Last month two anticipated books on my pre-order list dropped and I was so excited. So apologies for a BOTM book not being mentioned this month but Alexandria Bellefleur’s final chapter in her trilogy just dropped and like that, I dropped everything to read it.
Okay, listen to it because Lauren Sweet reading these three books on Audible has been a delight. I loved listening to the voices for Bellefleur’s characters and she added the little extra spice to the already delicious feast Bellefleur set out for us.
The third book in this series, Count Your Lucky Stars, centers on Margo Cooper, the droll, no-nonsense bestie of Elle and one half of the now very lucrative Oh My Stars.
On the final run to Brandon and Annie’s wedding (read Hang the Moon for their love story), Margo meets their newest wedding planner, Olivia Grant. Olivia and Margo go way back. Olivia was Margo’s best friends, her first crush, her first…everything. They had one glorious week of spring break together their Senior year of high school before Olivia went back to her estranged boyfriend Brad and their entire friendship fell apart.
Now newly divorced, Olivia is living in Seattle working for a prestigious event planning company and she’s their wedding planner. Of course, the fates drop everything that will continuously push Margo and Olivia together, Brandon, in true Labrador fashion, has latched on to Olivia and pulled her into their friend group. The roof in Olivia’s apartment falls apart making her home uninhabitable and Margo is convinced to let her move in for the time being. After that, it’s inevitable that Margo and Olivia will gravitate back towards each other. The sexual tension between them in so electric people could get shocked if touched.
Bellefleur’s narration of Margo is heartfelt and relatable because some of us can sympathize with what is happening. Margo’s friend group is pairing off. As the only single friend, she’s watching her closest friend Brandon plan his wedding and doing less and less of the things they used to do as friends. Her best friend and co-creator of Oh My Stars is focusing more and more on her partner Darcy, and less time with her. Their conversations are more about what Elle is doing with Darcy and less about Margo. The four of them even do couples yoga, not calling Margo to ask if she would like to go. It’s a familiar situation where the friend is feeling more and more left out as people settle down, priorities change and there is less time for things that were done before. Friends move on and some are just left behind.
Single friends, we all know this feeling.
The tension between Margo and Olivia has them both confused, nervous and unsure. Mostly because of a huge miscommunication 10 years prior. Words never said, conversations never had, fears and self-fulfilling prophesies are abundant and left me more than once wanting to shake the hell out of them both and tell them to just talk.
Olivia is a caregiver. She loves making people happy, caring for them. And more than once that is taken for granted. No more so than by her ex-husband Brad who takes weaponized incompetence to a whole new level. For the majority of the book, Olivia trips herself up, worrying about her father, making sure she still plays nice with people, bending over backwards to care for others. But there’s a point when a person is everything for everyone else and there’s nothing left to be for themselves. That point is the climax of this book and Olivia finally breaks out of that routine in the most exuberant and monumental way possible.
I adore this entire series and they’ve become my comfort reads. Whenever I need a good read, or I’m in a funk, re-reading how Darcy and Ellie fall in love has me laughing and smiling. When I want a feel-good rom com, Brendon and Annie’s story is just that. Nora Ephron-esque plotline in a quirky little book. I’m so happy that I can add Margo and Olivia’s story to this as well.
All because Written in the Stars was recommended to me as both a fake dating trope romance and a Pride and Prejudice variation.
Alexandria Bellefleur has become one of my go-to writers so when she releases any new novels, you can bet they’ll be immediately pre-ordered and eagerly anticipated.
That’s it for today friends. I have no idea what books I’m reading next for review but I’m getting an interesting BOTM book. Perhaps we’ll do two BOTM books this month to make up for the last of one last month. I still have “How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days” on my TBR shelf so that’s an option.
Is Spring making itself known friends? Or is this a tease before we end up with one last round of snow and ice? Either way, enjoy the sun while we have it. Curl up in your favorite spot with a warm drink and a good book.
Mouse's Reading Nook 