Alexandria Bellefleur
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With nods to Bridget Jones and Pride and Prejudice, a charming #ownvoices queer rom-com debut about a free-spirited social media astrologer who agrees to fake a relationship with an uptight actuary until New Year’s Eve—with results not even the stars could predict!
After a disastrous blind date, Darcy Lowell is desperate to stop her well-meaning brother from playing matchmaker ever again. Love—and the inevitable heartbreak—is the last thing she wants. So she fibs and says her latest set up was a success. Darcy doesn’t expect her lie to bite her in the ass.
Elle Jones, one of the astrologers behind the popular Twitter account, Oh My Stars, dreams of finding her soul mate. But she knows it is most assuredly not Darcy... a no-nonsense stick-in-the-mud, who is way too analytical, punctual, and skeptical for someone as free-spirited as Elle. When Darcy’s brother—and Elle's new business partner—expresses how happy he is that they hit it off, Elle is baffled. Was Darcy on the same date? Because... awkward.
When Darcy begs Elle to play along, she agrees to pretend they’re dating to save face. But with a few conditions: Darcy must help Elle navigate her own overbearing family over the holidays and their arrangement expires on New Year’s Eve. The last thing they expect is to develop real feelings during a fake relationship.
But maybe opposites can attract when true love is written in the stars?
Tropes: Fake dating, sunshine/grump, opposites attract
Praise for Written in the Stars
2021 Lambda Award for Lesbian Romance
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2020 Ripped Bodice Award for Excellence in Romantic Fiction
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“Written in the Stars is everything I want from a romcom: fun, whimsical, sexy. This modern Pride & Prejudice glitters with romance.” -Talia Hibbert, USA Today bestselling author of Get a Life, Chloe Brown
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“With perfectly woven vulnerability and playfulness, Written in the Stars is a riotous and heartfelt read. I was hooked from the very first page!” -Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of In a Holidaze
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"A disastrous blind date kicks off Bellefleur’s excellent rom-com debut... Readers will be rapt by the sensuous love scenes once Darcy and Elle throw pretense aside... A moving subplot about Elle’s fight for her family’s acceptance rounds out the story, while astrology memes (“What brunch food are you based on your zodiac?”) and nods to Pride and Prejudice scattered throughout add texture. This is a delight." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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"WRITTEN IN THE STARS had me hooked from the first page. It's an adorable and heartfelt romance with everything I adore: a killer meet-cute, loads of cute banter, steamy love scenes, all the feels, and a happily ever after that left me in happy tears. I fell head over heels for Elle and Darcy's love story. Alexandria Bellefleur's debut will have readers seeing stars in the best way.” -Sarah Smith, author of Faker & Simmer Down
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"A dazzling debut! The perfect combination of humor and heart really makes this book shine.” -Rachel Lacey, author of Don’t Cry for Me
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“Written in the Stars is what you might get if your favorite Instagram astrologer wrote you an adorable romance novel. Delightful, funny and sweet, with just the right touch of woo-woo.” -Scarlett Peckham, USA Today bestselling author
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"Bellefleur has a droll, distinct voice, and her one-liners zing off the page, striking both the heart and funny bone. She has a gift for comedy, possessing more style and panache than a debut writer has any right to... There's a sparkling quality here, one that mirrors the starry title. Bellefleur writes as if she's captured fairy lights in a mason jar, twinkly and lovely within something solid yet fragile." -Entertainment Weekly (Best Romances of November)
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"If you love the fake-dating trope, you won't want to miss Written in the Stars." -Bustle
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"Alexandria Bellefleur is an author to watch. Her writing is joyful and heartfelt, and her voice sparkles with a delightful mix of wit, humor, and good-natured sarcasm. I can't wait to see how she wows us next!" - Mia Sosa, USA Today bestselling author of The Worst Best Man
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"Written in the Stars abounds with optimism and empathy for its characters, its wit always undergirded by sweetness. This is a comfort read, at a time when many of us need one badly, and a sparkling debut for Bellefleur." -Olivia Dade, author of Spoiler Alert
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"[A] distinctly modern frolic, charming and effervescent and entirely itself." -Washington Post
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“In this heart-thawing holiday romance, debut novelist Bellefleur remixes Austen's indelible clash of personalities into something fresh and totally queer.” -O, the Oprah Magazine (Best LGBTQ Books of 2020)
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"This book is a delight." -New York Times Book Review
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"Alexandria Bellefleur has crafted an impeccable debut romance in WRITTEN IN THE STARS: lighthearted and sexy, contemporary and timeless, perfect to enjoy during the holiday season or for celebrating queer love any time of the year.” -Shelf Awareness
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"[A]wkward first dates lead to passionate first kisses and time spent together reveals there is more to both women than meets the eye... Fans of pop culture–inspired astrology sites will love the effortless and entertaining way the author weaves zodiac memes throughout the text. The stars align in this charming queer rom-com." -Kirkus Reviews
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In the Media
Bustle: 14 Erotic Novels, From 'Hausfrau' To 'Written In The Stars'
Buzzfeed: 16 Queer Love Stories To Read This Pride Month
Culturess: Written in the Stars is the gay Pride and Prejudice retelling we all need
Library Love Fest: Live from PLA 2020! An Interview with Alexandria Bellefleur
NPR: You Don't Have To Like Astrology To Love WRITTEN IN THE STARS
Oprah Magazine: 42 Best LGBTQ Books of 2020
Publishers Weekly: A Wider Embrace: Romance Novels 2020
Publishers Weekly: Starred Review for WRITTEN IN THE STARS
The Washington Post: ‘Written in the Stars’ is a ‘Pride and Prejudice’ reboot that’s charming, effervescent and entirely itself
The Washington Post: Best Romance Novels of 2020
We Are Bookish/ Netgalley: 12 Romances for Your TBR in the Second Half of 2020
Book Club Discussion Questions
