Written in the Stars: A Novel

Product Information

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!

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. And I might be a single woman in possession of a good fortune, but I'm not in want of a wife."After one disastrous date too many, Darcy decides to throw up her hands and pretend that it went perfectly. Trigger & Content Warnings: talk of cheating in the past, bad parenting, abandonment in the past, loss of a loved one, harry potter references, and maybe alcoholism mention. Characters: Darcy and Elle were so vivid, and I loved seeing their personalities clash, and eventually compliment each other, through the course of the book. It was adorable to watch them open up more, despite their differences. 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.

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. 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. The brightest stars of Written in the Stars are its engaging main characters, who pretend to be dating to keep their respective family members from interfering endlessly with their lives. 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. 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!

Darcy and Elle are set up on a blind date by Darcy's brother, Brendon. The date is a bit of a disaster and the two go on their separate ways. That is until Darcy decides to tell Brendon she hit it off with Elle and they are now dating. A bit of a spur of the moment idea but this will hopefully get Brendon to stop playing matchmaker. Elle agrees to go along with the whole fake dating scheme because now she can bring her as her date to her family's Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe now Elle's family won't look at her as such a disappointment if she is "dating" someone like prim and proper, Darcy. This fake relationship might actually turn out to be mutually beneficial in more ways than one. 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. 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. Overall I did enjoy Darcy’s and Elle’s relationship and how it progressed throughout the book. After their initial terrible first date they do stay open minded about each other and their interests and build a good understanding of each other throughout.

Written in the Stars

Darcy Lowell works in the insurance industry and is focusing on her professional certification exam — but more importantly, she's avoiding dating in the wake of a terrible breakup: She discovered her soon-to-be-bride and supposedly "perfect match" in bed with one of their mutual (now former) friends. The event left Darcy unhinged. Now, she believes she's happier and emotionally safer on her own, watching daytime soap operas and climbing the corporate insurance ladder. 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 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. 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.