Alexandria Bellefleur's 2020 debut, Written in the Stars, was the F/F romance I did not know I needed right now, but I can't rave enough. When uptight Darcy (yes, Pride and Prejudice fans, this is intentional) and free spirit Elle forge a fake relationship to appease their families, the last thing these two expect is to fall in love for real. A bit of an enemies-to-lovers trope is also in play here and the banter is off the charts. I cannot say enough good things about this book and I truly look forward to more from this new voice in the future.

Thank you to Avon for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars!

- GRAND GESTURE
- abrupt ending
- sweetest words
- sunshine/grumpy couple
- HILARIOUS scenes
- damn am I single

my mind kind of wandered during the second half, not gonna lie, but it constantly brought me back with such vivid characters, great writing, and seriously hilarious scenes.

While I’m not 100% sold (and I am a little sad about that), I still wouldn’t knock this book because it was just such a sweet and quick read! Also, HELLO BI REP


*CW: strained familial relationships (toxic), infidelity

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

Contemporary F-F romcom. Opposites attract and fake relationship troupe.
Elle and Darcy have little in common beyond pushy family trying to create a romance. Sure, they have sparks but that’s not enough to build a relationship on, is it?

It’s the sparks that make the relationship move from physical to more.
Elle makes her intentions clear. She is looking for love and a permanent connection. Darcy has been hurt in the past and has decided she will not open her heart again. Cold stop.

A cute romance with a couple of hot sexy scenes. I admire Darcy for learning about Elle’s profession and realizing it’s importance to Elle even though Darcy doesn’t believe in it herself.
Typical troupe complications build to a romantic ending.
The book ended on Christmas Eve. It could have used a Christmas epilogue.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

A too cute for words fake dating f/f romance about an astrologer looking for love and a heartbroken woman determined not to find it.

Elle wants her overbearing mother to get off her back about her "unconventional" job and finally accept her for who she is. Darcy, still recovering from a broken engagement and shattered heart, just wants her younger brother to stop setting her up. A fake relationship after a disastrous first date wasn't exactly what either of them had planned, but it might be the perfect solution to each of their problems. Love wasn't in the plans. But between sizzling chemistry and escape room double dates, it might just be written in the stars for these two.

This was a super sweet romance. It wasn't marketed this way, but does seem to be loosely (very loosely) inspired by Pride and Prejudice, which I did enjoy. Just little tidbits like the names and Elle's family situation. A lovely read that doesn't mope around in overly dramatic relationship problems too much-- just enough to create tension and conflict. And the audiobook narration was really excellent. Definitely recommended for romance fans!

4.75 Stars. I loved this! What a great holiday romance that just made my heart happy. It’s funny but I was just looking back on the WLW books that I have read this year and I realized I have not had the best luck with contemporary romances. I have read some great crime/mystery-romances, paranormal-romances, and even fantasy-romances, but plain romance has not been as strong for me as usual. Well, talk about the perfect time for this romance to come along. This was exactly what I needed and everything I love to read in a great romance. This is the perfect book to read right now with the holidays coming up and I have a feeling I will be gushing about this book for a long time to come.

I mentioned that this was a holiday and contemporary WLW romance, but I can stick on a few more tags than that. This is also, my favorite trope, a fauxmance. Fake relationship romances are some of the best because the author has to make two characters go from almost nothing in common to the potential for real love. Fauxmances make authors work hard and that makes them so fun to read. Not only is this a fauxmance, but one of the characters is a baby ice queen in training. I love ice queens. Something about watching that ice slowly start to melt, always makes me believe in the potential romance even more. And lastly, this book is also a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I’m an Austen fan and I like retellings of her books, but this is a very light retelling. You will see certain things and characters that will make you think of P&P but the feeling is not heavy. There were times I even forgot that this was a retelling since it feels like its own story. So if you are an Austen fan I think you will like the overall feel, but if you are not an Austen fan, the few light similarities should not bother you at all.

This should not be a surprise but my favorite part was the romance itself. I love both characters, they are total opposites but they fit so well anyway. I’m such a character driven reader so loving characters always helps, but I was so swept up in the romance plot that that is where the book really won me over. It’s a slow-burn romance but it went at a really nice pace. But what convinced me so much was the chemistry. The written chemistry was so wonderful that as a reader you could actually feel it. These two women set off sparks on these pages and it went through the entire book. It was not one scene that was in the beginning, or one near the end, instead the entire book was chock full or emotional and physical chemistry. This romance was so nice and sweet, but it was also deliciously steamy at times, the perfect mix and what I want in my romances.

My only real complaint, and the only reason this did not get a full 5 stars was that I felt like the ending was a little rushed. It’s not bad, it just needed a few more pages. This book is actually a good length for a romance, longer than most WLW romances that I read so I’m surprised to say this. I liked the actual ending but it really needed an epilogue. We should have jumped to New Year’s Eve, since that date held special meaning in this book. I think it was a missed opportunity and come on, romance fans like their epilogues.

If you could not tell from all the gushing, I absolutely recommend this to romance fans. This would be the perfect book to turn into a holiday movie say for a Netflix. Hey, if Hulu can put on a WLW holiday romance this year, than there is hope for stories like this. There is going to be another book that follows this one, which stars the main character’s brother. I thought he was fine for a secondary character but I think he would get on my nerves for a main character so I’ll probably pass. However, if Bellefleur ever writes another WLW story, I will read it in a heartbeat.

3,5 stars. This was a slow read, but I did enjoy it. I found it humorous. Darcy and Elle had strong chemistry. I’m interested in reading Brendon’s story.

Written in the Stars is a clever, fizzy rom-com⁠ that’s pure pleasure to read and easily joins the constellation of my 2020 favorites. It winks at Bridget Jones's Diary and Pride and Prejudice in broad characterizations but very much charts it's own path as a thoroughly modern sapphic romance full of wit, humor and heat.

Like Bridget and Mark or Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam, heroines Elle and Darcy are polar opposites. Elle is an astrologist, Darcy an actuary. Elle shops in thrift stores and drinks rosé from a box; Darcy wears designer silk and orders $56 glasses of chardonnay. Elle is an unconventional dreamer and incurable romantic eager to find her soulmate. Darcy is⁠ a buttoned up skeptic, reserved, risk averse and certain love is a bad bet.

The opposites attract set up is perfection, but it's their undeniable chemistry and steadily increasing intimacy as they reveal complex and complementary personalities that really had me hooked. Their attraction is so evocatively described (even in the midst of their disastrous blind date) that I was ready to smoosh their faces together before they’d even agreed to fake date.

Their plan to get Darcy's brother to stop his overzealous matchmaking and Elle's family to take her more seriously gives rise to a series of touching and adorable made for the movies dates. As they learn trust over escape room clues, get vulnerable in bar room trivia and share confidences under the stars, their compatibility is increasingly evident. Darcy reveals a penchant for dirty jokes, secret nerdery, surprising sentimentality, and a capacity for deep, messy feelings. Elle exposes a “clown car of terrifyingly endearing quirks,” a methodical intellect underpinning her intuitive nature, and a fearless generosity in pursuit of her dreams.

Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays provide a backdrop to the story and yield both tense family moments and touching points of connection between Elle and Darcy. Well drawn, engaging secondary characters round things out and create a wonderful sense of shared family as their lives intermingle.

If you’re looking for an effortlessly entertaining rom-com that sparkles with laughter and longing, this is a stellar pick!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me this eARC. All opinions are of my own.
Written in the Stars is an own voices, LGBTQIA, rom-com. It’s big trope is fake dating done in a tasteful & adorable manner. The characters are well written with hilariously contrasting personalities. The romance almost resembles a Hallmark novel! It’s a fun & quick read that all romance and young-adult fans alike would enjoy! I absolutely devoured this book & have no complaints. There are some detailed scenes that would encourage me to not recommend the story to younger readers (or at least ask a parent first). I give this book 5 large and sparkly stars.

Reviewed at Culturess https://culturess.com/2020/11/12/written-stars-gay-pride-prejudice-retelling-need/

4.5 stars

I loved this book so freaking much. This was such a good YA f/f romance. I was hooked from the beginning by these two polar opposites. On one side, we have Darcy, a girl who doesn't have a lot of friends because her focus is on her studies/career and she doesn't take the time or want to take a chance on someone else. But her brother is set on matching her up with his best friend Elle, a free-spirited girl who dreams of meeting her soulmate and believes in astrology. When they finally accept a blind date, it doesn't go very well and even though they think they'll never see each other again, Darcy lies to her brother to get him to stop bothering her. That lie is going to end up starting their fake relationship...

Overall, Written in the Stars was very entertaining and I loved the characters. They felt so real and I just wanted them to be happy. Also, I wanted to note that even though this book is YA, the characters share chemistry and sex is definitely there. I didn't expect it but it was a really nice surprise.

I can't wait to read another f/f story by this author. If she publishes one, I'll be excited to dive into it.


(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

This book is a master class in fake dating. It had me hooked from the very beginning. Watching Elle and Darcy fall for each other was an absolute delight. The way they supported one another and softened into each other's company was beautiful--it was so satisfying, like watching puzzle pieces slot together. This book felt like a warm hug and I recommend it to everyone.

This was a fun sapphic, opposites-attract, fake dating romance! It was a fun book and I enjoyed it. However, there's a very large amount of Harry Potter references (which I wouldn't be happy about in any book, but especially in a queer book when JKR is a bigot) and the ending of the book after the third-act breakup felt too quickly and easily wrapped up. I liked the characters and their distinct personalities, but I probably won't bother reading the next book in the series.

A thing in fiction that continues to delight me excessively is the evolution of the manic pixie dream girl into the disaster bisexual, which is so much better in so many ways. This book has big Grumpy One/Sunshine One energy, which we all know is my absolute favorite, and it’s exacerbated by the Sunshine One, Elle, being a complete and total disaster bisexual in literally every way. She is an utter delight, and Grumpy One (with a Secret Smooshy Inside, of course) Darcy is reluctantly charmed by all of it.

This is one of those books that is comprised of stellar moments, connected by a fairly standard storyline. (The fake relationship storyline, by the way, plays out SO WELL in f/f, because Darcy’s inability to communicate her emotions about her unwillingness to end the relationship as agreed upon, among other things, has nothing to do with toxic masculinity and everything to do with her actual, real-life emotions and needing to deal with her past). This is a low-angst story; there’s the requisite dark moment, and it’s dark enough, but in general, you can fit so much COMMUNICATION into this baby. *pats book* Elle is clear from the start about what she’s looking for, and grows even better at understanding and communicating what she deserves to have, and learns to be very clear about her boundaries (a fact that made me punch the air in glee). Even as Darcy struggles to get over the life events which caused her to set up the walls that Elle is gleefully barrelling over, she’s TRYING. Even when she is literally speechless, she understands what she needs to do.

But really, where this book shines is in the interactions. The story goes careening between adorable moments and awkward ones, painful family interactions and gratifying friendships, bouncing around with banter and wit and a LOT of heat. The spark between Elle and Darcy is fierce from the beginning, and the sex scenes are steamy, but honestly the bits I liked the most were the parts where they were NOTICING each other. At one point, Darcy watches Elle bite her own lip and realizes that she is jealous of Elle’s teeth, because she wants to be the one doing the biting, and it’s just… SO GOOD. Watching Darcy blossom under Elle’s relentless sunshine is a soothing, feel-good read. And Elle’s not just bubbles and sunshine; she’s got a career she’s worked hard for, and a solid education. One of my absolute favorite moments happened really early on in the story: Darcy (who is an actuary! I LOVE THIS), asks Elle how she makes her money. And Elle tells her! With a solid, explicit explanation of her various income streams and absolutely no bashfulness about using her skills and her passions to make real money. Normalize women talking about money, please.

I’m excited to keep going in this world – I’m loving Elle and Darcy’s friend group, and hoping to see more of their stories. (I hear Brendon’s story is coming next, and I can’t decide which of the hints that were dropped I want it to be – or neither!)

First off, that cover is GORGEOUS. A Pride & Prejudice-inspired, fake-dating, grumpy/sunshine, opposites-attract wlw romance? Yes, please! It’s an absolutely delicious trope sundae and I absolutely gobbled this book up.

“I think it’s nice,” Elle argued. “If you don’t believe in love, what’s left to believe in?”
Darcy tongue poked against the inside of her cheek. “Sweet in theory, but a bit starry-eyed, don’t you think?”
Was that a dig and a quip about her profession? “I’d rather be starry-eyed than jaded.”


Sick of being set up by her dating app founder, one-true-love believing brother, Darcy lies and says that she and Elle, the last of her disastrous blind dates, are now in a relationship – unbeknownst to Elle, who’s understandably furious and worried that it will affect her contract with Darcy’s brother’s company. But Darcy convinces Elle to play along, at least until New Year’s Eve, when they can happily “break up” and go their own ways. After all, what could two such disparate people ever have in common?

“Snow is pretty.”
She stuck out her tongue. “Oh please. For all of ten minutes before it turns into gray sludge that refreezes into black ice that’s responsible for 24 percent of weather-related vehicle crashes, injuring over seventy-five thousand and killing nearly nine hundred annually.”
That was depressing and yet, something about Darcy’s ability to rattle off random statistics—morbid as they were—was oddly hot. Disconcerting competence porn.”


Honestly, I can’t think of something much more opposite than an astrologer and an actuary! The astrology stuff went completely over my head, but even I could tell how passionate Elle was about it – and that’s one of the things I loved about Darcy as well. Darcy most certainly doesn’t believe in it, but she knows it’s important to Elle so she makes it a priority to learn about it for her – even if it’s just so she can figure out what makes Elle tick and why Darcy is so drawn to her. Darcy’s had her heart broken before, and she’s buried her feelings so deep that she’s not even really sure what’s going on with Elle. She has a plan to pass a final exam to get ahead in her actuary career, and she doesn’t have time for anything else. Elle is much more of a romantic, on the search for true love and relentlessly optimistic. It’s not that she’s unrealistic, but more that once she finds something that will make her happy, she reaches for it. On the surface, these two are complete opposites, but their immediate chemistry – even during their disastrous blind date – was electric and undeniable. The setup for the fake dating trope was excellent, and every little bit they revealed about their real selves just further cemented them as the perfect pairing in my mind. I may have spent a good portion of the book yelling at Elle and Darcy to just kiss already! This also has some surprise holiday content, including an absolutely heart-eyes scene with a Christmas tree.

“Quit trying to marry me off like I’m some Regency spinster in one of your favorite Austen novels.”
“Your name is Darcy.”
“And I might be a single woman in possession of a good fortune, but I’m not in want of a wife.”


This is very much more P&P-inspired than a straight retelling. For instance, sure, the main characters are named Darcy and Elle, and there’s some definite unfortunate impressions. Plus, Elle’s family members generally display some of the same character traits. Elle’s family, especially her mom, acts like she doesn’t have a “real job” and downplays her accomplishments. She feels inadequate, like nothing she does – short of getting a 9-to-5 office job – will ever be good enough for them. Luckily, Elle has plenty of support in the form of her roommate and business partner, Margot. I loved how supportive she was of Elle, even when she wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing. After the relationship’s dark moment, she doesn’t say “I told you so” or gloat, she just quietly reaffirms that Elle is a good person and deserving of love. Darcy’s brother has more boundary issues – he means well but tends to push harder than he should – but Brendon still cares deeply for her and comes from a place of making sure Darcy’s happy. My only complaint is that I think the book ended abruptly. I would’ve liked an additional chapter or epilogue to show their relationship after their reconciliation.

Overall, I adored this book, and can’t wait for Brendon’s book!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Written in the Stars follows Darcy, a total type A hardworking woman who is trying to improve her career and NOT fall in love, and Elle, a chill woman who lives for astrology and is looking for her soulmate. After a disastrous blind date, Elle thinks she will never see Darcy again until they get stuck in a sticky situation. Readers follow Darcy and Elle as they try fake dating to get their families off their backs, but when feelings start to arise they have to decide what they want with each other.

I’m not someone who reads lots of romance, but that is because most romances follow a male and a female and I just cannot relate to it let alone care about the story. With this being a wlw romance I jumped right in and loved it! I was so sad to see it end because I just wanted more cuteness! Written in the Stars was such a quick and easy read. It follows two women who are completely opposite from one another, but are exactly what each other needs. I will say that I am an absolute sucker for the fake dating trope but this book did such an amazing job with it. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a sweet wlw novel that will warm your heart.

I'm a fan of the fake dating trope, and I've been making an effort to seek out and support more lgbt fiction in hopes it will become the norm. So I had to request Written in the Stars. Though some reviews reference classic literature like Pride and Prejudice, this is not a retelling of any work, rather it feels reminiscent of classic romances. This was an endearing and well-written tale, and I'll likely pick it up again when I'm in need of a cozy story.

This was super cute, and I adored every moment of it! I could see the hints of Pride and Prejudice, but it wasn't so much that it overwhelmed the rest of the story. I also LOVED the fake dating rope being used, and it was just such a nice read to break up all the fantasy and sci-fi that I normally love. Highly recommended!

This book is delightful. It's got humor, spice, and a fake relationship. I knew I was 100% in after an excellent pickle based pun during an argument.

After a disastrous first date, Elle and Darcy end up faking a relationship for mutual gain. They're an obvious mismatch - Elle is a popular social media astrologer and Darcy is an actuary. But their chemistry is strong and their connection keeps getting stronger.

Only a book as strong as this one could have kept my attention during election week 2020. Both of the MCs are charming. I appreciate the Seattle setting with places I can recognize (those dodgy public restrooms in Pike Place Market? Very real). Both characters are working through issues with their families that felt real.

I'm going to have to reread it with undivided attention sometime. And I'm very much looking forward to what this new author puts out next!

I received an ARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley.

4.5 Stars

Darcy, an actuary and Elle, an astrologer enters into a fake relationship to appease their family. Even though both women had an awful first blind date, circumstances lead them to this choice, and the rest is history.
🌟
I loved Elle, she was so damn special, like stardust and early Christmas presents. And Darcy, even bottled up tight glowed with humor and energy. Plus, she couldn't resist Elle.
🌟
The steamy scenes (clears throat and fans self giddily) gave my imagination no mercy, they were bold, electric and explosive honey. I think I'm pretty well-read but lawks, my cheeks were burning☺☺. I blushed a fair bit, then continued on like it's free alcohol season 🍷.
🌟
I honestly could not put this book down, I love opposites attract reads and the nod to Pride and Prejudice did not go unnoticed. Its a rom-com match made among the stars. Just effing adorable. I was a bit disappointed with how rushed the ending was, just wished there was another chapter to tie everything up smoothly, but, it was good non the less. I'll definitely be getting a copy of this gem💖.

I received a complimentary eARC and ALC of Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur from Avon through Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Written in the Stars comes out tomorrow, November 10th!

When Darcy's brother sets her up on a blind date with Elle, it goes horribly wrong. Darcy isn't looking for love, but her brother (the creator of a successful dating app) is determined to help her find "the one." Wanting to deter his attempts to set her up, Darcy lies and tells him the date went well. But she didn't think the lie through. Elle is her brother's business partner, a popular astrologer who is helping with the dating app. Elle confronts Darcy about her lies and Darcy begs Elle to play along for a little while. It's mutually beneficial: Darcy doesn't have to deal with her brother's pestering for a while and Elle's family will see she can sustain a relationship. They're complete opposites, so they don't expect their fake relationship to turn into the real thing.

This book was really cute and pretty steamy! It'll definitely appeal to you if you're interested in a sapphic opposites attract and fake dating combo! I enjoyed this one a lot. I mostly listened to the audio, which was done very well. Darcy and Elle are very different, but they're both relatable and loveable. My rating for this one dropped a little because some aspects of the writing style and certain word choices bothered me, but overall I'm so glad I read this one! The story itself was fun and made for a satisfying read. Written in the Stars is a great book to read over the holidays if you're looking for a sweet sapphic romance with a little steam!