Seconds from a meteoric career launch, cellist Courtney Starling suffers a frightening migraine attack during a key performance. She escapes to her happy place—her best friend’s Kansas bookshop, where she meets Thea Quinn, who moved into town looking for a fresh start. Their meet-disaster (which features a little dragon) feels like a sign. Maybe Thea needs to branch out and connect with new people…like at a historical romance book club run by a particularly mysterious and sexy bookseller with a pixie cut? Friendly lunches become stolen moments between the bookshelves. Courtney and Thea’s old problems feel ages away. But just as their chemistry heats to a combustion point, consequences from Courtney’s past arrive literally on her doorstep at exactly the wrong moment. New revelations and surprising connections take the pair from feeling joyfully lovestruck to confusingly star-crossed. Both women must decide what they’re willing to give up for happily ever after.
Andie Burke does it again! I adored Fly With Me and couldn’t stop talking about Fall For Him, but the adorkable vibes of With Stars In Her Eyes was something else. Let’s break it down.
Characters (4/5) — Courtney and Thea are so beautifully distinct. Too many first-person dual POV romances fail to distinguish the characters’ voices, but Courtney and Thea have their own voices, desires, personalities. We see what they want versus need, and how those desires overlap. The character growth is stunning to watch. I have SO many questions about the supporting cast, though (will this continue as another duology?)!
Plot and Pacing (4/5) — Courtney and Thea have chemistry from their first awkward, adorable meet-cute. Every time they’re together, it’s a whirlwind of curiosity and desire. The pacing falters only due to lengthy exposition and internalizing, but once they become inseparable, it’s a race to the end. The plot—both women tackling their demons, standing up for what they want, coming into their own together and apart—is a stunning exploration of following your dreams. Both women face internal and external conflicts while healing from past traumas, which gives the story balance.
World-Building (3/5) — I needed so much more from the descriptions to truly feel lost in the setting. The stargazing scenes are stunning, though, and seeing them through Thea’s eyes (pun intended) only amplifies their beauty.
Romance (4/5) — I honestly loved the awkward innuendo-filled meeting between Courtney and Thea. It takes them so long to build momentum from strangers to friends to more: a tantalizing, sizzling slow burn that allows the anticipation to build naturally. When they come together, you see how beautifully balanced they are. Their discussions on book tropes brought a level of self-awareness to the story I adored. For example, the girls refuse to have a third act break-up, because it’s a pet peeve for them as much as it is for us (thank you for that!). Courtney sending Thea books, even annotating passages, UGH. Be still my heart. And the LYRICS. I get so weak for a book with love letter lyrics, and With Stars in Her Eyes BRINGS IT.
Mystery/Suspense (3/5) — There’s a precarious balance between revealing enough at the start of a story to establish a character and revealing snippets organically throughout a story to build tension that can become difficult to manage, especially with a dual POV story. We get most of Courtney’s backstory from the start, even though a lot of it was misconstrued by the public (Thea included). Keeping that information from Thea AND readers would have allowed tension to build longer. Instead, Thea is also kept in the dark about Courtney’s alter-ego, but the reveal and resulting impact don’t feel as big as the story makes them out to be.
Tone/Prose (4/5) — I went annotation overboard in this one, which is always a good sign. Burke’s prose is fun, witty, and energetic. The dialogue draws you in and demands your attention anytime Courtney and Thea are in a room together. Both characters are distinct, layered, and lovable, with their first-person POV bringing a level of intimacy necessary for a story that focuses on healing from trauma.
Recommended to fans of The Pairing by Casey McQuiston, Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings, or Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey.
The Vibes
- Adorkable Witty Banter
- Dual POV
- Living With Chronic Illness
- Bookstore Romance
- Slow Burn
- Sapphic (Lesbian/Bisexual Rep)
- Healing After Trauma
- Musician/Photographer
- No Third Act Break-Up
Quotes
Thea’s full smile was somehow brighter than any spotlight I had ever performed under.
“Clitorises doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, does it?”
“I guess that depends on who you ask.”
“I don’t think you’ve ever faded into the background for one second of your entire life, Courtney Starling.”
“Baby, no one’s too battered or lost to be loved.”
