I can't say no to a sapphic romance with chronic illness rep. Lucky for me this book was really good. It was cute and cozy and while it did deal with some heavy subjects it handled them very well.

This was my first Andie Burke book, and I really liked it. It is a slow burn sapphic romance between Courtney and Thea. I really like the balance of heavy topics with lightness and appreciated the chronic migraine rep. It was just a really sweet book and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the arc.

This novel, unfortunately, kind of fell flat for me. I was expecting a cozy sapphic romance and while the concept followed through with this, I wasn't able to get into the story, largely due to the writing style.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this story early. I really enjoyed the relationship developing between Courtney and Thea, as Courtney is recovering from having had a "breakdown" during a convert. Andie has a way of creating these characters that have depth to them. This is a sweet romance that fans will love.

3.5 stars

Courtney Starling has had a lifelong career in the spotlight as a musician, but after a potential career breaking performance she returns to Kansas to feel safe and very out of the spotlight. Thea Quinn moved to Kansas to set some boundaries with her family and do things her way and for herself. When she happens upon Courtney at a bookstore, the two have an instant connection. With Stars in Her Eyes is a sapphic romance about learning from past mistakes, overcoming trauma, and finding yourself.

I really enjoyed the premise of this story. Courtney's migraines and religious trauma make her a compelling character. Having the career she has on top of all of that is a lot and it's approached well and thoughtfully throughout the book. Thea is alluded to having a rocky past with her family, education, and career, but it isn't explored as deeply as Courtney's past and I would have liked to see more of her story.
I loved the found family aspect so much. The side characters really bring out the best of the main characters here. And the bookstore and book puns were fun. I also enjoyed the details of Thea's photography and the shoots she does in the book.
There were some chapters that were very long and started to lose me. Especially when Thea and Courtney are discussing their future. While I do appreciate the communication and need for the characters to understand one another, there was some over communicating and drawn out inner monologues.

I don't usually comment on grammar or spelling, etc. on ARCs as I know they are likely still going through edits. But this does have a lot of errors in it. By only 10% in I had found enough so that it was distracting and I considering DNFing the book.

~Thank you to SMP, Andie Burke and NetGalley for this complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own~

With Stars in Her Eyes was a cozy sapphic romance set in a small town. I found it ideal for end of the day reading as it was a bit light and predictable. Overall I really enjoyed the reading experience.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy of this book to be published September 16, 2025

A sapphic love story between Courtney, a cellist and Thea, a tattoo artist. They awkwardly meet at a smalltown bookstore with a bearded dragon in tow. Both struggling with their own hardships in life they come together and fall in love.

Tropes: Dual POV, smalltown

Witty and charming love story and I really liked their banter and chemistry. I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

This just felt so close to me as it reminds me so much of me and my partner and it was such a wonderful time! I really throughly enjoyed this novel and will definitely check out Andie Burke again in the future

I wanted more from this book. I loved both of Andie Burke’s other books and the premise was there, it just fell flat for me. The book wanted to deal with a lot of heavy topics and because of that the entire book felt rushed. With the combination of chapters that felt like they jumped ahead in time and chapters that were only a page, the books organization didn’t help the rushed choppy feeling. The story that this book was trying to tell was full of heart and yearning though which still made it enjoyable to read.

With Stars in Her Eyes by Andie Burke is a heartfelt and swoony sapphic romance that shines with emotional depth, quirky charm, and irresistible chemistry. When cellist Courtney Starling’s life is upended by a public health scare, she finds refuge in a cozy Kansas bookshop—only to collide with Thea Quinn, a newcomer hoping to rebuild her life one piercing and photo at a time. Their awkward meet-cute quickly blossoms into something tender and real, set against the warm backdrop of community, book clubs, and slow-burning affection. Burke crafts a love story that’s as much about personal healing as it is about falling for someone new, with moments of levity, vulnerability, and steamy tension. Readers will become fans of Andie Burke with relatable characters and all of their favorite tropes explored it’s a cozy read.

📖 Bookish Thoughts
I was excited for a sapphic bookstore romance, but this one didn’t fully land for me. Pacing in the beginning of the book was super slow, and I had a hard time staying engaged. Overall, this was a miss for me.

🗓 Pub Date: September 16, 2025
Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

In the state that I read this eARC, it is in severe need of additional edits. There are countless copy edit mistakes on a sentence level, but also things like switching from first to third person within paragraphs and character relationships missing explanation.

Needed edits aside, I loved the story here. Burke does a really excellent job balancing the romance and external plot to keep us involved in both, and the slow burn of the romance delivered a satisfying pay-off.

If you have enjoyed Andie Burke's other books, you will not be disappointed. I loved the characters and the storyline. Well written throughout.
I would highly recommend this book!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a great mix of funny, sweet, spicy, and emotional. It had a lot of the typical elements you’ll find in sapphic romance: disapproving parents, unmet parental expectations, meddling friends and old people, and of course, the messy sapphics themselves. There was also the non-traditional addition of the bookstore menagerie, which lead to some good laughs. The author finds a way to weave them all in without making it feel forced. The main characters enter a courtship worthy of the historical romances they love, and it was sweet to read their friendship blossom over lunches and books. It didn’t feel like a slow burn. Maybe more like a medium burn. The characters, while both still finding their footing in life, did read as more mature. When miscommunication occurs, they work through it. I enjoyed this book I will definitely read more by this author in the future.

Courtney comes to a point in her life where she just needs to get away and find some peace. She scares to her friends bookstore where she is runs into Thea Quinn.

Andie Burke's steamiest book yet! While you do need to commit to buying into the secret-rock-star of it all, Thea and Courtney's connection is undeniable. Fantastic banter, incredible chemistry, and multiple characters who I would love to see Burke dive deeper into next!

With Stars in Her Eyes is such a cozy, feel-good sapphic romance. It follows Courtney, a cellist laying low after a big career mishap, and Thea, the charming tattoo artist next door who owns a bearded dragon (yes, really). Their chemistry builds slowly, and the banter is on point.

It’s got some great tropes: grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, bookstore romance, and healing after trauma. Add in a small-town setting and a sweet found-family vibe, and you’ve got a perfect comfort read. Loved it!

This was a cute, lesbian romance. I really liked the banter between the MCs, especially related to smutty books. It had important themes around being your true self, which I thought was very well written (and not stereotypical of a queer romance, which was a nice change of pace!). I wish we saw more of Courtney's past because I think there was a lot of the religious upbringing that could have really added more to the character.

This was a very sweet and well written story. The main characters are well developed and are portrayed in a realistic manner. Everyone has their flaws, but the growth and relationships are a joy to witness as a reader. Some minor "real-world" issues are raised in an appropriate manner, and greatly increases the relatability of the characters. Would recommend to a friend. Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this and give my unbiased opinion.

I truly loved this, this book is a love letter to romance letters (which Thea would love, because letters are definitely a lost art).

I love that it leaned into romance trope stereotypes and had fun with it. These characters were wonderful and communicated really well. It had me kicking my feet and sighing at the end. Loved!!