This book was FANTASTIC. I love the way Bellefluere writes. Her characters are just weird enough to feel normal, like someone you’d already be friends with. The steamy scenes?! Incredibly written; they are literally everything to me. My only complaint with this one was that I felt it was a bit slow at times, and I found myself screaming at Annie to get off the plane, Friends-style 🤣 But otherwise, an amazing book and I will highly recommend to my friends!

I was so excited to read the sequel to Written in the Stars that when I saw this available on NetGalley I literally gasped! Thank you so much to Avon/HarperCollins for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

We come back to the Written in the Stars universe to see Darcy and Elle doing fantastically well and so in love. Brendon on the other hand still hasn’t found “the one”, he’s always looking for that spark that none of his dates seem to give him.

Darcy’s best friend, Annie, decides to surprise her with a long overdue visit and to also deliver some life altering news...a move to another country. The only bad thing is that Darcy and Elle are away on vacation, so Darcy sends Brendon to open up her apartment for Annie and they end up having dinner. Things develop from there with Brendon trying to prove to Annie that romance is in fact NOT dead.

I don’t want to reveal too much but I have to say that this was one of the sweetest romances I’ve read in a long time. Also it was so funny! Margot and her eff it cheeky attitude had me dying and a certain Ferris wheel scene gave me literal tears I laughed so hard!

If you loved Written in the Stars or you are looking for a nice bit of fluff to brighten your day I would definitely give Hang the Moon a go. And now I can not wait for Margot’s story next year!

Are you looking for a RomCom with charming and witty writing, well rounded story with a great ensemble cast that showcases diversity within their little clique? Well, do I have the book for you!

I adore any book that takes place in Seattle because I get to feel like a tourist in my own backyard. Having frequented the many tourist spots in the city I loved getting to relive them as if it’s the first time alongside the characters and seeing the city through their eyes. There’s something magical about the Emerald City, and with the author’s vivid description, I felt as if I was in Pike’s Place and could smell the aromas of fish and florals or know exactly what it's like to walk down the gum alley and both be disgusted and amazed. She wrote the perfect backdrop for Annie and Brendon’s live story.

Annie is a wanderer trying to find her place in the world. She’s kind, witty, and her antics made for some hilarious scenes. Her flaws made her the perfect heroine you root for because they were things I could see within myself. Brendon is attentive and sweet, but also has an alpha side to him. He’s the perfect mixture of spicy and sexy while being thoughtful and caring. Brendon is completely charming in his quest to swoon the pants off of Annie. There is a childlike optimism where he constantly wants to see the good in the world and a playfulness to him that sweeps you off your feet.

This book is for the romantics out there. The ones who never give up on the happily ever after or finding the magic under a starry sky. It’s for the ones who believe in one true love and refuse to believe or settle in anything less. The author's writing makes you realize the joy in feeling butterflies and how whimsical falling in love can be, while weaving in realistic obstacles without the exaggerated melodrama.

This book is truly a quintessential RomCom filled with swoon worthy moments and diverse characters that represent all forms of love. Between the classic grand gestures to the small moments this book had everything one would want from a wholesome and fun RomCom. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute and heartwarming!

Brendon is a hopeless romantic (he even created an app for love). Annie is convinced that romance is dead and goes to Seattle to tell her best friend that she's moving to London. She ends up running into her best friend's not-so-little brother. Soon after seeing each other for the first time in 8 years, sparks fly, and Brendon starts a rom-com inspired mission to show Annie that Seattle might be the place for her to call home.

I loved the rom-com references and the dynamic between Annie and Brendon. The whole novel was cute (and on the steamy side at times). But there's so many good things about this novel. I really enjoyed the variations of "hang the moon" that were present (I'm the type of person who loves it when the title is used in the book), and in Written in the Starts, Brendon himself says a variation of "hang the moon," which was cool. (I might have just read that book because I was super hyped about this one and had to start the story from the beginning!)

All in all, this story was amazing and it was the first time in awhile that I've gotten teary eyed reading a book. Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager / Avon for this eArc. I really appreciated the opportunity to read this gem!

4.25/5 stars!

The heroine wanted to surprise her best friend by stopping by at her place before she moves to another country for her job. Instead of her best friend giving her a tour of Seattle, it falls on the hero, the brother of the heroine's best friend. Their relationship changed as the heroine starts to hero as a attractive man whereas the hero, who had a crush on the heroine when he was younger, began to woo her to change her mind of the idea of love.

This is my first Alexandria Bellefleur book and it won't be the last. I enjoyed the story, the characters, the friendship dynamics, and the siblings' relationship. My favorite character is definitely the hero, who is my favorite hero type and swoon-worthy. I liked the heroine but there was an instant near the end where she got annoying; otherwise she wasn't bad at all. I liked the author's writing style and vibe so I look forward to reading more books in the future.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.**

I was lucky to score an ARC for @ambellefleur's Hang the Moon & it's AMAZING! Loved the Seattle setting, the sensitive hero (who is a True Romantic), & the gentle wooing of the skeptical heroine. A+ chemistry! A great addition to the world of Written in the Stars.

#HangTheMoon



https://twitter.com/_JennyHartwell/status/1354543972790616064

Alexandria Bellefleur is now on my auto-buy author list

While I may not have loved this book as much as “Written in the Stars”, I still absolutely adored it. I flew through this and it was impossible to put down.

I loved seeing more of Darcy and Elle, but I also loved seeing Brendon’s story unfold. We didn’t know much about him from book 1, just the fact that he was Darcy’s brother and Elle’s friend, but his character still felt rather cookie-cutter. He didn’t have much personality outside of his optimistic outlook on romance, but I didn’t mind.

I was surprised at how much I adored Annie and I wish we got more of her. Her character felt like a copy of Darcy’s from book 1, but with a few tweaks. I wish we got more of her backstory but that didn’t stop me from loving her.

The fact that this book had very little conflict and little angst was a selling point for me. In romance, I despise miscommunication conflicts and third-act breakups. This book didn’t have any of that. Just Brendon and Annie being adorable ❤

I really really loved Bellefleur’s second book and I can’t wait to see what Margot’s story has in store.

First, a giant thank you to Avon and Harper Voyage and Netgally for the ARC for an honest review.

Hang the Moon is the sequel to Written In the Stars, where we first met Brendon as Darcy's brother. He takes center stage in this one along with Darcy's best friend, Annie. They haven't seen each other in about 8 years, but Brendon did have a crush on Annie when they were younger. When they see each other again, sparks are definitely flying, but Brendon is a hopeless romantic, waiting for the One whereas Annie has about enough with love and relationships since she has continuously been disappointed in her previous relationships with both women and men. Annie is planning on moving to London after receiving a promotion at her job, but Darcy and Brendon have other plans and will do what they can to change her mind and move to what is apparently the greatest city ever, Seattle.

The friendships in this book were beautiful. This wasn't just a romance story between Annie and Brendon, but a platonic love story between Annie and Darcy as Darcy refuses to allow her best friend to move across the globe. Their friendship is wonderful to see, and it was very forward focused in the book. Their friendship did not play second fiddle to Brendon and Annie's growing relationship. They both got equal time. We also have beautiful moments between Elle and Annie as well as Margot and Brendon, who were friends in the previous book. The friendships these 5 share is just lovely, and I honestly could just read a book of their shenanigans.

I appreciated the flip of roles in this book, where Brendon is the hopeless romantic and Annie is the reserved, slightly jaded one. This isn't anything new nowadays, but I still appreciate when authors flip the script. I've related to a lot of characters, and Annie was definitely one of them. No, my job doesn't have me jet-setting across the globe, but the feeling that love is rainbows and sunshine and the feeling of being left behind were two I connected with in this book.

The dialogue was witty and the scenes were funny. There were moments of immense cheese, but it really did fit the story since Brendon is a giant cheeseball anyway. I loved that all these romantic moments he tried to create always ended up in some kind of "disaster" that only did more to show how not every moment has to be magical or special. The chemistry between Annie and Brendon was very there, and yes, this book was rather sexy. I actually found it had less sex scenes than in the previous book, but it didn't take away from the story at all.

I loved this book. The romantic in me understood Brendon and the jaded part understood Annie, and I just allowed myself to wrap up in the warmth this book created. It's only January, but this will probably be in my top 10, if not 5, for 2021. I can't wait to read the final edited copy.

As soon as I finished reading Written in the Stars for my book club, I knew I wanted to read Brendon's story. I'm not a huge astrology person, but I am a rom-com person so I loved all the rom-com mentions (and Nora Ephron appreciation) in this book a bit more than the astrology discussions in the first book.

I would hate to try to figure out if I like Elle/Darcy together more than Brendon/Annie, but Brendon's love of rom-coms might be enough to make this book even better for me than WITS. Granted, I love them both. They're adorable and funny and sexy! I mean how could you not love a book that has:

- a "there's only one bed" scene
- romantic gestures
- Seattle (I've only been there once but I might have to move there)
- banter galore
- chemistry EVERYWHERE
- game nights
- Margot being hilarious

Overall, this book was a great read. I had planned to read something else before this one, but I couldn't resist. I read it practically in one sitting and I can't wait for Margot's story! (even if I have to wait a year)

A brilliant follow up to a Written in the Stars. Swoony, beautifully written, sparkling. Bellefleur is a new auto buy.

Hang the Moon, which takes place in the same universe as Written in the Stars, follows the relationship between Darcy’s best friend, the globe trotting Annie, and Darcy’s in-love-with-love younger brother, Brendon, who runs an online dating app. Brendan has been in love with Annie since they were kids growing up together, and now that Annie has showed up in town to visit, Brendon decides to convince her that romance is NOT dead, after all.

This was a lovely, albeit pretty standard rom-com. Bellefleur is an effortless, lovely writer, so it’s a pleasure to read whatever she cooks up. The joy of this series is that queerness is centered in the group of family and friends, but it is not in and of itself the source of conflict. Do I wish this had a more diverse cast of characters? Yeah. Do I wish that this particularly installment was more overtly queer? A little. Annie is bisexual and makes several references to the fact, but it’s not a central part of the story. That doesn’t really seem to be Bellefleur’s intent with these books, and I can completely respect that. At the end of the day, what you get is a well-written, trope-y, just hot enough to get you going, breeze of a novel that I think we can all find a place for in our lives in 2021.

First off, that cover is GORGEOUS. I just finished this and..... I loved this book SO much. This was such a smart, sexy, sweet rom-com, Bellefleur has taken several fun tropes and make it its own.

I loved this book especially because of the characters. Brendon could literally propose to me tomorrow and I'd say yes. I just adored him so much, all his six foot four inches plus he is hopeless romantic with dimples, while Annie is workaholic who wants to avoid all matters of the heart to avoid getting hurt again.
Watching Brendon and Annie fall for each other was an absolute delight. The way they softened into each other's company was beautiful--it was so satisfying, they just fit together like puzzle pieces.
Elle and Darcy were delight seeing again, I'm looking forward to Margot's story next!
This book felt like a warm hug and I recommend it to everyone.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

She says romance is dead. He is out to prove her wrong.

As soon as I finished the absolutely delightful contemporary f/f romance, WRITTEN IN THE STARS, I put in a request to read the follow up book- HANG THE MOON.

A hopeless yet adoringly optimistic romantic hero paired with a jaded, reluctant bisexual heroine who is not only his childhood crush but also his sisters best friend.

This book had everything I look for in a rom-com. It's sweet and swoony with some serious spice. There are endearingly tender moments followed by moments of undeniable chemistry. The secondary cast, that we got to know in the first book, help guide the story along with just the right amount of meddling.

As a rom-com movie aficionado I loved how the nods to my favorite films were woven into the narrative. Plus- there is a grand gesture. My heart will never stop flipping over meet-cutes and grand gestures.

This is a #ownvoices queer rom-com and I continue to enjoy experiencing the inclusion and diversity of Bellefleuer's characters.

While this can be a stand alone book, the character background I gained by reading the first book enhanced my enjoyment of the second.

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down and stayed up until 4 am reading it. I laughed, I swooned, and felt all the things. 10/10 would recommend. I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

4/5

Upon hearing the sound of "there was only one bed" trope, ten years were added to my life. In this charming companion novel to Written in the Stars, we head back to Seattle with Annie, Darcy's long time best friend intent on surprising her for the weekend. Upon learning that Darcy is out of town with Elle, Annie spends the weekend with Darcy's brother Brendon, successful app creator and believer in true love, Annie is the exact opposite, sick of the modern dating scene and tired of trying. In just two weeks, Brendon will try to show her that there's more to love than holding on, and that maybe it has even been there all along.

Sometimes no plot just vibes really works, and in the case of this novel I didn't mind it one bit. After reading Bellefleur's first novel Written in the Stars, I couldn't wait to read it's follow up centered around Annie and Brendon. If there is anything I love, it's a friends to lovers romance where one person has completely given up on love and the other person has to show them what they are missing. Add to the fact that this included cute dates all over Seattle and I was completely sold. Admittedly there was more of a focus on these two characters overcoming emotional barriers and building a relationship, than there was plot, but as this is something the author does incredibly well, it didn't really bother me. Both Annie and Brendon are strong complex characters that you just can't help but root for. I mean Brendon, what can I say, he compared Annie to a potato chip, but made it sound romantic. I just love him so much. What I really did appreciate in this one, was the lack of an unnecessary third act breakup. Nothing against the use of them as a whole, it just definitely was not needed here. These characters were more on a journey towards finding a way to be together, than dealing with an unneeded break up. Bellefleur has once again grabbed my attention with the way she writes romance and showcases queer love. There was so much page time devoted to Elle and Darcy. I loved every moment we got with them. Hang the Moon may have not been up on the exact same level as the previous book, but it was wholesome, cute, and tons of fun. Looking forward to reading more by this author in the future.

Review posted on GoodReads (January 10, 2021)
Review linked.

5/5 stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for sending me an E-ARC for an honest review.

I loved Alexandria Bellefleur's first romance WRITTEN IN THE STARS, so I was really excited to read her new book. I went into this book with pretty high expectations and all of those expectations were met. This was such a beautiful, thoughtful, emotional, sexy, and fun romance! I loved both of our main characters Brendon and Annie, and I thought that their romance was such a beautiful read. After this book, and WRITTEN IN THE STARS, Alexandria Bellefleur is a new favorite romance writer of mine and I can't wait to read her next book!

If you loved WRITTEN IN THE STARS then I really recommend this fun next installment following Darcy's brother and best friend. If you love fun and sexy Adult Romance then this book is for you!

Thanks for reading!
Caden

I absolutely adored Written in the Stars so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Hang the Moon. The book follows Annie (Darcy’s best friend) and Brendon (Darcy’s brother) who are both an absolute delight. I was happy to find Elle and Darcy both still very much in love and present in this book but in the role of side characters. That being said, this book can absolutely be read as a standalone.

Brendon is the epitome of cinnamon roll. I have “marshmallow boy” written multiple times in my notes. I adore that as a child he wanted to be Hugh Grant when he grew up and that he has the Up house tattooed on his pec and that he cries while watching proposal compilations on YouTube.

Annie is just so normal and realistic. I love how self aware she is and how open and honest she is about where she is personally with both Brendon an Darcy. Her view of life is very similar to mine, so she really spoke to me.

The trope for this book is definitely best friends brother / sister’s best friend and it absolutely works. I loved that Darcy was there to meddle but was never a source of conflict, which felt realistic. Darcy’s involvement also added level of dimension she added to Annie’s character because not only was Annie navigating her relationship with Brendon she had to navigate her relationship with Darcy. Annie and Brendon had real chemistry and I loved all the memories shared showing their interactions as children / teens because it made their relationship seem more rounded than just an instant attraction fling.

I absolutely adored all the rom-com references. Especially the multiple references to love ferns because “You killed our love fern” is the greatest line of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and possibly all of rom-coms. The book itself is a rom-com full of heart and ridiculousness and thoroughly enjoyed myself from start to finish.

I can’t wait to read Margot’s book in 2022.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will preface this by saying l have not read Written in the Stars and had no prior knowledge of any of the characters before diving into Hang the Moon, regardless, l thoroughly enjoyed this book and firmly believe it can be read as I stand alone.

Hang the Moon is a precious contemporary romance novel centering around Annie, an HR specialist who has decided that love is too much of a hassle, and Brendon, a self-proclaimed matchmaker who is in love with love and believes that romance is alive and kicking. On a whim, Annie decides to make a spontaneous visit to Seattle to surprise her best friend, Darcy, but also finds herself spending more time with Brendon, Darcy’s younger brother (who has definitely buffed up since the last time Annie saw him.) The book is set over the course of two weeks and shows the growing relationship between Annie and Brendon as Brendon aims to show Annie that love is out there and worth it.

This book was adorable and had me grinning while I read the entirety of it; I loved not only Brendon and Annie, but the other charters as well. Darcy, Elle, and Margot are all extremely well written and I loved seeing them pop up on the page.

While this book was a very good, lighthearted read that is sure to put a smile on anyone’s face, I do wish there was more of a plot as I am a plot driven reader. I also feel like Annie was a bit under-developed and that the major conflict of the story was resolved way too quickly and easily. I felt myself wanting more of a story as the book was wrapping up and found the resolution of the story a little clunky.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading Alexandria Bellefleur’s other works!

I received an ARC of Hang the Moon through Avon and Harper Voyager in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 4.5/5 stars
Publication Date: 5/25/21

After loving Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur, I could not wait to read her follow-up novel. Hang the Moon is Annie and Brendon’s love story and is absolutely adorable. It can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading them in order.

Brendon, a hopeless romantic and creator of a successful dating app, was a standout for me in Written in the Stars. He is hot and loves Nora Ephron, so of course I was obsessed. When his childhood crush, Annie, comes to town to surprise Brendan’s sister, he falls in love all over again. Annie, however, has given up on love and Brendan makes it his mission to make her believe in romance again by using the greatest movie romcoms as his guide. As a huge fan of all romance movies, I enjoyed all of the movie references. When Bellefleur name-checked the Holy Trinity of Romcoms (When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail), I was sold.

Hang the Moon is a sweet, cozy, and charming romance. All the characters you fell in love with in Written in the Stars play a large role in the story, but never take away from the main romance. Alexandria Bellefleur once again creates a love story with sharp humor and a ton of heart. Fans of Kerry Winfrey and Abby Jimenez will love this heart-warming story.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alexandria Bellefleur's next book does not disappoint! Brendon is a hopeless romantic with a (allegedly former) crush on his sister's best friend, Annie. When she comes to Seattle before moving to London, Brendon finds himself in a race to convince her that dating and love isn't the disappointment she's familiar with.

I liked this more than "Written in the Stars", I thought all the romantic tropes were a fun way to learn more about Brendon. I personally feel like Annie's character was a bit under-developed but it didn't take away from this book being a delight. I definitely recommend reading her first book before this one as it will help shed light on the supporting characters!

Thank you to Avon and Avon Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!