Written in the Stars: A Novel

by Alexandria Bellefleur

"I was hooked from the very first page!” – Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of In a Holidaze

"This book is a delight." – New York Times Book Review

A National Bestseller and winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Romance! Featured on Shondaland, Oprah Mag, Bustle, The New York Times Book Review, Buzzfeed, POPSUGAR, Entertainment Weekly, Washington Post, NPR, Culturess, Vulture, and more. Named one of the Best Romances of 2020 by Washington Post, Bustle, and Buzzfeed!

With nods to Bridget Jones and Pride & Prejudice, this debut is a delightful queer rom-com about a free-spirited social media astrologer who agrees to fake a relationship with a grumpy actuary until New Year’s Eve—with results not even the stars could predict!

After a disastrous blind date, Darcy Lowell is desperate to stop her well-meaning brother from playing matchmaker ever again. Love—and the inevitable heartbreak—is the last thing she wants. So she fibs and says her latest set up was a success. Darcy doesn’t expect her lie to bite her in the ass.

Elle Jones, one of the astrologers behind the popular Twitter account Oh My Stars, dreams of finding her soul mate. But she knows it is most assuredly not Darcy... a no-nonsense stick-in-the-mud, who is way too analytical, punctual, and skeptical for someone as free-spirited as Elle. When Darcy’s brother—and Elle's new business partner—expresses how happy he is that they hit it off, Elle is baffled. Was Darcy on the same date? Because... awkward.

Darcy begs Elle to play along and she agrees to pretend they’re dating. But with a few conditions: Darcy must help Elle navigate her own overbearing family during the holidays and their arrangement expires on New Year’s Eve. The last thing they expect is to develop real feelings during a faux relationship. But maybe opposites can attract when true love is written in the stars?

"Everything I want from a rom-com: fun, whimsical, sexy." – Talia Hibbert, USA Today bestselling author of Get a Life, Chloe Brown

• ISBN10: 0063000806
• ISBN13: 9780063000803
• Publish Date: 10 December 2020 (first published 10 November 2020)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Avon Books
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[CrowNoYami]

Written in the Stars is the first full-length F/F novel I've read in years, and I was NOT disappointed. The story switches POV, letting us see behind the mask, which is not only needed but appreciated when dealing with someone as tight-lipped as Darcy. The pace of the story was fantastic, pulling you in from page one and not letting go.

Without spoiling the story, I do want to let readers know that there are some steamy scenes in the book, but even if that's not your cup of tea, it doesn't take away from the story. Alexandria Bellefleur gives these characters room to grow in these pages while still keeping their lives moving forward.

You CARE about them, want to see them flourish, and I'll admit I shed a tear or two when they were having a rough go of it. Their story is one I highly recommend reading, it's sweet and angsty all at once, and I swear both Darcy and Elle have a place in my heart.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Elle Jones, one of the astrologers behind the popular Twitter account, Oh My Stars, dreams of finding her soul mate. A new business venture with her BFF, has her agreeing to go on a blind date with said friend’s sister.

Darcy Lowell isn’t looking for a relationship after the disastrous breakup that had her moving to the city.. but brothers will be brothers.

The first meet wasn’t the meet cute one would hope for. While both felt some physical chemistry, the date ended before it even began. Which is why Elle is surprised to learn that Darcy is smitten. Only she said that to get her brother off her back, but Elle’s mom overheard and the two hatch a plan.

The tale that unfolds had awkward moments, sweet discoveries and delicious heat. We see growth in not just the couple, but in family members. The two act as a couple through Thanksgiving, double dates and holiday parties, but somewhere along the way they develop a friendship which gives way to romantic feelings.

Elle is kindness personify but thanks to family and a string of first dates she isn’t confident in the romance department. She is loud, eclectic, and follows her heart.

Darcy is a bit of a control freak from perfectly lined bookshelves to muted colors. She has built a high wall around her heart and hides the things she is passionate about. It was lovely seeing walks come down, and confidence grow, even if miscommunication and fears interfere along the way.

Written in the Stars is an addictive festive romance you’ll want to curl up with. Don’t forget the wine and holiday cookies. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[FranJessca @ A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog]

Written in the Stars is the first book I’ve read by Alexandria Bellefleur, and I can’t wait to read more from her. This book is an F/F (LGBT) Romance. I’ve wanted to read more of this genre, and it was one of my goals for this year (2020). If you are a fan of Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones, you will enjoy this book. I know I did. 

Female Protagonist (1): Elle Jones is an Astrologer who runs the popular Twitter account called Oh My Stars! She’s one character that I would love to be friends with because her personality is lively, and she’s always on cloud nine. She’s a romantic and loves life. Unfortunately, her family wants her to be more serious, especially with her job. They don’t consider her successful. I felt for her character and how she was treated. She deserved happiness and love. 

Female Protagonist (2): Darcy Lowell reminds me of ‘Darcy’ from Pride and Prejudice perfectly. She is not looking for love, but unfortunately, her little brother is persistent for her to find someone. She’s all about her job and getting over her past of having her heartbroken. She’s the complete opposite of Elle, and Darcy has difficulty accepting Elle at first until she gets to know her.

Storyline: Elle Jones is looking for a soulmate and her new business partner Brendon sets her up with his sister, Darcy. The date is a complete disaster until Elle hears differently from Brendon. Darcy wants to get her little brother off her back and sets up a fake relationship with Elle. They both set a deadline for their phony relationship and also setup conditions. It’s not going to be easy faking a relationship with both families.

My Thoughts: Written in the Stars is an excellent story about two characters that fall in love that are complete opposites of each other. I loved Elle’s character and how successful she and her friend Margot is with Oh My Stars! Elle is someone I could consider being a friend with immediately, but Darcy would take a while due to how she treats people. I could understand why she was the way she was due to what happened in her past. Both Elle and Darcy have difficulties in life (past and present). It took me a bit to get used to these characters being together because of how they met in the beginning. It was not the best date. I didn’t think it was a good idea to have a fake relationship because I thought it would lead to disaster. I will say this the scenes between Elle and Darcy were steamy. Very steamy! There was also one particular scene where Elle shares her love of thrift store items to Darcy with a Christmas tree, etc. It was sweet. Elle was a sweetheart in the book, while it took me a bit to like Darcy. It didn’t stop me from reading the book, though. I did feel the ending was rushed, but other than that, this book was satisfying. 

Standalone or Part of Series: Standalone.

Steaminess: Steamy.

HEA: Yes.

Trope: Fake/Pretend Relationship and Opposite’s Attract.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy the F/F (LBGT) Contemporary Romance genre. Readers that love a re-telling of Pride and Prejudice and also love characters that are opposites of each other will enjoy this book too. I know I love these kinds of books. I can’t wait to read more from Alexandria Bellefleur.
I’m looking forward to Brendon’s story next because he deserves a HEA too.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[celinenyx]

F/f fake dating rom-com. This might have been written just for me

[edafoe]

What a delightful read! This fun rom com was exactly what I needed in the stressful times.

Written in the Stars is not so much a Pride and Prejudice retelling, rather the two heroines are based on Darcy and Elizabeth's personalities. This was an adorable fake dating/opposites attract rom com that was so much fun to read!

I loved Darcy and Elle right from the beginning and felt so much joy while reading their story. The side characters were also wonderful!

The story lost a little steam for me in the second half, but overall such a great rom com!

Overall: I would definitely recommend this is you are looking for a fun, steamy, #ownvoices contemporary romance! 4.5/5

[lindsey]

After a first date gone wrong, Elle is sure she'll never see Darcy again, only to be surprised when Darcy's brother mentions how smitten Darcy was with her. Confused, she texts Darcy, surprised even more when Darcy suggests faking a relationship to get her brother, who is determined to see Darcy happy in love, off her back.

Written in the Stars employs a classic, fake-dating-to-lovers trope, and I loved every minute of it. It's a charming, modern retelling of Pride & Prejudice with a twist, and it's definitely going on my favorites bookshelf.

Exquisitely written, with excellent pacing, relatable and well-written characters, and a solid plot, I would highly recommend this one! I usually hesitate to hand out "perfect" labels for books, but this one deserves it.