This is the second book in the Written in the Stars series and features Darcy’s brother Brendon and her best friend Annie. When Annie flies to Seattle to surprise her best friend, Brendon’s long-term crush on her is reignited. Brendon becomes Annie’s impromptu Seattle tour guide and shows her all the Seattle sites. Annie does not want to start a long distance relationship as she is moving from Philadelphia to London but her and Brendon have wild chemistry.

Three words to describe this book: New relationship energy.

Cover: I love how all these books feature Seattle landmarks like the Space Needle and the Ferris wheel.

Tropes: Shared bed, childhood crush

Character Development: Strong and rich. For a romantic comedy, there is fabulous character development of Annie and Brendon. Annie is trying to figure out what will make her happy in life while Brendon is working through some childhood issues that are affecting his potential relationship. The book focuses a lot about the relationships between Annie and Darcy and Elle. I appreciated they tackled friendship challenges between Annie and Darcy like drifting away, long-distance, and connection and showed Annie and Elle connecting on their bisexuality.

World-Building: I loved that these books are set in Seattle. This one really dives into the city and visits many of the landmarks like the Gum Wall and the Ferris Wheel.

Plot & Pacing: The plot had excellent pacing. I also appreciated that the conflict that developed made sense and felt realistic. I also loved that this book advanced the Darcy and Elle relationship as supporting characters.

Verdict: Highly recommend! I loved this queer romcom and it left me feeling all the new relationship energy between Brendon and Annie.

ARC was provided to me by Avon Harper Voyager, in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book blind having not read previous book - Written in the Stars. Although, this was the sequel, I did not find that I needed to have read the previous book. The author did a great job making this a standalone as this is something I always worry about when reading a book mid-series.

This was a sweet, rom-com with a tiny bit of steam. I absolutely adored the main characters - Brendon and Annie. It was definitely an enjoyable read if you are in the mood for a little romance.

Thank you to Avon Books, NetGalley and the author for this #gifted arc.

Soooo good!!! Wow - I absolutely loved this story and the characters. It was so adorable and the setting just made the story so much better. One of the best romance reads this year for sure - definitely recommend it!!

I'm clearly in the minority in not loving Hang the Moon, but I just couldn't care about it. The most important aspect of a romance novel, at least for me, is the characters and their relationship dynamic, and I just couldn't bring myself to get interested in or care about Annie or Brendon, much less Annie+Brendon as a couple. All the characters in this book talk and behave too much like one another - even Darcy, who in her own book was the exact opposite of these quirky fun astrology-believing types (opposites attract being, after all, the plot of that book), sounds just like everyone else in the cast. And none of them sound much like real humans. (They are AGGRESSIVELY quirky, and it's...tiring.) Speaking of sounding like real people, it isn't just the dialogue; the sentence-by-sentence writing was just way too clunky and awkward for me. (Relatedly, is the peeing on the Ferris wheel scene supposed to be...cute? Hashtag relatable?? I'm not about it, sorry.)

The obstacles and conflicts in the way of Annie and Brendon's true love forever feel both too easy to overcome (I really expected them to spend a lot more time figuring out they're into one another and admitting it out loud, but nope) and then somehow ultimately too easily overcome after all! I really thought there'd be more done with the childhood crush trope, but after the beginning set-up, it barely ever comes up again, and doesn't really play any part in their relationship development, either as an obstacle or a way of getting them through it.

Brendon might be a draw for other readers but I found him frankly kind of annoying - I can't believe we've spent 384 pages discussing the different ways people express love, and being told over and over how Annie isn't into the big dramatic gestures, only for him to do a big ol' public proposal in the epilogue. So much for all that talk about different love languages and listening to what your partner really needs, huh? (Come to that, the rest of the Seattle crew are just as obnoxious in manipulating and pressuring her to change her entire life overnight for a two-week fling. Let her decide things herself!) Annie isn't much better, she's just less well-defined and over-the-top than Brendon as a character. Basically, I just don't care about them, I don't care if they get together, and I don't care enough about Seattle for a story that is like 75% "why Seattle is The Best" tour book. Just not appealing to me, and too long for the amount of actual plot going on.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the advance review copy.

Having read the first in this series, and found it charming, I was excited to get to the second. However, life intervened and I’ve had this on my shelf (before and after reading) LONG after I should have – and apologies to both the publisher and author for my lateness. But – now I can tell you about this one.

Like the first, it is set in Seattle, and we have lovely moments during the story where our two characters (Brandon and Annie) visit all the sights and give us a sense of the delights in the Pacific Northwest for residents and tourists alike. We’ve already met Brandon, brother of Darcy, creator of a dating app to help people find their true matches – and most certainly a believer in true love. He’s known Annie since they were kids and she was his sister’s best friend, but when Annie moved away – they lost touch. Annie, on the other hand, doesn’t believe in love, is cynical to the max, and really just wanted a getaway with her best friend. But with Darcy and Elle away and living their own relationship bests, it’s up to Brandon to entertain and enlighten Annie on the power of love, the hope, and the possibilities.

The two go on several different “touristy’ dates (that aren’t dates in Annie’s mind) even as she sees Brandon is “all grown up” and quite hot – but there are plenty of things that both need to work through. And while there isn’t a plot, per se, there is plenty of relationship (and personal) dramas that need sorting as the two develop their friendship, explore options and even find some potential connection. But, there are a couple of moments that didn’t work so well for me with all of the interpersonal communication and connection between our couple – there was a ‘break up” that rather felt unnecessary as we had both characters solidly ‘single’ emotionally, and while Bellefleur does a marvelous job of untangling emotional knots, issues, and self-defeating behaviors, the addition of yet another ‘complication’ was just over the top. Still, it was a lovely story that was far less comedy than true connection and learning to open yourself to possibilities with someone who has nothing but your best interests (and happiness) at heart. Brandon is lovely, Annie blossoms under his care, and the two are a pair that does, indeed, have their story written in the stars.


I received an eArc copy of this title from Avon and the Avon Addicts program for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur is the second in the Written in the Stars series. Easily 5⭐️ from me.

Be still my heart for the male lead being the one who is in love with love and romcoms. I adored Brendon’s hopeless romantic side. His recreation of scenes from his favorite rom coms to show his jaded, childhood crush (Annie) that romance isn’t dead had me swooning more than once. This felt a bit whimsical at times while still feeling very much grounded in reality. There is lots of sexual tension, only one bed, and so many feels.

I am counting down the days for book 3. I highly recommend this for the rom com lovers out there; especially lovers of classic rom com movies.

Thank you to @avon for an advanced copy of this book via @netgalley. Clearly I loved it so much I immediately bought myself a copy.

Very cute continuation of the story of one of the featured characters in Bellefleur's last novel. I thought it was a great story!

Hang the Moon is a sweet romance and I really enjoyed it/ This is a follow up to Written in the Stars, but you don't have to read it to enjoy this book.

Brendon Lowell wins the prize for 2021 Book Boyfriend of the year. If only unicorns like him existed in real life. Every great romance novel includes main characters who reject love because of some trauma from their past or parents who modeled the worst in married partners. Yet Brendon does just the opposite. Blindsided by his parents’ divorce when he was twelve, he makes it his mission to help people find love. He has a hero complex so deeply-ingrained that he created a hugely-successful dating app (OTP = One True Partner) that focuses on real love connections rather than casual hook-ups. He watches rom-coms with the belief that the HEAs in them can be replicated in real life.

So when his sister Darcy’s best friend Annie comes to visit her in Seattle and he realizes his childhood crush pales in comparison to the attraction he feels for her now, he makes it his mission to woo her by re-enacting scenes from the movies. Annie, who has decided to give up on finding love since she’s always the one who puts in the effort only to be rejected, does everything in her power to deny the chemistry and affection she almost instantly shares with the very grown-up Brendon. She’s convinced that, as soon as she agrees to pursue the relationship, he’ll grow tired of it and move on. No way does she trust that the feelings she has for Brendon, after just the two weeks in Seattle (before starting her new job in London), will be worth walking away from a lucrative career...even if her heart isn’t in it and is, in fact, already left behind when she leaves. The question is whether she’ll be able to work through her fear to seize the life she craves with Brendon, her best friend Darcy, and the other true friends she’s made.

In Bellefleur’s previous book, Written in the Stars, she told the story of Darcy and Elle who were set up on a blind date by Brendon. So it’s such a treat that she has now shared the love story between Darcy’s brother and her best friend. It’s refreshing to have a gender-swapping best friend’s little brother romance in which the older sibling doesn’t go all alpha when her friend violates the “bro code.” She’s turned the trope on its head, and it’s so refreshing to have an older sibling who encourages and supports the budding relationship instead of throwing up roadblocks. There’s so much to love about this story. So, if you’re looking for a swoon-worthy romantic hero, pick this book up. You won’t be disappointed!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

This was such a lovely book and I absolutely hate myself for taking so long to read it! Brendan was an absolute cinnamon roll for just how over the moon he was about love and happily ever afters. I really loved that they made the guy the hopeless romantic and the female the cynic. Also, bonus points for the love for Say Anything. It's my absolute favorite romcom and my bestie and I had a very similar conversation about it that Annie and Brendan had! The humor was absolutely perfect in this story, too; there were plenty of times where I laughed out loud and there were way more times that I just couldn't stop smiling at these goofballs. I will say that it felt a bit stunted in the beginning. The interactions and dialogue felt a bit bland for a bit but it definitely picked up midway through the book. All in all, a wonderful addition to this world and a great cast of characters.

This was so cute…..but can you blame me if hearing about Brendon’s giant Up balloon house tattoo made my jaw drop in shock…..

Anyways as usual, I love a Bellefleur romance :) There’s something so sweet about reading about a bi character and hearing the nuances of her identity explored in a relationship! Super cute and super fun!

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

This was my first book from Alexandria Bellefleur. It is the second book in a series, but not a requirement if you read this next installment as a stand alone version
Premise

Brendon Lowell loves love. It’s why he created a dating app to help people find their one true pairing and why he’s convinced “the one” is out there, even if he hasn’t met her yet. Or... has he? When his sister's best friend turns up in Seattle unexpectedly, Brendon jumps at the chance to hang out with her. He’s crushed on Annie since they were kids, and the stars have finally aligned, putting them in the same city at the same time.

Annie booked a spur-of-the-moment trip to Seattle to spend time with friends before moving across the globe. She’s not looking for love, especially with her best friend’s brother. Annie remembers Brendon as a sweet, dorky kid. Except, the 6-foot-4 man who shows up at her door is a certified Hot Nerd and Annie... wants him? Oh yes.

Getting involved would be a terrible idea—her stay is temporary and he wants forever—but when Brendon learns Annie has given up on dating, he’s determined to prove that romance is real. Taking cues from his favorite rom-coms, Brendon plans to woo her with elaborate dates straight out of Nora Ephron’s playbook. The clock is ticking on Annie’s time in Seattle, and Brendon’s starting to realize romance isn’t just flowers and chocolate. But maybe real love doesn’t need to be as perfect as the movies... as long as you think your partner hung the moon.
This was rapeally cute the cover drew me in instantly.I loved the dates Brandon planned for Annie that were straight out of a rom Com. I loved the meaning behind the story and the message it sends about love,

I was excited to read the second one in this series. I loved Written in the Stars so much. But I just had a hard time getting into it, sadly.

What I liked:
- Brenden’s love for rom coms
- Seeing Darcy and Elle again
- Good steamy scenes

What I didn’t like:
- Toooo slow.
- Why have a bi character but never talk about it in the whole book? I feel like that could have been an interesting depth to the character
- Very little plot
- Lastly, I just never fell in love with the characters

This one gets 3 stars for me. Could still be worth a read for others? I’m just having a hard time lately finding a good romance that tickles my fancy

Alexandria Bellefleur entered the romance scene and knocked it out of the park with “Written in the Stars,” and without fail excited readers with the spinoff “Hang the Moon,” which centers on Darcy’s brother Brendon. I am pleased to say that “Hang the Moon” is a wonderful spinoff that fans of “Written in the Stars” will (likely) love and fall for.

“Hang the Moon” centers around Brendon, Darcy’s brother, and one of Darcy’s best friends Annie. Once childhood friends, the two reunite as adults to find their old feelings for one another haven’t gone away, but at an awful time. Annie has received a promotion for her job that would relocate her to London, but are the sparks she feels with Brendon enough to make her rethink her choices? Will Brendon find his happily ever after, and will Annie find hers too?

This book was an absolute delight, if not at times a little cliche. It follows many basic romance tropes, in fact, it even points out these tropes at the beginning of the book similar to “The Falling in Love Montage.” Besides that, the book follows them without being too cliche that it borderlines annoying. Annie and Brendon have a fast-growing relationship that fits the childhood friends to lovers trope appropriately.

Their fast-growing relationship is fun to read about, and the problems that tear the two in different directions are realistic and come off as relatable which can be hard to do in a romance novel. Darcy’s response to Annie’s promotion does come off as a little too harsh at times, with her not being very understanding of the opportunity Annie is being offered, but is selfishly relatable at times.

Brendon is also a wonderful character to get to learn more about. In “Written in the Stars” he is a vital part to Elle and Darcy getting together, so to explore this warm and loveable character is great (even if he does get a little dirty rather than wholesome wink wink).

Furthermore this book does a fantastic job at connecting characters from the first and future books. Elle and Darcy are obviously in it and readers are able to learn smaller insights to how their relationship is going throughout the book. Margot, Elle’s old roommate and the main character of the third and upcoming novel “Count Your Lucky Stars”, is also woven throughout the book in anticipation of her own book. Sequels and/or spinoffs that center around side characters can be very tricky to pull off (after the disaster of “Leah on the Offbeat” I have trust issues) but Bellefleur does it wonderfully.

The Verdict
“Hang the Moon” is a wonderful and sexy sequel spinoff from Bellefleur that readers will absolutely love. Returning back to Bellefleur’s characters is a delight and will have readers anticipating the next book, “Count Your Lucky Stars.”

Go buy “Hang the Moon” now which is available online and at many bookstores!

I was interested in Hang the Moon because Written in the Stars had been a wonderfully fun read, but Hang the Moon fell a little flat for me. There's nothing that was specifically wrong about it, but it's just not memorable - and in a sea of outstanding romance books, I'm not sure I would recommend this one over other books. And although I appreciate that this book has some very lowkey bi rep, I do wish that maybe Ellie's queerness had been brought up before the (approximately) 75% mark - it felt kind of disappointing to go into a book marketed as a queer romcom but to keep waiting and waiting to find out what was queer about it. I think romance needs more bi rep, so I'm glad it's here, but the fact that it came up so late in the book made it *almost* feel like an afterthought (to me, specifically).

I’ve been looking forward to reading this so much! It was everything I’d hope it be and more.
Love the own voices representation from Bellefleur. This is a MF romance, but our heroine is Bisexual and Brendon is a cis male, but he’s a red head! Definitely don’t see as much representation for red haired males and I loved that. I also love how Brendon challenged dis male norms by being the one who loved happy endings. The man loves romcoms, tears up frequently (and freely!) and is the founder of a dating app that is truly centered on finding love.
When his older sister Darcy’s best friend Annie shows up out of the blue to surprise her, Brendon uses the opportunity to reconnect with his childhood crush. But, Annie is pessimistic about love AND moving to London in three weeks. Is three weeks enough time to show any love is real and worth it?
This was just so stinking cute. I loved every character, I laughed and I even teared up a bit. I love how Annie and Brendon instantly clicked and felt comfortable with each other. This was more a story of two characters growing together and supporting each other while finding love, which is different from the usual will they or won’t they. There still some of that, but it’s pretty clear their perfect for each other, so I enjoyed watching them navigate the next steps. A good amount of steam too! Looking forward to Margot’s book!

The first book, Written in the Stars, was soft and lovely overall. But, I did have some issues with it. None of the issues I had with Written in the Stars were present here. Even the hesitancy about Brendon being the main character was all forgotten as I read this.

Brendon is someone who loves love. He is had set out to create a dating app to help people find their person even though he hasn’t met his own person. But when his childhood crush shows up in town, maybe things will change. Meanwhile, Annie comes to Seattle on a spur of the moment trip to tell her best friend that she is moving across the globe. But, now she is reconnected with Brendon and that complicates everything.

This whole book was so soft and fluffy. I just cuddled my kindle while reading this but it was just the cutest thing? Brendon and Annie had such good chemistry and were so thoughtful of one another. They really came alive when they were together.

I also loved getting to see the side characters, especially Darcy and El again. They were wonderful and played such a good role bringing Brendon and Annie’s relationship in a different light, but I also loved seeing those relationships form and develop. Annie and El really had a chance to bond and I loved seeing that.

What I loved about the romance here, is that it didn’t have the third act drama that so many books seem to have. What happened was understandable and realistic. I wish I had words to properly explain it without spoiling what happened, but I really loved what was done there.

Once again, Hang the Moon is a slice of life romance. It really focuses on the growth of the characters and the romance between them. At times, it does feel a little repetitive because of this, but this is still excellent. It’s a cute, fun romance that I didn’t want to put down.

Bellefleur has created another solid romance that has made me smile like a fool and leave me incredibly excited for the next one!

Oh my heart. This book was so lovely. It's a perfect example of why I enjoy contemporary romances so much, particularly the friends to lovers trope.

Annie and Brendon have known each other since they were kids but haven't seen each other in eight years. They're getting to know each other as adults, yet they have the foundation of having known each other in the past. It makes their whirlwind romance easy to understand. Their chemistry is immediate and hot, which makes for fun reading!

While this is a romance and the relationship is front and center, Annie's desire to do what's best for herself remains a priority and I really liked that. All of the characters in this series are realistic and I'm having a great time getting to know them all. I can't wait for the next in the series!

The inclusivity, the characters, the perfect combo of cheesiness and romance. I’m not a huge romance reader but this hooked me from the start. I really related to the characters and I love the idea of a dating app based on your sign. Essentially a warm hug in book form.