i recently received an arc of “stars collide” by rachel lacey, a sapphic celebrity romance novel through netgalley (thank you!!). i really enjoyed this book, i thought the characters were likable and i was rooting for their relationship the whole time. there was a good amount of romance mixed with a bit of spice, and overall it kept me very entertained and wanting to continue reading! i also thought it was nice that the book focused on themes of figuring out your identity later in life and being an “older” woman in hollywood, where for some reason there’s often an expiration date on women’s fame. it also mentioned other themes in hollywood and queer relationships that i really thought we’re dealt with well, they didn’t take away from the atmosphere of the book but also weren’t glorified which i thought was nice! overall i had a lot of fun reading this book and i definitely would recommend it! check it out when it comes out on may 2nd!

This was such a fun, sweet celebrity romance! I absolutely loved it and I loved Eden and Anna. Their falling in love was just so tender and I loved seeing Eden's journey of self-discovery. Sometimes I don't really like slow burn because it can be just too slow, but this was just perfect. Rachel Lacey has definitely become a must-read author and Stars Collide only cemented that fact!

After reading Lacey’s previous sapphic duology, I was very excited to see this new release come across my screen!

This novel had lots of elements that I love: famous FMC’s, lots of pining (from both women), and lots of character growth. This story was very low stakes, which simultaneously made it an easy read and a forgetful one. While the character arc of Eden was beautifully written and her sexuality self-discovery was admirable, I felt like nothing *really* happened during the entire plot. This made the story feel sluggish or scattered in many areas and the stakes were so low they were almost nonexistent. The climax lasted all of 10 pages and did not make a lot of sense given what the author told us about the characters. Once the FMC’s are “together,” much of the dialogue is recycled and felt repetitive leading to the novel’s end. Overall, just a very formulaic feel that left me drained.

If you prefer character driven novels over plot driven novels, this may be the read for you! There are some redeeming qualities to this book; however, around the 70% mark I just found myself skimming to the end.

𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.

This is a (mostly) feel-good toaster oven celebrity romance about two famous singers who find love while touring together. One of them is Anna, who is a rising star in the music industry while the other, Eden has reached her peak and is slowly sliding downwards in popularity. The original dynamics between the two women is interesting as while Anna has a major celebrity crush on Eden, Eden starts out mildly jealous of Anna's rising popularity. However, a friendship forms pretty quickly and this turns into something romantic. I thought the companionship and support between them was pretty awesome and cute and I enjoyed what they have. I also thought the way Eden's sexual awakening was dealt with was also pretty good.

One part threw me off but essentially I like most parts of the story. I thought it was easy to read and also cute.

A huge thank you to @netgalley #montlakepublishing and #rachellacey for the opportunity to read this book before the publish date in May. I can’t wait until I can get a physical copy for my shelves and recommend that all my bookish friends read asap.

Stars Collide was a beautiful read and I enjoyed every minute of it. The background of both our leading ladies being celebrities was a lot of fun and added some glitz and glamour while also providing opportunity for tension particularly where privacy and power dynamics should be considered. However the strength of the plot was wholeheartedly hung on the character development both Eden and Anna experienced. Anna was great but Eden’s journey of self discovery and acceptance was really beautifully written.

I really liked the smaller details that Rachel was able to demonstrate, such as consent, healthy relationships and non traditional gender roles.

Overall this book was super fun with complex characters, fun backgrounds and a plot that keeps you turning pages. Looking forward to reading more from Rachel Lacey.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. RL's writing is at times a bit on the cheesy side and the song lyrics were not it (rather cringe) but the story itself resonated with me.

This was really cute and I had a lot of fun reading it! For the most part, the relationship felt mature and full of good communication, aside from a brief section near the end. I enjoyed both Eden's and Anna's journey. The celebrity aspects were also fun to read!

I LOVED this one. If you love a friends-to-lovers sapphic romance, this is for you.

The characters are so lovable and relatable, despite being pop music celebrities. The way that each character comes to terms with their individual issues (Eden understanding her feelings; Anna overcoming a previous toxic relationship) is organic and well paced.

The slow burn to the spice was *chef’s kiss*. If I had known what I was getting myself into on my lunch break today, I might have held off on reading it until after work. 😂

My only criticism, and it’s a slight one, is that the conflict and resolution felt rushed. The overall feel of it and build to it felt natural, but was just over very quickly. However, it didn’t take away from the book itself.

If you’re going to be participating in Pride stacks or themed LFL shelves, make sure you add this one to your list. I’ll be buying it when it’s released.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC of this one.

First of all, representation in this book was incredible. This book was queer AF and I LOVED it! This story gave us both an amazing love story, and a sort of inside look into tour life for musicians. I adored both MCs and had MASSIVE crushes of both Eden and Anna and I just wanted the world for both of them!

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Montlake. All opinions are my own.

This was a very sweet book, one that genuinely made me happy! I'm a sucker for celeb romcoms and couldn't help but pick this one up once I saw it. And boy, did it meet my expectations. I loved Eden and Anna's relationship as it blossomed from coworkers to friends to lovers. Their relationship felt natural, felt wonderful, even, and I admire that. I'm happy to have read it, if a little cheek-sore from smiling so much.

Eden Sands is the most famous singer/songwriter of her time. Anna Moss was a teenage actress on a teen focused TV show who's now trying to get her peers and adults to take her more seriously as an artist and to shed her "little girl" image. After a chance meeting, they realize that going on tour together could potentially help them both. While they both eventually find success, what they truly find is love. Love. But also sex. White hot smoking sexy sex. Rachel Lacey can most definitely paint a picture. 🔥

I simply adored that Eden was discovering her sexuality in this book! Becoming a later in life lesbian is such a common occurrence that I don't feel is given near enough attention. This book beautifully works through Eden figuring out that she is in love with a woman and Anna being a loving and supportive partner to her during this process. The older woman with a younger woman trope is also deliciously done here as well. This book truly has everything. A gorgeous love story. A peek behind the curtain at the lives of your fave celebs. And sex. Did I mention the sexy sex?!

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Lacey, and Montlake for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The expected publication date is May 2!

a wee celebrity romance that ticks all the boxes. the characters are likeable, they actually communicate (a rare thing in fantasy books) and are really sweet.
character growth is beautiful, the relationship is sweet and easy, all in all. a win for some nice light wholesome reading.

Sapphic pop stars on tour together and falling in love? Yes please! I devoured this book in less than a day and loved every single second of it. It was so well done. I often find age gap romances to be icky but this one was perfect! I loved that Anna, the up and coming singer, was so confident in her sexuality as a contrast to Eden who was so confident in her place as a giant star but only now discovering her sexuality.
This book is sweet, funny, and very sexy. Can't recommend it highly enough.

the sweetest sapphic romance ive read in a while! As Eden’s career is struggling with her latest album not as successful and her divorce she’s advised to sing a duet with the new popular pop singer Anna. During the book Eden comes to term with her sexuality while Anna also moves in from a toxic ex.Although there were plot points such as the argument that was rushed ,it was still an enjoyable romance story.3.5 stars

Sadly couldn’t get into this book. The main characters and their conversations felt so robotic I didn’t believe or understand their connection. I also felt that the beginning of the book felt awkward like we we just thrown in with little introductions into the middle of the book.

Rachel Lacey is quickly climbing the ranks of the authors I adore! Much like No Rings Attached, I am a big fan of Stars Collide. I love a celebrity romance and this one delivered. Eden and Anna were, alone, very strongly written characters, but getting to watch them come together gradually was the sweetest treat. Eden's journey was the highlight of this story for me and I think her characterization is the shining star here. Bravo Lacey! Cannot wait to read more from this author.

I really enjoyed the story between Anna and Eden. Such a lovely story written so beautifully. I flew through this book on a long journey. Made it go by so fast.

A four-star read that will make your heart collide. I enjoyed this story, but it didn’t wow me as much as I had hoped as I had heard such amazing things about the author I had high hopes and as much as I really enjoyed getting to know Anna and Eden and they had a good pace to them and the overall character development was really well done, but the story felt a little rushed at times, mainly the ending. There were a couple of issues I picked up on that could have been avoided by doing more research into the setting, but overall a good story, just wish it blew me away like I expected it to.

★★★★☆
dates read: february 11-february 13th, 2023

review: Anyone who knows me knows I love @rachelslacey's books so I am so grateful to once again have access to an ARC through @netgalley.

"Stars Collide" follows Eden, an older, established pop star who recently has found herself plateauing. It's not that her music isn't good; it just isn't great because that spark is missing. Who can blame her? It's hard to find that spark when you don't know who you are. Anna is a newer actress/singer who is very open and embracing of her queerness and who she is as a person. With a younger fan base and tons of publicity, Eden's team suggests she paid up with Anna for a performance. Reluctantly, Eden agrees, not knowing that Anna is the key to finding herself and her spark. "Stars Collide" is a wonderful, queer story about finding yourself later in life and embracing love in the process. I absolutely loved these characters and cannot wait for a physical copy. "Stars Collide" is out May 2nd, 2023 and can be pre-ordered now.

3 ⭑
sadly i needed a really long time to finish this book, i didn’t really care about characters but what i liked was the idea behind the book about two pop stars falling in love also the slow burn love story & the relationship develop but that’s it. this book wasn’t for me which is sad because i was absolutely in love with read between the lines.

thank you netgalley & rachel lacey for the arc im exchange for an honest review.