Minnie Darke

A sparkling romantic comedy about one woman's decision to tinker with the horoscopes of the man of her dreams--with far-reaching consequences "A bright, brilliant, joyful love story."--Josie Silver, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Day in December When childhood sweethearts Justine (Sagittarius and serious skeptic) and Nick (Aquarius and true believer) bump into each other as adults, a life-changing love affair seems inevitable. To Justine, anyway. Especially when she learns Nick is an astrological devotee, whose decisions are guided by the stars, and more specifically, by the horoscopes in his favorite magazine. The same magazine Justine happens to write for. As Nick continues to not fall headlong in love with her, Justine decides to take Nick's horoscope, and Fate itself, into her own hands. But, of course, Nick is not the only Aquarius making important life choices according to what is written in the stars. Charting the ripple effects of Justine's astrological meddling, Star-Crossed is a delicious, intelligent, and affecting love story about friendship, chance, and how we all navigate the kinds of choices that are hard to face alone. Advance praise for Star-Crossed "Swoon-worthy . . . a smart, sweet love story about friendship, destiny, and the power of choice."―Bustle "[A] juicy romance novel."―Good Housekeeping "This cleverly structured first outing from the pseudonymous Darke will appeal to fans of romantic comedy, astrology, and chaos. Utterly charming and ripe for development as a film."―Booklist "Winning . . . Unpretentious, well-drawn characters and the fresh twist on the childhood sweethearts reunited setup make this perfect for fans of romantic comedies."―Publishers Weekly "Darke creates a world of stargazers whose destinies eventually collide. . . . Funny and enticing."―Library Journal

Star-Crossed

Tish

So I definitely was not in the right head space or mood to be reading a romance but I was really excited about this book so I pushed through. Anyway, the overarching story was very good and enjoyable, but there were so many different characters that weren’t really connected to the main story besides the horoscopes and it was really hard to keep track of who was who; I did like how the author tied all those little stories together in the end though.

Joana da Silva

This was a fun one! Perfect for the horoscope lovers, although it focus mainly on Aquarius. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories happening besides the main plot, the weaving was very Liane Moriarty and you know I'm crazy about that.

________________________________________________________________ 'I loved this completely. A bright, brilliant, joyful love story... A total triumph.' Josie Silver, No.1 New York Times bestselling author of ONE DAY IN DECEMBER ________________________________________________________________ Justine and Nick are meant to be. He just doesn't know it yet... When Justine Carmichael bumps into her teenage crush, Nick Jordan, she knows she can't leave her future happiness to chance. This time, she's going to give fate a helping hand. An aspiring journalist on a local paper, she knows Nick always reads his horoscope. So she can't see any harm in making a few alterations to Aquarius over the next few weeks... After all, Justine doesn't really believe in the stars, it's only a bit of fun. What could possibly go wrong? ________________________________________________________________ A gloriously feel-good romantic comedy about good friends, true love and all the signs of the zodiac, perfect for anyone who loves David Nicholls, Marian Keyes and Jojo Moyes.

'a Bright, Brilliant, Joyful Love Story' JOSIE SILVER Bestselling Author of ONE DAY in DECEMBER

Clara hash

I don't even know WHY I hated this book, but I did.

Why rely on fate when you can rewrite the stars? In this sparkling romantic comedy, one woman decides to tinker with the horoscopes of the man of her dreams. "A bright, brilliant, joyful love story."--Josie Silver, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Day in December NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY REAL SIMPLE When childhood sweethearts Justine (Sagittarius and serious skeptic) and Nick (Aquarius and true believer) bump into each other as adults, a life-changing love affair seems inevitable. To Justine, anyway. Especially when she learns Nick is an astrological devotee, whose decisions are guided by the stars, and more specifically, by the horoscopes in his favorite magazine. The same magazine Justine happens to write for. As Nick continues to not fall headlong in love with her, Justine decides to take Nick's horoscope, and Fate itself, into her own hands. But, of course, Nick is not the only Aquarius making important life choices according to what is written in the stars. Charting the ripple effects of Justine's astrological meddling, Star-Crossed is a delicious, intelligent, and affecting love story about friendship, chance, and how we all navigate the kinds of choices that are hard to face alone. Praise for Star-Crossed "Swoon-worthy . . . a smart, sweet love story about friendship, destiny, and the power of choice."―Bustle "[A] juicy romance novel."―Good Housekeeping "Enchanting . . . this book will capture your attention and keep you entertained from the first page to the last."--BuzzFeed "This cleverly structured first outing from the pseudonymous Darke will appeal to fans of romantic comedy, astrology, and chaos. Utterly charming and ripe for development as a film."―Booklist "Winning . . . Unpretentious, well-drawn characters and the fresh twist on the childhood sweethearts reunited setup make this perfect for fans of romantic comedies."―Publishers Weekly "Darke creates a world of stargazers whose destinies eventually collide. . . . Funny and enticing."―Library Journal

Ava Shaffer

This is by far my new favorite book. Minnie Darke’s writing style is so witty and sharp that it was impossible for me to not enjoy ever page of this story. The characters were so well done, and I absolutely loved the way different storylines intertwined with one another. You could easily tell how deep the thought process and conception of this book was. The overall theme of fate and destiny and the stars was right up my alley and I definitely am glad I found this book.

Ariel Duke

This book is a classic case of how our choices, especially when they affect a distributed publication, can lead to many unexpected consequences. I really enjoyed reading how the author connected all of the subplots in the end. It was interesting to see how everyone was affected and in the end how they were all linked, in such a way that seemed to return things to how they were meant to be. 

Justine honestly got on my nerves for the first half of the book. She knows exactly where Nick works and instead of just going to talk to him, she changes multiple horoscopes. Which incidentally push him back in to the arms of his ex and messes with the lives of many others. I just could not get over the fact that I just wanted her to step up and just tell him how she felt. Yet in comparison to this, I loved Nick. He came across as such a pure person, which had me really rooting for him to be happy regardless of who that meant being with.

I recommend this book to anyone that likes a good push and pull romance and has a soft spot for astronomy.

Heather Harrington

Dearna Mulvaney

For review: https://wordsoftheroses.com/2019/12/1...

 “Because love like this wasn’t something you could make happen. It was a magic spark, and you just has to hope that somehow, somewhere, sometime, you would be there when the match struck the flint.”   

Thank you so much to Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for sending a copy my way! 

I adore this novel. It was absolutely enchanting! This romance is set in Australia, which is refreshing, and follows childhood friends turned sweethearts, Justine Carmichael and Nick Jordan.⁣

The romance is a super slow burn. It takes the pair pretty much the entire novel to get together. I just wanted them to get together right away but the wait was well worth it. 

One of the things that I adored about this novel is that you can see the consequences of Justine’s actions. To her horoscopes don’t mean anything and her goal is to influence Nick’s decisions but she doesn't realise that there are a lot of other readers who also use their horoscope as guides. There is a beautiful symmetry to this. Justine’s horoscopes affect the decisions of these readers and in turn, their decisions affects the overall plot and bring the pair together.

Star-Crossed is masterfully crafted. There is a similar feel to movies Love Actually and Valentine’s Day. If you’re a fan of these types of movies I highly recommend.

Renee Blankenship

Thank you to the publisher for the free copy! 

Star-Crossed was such a fun book to read! I hadn't picked up a romantic comedy type story in ages and when I started reading this one, I knew I was in for a treat. I LOVE a story that connects various characters across time and space, especially through seemingly random events. When Justine starts adding to the horoscope in her monthly magazine, it creates a ripple of effects throughout the city as people make changes to their lives based on what she wrote. At the heart of this story is Justine and Nick, childhood friends who are trying to figure out their place and their own love story. I cannot say enough how enjoyable this story was!! A truly joyful book to read and a unique cast of characters.

Jessica 

Blog | Twitter | Instagram

(3.5 stars) I was sent an eARC of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This does not change my view in any shape or form. Review also found here at Booked J. 

I wasn't sure what to expect of Star-Crossed beyond a potentially sugary sweet, or light read. All I knew was that I couldn't miss it because (a) the synopsis had a very cute feeling to it and (b) I am shallow and that cover is s-t-u-n-n-i-n-g.

It had me at astrology and childhood sweethearts reuniting. Plus, the concept of fate. I wanted to see how it all tied into one another. I wanted to see if the use of tropes would make the story predictable or if Darke had some tricks up her sleeves. The end result? The knowledge that there's just something about Star-Crossed and it's definitely one of the can't-miss reads of 2019.

Some might even say it's written in the stars, that you should be reading it.

Wow, who let me review this? Back to the book. Back on track.

First of all, it wasn't at all what I expected. Sure, it was soft and fun and interesting. It happened to be a different brand of it than I expected and that really pleased me. It's always fun to have something be different than expected and Darke really managed to do-so.

That being said, I really loved how Star-Crossed was written. It was easy to fall into. A lot of readers will, like me, find it impossible to put down. Minnie Darke pens something truly beautiful with Star-Crossed and that's undeniable to the highest degree. While so many authors stumble or fall victim to their plots or prose, Darke doesn't--and this is, perhaps, one of the biggest draws of Star-Crossed.

There were some qualities to it that I wasn't terribly keen on but that's more of a personal preference and less of a negative note about the story. If you're looking for something to give you the warm and fuzzies, Star-Crossed is absolutely the book for you--all the sparks of Justine and Nick's connection are enough to keep you focused and full of warmth.

Rebecca Briesemeister

Barbara

________________________________________________________________ 'I loved this completely. A bright, brilliant, joyful love story... A total triumph.' Josie Silver, No.1 New York Times bestselling author of ONE DAY IN DECEMBER ________________________________________________________________ Justine and Nick are meant to be. He just doesn’t know it yet... When Justine Carmichael bumps into her teenage crush, Nick Jordan, she knows she can’t leave her future happiness to chance. This time, she’s going to give fate a helping hand. An aspiring journalist on a local paper, she knows Nick always reads his horoscope. So she can’t see any harm in making a few alterations to Aquarius over the next few weeks... After all, Justine doesn’t really believe in the stars, it’s only a bit of fun. What could possibly go wrong? ________________________________________________________________ A gloriously feel-good romantic comedy about good friends, true love and all the signs of the zodiac, perfect for anyone who loves David Nicholls, Marian Keyes and Jojo Moyes.

The heartwarming and witty romcom you won’t want to miss

kate

Stephanie Overfelt

Taylor Jones

Maggie Hepditch

Sabina 

Gabriella LePage

Sasha kobylinski 

Maggie

In this sparkling romantic comedy, a young journalist tampers with her magazine's horoscopes to win her friend's heart - and sets in motion an unpredictable and often hilarious ripple effect. . . Sometimes destiny needs a nudge in the right direction . . . When Justine Carmichael (Sagittarius, aspiring journalist and sceptic) bumps into her old friend Nick Jordan (Aquarius, struggling actor and true believer) it could be by chance. Or perhaps it's written in the stars. Justine works at the Alexandria Park Star- and Nick, she now learns, relies on the magazine's astrology column to guide him in life. Looking for a way to get Nick's attention, Justine has the idea of making a few small alterations to 'Aquarius' before it goes to print. It's only a horoscope, after all. What harm could changing it do? Charting the many unforeseen ripple effects of Justine's astrological meddling - both for herself and others - Star-crossedis the funny, super-smart, feel-good novel of the year! 'The funny, clever, big-hearted love story of the year. Brilliant!' Heather Rose, bestselling author of The Museum of Modern Love 'I loved this completely . . . a bright, brilliant, joyful little love story that spreads into the size of a small town, with its chorus of voices. A total triumph.' Josie Silver, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Day in December 'You don't need to care a thing about astrology to find Star-crossed a five-star delight. Minnie Darke has written a sharp, funny and irresistible rom com that melted my cold, skeptical (Gemini/moon in Sag) heart. I predict you'll fall too.' Lisa Gabriele, bestselling author of The Winters

Star-Crossed

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