As always, when life gets hectic, I turn to romances for a little quick and easy reading escape. I enjoyed the first in this series, Written in the Stars, when I read it a while ago. Although it wasn't a new fav, I was super into the astrology aspects and I also remember how well Bellefleur wrote the "bubbly, butterflies in my stomach" feelings and I was in the mood for that kind of emotionally uplifting vibe. 

 

We head back to Seattle in this second book for Darcy's younger brother, Brendon's, story. If you will recall, Brendon started the dating app OTP and is a complete romantic. But for all his efforts to help others find their own happily ever afters, and what seems like endless positivity in his own search for "the one," Brendon hasn't found her yet. When Darcy's oldest friend, Annie, comes into town for a surprise visit, Brendon has to step in to play host until Darcy and Elle get back from an out of town trip. Annie is pretty jaded about romance, based on her own sketchy track record there, and has decided not to date for a while. Well, Brendon cannot let that stand. And he takes on the challenge of convincing her that romance is alive and well. Despite Annie's best efforts to the contrary, Brendon seems to be succeeding...and not just in winning their "bet," but in winning Annie's heart altogether. Convenient, since the childhood flame that Brendon carried for Annie seems to be alive and well eight years later. 

 

I sped through this novel in two pretty short sittings. Bellefleur really does have a knack for writing like she's captured the essence of delight and charm in a bottle. This is potentially one of the fluffiest romances I have ever read and I love how it was so unapologetically that. Don't get me wrong, I do also appreciate a romance with a legit conflict or more serious theme, but if/when you want fluff...you'll find it here. While Brendon's extreme romanticism isn't something I'd personally look for in a partner, I loved the way he came across on the page. His enthusiasm was so freaking sweet, all his efforts at big gestures based on rom-coms were super fun to read. I can see how they'd win someone over (even someone more subdued or skeptical, like Annie). Also, and this is where all the fluff was, the way Brendon listened (like, really listened) to what Annie said she wanted and was looking for in romance, and adjusted to meet her needs (while still keeping some of his own flair) was just perfect. On the flip side, Annie came out of her shell/comfort zone a bit to meet Brendon's romantic needs, too. I was so pleased that this difference in their, to keep in theme with the book, love languages, wasn't blown out of proportion to create conflict. Annie and Brendon did a great job communicating (usually the cause of intra-relationship drama in romances) and it was refreshing for that to not be an issue here. 

 

As far as the conflict that was present, I enjoyed how grounded it was. Annie was unhappy with her job/life trajectory, but not sure how to get out of it and find a new path. Re-meeting Brendon and spending time with Darcy, as well as meeting Elle and Margot, was such a  great catalyst for her to see what life could be. However, to break so fully from the plan she had in place, regardless of how "meh" she was about it, really IS a major personal issue. I loved the way Bellefleur recognizes the seriousness of that for Annie (as well as bringing legit awareness on page to how fast the changes and feelings were coming at her) and allowed her the space to work through making such major decisions about her future. It was a great way to introduce conflict in a non-conflict way - it was a roadblock to Annie and Brendon being together, but also not a contrived communication issue or over-dramatic secret/discovery. So, while this relationship may feel a little "vanilla" compared to some other romances, it also felt super genuine and real. And honestly, sometimes that's just what a reader, this reader, needs. 

 

The one small issue I had with this second book was how hard everyone was pushing Annie to change her life plan and move to Seattle. I mean, I understand that she wasn't happy. But like, no one had seen her in at least a year and all of a sudden they knew exactly what was best for her? I don't know, it sometimes felt a little too pushy, and not enough supportive, to me. But to be fair, that was mostly in the group or more light-hearted moments. During the more serious interactions, especially those between Darcy and Annie (and oh I loved their dialogue!), it felt better to me. Otherwise, I loved seeing Darcy and Elle on page again (revisiting old MC coupes is one of my favorite parts of romance series) and watching them take next steps together. The friendship between Brendon and Margot was super fun to get more of (and has me looking forward to the final book when we get Margot's story). It was fun to read the nods to famous rom-coms, especially ones set in Seattle; they were just a really nice touch. I loved that the astrology pieces, while not as prominent as in the first book, of course, were still included (they remain a super fun addition). And the steamy scenes were just that - nice and hot. 

 

This was a great follow-up to Written in the Stars. I was pleasantly delighted throughout reading about Annie and Brendon, got all the warm fuzzies that I was looking for, and was deeply fulfilled and satisfied with the way their story unfolded and ended. I get so attached to characters when they are in series like this, seeing them on page more just makes them feel that much more real, so coming back to the same groups is always a bit like relaxing into a familiar reading embrace. This book had that in spades, plus some incredibly charming and supportive romance with just the right amount of spice. What a joy.