A too cute for words fake dating f/f romance about an astrologer looking for love and a heartbroken woman determined not to find it.

Elle wants her overbearing mother to get off her back about her "unconventional" job and finally accept her for who she is. Darcy, still recovering from a broken engagement and shattered heart, just wants her younger brother to stop setting her up. A fake relationship after a disastrous first date wasn't exactly what either of them had planned, but it might be the perfect solution to each of their problems. Love wasn't in the plans. But between sizzling chemistry and escape room double dates, it might just be written in the stars for these two.

This was a super sweet romance. It wasn't marketed this way, but does seem to be loosely (very loosely) inspired by Pride and Prejudice, which I did enjoy. Just little tidbits like the names and Elle's family situation. A lovely read that doesn't mope around in overly dramatic relationship problems too much-- just enough to create tension and conflict. And the audiobook narration was really excellent. Definitely recommended for romance fans!

This is a new author for me (first time "read" of one of her books) and I was not disappointed. I am a sucker for a fake relationship turning into a real one, and this one was a fun ride to the end.

The MC Elle and Darcy were will written and relatable-you have one that is all in on finding the right one and the other that just wants her family to leave her love-life along. Of course opposites meet, do not fall in love, fake a relationship to help Darcy out, but yeah you know what happens in the end-But the story in between was just so fun to tag along with.

Also this is the first time I have tried audio with NetGalley and it was fun to just take a few hours a day and listen to the story unfold.

I will definitely be looking for more books from Ms. Bellefleur, oh and this does take place around the holidays, so it was fun to get you in the mood some seasons greetings.

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, but would have written the same opinion if I had come across this author on my own.

To see my Amazon review, it is under CC-Fun holiday story

Written in the Stars was a great romantic comedy. Listening to it this time of year was apt as there was a great deal which took place around the holidays. I feel like the over Pride and Prejudice references were a bit much, and didn't really work that well to me. I did enjoy the relationship between the two main characters, including the bad first impression leading to the fake relationship leading to the real relationship. Solid romantic comedy with few surprises overall. I enjoyed the addition of the astrological details, and the modern touch of memes and listicles. I'd recommend this to rom-com regular readers, especially those who want to see an LGBT representation in this genre.

This is a lovely adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, where just enough is borrowed from the original to keep it feeling familiar, without becoming predictable. The chemistry between the MCs was great. Some of the prose was a bit repetitive, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. I received an ARC of the audiobook: I enjoyed the narrator's performance, though I would have liked more differentiation between the voices of the respective characters.

I received a complimentary eARC and ALC of Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur from Avon through Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Written in the Stars comes out tomorrow, November 10th!

When Darcy's brother sets her up on a blind date with Elle, it goes horribly wrong. Darcy isn't looking for love, but her brother (the creator of a successful dating app) is determined to help her find "the one." Wanting to deter his attempts to set her up, Darcy lies and tells him the date went well. But she didn't think the lie through. Elle is her brother's business partner, a popular astrologer who is helping with the dating app. Elle confronts Darcy about her lies and Darcy begs Elle to play along for a little while. It's mutually beneficial: Darcy doesn't have to deal with her brother's pestering for a while and Elle's family will see she can sustain a relationship. They're complete opposites, so they don't expect their fake relationship to turn into the real thing.

This book was really cute and pretty steamy! It'll definitely appeal to you if you're interested in a sapphic opposites attract and fake dating combo! I enjoyed this one a lot. I mostly listened to the audio, which was done very well. Darcy and Elle are very different, but they're both relatable and loveable. My rating for this one dropped a little because some aspects of the writing style and certain word choices bothered me, but overall I'm so glad I read this one! The story itself was fun and made for a satisfying read. Written in the Stars is a great book to read over the holidays if you're looking for a sweet sapphic romance with a little steam!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an audio copy of this book and loved it. I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-f/f fake dating
-frenemies to lovers
-opposites attract
-grump and sunshine
-price and prejudice retelling
-so much sexual tension
-holiday romance
-a great meet cute blind date
-amazing secondary characters who I hope find love
-astrology
-an appreciation for soap opera fanfic

This was a beautiful love story. I truly enjoyed the narrator. My personal preference though is with a dual POV there be two narrators or an attempt to distinguish the voices more. Ultimately this book was wonderful as an audio book.

The imagery in this book is beautiful, a tender and steamy love story. Darcy was a wonderful grump, falling in love against her will. While Elle was open to love, the quirky black sheep of her family. I loved as they fell in love with each other without intending to, appreciating the differences in each other. Letting their nerd out. The secondary characters, especially Brendan were wonderful. The family drama was just enough to create drama without being over the top.

This was a book that was equal parts funny, tender, and steamy.

Rating: 5
Steam: 3

CW: parental abandonment, family tensions, alcoholism

The bisexuality rep in this book is very well done. There is no needless mentioning of men that Elle has dated just to add validity to her bisexuality, now that she is in a female/female relationship.
I also really enjoyed the story itself and the creativity of certain characters. However, I felt like the author was sometimes using extra flowery language in an effort to be more quotable.
The audiobook specifically could have benefitted from a second narrator or from a narrator who was more capable of doing two distinct voices. The narrator did a great job conveying emotions but with two characters that are wildly different I think it's important that you can auditorily hear their differences too.

Excuse me while I go sob because my little lesbian heart is so full!
I had a lot of high hopes for this book and it met all of them! I adored every second of reading this book! I love the characters so much especially Elle. I know some people might think she is "to querky" but I related to her so much it hurt!
The romance oh the romance! It was so cute and sweet! Plus (sorry if you think of this as a spoiler) this is one of the first main stream saphic romance I have read that actually had smut in it that wasn't tucked into the end and only took up like half a page. This book did such a great job writing what would be a tipical romance only with two women.
If I had any complaint it would be with this genre in general. I wish not all of the queer women were fem. Just once I would like to see a book with a more butch queer woman but again that is just something I would like to see and not a bad thing for this book.
I have always been a sucker for a cute romance and I have been waiting for a book like this for as long as I can remember! If you are like me and love romance just in general get this book. If you are queer and looking for the perfect cute queer romance this is the book for you. This book is so adorable and worth every second you spend reading.

Queer Pride and Prejudice, fake dating, and enemies to lovers? Sign me up. This romantic comedy was a delight to read. The insecurities of each character were compellingly written, as was the undeniable chemistry between them. Darcy (super subtle reference) was a stern and slightly grumpy knockout with a mushy heart of gold. Elle was the slightly flaky, very lovable astrologer who melted Darcy's icy exterior. In my head, I couldn't stop imagining Elle as a shorter, cuter Phoebe Buffay and Darcy as an actuary version of Jessica Chastain. Truly the only thing I didn't enjoy about this book was the cover. I picked it in spite of, not because of, the cover. The description was compelling enough to pick the book, and I'm very glad I did.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the digital advanced copy. It was well read.

Thanks to NetGalley & HarperAudio for providing an advance digital audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Written in the Stars is very cute, if rather predictable. It's certainly nice to have a lesbian couple get the "typical romance" treatment, and these two are thrown into lots of situations that feel like they would play best in a rom com on the big screen (or a TV screen on Lifetime Channel). Elle and Darcy have a disastrous blind date that morphs into a fake relationship to keep their families off their backs, Elle's because they think she's not enough of a "grown up," Darcy's because she's actually a bit of a humorless robot who eschews relationships after her engagement went kerflooey. Of course, of course, there's a spark despite the fact that these two are essentially chalk and cheese, and we listen to them sliding inexorably into a relationship against their better natures.

Audiobook aficionados will not appreciate the breathy delivery and slight vocal fry of narrator Lauren Sweet. Her voice is not bad, but she puts only the slightest variance of tone between El and Darcy, and Darcy's brother, Brandon, just gets a little deepening of timbre. In short, it can be difficult to tell who is speaking when. The slightly flat delivery works ok for Darcy, who is an ice queen (even lesbian romance has its tropes?), but the spirited Elle deserves a bit more liveliness than she generally is afforded here.

Not a bad outing, but not one that's necessarily for me. 2.5 stars

This was sweet, hot at times, and a lot of fun. With healthy nods to Pride and Prejudice (the main characters are Elle, short for Elizabeth, and Darcy, for goodness sake!) and to readers who enjoy a little horoscope reading with their morning news, Alexandria Bellefleur has written a really enjoyable story. Lauren Sweet is the narrator of the audiobook and does a great job. Anyone who can handle the light-hearted parts as well as the steamy content is talented, for sure. Her voice suited the story beautifully.

Elle and Darcy are set up on a blind date that is a disaster. They have nothing in common, Darcy is pretty type-A and Elle most definitely isn't. But Darcy is tired of her brother setting her up and gets Elle to agree to pretend they hit it off and are dating just to get him off her back. We all know this trope: fake romance becomes real, but when it's done well and the characters are as likeable as Elle and Darcy, you just go along for an enjoyable ride.

I love the confident, competent characters. Elle and her roommate are teaming up with the creators of a dating app to include their horoscope information in the algorithm. Darcy is an actuary who loves what she does and does it well. Both women have strong friendships and good relationship with Brendan (Darcy's brother and Elle's new business partner). The fun buzzfeed-esque lists based on you zodiac (favorite Christmas song, best holiday activity, etc.) are cute, too.

My thanks to HarperAudio and NetGalley for and advance reader's (listener's?) copy in exchange for an honest review.

Opposites attract in this delightful fake relationship romance set on the streets of Seattle! Author Alexandria Bellefleur and narrator Lauren Sweet are perfectly paired in this fun, contemporary romance, drawing out both the characters' and story's humor, heart, and insecurities about love. Elle Jones is an eternal optimist about romance. Sure, the dates she's gone on lately have not ended well. Nevertheless, she agrees to a blind date with her astrology "Oh My Stars" coworker's sister, Darcy. However, Darcy is barely tolerating the series of dates her brother has set her up on. After being burned by her fiancée, she's sworn off love, preferring to immerse herself in work and curl up with episodes of a favorite soap opera. Both of their families are simultaneously well-meaning and insensitive to their needs. Supporting characters, particularly their mothers, are really well-characterized by Sweet, adding another level of realism to Elle's and Darcy's interactions and behaviors. In a bid to get everyone off their backs, the two women agree to fake date until New Year's Eve. Sweet's performance draws out the nuances of the women's personalities, essential on this HEA journey, as they grapple with their growing attraction and baggage. Will they make it beyond New Year's? I highly recommend you listen and find out for yourself!

Written in the Stars was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020 and it didn't disappoint. It's funny and sweet, but there's enough conflict and tension to propel the plot forward. Written in the Stars begins with something of a Meet-Disaster, with a very messy--physically and emotionally--date arranged by Darcy's brother who happens to also be Elle's colleague. It's billed as a retelling, but Pride & Prejudice parallels are limited, however, and the plot is fresh even though the set-up is familiar.

From the outside, Elle and Darcy appear complete opposites. Elle is a free spirit and one half of an astrology company and Darcy is a buttoned-up actuary. (Literally, there is a scene with undoing buttons. *fans self*) But  inside are two women who are afraid of relationships. This fear leads them to some fake dating, so it's all good in the end.

Bellefleur's debut is as sparkly as the stars Elle lives by and the glitter in her hair, but it's also grounded by the development of trust and respect. It's not fluff and it's not angst, it's the sweet spot in between.

One note: I read this on audio (courtesy of the publisher) and I would have preferred a different narrator. Since it's one narrator voicing both characters' POV, it takes a certain skill-set to make the characters feel different from one another and I don't think Lauren Sweet pulled it off. Her narration is also very slow, so I listened at a faster speed than usual. That said, the book is good enough to make up for all of this and Bellefleur's writing is clear enough that I could always tell which POV I was in.

If you're looking for a fun, romantic, slightly P&P story, Written in the Stars is a great pick.

***

Content Warnings: past cheating, strained family relationship, mentions of past death of very-important grandparent, past death of parents, secondary character is pregnant

I received a (temporary) copy of this audiobook from the publisher for review.

Darcy and Elle are both experiencing pressure from their families to date more. After a disastrous blind date, they agree to fake it to get their families off their backs. Cue the enemies-to-lovers tropes!

Absolutely adorable, and I loved the narrator of the audiobook. A great, light romance read that just happens to be between two women. Minimal identity politics involved.

I usually listen to audiobook at least 1.5 speed, but when I tried to speed this up, the sound was warped. The narration was impossible to listen to at any speed faster than 1. I get so bored when I can't speed audiobooks up, so I didn't listen to this.

I don't have any comments about the content of the book, my review is solely based on the audio format.

Written in the Stars is a fresh take on two of my favourite tropes: enemies-to-lovers and the fake-girlfriend/fiancee.  Darcy and Elle could not be more different.  Darcy is an actuary.  Elle is an astrologer.  Darcy deals in facts and numbers and common sense. Elle follows her gut and believes in magic. Darcy does not believe in soulmates. Elle does. 
When Darcy’s brother, Brandon, sets her up on a blind date with his new business partner, Darcy agrees to go along, even though she has no intention of falling in love. She had her heart broken when her ex-fiancee cheated on her, and she never wants to be put in a position to be hurt like that again.  After a disastrous blind date with Elle, Darcy decides that she doesn’t want to go on any more dates that her brother sets up for her. But he’s relentless, so Darcy finds herself telling a little white lie. She tells her brother that she really hit it off with Elle, so now she’s off the market. Unfortunately, her lie catches up to her almost right away, as Brandon brings this up to Elle.  Desperate to get her brother off her back, Darcy strikes up a deal with Elle. They will pretend to be dating for two months before "breaking up" amicably.  Darcy will get her brother off her back, and Elle will be able to convince her family, who doesn’t respect her chosen career path or her life choices, that she is capable of being in a serious relationship with the type of person that they would want for her.  
Of course, neither of them expect to catch feelings for each other. Despite all their differences, they have more in common than they previously realized. And maybe their differences are what makes them perfect for each other.  (Insert "awww, so cute" here.) 
This novel is jam-packed with humorous, cringey scenes between Darcy and Elle. Their first date was both hilarious and a little sad.  Elle is desperate to find her soulmate, the one person in the world who is perfect for her, and Darcy is a closed book, desperate not to make any connections out of fear of being hurt again.  As the novel progresses, Elle and Darcy start to get to know each other better in a perfectly crafted slow-burn romance.  Bellefleur does a fabulous job of revealing the characters’ backstories along with their insecurities and vulnerabilities.  
The theme of astrology is carried throughout the book, from the title of “written in the stars” to a sweetly romantic scene in the observatory. 
This book is for those who are looking for a sweet (and at times quite steamy) FF romance that definitely isn’t love at first sight, but it's a love that still gives off the vibe of being written in the stars.
*This review will be posted to https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/ and Amazon, Goodreads on November 10, 2020*

I received the audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two women with two completely different ways of life. Elle is an over-the-top, astrology loving, free-spirit who just wants to fall in love. Darcy is a by-the-book actuary who just wants to be left alone. When they are set up on a date, chaos is sure to follow.

I am not one to read romances often, I tend to prefer romance as a subplot with other things taking center stage. But with this being marketed as an own voices, queer, fake-dating romance with hints of Bridget Jones and Pride and Prejudice… how could I resist? This ended up being a bit more on the “spicy” side than the cute side, which is not what I really prefer in books, but I know so many people do so this book’s for you! But there was still plenty of cuteness!

I really enjoyed watching Darcy and Elle’s relationship evolve and how their relationships with their families also changed over the course of the book. One of my favorite things about this book is that it was an actual contemporary romance that just so happens to be about the relationship of two women. There were plenty of conflicts, but none of them were about coming out or dealing with homophobia (Books dealing with those topics are great, but there also needs to be books about queer individuals living life, so kudos to this author!).

For the negatives, I will say it did fall a bit flat for me, but I recognize this really isn’t my genre so that’s expected. I just wasn’t AS hooked on the relationship as I would want to be. The story also tended to drag at certain parts and there were a few times it felt repetitive. But still, overall, a decent read.

The audiobook itself was fine, no issues there. The narrator was great. I was really glad I requested the audiobook instead of reading a physical copy, I think I would’ve enjoyed it less that way with the parts that kind of dragged for me.

It wasn’t my personal brand of book, but I enjoyed many aspects of it nonetheless. I would highly recommend this book for those who love opposites attract, fake dating, enemies-to-lovers, or just a good contemporary, queer romance! 4 / 5 stars!

This book was not my normal cup of tea, being an adult romance. There was a few more chapters that were graphic and detail you would expect from an adult novel.

While it is probably not appropriate to promote in a school library, it was a great read.

A well-developed F/F fake relationship romance. Bellefleur borrows her lover interest's character traits from Austen's Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. The relationship and its drama folds out like most romance novels, but with the narrator's heartfelt reading, the reader is drawn in and immersed.

So this is definitely one of my absolute favorites of 2020. An enthralling combination of P&P character archetypes, banter, and delicious sexual tension shaken together to create a perfect trope-cocktail. Also I am a certified astrology enthusiast so Elle's passion and career was the perfect garnish.

AH. For real though, this is a perfect example of opposites-attract and it gave me all the squirmy heart and pants feelings I love in romance novels. Darcy and Elle's simmering attraction is ever present on page, and the build up to their first sex scene was whew, real good. The fake-dating aspect felt perfect for the story and wasn't drawn out to a heartbreaking massive break. These two pretty quickly realize they really like each other *heart eyes.*

Plus, the cast of secondary characters (BRENDAN OMG) and the Seattle setting were so great. Elle's family is crappy and my heart hurt for her, so do know this could cause some pain (they belittle her career and accomplishments and only celebrate their other kids' who attain life goals like marriage, babies, and "good jobs").

And AH the descriptions of Darcy & Elle's wardrobe/fashion choices, the great world-buidling (their apartments, the escape room date, the thrift store, the Japanese burger restaurant) made me want to jump into the pages of this book and live in their world.

What a debut! I am so excited to get more from this author.

ALSO I couldn't remember if I actually read Elle's astrology chart in the book? The author did answer the question though here so I'll note it:
Darcy - Capricorn Sun, Pisces moon, Taurus rising
Elle - Pisces Sun, Scorpio Moon, Pisces Rising

I listened to 80% of the book and found the narrator to be a bit stilted and over emphatic at first, but I did bump up the speed to 1.5% and that helped me, and I settled into her narration as the story progressed. An enjoyable listen for sure!


*I received a review copy from Netgalley audio