I have never read a book about Air Ambulance paramedics and after reading this book I wish there were more books with it out there. It was kind of fascinating, I mean it’s practically normal ambulance but instead of a car you get to ride a helicopter. How cool is that? I loved reading about Bess and how she was how much her job was the biggest part of her life. I could obviously tell she loved it I mean who wouldn’t. It had it risks and it’s pretty demanding but it seemed amazing to me.

And Gio! I loved him and it was hard watching him come to terms with the possibility that he might never be a firefighter again I couldn’t by any means imagine how he was feeling but from my view he took it well.

Also his response to his alcoholic mom dropping out of nowhere in his town and his home was valid. He had given her every chance to change and she always threw it away but I could see that she was committed this time and I loved that for her.

I absolutely loved her childlike joy and fascination with sparklers and Christmas lights show overall I loved that she was trying and I wished we got more from of it.

From my point of view, the romance was very overshadowed by their past friendship. They had lived in the same house in the past , the author gave us minute snippets. It was like instead of building towards their relationship in the present the author expected us to rely on their past friendship to build one from word of mouth, kind of. It was a bit lacking to me and I wished she spent a bit of time to develop it.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this Arc.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC copy.

What I though was going to be a lighthearted christmas read turnt into a roller coaster of different emotions. It dealt with deeper issues but in a really realistic way. I ended up really loving this book and will 100% be reading other books by this author.

Beautifully written book with some really interesting topics covered. I love the air ambulance and the work they do so really enjoyed those parts; and learning more about the journeys of the characters was interesting. Helen has a lovely style of writing which is easy to read and makes you feel part of the story. Definitely recommend this book.

I loved this book. Second in a series but can read alone. I love following the red and blue air ambulance team. The book covers two delicate subjects really well. Won’t spoil it. You also have a lovely love element and a nice ending. Read in one sitting . You just escape. I love the helicopter at the beginning of each chapter. Just a great read.

Helen Rolfe is one of my favourite authors.I loved the first book in this series so was excited when I got Written in The Stars to preview. The setting of the air ambulance with the Fire Brigade is different. Following Gio and Bess this time with their issues,his mother and his accident,Bess with money worries and losing her Dad. Helen’s style of writing just makes you want to keep reading,which I did,I always love a happy ending and enjoyed reading how Gio and Bess got there. Didn’t want it to end. Hope there is another in this series but fear not. A must read.

Bess is part of the local air ambulance crew when one day she goes out on a call only to find her old fireman friend Gio injured at a scene of a fire.
Gio's mum has not been involved much in her family for a few years due to alcohol and turns up again claiming to be clean and needing somewhere to stay.

Gio and Bess have been friends for a long time and Gio has always asked Bess out on dates but shes always refused to save there friendship.

This is a great read that covers so many different topics but in my opinion all are covered well and also sensitively. The main characters in this are Bess and Gio, She is a critical care paramedic and he is a firefighter and they’ve known each other for years. Both though have things going on in their lives that they’re keeping hidden. After the death of her father and a health scare Bess started spending and now her debts are out of control. Gio’s world is turned upside down when he’s estranged mother turns up on the doorstep. They support each other but could this turn into something more…… This is much more than a romance as it has family dynamics, friendships, personal struggles and new beginnings to name a few. I found that even with all these different things going on it flowed well and I’m looking forward to the next one. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 & 𝘉𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘙𝘰𝘭𝘧𝘦. 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!

Rating: 2.5/5⭐️
Release Date: Sep. 19 2024
Vibes:
- no spice
- paramedic x firefighter
- financial struggles
- workplace injuries
- family trauma

Review:

My biggest gripe with romance novels is when they aren't actually romance novels. Typically I feel like at 60% in for non-smutty romance novels is when the couple gets together/has their first time!! Here, at 90%, the couple is, well, not a couple at all. At least that means there can't be a third act breakup?

This was general fiction / women's fiction. There was no need at all to tag it as romance, because that is not what this is. My negative comments are primarily regarding this distinction.

I understand slowburn and friends to lovers, and can really love it if done well! Take The Undermining of Twyla and Frank as an example!! Actual perfection for friends to lovers and representation of older (by that I just mean not 20-somethings) people finding love and happiness. This? Well, this wasn't it. There isn't really any chemistry at all, especially considering they don't interact with each other the vast majority of the time! "Oh, I wonder how Gio is doing" does not translate to "I think I love this man". And nothing about their relationship throughout the book feels like it was "written in the stars" (actually cringed when Gio said that).

Marketing this book as romantic was not the move. If you are looking for women's fiction dealing with family trauma, financial issues, and the most minuscule amount of romantic subplot, then this may be a good pick for you.

I received a free copy of, Written in the Stars, by Helen Rolfe, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book two in The Skylarks Book series. Bess is a paramedic, she has been living carefree since the loss of her father, Gio is also a first responder, but works with fires, he has his own family drama going on, namely his mother. I really liked the characters, they have stressful jobs, and good attitudes, for the most part.

I’ve been waiting for this book as I loved the first in the series and I wasn’t disappointed. If you haven’t read the first book this could easily be read as a standalone but why not treat yourself to both? You’ll be glad you did!

Ich habe mich über das Buch sehr gefreut. Es ist nicht nur fließend zum lesen sondern auch sehr spannend.

I’ll be honest it took me a while to get into this emergency service romance as it took me a while to get track of the different watch’s/jobs etc but so glad I preserved. I loved Bess and had a lot of empathy for her money problems and Gio was just lovely and he also had his issues. It was a slow burn but the romance was heart warming and satisfying.

firefighter and paramedic who have worked together for many years come together to overcome personal pain and fall in love.

Bess is a paramedic, in deep financial trouble of her own making. Gio a firefighter has an accident that may lose him his job. And then there's Marianne, Gios mother, who suffers from alcoholism. The H and h work through their problems together, offering support, which pushes their friendship into a something more. A slow burn, but well written book, makes a decent read.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Bess has been having a hard time. She enjoys her job asa a paramedic. I enjoyed the chemistry between Bess and Gio. A good read.

This book is the second in a series but can easily be read as a stand alone.
We follow Bess, a critical care paramedic and Gio, a firefighter as they navigate work, life and all the issues that come along for the ride. Topics covered include debt, alcoholism and injury. Gio’s mother Marianne is probably my favourite character. Both Bess and Gio are nice feel a little bland. There were no great surprises in the story. It flowed nicely and was a gentle read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much! The story was very heart felt and had a great message in it. I really liked the main couple.

We are back with skylarks. This book focuses on Beth who finds herself in trouble. Will she let someone in or will she continue to struggle alone?

Trigger warnings : debt and alcoholism.

This was the second book in this series the first being come fly with me but could be read as a standalone although for full enjoyment I recommend starting at the beginning.

After throughly enjoying the previous instalment I couldn’t wait to get stuck into this one. This instalment focuses on the characters of Bess and Gio and also covers a lot of hard hitting issues that am sure a lot of readers will be able to relate too.

This was an engaging read that seeks to remind you that life can change in an instant and to make the most of every day.

Looking forward to the next instalment of this series

Written in the Stars is a slow-burn romance - a romance that takes 20 years to ignite. Although I am not a fan of this trope the story would satisfy those who are. Bess is a flight nurse and Gio is a fire man. They go way back to the days of being housemates and now their respective jobs bring them in frequent contact. But Bess sees Gio as the type who can't commit and he sees her as out of his reach. Bess is also dealing with a financial crisis of her own making and Gio has a mother recovering from alcohol abuse. Too much seems to stand in the way for either of them to take a risk on what if.

This was a really good book that I thoroughly enjoyed & will recommend to others.
Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it