Review: Truly, Madly, Deeply

I think Truly, Madly, Deeply is my favourite Alexandria Bellefleur book to date. I said what I said! I’ve been reading her books since she published Written in the Stars in 2020 and her latest is the fifth I’ve read. It was just…everything I needed. Swoony, emotional, steamy (my lord, was it every steamy). Just wonderful.

Here’s the book’s description:

As a bestselling romance novelist, everyone thinks Truly Livingston is an expert on happily-ever-afters. She’s even signed on to record a podcast sharing relationship advice. Little do they know she feels like an imposter—her parents just announced they’re separating, she caught her fiancé cheating, and her entire view on love has been shaken to the core. Truly hopes the podcast will distract her... until she meets her cohost.
Her first impression of Colin McCory is...hot. But then he opens his extremely kissable mouth. Colin’s view on love just pisses Truly off, even if he does have an annoyingly attractive face. Bickering with a cynical divorce lawyer is the last thing she needs—so she walks out, with no plans to return.
A few days later, Truly is surprised when Colin tracks her down, asking for a fresh start. Truly can’t deny the little thrill she gets from Colin begging, so she reluctantly agrees. As they go from enemies to friends to something else entirely, Truly discovers they have more in common than she ever imagined, including their shared queerness. He’s a genuinely good guy—charming, sweet, and equally as unlucky in love as herself—and there’s something about Colin that drives Truly a little wild. When their attraction reaches a fever pitch, Truly is happy for the first time in years. Yet she can’t help but wonder... is Colin truly, madly, deeply in love with her? Or is it all too good to be true?

I don’t love the enemies-to-lovers trope. Too often I find that the characters clearly hate each other or the “hate” is something stupid or non-existent. And some might find this amusing when they know I love Pride and Prejudice, possibly the first ever enemies-to-lovers romance novel. But what I like about P&P is that Elizabeth and Darcy get off on the wrong foot but they are, after a time, willing to concede that they were too proud and prejudiced and finally see the other as a romantic prospect. I found the same happened in this book. Truly and Colin didn’t really hate each other (even though she tells her mom she absolutely does). They just get off on the wrong foot and then needle each other at subsequent meetings. But they can tell there’s something there and after *gasp* communicating with each other, they realize assumptions were made and maybe, just maybe, they might be good together.

Some of Truly’s behaviour was a little juvenile and hard to get past but that’s getting a little nitpicky. I wish she hadn’t pulled a Parent Trap on her parents (it’s their relationship and has nothing to do with her and I felt she was too smart to not understand that). And I hated her ex and that she thought it was OK to be with just a trash human. If there were no conflict, there would be no story, I get that, but I don’t know if she really would have been ready to move on to an emotionally healthy relationship when she had just been in a toxic one.

I don’t often declare book boyfriends in part because 1. I read a ton of romance novels and 2. I’m just not often drawn that much to the love interests in the way other readers are. But Colin? Yeah, that man is my new book boyfriend. He was smart, sweet, caring, and funny, among other attributes. He also really, truly cared about Truly. And I know that all other romances have characters who care about each other, that’s kind of the whole point, but Bellefleur took it to another level and it was extremely attractive.

Speaking of romance…I mentioned this book was steamy. Folks, this is so beyond NSFW that it can’t even see work in the rearview mirror. And I mean that in the best possible way. The sex scenes weren’t overly numerous nor were they gratuitous. They were well placed and made a whole lot of sense from a plot perspective. They were very well done and very hot. 

There’s also an excellent scene when Truly and Colin are discussing sexual identities that reminded me a lot of the Schitt’s Creek scene when David says he likes the wine but not the label. Like Bellefleur herself, both Truly and Colin are bi which I think is a pretty important thing to state when the book and their relationship is straight presenting. Bi erasure is real and we don’t need that in the world or our romance novels.

Truly, Madly, Deeply was just the romance novel I needed. I love all Alexandria Bellefleur’s books but this one may be my new favourite. It has heart and heat and characters you can’t help but fall in love with. You're going to want to read it!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Avon, via Edelweiss in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: The Fiancée Farce

I fell in love with Alexandria Bellefleur and her writing when I first read her novel Written in the Stars (review) back in 2020. I jumped at the chance to read her latest novel, The Fiancée Farce, and I think it might be my new favourite of hers (or at the very least tied with Hang the Moon! (review)). I loved everything about it!

Here’s the book’s description:

Tansy Adams’ greatest love is her family’s bookstore, passed down from her late father. But when it comes to actual romance… Tansy can’t get past the first chapter. Tired of her stepfamily’s questions about her love life, Tansy invents Gemma, a fake girlfriend inspired by the stunning cover model on a bestselling book. They’ll never actually meet, so what’s the harm in a little fib? Yet when real-life Gemma crosses Tansy’s path, her white lie nearly implodes.
Gemma van Dalen is a wild child, the outcast of her wealthy family, and now the latest heir to Van Dalen Publishing. But the title comes with one tiny condition: she must be married in order to inherit. When Gemma discovers a beautiful stranger has been pretending to date her for months, she decides to take the charade one step further—and announces their engagement.
Gemma needs a wife to meet the terms of her grandfather’s will and Tansy needs money to save her struggling bookstore. A marriage could be mutually beneficial, if they can fool everyone into thinking it’s a love match. Unexpected sparks fly as Tansy and Gemma play the role of affectionate fiancées, and suddenly the line between convenient arrangement and real feelings begins to blur. But the scheming Van Dalen family won’t give up the company without a fight, and Gemma and Tansy’s newfound happiness might get caught in the fallout…

Fake dating (or fake engagement) tropes are, well, kind of ridiculous. How anyone ever expects them to work is beyond me but, damn, if I don’t love reading them. Stakes are high (would you agree to fake date someone if they weren’t?) and the tension is delicious. When will they realize they’re actually into each other? Will they have to come clean about it being a fake arrangement? Oh, the suspense!

Tansy and Gemma were absolute delights to read about. Each woman has their own chapters and I really enjoyed having a dual POV. Bellefleur’s done dual POV in all the other books of hers I’ve read and it really adds something special to the story because she does it so well. Both women are far more nuanced than you’d first expect and I love how the reader learns more and more about them as the story unfolds.

I had all the feelings while reading this one. There were swoony moments and there were steamy moments all balanced in an absolutely magical way. It wasn’t just the romance-y or lust-y feelings that came through the pages either. Neither woman has an ideal family life - found family is big in this book - and there were a few heartbreaking moments in this story as well. Knowing Tansy and Gemma had each other to lean on was so important - and so wonderful.

Plus, how great is it when one of the main characters runs a bookstore? I love bookish touches like that in novels and I know I’m not the only one. And the additional nod to romances with Gemma’s past as a romance novel cover model was too much fun. It made for a GREAT meet cute!

It’s always really hard to review a book I adored and The Fiancée Farce is no different. I loved Alexandria Bellefleur’s latest novel and I think all romance readers need to pick this one up. It’s funny, smart, sexy, and so well written. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book from Bellefleur!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Avon, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Count Your Lucky Stars

I was equal parts thrilled and sad to read Count Your Lucky Stars. It was the final book in a trilogy by Alexandria Bellefleur that I’ve been LOVING and even though I desperately wanted to read Margot’s story, I really didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters. Being a reader can be tough!

Here’s the book’s description:

Margot Cooper doesn’t do relationships. She tried and it blew up in her face, so she’ll stick with casual hookups, thank you very much. But now her entire crew has found "the one" and she’s beginning to feel like a fifth wheel. And then fate (the heartless bitch) intervenes. While touring a wedding venue with her engaged friends, Margot comes face-to-face with Olivia Grant—her childhood friend, her first love, her first… well, everything. It’s been ten years, but the moment they lock eyes, Margot’s cold, dead heart thumps in her chest.
Olivia must be hallucinating. In the decade since she last saw Margot, her life hasn’t gone exactly as planned. At almost thirty, she’s been married... and divorced. However, a wedding planner job in Seattle means a fresh start and a chance to follow her dreams. Never in a million years did she expect her important new client’s Best Woman would be the one that got away.
When a series of unfortunate events leaves Olivia without a place to stay, Margot offers up her spare room because she’s a Very Good Person. Obviously. It has nothing to do with the fact that Olivia is as beautiful as ever and the sparks between them still make Margot tingle. As they spend time in close quarters, Margot starts to question her no-strings stance. Olivia is everything she’s ever wanted, but Margot let her in once and it ended in disaster. Will history repeat itself or should she count her lucky stars that she gets a second chance with her first love?

I’ve mentioned before and I’ll keep on mentioning it (sorry not sorry): second chance romances used to be my all-time favourite trope but recent books have kind of turned me off them. I think because they’re so often about high school sweethearts who had THE MOST INTENSE CONNECTION EVER and were ruined for all other romantic relationships for the next decade plus. I get it. High school is emotional. I’m still dating someone I started dating right at graduation. You can maybe wonder “what if” but you’re an adult now and if you haven’t figured out that teenage relationships are Very Different, well, I don't know what to tell you. But not to fear, friends. Bellefleur did not disappoint me with her second chance trope, even though Margot and Olivia hooked up in high school. Phew! They still had some romantic hang-ups that may or may not have stemmed from their sexytime adventures but they were both really aware that they weren’t kids anymore.

This book is pretty steamy so get those fans ready. Margot especially is pretty unapologetic for her need for sex – either solo or with a partner – and there’s a really humorous scene with a vibrator and a cat that had me laughing out loud. Before getting flushed cheeks because of the way Margot and Olivia were feeling around each other. Whew!

There was some miscommunication issues that I didn’t love, nor did I appreciate how jealous Margot got when they were all at the hotel for Brendon and Annie’s bachelor-ette party. It was not a good look on her. And Olivia was SO dumb for taking off on Margot after their fight because she was so worried about her dad. I get it – family is important and a history of health issues would had her spooked. But she was using it as an escape and she endangered her career, something she had been working so hard for. It just didn’t really work for me.

Even though there were a few little things that maybe I didn’t totally love in this book, overall, I absolutely loved Count Your Lucky Stars. I appreciated the epilogue Alexandria Bellefleur gave readers so we could see how all the characters were getting on and what was next for them. Would I want more of their stories? Absolutely. But the series was ended beautifully and I highly recommend reading all three of these books. They’re SO good.

Read my review of Written in the Stars
Read my review of Hang the Moon

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, via Edelweiss in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Hang the Moon

I was completely delighted by Alexandria Bellefleur's debut rom com Written in the Stars when I read it at the end of 2020. I was immediately excited for the next book in the sort of series but also worried Hang the Moon wouldn't quite live up to my expectations. I read a lot of rom coms in May. A LOT. Not to mention the number I read prior to May. But Hang the Moon? It's my favourite. I absolutely loved it. 

Here's the book's description:

Brendon Lowell loves love. It’s why he created a dating app to help people find their one true pairing and why he’s convinced “the one” is out there, even if he hasn’t met her yet. Or... has he? When his sister's best friend turns up in Seattle unexpectedly, Brendon jumps at the chance to hang out with her. He’s crushed on Annie since they were kids, and the stars have finally aligned, putting them in the same city at the same time.
Annie booked a spur-of-the-moment trip to Seattle to spend time with friends before moving across the globe. She’s not looking for love, especially with her best friend’s brother. Annie remembers Brendon as a sweet, dorky kid. Except, the 6-foot-4 man who shows up at her door is a certified Hot Nerd and Annie... wants him? Oh yes.
Getting involved would be a terrible idea—her stay is temporary and he wants forever—but when Brendon learns Annie has given up on dating, he’s determined to prove that romance is real. Taking cues from his favorite rom-coms, Brendon plans to woo her with elaborate dates straight out of Nora Ephron’s playbook. The clock is ticking on Annie’s time in Seattle, and Brendon’s starting to realize romance isn’t just flowers and chocolate. But maybe real love doesn’t need to be as perfect as the movies... as long as you think your partner hung the moon.

I had a feeling the second book would be about Brendon and Annie when I finished Written in the Stars (which is about Brendon's sister/Annie's best friend Darcy and Elle, who sort of works with Brendon) and I was SO excited. I really enjoy the sibling's best friend trope (or best friend's sibling, however you want to talk about it) so looked forward to what Bellefleur would write. The pair have history but they haven't seen each other in eight years and when those eight years span your twenties, a lot can change. I loved reading as the pair reconnected and realized that there was something to Brendon's crush all those years ago.

While I'm loving the rom coms that are more serious these days, I also still love the romances that make me literally laugh out loud. This story was as clever as it was charming and it made for such a delightful reading experience. That's not to say there aren't some serious moments, as there are. Both Brendon and Annie have some romantic hurdles to overcome and that makes things...tricky...for them. But the promise of them being together has them working to do whatever they can, even if it scares the hell out of them.

You don't have to have read Written in the Stars to enjoy this one. But for those who have, there is just enough of both Darcy and Elle to satisfy the reader's curiosity about how the pair are doing now without it overwhelming Annie and Brendon's story. They're involved, of course, because Darcy is Annie's best friend and Brendon's sister but they're doing their own thing while the main couple of this book are doing theirs (and, ahem, each other). (My review of Written in the Stars is here if you missed it.)

I've never been to Seattle but these books are making the wanderlust even stronger than it was. The boyfriend and I keep meaning to make concrete plans to go when the Blue Jays are in Seattle but other things got in the way (bills, mostly, but also not enough vacation time on my end) and then, well, COVID-19 hit. There's something about the city that intrigues me and Bellefleur seems to capture the energy so well - or at least well enough that it really makes me want to visit.

I finished reading Hang the Moon with a smile and an overwhelming sense of pleasure. I loved every second I spent reading the story Alexandria Bellefleur had written and was also kind of sad when it was over. Brendon and Annie were a great couple to read about and while I know Bellefleur will give Margot the Happily Ever After she deserves in the next book, I know I'm going to want even more of Brendon and Annie!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, via Edelweiss, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Written in the Stars

Not every Jane Austen fan appreciates an adaptation of her work but, for the most part, this Jane Austen fan does. So, I was excited when I heard about Alexandria Bellefleur's novel Written in the Stars. A play on Pride and Prejudice with a queer couple? I was all in. And, happily, I enjoyed every minute reading this book!

Here's the synopsis:

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?

Those looking for an exact adaptation of Pride and Prejudice will be a touch disappointed because Bellefleur takes some liberties with the classic and, ultimately, makes it her own story. I was totally into that and it reminded me of Bridget Jones's Diary in a way. Darcy likes things done in a certain way and can come across as aloof and reserved and, while that's kind of accurate, it's not really what she's like deep down. Which is kind of like her namesake. Elle is a lot more like Bridget than Elizabeth - she seems like she's all over the place and is untraditional. But she is smart and kind, with a family that loves to meddle. They're perfect opposites and perfect for each other.

An added bonus to reading this in December - there was a bit of a holiday element to it! Darcy and Elle have a Thanksgiving "date" at Elle's family's house and Elle also surprises Darcy with the sweetest Christmas treat which shows how well the pair know each other even though they're trying to pretend their relationship is just that, pretend. 

I wouldn't say I'm usually drawn to fake dating tropes but I've read a few this year that may have converted me. It's similar to friends-to-lovers, which is one of my favourites. There's a hint of enemies-to-lovers in this book because Darcy and Elle do not hit it off. At all. Darcy shows right away that there's more to her under her icy exterior and Elle's big heart is evident quickly as she chooses to forgive Darcy and go along with the fake dating scheme. She doesn't let Darcy walk all over her though and that helps the reader fall in love with the both of them, just as they start falling for each other.

Anyone who likes Austen-esque stories or fake dating tropes or, honestly, just excellent rom coms, should check out Written in the Stars. Alexandria Bellefleur's novel made me SO happy when reading it and I cannot wait to read the next book, Hang the Moon. 

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, via Edelweiss in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*