Written in the Stars: A Novel

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Despite their differences, despite the obstacles that should keep them apart, Elle and Darcy not only find a way to be together, but their journey is so rich, so embedded in who they are, we can't help but root for them. It's also educational; they model the way a strong relationship can work, which is always a good read. Plot: The semi enemies-to-lovers trope was really well done! However it seemed like a lot of points were rehashed over and over (yes, we get it, Darcy thinks falling for Elle would be a bad move, and Elle doesn’t want to mess up her business deal with Brendon). There was also noticeably repetitive language. Although, my copy was an ARC, so keep that in mind when i started the book, i would’ve given it a 5/5, but the ending is what made me take off a star. nevertheless, this was a great book that i recommend if you like romcoms with fake dating. Despite their differences, despite the obstacles that should keep them apart, Elle and Darcy not only find a way to be together, but their journey is so rich, so embedded in who they are, we can't help but root for them. Also, the fan fiction mentions made me happy (as a former — okay, sometimes current — peruser of fanfic, you bet I noticed them), and the phrase OTP has never been so aptly applied.

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.

I was so enthused when I started this book because these characters’ first meeting was a wild ride but so very perfect to set the tone, I just wished the rest had kept up. The only true part I actively disliked though was Darcy’s brother. His involvement and meddling is supposedly affecting Darcy’s and Elle’s relationship positively; it’s him, after all, who sets them up and his meddling “helps” them along the way. But I absolutely hated him and his blatant disregard of boundaries that was downplayed at every turn. Every scene with him in it was a struggle to get through for me because he irritated me so much.

You can of course guess what happens next! Why Love of course! It is after all, “Written in the Stars.” A clever, cute, sweet, and somewhat steamy read that was a perfect way to end 2020. Although I had to skim through all the steamy parts, this was a quite delightful rom-com that I highly recommend for those looking for an adorable, light, laugh out loud novel that hits all the right notes. it's a sweet sapphic romance full of big emotions, and it's a beautiful reminder that when the stars align, love can feel like magic. cons: darcy’s brother was just on the side of too much when it came to his pushiness with his involvement in darcy’s love life. i get that he cared a lot about her and wanted her to be happy, but it was annoying at times how much he ignored her boundaries. the ending was not quite what i had hoped and left me a bit disappointed. elle and darcy themselves have amazing chemistry, although i think elle's character is more developed than darcy's? or perhaps elle is just more relatable to me. her growth is phenomenal; her deep loneliness and desire to be seen and wanted, and her gradual realization that she deserves better than the bare minimum. so inspiring to see elle struggle to know her worth, and finally commit to believing in herself.Astrology and magic and soul mates.Darcy has had to deal with her overprotective younger brother for all her life...and recently, he's become more meddlesome than she can handle. "Quit trying to marry me off like I'm some Regency spinster in one of your favorite Austen novels." With the craziness of this year, I have found myself seeking out cute and charming stories more than usual. This book provided a pleasant, escape from reality type of reading experience. The two female characters had good chemistry and it was fun rooting for them to find happiness. Written in the Stars, by debut novelist Alexandria Bellefleur, is a queer romance about two women with opposing life goals and very different personalities who stumble into a fake relationship that should've come with a warning: Love is right around the corner, just you wait and see! If you could not tell from all the gushing, I absolutely recommend this to romance fans. This would be the perfect book to turn into a holiday movie say for a Netflix. Hey, if Hulu can put on a WLW holiday romance this year, than there is hope for stories like this. There is going to be another book that follows this one, which stars the main character’s brother. I thought he was fine for a secondary character but I think he would get on my nerves for a main character so I’ll probably pass. However, if Bellefleur ever writes another WLW story, I will read it in a heartbeat.

it honestly pains me to not give this book 5/5 stars. i wanted to love this book more than i actually did and that was a bit disappointing for me. i liked this book a lot, but i felt less and less engaged with the plot as the book reached the end.I loved the two girls (Darcy and Elle) and they took the dynamic of Darcy and Elizabeth and transformed it in their own way that totally got me hooked. 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! I also loved that this story wasn't centered on overcoming societal expectations (aka coming out/homophobia/internalized trauma), it's just a couple of girls who fall in love and it really stood out to me.

It’s not that anything was inherently bad with anything written but some passages were a little too corny for my taste. And not the kind of tooth aching sweetness that will make you feel fuzzy and smiley, but just overused 2015 Tumblr cheesiness I thought the world had moved passed.

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Speaking of, fandoms and fandom spaces were brought up a few times throughout this book but it never felt very organic and always a little contrived and off.