A huge thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Between the pandemic, the election, the worry of seasonal depression, and every other thing to fear, it’s been a rough year, to say the least. Books have acted as an escape in these troubling times, and Alexandria Bellefleur has come along to deliver the next romance novel to sweep you off your feet and transport you to a better world with “Written in the Stars”

“Written in the Stars” follows Elle, a young woman obsessed with the ideas of love, astrology, and finding that one special person. Elle is set up on a blind date with her friend’s older sister, Darcy, who is almost the exact opposite of Elle. When their date goes awful, but Darcy wants her brother off her back about having a girlfriend, she tells him their date went perfect, thus creating a fake dating deal between the two. But what happens when this unlikely pair starts to develop feelings for one another?

Bellefleur blew away all my expectations with this book and managed to create a fun, sexy, and enthralling book for readers. To put it in simplest terms: this book feels like a Hallmark movie in the best ways possible. The premise of the book is a fake-dating trope that deals with astrology, dating apps, believing in soulmates, and is close to Christmas. It all adds up to a wonderful reading experience.

Although the premise is great, the characters are cute and interesting, if not just a tad basic. One of my favorite characters was Brendon, Darcy’s brother, who helps bring the two together multiple times throughout the book. Each character has a complex system to them and their motives are easily explained, such as Darcy’s caution to fall for Elle.

In terms of the general flow of the book, the first half is a little slow, but the second half picks up quickly. As Elle and Darcy begin to develop real feelings for one another, the book moves faster and throws a lot more into their paths, which represents the speed of their feelings and their hesitance to make their situation real.

The Verdict

“Written in the Stars” is an adorable book that manages to take several fun tropes and make it its own. Bellefleur has written a fun and sexy book that will have people swooning this holiday season and give readers a reason to believe true love exists and is out there. My only complaint with the book is that at times it did feel a little rushed and that the characters could have been a little deeper, but regardless it is still a great story to read.

My official rating: 4.5/5 stars

This was a good read. The characters were likeable and you were rooting for these two. The first 7/8 of the book was a delight. The fake relationship trope is a fun, but this one felt more real. There was lots of humor and relatable drama. I felt the last 1/8 of the book was all drama, which I wasn't as in to. The supporting characters were also well drawn. I would read the sequel about Brendan. I enjoyed the author's writing style and outlook on life.

The manifold resets and reboots of “Pride and Prejudice” practically require their own section in the bookstore these days, so when you pick up a rom-com with lead characters named Darcy and Elle, you might think you know exactly what you’re in for. But Alexandria Bellefleur’s queer romance “Written in the Stars” gives its inspo a mere wink and a smile before unfolding into a distinctly modern frolic, charming and effervescent and entirely itself.

Full review will appear in mid-November in The Washington Post. Many thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the eARC.

I needed a romance to cleanse my palate after my month of spooky reading, and this fit the bill beautifully. It's tough to find a F/F romance that's done well; this one has excellent character development, plenty of depth in addition to its humor, and nods to Pride and Prejudice (mostly in the names--grumpy, closed-off actuary Darcy and free-spirited astrologer Elle). I had to admit, part of me wanted the fake-dating aspect to go on longer, but I'm biased since that's a trope I love. Otherwise, this is an excellent romance to add to your TBR pile.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Written in the Stars appealed to me from when I first heard of it: an f/f rom-com with nods to Pride and Prejudice? While not a full-on retelling, the story is charming and the allusions are distinct, while being very much a part of a story in its own right.

While I’m not massively into astrology, I liked getting insights into it through Elle’s character, and appreciated that they’re more fun, like what romantic movie or breakfast food pairs well with each star sign, instead of a faux attempt at being deep. These lists being interspersed throughout were fun Easter eggs, providing some insight into the characters, given that both of their star signs are disclosed, as well as being fun to think about in a real life context when looking at the picks for one’s own sign.

Elle and Darcy are also such wonderful characters. It’s one of the best “grumpy/sunshine” pairings, because of how well they play off each other, going from their initial difficulties, to a truce and fake dating, and eventually falling in love. Throughout, I liked exploring each of their approaches to love, from Darcy’s reticence after a bad breakup to Elle’s more open-hearted approach.

And while not explicitly a holiday romance, it’s set around the holiday season, from Thanksgiving through Christmas and into the New Year, and I like how that colored their interactions with one another, particularly in the little things, like the sweet Christmas gifts!

This is a lovely, fluffy story, and while not explicitly funny in spite of its billing, it’s an absolute delight to read. I strongly recommend it if you love queer romance and/or stories inspired by Pride and Prejudice.

Written in the Stars is a WLW contemporary romance that takes inspiration from Pride & Prejudice and Bridget Jones. Our main characters are Elle Jones, an astrologer behind the popular Twitter account "Oh My Stars" who is looking for her soulmate, and Darcy Lowell, an actuary who doesn't have time for or want love. The two could not be more different so when they go on a blind date that Darcy's brother and Elle's business partner, Brendon, set them up on it is disastrous. To get Brendon off her back about dating, Darcy tells him the date went great and that she's going to see Elle again. This comes as a big surprise to Elle when Brendon lets it slip that Darcy is smitten with her. Elle goes into a deal with Darcy that they will fake date until New Year's Eve to get Brendon off Darcy's back and Elle's family off hers.

I absolutely loved this book which is saying something because I'm a bit picky when it comes to contemporary books. I have a hard time finding wlw books that I like so it was refreshing. I also found it interesting that the story had 2 POV's, Elle, and Darcy.

The obvious big trope is fake dating. If you're not a fan of this trope this is 100% not the book for you. For me, this was the big seller of the book (besides the wlw part). I thought the trope was done really well and while the plot can be a bit predictable because of this, I still enjoyed the story.

Part of the reason I enjoyed this story so much was because of the main characters. I realized I related to both characters in different ways. I related to Elle in having eccentric hobbies that her family finds weird and I related to Darcy because I am in no way, shape, or form looking for love. I found myself smiling through most of the book and actually laughing out loud. I loved the relationship these two had and how it developed. Since there were 2 POV's we were able to get a look at what both our characters were thinking which made me love them more. It also made me angry when the characters weren't communicating with each other but I knew how both of them were feeling and just wanted to scream at both of them.

I thought the beginning was a little slow but that's usual for a book because characters and plots need to be laid out first. I read this book in two sittings and when I hit about 35% I couldn't put it down, I had to finish it. It's a fairly quick read, as it's contemporary, so if you have a little bit of time for a quick tropey story this is definitely one to look at.

I would consider this book a mix between New Adult and Adult. I don't believe it mentioned how old the characters were but I believe Darcy is about 30 and Elle is a little younger than her. There are a couple of spicy scenes as well as career talks which is why I would put the categorization somewhere in between.

I think this would be a perfect book to read curled up during the holiday season, partly because the story takes place in November and December and party because it's a cute romance book. While this story takes inspiration from Pride & Prejudice I wouldn't categorize it as a retelling, it is its own story. If you're looking for a tropey WLW romance I would definitely say go for this one.

This is a great if formulaic fake romance story. While I said it is a little by the numbers, it does the things that you expect well. I know it is billed as a bit of Bridget Jones and Pride and Prejudice cross over, but it is more of a homage to those works than anything. Which is fine by me. Aside from a rushed ending, I had a lot of fun with this one.

I am a sucker for a bit of the opposites attract trope, especially when they balance each other out. Darcy Lowell is the straight laced, by the numbers type, who would never want to be around the whirlwind of color and chaos that is Elle Jones. Aside from a split second of attraction that flies between them on their first blind date, they get along like oil and water. But when Darcy claims to her brother - Elle's friend and business partner - that they'd hit it off, Darcy and Elle embark on a slightly fake relationship that feels more real to each other than not. And that's where the best part of the story comes in. The spark of attraction is there, but the pair have to learn to look past their respective differences to find that they fit better together. It's all about balance, and each character has something to learn from the other. Darcy needed to understand that she needed to follow her gut every once in a while, and Elle needed that spark of confidence in herself to help stand up against ambivalent family. There are some truly saccharine moments, stuff that I normally roll my eyes at, but I just loved them here.

If you're looking for a cozy read, with a tad bit of sizzle, and a snappy dialogue, then this is for you. I found that I could relate to both leads, and absolutely loved following them as they fell for each other. Be prepared to "ohh" and "awww" though; some of these lines are too sweet to be real.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Excuse me while I go sob because my little lesbian heart is so full!
I had a lot of high hopes for this book and it met all of them! I adored every second of reading this book! I love the characters so much especially Elle. I know some people might think she is "to querky" but I related to her so much it hurt!
The romance oh the romance! It was so cute and sweet! Plus (sorry if you think of this as a spoiler) this is one of the first main stream saphic romance I have read that actually had smut in it that wasn't tucked into the end and only took up like half a page. This book did such a great job writing what would be a tipical romance only with two women.
If I had any complaint it would be with this genre in general. I wish not all of the queer women were fem. Just once I would like to see a book with a more butch queer woman but again that is just something I would like to see and not a bad thing for this book.
I have always been a sucker for a cute romance and I have been waiting for a book like this for as long as I can remember! If you are like me and love romance just in general get this book. If you are queer and looking for the perfect cute queer romance this is the book for you. This book is so adorable and worth every second you spend reading.

I unfortunately decided to DNF this. I do think it's a it's not the book, it's me thing because I've seen lots of other reviewers like this book. I'm really glad there are more sapphic romances coming out, and I was really excited to read this because of that but I just wasn't really connecting to the book, so I decided not to finish it. I wasn't really connecting with either of the two main characters or the writing, and it just fell a little flat for me.
I still want to read more sapphic romances in the future and I hope many more are published!

This is a queer rom-com of my heart. I was hooked on Darcy and Elle from their awkward, disastrous first date, Social media astrologer Elle is set up on a blind date with the sister of her friend and new business partner. It's obvious right from the start that Elle and Darcy could not be more different. Darcy is an uptight, type A actuary. She doesn't believe in fate, soulmates, and certainly not astrology and horoscopes. Elle is a scattered, free spirit. But when Darcy's meddling, well-intentioned younger brother asks her how the date went, she panics and lies. Thus Elle finds herself agreeing to be in a fake relationship with Darcy in order to save face with the brother and not jeopardize the new business partnership.

I'm almost always a fan of fake relationships, especially when it's Austen/Pride & Prejudice inspired, I loved everything about this book. Alexandria Bellefleur's dialogue in this book is amazing throughout. – laugh-out-loud funny and witty. The side characters are wonderful, from Darcy and Brendon's mother to Elle's best friend Margo to Brendon.

Written in the Stars is out November 10. Fans of rom-coms and Austen, do not miss this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with an e-galley and giving me a chance to provide an honest review.

I received an advanced copy of Written in the Stars from Netgalley so I could share my review with you!

When Darcy and Elle get set up on a blind date by a mutual connection, they realize quickly that they aren’t exactly compatible. Fun and flighty Elle runs the quickly growing astrology blog, “Oh My Stars,” and is looking for a committed relationship. Darcy is a rigid actuary, who doesn’t have time for love. Their first encounter is an absolute disaster, and neither of them expects that there will ever be a second date. That is until Darcy let’s slip a lie to her brother about how well the date went, with a poorly thought-out attempt to get him off her back about her love life. She should’ve known that this comment would come back to bite her, but it isn’t until Elle confronts her that she realizes how much trouble she’s in. Forced together by a convenient lie and a mutual need for their families to keep believing in their relationship, Darcy and Elle agree to fake-date until New Year’s Day. But, what if there was real potential hidden somewhere in their fake relationship?

You can get your copy of Written in the Stars on November 10th from Avon!

I never can resist an OwnVoices queer romance story, so when I saw Written in the Stars was available to request, I just had to give it a chance! Fake-dating is one of my all-time favorite tropes, giving this book an edge from the start. Darcy and Elle share an electric connection that pulled me in from the start! My only complaint is that the leads seemed to fall in love a bit more quickly than is believable, given their initial aversion towards each other. Besides this, I found the story to be great fun to read! At its core, Written in the Stars is a swoon-worthy romance story, filled with characters facing their insecurities and overcoming their past relationship woes.

My Recommendation-
If you are a fan of such tropes as fake-dating, opposites attract, and second chances, you should read Written in the Stars! This steamy queer romance would be a fantastic read for fans of Red White and Royal Blue, and Boyfriend Material!

It is a truth universally acknowledged that there are way too many modern day adaptations of Pride and Prejudice. Or at least it should be. Still, I had high hopes for this because if there's one place I can tolerate a cliche or fifty it's in a WLW adult romance published by a major publishing house, or basically, a unicorn. This is pretty much the second novel that fits that bill that I can think of, so let's just say I was willing to let a few flaws slide for the sake of a sweet romance between two women that doesn't suck.

This book <i>still</i> somehow was way too much. Too many cliches, too many drag and drop and ctrl+h plotlines and too many bland and forgettable protagonists, which is saying something, since there are only two. Neither Darcy nor Elle actually felt like real people so much as The-Boring-Lesbian-Who-Doesn't-Believe-in-Love (clearly you can see where this going) and the Manic-Pixie-Dream-Queer.

The writing was at least better than most adult WLW romances (which isn't saying much because most of them are self published), but it still could have used improvement. For one thing, it would have worked a lot better if it were told in alternating first person narrative.

I'm glad I had an opportunity to read the ARC but I'm really hoping the next WLW romance I read is better.

Very cute romance featuring opposites attract/fake dating tropes with some meet uncute/light enemies to lovers. I thought the pacing was particularly good, allowing the relationship to build believably with lots of adorable scenes and little touches. I did wish whatever was happening with the Pride and Prejudice references had been a bit more clear. (Was it just supposed to be a vague homage? I always find it a lot of fun when the details of an original work are updated in an interesting way.) I also found that some of the family issues trailed off a bit suddenly at the end, and there seemed to be an attempt to build up Darcy's relationship with Natasha in a way that didn't entirely pay off (although the scene where Elle says that this sort of backstory doesn't excuse the way she was treated was a great moment). However, this is generally a fun read which will leave you with a smile.

(I'm still with Darcy regarding astrology though!)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that I will read almost any Pride and Prejudice retelling. (And there are a lot out there!) So I was very excited to get an early copy of Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur. This was a very fun and easy read. I appreciate that the author did not stick too closely to the plot of the original, giving it a fresh feel, with likable characters, a new setting, and an entire subplot on astrology.

Darcy is a straight-laced actuary. Elle is a free-spirited astrologist. When they first meet, as in our original novel, it does not go well. However, Darcy is desperate to get her matchmaker brother off her back, so she asks Elle if she would consider fake-dating for a couple of months. Elle agrees, and we all know how this goes, they quickly begin to catch fall for one another, despite their earlier reservations. I thought Elle and Darcy had great chemistry, and the book as a whole was a romantic and engaging read!

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Written in the Stars is an opposites attract, fake relationship romance. Darcy doesn’t want to keep dealing with her brother’s set ups so she lies and says she hit it off with the latest blind date he set her up on, which was a total disaster. But then Brendan runs into Elle, her date and babbles about it in front of her mother. One thing leads to another and Elle and Darcy are in a fake relationship to get their families off their backs. But actually falling for each other? Elle believes in soulmates and Darcy does not.
I expect we’ll be seeing this book on a lot of best of and favourites lists for 2020. Bellefleur captures perfectly the hope we have to love and be loved, and to be afraid to reach for it. Both heroines have family issues that conflict with their self-worth and trust. The main and secondary characters were well-developed. Watching them fall despite themselves was delightful.

This is the fun and sweet wlw loose Pride and Prejudice retelling you're looking for! It's got a pansexual disaster character, which I know will appeal to a lot of people, and the fact that she's an astrologer will also be a big draw, no doubt. I don't personally find astrology or personality quizzes or enneagrams or any of that compelling at all, so I'm not the ideal audience for this book.

The Darcy character, named Darcy of course, is a buttoned up actuary. Just once, JUST ONCE, I would love to see a numbers person in a romance who isn't the withdrawn stuffy one. I promise you all mathy people are not like that!!!! There were certainly fun details to her character, but still.

Nonetheless, it's a tremendously enjoyable read, perfect for the holidays, and I'm happy to see more wlw romcoms!

Elle and Darcy may be star-crossed lovers - if only Darcy believed in stuff like that.

Darcy likes things neat and tidy: her apartment, her spreadsheets at work, her relationships. She definitely does not buy into things like soul mates. But then Darcy meets Elle on a blind date, courtesy of Darcy's brother, and Darcy can add astrology to her list of ridiculous things she doesn't buy into. Elle is Darcy's opposite: an astrologer, a little messy, and emotionally vulnerable. And despite the sparks between them, Elle doesn't need a star chart to know that it won't work between her and Darcy. But Darcy needs Elle to help her save face in front of her family, and suddenly Elle is in a pretend relationship with the prim and proper Darcy. But when the fake dating starts to get more and more real, Elle and Darcy will have to decide if their signs are aligning or if they're receiving celestial mixed signals.

Written in the Stars was an absolute joy to read. Elle and Darcy were both adorable and, at times, adorably frustrating when it came to falling for each other. Elle was free-spirited yet vulnerable, and her personality leaps off the page. Darcy simultaneously came off as a bit closed off in Elle's point of view, yet her character bloomed in her own point of view. Both stories intertwined beautifully in this interesting plot. This story was more than just a girl meets girl tale; Bellefleur shows how imperfections are not flaws, and sometimes the person you think is your opposite might just be your one true pairing.

This was such a fun read. I absolutely devoured it and wanted more. Alexandria Bellefleur’s writing style immerses the reader in the story with funny and descriptive prose. As an avid fanfiction-reader, reading this is like when you find that perfect fic with the right balance of tropes and banter, “angst and arousal” (in Darcy’s words)—and I mean that as the highest compliment.

I love Elle, I love Darcy, and most of all, I love their dynamic together. Elle is your typical sunshiny foil to Darcy’s storm cloud personality. They complement each other well and have instant believable chemistry, making you root for them as soon as you meet them. It’s so satisfying to read as Darcy opens her heart to Elle and the possibility of love.

Brendon and Margot, Elle’s best friend, are also extremely lovable characters. Brendon means well and wants to take care of his protective older sister for once, and Margot wants what’s best for Elle. I'm excited to read Bellefleur's next novel in which Brendon finds love.

Something else to appreciate about this sapphic rom-com is that it doesn’t focus on coming out or homophobia. While those topics certainly have a place in queer lit, it’s refreshing to read a swoon-worthy love story about two queer girls falling in love and grappling with family expectations without turning it into trauma porn. Let sapphics have love stories!

I enjoyed this sweet, fun story a lot! I always want to give props to a book that can hook me after I’ve picked up/put down several others in a row. Written In The Stars is a quippy, fast-paced romance with shades of rom com that was worth reading. I love a good starchy/messy matchup and I love a fake relationship, so Darcy and Elle already had a lot going for them.

I found myself wishing the tension between Darcy and Elle had been built more slowly. It felt like we jumped from “no way, no how” to “in an actual relationship” without a lot of justification for why they started having real feelings. I also thought the family baggage stuff was a bit contrived and unnecessary, especially Darcy’s mom. But ultimately I still bought into the romance—those little things just keep it “good” as opposed to “great” for me.

Overall, worth picking up! I think the style will appeal to fans of Talia Hibbert and Lucy Parker.

CW: divorced parents, emotionally unavailable parent, cheating (by one of MC’s exes), multiple references to Harry Potter

I've already ordered this for my library. I loved the character of Elle Jones. I had never read someone like her before. Darcy's character was so uptight, that it took awhile for me to fall in love with her. These 2 together were the perfect opposites attract combination I have read in a long time. This books had me laughing out loud several times. I look forward to introducing this title to our library patrons.