After reading Written in the Stars, I couldn’t wait to read the next book in the series, Hang the Moon. I loved Brendon’s character in the first book, a rom-com loving man looking for his person. When his long-time crush and his sister’s best friend, Annie, comes into town he sets his sights on showing her all Seattle has to offer, himself included.

I wish I could say I loved it as much as the first book, but I did not. It was soooooo slow, and I really dislike the whole “miscommunication” trope where if they would just be honest with one another, they could finally be together. Just talk to each other already?! I found myself skimming through parts of internal dialogue on what Annie or Brendon should do next.

I loved getting updates on Darcy and Elle as well as the nods to my favorite romcom movies.

Is it cute? Yes. Is it a rom-com I’d recommend? No.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for the ALC. Hang the Moon is out now!

Hang the Moon the follow up to Written in the Stars is a delightful summer read! I can't wait to see what Bellefleur has in store for our characters in book three.

“He looks at you like you hung the moon.”

Annie, Darcy’s best friend from childhood, comes to visit Seattle on a whim before moving to London. Darcy and Elle are on vacation, so Darcy sends her brother Brenden to let Annie in her house. Even though they know each other, it’s been some time since they’ve seen each other, so it’s like it’s brand new.

Annie is afraid to be loved. Brenden has a lot of love to give, and he’s had no one to give it to. They will both have to open up to each other and move out of their comfort zones.

As a follow up to one of my favorite romances, Hang the Moon did not get lost in Written in the Stars’ shadow. (It is not entirely a sequel, more of a spin-off, and I would totally recommend reading the first book before getting into this one.) I was a bit concerned I wouldn’t love it as much, but I definitely did! Hang the Moon was just as lovable, relatable, and sexy as the first. I also listened to this one on audio, and um, *blush.*

Hang the Moon was sweet and had me feeling all kinds of emotions. I may have shed a tear or two. I can’t wait to read about Margot’s story next year! (Plus, I kind of love Seattle now?)

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon, and Alexandria Bellefleur for this advanced review copy!

Oh my goodness my heart. This book was so beyond precious and left me absolutely swooning. Brendon is one of those love interests you can't help but fall in love with and root for. It's friends to lovers at it's finest.

This is a very character driven story where the focus is spent more on personal growth than external plot. But the author did a fantastic job of keeping the pace of the book moving regardless. Both of the characters are so well developed and gripping that I was immediately invested in their HEA.

And the way they move through and overcome their emotional barriers was beautifully executed. I think there are a lot of people out there who will be able to relate to the feeling of "romance being dead" and dating being overrated and frustrating. The themes in this book are just so relevant.

On top that, this adorable rom com has all the best tropes! Best friends brother, there's only one bed, friends to lovers/second chance, mutual pining, etc. If you love rom-coms this book is for you.

But one of my favorite things about this book was how the romance wrapped up. Annie is really unsure of where she sees her future heading and love definitely does not fix all in here. She does a lot of her own person growth outside of her relationship with Brendon which I loved seeing.

Overall this romance had everything I was looking for. It's swoony and adorable with a sexy edge (Brendon might seem sweat but he can definitely throw down with the dirty talk!). There's amazing banter, loads of chemistry between the main characters, and wonderful nods to rom-coms we all know and love. I'm already SO excited for Margot's story next year!!

This review is live on Goodreads and will be posted to my blog on 6/12 @ 9am!

HANG THE MOON stars Annie, who's visiting Seattle on a surprise trip to see her best friend before moving to London, and Brendon, her friend's brother.

I remember really enjoying WRITTEN IN THE STARS, the first romance in this series, and was excited to get to know Annie more. I'm into how this author makes me feel like I'm in a place, and describes characters' feelings in such detail.

So I was surprised when it took me weeks to read HANG THE MOON (usually, a contemporary romance, we're looking at 1-3 days, max. a week if it's a busy one IRL). As the synopsis describes, Annie is just in town for a few weeks but Brendon challenges himself to prove that romance is real in the time they've got together.

I think what didn't work for me is the instalove, coupled with a main character who hasn't been in a relationship before (but has deep romantic ideals) yet is urging a cross-country move. I really felt for Annie, in not wanting to make such a big decision after just a few weeks of getting to know a new place and beginning a new relationship. It didn't really feel like Brendon got that, nor did it feel like he understood her reticence to jump in, feet first. Not to be too much of a realist here, but I think it's incredibly easy to see romantic relationships with rose-colored glasses if you've never been in one. (I'm also someone who fairly easily falls for people, then needs to take a step back and suss out what's hormones/immediate attraction and what's a genuine connection, so yeah -- I super get Annie not being ready to uproot her life after two weeks.)

It's possible I missed it, but I don't remember Brendon ever offering to move to London WITH Annie to pursue their relationship. While I understand he's got a company in Seattle, remote work often is a real possibility these days -- or he could at least pursue whether that'd be possible in his situation. Instead it felt like there was an expectation for Annie to come to Seattle, not for Brendon to make any changes in his plans for her. I'd also have appreciated if there were real discussion as to how they'd manage it if she moved to Seattle, based her circle on people who were all his friends too, then they broke up. Where does that leave them, her especially?

Suffice it to say, I didn't love this one like I wanted to. But, I'm still a fan of the author, and have high hopes for the third in the series (Margot's book!).

I loved this! It is so, so rare when I love every character, the setting, the dialogue, the build up. This book has it all! And I really, really love that this book includes a lesbian in couple! Amen!

Could a romance novel be any more perfect and swoony? I think not. I adored this book. I loved the setting (author nailed Seattle to a T). I loved the romantic progression of the couple. I loved the friends and found family element. I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

[All thoughts are my own] After a recent reread of "Written in the Stars" I was more than ready to jump back into this world. "Hang the Moon" felt like checking in on old friends. The Annie and Brendan-led romance was a lot of fun to explore. Their relationship felt authentic, as did the conflict that arose.

Annie and Darcy's initial friendship struggles and resolution also felt real and authentic. I'm sure many people, myself included, can relate to feeling neglected when a close friend enters a new relationship.

"Hang the Moon" can absolutely be read on it's own (but you're missing out if you haven't read "Written in the Stars" yet). Annie, Brendan, and the rest of the cast are a delight. I love this little found family!

I want to start this off by saying I read this book in two days and my face literally hurts from smiling so much. It's genuinely adorable, sweet, and funny romance that I just could not get enough of.

I was so excited to read this follow-up to Written in the Stars, one of my favorite reads so far this year, and it did not disappoint at all. Like the first book, this book had several moments where I had to put it down because I was laughing too much to keep paying attention to the words. Bellefleur's humor is witty and hilarious and I just can't get enough of it.

The conflict in the book is believable and I loved the way the dates were stated at the beginnings of new sections to really draw you into the "race against the clock" feel. It makes you worry along with Brendon and Darcy that they aren't going to convince Annie to stay in time.

It's always so heartwarming to see two people with completely different ideas of romance coming together and showing each other what they feel.

The humor and charm of the first book is all still here without feeling too similar. The plot and characters stand out on their own, and I appreciated getting to know more about characters we met in the first book.

Another thing Bellefleur is excellent at is building sexual tension in a way that feels realistic and funny. The subtle (or not so subtle) glances and actions of the characters really clue you in to what they are feeling.

Overall this was another five star read for me, charming, funny, and ridiculously sweet.

My tiktoks about the book: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeETfULY/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeETY992/

2.5

I am so sad that this did not work out for me as I had hoped. I loved Written In The Stars so I was highly anticipating for this book and it was a major letdown.

The main couple, Brendan and Annie. I did not find them compatible at all and didn't feel the connection that we as readers are supposed to feel to get to HEAs. From to start to finish, I struggled to find something likable between them so I could root for them but unfortunately, that did not happen. I think because of this, I felt like it made the entire book boring and it dragged, to the point where.I wanted to DNF.

This was a super cute book. I really loved Brendon finally getting his happily ever after that he searched for,.for so long.

My only thing I wished for more of was a deeper dig into Annie and her emotional distance she held herself at, even with Darcy.

I was so excited to read this one after reading the first book in the series, Written in the Stars. This author is now on my must-read list! I enjoyed how the author made the male lead the hopeless romantic; you don’t always see that in a rom-com! The character’s personalities were well developed and easy to like. The inevitable conflict in the book was age appropriate and handled in a realistic way. Such a cute one that I would recommend to any romance fan.

🥰really liked \\ 🔥 descriptive scenes
🤟best friend’s brother, pop culture references, swoony
📚Rachel Lynn Solomon
🎶“Lovefool,” The Cardigans
📺Sleepless in Seattle

Return to Seattle, where Annie tries to surprise her best friend Darcey for a visit. While the visit does not start out as planned, Annie reconnects with Darcey's brother Brendon. He sets himself on a mission to show Annie romance from the movies and help her overcome objections to romance and love. I enjoyed reading more of Darcey and Elle's story too.

Alexandria writes a story with loveable and easy to connect to characters. I couldn't stop thinking about them and how their story would play out. I also loved the details of Seattle and the attractions such as Pike's Market. It felt as I was there walking through the scenes with Annie and makes me want to go visit Seattle!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyage for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I read Written in the Stars, I was hoping that Annie would get her own book so I was stoked to learn that Hang the Moon would be her story! It didn’t disappoint either.

I really enjoyed getting to know Annie. She is such a lovable character. I also enjoyed getting to know Brendon as well. They had such good chemistry together and I was rooting for them to get their happily ever after together.

Recreating dates from Brendon’s favorite rom coms made my romantic comedy moving loving heart so happy. That is my favorite kind of movie to watch and I loved seeing it play out in this book.

I also enjoyed revising with Elle and Darcy. Elle is just as cute as ever and I’m so happy to see that she is happy with Darcy. I know Darcy wanted Annie to be happy but there were times where I felt like she was too harsh and pushy with Annie.

I can’t wait to read Margot’s story when it comes out next year!

5/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I absolutely adored this book. The writing was great and the characters were well written. The characters Annie and Brendon were very easy to connect to. I saw a little bit of myself in both of them. Their relationship was cute and adorable. I really loved reading about the friendship between Darcy and Annie, they really were best friends and it showed. Overall I really can't gush enough about this book, it surpassed any expectation that I had for it. I highly recommend giving it a read!

I’ve seen Hang the Moon described as swoon worthy and I completely agree! I really liked Written in the Stars, but I loved Hang the Moon!

This was a sweet friends to lovers romance. Annie is Brendon’s sister’s best friend. She makes a surprise visit to see Darcy in Seattle and since she’s out of town, Brendon ends up showing her around. Brendon, the creator of a dating app is quite the romantic, but he hasn’t found the one. Annie is much more skeptical. She’s lonely and unsure of her career future, although she’s accepted a job in London. Is the life she envisions with Brendon and in Seattle worth the leap of faith?

I loved the instant and palpable chemistry between Annie and Brendon. We saw bits of Brendon in Written in the Stars and I was excited for his story. There were so many sweet and laugh out loud moments in this book. I’m officially a big fan of Alexandria Bellefleur and I can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute and sweet story. It took me a while to really get into the story (most likely because I skipped the first book in the series) but when I did, I was rooting hard for Annie and Brendon.

Speaking of Brendon, I absolutely adored him. I loved how he was unapologetically himself. He was extremely optimistic about love and a hopeless romantic, which are traditionally characteristics that the female lead poses in many romance novels.

I love how raw and real the relationship between Annie and Brendon felt. Although things progressed rather quickly, the problems and concerns they faced were realistic.

Written in the Stars was one of my favorite reads of 2021 so I was very excited to dive back into that world with Hang The Moon. This time the focus is on Brandon and Annie – the brother and the best friend – and it is so swoon worthy! It has everything you could want within the best friend/sibling troupe.

I had already fallen for Brandon when I was introduced to him in Written In The Stars but, I admittedly fell for him even harder in Hang The Moon. He is such a sweet character. He believes in romance and he becomes determined to convince the non-believer Annie that happily ever after can exist for her too. I also fell for the character of Annie too because she felt so real. She has been through the ringer and there is a reason that she doesn’t believe that true love is in the cards for her. I loved the journey that she and Brandon went on together and how she came to appreciate the idea of a grand gesture of love.

Alexandria Bellefleur is just so good at writing complex and diverse characters that pull at your emotions. The characters feel so real without the reader being manipulated by overdone angst and drama. And there is just a feeling of romance and wonder throughout the pages that you cannot help but get swept into. This was not an overdone component either – in fact, it was whimsy and magical – and I loved every second of it.

Hang the Moon does have mentions of Darcy and Elle but this really is Brandon and Annie’s story. I cannot wait until the next installment of this series Count Your Lucky Stars out in February 2022. I’m sure there will be mentions of the other characters but I’m very much looking forward to Margot’s story. Margot has played a key role in both Darcy and Brandon’s romances, and now she gets to have one of her own. I can’t wait to be spellbound once again!

It's...fine.

I was disappointed when comparing this to Alexandria Bellefluer's previous book, "Written in the Stars." There was nothing special about this. Annie has a big career decision to make! She's afraid to love! Afraid to take a chance! Afraid to believe the perfect cinnamon roll boyfriend whose entire life now suddenly revolves around her! You know, just like the thousands of Hallmark heroines before her.

Also this book is written in a very tell-don't-show manner. Brendon really embarrassed himself at karaoke! Take our word for it. His wedding speech was fantastic! Take our word for it. Annie's exes were awful men! Take our word for it.

But it's fine. It's fine. It's a perfectly serviceable, standard, run-of-the-mill rom-com.

It's fine.

Requesting Hang the Moon on NetGalley was something I did a bit impulsively, which is rare for me. Usually I do some research before I request a book, not only because I want to like the book, but also because I know I have to review it, and I want to be sure that it's a book that I'm more likely to enjoy than not. Thankfully, even though I requested this book somewhat on a whim, I enjoyed it and I'm now here to tell you my detailed thoughts!

I had heard good things about Written in the Stars that had me curious about picking it up, and I heard that the follow up story was cute as well, which gave me the push to start this series. This particular book follows Brendon, creator of the dating app OTP, which is designed to help you meet the love of your life. Brendon is the brother of the main character from Written in the Stars, Darcy. And when Darcy's best friend, Annie, tries surprising Darcy with a visit, only to learn that Darcy is on a little vacation, that leaves it up to Brendon to show Annie around, and prove to her along the way that true love does in fact exist.

I thought Brendon was super sweet in Written in the Stars, so I was happy that he was getting his own happily ever after. He's nerdy, supportive, fun, and dorky and super loveable. Annie was also a great character, and I appreciated how her flaws were realistic and fleshed out. The two of them worked really well together, and I was happy to see their story progress. My favorite moments in this book were the different dates that Brendon took Annie on to prove to her that romance isn't dead. I didn't necessarily find them the most romantic, but they were a lot of fun to read about! In particular, I loved the game night with Margot, Darcy, and Elle, because spending time with those characters again was fantastic.

However, besides for finding the dates cute, I don't really have much to say about this book. For me this series sits solidly in the "It Was Good, But Not a Fave" category. I enjoyed my time reading the books, I would read the next book in the series, but I wouldn't prioritize them if I had other books I was more interested in.

This book was a solid 3.5 star read for me. It was a good book, and I'm glad I read it, but I don't think it will stick with me for too long. That being said, I'd still recommend it, and will probably read the next companion book when it comes out.