📚 Read if you like: astrology, rom-coms, self-discovery, academic settings, New York vibes, strong female leads.

✨ Miranda in Retrograde by Lauren Layne is an effervescent rom-com that follows the journey of Miranda Reed, the youngest physics professor at her university. Her meticulously planned life is turned upside down when she's denied tenure and finds herself questioning everything. In a delightful twist, she decides to live by her horoscope for a year, navigating life and love through the stars. From avoiding a down payment on a home during Mercury's retrograde to being cautious of a spontaneous dinner party because of Gemini Rising, Miranda's life becomes a cosmic adventure. The story unfolds with humor, emotion, and plenty of swoon-worthy moments, especially as she grapples with her feelings for the charming father of her tutoring pupil and the aloof artist next door.

👨‍👧 Main Characters: Miranda Reed is a practical and precise physics professor whose world is shaken when she's denied tenure. Her journey of self-discovery and embracing astrology brings a fresh perspective to her life. Archer, the aloof artist next door, adds an intriguing dynamic with his mysterious Aries energy, while the charming Sagittarian father of her pupil brings warmth and potential romance into Miranda's life.

💞 Romance: The romantic tension between Miranda and Archer is palpable from the start, with their contrasting personalities creating a delightful push and pull. Meanwhile, the charming father of her tutoring pupil offers a seemingly perfect match, making Miranda's heart and mind race as she navigates her feelings.

👧 Side Characters: The side characters add richness to the story, from Miranda's colleagues at the university to the vibrant individuals she encounters in her astrological journey. Each character brings a unique flavor to the narrative, enhancing the overall experience.

✍️ Writing: Lauren Layne's writing is captivating, blending humor, emotion, and inspiration seamlessly. The narrative is engaging from the first page to the last, making it a perfect weekend read that leaves you craving more.

🌟 Overall: Miranda in Retrograde is a gem in Lauren Layne's collection, offering a comforting and delightful escape. The story is perfectly written and provides just the right amount of everything you're looking for in a rom-com. It’s like indulging in comfort food on a lazy weekend, leaving you with a bittersweet feeling as you reach the final chapter.

I am a years long Lauren Layne fan and have been so excited to read this. However, I almost quit several times in the first half because there is SO much astrology. I loved watching her grow, but found her to be frustrating at times in her stubbornness. The romance was sweet. It was a slow burn that built carefully across the pages. But the payoff was great.

While not my fave LL book, it definitely filled a spot in my heart that needed it.

By the book, script following Miranda has a sudden chance in her work life, being a prominent astronomer, recently being denied tenure. She decides she is going to let the universe decide her next steps. She turns to astrology instead and leaves her life to the universe. As she comes to terms with what she wants with her professional life, she also has to decide what or who she want to be attracted to based on what her star signs say. The budding friendship with the grumpy neighbor and the butterfly inducing relationship with a stranger leave her second guessing how she really wants yo make choices that will lead her to happiness. Loved this book. Happy to read a Lauren Layne book after so long.

4-4.5 stars. This was a super sweet, unique slow burn romance.

Astrology fascinates me, so the journey that Miranda found herself on during her sabbatical was so interesting. I loved the inclusion of the horoscope snippets at the beginning of the chapters and the way they were used (or not used) very intentionally.

Miranda as a character was incredibly nuanced. She was so three dimensional to me. Her intention to shift her science-minded brain toward studying the cosmos was a challenge for herself, even as she struggled to not simply swap out one set of rules as her guide for another, as was called out to her more than once. There was a lot of growth and self-discovery on her path as she figured out what parts of her career were meaningful to her, where she needed to stand up for herself, and how other parts of her life could and should take priority.

Archer was a complicated character. He was so reclusive, it felt hard to really get to know him, and yet it was still easy for me to read him without him saying much. I do wish he’d used his words more, but I also understood how his past had influenced his present. There were some very endearing moments when he grumpily showed his cards and his affections for Miranda. I enjoyed both their antagonistic banter and their softer interactions. I thought their slow fall was fitting and genuine to the heart of both characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I recently had the pleasure of reading Miranda in Retrograde by Lauren Layne and I must say, I absolutely loved it! This book is a perfect blend of astrology lore, scientific explanation, and romance that had me hooked from the very beginning.

As a fan of astrology, I appreciated the attention to detail and accuracy in the astrological aspects of the story. It was clear that the author did her research and incorporated it seamlessly into the plot. I also enjoyed how Miranda's journey of self-discovery and falling in love was intertwined with her passion for astrology.

One of the things I loved most about this book was Miranda's character development. She starts off as someone who is defined by her job and slowly learns to break free from that identity and discover who she truly is. This journey of self-discovery was both relatable and inspiring.

In addition to the light-hearted romance and astrology elements, the book also delves into some deeper topics such as trauma and self-worth. I appreciated the depth that these themes added to the story and how they were handled with sensitivity and nuance.

Overall, Miranda in Retrograde is a charming and heartwarming read that I would highly recommend to fans of astrology and romantic comedies. Lauren Layne has created a delightful story filled with quirky characters, engaging plot twists, and a swoon-worthy romance that will leave you smiling. I give this book a solid 5 stars and can't wait to read more from this talented author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Lauren Layne for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review is already up on my Goodreads, and will be posted closer to release date on my Instagram.

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A classic Lauren Layne writing with a new and unique story. One thing I love about this author is that NYC is as much of a character as Miranda. Everytime I open one of her books, I feel the city come to life and it feels as if I am in NYC with these characters.

This swoon worthy story doesn’t miss a beat and sucks you in the moment you meet Miranda and Archer. With their lighthearted banter and slow burn romance, my heart was aching because the buildup and tension was just so good. And don’t be deterred by the close door romance plot, because there is more than enough chemistry that lights up these pages.

This story is sweet, charming and an overall feel good book. By the end of the story, you will wish it was longer because you will not be ready to leave this world. Lauren Layne never disappoints me and this book lives up to all the stars given to it.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you’re a fan horoscopes and astrology, this book is for YOU!! such a cute romcom with some science, stars, and sarcasm intertwined

Thank you, gallerybooks, for the e-arc.

If Lauren Layne writes it, I’ll love it. This book was no exception!

This book was so unique, I just ate it up. Miranda is a physics professor who doesn’t make tenure at her college, so takes a year off to find herself after her life feels upended. To push herself (and science) out of her comfort zone, she decides to take up astrology, and to look at her horoscope every day and live her life based on it. She stays at her aunt’s house and is tasked with watering her plants, and one night when she is on the roof, she meets her aunt’s grumpy neighbor Asher. He’s a quiet artist who doesn’t talk much but observes it all. Slowly a friendship builds between the two of them as Miranda navigates her sabbatical one horoscope at a time!

This book had me checking my costar app every day to see what was going on in my life. I’m not super into astrology, but I think it’s interesting enough to take into consideration, and I’m always blaming retrograde for something :) I’m sure there was so much research into this book and I learned a lot! It felt fun, different, and charming.

3.5 stars - I really liked it! I loved Miranda and Asher’s relationship. The thing that bothered me about this book was how her family was unsupportive and just magically came around at the end all together. There were moments like that which made it feel too predictable, but it’s cute, light and a great story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars

Lauren Layne is an autobuy author and this was another hit. After getting passed over for tenure and having her life upended in the process, physics professor, Miranda, decides to live by her horoscope predictions for a year. What happens when she meets a grumpy artist who the stars say is a terrible match for her?

Gah. So good. I adored Miranda and her romance with Archer is hilarious, heartfelt, and steamy. I loved their rooftop antics. Lauren Layne books always make me smile.

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

I am always rooting for Lauren Layne and was thrilled to death when I saw she had a new book for us! While usually I am right on the nose with all the interests and references Layne includes I have to admit I am not a star sign girl so I was a little skeptical, but I did let myself get sucked and thoroughly enjoyed this one. I would however be lying if I failed to mention that if you are a lover of the OG Layne style books (and read them as comfort reads like I do) than you will still find this as a slight departure and therefore a disappointment like her most previous book with her husband, but I would relate it to Taylor Swift changing genres/eras....I will support and enjoy anything these to do.

✨ARC REVIEW✨

4.25 ✨

This was absolutely adorable and such a feel good love story.

I needed something light and fluffy after reading some seriously sad books. This lifted my spirits right up, and I found myself not being able to put it down.

Lauren is seriously so good at writing humor and banter. Because of that, this story had me so giddy and cheering on our cute couple, Miranda and Archer.

Miranda is going on a new journey...an astronomical journey. She's taking a sabbatical at work because she's been denied tenor track, something she's always thought she wanted. She decides to take her daily horoscopes and apply them to her everyday life to step out of her comfort zone. A storyline that is truly unique and fun.

While staying at her aunt's place, she meets her grumpy artist neighbor, Archer, and it's banter at first sight. So of course I fell in love with them instantly.

Archer is that broody, mysterious artist type and I was really digging his vibe. I like how he tried to play everything off as if he doesn't care when deep down you know he does. His "annoyance" of Miranda is anything but and it was actually adorable. I loved their chemistry and I loved how comfortable they got with each other. They really made the most perfect friends to lovers.

I loved seeing Miranda grow and learn what she really wants in life. I loved watching Archer start to lose his facade of being annoyed by Miranda and seeing "ah, this could be more and I could get hurt because...feelings". Again, it was so CUTE.

Was this absolutely cheesy and predictable? OF COURSE. But if you want a feel good, homey and cozy quick read, than pick this up!

I think, for me, it was a little too cheesy at times and I was feeling a little "okay, we get it" when it came to talking about the zodiacs and stars aligning and all that star talk. I understand Miranda works in the sky but it started to feel repetitive.

I was also kind of confused at first about timing because weeks and months would just pass and I'd be like "uhm, I think I missed a week". The chapter titles are basically a date and you kind of have to know astronomical talk to know what month it is. REGARDLESS, I did really enjoy this book.

I really love how everything came full circle in the end. The end did feel a little rushed but I loved it anyway.

Truthfully, this just felt cozy and cute and such a feel good book. There may be flaws here and there but at the end of the day, you can easily look past them to experience a fun time. I got some really good chuckles out of this and I really did feel myself gushing over these two.

Thank you to Lauren Layne and NetGalley for the arc copy!

If you’re like me and you need your grinchy heart to grow three sizes, read this book!
Miranda’s bid for tenure is unrealized and a forced sabbatical later, she’s sitting on her aunt’s roof with a grump next door insisting she “get off his lawn”. Her whole life has revolved around higher learning and now that she’s at loose ends, Miranda agrees to see the stars from an astrologist’s perspective instead. Her horoscope now rules her day.
This is such a happy feel good kind of read. Miranda almost has a coming of age story while she grapples with what she actually wants versus what she’s always been told she wants. I love, love, LOVED Archer and his endless dry commentary and reluctant assistance.
Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

LL never misses for me, I swear every time I finish one of her books I’m ridiculously happy and giddy and this was no exception. The romance here is a super slow burn, some angst and the authors signature witty banter. I’m not into astrology but this actually made me wanna dive into it a little more, the way it was woven into the story was delightful and interesting. Miranda and Archer’s romance was both swoony and sweet and this one is closed door but no worries, they still had fantastic chemistry. Next time you want a feel good, charming romance try this!

Lauren Layne does romance so well. This was such a fun story with each chapter starting with Miranda's horoscope. Miranda is college professor who was denied for tenure and is taking a forced sabbatical who takes care of her aunt's house. She meets the mysterious grumpy neighbor, Archer. They start chatting and she shares her change in process using astrology to guide her sabbatical. Their interaction and banter was perfection. I enjoyed their tension and Miranda's journey to discovering herself.

Thank you @gallerybooks @netgalley for a copy of this book.

Miranda in Retrograde is my new favorite book by Lauren Layne! As a longtime fan of Layne, I was excited to see that she was branching into the "STEM" sub-genre. I thought she did great with the STEM elements. Layne added in enough elements to make the STEM storyline believable. I liked the idea of the main character taking a year off to explore astrology. I was surprised to learn so much about astrology! Layne did a great job explaining all of the astrological information in simple terms. I liked that each chapter started with a horoscope. It added a fun element of foreshadowing to each chapter. My favorite part of the story was the main characters. Miranda and Archer are my favorite couple of Layne's. I loved their tension and banter. I also liked how their relationship progressed. Their scenes together felt so natural. Archer was a prickly, but sweet main character. His nickname for Miranda was adorable! I thought Miranda was relatable and compelling. I enjoyed reading her perspective. This book felt different compared to Layne's previous works...and I'm here for it! Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

After getting rejected for tenure, Miranda takes a sabbatical and decides she needs a change. Tenure has been her sole focus, but when her friend talks about her horoscope, Miranda decides to follow and study it for the year. Since her housing is through the university, she accepts her aunts invitation to live in her home while she is living in Florida. Will the stars have the answers to fix Miranda’s life?

Ahh Lauren Layne is just an absolute delight of an author! I seriously love her books so much! While I am not a big horoscope girl, I could totally see how Miranda was someone that needed to live her life by some sort of rules, and that astrology fit the bill perfectly. I just loved this story and the journey Miranda went on trying to find what she truly wanted in her life. I don’t want to give anything away, but if you have loved Layne’s previous books, you will love this one as well!

Thank you to @gallerybooks for my gifted copy of this book!

3-3.5 stars. Miranda Reed is a bit of a phenom in her field because she has the brains and clout as a professor, but she is also a bit of a mini STEM celebrity. Yet that's not enough when she finds out that she is passed over for tenure at her university. Taking a year sabbatical and wondering if science is all wrong for her because of the facts and data, she tries a different approach where she leans on astrology and relies on her horoscope to live out each day.

The premise of the story is cute and I like astrology. I couldn't blame Miranda for feeling so blindsided and wanting better for her, meaning that she should leave the university and share her talents elsewhere if that was an option. Her new lease on life with trying to explore different avenues and new experiences was refreshing, especially in the romance department. While it started out fun, I didn't really get too invested in her romantic prospects or the actual daily horoscope readings. However, her character development was well done with her questioning her pursuits in life and what mattered most to her even if it was contrary to what she had been brought up to believe. And while Miranda was likely none the wiser for a while, the reader knows which guy is right for her and it was almost perfect how the stars aligned in that regard.

4.5 Stars

Miranda Reed is a science celebrity and adored professor facing the biggest setback of her career... denial of tenure. Miranda not only faces an unplanned sabbatical, but offers have dried up for TV appearances, and maybe a slight crisis of identity. Now is the time for her to try something new... but spending her year following astrology? No one who knows her saw that one coming...

Simon Archer is Miranda's new temporary neighbor... and he is less than delightful to be around. The gruff, grouchy artist doesn't have time for Miranda's staunch approach to life. But when these two opposites find a common ground... or rooftop, their lives just might change forever...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Miranda in Retrograde was a slow burn romance that was more about Miranda finding herself than a man doing it for her. Miranda and Archer share a delightful love/hate relationship that does a good job of masking how they truly feel about each other.

As a scientist, Miranda is a celebrity in her field, and had always envisioned her life on a certain path. But with the denial of her tenure at her university, she is suddenly left without a clear picture of her future... for the first time in her life. 

Archer is a closed book when it comes to getting to know him, but little by little, he and Miranda find a common ground. He is a well-known artist, known for being elusive, but Miranda sees him in quite a different light... mostly that of an annoying neighbor. 

I adored the relationship between Miranda and Archer, their banter was top-notch, and you could practically feel the sexual tension emanating between them. Archer drove Miranda crazy, and I loved how he made himself at home in her house, much to her exasperation. 

This book was a romance read, but did not feature a whole lot of steam on its pages. There were spicy shared kisses, and all the relationship progression needed in a romance. I thought it was a highly enjoyable read, even without a plethora of sexy moments... and that's saying something!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

I'm not sure what is going on with me and Lauren Layne books lately but I've been extremely underwhelmed with her last few books. This one felt like an attempt to grab onto some of that Ali Hazelwood STEM-romance magic but without any of the research or background knowledge. I rolled my eyes at several moments in this story and said "ugh" out loud twice.

If you've never read any of her better ones or are looking for a REALLY lighthearted and simple romance, then this one is up your alley. I'm rounding up from a 2.5 to a generous 3.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.