Hello! I’m continuing on my never-ending quest to review the books I’ve been grateful to read before they’ve been released and share my thoughts about them (in the hopes of, most of the time, convincing you to pick it up as well). And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources.
Today’s post is going to talk about Written in the Stars, a debut adult romance novel by Alexandria Bellefleur. I picked this book up in July, and it honestly gave me all the fall / winter feels I needed. I was approved for this book on NetGalley, and ended up being completely immersed in Elle and Darcy’s story. Two main aspects I really enjoyed when explored through the novel were that sometimes the best things can come to you in unexpected ways, so you can either turn away from them or embrace them, and when you learn that someone’s way of thinking may differ from yours, take an extra second before passing any initial judgement. I really enjoyed how the story was told, and am excited to pick up work from this author in the future (including a companion novel that may or may not follow Darcy’s brother, Brendon). But before we touch on any of those, I should probably talk a little bit more about Written in the Stars.
Darcy is a no-nonsense stick-in-the-mud actuary who’s had her heart broken before and now has no time (or the patience) for romance. Elle is a free-spirited astrologer, hoping to one day find her soul mate. When the two are introduced by Darcy’s brother, Brendon, who happens to be Elle’s new business partner, the date does not go as planned. But Darcy lies and says they hit it off. So in order to get Brendan out of her business for a while, and attempt to get Elle’s family to take her more seriously, they concoct a plan to fake date – they learn everything there is to know about each other, agree to go on outings with the other’s family, and even set a termination date of December 31st. But the thing is, sometimes, love is simply meant to be, and is written in the stars from the very beginning.
I like to think of my feelings towards this book as the progression of Darcy and Elle’s relationship. I couldn’t get into it for the first few chapters, but as I got to know the characters and see their growth, I began to truly appreciate it for what it was (*this may have been to the state of mind I was in while reading, so I will not put the book at fault here*). Darcy and Elle are definitely a sort of opposites-attract situation – Darcy doesn’t believe in astrology, while Elle has made is somewhat of a profession running an account linking astronomical phenomena with human behavior, Darcy isn’t looking for love because she’s been hurt and closed herself off while Elle is looking for “the one.” Eventually, the two do develop a sort of understanding of how the other operates, and while they may not fully see eye to eye all of the time, they realize there is significance to what the other deems important, and respect it (maybe even love each other even more for it). I wish some of the side characters could have been explored a bit more, but that just gives me even more hope for book two, where Brendon might get his happily ever after, because he may seem as if he’s alright with all these failed attempts at romance, but he’s a sweetheart at his core and deserves true love too. There are scatterings of “which of these are you based on your horoscope?” which made me laugh, and even though I’m in between Elle and Darcy when it comes to believing in astrology, I thought they added a nice fun element to the story.
I think an important point of the novel is seeing how Elle and Darcy are carrying out their lives happily, despite what their parents may think. Elle was working towards her PhD when she realized she wasn’t happy, and quit when Oh My Stars started going viral. Her family thought she was burned out, having a quarter-life crisis, losing her mind, or throwing her life away. But Elle wasn’t doing any of those things – she was following an unconventional path that would lead her to happiness, despite what anyone else wanted to think. Darcy was trying to avoid her mother’s mistakes, finding a stable job with security after growing up with a mother who lost a bit of herself and had poor money management skills following a divorce. She also vowed not to lose a bit of herself, either, following a breakup with her ex-fiancé. Although they are unable to block out a sense of doubt all of the time, they are learning to come into their own, create their own paths to success, and perhaps prove to their families that they are creating their own joy.
This was such an enjoyable read that still comes to mind even a month after I’ve read it, and I just really can’t wait for the world to meet Darcy and Elle and fall in love with them, too. I’m excited to see what Alexandria Bellefleur has in store for the future, and I’ll be sure to pick it up, whether it’s still set in the world or not. If you’re at all interested in this slight grumpy / sunshine, astrology skeptic / believer, “enemies” to lovers romance, please consider picking up Written in the Stars when it’s released into the world on November 10th, 2020. You’re in for a great time. **Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Avon Books, for the e-copy, all thoughts and feelings are my own**
Places to find Written in the Stars:
Amazon
Goodreads
Alexandria Bellefleur’s site
HarperCollins
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