This is the fun and sweet wlw loose Pride and Prejudice retelling you're looking for! It's got a pansexual disaster character, which I know will appeal to a lot of people, and the fact that she's an astrologer will also be a big draw, no doubt. I don't personally find astrology or personality quizzes or enneagrams or any of that compelling at all, so I'm not the ideal audience for this book.

The Darcy character, named Darcy of course, is a buttoned up actuary. Just once, JUST ONCE, I would love to see a numbers person in a romance who isn't the withdrawn stuffy one. I promise you all mathy people are not like that!!!! There were certainly fun details to her character, but still.

Nonetheless, it's a tremendously enjoyable read, perfect for the holidays, and I'm happy to see more wlw romcoms!

Elle and Darcy may be star-crossed lovers - if only Darcy believed in stuff like that.

Darcy likes things neat and tidy: her apartment, her spreadsheets at work, her relationships. She definitely does not buy into things like soul mates. But then Darcy meets Elle on a blind date, courtesy of Darcy's brother, and Darcy can add astrology to her list of ridiculous things she doesn't buy into. Elle is Darcy's opposite: an astrologer, a little messy, and emotionally vulnerable. And despite the sparks between them, Elle doesn't need a star chart to know that it won't work between her and Darcy. But Darcy needs Elle to help her save face in front of her family, and suddenly Elle is in a pretend relationship with the prim and proper Darcy. But when the fake dating starts to get more and more real, Elle and Darcy will have to decide if their signs are aligning or if they're receiving celestial mixed signals.

Written in the Stars was an absolute joy to read. Elle and Darcy were both adorable and, at times, adorably frustrating when it came to falling for each other. Elle was free-spirited yet vulnerable, and her personality leaps off the page. Darcy simultaneously came off as a bit closed off in Elle's point of view, yet her character bloomed in her own point of view. Both stories intertwined beautifully in this interesting plot. This story was more than just a girl meets girl tale; Bellefleur shows how imperfections are not flaws, and sometimes the person you think is your opposite might just be your one true pairing.

This was such a fun read. I absolutely devoured it and wanted more. Alexandria Bellefleur’s writing style immerses the reader in the story with funny and descriptive prose. As an avid fanfiction-reader, reading this is like when you find that perfect fic with the right balance of tropes and banter, “angst and arousal” (in Darcy’s words)—and I mean that as the highest compliment.

I love Elle, I love Darcy, and most of all, I love their dynamic together. Elle is your typical sunshiny foil to Darcy’s storm cloud personality. They complement each other well and have instant believable chemistry, making you root for them as soon as you meet them. It’s so satisfying to read as Darcy opens her heart to Elle and the possibility of love.

Brendon and Margot, Elle’s best friend, are also extremely lovable characters. Brendon means well and wants to take care of his protective older sister for once, and Margot wants what’s best for Elle. I'm excited to read Bellefleur's next novel in which Brendon finds love.

Something else to appreciate about this sapphic rom-com is that it doesn’t focus on coming out or homophobia. While those topics certainly have a place in queer lit, it’s refreshing to read a swoon-worthy love story about two queer girls falling in love and grappling with family expectations without turning it into trauma porn. Let sapphics have love stories!

I enjoyed this sweet, fun story a lot! I always want to give props to a book that can hook me after I’ve picked up/put down several others in a row. Written In The Stars is a quippy, fast-paced romance with shades of rom com that was worth reading. I love a good starchy/messy matchup and I love a fake relationship, so Darcy and Elle already had a lot going for them.

I found myself wishing the tension between Darcy and Elle had been built more slowly. It felt like we jumped from “no way, no how” to “in an actual relationship” without a lot of justification for why they started having real feelings. I also thought the family baggage stuff was a bit contrived and unnecessary, especially Darcy’s mom. But ultimately I still bought into the romance—those little things just keep it “good” as opposed to “great” for me.

Overall, worth picking up! I think the style will appeal to fans of Talia Hibbert and Lucy Parker.

CW: divorced parents, emotionally unavailable parent, cheating (by one of MC’s exes), multiple references to Harry Potter

This book is sold as Bridget Jones meets Pride and Prejudice, and it does have nods to both of those, but it’s a delightful story all of its own. The story begins with Darcy and Elle having a disastrous first date. However, Elle is working with Darcy’s brother, so they can’t just pretend it never happened. After Darcy pretends to her brother that it went well in order to stop him setting her up again, she has to persuade Elle to fake-date. If you’ve read much romance you can probably predict most of the plot from there–shenanigans as they play up the romance in public and the inevitable development of real feelings.

As ever with this trope the “reasons” they fake date are a little dubious, but in this case it made sense within the story. It helped that both Darcy and Elle were very well realised characters. At the start of the book, Darcy appears to be anti-social, particular about her life and married to her work. Elle seems like a fun-loving free spirit. However, throughout the book we learnt more and more about them and they both became increasingly complex. We got to dive quite deep into their characters and the way their personalities interacted. They were very different–the book had both of their points of view, which I loved–and the way their contrasting personalities gradually came to complement each other was really well done. You got to see opposite points of view on several topics, which was fun. Both of them were also really sweet and likeable. I found it impossible not to root for them. Their romance was also well developed. It was really shown how much the characters came to like each other as friends as well as just being attracted to each other. This is something I find is often underdone in romance books, so I was pleasantly surprised by how well it was done here.

I also loved that both of the characters had other problems that they were working through, and that they both developed throughout the story. There’s a storyline about Elle’s relationship with her family, her business and one about Darcy’s past relationships. I will say some of this I found to be less interesting than other bits–for example, there’s quite a lot of astrology in this book, which personally I’m not super interested in. On the other hand, neither was Darcy, so the book did acknowledge the sceptic point of view.

The story is obviously quite focused on Elle and Darcy, but the side characters that were introduced were also given a lot of personality and I enjoyed reading about all of them. Elle’s best friend Margot and Darcy’s brother Brendan get quite a bit of page time, and it was really enjoyable to see the different ways they acted and were perceived in each of the points of view. Bellefleur did a great job of avoiding some obvious cliches for these characters too. All of their actions felt extremely realistic and character driven, rather than just to drive forward the romance plot (which can be another common pitfall of romance books).

There is some miscommunication in this book, so be aware if that’s something you dislike in romances. However, it’s very minimal, and I think it was justified well by the character’s backstories.

Overall this was a lighthearted read that I got through very quickly, and the most enjoyable romance I’ve read in a while. If you’re looking for a sweet sapphic romance you should definitely pick this up when it comes out!

I've already ordered this for my library. I loved the character of Elle Jones. I had never read someone like her before. Darcy's character was so uptight, that it took awhile for me to fall in love with her. These 2 together were the perfect opposites attract combination I have read in a long time. This books had me laughing out loud several times. I look forward to introducing this title to our library patrons.

DNF at 27%. I love the idea of a Pride & Prejudice inspired modern day FF romance. Unfortunately the execution didn’t work for me. I’m not liking either character and not feeling any connection. I put it down and have no interest to pick it back up. Maybe I’ll try it again at another time but for now this isn’t for me. Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the free ebook.

This was a sweet, thoroughly enjoyable romance! It kept me engaged throughout, and rooting for the characters to be together.

This book was amazing in so many ways. The characters felt so real - I was surprised by how much I related to their struggles. I love a good "adorable grumpypants falls for a free-spirited with a heart on their sleeves" love story and the author completely delivers. I was completely sold on their affection for one another. I didn't want this story to end but I'm so excited to read the sequel!

A fake-dating wlw romance with nods to Pride & Prejudice and Bridget Jones (although not at all a retelling) featuring an astrologer? Honestly what’s not to love. This was a delight. The characters were opposites that complimented each other so well. The astrology bits were great Easter eggs for those who are familiar with it, but not so much that people who don’t care will be lost or pulled out of the story. And although is a book set around the holidays that doesn’t need to be read around the holidays. Perfect for those looking for a wlw romcom!

Darcy is down-to-Earth. Elle has her head in the stars. Do opposites really attract? Or is it not meant to be? One way or another, it's written in the stars....

Actuary Darcy Lowell believes in facts, adores organization, and is fed up with her beloved brother's quest to find her one true love. When her latest blind date was just as much of a disaster as she thought it would, Darcy finds a way to use it to get Brendon to back down. She lies, and tells him that they hit it off. What's the worst that can happen from a little white lie?

Elle Jones is free-spirited, searching for love, and believes in what the stars tell her. It's kind of her job, really, as she is an astrologer and runs the popular site Oh My Stars with her bestie. Nothing in her horoscope could prepare her for the disaster that was her date with her new business partner's sister, and dreads facing him again to tell him the horrible news. Except, he seems to think the date was a success. Why? Darcy told him so.

Darcy and Elle eventually agree to a fake-dating agreement, meant to benefit both women. It'll get Brendon off Darcy's back for a while, and prove to Elle's family that she can do things seriously. But, soon, the relationship doesn't feel fake. In fact, it's starting to feel all too real...

In her brilliant wlw rom-com, Bellefleur rocks the fake-dating trope, mixes in holiday goodness, and drops in these brilliant astrology memes and lists (come on, they're addictive, you know they are.), all infused with influences of "Pride and Prejudice"! My only complaint is that I wished the book had gone on longer! (Seriously, I need an epilogue please!) Bellefleur's writing is brilliant, her characters radiant, and her humor spot-on and effortless. She is definitely a name to watch out for in the future, especially with her second novel forthcoming--"How to Hang the Moon", featuring Darcy's brother Brendon! (And, maybe, just maybe, includes Margot???? A girl can hope, right?)

I misjudged the book based on reading the summary too quickly so can't give a fair review as it doesn't match what I was expecting from this story.

Did someone say “fake relationship” and #ownvoices?!? I fell in love with this delightful rom-com and already want to reread it!

A horrible blind date that turns into a fake relationship to appease each of their families turns into an smart, sweet, and hilarious dating adventure. The characters are both fleshed out and we even get fantastic additional characters that I’m hoping we get to see in future books (yes Margot and Annie I’m looking at you two!). Darcy is prickly vs Elle’s starry eyed wistfulness is perfect for this great Pride and Prejudice retelling. Pick up this book - it’s one of my favorite books of the year!

Romcom fans will enjoy this fun new voice in the genre. The astrology/dating app setup was fun and modern. I'm looking forward to seeing more from this author in the future.

An out of this world #ownvoices read! Astrologer Elle and Actuary Darcy Don’t have a meetcute first date— it’s actually a disaster. But when Darcy lies to her brother and the two women agree to be fake dating, it doesn’t take long for the sparks to fly for her and Elle. But can both overcome their fears to find a happily ever after? A charming queer Pride and Prejudice retelling for fans of Alisha Rai, Abby Jimenez, and Jen DeLuca.

I received an ARC of this book from Avon through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review of the book.

This book is pitched as a queer rom-com take on “Bridget Jones” and “Pride and Prejudice”. I am a sucker for retellings, so I was quick to grab this ARC. One of the things I think Bellefleur does really well is developing the story beyond just being a retelling. Unlike some stories where it feels like the author just did a “find and replace” search while writing to update a story for a newer Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Contemporary/etc. take, this book really felt like it had more plot substance. The “retelling” was really more in terms of how the characters were developed.

The book also relies on the “fake relationship” trope which I’ve seen trending in a lot of the fiction that’s been published lately, but it works well here. I feel a bit like Darcy can’t be blamed for the ridiculous lengths she goes to, to avoid awkward or annoying conversations with her brother. Honestly, who doesn’t have an overly involved or nosy family member that they’ve tried to dodge or deter?

I don’t know much about astrology, but that wasn’t an impediment from enjoying the story. I thought Elle was a really fun character and really felt for her. I appreciated the way the author handled the toxic family situation.

This book was light, cozy, and charming. It’s just the right thing to pick up when you need a sliver of relief from the crushing weight of the world and the gloomy exhaustion of living through a global pandemic.

I'm always excited when I can find more diverse publishings for our adult fiction section of the library. Too often it feels like the diversity and fun stuff is limited to kidlit or the YA section. Overall, the majority of adult fiction (that I see) still feels pretty starchy and bland. I am heartened though by some of the growing offerings in New Adult (NA) fiction.

Written in the Stars was a fun and romantic holiday romance. Darcey and Elle find themselves in a blind date turned fake relationship with the aim to keep their families attention at bay. They never thought this harebrained scheme would turn into so much more. If your looking for an own voices sapphic spin on a Hallmark movie this book is for you! Swoony and steamy.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for gifting me with an ARC in exchange for honest review!

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I started this book yesterday and I was immediately hooked, this book was such an easy and enjoyable read. I'm usually into the Fantasy YA genre but this was such a cute contemporary Romance.

The characters were my favorite part, everyone felt real, it felt like I've known each of them at one point in my life. Elle was by far my favorite, maybe because she reminds me so much of myself and I couldn't get over how incredibly cute she was-and hot, honestly.
I loved the chemistry and dynamic between her and Darcy, they were sooo meant to fall in love.

It's everyone's favorite rom-com, the kind where you know they're going to end up loving each other but you're still at the edge of your seats because, will they though? Who knows?!

The only thing I wished was for more, upon finishing this book I felt disappointed that it was over, it felt a bit abrupt and rushed. I wanted some scenes with them together, un-apologetically themselves.

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a sappy, smutty, intensifying, queer, celestial romance!!!

This book was so romantic and I choked up on multiple occasions as opposites Elle and Darcy fought, faked dating, and then fell in love for real. I loved how the author weaved in astrology, and as a Capricorn, I was able to emphasize with Darcy even as I became increasingly frustrated with her for not communicating her feelings to Elle (who I LOVED). I really want to try an escape room (once Covid-19 is in the past), and I very much look forward to Brendon's upcoming story: Hang the Moon.

This was adorable. Initially meeting during an awful blind date, Elle and Darcy begin a fake relationship to appease their respective families. The possibility of a new romance was written well and the book was filled with longing glances, subtle touches, and all the other exciting things that come with those initial stages. I loved the way that Elle saw the world with such hope and really thought that she offset Darcy's habit of being overly analytical. Definitely had a cheesy smile during several parts.