by Alexandria Bellefleur
ASIN/ISBN: 9780063000803
Publication date: November 10, 2020
Series: Written in the Stars #1

**I was provided a copy of the book through NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.**

Elle believes in astrology and finding her perfect one while Darcy is logical and used to believe in love but not anymore.  Although their initial date goes awry, they end up pretending to date.  Darcy needs Elle to get her brother to stop setting her up while Elle agrees so she can stop being the black sheep in the family.  Despite a rocky start and being opposites, sparks fly between them. Could fake dating actually lead to OTP status?  It’s hard to tell because it’s not like Elle notices how certain colors bring out the honey-colored flecks in Darcy’s eyes.  And, it’s not as though Darcy can’t help thinking about the way Elle’s eyes light up when she smiles.

Written in the Stars is a charming novel that wears its heart on its sleeve.  It has all the elements of a romantic comedy with fake dating and opposites attracting.  It doesn’t pull unnecessary punches to yank the reader around.  If there is any angst, it’s short-lived.  The novel drips with such sweetness that I couldn’t read this without a goofy smile plastered on my face.  Despite being a romantic, I sometimes even had to cringe because it was so disgustingly sweet.  While it didn’t make my heart zing, there were so many parts of this that made me swoon.  I couldn’t help it because the writing is as whimsical as Elle is, creating a tone that is light and fluffy.  It’s the perfect book to read to momentarily escape the real world.  One of my favorite images is of Elle’s “stomach erupting in a kaleidoscope of butterflies” after a kiss.  Another is the blooming of love, “like stubborn wildflowers poking up through cracks in the pavement, growing where they didn’t belong.”  I really liked the emotions and images that Bellefleur evoked through her writing. I highlighted so many passages throughout the book I wish I could share them all. 

I loved Elle for being such a pure-hearted free spirit who wore her heart on her sleeve.  I cheered her on when she finally stood up for herself.  If anything, I wanted her to see that she was deserving of so much.  She is a catch, even if she doesn’t seem to think so.  I think this is why I really admired her best friend Margot who continually tried to remind her of that fact.  I also couldn’t help but like Darcy.  She seems cold but there’s something that just makes her so charming.  She puts up this “I’m perfect and have everything together” front but she’s actually pretty squishy on the inside.  She just hides it so well.  Some of my favorite parts are when she would unexpectedly say something funny and it seemed like it went against her character. 

Overall, I enjoyed the book.  While it didn’t give me the constant zings, it gave me moments of laughter, heart eyes, and swooniness.  For a moment, I was as much in love as Elle was.