Count Your Lucky Stars is a second chance romance between two former best friends when fate decides: hey, you two should work this wedding together! Margot is Pan and has given up on relationships, but she is beginning to feel left out of her group of friends who have found “the one.” Olivia is newly divorced and has become a wedding planner to get a fresh start on life.
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So I had a good time with this rom com, it was funny, it gave me some feels, but it didn’t really present anything new. The entire concept of their second chance romance is based on the miscommunication trope which I think a few readers will take issue with. I was also expecting this novel to be pretty wedding heavy, but definitely not as marriage heavy as it turned out to be. As the third book in the series, it makes sense that everyone is getting hitched, but because of the setting, it felt like everywhere you turned there was “Wedding!” I’m sure some readers will love this - it’s just personally not my jam and it got a bit dull.
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I think where Bellefleur really shines is with the humor. The cat killing a vibrator, monster trucks at a wedding - they were all excellent components for a rom com. Oh and the dirty talk, the dirty talk was very good. However, I just couldn’t find myself getting invested until after the miscommunication trope was solved and it felt like it took the story a little too long to get there.

Note: At the beginning I was getting some Aro vibes from Margot, so when she started feeling the pressure to get into a relationship because everyone else was, I felt that and I wished it would have been addressed more clearly, but that’s just the Aromantic side of me and this is a RomCom - so consider that with a grain of salt.

*I received an eARC from HarperCollins Canada in exchange for my honest review*

This was a cute addition to the series. I enjoyed seeing Margot and Olivia come back together and help each other grow as people, while rekindling their old friendship and romance. There was such clear love and care between them. The amount the plot revolved around miscommunication wasn't my favorite but I thought the eventual break and talk was handled well and the final resolution was a satisfying one. The intimacy and sex in this book were also fantastic and so well written.

Review: This sapphic rom-com gem of perfection from Alexandria Bellefleur stole my heart! There’s such insane chemistry between Margot and Olivia with so many awkward and cute moments scattered throughout the book that had me laughing one minute and in my feels the next.

Some of the things I loved about this book were:
Grumpy/ sunshine character dynamic
Forced proximity trope
Second chance romance
Sexual tension and very spicy scenes

What I loved best about Count Your Lucky Stars is how real it was. One of Margot’s recurring struggles in the book is how everyone makes assumptions/ judgments because she’s single. I think this story did a very realistic look at how difficult it is to navigate friend groups when you’re the only single person and how awkward and exhausting it can be to be the odd person out.

The plot does rely frequently on miscommunication which isn’t always my favorite trope, but I feel like it was really well done in this story. I really liked how Margot and Olivia were given such raw emotions and vulnerability when they confront their miscommunications.

Synopsis: Ten years after parting ways from her best friend/lover Margot, Olivia is newly divorced and building her career as an event planner. After Olivia is assigned to handle a high profile wedding, she crosses paths with Margot who is apart of the wedding party. When a series of bad luck leaves Olivia without an apartment, Margot offers up her spare room, prompting them to confront that none of their feelings from ten years ago have faded.

Count Your Lucky Stars is an interconnected standalone and you don’t have to have read the other two, but it definitely adds to the story!

I was luckily enough to receive an ARC for this book from NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager.

I found Alexandria and her Written in the Stars Series last year, and I fell in love with it! I aboslutely love her characterizations and the way she weaves the stories into such great narratives. They never feel trite or forced. And Count Your Lucky Stars was no exception. I was so so glad that we were able to spend some more time with Margot. She has shown up in the other books, but as more of a background, and so being able to spend an entire book with her was amazing. I loved the 2nd chance romance aspect of this book. You could just feel the tension seeping out of the pages. It was so so great! I loved the sapphic aspects of this book, and the fact that both of the MC's sexualities weren't used as something expletive, but just part of their fully fleshed out characters.

Be aware that the miscommunication trope is ACTIVE in this book, so if that's something that you find icky, it is the single threadline of the entire book.

All in all, I absolutely loved this book! It was such a great rounding out of the series!

Book(Bag) 📚🎒 Review: This is a story about second chances.  Margot Cooper has a strong group of friends.  But as they begin to pair off with each other, she is increasingly wondering where she fits in their lives.  One day she is touring wedding venues with one of close friends and his fiance, and she encounters Olivia Grant -- her childhood best friend and first love who she has not spoken to since Olivia reunited with her boyfriend at the end of their senior year of high school.  Olivia is now a wedding planner in Seattle and newly divorced from that boyfriend turned husband, having spent most of the last ten years in their hometown. 

When there is a leak in Olivia's building and she has no place to go, Margot reluctantly offers Olivia the spare room in her apartment.  As they spend more time together in the apartment and working on the wedding, neither Margot nor Olivia can deny their obvious attraction, even as each are, given how they left things in high school, reluctant to pursue anything, much less anything serious.  Are the two willing to finally move past their past to acknowledge what is in their present -- or is their history too much to overcome?

This book was enjoyable!  Both Margot and Olivia were such fully realized characters -- as readers, we have a clear sense of their personalities, outlooks, and past experiences that informs (interferes?) with their current relationships.  The author does a terrific job of portraying Margo and Olivia's attraction to each other.  The book also effectively captures this stage of life and the shifting nature of friendship as some people settle into romantic partnerships -- and how that can leave others feeling unmoored.

Highly recommended!

Margo and Olivia were so full of like they jumped off the page! This was a second chance romance full of big feelings and bigger misunderstandings. I was riveted to hear how each of their perspectives on the past skewed their futures and how they managed to resolve their issues. There were about 10 years between when they last saw each other and the present and in that time each character lived a full life. I appreciated that they had grown enough to both still feel mixed up inside but also to have different reactions to their past hurts. I fell in love with the surrounding cast of characters and their various happy endings. The story was so hopeful and uplifting while still being so steamy and hot.

The author did a brilliant job of setting up enough complications to force the characters into a forced proximity situation and then threw in lots of little moments that touched your heart. I highly recommend this!

This is an amazing second chance sapphic romance and a great conclusion to the series.

I was laughing and grinning like a fool the whole time I was reading which is a testament to just how much I really enjoyed this story. I loved seeing Margot and Olivia come together and finally find out what happened between them all those years ago. The mutual pining in this book was on point, the characters have so much chemistry and it really showed in the steamy scenes we got. I was invested in the story very quickly and had a hard time putting it down until I finished. Overall I think I loved this book the most out of the series and I highly recommend it.

You should definitely pick this up if you enjoy second chance romances, forced proximity, and mutual pining.

I got an ARC of this book.

I saw the cover and knew I needed this book. It did not matter that it was book three in the series. So I tracked down the first two books as audiobooks and fell in love. I have been counting down the days until I could start this one. I never want to leave this world. The books can be read as standalones, but some of the details won’t feel as vibrant. It is hard to be into someone’s wedding if you don’t love them.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I really can’t say that enough. I was laughing so hard I offended my chiweenie. I was snorting. I was getting weird looks from coworkers. No matter where I was reading this, it was hard to contain the laughter. Cat might just be the best animal side kick in a romance novel ever.

The romance was both slow burn and instant. It was the weirdest combination ever. They had a past. They had a future, if they could just TALK ABOUT IT. This book relied heavily on the not talking about it trope, but it felt so good in this one. It felt like the emotions were high enough to worry about what would happen. I could feel their anxiety. I could feel the depths of their fears. It was so wonderful and painful. Then something wild would happen and I was happy to be brought along on a journey that could have just been angsty beyond belief.

I really can’t say enough about this book. From the sex to the wedding to the giggles, it was one of the best additions I could ask for. This is my favorite romance series. The moment this comes out as an audiobook, I am going to listen. I can only hope that there is more to come, though the ending made me think this may just be the last book in the series.

It is wholesome. It is hot. It is such a good book. This is what I want from a romance when I read romance. I want to ship them. I want to NEED them to be together more than they do. This book is just a solid yes.

I have loved all three books in this series of companion novels — and this latest one definitely helped kick off my 2022 reading with a bang. Margot and Olivia are such wonderful characters, and I loved getting to know more about them both as individuals and their history together. Seeing beloved characters from the first two books made it all the more enjoyable, but Margot and Olivia’s romance was also more than enough to keep me hooked. The chemistry between them was crackling, and I found myself eagerly cheering them on as they found their footing as both individuals and as a couple. This books is hilarious, heartfelt, and hot AF.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

The two previous books I’ve read in Alexandria Bellefleur’s Written in the Stars series have this sense of fun, of effervescence for me. I think that’s what I missed the most when reading the upcoming release, Count Your Lucky Stars.

In this second chance, childhood BFFs-to lovers-to estranged BFFs story Margot & Olivia are inadvertently reunited when wedding planner Olivia takes on planning Margot’s friend Brendon’s wedding.

Forced proximity comes into play when Margot & Olivia end up living together, giving them a chance to strike up a friendship again—even if neither wants to pursue the reason for their estrangement, which each woman attributes to a different cause.

Maybe my favorite thing about this romance is how Margot & Olivia reminisce about the memories that tie them together. It’s obvious there’s a real bond between them & that adds nice emotional nuance to the story, especially as they navigate not only sex but a renewed friendship.

But the tone of this romance feels different to me, heavier, & without the playfulness I associate with the author.

Setting aside that series comparison, the main conflict is somewhat confusing to me & the portrayal of friendship—excluding Elle, who as always, is a delight—is another heavier note. I didn’t quite feel the love as much as I wanted to between the friends.

Alexandria Bellefleur is writing beautiful contemporary romance & I can’t wait to see what characters & friendships she writes next. But this one misses the mark somewhat for me.

4 ⭐️. Release date: 02/01.


CWs: Emotionally manipulative ex, former spouse cheated, dad had heart attack before book started.

[ID: an orange shirt peeks out of an aqua coat that the ebook rests on. Also on the coat is an orange agate necklace, a mug featuring romance novel spines, & a pink orchid.]

Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins Publishers, and Alexandria Bellefleur for the ARC!

I would give this 2.5 stars, but I’m rounding up here.

Now take this with a grain of salt but this book was hard for me to finish. It started off super promising, I was laughing at some scenes so hard and I thought I was in for a good second chance romcom. And I kinda got that? But not really.

Here’s what I didn’t like… the characters got together so soon in the story that there wasn’t enough tension built up for me. Everything just kinda deflated from there.

The steamy scenes were S T E A M Y, which I normally love, but I also need some realistic build up behind it. I need some development, and I felt it was lacking here.

Now, I actually haven’t read the two books prior to this but my impression is that each one is a stand alone story for characters… and this one just fell flat for me.

I was a bit surprised that we were getting another book from Alexandria Bellefleur, but it's a good surprise. I do enjoy reading her books. I sometimes have problems with her book's ending.
We get to read about Margot struggling in being the fifth wheel in her friendship group. All of her close friends are living their best married life, yet she finds herself a bit jealous and lonely. She has tried in the past with dating, it just does not work with her. And it still does not help when her friends are trying to set her up with her former friend (aka lover), Olivia.
I like this book better than the first book, but less than the second book. I just have a hard time with second-chance romance tropes. I think second chance romance is just a bit too messy for my taste. There was a reason why you broke it off. And to forgive someone is also so challenging.

While I enjoyed the book, I missed the writing and the starry-eyed feel of the first book, a reflection of Elle's personality. The tone of Count Your Lucky Stars is more akin to Margot, a bit broodier and maybe more intense relative to the first book.

It's not quite a slow burn, but the tension and the pining between Margot and Olivia is a highlight of the novel. Olivia and Margot's interactions are some of the best parts of the book and help to establish why they first fell for one another. My favorite conversation is one we can all relate to, misheard lyrics--I think I may always hear "like a cheese stick" instead of the actual lyrics now.

I struggled with the constant "does she or does not" internal dialogue from Olivia and Margot. When paired with the other frustrating thing about the novel--miscommunication as the primary culprit behind their failed relationship--my enjoyment of the book diminished. It takes a while to figure out what happened between them, but when revealed, it's anticlimactic.

Count Your Lucky Stars is a must-read if you've read the first two books.

(3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

This book was so fun and cute! It's the third book in the series but they don't need to be read consecutively if you don't mind small spoilers (I skipped the second book because it was heterosexual but I read the first and this one). I love this author's writing style and I love all of the characters in this universe. Definitely worth a read!!

Count Your Lucky Stars is the third installment in the Written in the Stars series that feature connected characters in Seattle, Washington. After being a prominent feature in the previous two novels, Margot Cooper finally has the chance to shine as the main protagonist. She continues to run Oh My Stars Astrology Company with her friend, Elle, along with their partnership with the dating app, One True Pairing (OTP), owned by her best friend, Brandon, who is the brother of Elle’s girlfriend, Darcy. As Margot is set to be the best (wo)man at Brandon and fiancé, Annie’s, wedding, this leads her to reunite with someone from her past. She reunites with her childhood friend turned high school fling, Olivia Grant, ten years after initially losing touch, as Olivia is the wedding planner for Brandon and Annie. While there is some imagined tension before Olivia sees Margot, it is nothing compared to their first encounter where there is underlying chemistry and pining.

As Olivia is in need of a place to stay, Margot ends up offering her spare room. This leads to a fun exploration of the close proximity trope where the two of them navigate their past and learn more about the other. The story is duel-perspective, which was well done as the reader can delve into the mindsets of both characters. Each character has been through a lot in their ten years apart, which add to the obstacles they must face if they want to be together. Both of them have multiple conversations to try to communicate with each other. While there were still many bumps along the way, I appreciated their attempts to talk things out. Similar with the other two novels in the series, the characters share some steamy moments, which may or may not be for every type of reader.

This story not only provides a great tale for Olivia and Margot, but it was great to read updates from Brandon, Annie, Elle, and Darcy. Together, the group continue to provide great support for each other and I love the banter and friendships they share. The roommate angle to bring Olivia and Margot together was well done as it gave the characters many moments to get to know each other again. As a standalone, I felt myself connected to Olivia more than Margot. To me, this could be due to my prior knowledge of Margot in the other novels, so Olivia was explored a little more in this installment. I still greatly enjoyed both characters and they balanced each other well. Overall, this was an excellent addition to the series and a very enjoyable read!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Avon, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

I feel like I have been looking for this story for forever! I couldn’t read it fast enough! At the same time I never wanted it to end!

This book hooked me immediately! Friends to lovers AND a second chance romance!? My two favorite romance tropes in one! The stakes feel higher with that kind of history in the mix! I was really excited about it but by the time I finished it I was kind of disappointed

One thing I love about Alexandria Bellefleur is the in depth healthy communication, not just between romantic partners but friends as well, that she includes in her novels and this was no exception.

Olivia and Margot had a pretty easy relationship which makes sense since this is a second chance friends to lovers romance novel but it still fell a little flat for my taste. It was a quick and easy light hearted read but I wish there would’ve been more depth. We’ve had three whole books to get to know Margot and all I know about her is that she likes sex and she’s pan.

I also felt like the pacing for this one was kind of inconsistent. Sometimes things moved really fast and other times thing were drug out farther than necessary. The ending was resolved rather quickly and even though there was a pretty big wtf moment that had you wondering what the consequences would be the book still skipped ahead to an epilogue set two years later where that loose end is never resolved.

I really really enjoyed this!! I love all the sweet and steamy spots this book had. I really loved seeing these two woman reconnect. I love the friend group. And oh my god this book has the more funny scenes. I mean the cat part was hilarious. “I guess it’s safe to say that’s p***y approved” lol. I lover this book. 2022 favorites list for sureee.

I really, really wanted to love this book as much as I did the other two books in the series, but sadly it fell pretty flat for me.

First off, the good! The author's writing is beautiful, funny, and a joy to read. This never changes and so even though I didn't like the story, the book was enjoyable enough to read. The queer representation was of course great as well, and the chemistry between Margot and Olivia was fantastic!

A lot of the things that didn't work for me have to do with the tropes used, so other readers may love these parts! It's a second-chance romance with childhood friends-to-lovers, and an absolute boatload of miscommunication. I don't even know if it would be considered miscommunication because I was absolutely begging the characters to even talk to each other. I would have taken literally any communication at all! Also, it's been 11 years since they last saw one another, and people do change a lot in that amount of time, especially when you consider the starting age is 18! I wish the story had shown more of how they had grown as individuals and them falling in love as adults, rather than just picking up like everything was the same as 11 years earlier.

Something I had a really difficult time with while reading was the voice of the characters. Honestly, all of the women (not just Margot and Olivia) sounded so similar it was difficult to keep track of who was talking and whose perspective we were in. Also, the external conflicts really didn't pan out for me? This last-minute wedding was supposed to be a lot of pressure for Oliva but then we never even see the wedding? And she's ok with leaving the night before the rehearsal and going away for a few days instead of working? It just wasn't consistent. I also wish there had been more development, or rather resolution, with the Brad storyline and her dad, and more discussions with Margot and her friends about how she had been feeling. Or even more time on the resolution between Margot and Olivia. All of the conflicts felt very "Oh everything is fine now! Nothing to see here! without showing the emotional work at the end. It felt unsatisfying.

Again, I think a lot of this is an "it's not you, it's me" situation, and I still love this series and this author, and I think a lot of people will absolutely adore this book! But sadly, not me.

I'd been looking forward to Margot's book since meeting her in Written in the Stars - I really loved her side character energy through the previous two books in this series and was excited to see her be the star of the show. And to that end I quite liked reading Margot's feelings about all her friends coupling up and how she was worried they would move on without her, it felt very real. On that note, one of the highlights of this book for me was seeing all the characters from the first books in this series factor in heavily here - often in interconnected romance series we may get a glimpse of a prior book's couple, but it was fun to see Darcy, Elle, Brendon, and Annie through so much of this book. The other big highlight was the steam here - Bellefleur is one of the best sapphic romance writers out there when it comes to writing sex, and this book was no exception.

What was disappointing to me about this book was the romance itself, which felt very flat to me. Olivia and Margot were best friends in high school, and after one magic week their senior year where it looked like they may have had a chance as a couple, things fell apart. Now, 11 years later, Olivia just so happens to be planning Brendon and Annie's wedding AND a catastrophe at her apartment leaves her in need of a place to stay, setting it up nicely for her to move into Margot's spare room. I love a good second chance romance but the key ingredients (for me) are mutual pining and watching the characters fall in love all over again. While we did have some pining here, what I mostly felt between Margot and Olivia was attraction. I also don't really feel like I know why they love each other now or even why they loved each other back then - I'm just told that they do. I'd much rather be shown their connection through moments of emotional intimacy, and unfortunately this book just didn't have enough of that for me. That said, I wouldn't say that you should skip this book, especially if you've read the rest of the series! There's definitely some good stuff here.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.