Oh my, this book was so great! I wasn't sure what to expect, to be honest, as I don't read a lot of romance. I'm not interested in Hallmark-style fluff or eye-rolling silly love platitudes, but one thing I can ABSOLUTELY get behind is a "Pride and Prejudice" remake.

Give me a remake with a queer love story, and I am so in. This book features Darcy (a gal with heartbreak in her past and an awkward, somewhat stilted approach to life) and El (short for Elizabeth, who is a bit silly, kind of frazzled, instantly into Darcy but not there to be walked over). The similarity to "Pride and Prejudice" is really only a suggestion, which ends up being A-Okay! If El were really supposed to be a contemporary queer version of Elizabeth Bennett she'd be much more witty, contained, and smart. But the El of this book is totally endearing, lovable, frenetic in a really adorable way, and totally in love with Darcy.

I listened to this on audio, narrated by Lauren Sweet, and it was a very enjoyable experience. Sweet was a perfect narrator for the characters and upbeat feel of this book, and didn't shy away from engaging with character shifts and actions in the story.

I'm just so pleased books like this exist, and it leaves me hopeful that they can continue to find their place in the mainstream romance genre.

Thank you #NetGalley for giving me the eAudiobook version in exchange for an honest review!

While not exactly a true Pride & Prejudice retelling this was so sweet that I listened to the audiobook in one sitting. It was very easy to fall in love with both Elle and Darcy and see how they draw out the best in each other. I will say that I am super excited that the author wrote such great background characters and I hope this means that their love stories will be soon to follow!!

I listen to audiobooks usually at 2x speed; with that in mind the narrator was engaging and did a solid job of distinguishing the characters without making any sound annoy.

The Narrator did a wonderful job reading the story. The book its self was really good and i couldn't stop reading it.

Written in the stars was a very enjoyable read! The opposites-attract vibe worked pretty well throughout, though I do think the author kind of hits you over the head with how "opposite" they are some times. But I still appreciated the various challenges their personalities created, and I loved how the characters grew to appreciate pieces of each other that they had previously disliked, or simply not understood.

My one major issue with this book was how absolutely hellbent Elle seemed on being in love. I loved that her character didn't compromise on her values and her heart, but the level she took it to, especially without having any type of serious conversation with Darcy about it, made it hard for me to really sympathize with her position during the climax/conflict. This is another case (as can be so common in romance!) where a little bit of communication would have gone a long way. Nevertheless, I read the whole thing in only a few days so it was certainly an engaging and fun read!

I would give this audiobook 1.5 stars. The narrator reads very slowly. I put the audiobook at 3x speed to get through it.

I enjoyed the tidbits that the author included about adults writing fanfiction, something that isn't often acknowledged. It was also nice to have Darcy admit to watching soap operas and no one mocked her for it.

Other than that, I did not enjoy this book. The characters are very unrealistic. The conversations are written like the grown women are actually stereotypes of "raunchy teenage boys." Their relationship also seems quite unrealistic. They meet on a blind date that is a disaster, both own this. The next day, they start fake dating for a reason that seems as ridiculous as their meeting, jump into bed, and a week or so later, are deeply in love. It was too far-fetched for me to really enjoy it.

Elle and Darcy are polar opposites. Elle is an astrologist looking for her soulmate, and Darcy had her heartbroken and just wants to focus on passing an exam for work. They are paired up by Darcy's brother, and, in an effort to get her brother off her back, Darcy lies about how the date went. She brings Elle in on the lie, and they fake a relationship until they end up falling in love. This novel fits the enemies-to-lovers trope accurately, but falls short of a Pride and Prejudice adaptation. In Jane Austen's novel, both of the main characters realize they misjudged too quickly. In Written in the Stars, only Darcy is made out to be a flawed character who needs correctly, and the writing portrays a hostility toward Darcy's character traits. The language was repetitive, and the sex scenes were uncomfortable. The narrator was pleasant to listen to, but it was sometimes different to discern who was speaking, and the text conversations did not translate well to audio.

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur. This was a fantastic story! The narration by Lauren Sweet was wonder to hear. I enjoyed how she brought the humor of Darcy and Elle to laugh. I laughed right along with them. I’ve already ordered this for our library in book form and purchased both the ebook and downloadable audiobook for our Overdrive collection. I’ve told several of my friends about the book. Darcy’s straight-laced attitude was perfectly developed. I could see this 1st date in my mind so clearing while I was listening to the scene. Elle had me laughing out loud so often! I loved Margo’s character as well and Brendon, so if they don’t get their own books and their own HEA I will be so disappointed! I’ve never read anything by this author but she will be on my radar from now on. Thank you so much for the audiobook galley! I’m a huge audiobook user listening to over 100 books a year, so thankful this is now an option on netgalley!

Darcy, mathematical workaholic, has been burned before in love. She's ready to swear off dating for good, but her brother is relentless when it comes to finding her a girlfriend. The latest candidate is Elle, and THAT was a disaster. It isn't until later that these two form a plan... if they pretend to date for at least a month, Darcy can get her brother off of her back, and perhaps with a woman like her by her side, Elle's family will begin to take her wildly successful astrology business seriously, as well as the person she is. It doesn't take long for their charade to realign into something genuine... Written in the Stars is indeed a fitting title to this striking romantic comedy, keeping me starry-eyed and filled to the brim with fuzzy warmth the whole way through. Step aside, Meg Ryan-- Bellefleur is bringing us Sapphic in Seattle.

This was such a sweet, sexy twist on the traditional Pride and Prejudice retelling! I loved Elle and Darcy's relationship and the way the fake dating trope was used to draw them closer. Each woman had her own complex backstory and issues separate from the relationship that made me really care about them and become invested in their happiness, and I loved the way they grew to love each other so authentically. The audio narration was also excellent! I'd highly recommend it to audiobook fans or romance fans in general.

This was a really heckin' cute lesbian romance that didn't feel thrown together or wrong. The characters were strong, their growth was palpable, and the struggles felt real.
I really enjoyed being in Elle and Darcy's heads.
I've recently been slightly interested in astrology, just because I find it interesting and one of my friends got me into it, and so reading even slightly into the science behind it from Elle's brain was intriguing! I also love the dynamic between the two girls' careers.

My rating scale for romances is different than my other reading. Do I like the characters? Does it feel real enough? Does it make me smile or laugh? Does it leave me happy? Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Written in the Stars is my first f/f romance. And surprisingly, that didn't bother me at all. With a nod to Pride and Prejudice, the lead characters are Darcy and Elle. Darcy is an insurance actuary and doesn't take risks because of how she was raised. Elle is impulsive and messy, dropping out of graduate school to follow her love of astrology. This is a familiar troupe of opposites attracting and faking a relationship to stop families from interfering. But when a story is told well the troupes work. I loved the realness of their dealings with family and careers. I laughed at the texts and cringed at the insecurities that come with a new relationship, I listened to the audio book and enjoyed the narrator very much. This book left me wonderfully happy. I truly didn't want it to end. It doesn't need a sequel but I would gladly read a romance about the either of the main side characters. I will look for more from Alexandria Bellefleur. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Cute story! Happy to see a book that is about a LBGTQ book. I hope to see more of this genre. Easy and quick read.

Elle and Darcy are both engaging characters, even though they are so different. Elle is a free spirit with knowledge of astrology, Tarot, and chakras. Darcy is a bit boring on the surface with her numerical talents, all-white spotless apartment, and interests in wine and fashion. Each woman has her own type of family drama, both of which add to the story and their characters' development.

Like any real relationship, there are ups and downs in Darcy and Elle's journey. This makes the story feel more real than a unicorns and rainbows happily-ever-after romance novel. The romance includes sex scenes that are very descriptive, so those looking for a proper romance should look elsewhere.

The only thing that irked me about the novel (and this is minor!) is that during an escape room date, the crystal ball on the table is described as warped -- more like a nonagon than a sphere. A sphere is 3D, and a nonagon is 2D. It's like comparing a globe (sphere) to a stop sign (octagon). Theoretically, a proper comparison would be a nonahedron but no such thing exists. Maybe the author should have used octahedron instead.

Lauren Sweet is an adequate narrator if a bit monotone in the narrative passages. The dialogue has much more emotion. Sweet mispronounces a few words (Fibonacci, quagmire), which I find distracting in an audio presentation. Reading the times attached to text messages also took away from the story some, as hearing "Elle, five-fifteen P.M." before every text felt repetitive and distracting.

This book is recommended to those who like the enemies to lovers romance trope, or anyone who enjoys a steamy romance novel. Those who like "clean" romance should find another title.

What a delightful read! This fun rom com was exactly what I needed in the stressful times.

Written in the Stars is not so much a Pride and Prejudice retelling, rather the two heroines are based on Darcy and Elizabeth's personalities. This was an adorable fake dating/opposites attract rom com that was so much fun to read!

I loved Darcy and Elle right from the beginning and felt so much joy while reading their story. The side characters were also wonderful!

The story lost a little steam for me in the second half, but overall such a great rom com!

Overall: I would definitely recommend this is you are looking for a fun, steamy, #ownvoices contemporary romance! 4.5/5