It's not often that a series immediately capture my attention with not only the unique characters, but also the setting and unique plots. The Written in the Stars series by Alexandria Bellefleur, features two (soon to be three) queer romances that are just downright fantastic. And I'm not just saying that because the writer and I share the same first name. Centered around astrology and the hardships of dating, each book follows a different couple. Bellefleur is a master of writing relationships that are real and incredibly relatable, whether you identify as queer or not. I could see myself being friends with all the characters and no book has ever made me long to visit Seattle more than this series. I read each book in one sitting and cannot wait for the third book to come out next year.
Written in the Stars
In this opposites attract queer romance, Written in the Stars follows stable, practical Darcy as she is starting over in Seattle after a devastating break-up. Always meddling, her little brother Brendon sets Darcy up with dreamer Elle, who whole-heartedly believes in true love and soul mates. The pair could not be more different. Their disastrous first date leaves a bad taste in Darcy's mouth, but in order to keep Brendon off her back, Darcy decides to pursue a fake relationship with Elle for just a couple months. Darcy will accompany Elle home for Thanksgiving if Elle attends the company Christmas party at Darcy's side. But when fake turns into real, is there any way to shield their hearts from breaking?
Written in the Stars did not disappoint. Both Elle and Darcy could not be more opposite, but I loved watching their relationship blossom and grow. I love when characters fight the relationships so hard and Darcy fought hard. Elle is the most lovable and carefree character. Darcy coming to her rescue multiple times, despite their horrific first date, was completely adorable.
So many times in romance novels, the relationship feels forced. Nothing in this book felt that way. Written in the Stars warms your heart and will make a believer out of the starkest critics of true love. I also loved how there was so much astrology woven into the story!
Hang the Moon
Annie is tired. She spends 30 weeks out of the year traveling for her job without feeling fulfilled. She spends more time in conference rooms and hotels than exploring the amazing locations she visits. So when a steady promotion in London becomes available, Annie jumps at the chance to settle down for a change. To celebrate, she visits her best friend Darcy in Seattle and becomes reacquainted with Darcy's baby brother, Brendon, that she hasn't seen in eight years. Brendon's changed dramatically. He's now the CEO of a successful dating app and is incredibly hot. A hopeless romantic at heart, Brendon is still carrying the crush he had on Annie all those years ago. When Annie proclaims that she's done with love and dating, Brendon makes it his mission to woo Annie by recreating all his favorite grand gestures and romantic moments from his favorite movies. Can Annie resist his charm? Throughout it all, Annie must decide the difference between what she thinks she wants and what she truly wants out of life.
I LOVED this book. It pulled me in from the first page and I read it in one sitting. The Seattle setting, the characters, the themes, everything was so well-written. I loved the easy, familiar, flirty vibe that flowed from the pages between Annie and Brendon. You can tell they have history, but eight years later, both have grown and they now just seem to fit. Brendon is seriously the cutest thing ever. He wants to set everyone up, he believes in true love and he is vocal with Annie about his feelings for her. All the dates were incredibly swoony. He's the optimist to her pessimist, the sunshine to her rain and I loved his character so much!
Annie's struggle with work and friendships was incredibly relatable. She's having a hard time going along with the status quo of her job, because she thinks it's what she supposed to do. She's so in the weeds of it all that she doesn't realize that she doesn't really have roots anywhere and no real true friendships other than Darcy. On the flip side, Annie is struggling with no longer being Darcy's person now that Darcy has a girlfriend. Annie grew tremendously throughout the book and I enjoyed her journey.
