After reading Written In The Stars, I knew that I fell in love with Alexandria Bellefleur's writing and Hang The Moon did not disappoint. Brendon is just as adorable and quirky as he was in Written In The Stars, plus his love interest is Annie? Sold. There are two problems that are faced by Brendon: the idea that users of dating apps are no longer believing in romance and that Annie has given up on finding love. This leads Brendon on the idea of trying to prove to Annie that love exists while using his favorite Rom-Com's as a map. Annie, however, has had her heart broken one too many times and is afraid of risking it again. Especially when she has a job offer coming from London that offers stability and a chance to settle down. This romance novel is one that I can't wait for others to read, the characters are funny and so easy to root for. For fans of Written In The Stars, this is a must read.

This is the follow up to the delightful Written in the Stars. Here we have Darcy’s best friend Annie who comes to visit and finds that Darcy has gone on vacation. Annie finds herself hanging out with Darcy’s brother Brendon. It’s a best friends brother romance but here it is Brendon who has been nursing a long time crush on Annie. Brendon wants to restore Annie’s faith in dating so he comes up with dates from movies.
It’s a fun story with interesting characters. Brendon is a romantic and pursues Annie with fervor. They find themselves falling in love and they both have to decide how to balance career opportunities with the possibility of a relationship. They have tremendous chemistry. This is a fun romcom to read and leaves you smiling when you are done.

I simply adored this follow up to #WritteninTheStars. I was delighted to see the continuation of Darcy and Elle. As much as I love them I equally love Brendon and Annie.
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Annie takes a spur of the moment trip to visit her best friend in Seattle before she moves to London, however her best friend isn’t in town. Instead, she is left with Brendon, her best friend’s brother who she hasn’t seen in years. The one time nerd is now a 6’4 hot nerd ready to prove to her by recreating famous movie dates that love is not dead. He’s just a guy who wanted to be Hugh Grant and live in a Nora Ephorn movie. He decided the best way to beat a skeptic is to use his favorite romantic movies as a blueprint. This includes a Ferris wheel ride, drive in movie and a love fern!
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Romance is not always like the movies but the beauty of true love comes in the small little moments and all you truly want is someone that looks at you like you hung the moon.
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This has one of the most satisfying epilogues with a special treat for Disney lovers. Coming from someone who spent their honeymoon at Disney I couldn’t have loved this more!
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This book comes out May 25th!
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Thank you #NetGalley and #Avon for an arc in exchange for an honest review

After reading and enjoying Written in the Stars, I was excited to get Brendon and Annie’s story in this book! The premise sounded very cute, and I really liked the cover. Hang the Moon depicts a romance between a hopeless romantic and someone hesitant to fall in love.

All his life, Brendon has been chasing love; he’s even created a successful dating app for people looking for their one true person. Meanwhile, Annie, his sister’s best friend, comes into town on vacation to visit Darcy. When she tells Brendon about her reservations about love, he makes it his personal mission to show her that romance is real.

This book takes place in Seattle, with Brendon playing tour guide and showing Annie around town. It was interesting reading about the places they went to; I always like when a book intertwines a setting into the story!

I really liked the characters! This is a companion novel, so we still get to see the characters (Darcy, Elle, and Margot) from the last book often, in addition to Brendon and Annie. Brendon is a hopeless romantic, but not to the point that it’s ridiculous; I would say Annie is cynical towards love but not so much that she and Brendon are complete opposites. Darcy is the person who connects Brendon and Annie, and I really liked seeing her relationships with her brother and her best friend and how she helps both protagonists realize what they want.

The romance was so good. Brendon is Annie’s best friend’s brother, and they’ve known each other for years. He had a crush on her for so long, but I liked how, even though they haven’t seen each other in eight years, he isn’t hung up on her nor does he have this idea of who she is from eight years ago. This book also has a set time limit because Annie is moving to London in two weeks. Usually, I dislike books that progress a romance in such a short time, but this book acknowledges this. In fact, the short time span is Annie’s biggest reservation about their relationship since she knows she’s not the type of person to move cross-country on a whim.

If you haven’t read Written in the Stars, you can still read this book without being confused. It helps establish the characters in this book though! For example, Darcy is a lesbian and both Elle and Annie are bisexual.

Hang the Moon was such a sweet romance with protagonists who have have instant attraction. I really liked returning to this group of characters. If you’re looking for a cute romance, I think you’ll like Hang the Moon!

Hang the Moon is supremely precious. Brendon's story about a dating app owner with a White Knight complex who can't find love, who re-connetcts with his childhood crush had my heart swooning. It's not that Annie doesn't believe in love per say, but she's skeptical of romantic gestures and love proclamations. Hardened by disappointment, people who cannot handle the distance, and who move on. Hang the Moon is dual POV and allows readers to witness the lingering and new feelings of their relationship from both sides.

It's so stinking cute and will make your heart melt. One of my favorite notes from Hang the Moon is, "it's not a real relationship until your embarrass yourself or pee in front of someone". I stand by what I said. Hang the Moon examines how not letting people in is a form of disappointment control. How we can sometimes predict how we think it will end, before it even begins. The feelings when we realize we're more invested than someone else and this leaves us vulnerable.

Mein Leseerlebnis

“Hang the Moon” ist ein Folgeroman zu “Written in the Stars”, die beiden Hauptcharaktere sind Darcys jüngerer Bruder und ihre beste Freundin.

Die beiden könnten auf den ersten Blick nicht unterschiedlicher sein. Brendon ist ein großer Romantiker, liebt kitschige Sachen und glaubt an die große Liebe. Annie hingegen hat Beziehungen nach vielen kleinen Enttäuschungen aufgegeben, glaubt nicht an große romantische Gesten und ist auf ihre Karriere fokussiert.

Darauf aufbauend entwickelt sich eine schöne, flott entwickelnde und unterhaltsame Geschichte. Annie und Brendon verbringen zum ersten Mal als Erwachsene Zeit miteinander und schnell wird klar, dass es zwischen ihnen knistert. Diese Spannung war auch für mich als Leser:in spürbar. Dadurch waren meine Emotionen beim Lesen schnell involviert und ich habe mit den beiden richtig mitgefiebert.

Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist locker und wirkt auf mich sehr einnehmend. Die Dialoge zwischen ihren Charakteren fühlen sich authentisch an und sind oft sehr unterhaltsam. Zudem gibt es im Buch ein paar Szenen, die wirklich sehr komisch sind.

Alexandria Bellefleur erzeugt interessante und zugleich sympathische Charaktere, über die ich sehr gerne lese. Beim Lesen habe ich immer wieder mit Begeisterung feststellen können, dass ich am Lächeln war, weil ich solch eine gute Zeit hatte.

Das letzte Viertel des Buches war für mich einen Tick schwächer als der Rest. In diesem Teil der Geschichte wurden Probleme in einer möglichen Beziehung von Annie und Brendon thematisiert. Ich verstehe, dass das ein Stück weit notwendig war, habe in diesem Teil aber trotzdem die zumeist heitere Stimmung des Rests der Geschichte vermisst.

Alles in allem hatte ich mit “Hang the Moon” trotzdem eine sehr gute Zeit und freue mich schon darauf, dass auch Margot eine eigene Geschichte bekommen wird (ihr Buch soll 2022 erscheinen). 🖤🖤🖤🖤1/4

What happens when your childhood crush is back in town and you only have 2 weeks to prove to her that love exists? This hilarious and sweet rom com is the result. This is a sequel to the first book and features characters from the first book but you can read this book as a standalone. The story follows Annie, a girl who decides to spend two weeks with her best friend but said best friend is away on vacation with her girlfriend so Annie is stuck with said best friend’s younger brother as a tour guide, i.e. Brendon. Brendon is in charge of a dating app and when his childhood crush is back in town and his sister makes him her tour guide, Brendon thinks it’s time to prove to Annie that love exists. The story follows both of these characters as they travel around Seattle and slowly fall in love with each other (though to be fair it takes span in 2 weeks). It’s a sweet love story and definitely adorable. I loved Brendon and Annie as a couple and their chemistry was great! From game nights to critiquing romance movies to figuring each other’s love language, this is the perfect romance read for anyone looking for a sweet read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Can we just talk about how phenomenally CUTE this book was. I was laughing and beaming and swooning right along side all of the characters. Brendon was adorable and totally swoon worthy. Annie was hilarious and totally jaded. I love how we got to see the relationship between the MC’s and the side characters in depth and how those relationships added to the main one. And let’s not forget about the one bed troupe. Automatic love.

I do wish that Annie’s bisexuality had been talked about just a tad bit more. Annie’s sexuality was so briefly mentioned that it could be very easy to miss and for the reader to assume she was straight.

If you’re looking for an adult romance novel THIS IS THE ONE FOR YOU!!

I didn't realize this was a series but thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was the perfect sweet and fun romance book that I need in my life. I can't wait to go back and the first book in series.

I was first introduced to this author through the previous book in the series, Written in the Stars, which I loved. I was very excited to get my hands on this title and it didn't disappoint. Bellefleur has a knack for dialogue and humor that is right up my alley, and I find the sex scenes to be well-written, which is always one of the bigger challenges in romance. The relationships are believable and characters from the previous book (Elle and Darcy especially) are consistent and it's nice to get to continue to see them interact with the cast of characters. I'm really looking forward to book 3 which I am assuming will focus on Margot. I found Brendon and Annie's relationship very sweet and I was rooting along with everyone for Annie to make the choose to move to Seattle. Highly recommend this one.

I love that Bellefleur told Brendon's story. The complete fool for love, so pure in ways that I haven't seen a man be in other romances that I've read. His whirlwind time spent with Annie is wonderful and funny, and I loved this book even more than the first.

⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Hang the Moon is the second book in the Written in the Stars standalone series by Alexandria Bellefleur. I was excited to jump into Brendon's story because I knew from the first book that he is a hopeless romantic. He believes in hearts and flowers and romantic gestures, just like in romantic movies. When his sister's best friend/his former crush, Annie, comes to town, he is tasked with showing her around since his sister can't. Annie reveals to him that she has given up on romance and dating and Brendon makes it his mission to convince her that true love and romance are real.

I love the unrequited love romance trope! It's so cute that Brendon had an obvious crush on Annie for many years while they were growing up. Now that they're both older, the two year age difference doesn't feel like much of a difference. I loved Brendon's optimism about love - he is a man after my own heart. The romance movie references were cute and gave me a nostalgic feeling.

I wish there were more scenes between Brendon and Annie and less scenes between each of them and their friends. I felt like the friend scenes took up a lot of the book. Brendon and Annie had great chemistry and I wanted to see more of them together.

This book had the PERFECT HEA that was so clever and sweet! That scene is going to go down as one of my favorite epilogues!

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for a digital arc of this book!

In a companion novel to Written in the Stars, Brendan finally finds the happily ever after he's been looking for.
When Annie goes to make a surprise visit to her best friend Darcy, she has an ulterior motive--telling her that she is moving to London for a new job. But Darcy is out of town for the first few days of Annie's visit, so Brendan offers to show her around Seattle. The two begin to develop feelings for each other, but Annie has sworn off romance because of past disappointments, and there's the tiny matter of her moving to London in a month.

I really enjoyed this book as a companion to Written in the Stars! I think that it would still work if you hadn't read the WitS, but you will be missing out on a lot of details that might richen your reading experience. Darcy and Elle play a large role in this book (though they are not main characters), and it is nice to have their backstory. Also, the info you get on Brendan in the first book will help you better understand his motivations in this one.

This romance was so sweet. Honestly, a lot of the time I feel like the m/f romances I read are overly sexualized and there isn't enough focus on the actual romance, but that isn't what's happening here at all. Annie and Brendan are both very sweet characters and their relationship felt natural and realistic, if fast-moving.

I love the writing! I really feel like I know the characters so well throughout the book. They really all stand apart from each other and have very distinct personalities. I loved that about this book!

Pub Date: May 25, 2021
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content

After adoring Written in the Stars, I was so curious about how much I'd like or dislike this book. A not-quite-sequel in the same universe, I'm so happy to be able to say I was able to enjoy it so much! It's such a cute romcom of a book and I can't wait to read it again and be sucked right back into this story!

I didn’t realize this was the second book in a series. I went ahead and skipped to this one because based on the synopsis the first one didn’t interest me. This book was just ok. It wasn’t super funny or even that romantic to me. The writing wasn’t bad and it flowed well it just bored me. Nothing out of the ordinary. I wasn’t really a fan of Annie. She seemed a bit pitiful, dramatic any whiny. I ended up skipping through a lot and didn’t feel I missed out on anything. It’s also an open door romance which aren’t my favorite either. Overall it wasn’t a terrible book and I can see where others might really enjoy it. It just wasn’t for me.

Hang the Moon is a companion novel to Written in the Stars and follows Darcy’s brother as he reconnects with his sister’s best friend.
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I thought that this was a lovely companion novel! It was nice to see the characters from the first book, and I thought the romance was adorable! The premise was fun, and I spent a large portion of the book with a huge smile on my face.
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Although it was rather cheesy, I still enjoyed it. However, I still preferred the first book better. I though the characters and the storyline were more interesting, and I just liked that one more. I can’t wait to pick up Margot’s story next year though!
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I would recommend this for Hallmark movie lovers!
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CW- sexual content
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Awwww...why did it have to end. I wanted to savor this book, I am officially a fan of this author for everything. I loved written in the stars as well. This was so magically lovely. And it was right from the start. A lot of books I feel can waste 40 pages plus introducing things that the reader isn’t connecting with yet and really to be frank just want the two characters to meet already. This book started and hooked me from the very first chapter! I love the off limits trope, instant attraction, second chance romance so much, and this was done so well. Both characters were extremely likeable and I have kinship with our girl, I also travel and speak bunch of languages and lives in a lot of countries (including Provence which she lists as her favorite...hehe) and that speaks volumes to have a relatable character. Please write more books!!!!

Thank you thank you for the arc, I will be highly recommending this book to on my page.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a companion novel to Alexandria Bellefleur’s debut novel, Written in the Stars (a book I was waiting until next winter to read because of the holiday vibes but now need to pick up ASAP).

Brendon is about all things love and romance. He’s made a whole career of it, creating the dating app One True Pairing to help people find their happily ever after. He cries over proposal videos on YouTube and RSVPs to every wedding he can. Despite all this, he’s yet to feel that “spark” and find his soulmate. After a string of bad relationships and being made to feel dispensable, Annie has sworn off love for good. Due to her high ranking job in HR, she’s always travelling and living out of a suitcase. When Annie books a spontaneous trip to visit her best friend Darcy in Seattle she ends up coming face to face with Brendon, Darcy’s baby brother that Annie hasn’t seen in over 8 years. What follows is a delightful story about love, friendship, self-reflection, communication, and self-actualization.

THIS WAS SO FREAKING CUTE AND WHOLESOME, I literally smiled like a darn fool until the very last page. Brendon is the ultimate cinnamon roll hero, he’s so kind and patient with Annie and is such a caring brother/friend. The friendships were next level, I seriously wish I could get invited to their game nights. And can we talk about THE BANTER. The banter between Annie and Brendon felt so real and witty. I usually don’t love books with little to no plot, but something about this really worked for me. The characters just felt so well developed (even the side characters), that the lack of plot didn’t really bother me. I definitely recommend picking this one up!

Alright, all you Nora Ephron fans, this one is for you-- full of references to classic romcoms, chemistry, tropes upon tropes, and some ridiculously embarrassing moments. Both main characters work corporate jobs and live in big cities.
Annie decides to surprise her best friend Darcy in Seattle, but since Darcy is out of town, her younger brother Brendon shows Annie around. Brendon has had a crush on Annie since high school. That's really most of the plot! There's a little more external conflict with Annie's job and relocation.
I found this book super embarrassing to read, just like I find romcoms embarrassing to watch. I was blushing! ACK. There were a couple of moments that were over the top *spoiler warning* one being when they get stuck on the Ferris wheel (featured on the cover!!!) which one would think, in a romance novel, would be conducive to a first kiss or intimate confessions. Instead, Annie has to PEE IN BRENDON'S COFFEE CUP because she forgot to pee before the ride. I had so much anxiety reading this scene and it has refused to leave my brain. WHY, why why?? Also, it's pandemic times and I suggest we nuke the "gum wall" in Seattle and never speak of it again. I can't think of it without gagging.

I have to say, despite my embarrassment, Alexandria Bellefleur can write the heck out of some longing, chemistry, and kissing. Really sweet *heart eyes*. Also, "bi-five" for Annie being bi. The friendship between Annie and Darcy is so precious, the honest moments that Annie shares about her loneliness and the work that friendship requires felt very real. I can never get enough of that in romance novels. Annie's internal conflict is very centered on her identity as an independent woman versus finding support in friendship, love, and community.

CW for gum wall, honestly it seems necessary. *GAG*

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC. My opinions are my own.

Liked, but didn't love, this one. The fault is entirely on me - Brendon and Annie's story is a neat twist on the grumpy/sunshine trope, but like Annie, I'm just not into the grand gestures of romantic comedy movies so the initial wooing in the beginning didn't lure me in. I much preferred the second half, where Annie's reluctance towards romance was better explored (and not given a tragic backstory, which I also really liked) and Darcy's growth as a character (which I held against her in the first book) was shown so well. Bring on Margot!