4.5⭐

this book was so. freaking. cute! ever since reading 'Something to Talk Abouts' by meryl wilsner last year, i had been searching for something similar.

'stars collide' is about two pop stars. eden sands has been in the business for 20 years, she started when she was just 16 years old. after her divorce, she has kind of lost her spark and the sales of her latest album aren't the best. her team suggests she parter up with up and coming pop star anna moss for a duet at the grammy's. anna was cast on a teen show when she was 22 and is struggeling to get rid of that 'teen' image. anna is openly pansexual (and a vegan!) and has idolized eden her entire life. after their succesful grammy performance, eden invites anna to be her opening act on tour. while on tour, they grow closer and closer together!

tropes:
🏳️‍🌈 sapphic romance
🎤 pop stars
🔥 slow burn
👀 dual pov
👭 friends to lovers
9️⃣ age gap (9 years)

i absolutely loved that eden was discovering herself and her sexuality. anna was so supportive to her! the writing style is great and i was really flying through the story. there are a few spicy scenes at the end, which i also enjoyed! but just how these two characters bonded and grew slowly towards each other was amazing. high recommend this book! 💖

thank you netgalley for this eARC!

As an older, late in life lesbian, I related to Eden so very much. I saw so much of myself in her. From her coming to terms with her sexuality (I was also in my mid thirties when it felt like a ton of bricks fell on me the moment I realized) and eventually realizing the power, joys and turmoils of actual true love, Eden was represented so well.. it truly blew me away.

The story of Stars Collide gripped me from the very first paragraph. I enjoyed the slow unfurling of Eden and Anna’s relationship. It felt true. It felt right. The ending seemed a little rushed, but I can overlook that because of how deeply this book resonated with me. This was a great read!.

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Rachel Lacey for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I start? I absolutely devoured this book and read as often as I possibly could! I haven’t read many sapphic romances as I can’t find many (or maybe I’m just looking in the wrong places) but this was such a great sapphic romance.

I felt the stardom was portrayed well and loved that the characters had real, honest feelings we all experience.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and will definitely be checking out more of Rachel’s books

Thank you Netgalley for an arc of this book!

I remember when I saw the other books by this author, I was going through their other books and I saw this and immediately hit wtr. And then I saw this on netgalley!!!

Eden and Anna were sooo cute!! The slow burn didn’t seem that slow because the story whizzed by so quickly!

This was a really quick read but I really liked it!! definitely one of my fav sapphics of 2023 <3

Again, thankyou netgalley for the arc!

Stars collide is about two pop stars, Anna (a young rising celebrity) and Eden (a well-established, famous singer). They team together for a tour to help boost both or their careers, and eventually fall in love.

This book had a fairly even blend of things that I enjoyed and things that bothered me, so I think that it's best to write this review as a pros/cons list.

I liked:
- the overall plot and the idea of two pop stars falling in love.
- the age gap! I feel like there wasn't too much of a power imbalance, since both characters are famous and the younger one was well into adulthood.
- the sexy scenes! A lot of sapphic stories have no smut or light smut, but this was steamy!
- that the pacing of the relationship development worked for this story. It was a slow burn in a way that made sense!
-that this book would be good for straight people that may not know much about the lgbtq+ community.

I disliked:
- some of the actual writing. I feel like this book was guilty of a lot of "tell" and not "show."
- the overexplaining/repetition of obvious things. Don't repeat things because you feel the reader is too dumb to understand.
For example, there are maybe 3 or 4 times in the story where it is mentioned that Anna's type older, powerful women. I understand that it becomes essential in the conflict the reader to know it, but I got it the first time that it was said. Honestly, the author could have not explicitly stated that and I still could have inferred it after the scene with her ex.

- LGBTQ+ identities were discussed in a very textbook way, and it felt like this was done solely to explain them to the audience.
There is a scene in the beginning for the book where Eden walks up to Anna at a party and asks her what pansexual means and then the conversation ends. That's not a realistic conversation. It's just used to tell a definition to the reader. Most queer people already know about pansexuality, and can look it up if not. This made it feel like a gay book for straight education. I liked it but couldn't connect in that sense.


The description of this book doesn't mention that it's a coming out story, and that's a HUGE part of this book! I liked that aspect of it but I was not expecting to go through the emotional aspect of a character coming out. I wish I was aware and prepared. It was written well but the marketing team fumbled the bag there.

Overall, I liked the story and I'm glad that I read it. I just had beef with some of the writing choices. Its not going to be a huge favorite but it passed the time. Would I recommend it? Maybe. Not to a queer person of a person that reads a ton of romance. But to other people, sure.

Pretty good story! Really like the plot elements. Some language seemed forced and awkward, trying a little hard to be ultra progressive. Character development was good and characters were likeable. The ending conflict had an awkward pace that felt too fast and unrealistic. Sapphic was perhaps overused.

I, like Eden, am absolutely charmed by Anna!!! As a character, I love how she’s apologetically herself: self assured in who she is, what she stands for, and what she does/doesn’t like. I think reading about a strong, young female MC like Anna makes my heart clench for my younger self who constantly read about the damsel in distress. She is a consistent, headstrong love interest who showed honest thoughtfulness, care, and support to all her friends - the platonic love in this made my heart SO warm. Anna also spent the book checking in with herself and setting her own boundaries, learning from past relationships/experiences. I truly love Anna so much can you tell by my rambling

Eden’s spent essentially her whole life in the spotlight only to feel truly seen by Anna. It was ADORABLE seeing Eden’s baby gay panic, and as a woman in her 30s no less - it was beautiful! And confusing and frustrating and scary. I appreciate SO MUCH how Eden was coming to terms with her sexuality later in life - typically this story is one for a side character or a main character’s parent, yaknow? It’s REFRESHING!!

Around the 70% mark, I feel like some of the plot points became predictable. I had an inkling of where the rest of the novel was going to go.. it was all neat wrapped up in a bow - almost too neatly for me? BUT I think about how important it is to have queer love stories and like. Fuck it! Why can’t we have easy happily ever afters!! I want them in real life AND fiction!! As a bisexual woman dating another woman, it made me laugh at how quickly Anna and Eden’s relationship progressed, mostly because the fast pace of it all comes from truth and reminded me of my girlfriend and I HAHA. It made me smile seeing bits of myself and my own queer experiences mirrored in a cute romance novel. Overall, I’m so happy this book exists and especially that younger audiences get to read it. Stars Collide had so many nuggets of wisdom about queerness, self discovery, and staying true to yourself/your boundaries - all while being a lighthearted, easy, sweet read ♥️

Thank you to NetGalley and Rachel Lacey for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Eden Sands was thrust into the spotlight at sixteen years old and forced to grow up way too soon. The media treated her like a sex symbol when really, she was just a high schooler looking for her big break. Her road hasn’t been smooth and she currently is at a low point in both her personal and professional lives. Anna is like a breath of fresh air for her. She’s sweet, bubbly, and so full of life that Eden can’t help but shine brighter under her star.

Anna’s idolized Eden for twenty years, in fact, she’s the reason Anna became a singer. As she and Eden grow closer, she struggles with her feelings for both the celebrity and the woman beneath the pop persona. The dichotomy between both causes her some complications as she wants what’s best for both of them.

Eden and Anna met at absolutely the perfect time in both of their lives. Anna’s brilliant light and zest for life help Eden while Eden’s calm demeanor, advice, and support help Anna see that she has full control over her own life and no one can take that away from her. These two women are intelligent, insightful, and so special and I loved being a part of their journey. I honestly wish that I could hear them sing together just once!

While I was dubious of this story starting out, I quickly got invested in the characters and their storylines. Our two leads are both exciting characters that could have held the spotlight alone, but share it so well in this novel.
Both characters grapple with their own issues that feel naturally developed and not forced onto the reader, as in some romance novels. The conflict that erupts between the two feels natural despite the reader having no experience with fame.
I also enjoyed how this book flipped common tropes in sapphic and queer novels on its head. There are no forced outings or horrible acts of homophobia in this book. Only queer joy and the love that it brings.

This was such an adorable easy read. 3.5 Stars!
I loved feeling like I was seeing the behind the scenes moments of two pop stars. I felt that both characters struggles with acceptance of ones true self & coming to terms with past trauma was very believable. You got to see a lot of character growth in both characters, especially is Eden.
My one criticism of the story was I felt the climax and resolution happened much too quickly. I felt that maybe a little more time with each character reaching within herself to understand oneself better was maybe needed.
Lacey also did a wonderful job at portraying the LGBTQIA+ community in a refreshingly believable light. Her inclusion of characters of different genders and orientations felt natural and not forced. Portraying the characters as normal people in relationships, not just tropes.
Overall this was a fun bingeable read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Lacey, and Montlake for the ARC of Stars Collide.

I have yet to find a Rachel Lacey book I don't enjoy. She does a wonderful job of bringing you into the emotions of her characters, and I've thoroughly enjoyed every book I've read of hers - especially Stars Collide.

I didn't realize how much I loved a celebrity romance story until this book. It was such a fun journey to follow the two singers as they faced such different problems in their careers but helped each other tackle them. I was immediately drawn to the two characters and how different they were from each other. Despite their differences, they were such a good pair. Lacey does an incredible job of writing you into the characters' live so you love them and root for them throughout the novel. I loved both of the characters as individuals, but I loved them even more together. They had such duality in comparison to each other, but Lacey wrote them together beautifully.

Once I picked up this book, I could not put it down! I will continue to read everything Rachel Lacey releases.

When i saw the cover, i knew i need to read this book, I love a good cover so much and it can make or break a book for me. As a fan of Rachel Laceys work i know im in for a enjoyable ride and thats what i got. Lacey has a great writing style and her technique in writing is amazing. Celebrtiy meets fan or other celebrity is my favorite troop and therefore i have already read a lot of books in this genre. Therefore the storyline of this book to me is not super new and original it reminded me a bit of The Duet by Harper Bliss.
The way it was writen on the other hand was unique to Rachel Lacey and therefore gave me so much joy and a sleepless night since i couldnt put it away. I loved the turn of events, the fact that weh ad a „middelaged“ singer who was hetero all her live and falls in love with the young quirky pan singer was an very new facet, i also loved the fact how fast Eden came to realization that in fact she is gay and probably alway has been. I actually loved that because often in books the stereotyp is „the middelageld „hetero“ who doesnt want to accept that she is actually a lesbian“
I liked that the story was kind of slow burn, with likable characters, the main focus on their storys nd not really any side storys that take away from this amazing budding lovestory.

Got an ARC via Netgalley,for an honest review. Thanks NetGalley and Rachel Lacey for this opportunity.

I love a celebrity romance. Even though the story was not original, it was awesome. Veteran singer, Eden has lost her spark and agrees to perform with rising star, Anna. Both characters are lovely and the romance/chemistry is perfect. Finished reading this in a couple hours because I couldn't put it down. I have enjoyed most of Rachel Lacey's books and can't wait for the next. I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Montlake, for allowing me to read Stars Collide early!

Another beautiful and compelling novel by Rachel Lacey. I loved it.

SUMMARY:
♥️ Eden + Anna
💭 Dual POV
🏳️‍🌈 Sapphic romance
🏳️‍⚧️ Transgender rep
🎤 Pop stars
🔥 Slow burn
❤️‍🔥 Sexual awakening
🌶️ Great spice
🎶 Bonding through music
👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩 Forced proximity

REVIEW:
When I received this story as an ARC, I was beside myself. I already had it on pre-order, so I was so grateful! I absolutely adored Eden and Anna’s love story. Eden is a pop star in her 30s, who has lost her passion for her craft after being in the business for 20 years. She is newly divorced and incredibly lonely. Anna is an emerging pop star, a force of nature, incredibly talented, and has idolised Eden since before her own music career began. These two are paired together for a Grammy’s performance and end up on a six month tour, travelling the country in close quarters.

Eden’s sexual awakening was such a wonderful storyline to follow. Since starting her music career at 16, her life had been controlled and she had never had the freedom to find herself. As she gets to know Anna, she starts to find herself attracted to a woman for the first time. I loved the communication in their relationship, and the gentle way they supported each other - Anna in helping Eden explore her sexuality and Eden in helping Anna through the trauma of a past abusive relationship. Their friends to lovers slow burn was totally worth it. The spice was amazing and the chemistry between them was so hot!

I cannot recommend this book enough! Please pre-order it and read it when it is released on May 2!

I found this book to be really cute and didn’t want to put it down! There’s no age when it comes to finding your true self and this book does a great job at showing that.

The queer representation in this book is amazing and I always love reading a book that’s part of the LGBT+ community.

I really enjoyed the whole celebrity romance aspect and this whole book was just adorable! I can’t wait to read more books by her!

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

Eden Sands and Anna Moss are two pop stars that are both up for a Grammy, even though neither of them are expecting a win. Eden has been a pop star for 20 years and her shine and passion seem to be fading after her divorce. Anna is a pop star that can't seem to break away from her child star persona and be taken seriously as an adult artist. The two stars are convinced by their managers that they should do a duet on Grammy night to boast each of their stars. #Edanna is born and thus begins a transformation for both of them.

After a successful performance on Grammy night, Eden is convinced that asking Anna to open for her upcoming tour will help ticket sales. The two form an unlikely friendship that leads to growth and realizations for both of them, and eventually a romantic endeavor while traveling together.

Eden and Anna have great chemistry, and support and lift each other up through struggles of their own. I loved reading their story and I look forward to reading more by Rachel Lacey.

overall, 4 star read! Not quite a 5 star, but definitely worth every moment of reading. #Edanna4Ever

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the eARC in exchange for my review and honest opinion.

A Hollywood romance with heart.

The celebrity romance trope will almost always get me to read a book, it’s a favorite guilty pleasure. The dramatic circumstances, typically trying to outsmart the press or save their careers, everything feels a little over the top. In Stars Collide, Eden Sands is a global multi-award winning pop star who has hit a slump. For the first time in her career her new album has been labeled... good. Mediocre. She is up for a Grammy she isn't favored to win, and her manager is suggesting she bring on the year’s pop sensation, Anna Moss, to spice up her Grammy performance. When their duet gets everyone on their feet, Eden is forced to realize Anna might be just what she needs.

One thing I love about Rachel Lacey books is how character driven her plots are. With award shows, concerts tours, fan girls, and the press the environment these women are in could have easily controlled the plot points. However, while the tour gives a reason for the ladies to spend time together, everything after is Anna and Eden. What we get is a really beautiful story of Eden realizing her attraction to Anna, and how that changes everything she always thought of herself. Eden’s story is so pure because the focus is on how she perceives herself, not how the world looks at her.

While I felt Eden’s character drove the storyline more, Anna provides a wonderful support system to Eden. Her positivity, patience and fresh outlook on the world is the perfect foil to Eden’s reserved nature. She is a woman I would want to have as my best friend.

The only con of this book for me is that they aren’t real, because I really want to hear that duet.

Stars Collide is a lovely sapphic romance that takes its time with all the delicious details!

Anna and Eden are two stars in the music industry who decide to collaborate for a shared tour. Anna is a 27-year-old rising star who wants to grow her fan base and generate a larger presence in the music world, while Eden, a 36-year-old, seems to be fading out of the limelight as a recent divorcee whose most recent album release did not do as well as she had hoped. Anna has been obsessed with Eden since girlhood, and since she has left her abusive ex (Camille) in the past, she can't help being starry-eyed over touring with her childhood idol. Eden is lonely after ending her marriage with her husband and is uncertain about what to do next with her life and her career. Anna is an out and proud pansexual while Eden is hetero... Or so she has thought for many years.

As the two women launch their tour and deal with the difficulties of being celebrities in the spotlight, they develop a close relationship with each other. Anna is afraid of scaring Eden off since all initial signals indicate that Eden is straight, and Eden's role as Anna's newfound mentor- and the fact that she has the upper hand in their tour contract- reminds Anna of the old power dynamics between Anna and her abusive ex. Eden has always believed that she just can't connect to romance in the same way other people seem to, so when she starts experiencing fireworks around Anna, it throws her for a loop. Can sexuality change over a person's lifetime? Has she learned something new about herself that she simply did not know before? The need to generate positive responses from fans to save Eden's failing career, alongside Anna's inexperience in the music industry creates an urgent background as the two women bond and develop feelings that have the power to change the course of their futures.

I loved the entire ride! Stars Collide is a slow-burn romance with two extremely likable FMCs. I read a lot of sapphic romances, and sometimes I skew toward really liking one character and not liking the other one at all, which ruins the book for me. Not so with this one! Lacey has done a superb job creating flawed characters who are 100% human, but who are people I would love to meet in real life. Watching Anna mature as a stage performer and Eden find her confidence in intimate relationships made the book unputdownable. I read it in a single afternoon! I am so thankful the author wrote an older (not old, just older than the average 19-year-old FMC in romances) character who discovers her sexual orientation later in life, rather than in teenagehood. I often find myself going to read YA contemporaries to find coming-out stories, but there aren't as many in adult fiction. I know so many people will feel seen because of this representation since many people do not figure out their entire sexual or gender profile in their teen years. Self-discovery takes place all throughout a person's life, and I love the fact that this was explored in Stars Collide!

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Lacey, and the publishers at Montlake for sending me an e-ARC! I will definitely be placing this on my list of top sapphic romances to recommend to friends and followers.

Rating: 3.75 stars

As soon as I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I NEEDED to read this, and thanks to this ARC I could.

I LOVED both Eden and Anna so much. They felt really realistic and their relationship was so real and cute that they made me smile more than a couple of time. I specially liked the development of Eden, and Anna supporting her in every moment was so, so beautiful. I love them.

Even if I enjoyed the whole book, I have to say that it was a bit hard to keep my attention in some parts. I think maybe a bit shorter it would be better, because I feel that in some scenes nothing was happening.

It is slow burn, with friends to lovers and a lot of cute scenes. The writing is light and very easy to read, so if you are looking for a fluffy, easy and funny read you should read this !!