Andie Burke is probably one of my favorite authors. We share the same nursing career and I can really relate to anything that she writes. Especially since one of the main characters has a chronic illness that effects her every day life.

Thea, moving from Alabama to Kansas to escape family pressure finds a community with her best friend (NFL football player) and others in a small town. Quickly becoming friends with the book shop owner, next door from the tattoo parlor she currently works at, while she finds pleasure in photography, she meets Courtney who is quiet as a mouse. Unbeknownst to Thea, Courtney is a famous musician who put her career on hold and works at her best friends book store.

Courtney, an ex-evangelical church musician and ex-wife to an abuser, she is very guarded and doesn't like making many friends. When her migraines get the best of her and she collapses on stage at her concert, people think she is a drug user and alcohol abuser. What people don't know is the chronic illness that she deals with on a daily basis. It's hard for Courtney not to make friends with Thea's quirky/outgoing personality and one thing leads to another and feelings fly.

Courtney must get over the mistrust she has in other people and Thea needs to be able to set boundaries with her family and figure out what she wants for her future in order to have a successful relationship.

Trauma bonding, survival, courage and perseverance and the main themes throughout the book.

This is a solid 4 star novel and one I would suggest if you want to read about a main character with a chronic illness and you can relate.

Andie Burke has a talent for writing characters that feel real and familiar. It was easy to fall into this book and in love with Thea, Courtney, and their various friends because Burke wrote them with so much heart and humor.

With Stars In Her Eyes is an excellent slow burn romance that feels earned. I can’t emphasize enough how much I loved seeing Thea and Courtney grow closer over time. I’m a bit of a sucker for friends to lovers romance, so I loved seeing the two MCs develop a heartwarming friendship with both wanting more. I cherished all the small moments of the two of them growing closer and closer, before finally getting together.

The third act “complication” felt realistic of both characters and their overall arc in this story. I enjoyed seeing how it played out to the HEA ending. Now I need a follow up book (with Marshall as the lead perhaps…) just to see more of Thea and Courtney’s life together.

This book is an ARC, so I expect some of the grammatical errors and POV errors to be fixed before pub day. They didn’t bother my ability to enjoy the story and invest in Thea and Courtney’s romance.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this one because it felt like it could be a good Rom Com or even a Hallmark like story but the characters mostly felt flat. I didn’t buy into the story and just never connected with their journey.

Thanks to NetGallery and the Publisher for this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

With Stars In Her Eyes by Andie Burke immediately captured my interest with its delightful premise—a sapphic romance set in a charming small-town bookstore. The setup, featuring Courtney, a talented cellist seeking refuge after a public health scare, and Thea, an artistic newcomer looking for a fresh start, is exactly the kind of heartfelt narrative I typically enjoy.

While the cozy small-town atmosphere was wonderfully portrayed and delivered exactly the inviting warmth I hoped for, I found myself struggling with the book's writing style. Throughout my reading, I frequently needed to reread passages to clearly grasp their intended meaning, which repeatedly pulled me out of the story. This difficulty in connecting smoothly with the narrative diminished my overall reading experience.

Additionally, although Courtney and Thea’s relationship had some sweet moments, I didn't find their chemistry fully convincing. Their romance, which should have been central and compelling, felt somewhat underdeveloped. I wished for deeper characterization or more meaningful interactions to truly invest in their emotional journey.

One aspect I genuinely appreciated, however, was the sensitive and realistic portrayal of Courtney's chronic illness. Burke handled the depiction of migraines with thoughtfulness, highlighting the emotional and physical toll such conditions can have on individuals. This thoughtful treatment was a notable strength of the book.

Despite my reservations about the clarity of the writing and depth of the romantic connection, With Stars In Her Eyes may still appeal to readers who adore small-town settings, gentle storytelling, and representation of chronic illness with authenticity and care.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was very much what I thought it be while also not being at all what I expected.

To be fair, I went into this having seen some early reviews so I knew it wasn't a perfect final version. A few typos here and there don't bother me.

What did was the third act breakup. Because THEA... what are you doing?! Sweet, angel baby that she was could not comprehend the events taking place. Poor Courtney.

Having said that, here is what I loved -- EVERYTHING ELSE.

This story delivers on the small town vibes for sure. The meddling friends and neighbors were a trip. Every moment on the page where Courtney and Thea were together in the early chapters felt like a buildup I couldn't wait to experience. When it came, well, there was lots of coming all around. (I know that's a terrible joke. Get over it!)

Oh, and the religious trauma was shown in the most realistic way. I might be biased as someone who also deconstructed and kind of went through what Courtney did, but A.B. really does do a good job. While it's not overbearing, it's obvious Courtney's past haunts her - mentally and physically in some cases.

As it stands, this is my first A.B. book and it won't be my last. I went to buy her other two books while I was reading this one because I just knew I'd love it. The cover drew me in. The characters made me stick it out.

🩵 Sapphic Romance
🩵 Famous x Non-Famous pairing
🩵 Both artistic
🩵 Disability rep
🩵 Third act breakup
🩵 Small town
🩵 Religious Trauma
🩵 PTSD
🩵 SPICE

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Spice Rating: 🌶🌶.5

I would give this book 3.75 stars out of 5. I really enjoyed the last 100 or so pages of this book. The overall story was sweet despite dealing with some darker themes such as grooming, cptsd, and black mail. Something I liked was how Thea got Courtney to communicate at times and that she stood up for herself. I did feel like the book was a little slow at times and had a lot of time skips. But overall, I feel like this has great potential

I DNF this at about 38%, and truly gave it a try. I really enjoyed the first bit of it and the plot was so promising. However, I did not enjoy the writing style, and kept having to reread sentences. I felt lost especially when the POVs would change between the main characters.

The plot of the book has so much potential and I love the cozy, small town atmosphere. The FMCs are adorable but I feel like more character development could be added.

Maybe when it is finalized for publishing I will give it another try, but I could not finish it at this time.

2/5 stars

To preface, I really wanted to enjoy this book. An adult sapphic romance that takes place within a bookstore? I am sold! Yet, I was not entirely sold throughout reading this story.

The writing of the book was hard to get through. It made the story feel all over the place, so I was focusing more on what was being said than being immersed in the plot and Courtney and Thea’s chemistry. Speaking of chemistry, it felt as if there was not much of it. Both characters are eerily similar and hard to distinguish when reading their dialogue. I had to go back multiple times to figure out who is saying what. This made me not feel as connected to these characters and felt indifferent to their “tension” and romance.

Other than their chemistry, each character’s personal challenges were a bit lack luster. I wish there were more development for each. It felt as if their personal struggles were thrown in randomly and never fully resolved by the end.

However, I did enjoy the representation and struggles Courtney faces with her chronic migraines. It was interesting to learn about how to combat them as well as how difficult it is to find solutions to manage them.

Overall, as many other reviewers have mentioned, this book needs an immense amount of editing. I really want to enjoy this book, but with its writing problems, it takes a lot away from the story. I am hoping it improves by the publishing date.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I’ve read the author’s previous work, and once again Andie Burke handles chronic illness with care while also exploring the emotional complexity of leaving relationships that feel controlling—or stepping away from family who can’t fully see you. With Stars in Her Eyes beautifully captures how hard it is to open up to someone new, and how healing it can be when you finally do. One of my favorite parts was how the bookstore felt like its own character, with a community that quietly holds everyone up. This is a tender, affirming romance that really sticks with you.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of With Stars in Her Eyes.

This is a cute and cozy slow-burn romance between two MCs that seem to have a lot going on at the moment. Although the novel is told through a dual-POV, it really felt like the story itself was more about Courtney than Thea, and I’m not mad about that because I was mostly drawn to Courtney’s story while I was reading this.

I loved the banter between the MCs as they got to know each other. The bookstore setting was *chef’s kiss*. And I enjoyed the supporting cast of characters in this small town, especially Miss Jeannie.

I could, however, see the conflict coming a mile away, and I wasn’t surprised when that section hit the later part of the book. But I wasn’t all that engaged during Thea and Courtney’s conflict-o-rama because they seemed to keep having the same conversation over and over again, and I wasn’t all that on-board with Thea’s reaction to everything. Tightening up this section would be helpful to keep readers engaged, but even with the repetitive conversations, I was still all-in with these MCs and wanted them get their HEA.

What I liked:
-Cover
-F/F romance
-Bookstore setting
-Tattoo artist main character!

Why I stopped reading:
-Writing style, I struggled to get into this one. I kept picking it up hoping it would be more drawn to it but each page because a bit tiring?
-There’s a solid chance I am simply not in the mood for a romance book currently, but the execution of this did not pull me in.
-Mentions of football
-Mentions of the church

Thank you for the opportunity to sample this eARC! I will likely buy it once it comes out and I am more in the mood for this read, as I want it on my shelf and I have confidence the writing style will likely pull me in a bit more upon release (one edits are done).

I appreciate the opportunity to leave honest feedback voluntarily! Thank you!!

Although the concept is captivating, the execution is lacking. I will read more from this author though

This is barely a 3 star book, but I'm trying to give it a slight boost due to being an ARC copy, but it was tough. So many issues with grammar, POV, typos and etc, which I really really hope gets fixed prior to this being published.

Fly with Me was a fantastic debut, but this was hardcore lacking and that's not just the editorial mistakes. It was lacking in depth and very similar characters. It was too repetitive and got to the point where I severely struggled to finish this one. Not to mention the negativity throughout, it was hard to stomach. I get the physical and mental illnesses but it was hard to read.

Very slow burn with no chemistry, I didn't even understand why they were together. It dragged on and the secondary characters didn't add anything to the story, just felt like fillers and it didn't end in a satisfying way at all.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This did not quite hit for me. In general, I am not a contemporary romance person, but I can be persuaded on occasion. In this instance I loved the coziness of a bookstore romance and was interested further since it was a F/F romance. Let's look at the characters since that is what drives these stories.

Our leads Courtney/Kestrel and Thea are a musician with migraines and a body piercer/hobby photographer, respectively. Courtney had a evangelical upbringing and carries a lot of baggage regarding it, We do not unpack this baggage, but we do look at it sometimes in passing. She also has some other things in her past that do come up again in Act 3, but it never feels more than an annoyance. She keeps her migraines a secret for undetermined reasons and this almost tanks her entire dream career and drives a wedge in the couple friendships she has. It also would have potentially caused her legal trouble given she gave the impression of being on recreational street drugs and no one knew her medications and symptoms were due to the migraines.

Our other lead, Thea, likes to quit things, or so she describes herself. She moved to get away from her overbearing mother who supports her photography, but wants her to pursue it as a profession. Though the mother is definitely overbearing, I do understand her worry over a youngest daughter who is in her thirties and does body piercings for a living. Thea struggles with being the "nice one" and not having good boundaries with her family. This is something that comes up sometimes and she works on in passing.

Together they are pretty cute although juvenile at times. Usually my favorite part of romance stories is the buildup to feelings being realized and/or expressed. I did not feel that anticipation here as they got to know one another. While there was some banter, if we're being technical, it did not feel as such. I think the prime reason there was no tension is, because both leads sounded exactly the same. There were many long dialogue exchanges and I would lose track of who said what after maybe the third line. I had to do a lot of backtracking since neither had a distinctive voice or manner. When it sounds like the equivalent of someone talking to themselves in their car, it's impossible to feel that tension that is the delicious part of any romance. These were two different people that led very different lives up until this point, there was no reason for them to sound identical.

As for the side characters, I was hard pressed to differentiate them as well. Any time there was a bit of dialogue in a group of them (and there is a lot of dialogue in this book) I would have to read it through a couple times since the tone was the same for all of them. I did stop this eventually as I realized knowing who said what had no bearing on the scene at large. To give credit where it's due, the couple lines that I found funny were delivered by side characters, but I couldn't tell you which ones.

To end on a positive note. I enjoyed the book recommendations Courtney would give Thea. I love those old school romance covers they describe (and enact!). It gave opportunity for a lot of cuteness. Also the exotic animals the bookstore would frequently house made for some fun moments. I would love to visit a bookstore like this. I don't know anything about photography, but I enjoyed Thea nerding out about it and hearing about the different auras she could capture with certain techniques. The photos described sounded magical and I would have loved to see them. This would be excellent inspo for any fan artists out there.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for this eARC of With Stars in Her Eyes! I always appreciate the opportunity to read and give my honest review before publication day.

I had first requested With Stars in Her Eyes because my fanfic-reader heart can't resist a bookstore x tattoo shop love story - the story being sapphic, and our shy bookseller being a cellist, were just the cherry on top. Once I got into it, I was pleasantly surprised by the underlying themes around identity, healing, and how love can help give you the confidence to become who you want to be. The discussions around religious trauma, the commodification of faith, and migraine as a condition beyond "headaches" also gave depth and a unique, but relatable, tone to the story that I really appreciated.

Courtney Starling was formerly known by her middle name Dove during her Christian pop-star days, and now is known as Kestrel - a mysterious electric-cellist who features in and writes for the world-famous band Violet Trikes. After a slightly-catastrophic appearance at a Violet Trikes concert that was meant to announce her deeply personal solo album, she is hiding out in her best friend's bookstore-slash-mini animal sanctuary in Kansas while seeking treatment for her severe migraines and deciding what she should do next, while harboring a painful secret about the performance. Thea Quinn has just moved to the same Kansas town, looking for space and boundaries from her overbearing mother and the rest of her clean-cut, accomplished, country club family that expects her to be something she's not. Thea joins the local tattoo studio as their resident piercer while indulging in her astrophotography hobby - and supporting her NFL-playing best friend Marshall as he struggles to run the small town's pub while keeping his football career afloat. The two women meet, and it sets in motion a love story that helps them both figure out what exactly they want and where they belong - and if those things will get in the way of them being together.

This book was an interesting journey. I loved both of our main characters, and I even enjoyed them together as a couple, but there were moments where I wanted to put down the book. If I hadn't been traveling for long stretches with nothing else to do, I'm unsure if I would have continued reading - I'm glad I did keep going, but I can't quite put my finger on what exactly almost lost me.

I sympathized with Courtney's various struggles- religious trauma, an abusive ex, neglectful parents, migraine, social anxiety -but I did feel that for the ages of our characters, I was looking for a bit more communication and self awareness. When we got to the conflict I actually got confused, and had to reread to understand why exactly Thea was mad and why Courtney wasn't defending or even explaining herself. I think the relationship could have used some development beforehand to serve Thea's reaction better, or they could have acknowledged that their feelings were almost too intense for how short of a time they've known each other - without either of these things, it felt like a conflict for conflicts' sake, when we should have been more focused on the ex husband of it all! The ex husband going into politics and the consequences of Kestrel's album were both heavily glossed over and I would have loved to have seen that point of conflict get wrapped up in more detail, with him as the main source of conflict rather than the women having chapters-long friction over secret-keeping.

On a more positive note, I really enjoyed this town, the characters, the bookstore's animal visitors, and the general writing style and voice of Andie Burke. I found myself deeply curious about what was going on with Marshall's pub, Ms. Jeannie's lore, Marshall's dad's mushroom research, etc and even with my flip-flopping about the details of the story overall I enjoyed myself and this world that Andie Burke created. I could see myself returning to this literary universe, especially if a second book focused on Marshall and Demetrius were in the works (aka: please???).

Overall I enjoyed this read but I had a few gripes that kept my rating a bit lower. The small town and its cast of characters were fun, and I hope we get the chance to return to Kansas with Andie Burke sometime soon. I rated this a 3.75/5, rounded up to 4 for Netgalley and Goodreads. Thank you again to the publisher for the chance to read and review!

I really enjoyed this story. We follow Thea and Courtney as they deal with work and family struggles while navigating their growing feelings for each other. At times it was difficult to work out who was talking about who because the story is told in first person with dual points of view and both of the characters sound similar. Aside from this, it was a fun and easy read.

This is a fun and flirty sapphic romance that follows the lives and love of Courtney Starling and Thea Quinn. The story wastes no time diving into their budding relationship. Their interactions are filled with witty banter and playful moments balanced with some really thoughtful moments, making it easy for me to become smitten with them.

The novel employs a dual-perspective narrative, providing deep insight into Courtney’s character, complete with a well-developed backstory that adds depth to her experiences. On the other hand, Thea’s background isn’t explored with the same depth, leaving a desire for a more balanced character development between our two main characters.

However, I understand why we follow Courtney more than Thea — Courtney shares the author’s lived experiences. A standout aspect of the book is its authentic representation of chronic pain and migraines, drawn from the author’s personal experiences. This portrayal offers readers a genuine glimpse into the challenges faced by individuals dealing with similar conditions, fostering greater awareness and empathy.

Ultimately, I overall enjoyed my read of this book. I enjoyed the story and interaction between our characters, and I appreciated the real life experiences the author wove into this story. I would definitely suggest for anyone who loves a sapphic romance!

As someone who really liked, "Fly With Me", I went into this one very excited.

While this one has its pros and cons, it sadly didn't quite grip me the way the other book did.

There are still tons of cute moments and quirky character traits in this one too, but I just didn't connect with Thea and Courtney as much as I hoped. The drama with Courtney's ex and her music career wasn't all that interesting to me, and Thea's reactions to everything at the end seemed a bit overblown.

Despite that however, it does have redeeming moments. For instance, their sandwich lunches and terrible flirting are cute to witness (even if I didn't always know what they were talking about). Many of their conversations felt awkward in a way that was realistic to two people attracted to each other. I also enjoyed that they both had hobbies they were very passionate about and were able to connect through that.

Overall, the book is sweet and a bit spicy and perfect for fans of song or celebrity fics. 4/5 stars.

Andie Burke tells stories that need to be told. Whether it's chronic illness, the deep scars left behind by religion or the complications of family distance, she doesn't shy away from navigating hard topics with sensitivity, compassion and humor. This isn't a cliched story about repressed sexuality inflicted by conservative religion: it's about how deeply that can influence ones' psyche, sense of self, and ability to move in the world. Burke trusts her reader with subtext: a side romance that takes place off the page is a stunning example of this, as well as her ability to turn a menagerie of exotic pets into mascots any reader would champion. It is a complex, nuanced, growth-fueled love story. It's real -- and it sings. The world needs more gorgeous sapphic love stories, and for that we need more of Andie Burke's voice.

Similar to other reviewers, I noticed an unusually large number of basic editing issues that should have been corrected prior to uploading the ARC. I'm shocked that St Martins put the ARC out in this condition, but trust it will get corrected prior to publication. Reviewing on that basis.

This was an extremely sweet slow burn sapphic romance between Courtney, a professional musician who is running away from her past, and Thea, a professional piercer and amateur photographer who is looking to settle down and escape her family’s expectations.

I absolutely adored two main characters, and their first meeting was super cute, I never thought I’d actually want to have a bearded dragon as a pet, but I fell in love with Billy Gibbons. The small town vibes and found family was another big positive in my opinion, the world would be a better place with more Ms. Jeannies in it.

I will say that I wish the pacing at the end was a bit better, it felt somewhat rushed and some of the sub plots felt unnecessary or should have been given more attention like the fight between Marshall and his father or Thea’s relationship with her own family.

Overall this was a great read that I would recommend anyone who enjoys a cozy, feel good, sapphic romance.