Written in the Stars is a heartwarming sapphic romance set against the holiday backdrop of Seattle. It is a fun read with amazing representation, not just in the main characters but the side characters as well; there is a lesbian character, a bisexual character and a pansexual character. With nods to Astrology and an entertaining fake relationship turned real relationship, you won't want to miss this one.

Elle Jones believes in true love, but she hasn’t had much luck on that front lately. Things definitely don’t improve when she gets set up on a blind date with her boss’ sister and every single thing that can go wrong, does. Like, every, single thing.

Darcy mainly agrees to go on this blind date to get her brother to back off and stop pestering her, and despite it being a total disaster, she tells him it went great so he’ll leave her alone and stop worrying that she’ll end up a lonely old cat lady. But she really didn’t think that through, and now she’s going to have to convince Elle to go along with it, at least for a while.

On the surface, the two are chalk and cheese, and absolutely not suited to each other, but they definitely have some seriously hot chemistry. I love a good dislike-to-love trope, and combine that with fake dating…yes, please!

I really enjoyed both Elle and Darcy’s characters. I felt like they were nuanced, messy, real and relatable. I also particularly enjoyed this one because it was set in my home-town of Seattle, holla!

I only dropped my rating a half point because the characters were a little immature for my taste, and their decisions and dialogue could have been leveled up in my opinion, given their ages.

But if you’re like me, and enjoy a side of steam with your romance you won’t be disappointed here. Wowza, this one is smokin’!

The audiobook of Written in the Stars is just over 11 hours long and is narrated by Lauren Sweet. I really enjoy her work, and she has an impressive portfolio of other romances she’s performed so you might recognize her voice.

The second book in the series, Hang the Moon, is about to drop, and I for one can not wait!! So, get yourself a copy of this one and binge it now so you’re ready to read book two!

LOVED this book! What a fun read/listen for all my chick lit fans out there. It was semi-predictable but in the best way possible. The characters gave me all the feels and I want them to be my BFF’s!!

This was one of my favorite books of 2020! Such a heartwarming romance with swoon-worthy characters!

Loved the characters' journeys in this contemporary romance filled with laughs and sweet moments. Would recommend to any romance reader.

One of the sweetest romances I've ever listened to! I believe it will especially appeal to millennials because of many of the references the characters make. (Also, "I like your dress." "Thanks, it has pockets!" Classic.) Unfortunately, the advance audio copy had some feedback that made it difficult for me to listen, but I listened to the official audiobook once it released and the production was great!

Once I started this one I couldn’t stop! Elle, our romantic entrepreneur and astrologist, and Darcy, the reserved numbers actuary who secretly loved daytime soaps 😂, didn’t quite hit it off on their first date. Can these complete opposites keep up a fake dating routine for their families sakes then?

Goodness... it is witty, hilarious, and #ownvoices story and just damn good. The audio is perfect for the alternating perspectives of the two women and so well done. Enjoy!

This is a super cute and funny read. I love that they were drawn to each other but also had a bit of differences that made them uncertain if they could make it work or not. That made it seem more realistic. I thought they were an adorable couple and i was rooting for them the entire time. I was secretly hoping that the brother would also find someone for himself as well! I really enjoyed this book. As with any romance, i felt it was a bit predictable. They meet. Fall for each other. Break up. Get back together. The circumstances about how they broke up were super predictable tho, clearly it would have to do with the {spoiler ahead!}

With the.. mom. Nevertheless it was cute. I adored them. I loved the narration. I would possibly have preferred there to be two narrators for each female to help discern who was who since you kind of hear it from each of their perspectives within the same chapters tho

🎧 Book Review 🎧  ⁣
𝗪𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 by 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘶𝘳⁣
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Much like Red, White and Royal Blue, this book surprised me and kept me giggling at the romance between Darcy and Elle. Two totally different women who are brought together by a nosey (well-intentioned brother) to pretend they’re in a relationship to get through the holidays. Problem is that they’re polar opposites from the start! ⁣
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Darcy is an actuary (𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩, 𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵) who swears off love after the end of another relationship.  On the other side of the duo, we have Elle who is a romantic at heart... her feelings are deep & unapologetically on her sleeve.  She also runs a social media account based on astrology with that aforementioned brother 😉𝘠𝘦𝘱, 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵. ⁣
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Contemporary romance love at its finest! This was a treat to read. Although technically I listened to it and I have to give kudos to the narrator because she did a brilliant job. ⁣
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𝘖𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘕𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝟷𝟶, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟶, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘸! 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 @𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 @𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½⭐️ (4.5 stars)

Written in the Stars tells the story of Elle, a twitter-famous social media astrologer, and Darcy, a skeptical actuary who’s secret obsession is watching daytime soap operas. These two couldn’t appear more different from the outset. And when they first meet, disaster strikes in the form of a truly horrible blind date. (We’re talking drinks spilled, outfits ruined, the whole nine yards!)

But both Darcy and Elle have reasons for making this relationship work – or at least, pretending to; Darcy to get her lovestruck brother off her back, and Elle to prove to her family that she can be “serious” about stuff. What neither of them plan on is actually falling in love…

This book surprised me!

Before even turning a page of this story I had already read tons of praise for it… So much so in fact that I had pretty high expectations going in to it. So when I found it starting out a bit slow for my tastes, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it as much as I had hoped.

But BOY, did it ever prove me wrong! Quickly, without my even noticing, Written in Stars had sucked me in until I was hanging on each and every word.

And those sex scenes?!!

VERY. HOT.

If your girl wasn’t completely sold before those, she definitely was after!

I think a big reason I wasn’t entirely sold on this novel when I started it was because I had certain expectations going in after being told it was a queer retelling. While there’s definitely nods to Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones’ Diary, I wouldn’t recommend it to readers looking for a tried-and-true modern f/f re-imagination of Jane Austen’c classic.

I think comparing Written in the Stars to Pride and Prejudice actually does it an injustice.

Written in the Stars is a romance in its own right, and a fabulous one at that! (Elle in particular was an individual treat, entirely unlike Lizzie Bennet!) It has unique characters, with unique motives, and its own unique plot. One that’s so tooth-achingly sweet you’re sure to get a mouth full of cavities from reading it~ (And teary eyed too!)

Written in the Stars was an achingly romantic read. One I definitely plan on reading again… and again!

Even with its somewhat rocky start, Written in the Stars manages to be one of the best romance novel I’ve read this year, by far. What a wonderful story! It’s sweet, charismatic; and equal fun as it is thoughtful.

If you’re a fan of queer romcoms, I can’t recommend this title highly enough! It’s sure to leave you feeling absolutely satiated.

Thank you to the publisher, HarperAudio, and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC of this audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

Synopsis: an #ownvoices, queer rom-com, Written in the Stars follows free-spirited Elle, a social media astrologist, and uptight Darcy, an actuary, while they navigate a fake relationship to please their families. The last thing they expect is to develop real feelings for each other. Do opposites really attract? 

Highlights
✨ a sweet, fun, steamy, heartwarming book with good chemistry, two strong female protagonists, and some astrology. What’s not to love?
✨i really enjoyed this story and all of the characters! I felt like i was just hanging out with my friends through all the 300+ pages, particularly since I was listening to the audiobook
✨ I’ve always been a sucker for the fake dating trope and this one did not disappoint! 👏🏼 
✨ i enjoyed the different mediums used in this books: text messages, emojis, and astrological updates. Give me a listical of what breakup song each zodiac sign listens to or what their go-to snack is any day. I eat that shit up 😂 

Lowlights 
✨i felt like the shift in their feelings for each other wasn’t fully fleshed out and happened a little abruptly for my liking
✨ the ending was a bit rushed. I think it would have been perfect had the author added an epilogue

Written in the Stars was a delightful grumpy/sunshine romance that tugged at the heartstrings. 

Elle was a romantic and made her living doing contract work for a new online dating app. Her new boss, Brendon, set her up with his sister Darcy and while the two didn't have the meet-cute Brendon had hoped for, they still got their happily ever after. Darcy and Elle were complete opposites; Darcy was prickly and didn't know if she believed in love and Elle was looking for the One. Bellefleur mixed humor and family angst without one overpowering the other, this made both Darcy and Elle come across as well rounded characters.

I opted to go the audiobook route and I was impressed with Lauren Sweet's performance. She captured Elle's whimsical nature while also conveying Darcy's sardonic outlook. Written in the Stars was a romance that left me with a smile on my face and was just what I needed.

Astrology. Pride and Prejudice references. Fake dating. What's not to love about this book? As soon as I read that this book featured an astrology element I had to read it. It was something unique and as a lover of all things astrology, I loved all the nods to the stars in this story. 

Elle and Darcy are very different people (based loosely on Darcy and Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice). Elle is a social media astrologist and Darcy is an actuary who doesn't believe the stars say anything about people. They end up in a fake relationship to appease their friends and family and eventually they become friends and fall in love. 

This book was so cute.  It had undeniable chemistry, endearing prose, relatable characters, a unique concept, and all the warm and fuzzies one wants from a rom-com. I was rooting for Elle and Darcy from the first disastrous date and they were honestly written in the stars despite being such opposites. This was a great book and for an added bonus, it took place during the holidays which made it the perfect read for this time of year.

*Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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

This was a delight. It gave me some Bridget Jones and Pride and Predudice vibes and I adored our two leads! They complimented each other very well and were written realistically.

I hadn't read about someone being an astrologer as a profession before, so that was neat!

I was looking for a w|w romcom and this  was so right up my alley. 

Also, just because this takes place during the holidays, it doesn't mean that you can't read and enjoy any time of the year!

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