Super steamy sapphic friends to lovers romance! Loved it more than the first installment of the series, but it still just wasn't for me, as I didn't feel connected to the characters or the story. Love that there was more spice than the first book with Elle & Darcy, but the plot still felt very contrived and stunted. I like how you can read it as a standalone and don't necessarily have to read the previous two books to understand the gist of the series. Just didn't find it super special & it didn't blow me away, but it was a fun summer read nonetheless!

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Count Your Lucky Stars was such a good read. Margot and Olivia were best friends in high school until their relationship fell apart. Fast forward 11 years and they are reunited, and so are their feelings for each other. I love the relationship between Margot and Olivia. I found this story to be beautifully written and I really enjoyed it.

I generally don't read my ARCs this far in advance, but I finished book two of this series earlier this week and I was so excited for this one! Unfortunately, this didn't live up to my expectations and I didn't like it nearly as much as the other two.

This felt like the author needed a third book for Margot so she just threw something together. Margo and Olivia's relationship wasn't as realistic and relatable as the previous books. Things between them moved incredibly fast and there should have been more difficult conversations between them to get them through their past, but that never happened. There were more sex scenes between them than actual relationship stuff and while that felt realistic, they were carried away in lust, it didn't make sense that they'd reconcile everything so quickly to be in love and trusting each other.

I still loved Margot in this book and the side characters and there was some great humor, but the story felt thrown together. Olivia is a complicated character and we didn't get enough of her motivations for me to root for her.

Overall this was a quick, entertaining read and I recommend it for readers of this series. I don't think it would work well as a stand alone.

This book was a charming mix between a really sweet romance and a very steamy romance; it bounced back and forth between the two so naturally. For the sweet side, we're seeing a second-chance romance play out: two past best friends who once had a fling that ended due to a big miscommunication finally meet up a whopping eleven years later and, due to unforeseen circumstances, end up rooming together. For the steamy side, well... let's just say they still have the chemistry they had together eleven years ago. Also, it's the "they were roommates!" trope. You can connect the dots.

Since we as the reader see both Olivia and Margot's point of view throughout the story, we know that what happened in their past was blown out of proportion and extremely misunderstood, but they don't for the longest time, and you just wish you could reach into the pages of the book and shake some sense into them both. "Communicate! Talk to each other! You both want the same thing!" you wish you could yell, but even knowing that they're sort of just barely missing each other, you can't help but root for them. There's just something about a second chance romance that really, really makes you want it to work out this time, huh? And Olivia and Margot were clearly so good for each other.

That's the main takeaway for me from this book: The way the two of them supported each other throughout the whole thing. There is so much conversation throughout the whole story about knowing when to stand up for yourself, knowing when you deserve better, and not giving too much of yourself away for the sake of other people. Knowing when to trust the people around you and when to set firm boundaries with them. It honestly was such good advice that the two girls were constantly giving each other, and I think it's things that a lot of people need to hear. I think that readers will get a lot more than just a cute romance from this book - there's some real, straight-to-the-point, no nonsense relationship (and friendship!) advice that part of me wishes I could shout from the rooftops.

So if you're wanting a cute, fast, steamy romance, this is definitely a great one to pick up, but you're also getting more than you bargained for. It's just genuinely a book that feels like it could be important for a lot of people to hear, and I'm really glad that I read it, honestly.

My gosh I love this so much! I loved the first two books in the series and this one did not disappoint! It's sweet and sexy and funny and cute as hell and I love Margot and Olivia so much. Second chances? Childhood best friends to lovers? New roommates? All while planning a wedding?! This was catnip for me. And don't even get me started on the gorgeous cover.

Childhood best friends Margot and Olivia both had feelings for the other but a simple miscommunication leads to awkwardness and estrangement. Now, eleven years later Olivia and Margot are back in each other's lives and those feelings have come rushing back.

In CYLS, we get to see all our favorite characters from previous books and how their relationships have grown. I love that even though this is a romance, we still get the relationships between friends here and they are made to be just as important as the romantic relationships. The cast of characters is just wonderful and I love them all so much. Especially Cat. I love a book with a sassy cat.

RATING 4/5 STARS

At this point, it's established that I will read anything Alexandria Bellefleur writes. I loved Margot's story. She and Olivia had fantastic tension, which made the build-up to them becoming a couple so exciting and edgy. The second-chance romance was very well-executed and paced. I didn't feel like their relationship was rushed or boring at any parts. The extra insight into Margot's character was something I was looking forward to in this book - from the previous books we know she is a little hard on the outside but cares deeply for her friends. So I loved exploring those personality traits in her POV. There were also some witty lines in this book that gave it a comedic element that may contemporary romances lack, so that was a nice surprise!

Basically the only reason this book gets 4 stars is because the first two books set an incredibly high bar. Darcy and Brendon are still my favorite characters from this series, so I was happy that they were featured throughout this book!

A sincere thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Count Your Lucky Stars is an absolutely delightful read. While there is no doubt this romance can stand on its own, it also provides a fitting conclusion for all of the story arcs begun in Written in the Stars. It is refreshing that the couples from the previous books, Elle and Darcy and Brendon and Annie, play significant roles here, not just bit parts, but that they also don’t overshadow Margot and Olivia, whose chemistry is definitely the star of the show.

Margot and Olivia were best friends in high school until some complicated emotions and lack of communication tore them apart. Margot hasn’t seen or spoken to Olivia in 11 years, but suddenly Olivia appears as if from nowhere to plan Brendon and Annie’s wedding and becomes a big part of her life again, stirring up feelings Margot is worried Olivia doesn’t reciprocate. Communication issues persist between them throughout the story and discussions of the importance of communication between partners, as well as setting clear boundaries and addressing fears of inadequacy and abandonment, are given plenty of page space. Bellefluer handles these topics deftly and makes the conversations around them feel natural and in character, not overly didactic or out of place. And don’t worry, she also tucks in plenty of steamy sex scenes, adorable moments shared by the whole gang, and little cat with a giant personality. New and returning readers will find a lot to be charmed by in Count Your Lucky Stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for my copy of Count Your Lucky Stars.

Finally, Margot’s story!

This book was filled to the brim with humor, friendship, love, and swooning (okay that last one was just me).

Oh I adored this book! Margot and Olivia’s chemistry pops off the page and their connection is so believable. I was rooting for them so hard. I really liked the argument scene and how everything wrapped up. The only aspect I struggled with was how quickly they transitioned from estranged friends to hooking up.

Oh, Drat! How I wanted to love this and count my lucky stars, but alas, Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandra Bellefleur was not quite for me. Stop the presses, however, as it wasn’t the plot or the characters I didn’t love, it was something else altogether..

The fact of it is, that “steamy details” don’t do it for me. In fact, “steamy details” make me cover my eyes and run screaming and the details in this one were a doozy.

While I love this author and the main characters of Margot and Olivia (and Elle, Darcy, Brandon, and Annie) and this series so very much, this book made me duck and cover.

What I did like, however, were the friendships and relationships between all of the characters and how everyone communicated. The issues brought up by Margot and Olivia when trying to figure out the ins and outs of their relationship are what romance is all about! If only this book had been less risque. Truth be told, if this author’s books were less racy, then I personally would enjoy them more as the storylines and her writing style is fabulous.

A romance for everyone, who loves love. If racy, steamy details are your thing, this book just might be right up your alley.
3.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the arc.

Published on Goodreads and Twitter.

I have not read the other books in this series!! But I still definitely enjoyed this book! I loved the bi representation and I LOVE a good second-chance romance! It was very funny, but it is very much a romance novel so it isn't suuper deep. I am looking forward to reading the first two books in this series, but I'll defintely be recommending Alexandria Bellefleur books to people looking for a cute romance novel!

Count Your Lucky Stars is a romance novel following Margot after a series of events led her to living with her first love while the new roommate plans Margot’s best friend’s wedding. This book follows the story of the first two novels but could easily be read on its own.

This book is perfect for the hot mess queer person who wants an easy read that’s not about teenagers. I personally believe this is the author’s best work, having toned down the girlboss millennial vibe of the first two books. The characters were well thought out and relatable. My only complaint was that the ending seemed a bit abrupt. I would have loved to read more.

This book really, REALLY knew its audience. It’s written for a specific group of people, and I think it’s going to appeal to that specific group very well.

I hadn’t read the first two books in the series before reading this one, so that might color my responses to it somewhat. I do plan to read them, but after interacting with the characters from the first two, I’m guessing that this will end up being my favorite of the three.

Things I love that this book had:
Second-chance romance
Friends to lovers
A very chaotic cat
Lots of bi characters

It was fun and definitely sexy and it would probably be a good end to the trilogy if I’d read the other two first.

There were also a couple of scenes that genuinely made me laugh out loud, one involving the cat and one involving mayonnaise. You’ll know it when you read it.

Like I said, this book REALLY knows its audience. Unfortunately, that audience is white millennials and not really anyone else. The references to Friends and The Office, the leggings, and the all-white friend group composed mainly of feminine women really did make me wonder whether this book was REALLY written this year because it sort of felt like a sitcom from 2006 but made sapphic. And that’s fine! Just not quite my cup of tea.

(I have obviously read books that are whiter than this one, but most of them were set in England in the 1800s, not major US cities in the 21st century.)

Anyway, if you like sapphic romcoms and cats and you’re okay with a lot of astrology and millennial references, you will absolutely enjoy this book.

CW: sexual content, mentions of a heart attack

What I Liked:
-I love Alexandria Bellefleur's writing style and the representation her characters portray.
-This was a little twist on your average rom-com. I liked the "remeeting" over a decade later after some big life changes.
-I love how much we got to see the characters from the first book and how the plot kind of centered around events involving them!
-Margot and Olivia's relationship was beautiful to watch unfold.

What I Didn't Like/Wanted More Of:
-Some parts of this book felt very surface level - I feel like we never really got into too much depth.

You Should Read if You Like:
-Rom-coms
-LGBT+ books

Disclaimer - I have not read the other two books in this series, but was reassured that each book in the series can be read as standalones.

Count Your Lucky Stars follows Margot. Margot continues to feel like the 5th wheel in her friend group until she is reunited with her childhood best friend Olivia Grant after 11 years. Olivia needs a place to stay and Margot offers her the extra room in her place.

Instantly you can piece together that both Olivia and Margot have strong feelings for each other, that have been unresolved since their childhood and that becomes a major focus of the book (YAY for second-chance romances!).

I absolutely adored Olivia. She is always looking out for the wellbeing of others. She is passionate in her work as an event planner and is trying to sort through her own situation after moving to Seattle following her divorce. She just happens to take on the job of planning Brendan Lowell's wedding.

This was a fun read and also VERY funny! It's definitely a romance novel and follows the typical storyline of one.

I MEAN WHO DOESN'T LIKE SlOW-BURN ROMANCE, DIRTY TALK, AND THE ROOMMATE TROPE ALL MIXED TOGETHER? Yes - I needed to put that in all caps!

I definitely need to pick up the other two books in this series so that I can go more in depth with the other characters in the book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Alexandria Bellefleur for providing this ARC to me in exchange for my honest review.

I highly encourage anyone checking this out once it releases in February! Alexandria is an extraordinary writer and knows a thing or two about writing romance books!

Aww, Alexandria Bellefleur can do no wrong! She's such a wonderful author and I really enjoy this series! This was such a cute book with wonderful characters and a believable plot. You do not need to read the first two books in the series to enjoy this one! This is quite a spicy read, though, so do be aware if you are not into that sort of thing. But, you could always skip over those scenes and still really enjoy the adorable characters and feel-good plot. Have I made it clear how much I enjoyed this book? During these uncertain and scary times, we need more authors like Bellefleur who are writing feel-good romance and cheering us all up! Thank you for another fabulous book!

I loved Written in the Stars - Elle and Darcy’s story was by far one of my favorite reads of last year. Then, in Hang the Moon we got to know Brendan and Annie and their story was charming and lovely and I fell more in love with this group.

Now comes Margot’s book. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Margot is the take no shit friend that the entire group has relied on and come to love. Feeling a bit like a 5th wheel and trying not to worry about her friends needing her less with all the life changes, fate pulls a punch in the form of Olivia, Brendan’s wedding planner and former friend and flame.

My only slight complaint was the lack of communication (past and present) being a stumbling block for these characters. I can see it happening as new adults but as full fledged adults it was a bit frustrating.

If you love second chance, f/f, steamy as hell romance - look no further. All in all, this series has killed it. And I will auto buy anything this author writes.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I bow down to the romantic genius that is Alexandria Bellefleur. Friends to lovers and second chance romance aren’t at the top of my favorite romance tropes list. But I absolutely loved the way they were handled in Count Your Lucky Stars. Margot and Olivia’s friendship felt totally formed and the way their initial try at romance failed seemed believable and had real consequences for their current attempt.

This book was hilarious, sweet, and sexy. Seriously, this book is so funny. Even thinking about some of the scenes now is making me start to laugh. On top of really great funny and steamy content, I thought that the fears Margot had about her friendships changing were really relatable. While she’s happy for Darcy, Elle, Brendon, and Annie she feels like a fifth wheel now that they’re all coupled up. Olivia’s journey of having to learn to stand up for herself and not put everyone’s needs ahead of her own was also great to see.

I’m super picky about romance epilogues and when I think that things progress too far too quickly. So I loved where Margot and Olivia were during the epilogue. It seemed just right for my Goldilocks-eque demands. Now I can’t wait to read whatever Alexandria Bellefleur writes next.

Margot does not do relationships. She beds them but never love them - all because she had been burned before. And the woman who set her aflame and had no contact with for the past 11 years is Olivia Grant, the wedding planner for one of her best friend’s wedding.

The shock was apparent on both ends when they meet again. The author really worked on the reveal and made the reasons they fell apart sting. Their inhabitations for getting too close again rippled through the book and you can feel how much the pair needed a chance but what stood in the way now were the same things that tore them apart. The delivery was smooth and engaging and easily conjured the intense feelings between the pair. The build up and actual act of the sex scenes were erotic and super charged. The friendships in the book were also good as gold. Olivia has a cat in the book, named Cat (lol) that has manipulative powers. She has threatened to steal the show at times and made me want a cat too. What would have made it a solid 5 was if we knew how much one wanted the other in the 11 years apart, which was evident in the depth of their love the second time around.

I just reviewed Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur. Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

I would like to thank the publisher for providing me with an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would also like to note that I did not realize this book was part of a series, and it can definitely be read as a stand alone or out of order without confusion. It was very similar to Talia Hibbert’s Brown sisters books, in that main characters from all three books show up as side characters in the others.

I thought this book was YA when I received it, so the spice level was a bit of a surprise going in. However, once I realized I was reading an adult romcom, I found this book to be mostly a delight to read. The main characters are both bisexual, which is really unusual. Since finding bi representation in fiction can be quite difficult, I was really happy to see that this was a clear factor in this book, but it wasn’t thrown in your face or made a constant issue. No one really even commented on the characters’ sexualities—they were able to exist as characters who are developed in other ways without hiding their bisexuality or leaving it super vague, which is nice to see.

I will say, I felt the hook dropped just a few pages too soon in this version. If left up to me, Olivia’s commentary on the name M. Cooper in the first chapter would be left out, allowing the introduction to Margot in real time to stand on its own. It was one of the only moments in the book that I felt stepped on it’s own toes a bit, as this book otherwise steered clear of being too heavy-handed or cheesy in favor of relationships that felt genuine to me, if a bit rushed at times.

All in all, this is a super cute romcom, and if you are a fan of LGBTQ+ romance and not afraid of a little descriptive spice, pick up Count Your Lucky Stars when it releases in February!