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Stars Collide #1
Wie Sterne am Horizont
Eine einzigartige Stimme, ein mitreißender Song und eine große Liebe Wohin die Liebe uns führt, sagen uns die Sterne … Eden Sands ist seit über zwanzig Jahren unerreichte Pop-Ikone in der Welt des Showbusiness. Doch der Erfolg hat Eden einsam gemacht und seit der Scheidung von Schauspieler Zach fehlt es ihr an Inspiration. Eine Veränderung muss her. Anna Moss, der neue junge Star am Musikhimmel singt bei den Grammys mit der großen Eden Sands ein Duett. Die Energie zwischen den Sängerinnen ist so mitreißend, dass Anna mit Eden auf Tournee geht. Aus einer klugen Karriereentscheidung wird ein Feuerwerk an Gefühlen, dem sich keine der beiden entziehen kann. Weder auf der Bühne noch dahinter …
358 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 2, 2023
1031 people are currently reading
19797 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Lacey
37 books2,352 followersRachel Lacey is an award-winning contemporary romance author and semi-reformed travel junkie. She's been climbed by a monkey on a mountain in Japan, gone scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, and camped out overnight in New York City for a chance to be an extra in a movie. These days, the majority of her adventures take place on the pages of the books she writes. She lives in the mountains of Vermont with her family and a variety of rescue pets.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,155 reviews
May 24, 2023
➥ 1 Star *:･ﾟ✧
Bland, shallow and annoying, Stars Collide proved disappointing all around. Buddy read with Nic 😽. From what I know, Lacey doesn't read reviews, but if you're reading this, stop right there. Keep doing what you're doing because your work is clearly well-loved by many (just not me 🤭). This isn't a "this was pure garbage and should be removed from the face of the earth" 1 star, it's more of a "nothing about this was delicious" 1 star. There will be some half-decent quotes in this review but that's because you're reading them in isolation and because I specifically picked the best ones, I'm not blind, ok? There may be some vague spoilers in this review.
Eden (h) is an older singer, who's losing popularity, so she organises a duet with Anna (h) to get some buzz. I liked that the blurb was established quite early on, and that there wasn't any unnecessarily drawn-out set up, but the flesh of the story is just so unmoving.
For starters, the characters were the blandest characters to ever bland. I'll start with Anna, because she annoyed me the most. She was so juvenile, at all times, yet she has this complex where she wants to be treated like an adult and taken seriously. She literally responds "yay" to everything. Now, I'm obviously not the most mature woman in existence, yet I was still stunned by her childishness.
It's so...strange? And overall, Anna's character really lacked depth. Although she's somewhat kind and understanding when it comes to Eden's turmoil, her dialogue is so stilted and unnatural that nothing about the character herself or the connection between Eden and Anna feels authentic or genuine. It felt like it was all being read off a script. Lacey mentions in her acknowledgments that she herself was a fangirl, and that's why she wrote Anna as one, but it was just unbearable. Anna has been star-eyed for Eden since she was young. She's not crazy obsessive or anything, but again, it doesn't feel like their connection is genuine. It just feels like Anna admired Eden and wants to get as close as she can get. (She even described her "inner fangirl" which brough back unpleasant "inner goddess" memories for me). We are also told that Anna is a biker, and so we get the typical cliche scene with Anna taking Eden for a ride and Eden feeling suddenly "freed" - quite unoriginal in my opinion. And in terms of the fangirling, I feel as though it was also used as a way to convince the reader of what they felt for each other, but I think it had the inverse effect, depending too much on that aspect and not actually making room for both character and relationship development.
There were some moments that I felt had potential, for instance when Eden was invited to Anna's place for a nighttime hangout. It had a calm, romantic and intimate atmosphere, and I was ready to see some vulnerability and connection between the characters, but this moment just proved to me once again that Lacey does not know how to write build-up and sexual tension.
Like always, in this moment the characters just speak to each other like they're reading off a script, and they have no romantic interactions, apart from Anna giving Eden her hoodie. Which was okay? But unoriginal in my opinion. It was presented as a significantly romantic moment, but it really wasn't. If it had been presented as more of a side romantic thing in passing, just adding subtly to their growing relationship, that may have worked a bit more for me, but it was not good enough to have so much emphasis placed on it.
This lack of build-up and significant/moving dialogue is unfortunately consistent throughout the book, to the point where I didn't even find myself rooting for Eden and Anna to be together. Especially considering the numerous odds against them? At literally 5% in, I could smell the other woman drama, and lo and behold, there it was. A largely blown third-act conflict with a cartoonish villain, and a cartoonish conflict in general.
Yeah, it fucking was. I had to blink twice to double check I was reading a sapphic book because this was like one of those dick-measuring, jealousy interactions between men in mf romances. This conflict was then extremely drawn out where characters act impulsively and don't communicate. Yeah sure, in the end they communicate of course, once everything is forgiven and wrapped in a bow.
But I wouldn't call their communication stellar by a long shot. The other conflict was of course the one involving Eden's sexual awakening. She had the whole "but I'm straight" moment, after she fell on top of Anna accidentally (twice) and kissed her (twice) [cliche No. ?]. To be fair, Eden's coming to terms with her sexuality was not badly portrayed, as it's described as how she came out to herself first, and then slowly processed her other emotions. It was healthily done, and Anna was supportive, but it still felt devoid of emotion and depth, textbooky.
Then they get together and have sex like three times and each of these scenes was unmoving for me. Granted, I am picky about these things, so it may not be that much of an issue for everyone. But, it was strange to me how Anna was all shy and quirky and childish, yet boom suddenly she's dirty talkin and taking control of the situation. Ofc, I'm not saying who can/can't do things but it didn't feel true to the character at all, and there still wasn't any build up, even for the sex scenes. They're also always grabbing and gripping and blurting embarassing things. Ladies, just slide a hand somewhere gently or whisper something tenderly 😭 there was no sensuality to it, istfg.
They did discuss being tested etc. before, so I do commend Lacey for depicting safe-sex though, cheers. Anyway, after these extremely mediocre sex scenes, the characters realise that they're in love? I know that in romance, by roughly 80% they do feel like they're in love, but not that much time has passed since they met in person, there haven't been any significant developmental moments for them, and they've just argued for like 80 pages straight and now you're telling me you think you're in love with her? I know queer women move fast, and I'm willing to root for that, but Lacey unfortunately failed to keep my invested in their relationship and the "I love you" felt unearned and unnatural. (They just have no chemistry (or personality), I'm sorry).
There was also lack of build up for the angsty scenes. At the snap of a finger, a character is crying but it's so artificially written? I'm not sure that was a very good description at all, sorry, but it just never felt real, ever. So melodramatic. Also just in regular dialogue too, this is Eden:
"Yes" is the best you could do? No "Yeah, I'd love to" or "Sure, I'll give it a try". Just "yes" is so bland and jarring to me. Maybe I'm going crazy but I seriously felt it took away from the authenticity of their romance.
Also, when Anna thought Eden was still straight, she recommended her a sapphic book (subtle af, well done), and we get no closure on that. It's like Lacey put it there as a plotpoint but forgot about it completely 😹.
The celebrity/fame aspect itself was also a bit obnoxious, though I did sign of for that by reading a celebrity romance. I still feel like it could have been done more tastefully though. There's constant discussion about ships and hashtags and twitter, like jesus 😵. This book didn't offer nuanced insight about what it's like to be a celebrity, is what I mean to say. Then there's the horrific lyrics, I can't even. There's the one in the featured quote, but there's more 😭. Anyway, I'll end on a more positive note on two things I liked. 1) the cover, and 2) this little detail:
Thoughtfully making her ringtone for Eden's message the start of one of Eden's songs 🥺. Okay, the moment of appreciation is over: hopefully others will still be able to enjoy this (stilted dialogue, bland romance, painful characters and all) 😹😽. Thank you for buddy reading this one with me Nic 💞 (hopefully our next br will be more successful oops).
“I let my hair down. After midnight, I’m not afraid to be a clown.”
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
Bland, shallow and annoying, Stars Collide proved disappointing all around. Buddy read with Nic 😽. From what I know, Lacey doesn't read reviews, but if you're reading this, stop right there. Keep doing what you're doing because your work is clearly well-loved by many (just not me 🤭). This isn't a "this was pure garbage and should be removed from the face of the earth" 1 star, it's more of a "nothing about this was delicious" 1 star. There will be some half-decent quotes in this review but that's because you're reading them in isolation and because I specifically picked the best ones, I'm not blind, ok? There may be some vague spoilers in this review.
Eden (h) is an older singer, who's losing popularity, so she organises a duet with Anna (h) to get some buzz. I liked that the blurb was established quite early on, and that there wasn't any unnecessarily drawn-out set up, but the flesh of the story is just so unmoving.
For starters, the characters were the blandest characters to ever bland. I'll start with Anna, because she annoyed me the most. She was so juvenile, at all times, yet she has this complex where she wants to be treated like an adult and taken seriously. She literally responds "yay" to everything. Now, I'm obviously not the most mature woman in existence, yet I was still stunned by her childishness.
Anna bounced on her toes. She actually bounced. “Yes! Oh my God, yes, that would be so fun, and awesome, and generally . . . yes. I would love to do that.”
“So, that’s a yes?” Eden teased.
Anna spun in a circle, singing “Yes” at the top of her lungs.
It's so...strange? And overall, Anna's character really lacked depth. Although she's somewhat kind and understanding when it comes to Eden's turmoil, her dialogue is so stilted and unnatural that nothing about the character herself or the connection between Eden and Anna feels authentic or genuine. It felt like it was all being read off a script. Lacey mentions in her acknowledgments that she herself was a fangirl, and that's why she wrote Anna as one, but it was just unbearable. Anna has been star-eyed for Eden since she was young. She's not crazy obsessive or anything, but again, it doesn't feel like their connection is genuine. It just feels like Anna admired Eden and wants to get as close as she can get. (She even described her "inner fangirl" which brough back unpleasant "inner goddess" memories for me). We are also told that Anna is a biker, and so we get the typical cliche scene with Anna taking Eden for a ride and Eden feeling suddenly "freed" - quite unoriginal in my opinion. And in terms of the fangirling, I feel as though it was also used as a way to convince the reader of what they felt for each other, but I think it had the inverse effect, depending too much on that aspect and not actually making room for both character and relationship development.
There were some moments that I felt had potential, for instance when Eden was invited to Anna's place for a nighttime hangout. It had a calm, romantic and intimate atmosphere, and I was ready to see some vulnerability and connection between the characters, but this moment just proved to me once again that Lacey does not know how to write build-up and sexual tension.
Like always, in this moment the characters just speak to each other like they're reading off a script, and they have no romantic interactions, apart from Anna giving Eden her hoodie. Which was okay? But unoriginal in my opinion. It was presented as a significantly romantic moment, but it really wasn't. If it had been presented as more of a side romantic thing in passing, just adding subtly to their growing relationship, that may have worked a bit more for me, but it was not good enough to have so much emphasis placed on it.
This lack of build-up and significant/moving dialogue is unfortunately consistent throughout the book, to the point where I didn't even find myself rooting for Eden and Anna to be together. Especially considering the numerous odds against them? At literally 5% in, I could smell the other woman drama, and lo and behold, there it was. A largely blown third-act conflict with a cartoonish villain, and a cartoonish conflict in general.
Anna took a subtle step toward the window, putting some space between herself and the two women who were eyeing each other like competitors in a boxing ring. This was so ridiculous.
Yeah, it fucking was. I had to blink twice to double check I was reading a sapphic book because this was like one of those dick-measuring, jealousy interactions between men in mf romances. This conflict was then extremely drawn out where characters act impulsively and don't communicate. Yeah sure, in the end they communicate of course, once everything is forgiven and wrapped in a bow.
"Talk to me." Anna's voice was so gentle, with none of the hurt or anger she'd expressed after they kissed a few minutes ago.
But I wouldn't call their communication stellar by a long shot. The other conflict was of course the one involving Eden's sexual awakening. She had the whole "but I'm straight" moment, after she fell on top of Anna accidentally (twice) and kissed her (twice) [cliche No. ?]. To be fair, Eden's coming to terms with her sexuality was not badly portrayed, as it's described as how she came out to herself first, and then slowly processed her other emotions. It was healthily done, and Anna was supportive, but it still felt devoid of emotion and depth, textbooky.
Then they get together and have sex like three times and each of these scenes was unmoving for me. Granted, I am picky about these things, so it may not be that much of an issue for everyone. But, it was strange to me how Anna was all shy and quirky and childish, yet boom suddenly she's dirty talkin and taking control of the situation. Ofc, I'm not saying who can/can't do things but it didn't feel true to the character at all, and there still wasn't any build up, even for the sex scenes. They're also always grabbing and gripping and blurting embarassing things. Ladies, just slide a hand somewhere gently or whisper something tenderly 😭 there was no sensuality to it, istfg.
They did discuss being tested etc. before, so I do commend Lacey for depicting safe-sex though, cheers. Anyway, after these extremely mediocre sex scenes, the characters realise that they're in love? I know that in romance, by roughly 80% they do feel like they're in love, but not that much time has passed since they met in person, there haven't been any significant developmental moments for them, and they've just argued for like 80 pages straight and now you're telling me you think you're in love with her? I know queer women move fast, and I'm willing to root for that, but Lacey unfortunately failed to keep my invested in their relationship and the "I love you" felt unearned and unnatural. (They just have no chemistry (or personality), I'm sorry).
There was also lack of build up for the angsty scenes. At the snap of a finger, a character is crying but it's so artificially written? I'm not sure that was a very good description at all, sorry, but it just never felt real, ever. So melodramatic. Also just in regular dialogue too, this is Eden:
"I brought my spare helmet," Anna said, glancing at her. "Just in case."
"In case of what?" Eden asked.
"In case you wanted to join me."
"Yes," Eden answered before she'd had a chance to second-guess herself.
"Yes" is the best you could do? No "Yeah, I'd love to" or "Sure, I'll give it a try". Just "yes" is so bland and jarring to me. Maybe I'm going crazy but I seriously felt it took away from the authenticity of their romance.
Also, when Anna thought Eden was still straight, she recommended her a sapphic book (subtle af, well done), and we get no closure on that. It's like Lacey put it there as a plotpoint but forgot about it completely 😹.
The celebrity/fame aspect itself was also a bit obnoxious, though I did sign of for that by reading a celebrity romance. I still feel like it could have been done more tastefully though. There's constant discussion about ships and hashtags and twitter, like jesus 😵. This book didn't offer nuanced insight about what it's like to be a celebrity, is what I mean to say. Then there's the horrific lyrics, I can't even. There's the one in the featured quote, but there's more 😭. Anyway, I'll end on a more positive note on two things I liked. 1) the cover, and 2) this little detail:
Her phone dinged with the opening note of "Daydreamer," the sound she'd assigned Eden. Anna's stomach clenched as she reached for her phone.
Thoughtfully making her ringtone for Eden's message the start of one of Eden's songs 🥺. Okay, the moment of appreciation is over: hopefully others will still be able to enjoy this (stilted dialogue, bland romance, painful characters and all) 😹😽. Thank you for buddy reading this one with me Nic 💞 (hopefully our next br will be more successful oops).
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
September 21, 2024
**'When you try to tell any story, make it make sense, be substantive, be enticing, having meaning and not because of who's telling it..'
?! - 1.5 stars
It is a story but i could not connect with anything..... just dull!
?! - 1.5 stars
It is a story but i could not connect with anything..... just dull!
February 23, 2023
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.
I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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.
I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2023
I’m an absolutely feral lesbian rn OH MY GOD.
4.5 ⭐️
When I say I haven’t thought about anything but this book since I finished it a week ago I mean it.
I read Read Between the Lines by the same author and DNF’d but trusted a friend who said this one was amazing. I’m so bloody glad I tried another of Lacey’s books, I went ahead and ordered another straight after finishing this.
I would sell my soul to read this book again for the first time. It has:
Later in life coming out (36)
Lesbian and Pan rep
Age gap 27/36
Musicians on the road who have so much sexual tension I was screaming.
And yes it’s a fairly slowburn read with spice.
The only thing that took it down a star were the occasional lyric inserts in the book… I need to know why they all rhymed in couplets. I was giggling at these singers writing their nursery rhymes for their adult audiences.
TW’s listed below, please skip if you don’t want vague spoilers.
TW//CW// coming out themes, parent issues (controlling/manipulative), trauma/ mentally abusive ex, explicit sex scenes.
4.5 ⭐️
When I say I haven’t thought about anything but this book since I finished it a week ago I mean it.
I read Read Between the Lines by the same author and DNF’d but trusted a friend who said this one was amazing. I’m so bloody glad I tried another of Lacey’s books, I went ahead and ordered another straight after finishing this.
I would sell my soul to read this book again for the first time. It has:
Later in life coming out (36)
Lesbian and Pan rep
Age gap 27/36
Musicians on the road who have so much sexual tension I was screaming.
And yes it’s a fairly slowburn read with spice.
The only thing that took it down a star were the occasional lyric inserts in the book… I need to know why they all rhymed in couplets. I was giggling at these singers writing their nursery rhymes for their adult audiences.
TW’s listed below, please skip if you don’t want vague spoilers.
TW//CW// coming out themes, parent issues (controlling/manipulative), trauma/ mentally abusive ex, explicit sex scenes.
August 1, 2023
Edit: August 1st, 2023, audiobook review.
This will be a very short but very enthusiastic review. Everything I loved when I read this book in May, I loved even more in audio. Quinn Riley is quickly becoming one of my favourite narrators, she brings nuance and depth, and I can’t wait to hear her in future sapphic audiobooks. I feel very fortunate to have met her at the GCLS conference in Denver, because she’s lovely but also because she’s really invested in the books she narrates and is hoping to do more sapphic fiction too. I am especially looking forward to her narration of Purposefully AccidentalPurposefully Accidental by G Benson, announced for September.
Coming back to Stars Collide, I loved experiencing Eden and Anna again, and in a different way. Eden’s journey felt even more poignant and I enjoyed going through it with her – and Anna – a lot. Either thanks to the narration or maybe because I knew the characters already, the instalove feeling wasn’t as strong as on my first reading. It all felt very natural, logical. I love both Anna and Eden so much (and their entourage as well) that I wanted to shield them from anything that could go wrong. There’s one scene in which a good idea could have misfired badly (I’m trying not to spoil and it’s not easy!), which had even more tension in audio. To me, it’s a pivotal moment in the relationship, in the way it allows the characters’ trust to settle, trust in each other, trust in their love being strong enough to carry them through chaos, trust in each other’s ability to communicate and fix potential mistakes.
This review isn’t as short as I thought it would be, after all. TL;DR: the story is sweet, the characters are endearing, and the narration is excellent. 4.5⭐️
------------------------------------------------
At thirty-six, Eden Sands is in a slump. And yes, she’s a superstar but she’s also relatively recently divorced, her shows don’t sell out in a few minutes anymore and her last album is doing okay. Okay isn’t enough and while Eden is mostly okay too, it’s not enough for her either. When her team suggests bringing on a younger pop star for a duet at the Grammy ceremony, Eden puts her frustration aside and agrees to give the idea a chance, not expecting Anna Moss to send everything she thought she knew about herself flying all over the place.
I was looking forward to this book, and not just because I named the cat in it (thank you, Rachel, for liking my suggestion): Rachel Lacey’s books always make me happy. I’m not going to lie, her indie books are usually my favourites, the mainstream ones feel a little less lively to me, a little rushed. I can’t exactly pinpoint what makes them different but the one thing that doesn’t change is that I enjoy reading them every time.
First things first, I love the characters, and not only the MCs. The secondary characters are very much in the background but they feel right, especially the MCs entourage (and, obviously, Villanelle the cat).
Anna is up and coming whereas Eden worries she’s on her way down. She’s lonely and not exactly sad but unsettled and anxious about her career, her life, everything. Not in a dramatic way but constant, permanent. Despite hating the idea that she needs a younger star to help her get back to the top, she’s charmed by Anna’s genuine enthusiasm and talent almost from the start. I struggled for a while to find the right word for what Eden made me feel at first but then I settled on melancholy. It can’t be easy to be a pop star and feel melancholy, unless you want to specialize in ballads. Also, isn’t melancholy a very pretty word? It has the perfect sound and rhythm and, to me, it fits the Eden of the beginning of the story exquisitely.
Speaking of words and sounds and meanings, I love that Eden’s surname is Sands and Anna’s is Moss, one dry but warm, the other soft and refreshing, and I had this image in my head of Eden going from the unattainable beach below her L.A. appartement to the embracing green of Vermont, with Anna as the portal to the journey.
Stars Collide is a rather low-angst romance but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in feelings. The moment Eden understands that she might not be straight after all, that feeling of having misunderstood herself for so long, is poignant. There’s some sadness to this story but it isn’t a sad book. It’s a wrong made right, a child thrown into adulthood too quickly and sheltered from herself rather than from the world. How do you imagine yourself if you don’t know you can be? Beyond the human beings that are Eden and Anna, Stars Collide is also about the music industry, the power dynamics (parents, mentors, managers), appearances. This sentence Anna says at one point made me freeze: “They treated you like a woman when you were a child and they won’t let me grow”. The MCs’ experiences are both opposite and close enough that they understand each other.
It might feel too instalove for some but Lacey makes it make sense. Eden’s been Anna’s celebrity crush forever and having it turn real feels natural, just as natural as Eden falling hard for the one person who makes her feel something. If these two were my friends IRL, I’d probably worry a little about them going too fast, especially knowing how hard it is to make a relationship work in the spotlight, but they’re both surrounded by good people and believing they’d succeed wasn’t too hard. Bonus points to the author for once again making communication and respect sexy.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
This will be a very short but very enthusiastic review. Everything I loved when I read this book in May, I loved even more in audio. Quinn Riley is quickly becoming one of my favourite narrators, she brings nuance and depth, and I can’t wait to hear her in future sapphic audiobooks. I feel very fortunate to have met her at the GCLS conference in Denver, because she’s lovely but also because she’s really invested in the books she narrates and is hoping to do more sapphic fiction too. I am especially looking forward to her narration of Purposefully AccidentalPurposefully Accidental by G Benson, announced for September.
Coming back to Stars Collide, I loved experiencing Eden and Anna again, and in a different way. Eden’s journey felt even more poignant and I enjoyed going through it with her – and Anna – a lot. Either thanks to the narration or maybe because I knew the characters already, the instalove feeling wasn’t as strong as on my first reading. It all felt very natural, logical. I love both Anna and Eden so much (and their entourage as well) that I wanted to shield them from anything that could go wrong. There’s one scene in which a good idea could have misfired badly (I’m trying not to spoil and it’s not easy!), which had even more tension in audio. To me, it’s a pivotal moment in the relationship, in the way it allows the characters’ trust to settle, trust in each other, trust in their love being strong enough to carry them through chaos, trust in each other’s ability to communicate and fix potential mistakes.
This review isn’t as short as I thought it would be, after all. TL;DR: the story is sweet, the characters are endearing, and the narration is excellent. 4.5⭐️
------------------------------------------------
At thirty-six, Eden Sands is in a slump. And yes, she’s a superstar but she’s also relatively recently divorced, her shows don’t sell out in a few minutes anymore and her last album is doing okay. Okay isn’t enough and while Eden is mostly okay too, it’s not enough for her either. When her team suggests bringing on a younger pop star for a duet at the Grammy ceremony, Eden puts her frustration aside and agrees to give the idea a chance, not expecting Anna Moss to send everything she thought she knew about herself flying all over the place.
I was looking forward to this book, and not just because I named the cat in it (thank you, Rachel, for liking my suggestion): Rachel Lacey’s books always make me happy. I’m not going to lie, her indie books are usually my favourites, the mainstream ones feel a little less lively to me, a little rushed. I can’t exactly pinpoint what makes them different but the one thing that doesn’t change is that I enjoy reading them every time.
First things first, I love the characters, and not only the MCs. The secondary characters are very much in the background but they feel right, especially the MCs entourage (and, obviously, Villanelle the cat).
Anna is up and coming whereas Eden worries she’s on her way down. She’s lonely and not exactly sad but unsettled and anxious about her career, her life, everything. Not in a dramatic way but constant, permanent. Despite hating the idea that she needs a younger star to help her get back to the top, she’s charmed by Anna’s genuine enthusiasm and talent almost from the start. I struggled for a while to find the right word for what Eden made me feel at first but then I settled on melancholy. It can’t be easy to be a pop star and feel melancholy, unless you want to specialize in ballads. Also, isn’t melancholy a very pretty word? It has the perfect sound and rhythm and, to me, it fits the Eden of the beginning of the story exquisitely.
Speaking of words and sounds and meanings, I love that Eden’s surname is Sands and Anna’s is Moss, one dry but warm, the other soft and refreshing, and I had this image in my head of Eden going from the unattainable beach below her L.A. appartement to the embracing green of Vermont, with Anna as the portal to the journey.
Stars Collide is a rather low-angst romance but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in feelings. The moment Eden understands that she might not be straight after all, that feeling of having misunderstood herself for so long, is poignant. There’s some sadness to this story but it isn’t a sad book. It’s a wrong made right, a child thrown into adulthood too quickly and sheltered from herself rather than from the world. How do you imagine yourself if you don’t know you can be? Beyond the human beings that are Eden and Anna, Stars Collide is also about the music industry, the power dynamics (parents, mentors, managers), appearances. This sentence Anna says at one point made me freeze: “They treated you like a woman when you were a child and they won’t let me grow”. The MCs’ experiences are both opposite and close enough that they understand each other.
It might feel too instalove for some but Lacey makes it make sense. Eden’s been Anna’s celebrity crush forever and having it turn real feels natural, just as natural as Eden falling hard for the one person who makes her feel something. If these two were my friends IRL, I’d probably worry a little about them going too fast, especially knowing how hard it is to make a relationship work in the spotlight, but they’re both surrounded by good people and believing they’d succeed wasn’t too hard. Bonus points to the author for once again making communication and respect sexy.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
March 24, 2023
I absolutely adore celebrity romances so I really couldn’t have been more thrilled to receive a proof of this one!
Stars Collide alternates perspectives between Eden Sands, a pop industry vet and recluse off the stage, and Anna Moss, a younger actress-turned-singer who has idolised her for years. After the pair perform a duet at the Grammy awards, Anna is invited to open for Eden on tour. But what starts as a plan to generate interest in a career low point and give ticket sales a boost develops into a supportive friendship… and more 👀
This story has a slow burn sapphic romance and a little age gap and a lot of performing and fandom and all the things I love so much. Where it’s common in queer celebrity romance books to have the fear of a negative public/fan reaction be an obstacle to coming out or entering a relationship (and I love lots of these stories too!) I really appreciated how this one resulted in characters fully and unabashedly embracing their identities, with their own personal journeys and negative past experiences instead being what they need to work through in order to fully commit. There are different past partners and parents and fans to contend with, and I loved watching this pair show up for each other even before they were involved romantically. I loved their adventures and quiet afternoons and how they respected each other as artists. Anna being so enamoured seeing Eden in her element was such a highlight for me because I just know I would be a fan of hers too. And watching Anna and all her sweetness and good intentions bring Eden out of her shell warmed my heart.
This was my first Rachel Lacey book and I flew through it in a day. Suffice to say it will not be my last!
Stars Collide alternates perspectives between Eden Sands, a pop industry vet and recluse off the stage, and Anna Moss, a younger actress-turned-singer who has idolised her for years. After the pair perform a duet at the Grammy awards, Anna is invited to open for Eden on tour. But what starts as a plan to generate interest in a career low point and give ticket sales a boost develops into a supportive friendship… and more 👀
This story has a slow burn sapphic romance and a little age gap and a lot of performing and fandom and all the things I love so much. Where it’s common in queer celebrity romance books to have the fear of a negative public/fan reaction be an obstacle to coming out or entering a relationship (and I love lots of these stories too!) I really appreciated how this one resulted in characters fully and unabashedly embracing their identities, with their own personal journeys and negative past experiences instead being what they need to work through in order to fully commit. There are different past partners and parents and fans to contend with, and I loved watching this pair show up for each other even before they were involved romantically. I loved their adventures and quiet afternoons and how they respected each other as artists. Anna being so enamoured seeing Eden in her element was such a highlight for me because I just know I would be a fan of hers too. And watching Anna and all her sweetness and good intentions bring Eden out of her shell warmed my heart.
This was my first Rachel Lacey book and I flew through it in a day. Suffice to say it will not be my last!
May 13, 2024
I fucking LOVED this audiobook! Yes - it's one of those that's so good that only swearing will do. In fact - I'm just going to say it - it belongs in the same conversation as my favorite audiobook of all time, Breaking Character by Lee Winter. Yes - I've gone there and no, I'm not exaggerating.
There isn't anything I didn't love about it. Celeb tropes are my favorite and this is one of the best I've read. The story is strong, the characters are well fleshed out and engaging, the leads are wonderful and memorable, it's uber romantic and very, very sexy.
When it ended I was on such a high, not knowing what I could possibly listen to after this. I strongly considered revisiting Breaking Character yet again (I have to listen to that at least once a year) but ultimately decided to start this all over again. I never do that. That's how much I didn't want to leave that world!
And the narrator Quinn Riley? Wow. Where has she been all my life?? People who read my reviews know I have high standards for narrators and this terrific story deserved a great one. It got it. Quinn has a great voice and performs the work beautifully. I realized after I wrote this that she co-narrated Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner so I have heard her work once before. In this book she gets to shine all on her own. I'm really impressed. How I hope she does more sapphic romance!
This audiobook has earned a place on my all-time favorites list. It's that good. More than five stars. Bravo, Rachel Lacey! Bravo.
UPDATE after listening twice in a row. Yep - just loved it. If you haven't already, grab this book!
UPDATE after third listen - I needed a feel-good book and this was exactly what the doctor ordered!
There isn't anything I didn't love about it. Celeb tropes are my favorite and this is one of the best I've read. The story is strong, the characters are well fleshed out and engaging, the leads are wonderful and memorable, it's uber romantic and very, very sexy.
When it ended I was on such a high, not knowing what I could possibly listen to after this. I strongly considered revisiting Breaking Character yet again (I have to listen to that at least once a year) but ultimately decided to start this all over again. I never do that. That's how much I didn't want to leave that world!
And the narrator Quinn Riley? Wow. Where has she been all my life?? People who read my reviews know I have high standards for narrators and this terrific story deserved a great one. It got it. Quinn has a great voice and performs the work beautifully. I realized after I wrote this that she co-narrated Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner so I have heard her work once before. In this book she gets to shine all on her own. I'm really impressed. How I hope she does more sapphic romance!
This audiobook has earned a place on my all-time favorites list. It's that good. More than five stars. Bravo, Rachel Lacey! Bravo.
UPDATE after listening twice in a row. Yep - just loved it. If you haven't already, grab this book!
UPDATE after third listen - I needed a feel-good book and this was exactly what the doctor ordered!
February 8, 2023
I've consistently enjoyed all the books I've read by Rachel Lacey. She has a certain way of spinning a story that just transports you right to the setting.
This is a celebrity romance and that's sort of my guilty pleasure, that's win number one for this book. Win number two is Lacey wrote characters who are likable, but most of all, and important to me, they communicate! Actual good communication, it's rare and so wonderful. Going by the blurb I thought these characters would have a huge age gap between them. They don't, Eden is 36, but has been in the spotlight for 20 years, and Anna is 27 and just starting in the business.
Usually, a celebrity romance involves a celebrity and a “regular” person, I’d say in this story both characters are celebrities. Yes, one is a much bigger star than the other, but both are well-known. Eden is a recently divorced straight woman and while she is discovering she might not be so straight Anna is there to support her. The character growth and support between these two is very well done. It's all just so sweet and easy. Even Eden coming to terms with her sexuality is just so easy, and normal, and sweet. If only life was easy as it seems in this book.
I really liked this book for easy of it. Just so easy and sweet, it's perfect for some easy and light reading.
*ARC received from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
This is a celebrity romance and that's sort of my guilty pleasure, that's win number one for this book. Win number two is Lacey wrote characters who are likable, but most of all, and important to me, they communicate! Actual good communication, it's rare and so wonderful. Going by the blurb I thought these characters would have a huge age gap between them. They don't, Eden is 36, but has been in the spotlight for 20 years, and Anna is 27 and just starting in the business.
Usually, a celebrity romance involves a celebrity and a “regular” person, I’d say in this story both characters are celebrities. Yes, one is a much bigger star than the other, but both are well-known. Eden is a recently divorced straight woman and while she is discovering she might not be so straight Anna is there to support her. The character growth and support between these two is very well done. It's all just so sweet and easy. Even Eden coming to terms with her sexuality is just so easy, and normal, and sweet. If only life was easy as it seems in this book.
I really liked this book for easy of it. Just so easy and sweet, it's perfect for some easy and light reading.
*ARC received from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
October 28, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey is such a treat for anyone who’s ever been a fangirl, or still proudly is one. As a “professional” fangirl myself, I loved every page and completely soaked up this story. It’s sweet, funny, and surprisingly realistic in how it captures what it feels like to love something (or rather someone) so much it becomes part of your world.
Eden and Anna are both wonderful. They swept me off my feet more than once, and I lost count of how many times I wanted to reach into the book and give Eden a hug. Their chemistry feels genuine, and their relationship develops in a way that just works. To add to that, I wanna give the story probs for having the characters have healthy communication!!
The writing of the novel is engaging, the pacing flows perfectly, and it never drags. It’s the kind of story that leaves you smiling when you close the book. A lovely, heartfelt read that I’d definitely recommend.
Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey is such a treat for anyone who’s ever been a fangirl, or still proudly is one. As a “professional” fangirl myself, I loved every page and completely soaked up this story. It’s sweet, funny, and surprisingly realistic in how it captures what it feels like to love something (or rather someone) so much it becomes part of your world.
Eden and Anna are both wonderful. They swept me off my feet more than once, and I lost count of how many times I wanted to reach into the book and give Eden a hug. Their chemistry feels genuine, and their relationship develops in a way that just works. To add to that, I wanna give the story probs for having the characters have healthy communication!!
The writing of the novel is engaging, the pacing flows perfectly, and it never drags. It’s the kind of story that leaves you smiling when you close the book. A lovely, heartfelt read that I’d definitely recommend.
May 21, 2023
Rachel Lacey and a celebrity book is all you need to make your day better ! Really enjoyed this one !!
February 11, 2023
I was provided a epub of the book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the author and NetGalley for this !!
3'75 stars 🤍
As soon as I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I NEED to read this, and thanks to this ARC I could.
I LOVED both Eden and Anna so much. They felt really realistic and their relationship was so real and cute that they made me smile more than a couple of time. I specially liked the development of Eden, and Anna supporting her in every moment was so, so beautiful. I love them.
Even if I enjoyed the whole book, I have to say that it was a bit hard to keep my attention in some parts. I think maybe a bit shorter it would be better, because I feel that in some scenes nothing was happening.
It is slow burn, with friends to lovers and a lot of cute scenes. The writing is light and very easy to read, so if you are looking for a fluffy, easy and funny read you should read this !!
3'75 stars 🤍
As soon as I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I NEED to read this, and thanks to this ARC I could.
I LOVED both Eden and Anna so much. They felt really realistic and their relationship was so real and cute that they made me smile more than a couple of time. I specially liked the development of Eden, and Anna supporting her in every moment was so, so beautiful. I love them.
Even if I enjoyed the whole book, I have to say that it was a bit hard to keep my attention in some parts. I think maybe a bit shorter it would be better, because I feel that in some scenes nothing was happening.
It is slow burn, with friends to lovers and a lot of cute scenes. The writing is light and very easy to read, so if you are looking for a fluffy, easy and funny read you should read this !!
April 29, 2024
Oh my gosh! Full of SUCH joy and warmth. And well performed by the narrator. I binged the whole audiobook in a day 😁.
I fell in love with both girls, and so I was rooting for Eden to work-out-already why she finds bubbly Anna so great to be with.
What starts out as a slowburn suddenly takes off about halfway in and by 2/3 or so, the romance gallops along. Don't expect much in the way of physcial scenes early on. Ms. Lacey keeps us all waiting, but by the time we get there... oh my! she writes a heartfilling, intense scene that doesn't skimp on build-up, connection, and payoff.
Rachel Lacey does here what she does so well: a super backdrop, charming & cute leads, and great pacing. Of the 4 wlw books of hers I've read, Stars Collide is her best so far. In my top 10 favorite books this year, for sure 😀.
Add to that, the title is cleverer than you think, and that cover--oh! Deceptively simple at first glance, it's a materpiece in terms of colors, imagery, and telling you what you're getting.
If you love your romance high on sweet and mostly low on relationship angst, Rachel Lacey is the storyteller for you.
#Edanna (read the book to get this), I'm off to read the deleted scenes that Rachel Lacey is sending out to her subscribers as a bonus.
I fell in love with both girls, and so I was rooting for Eden to work-out-already why she finds bubbly Anna so great to be with.
What starts out as a slowburn suddenly takes off about halfway in and by 2/3 or so, the romance gallops along. Don't expect much in the way of physcial scenes early on. Ms. Lacey keeps us all waiting, but by the time we get there... oh my! she writes a heartfilling, intense scene that doesn't skimp on build-up, connection, and payoff.
Rachel Lacey does here what she does so well: a super backdrop, charming & cute leads, and great pacing. Of the 4 wlw books of hers I've read, Stars Collide is her best so far. In my top 10 favorite books this year, for sure 😀.
Add to that, the title is cleverer than you think, and that cover--oh! Deceptively simple at first glance, it's a materpiece in terms of colors, imagery, and telling you what you're getting.
If you love your romance high on sweet and mostly low on relationship angst, Rachel Lacey is the storyteller for you.
#Edanna (read the book to get this), I'm off to read the deleted scenes that Rachel Lacey is sending out to her subscribers as a bonus.
June 14, 2023
There’re a lot of WLW celebrities books to choose from. This book is very well written and I loved the characters development.
Especially Eden as a character is fantastic. She’s mature and likes to communicate so problems don’t fester. Her coming out process was great to witness.
I was reading and simultaneously listening to the audiobook. What a wonderful narrator. I’m looking forward to more audiobooks by Quinn Riley.
Highly recommend.
Especially Eden as a character is fantastic. She’s mature and likes to communicate so problems don’t fester. Her coming out process was great to witness.
I was reading and simultaneously listening to the audiobook. What a wonderful narrator. I’m looking forward to more audiobooks by Quinn Riley.
Highly recommend.
October 22, 2023
This is a straight-forward wish-fulfillment fantasy with two music celebrities finding each other. I liked both protagonists right from the start. Eden struggling to find herself after her life kind of collapsed and her career seeming to stall. And Anna getting the chance of a lifetime to meet, and work with, someone who inspired her career and has been where she wants to go.
One of the things I liked best is that this didn’t lean into the competitive thing that might have dominated the story. Eden has respect for Anna from the start, even if a little envy tinges at the edges. But she doesn’t let that envy roll over Anna and maintains a clear-enough way forward in collaborating with her. And I like Anna’s energy and certainty. She’s grateful for the chance, but she digs in and works hard to make it worth both their time and effort.
And I liked how well Lacey handled Eden’s discovery of her sexuality. I felt like it was well-supported how she got where she is without exploring that side of herself. And I particularly liked the sense of wonder that went along with that aspect of the story. And how that flipped the mentor dynamic with Anna who is very sure of herself and patient with Eden’s hesitations and questions.
Although, come to that, Anna’s responses were a little textbook in that regard, I felt. Like she had the perfect script for supporting someone unsure who trusts you with her internal struggles. I dunno. Maybe a little too much “I’m glad you found your true self” when maybe a little hesitation would have felt more natural? Also, it bordered on condescension a bit, maybe?
Anyway, the dark moment made enough sense that I was along for the resolution and I loved how a few mature conversations got all the things out they needed to for me to feel confident that they’ll make a strong couple going forward. This was a solid four-star read and I’m glad it worked out so well.
A note about Steamy: There are a couple of explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. They’re long and carry the burden of both intimacy and discovery (for Eden) and I thought the author hit the right notes on the couple times she chose to include on the page.
One of the things I liked best is that this didn’t lean into the competitive thing that might have dominated the story. Eden has respect for Anna from the start, even if a little envy tinges at the edges. But she doesn’t let that envy roll over Anna and maintains a clear-enough way forward in collaborating with her. And I like Anna’s energy and certainty. She’s grateful for the chance, but she digs in and works hard to make it worth both their time and effort.
And I liked how well Lacey handled Eden’s discovery of her sexuality. I felt like it was well-supported how she got where she is without exploring that side of herself. And I particularly liked the sense of wonder that went along with that aspect of the story. And how that flipped the mentor dynamic with Anna who is very sure of herself and patient with Eden’s hesitations and questions.
Although, come to that, Anna’s responses were a little textbook in that regard, I felt. Like she had the perfect script for supporting someone unsure who trusts you with her internal struggles. I dunno. Maybe a little too much “I’m glad you found your true self” when maybe a little hesitation would have felt more natural? Also, it bordered on condescension a bit, maybe?
Anyway, the dark moment made enough sense that I was along for the resolution and I loved how a few mature conversations got all the things out they needed to for me to feel confident that they’ll make a strong couple going forward. This was a solid four-star read and I’m glad it worked out so well.
A note about Steamy: There are a couple of explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. They’re long and carry the burden of both intimacy and discovery (for Eden) and I thought the author hit the right notes on the couple times she chose to include on the page.
April 2, 2023
This book is the book the perfect book for the fangirls out there. I love how Lacey build the relationship : chemistry is here right from the start and Eden's body knew before her mind that she was attracted to Anna.
Then they connect on an emotional level and the fireworks come. For us and Eden. Anna is like the perfect queer representation saying all the words anyone going through a coming out should hear. Eden's journey to figuring herself out was well written, I personally relate a lot, and I am glad she got Anna to help her. It's like she was blind all her life, found sight with Anna and want to embrace it totally. The first 90% of the book was perfect.
When I read a romance, there is a part of me totally aware that there will be some unrealistic things in there, but I am here for it and I don't care. The other part of me is down to earth and think : that would never happen irl. So when the final fight came, as it usually does in Lacey's novel, I was really mad because it came so late in the book and didn't let me time to recover. And because of that, the realistic part of me took the lead in the end of the book. Rolling my eyes to how fast they make it public, not thinking for a second about their careers, before they even have the chance to process their couple outside tour. But then I thought : damn it! I am thinking like Eden at the beginning of the story! With a really sweet ending this book will be a perfect feel good light read for a lot of sapphic lovers
Then they connect on an emotional level and the fireworks come. For us and Eden. Anna is like the perfect queer representation saying all the words anyone going through a coming out should hear. Eden's journey to figuring herself out was well written, I personally relate a lot, and I am glad she got Anna to help her. It's like she was blind all her life, found sight with Anna and want to embrace it totally. The first 90% of the book was perfect.
When I read a romance, there is a part of me totally aware that there will be some unrealistic things in there, but I am here for it and I don't care. The other part of me is down to earth and think : that would never happen irl. So when the final fight came, as it usually does in Lacey's novel, I was really mad because it came so late in the book and didn't let me time to recover. And because of that, the realistic part of me took the lead in the end of the book. Rolling my eyes to how fast they make it public, not thinking for a second about their careers, before they even have the chance to process their couple outside tour. But then I thought : damn it! I am thinking like Eden at the beginning of the story! With a really sweet ending this book will be a perfect feel good light read for a lot of sapphic lovers
April 25, 2023
I’m a sucker for a good celebrity romance, add in a sexual awakening and I was in book heaven. Both of the MCs were so likable, which made the book that much better.
Eden coming to terms with her feelings towards Anna and coming out were written to perfection. Then there was Anna. The way she knew exactly how to be with Eden and got her to come out of her shell showed the true love she felt for her.
And finally, the communication. It was so refreshing reading a book where the communication was never a problem. The one small lack of was resolved just as quickly as it happened.
Absolutely loved this book! The emotions, the pining, and the moment they finally got together, so f*cking good.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Eden coming to terms with her feelings towards Anna and coming out were written to perfection. Then there was Anna. The way she knew exactly how to be with Eden and got her to come out of her shell showed the true love she felt for her.
And finally, the communication. It was so refreshing reading a book where the communication was never a problem. The one small lack of was resolved just as quickly as it happened.
Absolutely loved this book! The emotions, the pining, and the moment they finally got together, so f*cking good.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 15, 2023
Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey is an opposites attract, age gap, celeb romance that you don’t want to miss.
This book is just gorgeous. It’s one of those books that draws you in from the first page and continues to draw you deeper until your lost in the story, it’s 2am, your eyes are blurry and you get mad because you can’t carry on reading!
Eden and Anna are EVERYTHING, oh how I adore this couple.
Eden isn’t having the best year. She’s now divorced from her husband, her record and concert ticket sales are lower than they’ve ever been and her inspiration isn’t what it was. When her team suggest she invites hot young Pop Star Anna Moss to join her on stage at the Grammys Eden is less than happy. She doesn’t need some young pop star to boost her popularity, does she?
Eden has been Anna’s idol and celebrity crush for years, and even though Anna is now a rising pop star herself she is still in awe and star struck by her teen idol. When Anna gets a call to sing with Eden at the Grammys, yes actually sing on stage with her idol she is both off the charts excited and utterly nervous, but there’s no way she going to let that get in the way of her dream.
After their performance goes viral Eden realises just how much they can help each other. She invites Anna to open for her on her upcoming world tour.
The more time Eden spends with Anna, the more confusing her feelings become. Eden is straight, isn’t she? But Anna is kind, warm and friendly and should her belly flutter this much when she’s around? With their fans ‘shipping them as #Edanna it’s not long until Eden realises that maybe what she’s feeling isn’t just friendship, just maybe Eden isn’t as straight as she thought she was.
Oh how I adore this book. This is the best celeb romance I’ve read since Breaking Character by Lee Winter. I literally couldn’t put it down and then after I read it I listened to the audio, it’s just that good.
What I love most about this book is the balance between the characters. Yes this is an age gap and yes Eden has far more professional experience than Anna but, even though Anna is younger her life experience is greater than Edens. Eden has lived her life in the public eye from her teens. She hasn’t had the chance to grow and explore life and Anna is only to happy to show her what she’s been missing.
These ladies complement each other perfectly. They each bring something to the relationship that the other needs and I love that. There was no point in this book that I thought they didn’t belong together, they are meant to be and have found each other at exactly the right time in their lives.
There are obviously ups and downs as there are in any relationship and there is a part where I got really mad at one of the MCs but Lacey gave these characters a great foundation of communication and it didn’t take long to resolve the issue. I truly appreciated this because I don’t enjoy conflict that can be resolved with a simple conversation.
This book is a sweet low anguish romance that will leave you feeling elated, hot under the collar and thoroughly satisfied .
The writing is brilliant, I heard the songs, I felt the anticipation and I got lost in the atmosphere. I re-read parts because they were so beautiful and I never wanted this book to end.
This Author grows with every book she releases and this is definitely her best so far. She has created characters that are complex and relatable, who will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading.
I can’t rave enough about this book and if celeb romances are your thing then this is one you’ll want to read, even if you’re not a celeb romance fan give it ago because this story is divine.
Five stars plus more stars from me it’s beautiful.
This book is just gorgeous. It’s one of those books that draws you in from the first page and continues to draw you deeper until your lost in the story, it’s 2am, your eyes are blurry and you get mad because you can’t carry on reading!
Eden and Anna are EVERYTHING, oh how I adore this couple.
Eden isn’t having the best year. She’s now divorced from her husband, her record and concert ticket sales are lower than they’ve ever been and her inspiration isn’t what it was. When her team suggest she invites hot young Pop Star Anna Moss to join her on stage at the Grammys Eden is less than happy. She doesn’t need some young pop star to boost her popularity, does she?
Eden has been Anna’s idol and celebrity crush for years, and even though Anna is now a rising pop star herself she is still in awe and star struck by her teen idol. When Anna gets a call to sing with Eden at the Grammys, yes actually sing on stage with her idol she is both off the charts excited and utterly nervous, but there’s no way she going to let that get in the way of her dream.
After their performance goes viral Eden realises just how much they can help each other. She invites Anna to open for her on her upcoming world tour.
The more time Eden spends with Anna, the more confusing her feelings become. Eden is straight, isn’t she? But Anna is kind, warm and friendly and should her belly flutter this much when she’s around? With their fans ‘shipping them as #Edanna it’s not long until Eden realises that maybe what she’s feeling isn’t just friendship, just maybe Eden isn’t as straight as she thought she was.
Oh how I adore this book. This is the best celeb romance I’ve read since Breaking Character by Lee Winter. I literally couldn’t put it down and then after I read it I listened to the audio, it’s just that good.
What I love most about this book is the balance between the characters. Yes this is an age gap and yes Eden has far more professional experience than Anna but, even though Anna is younger her life experience is greater than Edens. Eden has lived her life in the public eye from her teens. She hasn’t had the chance to grow and explore life and Anna is only to happy to show her what she’s been missing.
These ladies complement each other perfectly. They each bring something to the relationship that the other needs and I love that. There was no point in this book that I thought they didn’t belong together, they are meant to be and have found each other at exactly the right time in their lives.
There are obviously ups and downs as there are in any relationship and there is a part where I got really mad at one of the MCs but Lacey gave these characters a great foundation of communication and it didn’t take long to resolve the issue. I truly appreciated this because I don’t enjoy conflict that can be resolved with a simple conversation.
This book is a sweet low anguish romance that will leave you feeling elated, hot under the collar and thoroughly satisfied .
The writing is brilliant, I heard the songs, I felt the anticipation and I got lost in the atmosphere. I re-read parts because they were so beautiful and I never wanted this book to end.
This Author grows with every book she releases and this is definitely her best so far. She has created characters that are complex and relatable, who will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading.
I can’t rave enough about this book and if celeb romances are your thing then this is one you’ll want to read, even if you’re not a celeb romance fan give it ago because this story is divine.
Five stars plus more stars from me it’s beautiful.
April 10, 2024
4.5⭐️
I loved everything about this story, the MCs, the supporting cast, especially the feisty Nelle, the setting, the emotions, the pacing, and the love story. Wonderfully written by Rachel Lacey, who is becoming more and more my favorite romance author with every book I read by her.
I loved everything about this story, the MCs, the supporting cast, especially the feisty Nelle, the setting, the emotions, the pacing, and the love story. Wonderfully written by Rachel Lacey, who is becoming more and more my favorite romance author with every book I read by her.
Want to read
October 6, 2023pan/sapphic rep w age gap?!!!IM SO IN🏃🏼♀️💨
October 8, 2023
A good story, well written: liked the chemistry with each main characters entourage. Would love to hear more about Kyrie… Recommended.
November 10, 2023
WIEDZIAŁAM, ŻE TO MI SIĘ SPODOBA!!
zaczęłam bardzo spontanicznie (choć planowałam ten tytuł od dawna) i to była wspaniała decyzja 🥹
{ zarys fabularny: Główna bohaterka - Eden - jest piosenkarką z ponad 20 letnim stażem scenicznym, której kariera zaczęła się, gdy ta miała niespełna 16 lat. Po tak długim czasie muzykowania i koncertowania kobieta niestety zaczyna tracić zainteresowanie odbiorców na rzecz nowych gwiazd muzyki. Przegrana nagrody Grammy wcale temu nie pomaga…
I TUTAJ NA SCENĘ WCHODZI ŚWIEŻA, WSCHODZĄCA GWIAZDA POP - ANNA MOSS✨
Branżowa ekipa Eden radzi jej, by ta zaproponowała Annie współpracę muzyczną, na której obydwie by wiele zyskały (Eden mogłaby trafić do młodszej widowni, a Anna występowałaby z legendą sceniczną i swoją ogromną idolką z dzieciństwa).
Nikt jednak nie spodziewa się, że z tej czysto biznesowej, scenicznej współpracy może narodzić się coś totalnie innego. A już szczególnie nie spodziewają się tego sama Eden i Anna… }
I’M. IN. LOVE.
• pięknie poprowadzona i rozwinięta relacja pomiędzy bohaterkami (nawet lekki slowburn!)
• wlw z kind of age gap’em
• wątek show-biznesu, kariery muzycznej, presji związanej z popularnością od najmłodszych lat
• CAŁĄ MUZYCZNA OPRAWA, koncertowanie, opisy wszystkich emocji estradowych
• duuuużo fangirlowania i shipowania
• jeden z moich fav elementów - temat coming out’u w „późniejszym” wieku
• kontrastowość charakterów zewnętrznych i wewnętrznych w związku
• ogólnie świetnie wykreowane postaci!!
• wciągająca bez opamiętania fabuła
• bardzo prosty i przyjemny język angielski
zaczęłam bardzo spontanicznie (choć planowałam ten tytuł od dawna) i to była wspaniała decyzja 🥹
{ zarys fabularny: Główna bohaterka - Eden - jest piosenkarką z ponad 20 letnim stażem scenicznym, której kariera zaczęła się, gdy ta miała niespełna 16 lat. Po tak długim czasie muzykowania i koncertowania kobieta niestety zaczyna tracić zainteresowanie odbiorców na rzecz nowych gwiazd muzyki. Przegrana nagrody Grammy wcale temu nie pomaga…
I TUTAJ NA SCENĘ WCHODZI ŚWIEŻA, WSCHODZĄCA GWIAZDA POP - ANNA MOSS✨
Branżowa ekipa Eden radzi jej, by ta zaproponowała Annie współpracę muzyczną, na której obydwie by wiele zyskały (Eden mogłaby trafić do młodszej widowni, a Anna występowałaby z legendą sceniczną i swoją ogromną idolką z dzieciństwa).
Nikt jednak nie spodziewa się, że z tej czysto biznesowej, scenicznej współpracy może narodzić się coś totalnie innego. A już szczególnie nie spodziewają się tego sama Eden i Anna… }
I’M. IN. LOVE.
• pięknie poprowadzona i rozwinięta relacja pomiędzy bohaterkami (nawet lekki slowburn!)
• wlw z kind of age gap’em
• wątek show-biznesu, kariery muzycznej, presji związanej z popularnością od najmłodszych lat
• CAŁĄ MUZYCZNA OPRAWA, koncertowanie, opisy wszystkich emocji estradowych
• duuuużo fangirlowania i shipowania
• jeden z moich fav elementów - temat coming out’u w „późniejszym” wieku
• kontrastowość charakterów zewnętrznych i wewnętrznych w związku
• ogólnie świetnie wykreowane postaci!!
• wciągająca bez opamiętania fabuła
• bardzo prosty i przyjemny język angielski
August 10, 2024
4 Stars for Stars Collide (audiobook) by Rachel Lacey read by Quinn Riley.
It was fun watching these two pop stars realize that not only could their careers help each other out but they also needed each other personally.
It was fun watching these two pop stars realize that not only could their careers help each other out but they also needed each other personally.
August 5, 2025
WOW! This book was just soooo good!! I absolutely loved this age gap romance between two singers who join up for a tour to help boost each of their careers.
Anna is a young, out pansexual rising star, while Eden is a divorced older woman trying to make a comeback. Together the two strike up a great friendship and Eden starts to really question the things she's always thought about herself as her feelings towards Anna become increasingly more romantic.
The representation in this book was so well done and important! I loved seeing an older woman discover her sexuality and realize the things she had thought about herself forever just weren't really true. Conversations when she 'comes out' to herself and Anna as a lesbian (as well as her ex husband) were incredible and sensitively handled and just felt very natural.
Highly, HIGHLY recommended especially for fans of authors like Meryl Wilsner or books like I kissed a girl Jennet Alexander. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This was also good on audio narrated by Quinn Riley.
CW: toxic/emotionally abusive past romantic relationship, toxic parental relationships
Anna is a young, out pansexual rising star, while Eden is a divorced older woman trying to make a comeback. Together the two strike up a great friendship and Eden starts to really question the things she's always thought about herself as her feelings towards Anna become increasingly more romantic.
The representation in this book was so well done and important! I loved seeing an older woman discover her sexuality and realize the things she had thought about herself forever just weren't really true. Conversations when she 'comes out' to herself and Anna as a lesbian (as well as her ex husband) were incredible and sensitively handled and just felt very natural.
Highly, HIGHLY recommended especially for fans of authors like Meryl Wilsner or books like I kissed a girl Jennet Alexander. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This was also good on audio narrated by Quinn Riley.
CW: toxic/emotionally abusive past romantic relationship, toxic parental relationships
October 19, 2025
EDIT (19/10/2025)
Okay, first of all - I love this book with my whole heart and it's still one of my favorites (top 4)
I literally just finished it a few hours ago and I already want to read it again.
I enjoyed it more during my first read but I feel like that's the case majority of the time.
However, I remember not liking the whole conflict thing towards the end the first time around, but this time it pissed me off honestly.
But besides that I love everything about it.
The characters, especially Anna, are some of my favorites and they're just so cute.
I'd read a 1.000 page book about them.
#Edanna4Ever
(17/08/2024)
I loved everything about this.
Definitely one of my favorites now.
I just wish it was a little longer since a lot happened in the last chapters.
I already really loved "Cover Story" and thought it couldn't get better but I was proven wrong.
Can't wait to read more books by the author.
Okay, first of all - I love this book with my whole heart and it's still one of my favorites (top 4)
I literally just finished it a few hours ago and I already want to read it again.
I enjoyed it more during my first read but I feel like that's the case majority of the time.
However, I remember not liking the whole conflict thing towards the end the first time around, but this time it pissed me off honestly.
But besides that I love everything about it.
The characters, especially Anna, are some of my favorites and they're just so cute.
I'd read a 1.000 page book about them.
#Edanna4Ever
(17/08/2024)
I loved everything about this.
Definitely one of my favorites now.
I just wish it was a little longer since a lot happened in the last chapters.
I already really loved "Cover Story" and thought it couldn't get better but I was proven wrong.
Can't wait to read more books by the author.
Want to read
May 23, 2023A WLW STORY WITH MY NAME IN IT ??? SIGN MY ASS UP 🫂
April 30, 2024
3.75 stars.
February 17, 2023
4.5⭐
this book was so. freaking. cute! ever since reading 'Something to Talk About' by meryl wilsner last year, i had been searching for something similar.
'stars collide' is about two pop stars. eden sands has been in the business for 20 years, she started when she was just 16 years old. after her divorce, she has kind of lost her spark and the sales of her latest album aren't the best. her team suggests she parter up with up and coming pop star anna moss for a duet at the grammy's. anna was cast on a teen show when she was 22 and is struggeling to get rid of that 'teen' image. anna is openly pansexual (and a vegan!) and has idolized eden her entire life. after their succesful grammy performance, eden invites anna to be her opening act on tour. while on tour, they grow closer and closer together!
tropes:
🏳️🌈 sapphic romance
🎤 pop stars
🔥 slow burn
👀 dual pov
👭 friends to lovers
9️⃣ age gap (9 years)
i absolutely loved that eden was discovering herself and her sexuality. anna was so supportive to her! the writing style is great and i was really flying through the story. there are a few spicy scenes at the end, which i also enjoyed! but just how these two characters bonded and grew slowly towards each other was amazing. highly recommend this book! 💖
thank you netgalley for this eARC!
this book was so. freaking. cute! ever since reading 'Something to Talk About' by meryl wilsner last year, i had been searching for something similar.
'stars collide' is about two pop stars. eden sands has been in the business for 20 years, she started when she was just 16 years old. after her divorce, she has kind of lost her spark and the sales of her latest album aren't the best. her team suggests she parter up with up and coming pop star anna moss for a duet at the grammy's. anna was cast on a teen show when she was 22 and is struggeling to get rid of that 'teen' image. anna is openly pansexual (and a vegan!) and has idolized eden her entire life. after their succesful grammy performance, eden invites anna to be her opening act on tour. while on tour, they grow closer and closer together!
tropes:
🏳️🌈 sapphic romance
🎤 pop stars
🔥 slow burn
👀 dual pov
👭 friends to lovers
9️⃣ age gap (9 years)
i absolutely loved that eden was discovering herself and her sexuality. anna was so supportive to her! the writing style is great and i was really flying through the story. there are a few spicy scenes at the end, which i also enjoyed! but just how these two characters bonded and grew slowly towards each other was amazing. highly recommend this book! 💖
thank you netgalley for this eARC!
December 27, 2025
➥ 5 stars ⋆˚࿔
this was so adorable oh my god😭😭😭😭 the ending was so perfect. i’m so glad my girls got what they deserved 💝💝💝 now i can’t wait to read the deleted scenes!!! and cover story for taylor’s story🤭
➥ things i loved :
- the htgawm references!!!!! they probably seemed meaningless to people who haven’t seen the show but as someone who HAS seen it, they were EVERYTHING
- Vilanelle the cat 😭😭😭😭 so adorable
- them touring together. yes, i know, it was the whole point of the book. but it was just so perfect that i felt like i should mention it here!!!
- overall just the idea of two major superstars falling in love with each other
- Anna being there for Eden while she figured out her sexuality 💝
- their time off in vermont!! it really was the perfect opportunity to develop their relationship
➥ favorite quotes :
“Gorgeous older women in a position of authority have always been your catnip.”
— anna was so real for that
“I finally felt it… the need to kiss someone more than I needed air. I felt that. For you.”
“I couldn’t bear it if this was the end for us, Eden. You’re the love of my life.”
“I feel like I was waiting for you, even before we met,” she whispered. “I waited my whole life for you.”
➥ highlights & more (total) :
- 1110 highlights
- 138 notes
- 7 bookmarks
this was so adorable oh my god😭😭😭😭 the ending was so perfect. i’m so glad my girls got what they deserved 💝💝💝 now i can’t wait to read the deleted scenes!!! and cover story for taylor’s story🤭
➥ things i loved :
- the htgawm references!!!!! they probably seemed meaningless to people who haven’t seen the show but as someone who HAS seen it, they were EVERYTHING
- Vilanelle the cat 😭😭😭😭 so adorable
- them touring together. yes, i know, it was the whole point of the book. but it was just so perfect that i felt like i should mention it here!!!
- overall just the idea of two major superstars falling in love with each other
- Anna being there for Eden while she figured out her sexuality 💝
- their time off in vermont!! it really was the perfect opportunity to develop their relationship
➥ favorite quotes :
“Gorgeous older women in a position of authority have always been your catnip.”
— anna was so real for that
“I finally felt it… the need to kiss someone more than I needed air. I felt that. For you.”
“I couldn’t bear it if this was the end for us, Eden. You’re the love of my life.”
“I feel like I was waiting for you, even before we met,” she whispered. “I waited my whole life for you.”
➥ highlights & more (total) :
- 1110 highlights
- 138 notes
- 7 bookmarks
June 4, 2023
I have a fondness for the genre…Celebrity age gap romance where both are celebrities in their own right, one of whom is a pansexual and another who ain’t that straight after all..
4 ⭐️
4 ⭐️
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