The Light of Stars JustRead Tour {book review and giveaway}
Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for The Light of Stars by Jenelle Hovde, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
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
Excerpt
1803, Hyderabad, India
The night smelled of jasmine and smoke.
Torchlight flickered across the marble arches and carved lattice screens, sending shadows skittering along the palace courtyard. I clutched Ghulam’s hand so tightly my nails must have bitten into his skin, but my older brother did not flinch. His other arm wrapped around my sleeve, tugging me close to the shelter of the wall, as if he alone could drag me out of the open expanse and back into the safety of the harem. Somewhere beyond the colonnade, voices shouted, sharp and urgent.
“Stay with me, Noor,” Ghulam whispered as a clash of boots echoed against the pavement.
British soldiers and sepoys burst through the arched gateway, red coats blazing in the torchlight. Brass plates on the tall shakos atop their heads caught the firelight and flashed like coins, while their white trousers looked already dust-stained from battle.
We pressed ourselves deeper into the shadowed edge of the courtyard, hearts hammering, as if stillness alone could keep us invisible.
I hid behind my brave twelve-year- old brother . I was only six, still small enough to believe in whispered promises. We had been awakened in the middle of the night by a servant who coaxed us outside with strange tales of dates and sweets and our mother waiting for us on a moonlit adventure. Of course, we agreed—especially after being confined to our rooms for days while illness swept through the palace. And with Father newly gone, Mother’s absence weighed heavier than ever. She often took us out in the late evening for fresh air and to point out the stars above and teach us their names.
But no treats and no Mother awaited us.
The servant who had lured us away slipped back into the palace, leaving us stranded as the soldiers advanced, muskets leveled and bayonets gleaming sharp and merciless. At their head strode an older man with red hair already streaked with gray, his scarlet coat trimmed in gold and a crimson sash slashed across his chest. His sword gleamed, unsheathed and catching every flicker of flame as he barked for the guards to clear the way. When he saw us, he gestured to my brother and me with a weapon in hand.
“Drag him. And her, if you must,” he said in Urdu.
Within seconds I was yanked from my brother’s side by one of the soldiers and forced to move toward the older man, who stared at me.
I screamed as loud as I could. Where was my mother? Surely the nizam’s guards would rescue us. Why
were they nowhere to be found?
“Let my sister go!” Ghulam cried, but he was powerless against such strong men.
We stumbled over the tiles of the courtyard, our slippered feet sliding in haste, the hem of my purple gown darkening with dust. Shouts erupted behind us, the clipped orders of British soldiers mingling with the sudden wails of women. More torches hissed in the damp night air, signaling an invasion.
“Faster!” the older man snapped as we were driven out of the courtyard.
A soldier’s gloved hand shoved against my shoulder, forcing me forward. My foot caught on the edge of a tile and I pitched to my knees, the stone biting through silk. Pain stung, but I twisted back, clawing against his grip, desperate to wrench free. My gaze flew to the doorway we had just left.
My mother stood there, framed in the lamplight, her jeweled veil slipping loose as she reached for us. Her chest heaved as if she had run as fast as she could.
“Noor! Ghulam!” Her voice broke as the British soldiers barred her way. “Give me my children!”
I screamed again and lurched against the soldier’s grip, grasping for her. She flung her arms toward me as well, her fingers straining as if somehow she could touch me despite the distance.
“Don’t look behind you. Don’t stop,” the older man said fiercely as he grabbed my hand, his grip crushing like an iron band.
My mother’s frantic sobs echoed behind us, mingling with the pounding of boots.
The older man swept me into his arms and hurled me toward a waiting black carriage just beyond the palace gates. Behind us, the great doors of the courtyard gaped open, unguarded and ominously silent.
“Where are they taking us?” I whispered. “Why isn’t Mother coming with us?”
Ghulam’s lips pressed into a thin line. He did not answer. Perhaps he did not know. Perhaps he feared the answer.
Pressing against the window, I strained for some sight of Mother within the courtyard where I had played the day before. A whip cracked. Our carriage lurched. The palace receded into the night, its white domes and minarets shrinking until only the stars remained above.
I sank against the cushioned seat, my body shaking. My brother wrapped an arm around me, awkward and stiff, but protective all the same.
“We’ll be all right,” he said through gritted teeth. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I prom—”
“Listen to me,” the old man interrupted. “Do you know who I am?” I sniffled and shook my head.
“I am your grandfather, Colonel Richard Grenville. When I learned of your father’s untimely demise and rumors of diphtheria gutting the city, I came all the way from London to find you.”
“ I-I want my m- mother,” I demanded as I shivered uncontrollably.
He leaned forward, the leather seat creaking beneath his weight. “You must never speak of her again. You are going to live with me at my estate. You both will learn to speak English since you are the children of a gentleman. Your names are now Edward and Katherine Grenville. I never want to hear Urdu out of your mouths after tonight.”
Ghulam’s grip tightened around my shoulders while I cried. He muttered a very naughty word in Urdu, barely loud enough for me to hear.
My mother’s cries still rang in my ears even though we were far from the palace. Ahead lay a future I could not imagine— a world without the warmth of her embrace, without the songs that had once lulled me to sleep beneath painted ceilings and fringed canopies. I slumped against my brother as the city flashed by. What I could see of the sky was now devoid of stars— the very lights my mother loved to point out to me.
Darkness fell within the carriage as we raced into the unknown, and my grandfather said no more.
The only thing I knew for certain was this: Nothing would ever be the same again.
My Thoughts
The Light of Stars grabbed my attention in a powerful way from the start. It has a duel location setting: England and India. And in this story, you will meet William Carey, and William Wilberforce, and learn about some of the inner workings of the East India Company, and even touches on the sale of opium.
My heart was impacted by the situations both Katherine (Kitty) and Sebastian found themselves in, the need to prove their worth to their grandfathers, and basically being forced into an arranged marriage. I enjoyed seeing their faith grow, and their relationship with each other.
It's beautifully written, which also covers some tough topics.
If you enjoy sweet Regency romance, with a dose of faith, and a strong female in STEM, I recommend this for your TBR list.
I received a complimentary copy. These opinions are my own.
About the Author
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!
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