I picked up Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur looking for something light that would make me smile, and it didn’t disappoint. But it was also so much more than that. I really loved the romance between the two protagonists—they had great chemistry—and I also really enjoyed the character growth, and the side characters. I’m completely invested in this series.
Note: While I’ve kept the main sections of this review spoiler-free, I just had to chat about some things and created a “Spoiler-y Discussion” section below the Author Stalking box. So beware of that when scrolling 😘
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Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
🥭🥭🥭🥭.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
(you can find my rating and spice system here)
POV & Tense: Dual POV, third person limited, past tense
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romcom, LGBTQ+ (FF Romance)
Tropes/Themes: Fake Dating, Opposites Attract, Meddling Friends/Family, Astrology, Catching Feelings (Oh no!), inspired by Bridget Jones and Pride & Prejudice
Location: Set in Seattle, WA, USA
Synopsis:
When Elle, a free-spirited social media astrologer, and Darcy, an uptight actuary, are set up on a blind date, their meet-cute is less than stellar. To avoid any more horrendous blind dates, Darcy lies and tells her matchmaking brother they hit it off. On paper, a fake relationship with an established expiration date seems like a low-risk proposition. In practice, it’s anything but.
If Darcy wanted to sell this relationship, she needed to understand what made Elle tick. If such a thing could even be pinpointed. So far, the verdict was out, the inner workings of one Elle Jones less of a neat little package to be unwrapped and more like a clown car full of increasingly random and terrifyingly endearing quirks.”
My Review:
Okay, so who can’t immediately relate to a main character gracefully attempting to deal with a wedgie (because of an optimistic choice of sexy first-date underwear) while rushing to meet a blind date? It’s a unique novel starter, and I was all in from page one.
There are subtle nods to Bridget Jones’ Diary and Pride & Prejudice peppered throughout the story. Elle—last name ‘Jones’—is looking for her soulmate, someone who will love her exactly as she is. And Darcy is, well, named Darcy. But she is not in want of a wife.
The two women are complete opposites. Darcy thinks with her head, whereas Elle puts more faith in what she feels in her heart. But they both have plenty in common: an undeniable spark, a desire to prove themselves in their respective careers, and emotional baggage with their respective families. Darcy was forced to play mother when her own mother checked out, and Elle’s the black sheep, constantly compared to her successful siblings.
Elle was techicolor chaos and the feelings she inspired in Darcy were a hazard straight out of Pandora’s box. Treacherous and confusing and better kept under lock and key. Darcy didn’t need disorder in her life.”
Fake Dating
I adore the fake dating trope. It’s one of my favourites for a reason: because we all know it’s going to get complicated, no matter how many times the characters reassure one another—and themselves—that it will be simple.
Despite obvious sparks, both Elle and Darcy have reservations about the arrangement. Elle wants a relationship, a real one, and she knows embarking on a fake one will only lead to misery. But Darcy is put-together and has a ‘real job’ and is exactly who Elle’s family wants her to be. If she can prove to them that someone like Darcy could be into her, then perhaps their opinion of her will improve.
Darcy just wanted to buy herself a time-out from all the speed-dating and blind dates her well-meaning brother keeps setting her up on. But the more time she spends with Elle, the harder it is to ignore her light, and the line between real and fake becomes less defined.
One of my favourite scenes is their first double date (with Darcy’s brother and date) at an escape room. It’s a fun date, and both Darcy and Elle begin to see and appreciate each other’s unique skill sets.
For all that her wit was cunning, her tongue barbed, and her jaw a pretty knife’s-edge cliff, hugging Darcy was anything but sharp. From the lavender-scented silk of her hair against Elle’s cheek to the swell of her breasts pressed against Elle, Darcy’s hug was all softness and the last thing Elle wanted was to let go. Houston, she had a problem.”
Great Characterization
Elle stole my heart. She’s so relatable and gives off this air of joy. I love that even though she isn’t 100% confident in herself, she refuses to change to make others happy (especially her family). I also love that she’s intelligent and has a science background, which she forewent to pursue her dreams.
Darcy is equally likable. We’re privy to information that Elle is not—specifically, why Darcy refuses to open her heart—which makes her situation understandable. I also love that even though she doesn’t believe in Astrology, she wants to know what makes Elle tick and does research (swoon!).
Side characters Margot, Elle’s ‘scary’ best friend, business partner, and roommate; Brandon, Darcy’s well-meaning baby brother (and Elle and Margot’s new business partner) who believes in fairy-tale romance; and Annie, Darcy’s BFF, and incidentally, Brandon’s first unrequited crush, are all intriguing, and I’m so glad we will get more of them as main characters in the sequels.
You’re starring in your own romantic comedy, Darcy. Next thing you know, there’s only going to be one bed at the B&B and you’ll have to huddle for warmth beneath one tiny blanket and—”
More to Love About Written in the Stars:
~Loved all the star references, both the astrological and astronomy-related types. Also loved all the astrology memes. This book had me looking up my star chart (incidentally, I have the same sun and ascendent as Darcy!)
~The smut is smoking hot. Right from the get-go, even with a disastrous first date, there was a spark, and it ignited and flared as the book progressed until smoking red-hot.
~The tender moments with pancakes and the Christmas tree, and how Darcy and Elle had each other’s back.
~All the fanfiction references (Margot modding a rare pairs fest, Darcy writing fanfiction, AO3 references). I am living for this part:
Final Thoughts:
Overall, Written in the Stars is an amazing book that I’m so glad I read. There is much to love about this story. However, I have one minor complaint. The ending, while satisfying, was abrupt—I would have loved more denouement. I’m glad that we ended in a happy place (and as it’s a romance, that’s a given), but I would have loved a little bit more, just a scene or two, perhaps an epilogue set a few weeks in the future. I have so many lingering questions (which I’ll mention in the spoiler-y discussion below). But, there are two sequels and I’m looking forward to reading them both.
Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur (Book 1 of 3)
Author Stalking (but not in a creepy way):
Alexandria Bellefleur is an award-winning author of many contemporary romance novels.
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Spoiler-y Discussion:
As the section title suggests, there will be spoilers here.
I’m not joking.
If you haven’t read the book yet, continue reading at your own peril….
Okay…..
Let’s talk about that ending. I got literal chills when Darcy purchased an astrology reading with Elle just so she would talk to her. And the cilantro plant… Huge heart eyes. As far as grand gestures go, this was amazing, and I’m so glad things worked out between them. But then it ended, and I was just like… but… but… I have so many questions.
I really hope the sequels address these topics:
~ What happened to Darcy’s Bewitched x Passion fanfiction? (I’m asking the serious questions here). Did she ever finish it? Did she post it? Did it get more than 6 hits and 2 kudos?
~ It’s Christmas Eve. Did Elle go to spend the holidays with her family? Did she bring Darcy?
~ I feel like Darcy’s BFF Annie kinda dropped out of the story near the end. I would have liked another moment or two (even just a text exchange) with Annie while Darcy was brokenhearted. Especially since Annie’s one of the two mcs for the next book. Also, I’m kinda shocked Darcy shot down Annie’s mention of Brendon’s cuteness when she knows he’s been pining for Annie his whole life. Not cool.
~ We didn’t get any resolution between Gillian and Darcy. But I suspect this will show up in the next book, especially with how Brendon falls into the family dynamic. I can’t wait! (Always here for the drama.)
~ I would have liked more with Elle’s family. I liked that the relationship between Elle and her mom isn’t magically healed with one phone call, but I’m still wondering how that will turn out (and I hope we get more of that in the next books).
~ Darcy’s FSA test. I hope we find out in book two whether she passed and if she gets the promotion.
So yes, Written in the Stars has me hooked and eager for more. I will soon pick up the rest of this series to see if these questions get answered, and of course to have more of this amazing story world and Alexandria Bellefleur’s gorgeous writing.
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