From friends, to strangers, to lovers. Count Your Lucky Stars is a second chance romance between two estranged friends, after spending more than a decade apart. Olivia Grant moves to Seattle to start living her dream of becoming a wedding planner after her divorce, but when the opportunity to plan a last-minute, high-profile wedding arises, the last person she expects to see is her childhood best-friend, Margot Cooper. Fate intervenes and brings the two closer than they expected, leaving them to confront their past.

This second-chance romance had me hooked from the start! Although I have not read the first two books of this series, I was able to enjoy Count Your Lucky Stars as a standalone. Alexandria Bellefleur created characters that I could root for from start to finish. This is a sapphic romance with bi and pan sexual MCs, lots of pining, and spice. Not only do Margot and Olivia have great chemistry together, but they also perfectly complement one another. I cannot wait to go back and read the first two installments of this series!

Count Your Lucky Stars is the excellent conclusion to the Written in the Stars series. This book follows Margot who is beginning to feel lonely as her best friends are now coupled-up and she feels like the fifth wheel. Enter Olivia, childhood best friend of Margot. The pair have not talked in 11 years, but their feelings from the past bubble to the surface immediately. Out of some unfortunate events, the two end up becoming roommates where it becomes increasingly more difficult to ignore their feelings.

I absolutely loved this book. Margot has been a wonderful side character in the past two books, so it was lovely having her be front and center. Olivia complements the group dynamic perfectly; it is as if she has been there the whole time. Both characters have their own demons to contend with, and that is portrayed very well. Falling in love doesn't magically fix their own issues, but they are able to support and encourage the other through them, which I really appreciated.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Let’s start at the beginning shall we! I’m not gonna lie the whole wedding planner-ness of it all threw me off a bit in the beginning of the book only for a bit though. I can say that I actually haven’t read the other two books but now having read this book I ABSOLUTELY want to go back & read Darcy & Elle’s story’s especially! I’m also curious about Brendan & Annie cause Annie was super cute & Brendan was just a bit too much but in the best way. However we’re here to discuss Olivia & Margot! Long story short they were best friends who had an extra spicy weekend together then went on to hide in the shadows & move on even though it was something they both wanted but were afraid of losing the other or their friendship. So Olivia went on to marry her on-again-off-again high school sweetheart & Margot moved to the city but as fate would have it they would find each other in that same city working in close quarters. The way they basically picked up where they left off gave me hope. I couldn’t decide who I loved more while reading cause they each have a special place in m my heart ♥️. Olivia being Pansexual & not even having to really discuss/explain herself to any made me feel so seen. The fact that even her father knew there was something extra special between her & Margot even all those years ago was beautiful & true because parents always sense that stuff. I think I personally connected with Margot more & I truly felt for Margot when she thought Olivia basically swept what they had under the rug but in reality Olivia was also heartbroken about the same thing. Also Olivia unknowingly helping Margot get over her thing with cats with cat.Their love is beautiful & I just know their wedding will be even better than Elle & Darcy’s ;) .

Title: Count Your Lucky Stars
Author: Alexandria Bellefleur
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥/5 (Hot on the Smut-O-Meter)
Series: Written in the Stars #3
Tropes: Contemporary, Second Chance Romance, LGBTQIA+ representation - Pansexual, Childfree by choice, Astrology
Content Warning: Past infidelity, Emotional manipulative ex, Fear of abandonment, Past heart attack, Divorce

In Alexandria Bellefleur’s third installment of the Written in the Stars series, Margot runs into Olivia after years apart and sparks fly. I read this as a stand-alone, but I’m excited to go back to read Written in the Stars.

Olivia is an assistant wedding planner in Seattle who is rebuilding after divorcing her high-school sweetheart husband. A huge opportunity comes her way when dating app developer Brendon Lowell and his fiancee, Annie, have to replan their entire nuptials at the last minute. When she arrives at the first potential venue, she finds Brendon’s Best Woman is her estranged best friend.

Margot invites Olivia to move in with her after the latter’s apartment is flooded. After a decade of not seeing each other, Margot and Olivia’s deep feelings for each other resurface almost immediately. Things get steamy but complicated. Is this casual or long-term? Can they both get over their past hurts? There is the third act fight that’s a hallmark of insta-attraction stories, but it was quickly resolved.

I enjoyed both women's self-discovery throughout the story, but I was frustrated by the miscommunications. I loved Olivia’s cat, Cat, and Margot interactions with her. The little astrology lists at the start of some chapters were also super fun.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

It took me forever to read this book but that's how I am with ebooks oops. But this is my first book by Alexandria Bellefleur and will for sure be one of many. I have already bought the second book in the series (because yes I'm reading them out of order oops) But not only is this sapphic, with a bi main character, but had such an amazing story. I also believe there is anxiety rep throughout the story, there is also another sapphic relationship with two side characters. I absolutely adored this book and am so excited to pick up a physical copy when this releases in 2022.

This is the third book in the series and I love all of the characters so much! I seriously feel like I know them because of the depth of character development in this authors books. I want to go back and reread all of them now because I am in love! The love, the descriptions, the banter and the wittiness are pure joy!!!!! This was such a laugh out loud feel good romance and one of my favorites of the year!!!

A solid final installment to the Written in the Stars series, Count Your Lucky Stars was a cute, fast, and easy read.

I loved how easy Margot and Olivia's relationship was, which obviously stems from the fact that this is a second chance, best friends to lovers story so they settled into their old rhythm very quickly. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the characters from previous books have their little cameos. All of the books in this series leave me with the same feeling a cheesy rom-com on TV does. The bedroom scenes genuinely had me blushing.

This has all the hallmarks of an extraordinary romance.

One of my qualms is that, much like her previous books, the characters feel kind of flat. Not totally 2D, but definitely not 3D/well rounded. They're a solid 2.5D in my opinion. And the same goes for the relationships between the characters whether romantic, platonic, or familial.

Another issue I had is that this book is so ... white. I was hoping that there might have been more racial diversity than the past two books had but I was disappointed.

Kind of on the fence about really recommending this book. I would probably tell you to go read a qpoc adult romance instead to be honest.

5 stars! Another gem of a story from Alexandria Bellefleur. The storyline was so fun and I loved how it included the characters from the past two books so frequently while still letting Margot and Olivia shine. I can't wait to see what is next from this author. She is an auto-buy for me and I plan to order a finished copy of this book.

This book is a great finale to Alexandria Bellefleur's debut series. It was such a fun rom-com and Margot had me BLUSHING for a good bit of the book. What I really enjoyed about this book was that it didn't seem to follow a specific formula like other romances tend to do. It felt like a natural progression of the relationship, which could also stem from the fact that they already knew each other and could skip over a lot of the basic facts. Overall, a very solid read. Also, throughout the series, there's always a mention of the other book titles and it really feels like we're breaking the fourth wall here.

What. A. Book. Alexandria Bellefleur must have some direct line to my brain because Count Your Lucky Stars has everything I could ever want in a book. Queer heroines reuniting as roommates after a failed high school hookup? Check. Sexual tension out the wazoo? Check. A scene involving a curious cat and a dildo (be assured, the cat does more harm to the dildo than the dildo does to the cat)? Check (okay, maybe I didn't know I needed that last one, but the point still stands). Filled with heart, humor, and more than a little steam, this is the sapphic romance of my dreams!

The third book in this series does not disappoint! Bellefleur writes such great, rounded out, inclusive characters. I had enjoyed Margot as a side character in the first two books so, I was thrilled to get her story. The dialogue is funny, the romance is steamy, and the cast of characters is also a great read. I can't wait for what comes next!

I have loved the Written in the Stars books since the very first one. I love that these books don't just center around the romance, but the friendships as well. This is still the case with Count Your Lucky Stars, but that was probably the highlight of the book. The romance really fell flat for me, and for some reason this book felt incredibly rushed. I also didn't feel the chemistry between Olivia and Margot. I could see why they were best friends, but beyond that? I just didn't see it. I also have a really hard time believing that Margot would hold a torch for Olivia for ELEVEN YEARS. That didn't scream healthy to me honestly. And I have a lot of issues with Olivia jumping into a relationship 10 months after her divorce. She was with Brad for nearly half her life, she finally gets divorced and within 10 months (okay maybe 11), she's ready to start something again? She hasn't even really had time to figure out who she is without a significant other, to really find her place and footing in Seattle, and boom, she's ready to start back up with Margot. Okay, sure. This book felt rushed, as if Bellfleur was trying to get this out and be done with this series, and it left me slightly disappointed. Margot and Olivia deserved better. I liked it, but the other two will remain superior to me.

Count Your Lucky Stars is a very sweet and adorable sapphic love story. Bellefleur’s books feel like watching a well-loved romantic comedy that you can enjoy time and time again and this new book is no different. Margot and Olivia are thought-out characters who leave you rooting for them. I enjoyed the dynamic between the two and how they complimented the rest of the characters (main characters from her previous books). I’m not usually a huge fan of second chance romances but I think this one was done well and was easy to hope that they got together. I’m so glad I read this and will definitely be recommending it to people. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

This is a sweet sapphic second chance romance and I really enjoyed it. Margot and Olivia were best friends in throughout childhood. They hook up their senior year of high school and both are harboring serious feelings for the other. Eleven years later, Olivia is planning Margot’s friend’s wedding (see Hang the Moon, Written in the Stars #2). They become roommates and feelings are still being harbored! I liked Margot from the beginning of this series and this book only made me like her more! Love this friend group and how they love each other and the romance is hot as hell!

ALEXANDRIA BELLEFLEUR! You did it again. I thought Written in the Stars could not be topped, but guess what, you did it with Count Your Lucky Stars. I am so happy to have read this book early so now I can feel confident in my pre-order. Such fantastic story telling and you can tell the author cares for the characters as much as their readers do.

It’s a second chance romance f/f story. There angst and fun woven into their story. There’s a lot of moments that just make you laugh and smile.

I really wanted to love this but had a hard time with it written in third person. And I would have probably been a lot more into if I’ve read the other two books first and had more back story on the supporting character.

I've loved all of Bellefleur's books but this one is my favorite. Margot is prickly, loving, guarded, protective of her friends. She's a complicated and wonderful character. The yearning between Margot and Olivia is delicious and palpable. A wonderful second chance romance with two bisexual women reigniting their friendship and lust. It's hot and funny and so sweet. I loved it!

I absolutely loved Written in the Stars, and Count Your Lucky Stars has a lot of the same tropes- sassy but sweet characters, millennial angst, and sweet real talk between platonic loved ones (e.g. Elle and Margot, bffs who have a very lovely, honest relationship). Also, I didn't realize until about 3/4 of the way through that like Written in the Stars, this is a very loose Austen retelling. Count Your Lucky Stars is based on Persuasion, and the character of Margot (who says the infamous "I'm half agony, half hope" line) absolutely is an accurate stand-in to smoldering, jealous-yet-noble Wentworth, while Olivia mirrors Anne in putting the concerns of her family above her own.

My only issue with the novel was that it dragged in some places, specifically when Margot is having her pity parties. I understand it's part of her character and her situation, but I think some opportunities were missed for more fleshed out character growth, and for gaining a better understanding of both women. Written in the Stars was a near-perfect example of succinctly yet descriptively giving us the full depth of Elle and Darcy; however, I think the difference is due to the novels they're based on, since P&P is more character-driven while Persuasion is more philosophical (what is the true meaning of happiness, what should we want from our lives, etc). In this respect, Bellefleur does an excellent job of staying true to the source material, and as a late-stage millennial the exact same age as the protagonists, I enjoyed reflecting on the question of "how do we get what we want from our lives while overcoming our decades of baggage?".

In sum, I highly recommend this latest installment by Bellefleur and can honestly say I will read any and all novels she publishes.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had only read Written in the Stars (and LOVED IT) before picking this book up so I missed Margot’s evolution a bit but I was invested in her from book one already! I am a sucker for a second chance, grumpy and sunshine, and BONUS the dominant vibes from Margot were *chef’s kiss* The friendship between the main characters from the series was also perfect! Their banter and affection was exactly what I want in book friendships!! I ended up going with four stars rather than 5 because some pieces were missing for me that I won’t give spoilery details but I still loved it and will absolutely be reading everything from this author in the future!!

16+
5/5 Stars
0.5/5 spices

Tropes: Second Chance at Love, Falling for the best friend, friends-strangers-lovers

Wow, boy did I enjoy this book. This is a cute second-chance romance between two ex-best friends. To be completely honest this was my first book of the series. I loved the dual POV which each girl. Margot was definitely a character I resonated with.

Something that I really liked about this book was that even if Olivia was bisexual, she ended with a woman. As a bisexual woman, this was something that I wanted to experience and it was nice to read about. Normalizing that bisexuals exist. It was truly great.

Since this is my first read from Alexandria, I will say I did fall in love with the fast-paced writing style. I also enjoyed the POV which I mentioned earlier. I think Alexandria does well with this style of dual pov that is very fast-paced. It was the perfect length. Was a tad scared around 90% of the book that she wasn't going to be able to wrap it up in time for the book to end.

If I did have to critique it a little, I would have the characters address their ending argument more. Explaining more to each other and have that communication between each other like they did with other characters.