ARC Review: Written in the Stars

Super cute sapphic romance, coming right up!

Elle and Darcy are total opposites, set up on a blind first date through Brendon— Elle’s new business partner, and Darcy’s brother. Elle is the whimsical social media influencer responsible for “Oh My Stars,” a popular astrology twitter account, and is intent on finding true love. Darcy, however, is an actuary who loves all things practical, and does not believe in finding a soulmate. It’s obvious that the two don’t initially hit it off, but when Darcy lies to her brother saying that the date went well, the two are forced to fake a relationship that just might turn into something real.

Darcy and Elle were such vivid characters, and I loved seeing their personalities clash, and eventually compliment each other, through the course of the book. It was adorable to watch them open up to each other more, despite their differences. The dialogue was one of the best things about this book, as the “trendy/modern” didn’t feel awkward and forced, or cliche. 

That being said, I wish there had been more of that awesome dialogue. I found that a lot of times, each line of speaking was interrupted by tons of description, largely about the appearance/movement of the other characters. It definitely made me feel more present, or “in the middle” of the scene, but it was also a little jarring to have the dialogue separated so much.

Additionally, it seemed like a lot of points were rehashed over and over (yes, we get it, Darcy thinks falling for Elle would be a bad move, and Elle doesn’t want to mess up her business deal with Brendon, please stop saying it every other line). The story would have been much more enjoyable if Darcy and Elle weren’t constantly restating their inner feelings. Some of the language and phrasing was also very repetitive, which got annoying (although I should note that the ARC I received to review is not the final edited copy).

I can’t say if the book truly was a nod to Pride and Prejudice besides the names, as it has been years since I read it, nor Bridgette Jones, as I’m not familiar with that story at all. Regardless of that, I thought the story was good just as itself. It is always refreshing to see LGBTQ+ characters who are 1) sure of their sexualities 2) don’t have an identity based solely on their sexuality and 3) do not have to “overcome” some aspect of their sexuality. Don’t get me wrong, books depicting the struggles of being LGBTQ+ and finding one’s identity are important, but it is also nice to see them portrayed with the same sense of normalcy given to heterosexual relationships.

Overall it was a cute story that I enjoyed, there were just some elements of the way it was written that bothered me.

Happy reading!

Rating: ★ ★ ★ 3.5/5
Pace: medium
Intended audience: Adult
Content warnings: none that I can remember

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