t was only last month that I read my first Lauren Layne book (Emergency Contact), and I enjoyed it so much that I immediately started looking into her backlist. I also requested her upcoming one from NetGalley and was thrilled when it was approved! Miranda in Retrograde is the story of a genius Physics professor who is denied tenure and takes a year off of teaching to evaluate her future career plans. Her best friend convinces her to try a new, non-STEM project, and follow her horoscope for the year. And of course, she has a couple potential love interests, and will get to know her true self during this year.

I am not a STEM girl at all (Science and Math were my least favorite subjects in school), but I have studied Astrology in the past and find it all fascinating, so this part of the book intrigued me. I haven't dabbled much in it for years, and actually learned a few things in this book (such as reading the daily horoscope for your Rising sign instead of your Sun sign). But even if you are not interested in Astrology or STEM, it's a fun read. Relatable characters, good dialogue, humor, and a fun plot - I love LL's writing style and would have happily read it all in one setting if it life hadn't gotten in the way.

5 stars for this fun read, and a huge thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Miranda is a popular physics professor who has just been denied tenure. She finishes out the semester and takes a year long sabbatical, but she’s not sure where her career goes from here, and she’s not sure how she will fill her time over the next year.

She decides to take on a year long project of reading her horoscope daily and doing whatever it says. If it says she needs to do a house project, she completes it. If it says to get a let, she gets a goldfish. If the stars say one man is her perfect match, then she should date him right?!?

What Miranda didn’t count on was her grumpy artist neighbor, and how spending long nights on their respective roofs would lead to an unlikely friendship and her questioning if her horoscope is leading her in the right direction.

This was a fun read, first of all I had no idea there was so much that went into astrology. I learned so much about the topic and maybe made me want to check my horoscope out.

I liked Miranda, I’ve had the feeling of having. To change direction when the thing you loved didn’t seem to work out. She really had to learn to listen to her gut and her heart and let her brain rest.

I loved Archer, I loved the relationship between the two of them. I liked how they slowly developed a friendship and this was the slowest of slow burns and I love a good slow burn. The build up of the tension was 🧑🏻‍🍳💋 good.

The grand gesture at the end made me absolutely swoon!

Thank you to @netgalley @laurenlayneauthor and @gallerybooks for my arc of this book. Miranda in Retrograde is out now!

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, sweet and kept me reading. I wanted to find out what was going to happen. I enjoyed this book and will look for more books by this author.

Miranda does not believe is astrology. As an astrophysicist, she has looked down on that field for years, until a sabbatical from her job leaves her with time on her hands to explore the cosmos in a new way.

I loved the focus on astrology and the way Miranda chose to listen to her horoscope to make her decisions, it was such a unique and fun plot! Her slow belief in astrology and growing belief in herself developed at an authentic pace, and I thought these self discovery parts were done extremely well.

There is a love story as well, featuring a grumpy x sunshine trope (one I adore!). Loved seeing their connection grow through time spent together focused on the moon and stars, and truly adored the grand gestures in this one.

Thank you to Gallery for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Gallery Books for the advanced reader copy and to Simon Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

When Miranda doesn't get tenure as an astrophysicist, she takes a sabbatical and starts investigating astrology and following her horoscope. I enjoy many of Lauren Layne's books and was so pleased to see this new novel from her. And I am always keen to read about a professor. But wow, that's not how academia works. I really struggled with suspension of disbelief for the set-up of the book. Once I got further in, I enjoyed it for the fantasy world it was.

This asked some interesting questions about what we use to guide our life choices. And it included some great characters with neat story arcs. It's a very quick and light read.

Jennifer Jill Araya narrated the audiobook well. Her performance helped engage my interest when I was rolling my eyes at the start.

3.5 stars rounded up

3.5 Stars.

I was wary of the astrology theme in this book, but since it was Lauren Layne, I decided to still give it a try. While I’m glad I read it and did enjoy most of it, I do have to admit that the astrology content did bring the book down for me.

The fun banter between Miranda and Archer was great. I really enjoyed watching their friendship develop and their slow burn romance. I also appreciated Miranda’s journey to figure out what she really wanted out of life and not just follow a path that had been laid out for her.

While I don’t care for astrology, I must admit to occasionally reading my horoscope when I come across it and I did learn a lot more about astrology while reading this. However, it was way more than I wanted. In the Author’s Note, Layne details how much research she did for this book and that felt very obvious in how much is shared in the book. I would have rather had more of the science stuff – and that’s something I never thought I’d say. I also didn’t like how specific all the horoscopes were and how she perfectly followed everything. I appreciate that she wanted to keep an open mind, but I expected at least a little more skepticism, especially since she’s a scientist. I can read my horoscope and think it fits me, but then I can ready every other sign’s horoscope and think they fit me. It just seemed a little unrealistic how all in she went and it took me out.

Overall, Miranda in Retrograde was a mostly enjoyable read with some great banter and a good slow burn romance. I could’ve done with a lot less of the astrology, though. I also wished the side characters were a little more developed. Miranda’s best friend and aunt were both quirky characters that we rarely saw. I’ll look forward to reading whatever Layne does next, but hope it’s something a little closer to her usual books I love.

I love Lauren Layne’s romances as they feel so real and this book felt like I was watching a movie. I was pulling the whole time for Archer who was a grumpy, curmudgeonly sort of character. This was a grumpy/ sunshine trope and a slow burn at the same time which are two of my most favorite tropes. I was into this story from the beginning and basically read it in a day. Miranda and Archer were two of my favorite characters even though they were at odds a lot of the time. I especially enjoyed the whole slow burn aspect as it is only the last chapter that they finally get their HEA.

A heartwarming and charming story! This is my new favorite by Lauren Layne.
Miranda is at a crossroads, her career ambition to become a tenured professor has been stalled and now she must decide what’s next. She moves into her aunts house as she explores what will be next. Her science brain initially rejects astrology, however she takes on a project to study how her horoscope can affect her life. She crosses paths with a grumpy neighbor, Archer, whose verbal sparring keeps her on her toes. The dialogue between the two was perfect and the way astrology was used to weave the storyline together was so well done.
Ultimately this story is about being true to oneself in the face of expectations and of course about being open to love. This book was truly a joy to read and highly recommended. Thank you to Gallery Books for the opportunity to read an early copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 ⭐️
Wow what a fun book! I’ve been really enjoying romance books where the FMC has some kind of STEM background and so that’s what drew me to this book.

I have absolutely no knowledge of astrology or horoscopes so I was a little nervous about that going in, but the author did a fantastic job of making the information interesting but not overwhelming.

I really liked all the characters in this book. It was fun to share a name with a character, I’ve never had that before so that was a fun first for me! And I felt like the character growth and development was great throughout the book. The banter and romance was so fun. This is a closed book so the tension between characters was on point. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it!

You’ll like this book if you enjoy:
•FMC with a STEM background
•Grumpy/Sunshine
•Banter/Tension
•Opposites Attract
•Forced Proximity

I’d like thank NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Lauren Layne for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If Lauren Layne writes it, I will read it. There is something about Layne’s writing that perfectly encapsulates the golden age of rom-com movies from the 90s that we all know and love, except in book form. She always nails the emotions and feelings every single time, and I find myself completely devouring her books in record time. Miranda in Retrograde delivers a beautiful slowburn romance between a renowned astronomer at a crossroads in her life who is trying something new by putting her faith in astrology to guide her and the grumpy artist next door who she keeps running into at night on the rooftops.

Lauren Layne is the queen of contemporary romances in my book, and she gave us the most beautiful emotional slowburn romance between Miranda and Archer! I know some people don’t like slowburns, but I love them as they always deliver big emotions and some heartache along the way, with the best payoff in the end. While this book is low on the spice, it packs all the emotions I want in a romance. I was kicking my feet up in the air with the biggest grin on my face – I was so giddy the entire time I was reading it!

The chemistry between Miranda and Archer is there, but it’s a slow simmer as they clash at the beginning, but they form a strong, deep friendship that clearly feels like there is more to it. They both clearly have these deep feelings for each other, and Layne teases the romance so perfectly, giving you the perfect hints of what could be between them if only they both are willing to push aside their own fears and embrace the love that’s in front of them. When the realization of how deep those feelings are, Layne gives us the perfect rom-com movie worthy moment that had me feeling all the things. It’s like their love was written in the stars.

Recently, I’ve been struggling with first-person single POV in contemporary romance. I like to know how both characters feel in a romance, and in a first-person, single POV, that can be lacking and hamper the romantic development. However, I did not have that problem at all with this book. Layne did an excellent job giving us Miranda’s internal thoughts and feelings but also showing us how Archer was feeling even though we weren’t in his head. Archer was so far gone for Miranda, and it comes through in such tiny little ways that Miranda, as the narrator, might not fully pick up on, but the reader will, which contributed to why this romance worked so well for me.

I also loved how well the romance worked with Miranda’s journey of self-discovery. Since she was a young girl, she’s always been driven to be the best she could be academically, reaching acclaim, and even fame, as an astronomer. But when she’s denied tenure, her whole world and her identity get thrown for a loop. This book is really about her journey toward self-discovery and finding herself and her passion, and letting go of the expectations she and her family have put on her. She’s so uptight and starchy initially, but so much more free and calm by the end. I love how she turned to astrology, something she considered totally fake at the beginning, to guide her.

Astrology definitely plays a big role in this book, and I loved how Layne wove it into the story, walking us through each of the astrological signs throughout the year and starting each chapter with Miranda’s horoscope. I’m not a big astrology buff, but it was so fun seeing how the horoscopes would apply to Miranda’s life in ways she wouldn’t expect, and it helped set the chapters up really well. In my opinion, I also loved how the horoscopes also played into the romance, as Miranda would expect one thing based on her interpretation of the horoscope, but the real meaning was only apparent to the readers.

And then we have Archer, our grumpy neighbor next door. I loved this man. He was the perfect grumbly grump who also always seemed to be hanging around Miranda, even though he claimed to be annoyed by her. Initially, there were some antagonistic vibes, but their relationship quickly reached a steady rhythm, similar to that in a grump/sunshine romance. I also love that there is a little bit of mystery to Archer. He’s a very famous artist, but he’s a bit protective and secretive over his art. He’s also got some hang-ups from things from a previous high-profile relationship, and I, like Miranda, found myself wanting to know about him.

I feel like I could go on and on about this book, as it was so stinking cute! It’s the perfect, light-hearted contemporary romance that will give you all the feels! It’s pure escapism in the best possible way. The romance, the characters, and the astrology worked so well together that I couldn’t help but feel giddy while reading this! I will definitely be adding Miranda in Retrograde to the list of Lauren Layne books I have designated as comfort reads when I want a cute, swoon-worthy romance with heart!

Thank you to the Gallery Books/Netgalley for the ARC! All thoughts, ideas, and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Well, I certainly did not expect to love this one quite this much! I LOVE Lauren Layne and will literally read anything she writes. But, I'm also not a huge believer in astrology. However, I can tell you by the end of this book, I bought an astrology app to learn more! Only Lauren Layne could get me into astrology haha!

This was done so well. The romance was absolutely adorable. It is a super slow burn with closed doors. The characters were all easy to love. There was really no one to dislike in here. The storyline takes place over a year, yet the book flew by. I did not want to put it down. I would recommend this one.

I knew Lauren Layne could do no wrong, but I didn't realize this book was going to heal me and my reading slump in a way I didn't think was possible.

To start with, let me just say how ROMANTIC this book was. Sure, romance novels are meant to be romantic but this took things to another level. This book had the slowest burn ever possible which made it more romantic. This had a grumpy, sassy hero who was romantic as hell even when he didn't mean to.

Miranda was an amazing character. I loved her outlook on life as things progressed. Lauren Layne & her genius love triangles made the story even more swoony. And the grand gesture? I wish I could literally experience that or even see that in real life.

Books like these always remind me why I love reading romance so much. Might be my new favorite by Lauren!

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

When I started this book, I knew that I wasn't going to like the astrology part of it and I was right. I found myself skipping over the daily horoscopes with an eyeroll. But everything else about this book was super cute and I loved the fact that it was clean for the most part. I don't want to be reading the f- word every other word and I appreciate that. I thought the romance was cute and I loved the way they got together. If you are looking for a sweet romance with a side of astrology, then you will love this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I received an ARC for an honest review.
A young and talented astrophysicist is forced on a new path and explores the stars in a way she's not used to. A rom-com that has us wondering if our fate is written in the stars or whether we can create our destiny. This was my first Lauren Layne book and while I found it enjoyable overall, it is not a book I expect to re-read. It was a slow burn with no spice. I enjoyed the banter and the concept of finding yourself outside your job. The way the main FMC was written had me wondering if she was neurodivergent. There were several errors in the book BUT I believe that's because it was an ARC and I'm sure they'll be fixed. Overall, it was cute but a little slow. A fine weekend read.

Sweet, romantic, and clean are the first things that come to mind when describing this book. This book had me googling my birth chart and creating an interest in reading about astrology. The story is set between New Jersey and New York, although parts of the book also take place in Florida. We get Miranda, a professor whose main love and focus in her life is her career, or so she has convinced herself until the career plan she had elaborated on unfolds unexpectedly. We also meet Archer, a grumpy artist whose main charm comes from his ability to say little and leave you wanting more. This book is comforting, easy to read, and perfect for when you want a story that would allow you to escape reality while also living curiously through someone else's love story. If you love witty banter and love a story that makes you happy for others, this is it! I would have wished that the ending didn't move that fast, but I am not mad about it either.

Every book I’ve read of Layne’s has been a treasure, the characters are easy and intriguing as is the storytelling. Miranda is out of this world smart but she’s hit a snag in her career. House sitting for her
aunt opened her to new friendships and new beginnings. Archer is a bit of a grump with a heart of gold. After reading their story it’s easy to see the future and why the book came to its magical conclusion. However, along the way it was fun to learn about horoscopes and charting, each chapter starts with a new reading. This goes as one of my new favorites. I’m always thrilled to get an advanced copy and I wrote this review voluntarily.

4.5 stars

Lauren Layne is such a favorite author of mine. I’m so glad she is writing again! Her romances are always such comfort reads for me.

I loved this sweet, slow burn romance between Archer and Miranda AKA “Randy”. (It should be spelled with and “I”, though. LOL) I really liked Miranda’s character from the start, but I absolutely loved Archer. The quiet, moody artist was just what Miranda needed, no matter what her astrology charts said. Their banter was fun and on point. The ending was sweet and I loved it.

Thank you to Gallery Books for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this one. It leaned heavily into the astrology - maybe a bit too much for me at times - but I don't know much about astrology and learned a lot. The romance was slow burn and swoon-worthy. I loved the way the relationship developed, and I also really enjoyed Miranda's character development throughout.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. Dr. Miranda Reed thinks she’s on track to tenure at her University. She is a popular lecturer, has appeared on numerous television shows to discuss her area of expertise, Astronomy and even hosted Jeopardy. But when her university denies her tenure because she is distracting away from “real” science, and suggests that she takes a year sabbatical. She goes to her favorite Aunt’s house and with her Aunt’s and BFF’s suggestion, she decides to use this year, and do something completely different than her usual logical self. She is going to live her life based on her astrological charts. Her aunt offers Miranda her house in NJ, while she takes the year off and her Aunt visits Florida. While living her new life, she meets her Aunts broody Artist neighbor, Archer and her knight in shining armor, Christian. Of course, the question is, will she follow the logical path or her heart when it comes to love and the rest of her life? This was a fun journey, with a lot of wonderful characters. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

Miranda in Retrograde Lauren Layne is a sweet, funny and lighthearted story.
I really enjoyed this story from beginning to end.
The characters are likable, the connection strong, the chemistry combustible, and the unique plot makes for an intriguing read.
The writing was so easy and I was sucked in from the moment I started.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.