This had so many fun astrology elements that I loved, and the dynamic between Gray & Veronica was so lovely. I struggled with watching Gray be with so many other people that weren’t Veronica but the slow burn was for sure worth it. Definitely a good one for lovers of hate at first sight, enemies to friend to lovers, the straight friend who’s not actually straight etc.

3.5 stars
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I previously tried Susie Dumond’s debut, but struggled to get into it. But I was willing to try her work again, and Looking for a Sign was a lot easier to get into! While I’m not the biggest astrology buff, I like the concept of it, and I loved how the book got really into it without making it too intimidating for those who don’t know it. And the premise is so fun, going out with someone from each sign to see how you click with them.
Gray as a character is fairly relatable. She’s 29, and still trying to get her life together. The way it also ties into the concept of the Saturn Return (a concept I didn’t know about until I listened to Ariana Grande’s new album) is fairly cool, and goes against the notion that women have to have everything figured out by their mid-to-late twenties.
The book also has a great sense of both found-family and community. Throughout the book, Gray’s strongest bond is with her best friends, Cherry and Robbie, and those bonds outshined any of the prospective romantic prospects in my opinion. But I’m also glad that the book did not try to push for a “friends to lovers” angle, as platonic bonds are just as important.
I liked all the romantic misadventures, my “favorite” mishap being the lesbian Republican, if only for the conversation it inspired among the group about the irony of it all. The format of Gray going out with numerous people meant that the endgame love interest ended up getting the short shrift, and while I didn’t mind them together, I didn’t overwhelmingly love any one person for her over any other.
While it didn’t quite fulfill my expectations in the romance department, I can’t hold that against it too much, given that the premise made that likely. While I would recommend it to genre romance readers, I’d caution them that while there’s the broad genre specifications of the genre (romance conceptually as a central driver of the story + a happy ending), but with the caveat that the love interest doesn’t play as big a role in that.

"Looking for a Sign" is the fun summer rom-com you need if you have a casual interest in astrology, enjoy queer romance, and books with a strong sense of place-- in this case, the city of New Orleans.

I had so much fun reading this book! Gray is a great narrator, and her quest to find a "written in the stars" love match by going on a date with someone of each zodiac sign was a blast. Gray's friendship with Cherry was so lovely and relatable, and I really enjoyed that aspect of the story too. For me, a good romantic comedy needs to have well-rounded characters, genuinely humorous moments throughout, and strong relationships of both the romantic and the platonic variety. This book had all that in spades. The setting of New Orleans was a lively backdrop for Gray's dating challenge, and I learned about several real-life places I'd like to visit next time I go. I found the romance to be believable, as well as Gray's character arc over the course of the story. And, I was pleased to see that the astrology part is much more the "just for fun" than the "you must be a hardcore believer" variety.

I am happy to recommend this book to anyone looking for a delightful summer rom-com! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Fresh out of a longterm relationship, Gray is approaching her Saturn return and panicking that she's running out of time to settle down and have the perfect life she dreams of. After a visit to an astrologer, Gray and her best friend Cherry come up with a plan: date one person from every zodiac sign, in order, and find her soulmate, or at the very least the basic parameters she's looking for, before her 29th birthday, which is just a few weeks away. What follows next is a fun, often ridiculous adventure as Gray meets people through a dating app and goes on dates, from ill-fated to phenomenal and everything in between.

At times, Gray struck me as a bit immature and annoying, which honestly kind of worked for me--she grew up evangelical and has only had one, very longterm, relationship--it absolutely makes sense that she would feel out of her depth and kind of desperately cling to a path that seems to promise an answer. Overall, even when I was annoyed with her, I really liked her, and the whole case of characters was great. I did get a little lost sometimes trying to remember her previous dates when they were referred to just by name or zodiac sign, and wished there was a detail about the date included to help me remember, but overall that wasn't a big deal.

I really liked Looking for a Sign and look forward to more from Susie Dumond.

First let me say Thank You to #NetGalley and #RandomHouse for a free copy of #LookingForASign by #SusieDumond in exchange for a spoiler-free review! What a way to start Pride Month with a bang!

Looking for a Sign is the perfect romance novel to read by the pool this summer. It’s got all of the makings of an excellent, queer, romance novel:

✅ Sapphic Love Stories
✅ Found Family
✅ Inclusive and Diverse cast of characters
✅ Friends to Lovers

What more could you ask for? Step into the world of New Orleans, and journey with Gray as she searches for her true love, and makes her way through the zodiacs to do it!

As a casual astrology fan, I found the premise of Looking for a Sign interesting but some of the execution fell flat for me.
It was a slow start as I did not initially connect with the writing style. Once I was past the exposition, the story picked up pace and I found many of the characters and dates quite fun! However, the relationship endgame felt very obvious to me from early on and I found the resulting obstacles and conflict frustrating.
A few qualms: We can debate labels all day, but the choice to have the main character, Gray, identify as a lesbian rather than bi or pan was odd to me. I didn't appreciate how Gray casually invalidated other folks' queerness because they did not fit into the box of what looked queer to her (the conservative appearance of some of her dates, her surprise at her eventual love interest being queer). Also, as a Capricorn myself, I did not love the portrayal of Earth signs and cliche judgments made about them in comparison to the other signs.
Despite those issues, this was a fun, light read, especially for astrology fans.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

1/5 stars

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

i rated this 2 stars at first to be nice then decided i don't have to placate the feelings of a white person so 1 star it is! i have many thoughts on this book and none of them are good. its so clear this was written by a white person who loves to pull the "im oppressed" card just for being queer :/ it was apparent through gray and her approach to just about everything, i am so tired of white girls pulling the "im oppressed too im queer!" card 😐 tired boring LOSER.

also u can tell when white queer ppl stay in their little white queer bubbles because they think there's a "right" way to look or act to be perceived as queer when white queer people have stolen all of what's perceived as "queer culture" from black and brown people. direct quote from the story: "she wouldn't have guess it from the woman's conservative pantsuit or long blond hair, but gray was definitely getting queer vibes.." we need to abolish that there is a certain way u have to dress to look queer 😐 also GRAY DID IT TO VERONICA??? acting shocked like . you of all people should know queer people exist everywhere and anyone can be queer????? she touts herself as this progressive queer woman but still jumps to assume people's sexualities and perpetuates stereotypes on how queer people should look :/

and if you think it can't get worse the idea of bi and pan lesbians was pushed and encouraged in this story. gray says: "i think i can be a lesbian and still date people of all genders" SORRY. but no you can't! bisexual/pansexual lesbians do not exist. please stop co-opting lesbianism thanks!!

anyways i wouldn't recommend this and yeah it was quick to get through but not worth it at all. it just made me angry :/

Looking for a Sign by Susie Dumond is a captivating tale that delves into the themes of found family, taking risks in love, and navigating the challenges of one's Saturn return. Readers will be drawn into Gray's journey as she navigates the highs and lows of searching for true love amidst the enchanting backdrop of New Orleans. Whether you are a believer in astrology or not, this book will surely reignite your faith in the power of love.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

I liked Gray and Cherry and enjoyed reading the dates for the most part. Unfortunately, the time between dates was a little too boring for me. It was easy to tell early on where the book was headed so I was less invested in the dates as they went on. I also needed more of the relationship building with the love interest because that was lacking for me. I think the idea was unique but the execution just didn’t seem to be there.

I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend this book, but I wouldn’t not recommend it.

I really enjoyed this one. The idea of finding your perfect match based on astrology is intriguing and it was fun to watch Gray go out with people from all twelve signs. I really liked the author's voice and founding myself chuckling often! Some of the dating scenarios were outrageous and yet realistic at the same time. A really fun read.

I went into this thinking that the premise was really kitschy and I wouldn't like it that much, but it has so much heart that it was impossible not to enjoy. I will also say I did guess the endgame relationship the second we met that character, so I was just waiting for that reveal for a long time. If you like queer rom-coms with found family and building community, this book is a ton of fun and absolutely does not take the dating every zodiac sign thing as seriously as I thought it would.

thank you so much to netgalley and random house publishing house for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

this is a cute fluffy queer romcom, which i am always a fan of! however, this fell a little flat for me. i think the beginning started out strong and i was so excited, but i think it feels a bit sloppy in the later half and the characters needed more depth.

ultimately it was cute and i’m a fan of any queer romcom because we deserve fluff too but it wasn’t my favorite read of the year.

This is my second book by Susie, and while I was initially apprehensive of the premise, I really liked it!

This is a brilliant examination of the queer experience, especially the experience of learning to date and put yourself out there. The main character is completely changing trajectory in their life and it's refreshing to see a main character who isn't immediately suave and a master of the dating game. Don't worry if you're not proficient in Astrology, this book is so much more.

The premise of this book is interesting. Dating the zodiac signs, meeting new people in search to finding love. It was cute, it had a couple of cute dates and interesting characters. I think the minor issue I had is that since they went on lots of dates, like the romance was all over the place (for me). The one character I was like, HEY BE OPEN TO GETTING TO KNOW THIS ONE, was friend zoned then in the end they do end up with them.

So, idk. I liked it. Didn't love it.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Looking for a Sign offers a charming premise that intertwines the quest for love with the mysteries of astrology in the vibrant backdrop of New Orleans. Gray, a newly single queer woman, embarks on a unique journey to find her perfect match by dating someone from each astrological sign before her twenty-ninth birthday.

i loved learning so much about the signs! However, i felt that the pacing occasionally falters, and the convergence of Gray's romantic pursuits and her professional life might have benefited from more distinct focus. Additionally, some aspects of the narrative feel more like exposition rather than fully realized scenes.

Overall though a delightful sapphic read with a refreshing twist on the romcom genre. The concept of dating through the Zodiac adds a playful and engaging dimension to the story, making it a fun and memorable read for fans of contemporary romance


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this early copy!

I really wanted to like this book, but nothing really hooked my attention, and I found myself forcing myself to pick it up again each time.

this was really fun! i definitely feel like the premise requires a little suspension of disbelief, but overall i had a blast reading this. if you, like me, are into astrology, i think you’ll like this one. the characters all often feel like the stereotypes of their signs, but in a fun way, if that makes sense? i did feel that the endgame couple lacked some of the chemistry the main character had with other people she dated, but i still was satisfied by the ending.

i loved the friendship between gray and cherry, and i also really enjoyed the fun exploration of new orleans in this book.

definitely pick this up if you’re interested in a super gay romance that’s just a whole lot of fun!

thank you to the publisher for sending a digital ARC my way via Netgalley!

This book had a really unique premise that I enjoyed a lot. The book had a lot of potential but as somebody who doesn’t know a lot about or follow astrology I may not have been quite the target audience as I found it hard to get into the idea of choosing a partner based on their zodiac sign. I liked the idea that at least the main character was trying different options rather than just saying “oh I’m most compatible with X sign”. The characters were cute and it was a quick read. Definitely a good rom com choice that I think would land even better for someone who is into astrology.

This book is beyond cute and flirty! Romance, astrology, and gay?? What more can I ask for! I enjoyed this book so much!