
These Broken Stars
by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.
Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.
Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?
Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.
The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.
- Spice
- 1/5
- Burn
- Slow
- Pages
- ~374
- Ending
- HFN
HFN means happy for now: together at the end, with their future left open.
How spicy is These Broken Stars?
These Broken Stars is a 1 out of 5 on our spice scale: sweet (kisses only). Kissing, longing looks, maybe a fade-to-black. Nothing on the page.
- Steam: Glimpses and kisses
- Burn: Slow burn
- Pairing: One man, one woman
- POV: Dual POV (both leads)
- Ending: Happy for now
Content warnings
Some readers like to go in blind, so these stay hidden until you tap.
Show 1 content warning
- Death of a loved one
Our editorial notes, which may be incomplete. If something is a hard limit for you, check the author's own content notes too.
What readers say
Loading reader votes…
Read it? How spicy was it?
Tap a level to vote. Tap it again to take your vote back.
Spot a content warning we missed?
Tick anything the book has. Once a few readers report the same thing, it is added to this book's content warnings (still behind a tap) and to the hard-no filters.
Reader reviews
- Loading reviews…
Reviews and votes are from readers, not us. Community rules.
Tropes & tags
Setting & world
Love interest
Subgenre
Your next read
If you liked These Broken Stars
These Broken Stars: quick answers
How spicy is These Broken Stars?
These Broken Stars is a 1 out of 5 on our spice scale: sweet (kisses only). Kissing, longing looks, maybe a fade-to-black. Nothing on the page.
Is These Broken Stars a standalone?
No. These Broken Stars is book 1 of 3 in Starbound. It is the place to start. The series is complete.
What tropes are in These Broken Stars?
These Broken Stars features forced proximity, opposites attract, space / other planets, military / soldier. It is a slow burn M/F romance that ends with a happy for now.
Does These Broken Stars have content warnings?
Our notes for These Broken Stars include: death of a loved one. This list may not be complete; check the author's own content notes if anything is a hard limit for you.
What should I read after These Broken Stars?
If you loved These Broken Stars, try Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff, The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson, The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. They share its forced proximity and opposites attract energy at a similar spice level.











