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.

Thank you for the free review copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a cute story! I haven’t yet read Written in the Stars, the first book in this series (although I do have it waiting for me on my kindle now), and I had no problems getting through the book. It’s a great standalone but probably does equally well as part of the series!

I do have to say that of all the characters in this story, Annie was probably my least favorite. Brendan was adorable and I loved his friendship with Margot and back-and-forth sibling banter with Darcy. Something about Annie just bothered me a bit through - she was too unsure of herself. This didn’t detract from the story at all, but I think I would enjoy Darcy/Elle’s story more. And if the next book isn’t about Margot, I might cry, because she is my new favorite character :).

Overall, a cutesy romance that I would definitely recommend whether it’s part of a series read or a standalone. The astrology theme was cute but not over the top, and I loved the 80s/90s romcom movie references.

⭐️⭐️⭐️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.

Hang the Moon is a romance but it didn’t feel overly mushy which I enjoyed. In the book, Annie tells Brendan that she believes romance is dead and Brendan, being the guy that loves love, wants to prove Annie wrong. I like that the female point of view was the skeptic, and the male view the romantic. A big thing that I enjoyed is that Brendan is pretty attractive, his character wasn’t a jock but he also wasn’t a geeky nerd that would never have a chance with the hot girl.

Annie was given the power to leave Seattle after her time was up. She got to go home to Philadelphia to figure out her feelings. It made the situation more realistic. It wasn’t the cliche “Oh I love you so I’m packing up and moving my entire life to be with you!” Quite the opposite, while Annie had strong feelings for Brendan she knew that moving to a new city on a whim for a boy was not something she wanted. She needed to find a job, a place to live, all realistic necessities someone needs when moving to a new city.

This book is everything I wanted in a sequel and much more! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was even happy that there was an epilogue at the end to give the readers a glimpse into what the future held for the characters.

Something that would have been nice to have had in this book is a bit of Annie’s dating history. We get some of Brendan’s where we know that he goes on a lot of first dates. However, in Hang the Moon the readers are left wondering exactly what caused Annie to be such a love skeptic.

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!

This book was just... *chef's kiss.* I read it immediately after listening to Written on the Stars on audio (which I highly recommend--the narrator is amazing) and just couldn't bear to leave that fictional world. It's super challenging to following up a spectacular first book with a spectacular second book, but Bellefleur achieved the impossible. Now I'm waiting for a spectacular third book on Margot!!!!

This time, we see the paths cross of Annie, Darcy's best friend who is visiting town, and Brendon, Darcy's brother. Brendon's childhood crush on Annie hasn't gone away and Annie is certainly interested in the tall drink of water the once scrawny teenager has now become. One big problem: Annie is supposed to move to London for work. But can Brendon and Darcy and Elle and Margot convince her to move to Seattle?

One of the things I loved about this book is actually seemed super realistic. I can totally imagine Darcy's younger brother crushing on her best friend and them having a connection later on in life. And Darcy was totally supportive of the relationship--as she should be. I never quite understand those "off-limits" brother's best friend tropes. If you like your friend wouldn't you want him to date your sister? Idk--I appreciated seeing Darcy's support. I also think geography is a totally real impedance to a relationship. It wasn't something contrived, or what I like to call The Big HurdleTM in romance novels. This is a real issue many couples face. I also thought the pacing of this book made logical sense. Look, I loved Written in the Stars in all it's fake-dating-self-sabotaging glory, but I just felt like I really bought into the plot of this book more.

And don't even get me started on how HILARIOUS this one is. There's a moment on a ferris wheel that had me DYING. This book is sweet and sexy and funny and just all around fantastic. I'm also not normally a romance epilogue person (I don't NEED a proposal/wedding/baby/whatever-you're-stuffing-down-my-throat), but I really loved the epilogue on this one. No spoilers! Read it for yourself.

Thank you to Avon for my ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

5 stars - 10/10

4 stars. Hang the moon follows Annie, Darcy’s long time best friend. Darcy is out of town with Elle so Annie spends the week with Darcy’s brother, Brendan. In just two weeks, Brendon will try to show her that there’s more to love. This book lacked a plot at times but it was extremely wholesome and cute and enjoyable. Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for sending me this arc.

This is an utterly charming contemporary romance with lovable leads. Annie is a bit jaded about love, but her frustrations with modern dating are relatable and her casual queerness refreshing. While Brendon is the romantic and relentless optimist of the pair, his character is well rounded, so that sentimentality never becomes cloying. The concept of recreating classic rom-com moments, which is part of Brendon’s plan to prove to Annie that love isn’t dead, had the potential to be heavy-handed, but was handled with finesse by Bellefleur and creates sweet, memorable moments, as well as opportunities for honest conversation between the characters about their perception and preferred expressions of love. Readers who were fans of Written in the Stars will appreciate seeing how Darcy and Elle’s relationship has progressed in the months since that story’s conclusion and will enjoy regular appearances by Margot, Elle’s, and now Brendon’s, tried-and-true sounding board and best friend. Overall, this is a fun story filled with vibrant characters, laughter, and a whole lot of chemistry!

Hang the Moon is a standalone novel but it features characters we meet in Alexandria Bellefleur's debut, Written in the Stars.

I was so excited for Hang the Moon after meeting Brendon in Written in the Stars. I loved Brendon and I thought it was cute that he had a crush on Annie as a kid. I loved how open and sweet he was. When Annie first saw Brendon after years I loved how she didn't recognize him at first because he grew up and into a man. I loved how he loved romantic comedies and believed strongly in romance.

Annie, sweet, sweet, Annie is Brendon's older sister's best friend. I related to her being stuck in a job she didn't enjoy, moving constantly and making it hard to make connections. I loved watching her come to terms with her feelings and how she learned to trust herself. It's okay to be afraid of the future but like Annie learns, you have to put your heart on the line sometimes.

I loved the inclusion of horoscopes in this book. The romantic gestures were swoon-worthy. I also loved being able to see more of Darcy and Elle from Written in the Stars and what their ever after looked like. I cannot wait for Margot to get her story next!

If you love romantic comedies, grand gestures, and romance you will love Hang the Moon.

Alexandria Bellefleur has done it again! Hang the moon was everything I didn't know i needed. I laughed out loud multiple times, I cried when the characters were crying, and the steamy scenes were just the right amount of heat. The characters in Alexandria Bellefleur's books are so easy to love, when I was finished, I felt like I'd lost some of my best friends. Such a good book and I will be buying this and any other book Alexandria Bellefleur decides to publish!

I loved everything about this book. It’s the perfect fluffy romance with the exact right amount of very well written steamy parts.
I just reviewed Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur. #HangtheMoon #NetGalley

This book is, like Brendon, a precious cinnamon roll. I deeply enjoyed Written in the Stars and think I might actually like this book even better! The Seattle setting gave me warm fuzzies and made me want to visit ASAP. While reading the first book in the series isn't necessary to understand the story, I would strongly recommended it because a) the book is adorable, b) there's significant character overlap, and c) you get to peripherally see Darcy and Elle's relationship continue to grow. I adored Brendon and Annie together - there was chemistry and the tensions between the two felt organic, not contrived. Annie's problems and tough career decisions fit with her character and the kind of person she was supposed to represent, The discussions around love languages and how people need affirmation within relationships made sense in the book and are so important to have in real life. I basically read this book in a day because I didn't want to put it down. It's a sweet, heartwarming romance that left me feeling happy.