3.7 Stars 

One Liner: A bit slow but nice
 

Charlotte is an astronomy archivist used to spending most of her time alone in old buildings, trying to digitize records and save them for the future. She accepts another such job in the Somerset village of Lower Brambleton to archive an old observatory before its demolition. It’s just another place for her, though quite a few locals are more than happy for the building to be razed so that they can move on. 

Tristan Ashcombe is one such man. While the first impressions weren’t great, Tristan and Charlotte soon find themselves drawn to each other. As Charlotte finds something unusual in the old records, it presents a possibility of something significant for her and Tristan, but not without some risk. 

The story comes in Charlotte (more %) and Tristan’s third-person POVs. 

The story started slow and had the same pace almost throughout. However, I did like the descriptions of the place so it wasn’t boring. Locals might find it excessive but I like it when I can visualize a new setting. 

The FMC’s career and her approach to it are well-presented. I like that she tries to balance between documenting and digitizing the past but not getting too attached to it. 

Comet, the cocker spaniel is adorable! Cute dogs are always a plus in books. There are cute kids too, though we don’t meet them much. 

The MMC is a grump with a golden heart and past trauma. It doesn’t take long for him to show his softer side. 

However, the romance between the couple doesn’t feel organic. It’s too fast, with not enough chemistry to create the impact it should. Maybe they felt it but I couldn’t see it. Also, this should have been a slow burn. 

The sort of mystery about the past had my attention coz it seemed like it had better potential than the love track. Do note that the mystery is not in the thriller sense but in the family drama vibe. 

While there is a third-act breakup, it makes sense here. The message that it’s not our responsibility to ‘heal others’ but they should make an effort for themselves is spot on. 

We get an epilogue too, which gives us a nice HEA. Another aspect I like is how development is not always damaging. Here, it creates the required infrastructure and housing without damaging the surroundings. It’s all about finding the right balance. 

To summarize, A Sky Full of Stars is an entertaining story though the romance could have been better. The family dynamics are well done, though! 

Thank you, Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley