It’s not every day we get to encounter a debut novel that sweeps you off your feet, but Written in the Stars just does exactly that. Especially with the recent release of Happiest Season starring Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis, I feel like Christmas truly is the season of the gays. #winning
Alexandria Bellefleur’s debut novel Written in the Stars is a stunning #ownvoices opposites attract sapphic rom-com that made my heart flutter a bajillion times. Not to mention that it also falls under the fake relationship trope, which is one of my guilty pleasures. It’s definitely high on the list of my favourite books this 2020 and probably forever.
In the beginning, we meet Elle ‘Elizabeth’ Jones off to a blind date with Darcy Lowell, her new business partner’s older sister. The date turns out disastrous when things take a turn for the worse. Add in the fact that they seem to have nothing in common. Elle is an astrologer who wants to find her soulmate. Meanwhile, Darcy, who works as an actuary, is a bit of a sophisticated old soul who initially comes off a bit jaded about love because she’s already been burned before. But things take a turn when Darcy asks Elle to pretend to be together just so her brother would quit being the meddling matchmaker.
Bellefleur is a genius for creating Written in the Stars as a sapphic modern-day Pride and Prejudice, with Elle and Darcy bearing a really strong resemblance to Jane Austen’s Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. These two characters are a joy to read, particularly Elle, the dreamy, hopeless romantic, and quite whimsical with her lifestyle choices. She loves cheap boxed wine, co-owns the popular social media astrology account Oh My Stars and is also in the midst of launching a dating app with Darcy’s brother, Brendon. Darcy, on the other hand, comes off a bit standoffish yet refined — definitely Elle's polar opposite, but deep down, I related to her character more as someone very sentimental and But while these two may seem far ends of the spectrum like the north and south pole, they definitely do have certain compatibilities that come out in the open as both heroines begin to catch feelings as they pretend to be in a relationship.
The chemistry oozed by Darcy and Elle is just explosive despite nearly being stark opposites. They're both smart characters with incredibly witty dialogue that won't fail to make your smile turn into a cheesy grin. Surprisingly enough, I thought Darcy funnier than Elle, most especially with her dry-wit humour that always left me chuckling. And don’t get me started on the smut, because it. Is. Fire. Darcy and Elle are not just adorable together, but they definitely had my Kindle sizzling with queer sexiness.
But other than the shits and giggles and the heat required in a rom-com, Bellefleur manages to deliciously weave in a little bit of relatable angst that shapes the story perfectly — with Elle, who struggles with wanting to be accepted by her family of well-accomplished university graduates with PhDs and Darcy taking responsibility as the elder sibling to Brendon after their parents both checked out following an awful divorce. Bellefleur did an absolutely impressive job in actually making me feel lots of emotions for this couple.
However, while this novel may have been a delightful read, especially the astrology aspect, I felt a bit cheated with the absence of an epilogue that could have at least featured a time-skip. I really wish there were more of these two — I just can't get enough!!! Miss Bellefleur, spare epilogue chapter, please?
Nonetheless, I’m truly in love with the LGBTQ representation and the fun astrology twist in Written in the Stars and I’m hoping this will pave the way for more sapphic and queer romances to come out of their closets and onto the bookshelves (I know there are a lot already out there but they're still quite niche). You definitely wouldn’t want to miss out on this delightful read that’s bound to leave you smitten with every turn of a page! Although this isn't exactly a holiday romance, its quirky feel-good nature is just perfect for the holiday season!
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Popular Highlights in this book
Before this moment, she’d never realized what a lonely job it was, protecting a fragile heart.Highlighted by 622 Kindle readers- Elle was tired of everyone looking at her like she was a mess when she was just trying her best.Highlighted by 613 Kindle readers
- Elle laughed and Darcy’s chest ached as if something inside her was stretching, making space. Growing pains.Highlighted by 455 Kindle readers
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Darcy and Elle are total opposites. Straight-laced (but not straight!) Darcy is not interested in love after an especially rough breakup. Elle is an eccentric astrologist in search of her soul mate. They’re doomed from the start! To keep Darcy’s meddling (but endearing) younger brother from continuing to set her up on dates she’s not interested in, Darcy & Elle agree to fake a relationship… just for a few months! Nothing serious, and no feelings involved… 👀Not knowing that it was the third in the Written in the Stars series, I actually read Count Your Lucky Stars last year, so I already knew Darcy and Elle’s future, but getting to see how they got to that point was cute.I related to both Darcy and Elle in different ways, but definitely mostly to Darcy. Her story was so familiar in so many ways, it was more than a little uncomfortable at times to see it played out on-page. She turned out ok in the end… there’s hope for us all 🙂As in Count Your Lucky Stars, the spice in this one is good! Only two scenes, but they’re gooood scenes, folks lol 🌶️🌶️🌶️I enjoyed this quick read, but I was disappointed in the ending. It felt really rushed and like there was still a lot left to unpack. Maybe some of that happens in Hang the Moon (which, tbh I’m not planning on reading because it center’s the M/F relationship of Darcy’s brother), but I would’ve liked to see it contained to its own story.I don’t have much of a grasp on astrology (I know, I know. What kind of lesbian am I?! Let me know if you can do my chart and explain it all to me lol) but I am a massive Enneagram enthusiast and I got very excited to see it mentioned just once haha I think using those kinds of things to get insight into your partner’s personality is a game-changer, so even though I don’t understand what the stars are trying to tell us, I appreciate it.
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- Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2021
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