Such a beautifully written book! I loved how the author encompassed prevalent issues of mental health within the storyline, these were discussed beautifully. The book is a perfect friends to lovers, a perfect match if you love Colleen Hoover! The two main characters are likeable and relatable, I loved the dual point of view as well! Lovely book!

Thank you to Written in the Stars Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

It’s natural to reflect on life’s “what-ifs,” especially when it comes to first love. If The Stars Align beautifully explores this theme through the story of Sunny and Dex, childhood best friends from Ohio who have secretly loved each other since they were five years old. Despite their deep bond, life takes them in different directions after high school, setting the stage for a decade-long journey of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery.

Sunny, the only child of a single mother, finds solace in Dex (Ollie Dexter) and his warm, welcoming family. Her love for him feels inevitable, yet fear holds her back from ever confessing it. Driven by her mother’s high expectations, she pursues academic excellence, leading her to college and eventually law school. Meanwhile, Dex—charismatic and effortlessly charming—heads to UCLA to chase his dreams of acting, eventually becoming a beloved soap opera star before making his mark in Hollywood.

Spanning ten years, If The Stars Align follows Sunny and Dex as they navigate an intense, on-again, off-again romance, always seeming to miss the right timing. As they grapple with personal struggles and mental health battles, they gradually learn to embrace their true selves and fight for the love they deserve. Their journey culminates in a spectacular and deeply satisfying conclusion.

A compelling and heartfelt read, this novel will have you rooting for Sunny and Dex every step of the way, eager to see love triumph against all odds.

Wow! I just finished the most amazing book. If the Stars Align by Nathalie Theodore was one that will stick in my mind for some time.

This book dealt with a lot of relationship building and how mental health plays a role in that. Part of my struggle with relationships does include mental health and it felt amazing to see this get represented in a novel. Novels like this help me get through some of the struggle and helps me relate more to other people.
The characters, especially Sunny and Dex in this book were hugely important. The book predominantly focuses on them and how they navigate relationships. The events that happen in this book were also good, though I would check trigger warnings for a couple of them. I liked the way that the author portrayed panic attacks especially, it added another layer to the story. Overall it was a really interesting read.

I absolutely adored this book - what an epic love story. I read the book in two sittings, which I haven't done in a long time. The book had me hooked from the beginning with a story about childhood friends to lovers with the blend of emotion, humor and drama that kept me interested. I loved how it was set over a decade and we got to see Dex & Sunny grow and adjust in to adult life. I didn't realise the author had a background as a therapist until after I finished but it makes so much sense reading how she incorporated the knowledge of mental health in to the story. This book gives me 'One Day' vibes which I have not stopped thinking about since I watched the TV show last year, and I know I will be thinking about the characters and story for a long time. I would love to see this become a film! I was rooting for Dex & Sunny the whole time and this book has become a top favourite for me - an unforgettable love story.

5 stars isn't enough!

I haven't had a book make me feel so much in a long time. What a stellar debut novel. If the Stars Align spans over a decade following Sunny and Dex, childhood best friends who have been in love with each other their whole lives but it's only a secret to them. Somehow, the timing is never right for them and something or someone always gets in the way. Sunny struggles as a chronic people pleaser with an overbearing trauma surgeon mother who is never home, and Dex is plagued by crippling anxiety and had never been able to be his true self with anyone but Sunny. As we watch them grow into adults and all of the struggles that comes with entering the real world. we watch Dex and Sunny go through all of the ups and downs of life including hook-ups, break ups, career breakthroughs and struggles, toxic relationships, and learning how to overcome their own fears, trauma, and mental battles as they fight to come out on the other side together. Maybe one day, if the stars align, they can finally have the life together they've always wanted.

I really love how Nathalie Theodore explored mental health in her debut novel. It was really hard to read at some parts, Sunny and Dex experiencing emotional and mental trauma in real time, but that's really the point of the book and a testament to the author's talent. It was so real and hits close to home and I felt the loss, love, anxiety, sadness, and frustration right along with them. I don't want to spoil anything because you'll have to read it to find out, but I love how the author handled the characters overcoming their mental struggles, even the side characters, and it wasn't cheesy or cliche, it was so gratifying! After I finished the book, it affected me the rest of the night and I couldn't get it off my mind. I really loved it and it'll be a novel I remember for a long time.

My only complaint would be that I wish we could have explored Sunny's healing a little bit more and seeing her learn to be her own person. For her situation, I feel like it would take much longer to reach the point she did and it seemed a bit sudden, but was still satisfying to read regardless. I look forward to future novels by the author!

I recommend this book for people who like friends to lovers, exploring mental health and how it affects daily life, romance, rocky relationships and drama, some spice, and coming of age stories.

I loved this book so much! I felt like I connected with especially the FMC. I loved the timeline and the writing. I will definitely read more from this author!

If The Stars Align is an upcoming debut novel by Nathalie Theodore set to release on March 2nd. Let me be the first to tell you it is PHENOMENAL!

The story spans a decade of love and loss between friends Sunny and Dex, starting their senior year of high school in 1998. This contemporary romance is told primarily through Sunny’s POV with occasional chapters from Dex.

If The Stars Align is the book version of the saying “if you love something let it go.” Repeatedly, the characters will have you swooning one minute and throwing your phone against the wall the next. Sunny and Dex felt real. Miscommunication in relationships is real. Making tough choices is real. Letting people down is real. These two are frustratingly real.

At 93%, I still didn’t know how this story would end. The author kept me guessing all the way through. Your assumption that everything will work out never goes as smoothly as you think it will.

I loved the tempo of the book—quick and present. I loved the use of dual POV to show emotions the characters weren’t expressing to each other. I loved the little nods to being Lebanese because my fiancé is and we love the representation.

The stars aligned with this book. It gets 5 of them from me ⭐️

Tropes you can look forward to:
-Friends to Lovers
-Childhood/College/Adulthood
-Acting and Legal professions
-Some open door spice

Thank you to Net Galley and Written in The Stars press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#ifthestarsalign #nathalietheodore #netgalley #dualPOV #contemporaryromance #romance #fiction #friendstolovers #college #book #bookreview #netgalley #arcreview

404 pages, 137 highlights, and 39 notes later, my main takeaway from If the Stars Align is that I don’t think I’ve read a romance that felt like this before.

This is as much a love story about Sunny as an individual and Dex as an individual as it is about the two of them as a couple. The layers to Sunny and Dex’s story were crafted beautifully. I felt like I was on the roller coaster right there with them. Dual POV was the only choice for this book–Nathalie Theodore blends both perspectives at just the right time to really pack a punch.

I will say that I don’t read many college-aged romances anymore, so for the first few chapters I had to remind myself that Sunny and Dex were 18-21 years old. I found myself thinking “Can we please use our adult communication skills” a few times, but I snapped out of it pretty quickly.

Ultimately, I don’t make a habit of staying up until almost 4 A.M. to finish a book the way I did with this one, but I would’ve read 100 more pages if it meant seeing more of their personal healing journeys (even if I don’t think my heart would’ve recovered if I had). And I’ll pull an all-nighter for however many books are in this series for however long Nathalie Theodore keeps writing them.

Thank you NetGalley and Written in the Stars Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review <3

TLDR: just read it!! friends to lovers, it’s always been you, dual POV. Please check content warnings before reading.

Quick Summary: A love of a lifetime romance

My Review: If the Stars Align by Nathalie Theodore is book #1 in the Dramatic Hearts Club. It is scheduled for release on 3/3/25.

About the Book: "Sunny and Dex have been best friends since childhood. But beneath their picture-perfect exteriors lie secrets that could tear them apart—or bring them closer than ever."

In My Own Words: Two best friends grow together and apart, as they search for themselves and for each other. In the process of their own personal growth, they find the beauty and timelessness of true unconditional love and reconciliation.

My Final Say: This story wrecked me. I absolutely loved it! It was so touching. It was easy to relate to and to understand. What this couple went through, from their early friendship to the struggle to find their happy ever after, was everything. I wanted to hug them both. I certainly shed some tears for them. In the end, love always wins.

(I'm not crying. You are.)

Other: Readers will love this romance. Trust me when I say that it is worth the read.

* I cannot wait to hear this story played out in the audiobook format. The expression of the emotions will gut me in the best way...I already know.

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: NA to A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Besties Shelf: Yes
Status/Level: 💖💖💖💖💖
Read on Repeat: YES

Heartfelt appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Written in the Stars Press), and to NetGalley. Thank you so very much for granting access to a digital ARC of this work in exchange for an honest critique. I am tremendously grateful for the opportunity. I look forward to continuing with this series. It is off to a magnificent start.