thing just kept happening over and over again. There wasn't enough spice when they were getting along. Then the way the last few chapters went, it just didn't flow well. The last chapter was even more frustrating because it went from a funeral, to discussions about moving, to who knows what with this ending....

[Kasey Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The ending alone caused me to give this book a 2 star rating. A constant roller coaster of things going on, just to end that way. No epilogue, nothing. What a terrible ending of a series that I thoroughly enjoyed until now.