I loved following even more characters from Whistle Stop River! This series is one I have enjoyed since my husband and I have both worked in the medical field and he is a firefighter. Bess and Gio had some of the best banter and I think that is because they have been friends for so long. This book touched some tough subjects but definitely brought to light some of the struggles people face every day that we may not be aware of!

Marketing this book as romantic was not the move. If you are looking for women's fiction dealing with family trauma, financial issues, and the most minuscule amount of romantic subplot, then this may be a good pick for you.

I honestly loved this book so much. This author is amazing. Loved the two characters as well as Marianne, I was routing for her!

A fab book. I hope there’s more in the series.

I love to read romance books set in the Christmas time. It's the most magical time of the year, after all. :) But this one didn't hit the spot.

It's not that something is wrong with the book, I just couldn't get into it. A case of it's not you, it's me, book edition. :)

It has a lot going for it, friends to lovers, small-town romance, dual POV, sweet romance, and Christmas-time setting, of course.

Bess and Glo have been friends for a long time. They both a very stressful jobs and on top of that their personal lives are not peach either. The romance slowly developed, as their friendship deepened.

It's part of the series, but you can read it as a stand-alone, too.

Lovely story, just not for me.

Helen Rolfe has done it again, she has drawn me in, got me hooked, spun me around and always make me happy about it, she always manages to pull every emotion possible from me for these amazing characters I love and leave me on the edge of my seat desperate for a happy ever after, but she always delivers more than I could ever want.

Bess and Gio are friends, both are first responders, things are about to get more complicated for them than their usual days already are, including financial burdens and a potentially career-altering injury, Helen Rolfe handles these difficult issues with such a delicate hand and so beautifully compassionate, I loved how much she clearly cares about her characters and these issues.

This is such a lovely and thoroughly emotional read, not just the issues mentioned but also family difficulties for both of them, I loved how Bess finally reveals her situation to her mum and how beautiful a moment it is. This story is full of heart, as well as being emotional it still has ther perfect measure of happiness, joy and that Christmas spirit , that spark of magic !

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a cozy, wonderful book. I enjoyed reading it!

Bess is a critical care paramedic with the Skylarks air ambulance but, since the death of her father and a health scare, she's been treating herself a bit too much. Now with the bills piling up, and trying to hide it from her mother, she's starting to get really worried.

Gio is a firefighter and loves his job more than anything, but when his alcoholic mother is trying to reconnect with him and he has an accident that leaves his job uncertain, can he sort himself out and find happiness?

It's a gentle book, told from both Bess and Gio's sides (third person). It's nice, I enjoyed it, nothing dramatic and fairly predictable, but a lovely read under a blanket with a cuppa.

Review also posted to Goodreads but unable to link account.

Beautifully written as usual, I enjoy the way Helen writes and how she brings her characters to life, I was hooked from start to finish. Thank you.

This was a very entertaining book but not what I was expecting. I wanted more on the romance and less on all the other characters and issues that were covered in the story.

Written in the Stars by Helen Rolfe ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book 2 in the Skylark series. Although it stands alone, I read them in order and will read book 3 when its out. Neither book ends in a cliffhanger.

Little bit of romance, with ups and downs, emotional and depressing but still good book. Didn't regret reading it.

Bess a paramedic, Gio a firefighter have been friends along time. But when life happens and it starts to fall apart, they put up walls around their hearts....continue reading to find out if love wins or heartache.

It's time to take to the air again with Written in the Stars, the second book in Rolfe's Skylarks series. If you're unfamiliar with the Skylarks they are the Whistlestop River Air Ambulance team.

As with all of Rolfe's books it's written in her inimitable style and is heartwarming from beginning to end. It's filled with friendship, family and before I forget...a dishy firefighter in the shape of Gio...and the burgeoning romance between him and Bess.

The characters are all wonderful as always. Our catch up was long overdue! Told from the POV of both Bess and Gio, Rolfe delights with another gorgeous addition to the series.

Highly enjoyable and an absolute delight to read.

Thank you #netgalley and Helen Rofle for the opportunity to read this book.

Absolute swoon over Gio!
Reading about his traumatic childhood was sad, but reading how much of a kind human being he developed into as an adult was heart warming. He is a kind, gentle soul who has the potential to shower the right person with so much love. Is he capable of love and forgiveness?

Bess, oh Bess Bess Bess. What a beautiful woman with everyday issues that are very common in this current economy. She has such a big heart and I can understand the mess she got herself in to.

I really enjoyed this book. I really love how Helen addressesd the complexities of life and how the characters addressed them and grew from them. It wasn't just a love story, it was about friends, family, forgiveness and most of all growth.

Bess is a paramedic, but not just any paramedic, Bess is a critical care paramedic with the Air Ambulance. A 40 year old with a habit most people have experienced. She is living to work to help get herself out of a shit situation. Gio is Bess' oldest friend and a fire fighter. An accident happens that opens up both their eyes and vulnerability. Read as they navigate through their issues together and on their own.

Trust me, it is so worth it in the end.

Had not realised that this is the second book in the Skylark series, so I hadn't encountered the characters before. But that didn't make a difference, as though are so easy to get to know and the tale is so well told. I found the medical details very professional and well described. Am looking forward to hopefully another tale in this series soon

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

The next in the Skylarks series we meet Bess, a critical care paramedic, and Gio, a dedicated firefighter. Bess’s motto of living each day to the fullest is starting to catch up with her as her carefree choices lead to mounting debts, while Gio’s life is shaken by the unexpected return of his estranged mother and a career-threatening accident. Despite the challenges they face on the job, a spark of connection between them offers hope for a new beginning. As snow starts to fall over Whistlestop River, Bess and Gio must decide if they’re ready to trust each other with more than just saving lives.

Second book in the skylark series, slightly more depressing than the first but an enjoyable book. Two broken people hoping to fix each other. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

What a lovely read This was the second book in this series and it doesn't disappoint it has all the characters from the first novel but this one features Bess and Gio who are both struggling with different issues and have been friends for years but their relationship starts to change after Gio is involved in an accident while attending a fire. It's great comaradary among the teams in the Air ambulance and such an inspirational story it makes this a great read bring on the next one.5 ⭐again from me

Paramedic Bess had her life turned upside down by the sudden death of her father, followed by a health scare of her own, and she so wishes he was still around to help her with the mess she’s in – her emotional spending has become totally out of control, the final demands are arriving, she might even lose her home, and she can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel.

At work, her sunshine personality brightens everyone’s days however difficult they might be – and she particularly enjoys it when her path crosses that of Gio, the fireman, who’s often at the same calls and there’s always been a bit of a spark between them. But he has his own issues too, when his mother Marianne turns up – her drinking meant he had a very difficult childhood, and he’s not entirely convinced that things have changed. And things only get many times worse for him when he’s involved in an accident – with a real possibility that he might never be fit enough to do his job again, so the future’s looking particularly bleak.

Their lives become entangled when Bess decides to take in a lodger – his mother – to help her financial situation, and her friendship with Gio might just become something more as they help each other heal. But she’s shaken once more when she finds her mother has started to move on from her loss, with a new partner – who she’s determined to compare unfavourably with her dad, but, in time, might have good reason to change her mind.

This was a really lovely emotional read – two damaged people finding strength through each other – with quite a few difficult issues so sensitively handled. And I was just as invested in Marianne’s story – her difficult journey to turning her life around, and hopefully reuniting with her family despite all the past hurt. In fact, I loved the whole way the different family issues were dealt with – when Bess finally shares her problems with her mum, her offer of help (welcome, but nowhere near enough) really touched me to the heart. And the book’s emotional depth is all the greater because it’s Christmas, that time of year when everything should be festive and bright – a time for family, and having fun in the recently fallen snow. And there is a good measure of joy and laughter, as Bess and Gio begin to grow closer – a slow burn romance I really enjoyed – and the future begins to look a little brighter for everyone.

I really must mention Bess’s work with the Skylarks, responding to emergencies in the air ambulance, dealing calmly and efficiently with so many difficult calls – well researched, dramatic at times, and very real. And I enjoyed the relationships between the crew – it would have been nice to have known their back story from the first book in the series, but I had no problems at all picking up this book as a standalone. I’ll certainly be looking forward to the next in the series – this was a book I very much enjoyed.

Bess is a critical care paramedic who has recently lost her father. With that loss, she is trying to live every day as if it is her last; however she has put herself in a position where her risks have outed what she has and now she has to read the consequences of what she has sewed.

Gio is extremely proud of the work he does. He’s a firefighter. Gio‘s world gets turned for a loop when his estranged alcoholic mother shows up on his doorstep.

Written in the Stars was not quite the romance I expected, but it was a good story. Two people that are dealing with things that are changing their lives and the consequences that come with it. Bess and Gio have a friendship that they both rely on. They each have to work out their own issues and in doing that they have found that their friendship contains something more. The story was a slow burn. It was a little short on romance, but it did have good character development and was an entertaining story.

While a tad depressing, I enjoyed the medical aspects a lot. The relationship also grew on me, but the side family stories less so