an actually good queer rom-com

Count Your Lucky Stars Review

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefluer has made its way to the very top of the list of my favorite queer books. This book contains fun, witty characters and lots of sexual tension. The novel is written in third person, which I usually do not like, but Bellefluer does it spectacularly well still drawing me into the minds and worlds of the characters. It is written in dual perspective between the two main female characters, Margot and Olivia allowing me to see both sides of the story.

Margot is the co-founder of popular astrology app Oh My Stars with her best friend, Elle. With all her friends coupled off except her and a looming wedding, Margot fears the loss of her friends. Everything changes when she runs into her childhood best friend, and long-time crush, Olivia. Olivia is a wedding planner who just got out of a ten-year marriage with her on-again/off-again high school boyfriend and moved to Seattle. When her boss becomes double booked, Olivia is tasked with a big wedding for an important client. Margot’s best friend, Brendon.

Olivia and Margot have not seen each other since their senior year of high school, eleven years ago. After their shocking re-connection when Olivia becomes Brendon’s wedding planner, Olivia gets a call that there was a plumbing issue at her apartment leaving her with nowhere to stay. Because Margot is without a roommate at her two-bedroom apartment, it is suggested that Olivia stay with her.

Olivia and Margot’s friendship ended slightly bumpy eleven years ago, but Margot could never say no to Olivia. So, they move her into Margot’s apartment. The sexual tension between the two women builds from the moment they enter the same scene. There are many comedic moments (including one with a cat and a vibrator) as they try to juggle this re-kindling of their friendship while individually dealing with their past and present feelings for one another. The novel follows them on this journey leading up to Brendon’s wedding.

It is a fast-paced novel that is easy to read. I didn’t want to put it down! While predictable, as all rom-coms are, I was captivated by the characters. This, I believe, is the goal of any good rom-com. The characters need to be strong enough that the readers want to stick around, even when they know what will happen, and Bellefleur did just this.

My only complaint was that it was unclear what Olivia’s sexuality was. Because of the long-term marriage with Brad and the crush she had on Margot in high school, we are led to believe she is bisexual, but it is unclear. I’m not sure how that could have been naturally incorporated, but it was something I wondered while I was reading the novel.

Overall, I am obsessed with this book. It is a strong, queer romantic-comedy that we don’t often get to see. The girls being queer is not the plot of this book and I appreciated that. While those books have their place, I am glad this was not one of them. I got to read a book about people like me. It felt real and relatable. Just a fun romantic comedy about queer women.

I sing only praise to Alexandria Bellefleur for this incredible book.

5/5

-Cath