Hi there! I’m here with my first ARC review of the year, and it’s for one of my most anticipated romance releases of 2022! **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**
Back in 2020, I got to read Alexandria Bellefleur’s debut romance novel, Written in the Stars. It was a sapphic, fake dating romance following Elle and Darcy set around the holidays, and I absolutely fell in love with the entire cast of characters that was introduced (you can find my full review here). When I heard that there was going to be more books following other couples, I knew I needed to get my hands on them. I requested to read the second novel Hang the Moon in 2021, which follows Darcy’s younger brother Brendon and her best friend, Annie, in a friends to lovers romance and it warmed my heart (you can find my full review here). And now I’m ready to review the final book in this romance companion series Count Your Lucky Stars, which follows Elle’s best friend, Margot, and the girl who got away, Olivia, in a steamy second-chance romance. It’s certainly bittersweet to say farewell to these characters, as I’ve been following them and their stories for about two years now, but I’m glad we got to see Margot have her happily ever after as well.
Margot Cooper doesn’t do relationships – she’s tried, they’ve failed, so she sticks to casual hookups and that works just fine for her. But now her entire friend group has found their person, and she’s starting to feel them slowly slip away. When touring a wedding venue for a last-minute change, the unexpected happens – she locks eyes with Olivia Grant, her first love, her first everything. Olivia wanted to start fresh after a divorce, and becoming a wedding planner in Seattle sounded like the perfect plan. She never thought she’d Margot again, it’s been over a decade since they last spoke, and never imagined she’d be her new client’s Best Woman. When unexpected circumstances leave Olivia without a place to stay, and Margot needing to find a roommate, things may be falling right back into place. Will history repeat itself or will both be thanking their lucky stars that they get another chance at first love?
The fact that I was able to finish this book all in one day should tell you everything you need to know regarding my enjoyment. I will most likely reread when I receive my finished copy, which I have preordered, just so I can savor each and every moment. Margot and Olivia both fondly remember the week they spent together senior year of high school, but both have very different ideas of why it ended, which has caused a decade of wondering what could have been. The attraction is certainly still there, and once they allow themselves to give in to that attraction, their passion is almost explosive (I’m not sure if this book is more steamy than the other two or I was just more aware/my tastes regarding those scenes have changed, but it was incredibly well done). Towards the beginning of the book, Margot is feeling quite left out as the single one in her friend group, and she feels bad for feeling bad – she is so happy for her friends that they’ve finally found love, but is afraid that they will leave her behind and start to do “couple-themed” things. I can relate to Margot’s feeling to an extent – I’m at a point in my life where almost everyone I know seems to be settling down, finding a partner, starting a family, etc. And while I am so happy that they’ve found someone to spend the rest of their lives with, I definitely feel a bit left out at times, as that doesn’t seem like the path that I will follow. I also appreciated Olivia’s storyline – understanding what she wants from a relationship and leaving, even after years, if she feels her wants and needs are no longer compatible with her partner’s. It wasn’t easy, and it took a lot of strength, but she chose happiness and knew she put herself first.
I also want to touch on the topic of trust, because it becomes an important part of the third-act conflict. Margot and Olivia had a misunderstanding about what their week together meant for either of them, and, in order to preserve their friendship, both go on as if nothing happened. And then Olivia left, away to another college with her boyfriend, Brad, leaving Margot without her best friend and confused as to why Olivia didn’t feel the same. Then Margot’s friend all find partners, get engaged, and it slowly starts to feel like they’re slipping away. When Olivia finds her way back, pieces start to fit together again, until news from her ex-husband gets Olivia packing her bags and heading home for the night. Margot gets scared, and both her and Olivia need to learn to trust, and let each other know they will keep showing up and can be a shoulder to lean on when necessary. Margot realizes that communication seems easy in media, but talking to your partner, and sometimes saying things you know they need to hear, isn’t always a walk in the park. But relationships are built on trust, and knowing there is someone you can always rely on.
And with that [I believe] the Written in the Stars series has come to an end. I have enjoyed all the time I have spent with these characters – learning their quirks, seeing their struggles, and watching them succeed in life and in love. While I’m sad to see the series end, I can’t wait to read whatever Alexandria Bellefleur has in store for her readers next. Count Your Lucky Stars is set to release on February 1st, 2022, which is two weeks from when this post goes live, so please consider pre-ordering yourself a copy if you’re interested, the supply chain issue has been prevalent these past few years and pre-orders really help authors out immensely. *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Avon, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
Where to find Count Your Lucky Stars:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
HarperCollins
Alexandria Bellefleur’s site
Thoughts About Things 