You best walk her way and watch it shine: PLAYING FOR KEEPS.

Playing for Keeps by Alexandria Bellefleur
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this one - a fun, escapist love story (x2)!

We have Poppy, publicist to football player Cash. Cash sends a tweet to mega popstar Poppy, asking for a date. Said date is managed by Lyric's well-known, longtime publicist, Rosaline. Poppy has a history of making bad decisions, causing her to second guess her career choices, and often feels tossed aside by her family--her friendship with Cash is paramount in her life. Rosaline, meanwhile, feels incredibly protective of Lyric, who has a history of tumultuous relationships.

Lyric and Cash give off a smoldering Taylor/Travis vibe, but the true stars are Rosaline and Poppy, who start off as friends with benefits, but slowly build up trust as they work through their clients' own very public relationship.

There's not always a ton of in-depth character development, but we get plenty of laughs and lots of sexual tension. The story is LGBTQIA positive and makes it easy to root for all the characters. Poppy and Rosaline's story (and Cash and Lyric's) is interspersed with social media snippets to move the tale along and keep everything light. This is a fun, sexy romance with a celebrity twist!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Avon in return for an unbiased review. Look for PLAYING FOR KEEPS on 01/06/2026!


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It's a big sea, but it can't touch you and me: THE FIANCEE FARCE.

The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Exhausted with her stepmother's constant questions about her love life, Tansy Adams invents a fake girlfriend. So imagine her surprise when said girlfriend shows up at a relative's wedding and not only agrees that she's Tansy's girlfriend, but announces that they are engaged as well. Not only that, but this girlfriend is Gemma West, aka Gemma van Dalen, a gorgeous model and member of the wealthy van Dalen family. Turns out Gemma needs Tansy too: in order to satisfy the requirements of her grandfather's will and inherit Van Dalen Publishing, she must be married. Tansy and Gemma strike a deal: Tansy will marry Gemma to help her earn her inheritance and Gemma will help Tansy buy her family's struggling bookstore.

But their business proposition turns complicated--with van Dalens challenging them at every turn and Gemma and Tansy starting to fall for one another--can they make it through the engagement to the altar?

This was just a really fun book. It sets up "good versus evil" right away, with Tansy and Gemma fighting against the evil van Dalens and overall corporate greed and just runs with it in yes, a somewhat cheesy, but an enjoyable, way. I couldn't help but root for Tansy and Gemma, and I feel like this story would make a good movie. The two have a bit of instalove going on (they are practically head over heels by the end of their first meeting), but they are infectious and have some great banter and chemistry.

The result is a book that you can't help but smile while reading. Tansy is quiet and anxious, but she's also brave--the perfect antidote for Gemma, who has never had an advocate in her life. Gemma has something to prove to the van Dalens and perhaps to herself. They're a good pair.

FARCE makes some great points in its support for publishing and newspapers, and I love how both Tansy and Gemma are bisexual. Gemma has a great gaggle of queer friends (yay found family). I would have liked a few more surprises (the villains are pretty clear here). Still this is a really fun and romantic read. 4+ stars.




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I'll follow you into the dark: COUNT YOUR LUCKY STARS.

Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Margot Cooper isn't much for relationships anymore. But with her friends rapidly pairing off around her, she's beginning to feel like a fifth wheel. Then she learns that her friend Brendon's wedding planner is her long ago best friend, Olivia Grant. Margo and Olivia were inseparable as kids, but when they crossed over into a teen romance that ended badly, they lost touch. It's been ten years since Margot's seen Olivia, but she's still as lovely and wonderful as Margot remembers. As for Olivia, she's divorced and finally pursuing her own dreams. When an unwelcome flood means Olivia and Margot wind up roommates, they are forced to confront what happened all those years ago--and if it still means anything to them now.

This is an excellent entry in the Written in the Stars series--a fun and sexy read filled with wanting and sexual tension. I've always loved Margot, a character we've known since the first book, when we met Margot's best friend, Elle, with whom she runs a business. (This book can stand-alone quite easily, but the entire series is certainly worth a read.) At this point, Margot feels like an outsider in her friend group, with everyone else quite paired off. She's okay being single and does not feel like you necessarily need someone to be complete, but there's only so many times she can not be invited to couples yoga.

Seeing Olivia again feels like fate... but what exactly does it mean? There's clearly some sort of misunderstanding that happened between Olivia and Margot in high school. And of course, Margot very stubbornly and annoyingly wont talk about her feelings. A very common thread in this series is the lack of communication and a willingness to jump to conclusions--this is certainly a pet peeve of mine in books, and while I wanted to shake Margot and Olivia at times, it didn't drive me as crazy as it did in the first two books.

This was probably because it's impossible not to like Margot. and Olivia is easy to care for too. Plus, the book is just so fun and filled with innuendo and banter and lots of hot scenes. There is no lack of lesbian love here. It's funny and touching and quite enjoyable. 4+ stars.


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Be of good heart evermore: HANG THE MOON

Hang the Moon: A Novel by Alexandria Bellefleur
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

A hopeful and winning romance

This companion to WRITTEN IN THE STARS focuses on Darcy's brother Brendon, creator of the dating app OTP and a hopeless romantic. Brendon feels stressed out when the latest research numbers show that perhaps not everyone using dating apps believes as deeply in true love as he does. This includes, Annie, Darcy's best friend and Brendon's long ago crush. Annie arrives in Seattle to surprise Darcy, who just happens to be on a little getaway with her girlfriend, Elle. So Brendon steps up, delivering the keys to Darcy's place and... a series of dates designed to show Annie romance still exists. As for Annie, well she doesn't protest too much. After all, despite swearing off love, she discovers that Darcy's brother has grown up into a pretty handsome and funny guy. She's enjoying their time together. But she's only in Seattle for a few weeks, so Brendon has his work cut out for him.

"You couldn't be disappointed when someone stopped caring if you never expected them to in the first place."

I really enjoyed WRITTEN IN THE STARS and Darcy and Elle's story, so I was excited to read the next book in the series. I liked Brendon's tale, but not quite as much as Darcy and Elle's, mostly because I'm from the LGBTQIA community, and it was so refreshing to have a f/f story in Darcy and Elle. Still, Brendon is such a cutie, and his unyielding faith in love is pretty sweet.

Annie is a good addition to the group--she shows up a bit in book one. She is, of course, the complete opposite of Brendon: completely apathetic about love. But when she arrives in Seattle for a two-week vacation, with some life-changing news for Darcy, and her best friend isn't there, she can't help but enjoy her time with Brendon. Brendon resolves to use his favorite romantic films as a blueprint to woo Annie, but it turns into a comedy of errors, with nothing really turning out the way he planned.

"'Let's say that I needed to prove to someone that romance isn't dead.'"

Many of their interactions are humorous and the banter witty and funny, though I felt the "optimist" versus "pessimist," "will she stay or will she go" storyline was rehashed a bit much, as the plot gets hung up and stagnates for a bit until things pick up again. But, Brendon's sweet personality and Annie's willingness to give new things a try carry the book, along with its overall humor. It's nice to get some appearances from Darcy and Elle, though it severely lacks enough Margo (thank goodness she's the focus of book three).

Overall, this is a cute romance featuring winning leads. It's repetitive in places, but also flirty and fun. 3.5 stars, rounded up here.

I received a copy of this book from Avon / Harper Voyager and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review. Look for HANG THE MOON on 5/25/2021!

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My heart is like paper: WRITTEN IN THE STARS.

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Astrologist Elle Jones is looking for love. Even if she doesn't exactly have a successful track record of finding it. She and her best friend, Margot, are the pair behind the incredibly popular Twitter account, Oh My Stars. And they are just about to join with OTP, the coolest dating app ever, thereby realizing their professional dreams. OTP was created by Brendon, who is nerdy, sweet, and about to be their boss. So when he offers to set Elle up with his sister, Darcy, she agrees. But the date is a disaster. Darcy is the opposite of Elle: buttoned up, analytical, and completely against astrology. Still, neither can deny they felt a bit of a spark before their date went awry. And Darcy is sick of being set up on terrible dates by her brother. So when he asks how it went, she lies. And then, she begs Elle to play along, to say they are dating. Each agrees to a few conditions of a dating pact. Surely nothing can go wrong, right?

"What if? Wasn't that the million-dollar question, the spark of hope that kept her coming back for more time and time--and time--again?"

Bellefleur states that she set out to write a "quirky, queer rom com," and I have to say, I'm here for it. It's not often we get our own romantic comedies, with true blue queer characters, with their own problems and characterization and their gayness just being a part of who they are.

This is an incredibly witty, sexy, and sappy read. Yes, it was a bit drawn out and repetitive at times. Okay, we understand that Elle is the flitty one who needs family approval and Darcy is the hurt one unwilling to commit. That point was emphasized perhaps a bit too much. I get stressed out when books have a lot of misunderstandings, so one based on a fake dating relationship took a lot of my strength.

But, it makes up for it with some wonderful characters. I adored Elle, who is so sweet and funny and just "her." And, of course, I identified 110% with uptight, wary workaholic Darcy who was scared of falling in love again. Then there's Margot, Elle's best friend, who was the secret star of the show. I tell you, everyone needs a wise best friend like Margot!

In this end, this book is downright adorable, laugh out loud funny, and full of chemistry. A few pieces might have hit their point one (or two) too many times, but I still really enjoyed it. 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 here.

I received a copy of this novel from HarperCollins Publishers and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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