3.5 Stars

All the Stars Align is being billed as a “magical love story that is Taylor Swift’s Enchanted meets Cyrano. And it does feel that way, a bit. But it is unique.

The story centers around Piper, a girl with a physical disability who wants nothing more than to be accepted by her family, seen as “one of them.” This desire makes it easy for her to buy into the family fate legend, and she’ll do anything to hold onto it once she feels it.

Piper is really stuck in her head. And that plays out in her relationships — the few that she’s got. She’s just not that likeable. It’s not until the end that you really see any growth in her.

Author Gretchen Schreiber’s story is enticing and her exploration of the power of choice is worthwhile. However, the story is fairly predictable — I knew the outcome early on — and the aunts’ manipulation of Piper is beyond frustrating.

All the Stars Align is a fine romance. It’s not as strong as Schreiber’s Ellie Haycock is Totally Normal, but it’s got potential.

Out now! This was a little bit of romance a bit of fantasy I highly recommend this to those teenagers that are just starting to get into reading and want to dip those eyes into fantasy and romance.
This was a quick read and very delightful

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this had an interesting premise, but I found the execution lackluster. At about 25% I realized I knew exactly how the story was going to go. And unfortunately, I was correct.

Although I thought the book was interesting I thought it was only okay. Not great but also definitely not terrible. I wasn’t into how the aunts were so overbearing but I did appreciate that it was a realistic portrayal of person stuck in between family issues. The pacing was a bit slow but otherwise it was a decent story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

loved this romance and finding love and remembering love before the one. love the friends and the chemistry between the couple was on fire and loved the banter.

Rating: 5/5
I received the eARC for my honest opinion.

If you like YA books, with drama, childhood friends, romance and a great disability rep. However, there is so much more in this book as well, you will find magical realism and a love triangle as well.

I loved getting to know the plot of this book, getting to dive into the characters' stories was much fun. I found Piper to be a true young adult. She is coming to the end of her senior year, her parents are getting a divorce, her whole family believes in the “Blessing” which is your fated person. Her whole family believes when you find your fated, you will know at first sight, and you will have everything click into place but with Piper she is different from her family. She is a realist, she has half of her that believes in the magic of what her family has told her, her whole life, she has a lot of struggles that she battles inward and feels like if she talks about it too much it will all come crumbling down. I enjoyed that you get to know this families’ beliefs and how they handle bad/negative news, then you will get to see how Piper finally understands her place in life and with her family.

You will meet Pipers and her two childhood friends who help her connect with the boy that she believes is her fated, Forest. However, Leo, her childhood friend brings out Piper, the true real Piper, even though he is helping her get another guy, you start to feel as though Leo might have some feelings for Piper. I found Piper to be a strong willed, feisty, spirited young adult who dreams big and has so many hopes but when you start to realize that your dreams may not but what they were when you first start out. I enjoyed getting to see her shine and understand that you don’t have to let others make your life choices and that sometimes the thing you need in your life is right in front of you without you seeing it because you thought it was something else. I found Leo to be so sweet, and I felt for him because I could see that he cared about Piper and the more that I read the book I saw just how much. I am just so happy that this book has an HEA.

I want to thank NetGalley and SMP for the opportunity to review this book.

Piper and her family are "blessed." The town they live in is the place where Fate is alive. Fate is the reason why all the women in Piper's family have the perfect love story and the perfect relationship. If that's so, how come Piper's parents are now divorced? Why is it so hard to get the mback together because she knows that Fate is still in it for them? And why is it so hard to accept that her childhood best friend, Leo, is not the man Fate has given her?

This really reminds me of Disney's Encanto for the concept of the 'gift.' And it's also reminds me of the concept of mates if you look through the lens of shifter romances. Especially in the beginning of the book, it really reminds me of Encanto. They cannot stop talking about the Fate,

The book itself is good. I like the friendships, I like the concept, but this was quite painful to read. Piper's main character energy was not the best. She focuses too much on herself, and the way she treats her relationships was so questionable. Given, the character development was good, but she will not be anywhere is her perspective didn't change,

The power of choice was such a good concept, but the book kinda shames the other side, I'm pretty sure that wasn't the intention. But I think both sides shames the other, and it just wasn't sitting well with me. But hey, you know, maybe I'm the problem. 😅

Overall, this was an okay book. Maybe because I'm an adult that I think the story of Piper's parents were interesting to me. But yeah, it was good, chock-full of drama, and the secondary characters were very interesting,

All the Stars Align by Gretchen Schreiber is a YA book that grapples with themes of fate, destiny, and free will. Piper's family always knows true love at first sight, and Piper desperately wants to take over the family business. She's forced to confront a future outside of the bounds of convention, however, when she considers going against destiny. There's also disability rep in this novel.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Gretchen ripped my heart out and put it back together. I loved this book so much. I wish I was better at writing these eloquent and articulate reviews all the time, but sometimes it simply just boils down to: this is an incredible book and I want/need everyone to read it. Go read it.

Review: All the Stars Align by Gretchen Schreiber

I had the pleasure of reading Schreiber’s debut novel Ellie Haycock is Totally Fine, and I enjoyed it. Now I’ve been able to read another of her stories, and it’s a magical story about love for others and for oneself.

Piper’s family is known for having a blessing from Fate that lets them know when they have met their true love. Piper has been waiting to find her one so she can fit into her family and take over the family business. But Piper is about to have a whirlwind love triangle and learn about the importance of choice and self-love along the way.

This enchanting YA novel will grab at your heart strings.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This is a cute lighthearted romance appropriate for even younger YA audiences. The story is nothing groundbreaking. It is a Cyrano de Bergerac retelling but with a maybe magical twist? The disability representation and reality of family expectations is great. I love how throughout the story, it's hard to tell if the Blessing was real or just family myth, and how that affects the family. That being said, what fell flat for me was actually the romance. It was very obvious the direction it was going to go, which took some of the appeal away. Also, one love interest was so bland it was obvious what the expectation was, while the other just had that male "I know what you want more than you do" thing going on and it was just gross.

Overall cute read but there is an audience for this out there.

In the wise words of a side character in this book, "Nope nope noooooope."

I'm not even sure where to begin with this review because I simply had so many issues with it.

First of all, there are way too many plots and subplots in this book. Some issues weren't introduced until after the halfway point or later. Apparently the fmc is not interested in studying business, something learned around the 50% mark with no previous mention. There's another minor subplot introduced at the 80% mark regarding one of the fmc's best friends; again, it was not hinted at beforehand, so the reveal felt forced and bland. These plots and subplots were also not given an appropriate level of importance or dedication within the book. Some minor issues received far too much attention, which detracted from the main plots.

I found this to be a reoccurring theme throughout the novel. The fmc has a physical disability. It is never named but it is frequently referenced throughout the book. The issue is that the author never went in depth about it. The fmc bemoans constantly feeling excluded and othered by family, friends, and classmates, but there is absolutely no proof of this. When choosing between her two love interests, she mentions how one choice has never made her feel different because of her disability, but there are no interactions with the other love interest to indicate he treats her differently. There were so many possibilities within the story to dive into this disability and how it impacts the fmc, but none of the opportunities were even taken. This made the disability an annoyance while reading since it added nothing to the character or plot. If the disability was removed, there would be absolutely no change.

The writing itself was okay, but I was shocked at how many grammatical errors and typos were present in the text. I normally don't have an issue with an errant comma or two in my book, but I do think it's rude to send such an unfinished copy out to reviewers. I hope these mistakes were corrected in the final edition.

This story had potential, but it never even stretched out its arm to reach it. I am very disappointed and feel that this was a waste of time.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Piper grew up hearing the magical love stories of all the women in her family and dreaming of her magical fated love. She's already feeling different due to her physical disability when her parents decide to go against the family lore of eternal love and divorce, which makes Piper feel like she has to work extra hard to prove she's part of the family. Finally finding her fated love might change things, except she messes up the meet-cute and can't figure out how to fix it. Enter her best friend Leo, a love expert who knows everything about Piper but who asked to take a break from their friendship. Can Piper convince Leo to help her? Will she find her happily ever after with her fated love? Can she get her parents back together? But most importantly, will she settle for what fate decides or forge her own path?

First of all, I loved how Schreiber handled Piper's disability. It's her reality and it affects some of what she can do, but it doesn't define her. The fact that it's a part of her, her past, and what's shaped her is evident without always being the main thing the reader is pushed to notice about her. It's my favorite way to see representation, showing that there's so much more to the character.

The story is slightly predictable but no less enjoyable because of it. The fact that it follows a pretty established path that leaves no room for surprises doesn't take away from the engaging characters and real emotions. You get pulled into the story and want Piper to realize what will really make her happy. Her parents also get a pretty solid character arc that shows a very mature stance on love and growing apart. It's a good thing to show younger readers.

Overall, the story itself didn't blow me away, but the way Schreiber handles topics is top-notch.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the thought-provoking romance!

I absolutely adored this YA RomCom! This is what YA first love books are all about and exactly what I fell in love with as a teen many years ago myself.
Piper is feisty and so full of life and love. I loved watching her navigate life and fall in love with what was right in front of her all this time.
I recommend this to anyone wanting a heartfelt classic romcom to make you feel good.
Thank you to SMP for the review copy.

This book had a really interesting concept—a girl that comes from a family where Fate chooses a true love for you, but then she has to wrestle if that’s who she really wants. I definitely liked the book—I read it quite fast, and was engaged the whole time with the characters and the plot. However, I thought Piper’s indecisiveness just dragged on for so long and everytime I thought she’d finally go for what she really wants, she would just go back to conformity with the aunts. That element of it definitely annoyed me, since even though it was framed as a love triangle and this whole conflict and self realization she has to go through, it’s obvious from early on what she will ultimately decide.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘞𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬!

I really enjoyed Gretchen Schreiber’s debut novel, 𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘆𝗰𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹, and was looking forward to reading 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻! YA novels are definitely not my usual go-to, but I do enjoy them sprinkled throughout my other reads! I was initially drawn to pick this one up because of the plot with the magical realism elements, family mingling, and most importantly, the disability representation. I unfortunately didn’t feel as big of a connection with Piper as I had hoped for and frankly felt like the words 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗲 and 𝗕𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 were used overwhelmingly. Between the two novels, her debut still holds the top read for me!

This was a really sweet YA novel that really delves into what it really means to be "fated" for something and how sometimes it is necessary to forge your own path. I originally thought this book would be more "magical", but the Fate and the Blessing that seems to follow Piper's family seems less magical and more a self-fulfilling prophecy. The book doesn't dwell too much in the intricacies of what the Blessing entails, only that it exists and in order to feel like she is part of her family, Piper must also find her fated mate. Piper is about to graduate from high school and in addition to student counsel and working at her family business, she has to navigate a fractured friend group and a world where she stands out due to her disability. I really like Piper as a character and she really felt like a teenager unlike a lot of YA characters written by adults.

When Piper feels the telltale tug of the Blessing she is elated because it means she finally "belongs" to her family. Luckily her formerly estranged best friend Leo agrees to help her snag her One True Love, but soon her conflicting feelings for Leo and her growing issues surrounding her parents' divorce start to make her question everything she thought she knew.

I love a book where a character has to make a choice about what is really right for them and not what they thing is right and Piper's journey here is a really great example of that.

Thank you very much Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy.

All the Stars Align is a beautiful follow up to Schreiber's debut, "Ellie Haycock is Totally Normal". It swept me off my feet--the world building, the magical feel, the characters...such a delight! I definitely look forward to more from Schreiber.

This is a standalone Ya magical love story 🖤✨ We follow a single pov throughout of Piper, whose family is said to be blessed by fate, with knowing their true love at first sight. Piper is a senior is high school and has always loved her families love stories and just waiting for the day that she feels the pull of fate towards her one true love. She’s always had feelings towards her best friend Leo, but she knows he’s not the one for her, so never acted on it. She ends up finding fates pick for her, but doesn’t know how to date, so Leo has to teach her all about it 👀 Well I’m sure you can guess a bit of the antics that go down from here. This book is so cute and had me not being able to put it down. The choice for her to follow fate or forge her own path really had me on edge of how was she going to decide. There was quite a few laugh out loud moments for me as well. There is also a disability rep in this 🖤I think if you need a book to get you out of reading slump this one would help 🖤

All the women of Piper's family know who their true love is. This tradition seems to break when Piper's parents divorce. She was already treated differently due to having a disability. She finally finds her true love and wants to get her traditional love story and be an accepted part of her family. This will require help from her friend Leo, who is a love expert. The problem is, they haven't spoken in six months and he confesses his love for Piper. Who will she choose?

This is a YA romance, so you can tell how it's going to end from the start. Piper struggles with the concept of fate and feels cursed when her parents' marriage fails. She literally says in chapter one that there's no point in chasing something that isn't forever, a very defeatist way of looking at the world. It doesn't help that she's pressured by her aunts into thinking that she must choose between family traditions or having nothing at all. It leaves her with only two friends, limited social skills outside of her family, and being rather self-centered. This is why she asks Leo for advice on talking to Forest and misses the clear signs that he's interested in her. She had interest in him before but put it aside because he didn't ping the same The One vibes that family traditions talked about.

I didn't like Piper much, and of all people, I empathize with her mother and the more nuanced view of relationships. Love is there, but relationships take work from both people involved and shouldn't erase one's identity. I feel like Piper doesn't see this, it makes her miss out on a lot of her own life. Even Leo tries to understand why Piper is so upset about the divorce and changing and doesn't get a clear answer. The more time I spent with Piper, the less I was convinced she was worth the romance part of the book. She has a lot more growing up to do before she's ready for a relationship and the commitment it takes to make it work, Blessing or no Blessing.