Changing the Stars

by Emme Goode

Maevyn follows the rules. She has to, to keep her daughter safe. The biggest one no relationships. They’re too hard, and Maevyn has too many secrets that she’s not ready to share. Despite their fresh start in Heart City and a new job she loves, Maevyn’s mysterious past looms over every move she makes, making her realise she hasn’t really been living.

Still mending the wounds from his last relationship, Westley is determined not to rush into another one. He wants to take his time and wait for the right person for him. Enter Maevyn Day. Strong, feisty, independent, and hot as hell, Westley is powerless to fight the attraction between them. What’s more, he wants to know everything about her, determined to ease his way through the walls she’s built.

Forced to rely on the other for help, Westley and Maevyn start fake dating—him so he can avoid his ex at a wedding, and her so she can chaperone an event at her daughter’s fancy new school and prove they belong.

Six weeks of fake dating. Should be easy enough. But what neither of them anticipates is just how perfect they are for each other.



Fake Dating
Neighbours to Lovers
Single Mum
FMC with a Secret Past
Spicy to-do List
Only One Bed

395 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 10, 2026

Reviews

[Britt; footnotes+whimsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alpha. RTC closer to release date, which is TBD in 2026.

Tropes:
Single mom
Cinnamon roll MMC
Fake dating

[Jackie | acourtofcoffeeandspice]

Beta Read - another beautiful story that I absolutely CANNOT wait for you all to experience.

review & rating to come after ARC reread 🩷

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice - 🌶🌶🌶

Trope - single mom, fake dating, neighbours to lovers, FMC on the run, forced proximity, found family, he falls first, he reads (romance), one bed, pierced FMC, sassy FMC × Cinnamon Roll MMC, MMC has a vasectomy, strangers to lovers, spicy to-do list, touch her and know vibes, steamy, HEA
Bonus chapter - 1

Thank you, Emme, for providing me with the ARC of this book. I don't have enough words to explain how much I loved and devoured it. Emme came and took another 5-star rating from me! I honestly expected nothing less from her because she's one of those authors whose books I've rated five stars every single time. That really says a lot, doesn’t it?

I was hooked from page one. The writing, the delivery, everything was impeccable.

The first meeting, the side plot, the characters, everything was perfect from the get-go.

When I read book one after its release, I was so damn sure that West was gonna end up with Liv, but Emme surprised us all and gave him the BEST partner because OMFG MAEVYN. She was strong, daring, sassy, loving, sexy and just so much more. GIRL CRUSH Her chaotic energy was my Roman Empire!! I am her, she's me, because the similarities between us were uncanny.

Westley, on the other hand, was just perfect; he was kind, supportive, and understanding. If emotional intelligence were a person, it would have been Westley. That man knew how to express himself while also acknowledging others' emotions. He was a walking green flag. Oh, the way I loved and adored him and his bond with both Maevyn and Aurora. A man who also bakes and reads? This man was a whole damn package.

I love tatted MCs, and DAMN, Maev and West were HOT!! I was drooling all over them.

The fake dating side of the book was amazing, but the real dating side was phenomenal.

They were fire together because omg, the chemistry was sizzling and off the charts. From the top-tier banter to the tension and angst, I was not OKAY. Their love was poetically beautiful—the kind that makes you envision true love and want it. Oh, West and Maev, you'll always be the brightest star in the skies of Heart City.

Aurora was an amazing kid - confident, smart, sweet, talented and witty. I loved that kid.

West, Maev and Aurora were the perfect found family - each moment between them evoked a feeling of belonging and love.

Things I LOVED the most -
* My absolute favourite scenes were the text chains between the couple.
* Self-defence class flirting is my secret favourite micro-trope, and damn, these two turned up the heat by a LOT.
* The significance of vulnerability and trusting others was expressed most beautifully.
* I love a good found family trope, and this book topped that list.
* Patch, my cute fur-baby. He was a star 🐶🌟
___________

Emme always serves, and that includes spicy scenes because OMFG, why do the scenes keep getting hotter with each book? Maev and West might just top the spice charts - because OMG, it was hot in there.

The side characters, from Claire to Lee to Liv to Callie to West's parents, were all so sweet and supportive. I loved how everyone had a role in the story, but never once stole the limelight from the couple.

The ending was so satisfying and excellently crafted - I cried tears of joy for my lovely characters.

The teaser towards the end!!! OMFGGG, I was not expecting that, but I also CANNOT wait for our lovely Liv's story.

The best proposal award goes to Westley Andrews - I identify as a muddle for this man 🫠.

My love for epilogues is on a different level, and here we got not one but three wholesome ones, one of which was SPICYYY!

I kept coming back for more.
Devoured it.
Overall 5/5.

[Lara Oliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so… I don’t even know how to talk about this book without spoiling everything and it’s actually frustrating me because I want to tell you EVERYTHING but also absolutely NOTHING at the same time 😭😮‍💨

So let’s just start somewhere before I lose my mind.

This is Wesley’s book, right? And if you read the first one, you KNOW why I was confused going into this, because I was fully convinced this man was going to end up with someone else 👀 like I had already written the story in my head, I was like “yep, that’s it, makes sense,” 💃🏼😇💁🏼‍♀️

WELL… wrong… So wrong 💀😂😵‍💫

Because then Maevyn shows up, and from the second she appears you just KNOW something is off. Like she’s been running, she’s guarded, she’s not telling everything, but at the same time she has this energy??? Like she’s a whole little firecracker and I loved that immediately 😮‍💨🔥 and Wesley??? Don’t even get me started. He’s giving golden retriever energy but also lowkey touch-her-and-die vibes and I was SOLD 🫠

The teasing between these two ??? 😮‍💨🔥🫠🫠 panty dropping 🔥😮‍💨 And then they’re neighbors. With balconies that are way too close together. Like I’m sorry??? What did you expect me to do with that information other than lose my mind 😭

Don’t even get me started on what happens on those balconies 🫠🔥👀🫣

And then the story just keeps giving… single mom, forced proximity, fake dating 👀 that whole “do me a favor and I’ll do you one” situation??? Yeah no, I was GONE at that point 😮‍💨

The way Westley was with Aurora ?? Like GIRLLLL Why do you keep doing this to me 🥹🥹🥹🫠🤯 The date ?? The flowers ?? 🤐🤐🤐🤐

But what really got me is that there is actually so much going on in this book, like A LOT, and somehow it never feels overwhelming. Everything just builds and connects and you just keep reading because you NEED to know what’s going on. And the chemistry between them??? It’s not rushed, not painfully slow either, it’s just that perfect 🤩

“okay something is happening here and I don’t know how to deal with it” kind of feeling 🫠

Also Callie??? Loved her. That’s it. No explanation needed 🫶🏼

And there are things in this book I WISH I could talk about, like I am actually fighting for my life not to spoil anything right now 😭 because there’s this one connection (if you know, you KNOW 👀) that had me sitting there like 🤯 and now I NEED the next book. Like immediately. I am not above begging at this point 💀 Please tell me it’s about Liv 😭😭😭😭🙏🏼🙏🏼🧎🏼‍♀️‍➡️

Also this author??? Yeah… I’m obsessed. I’ve been reading all her books and now I’m reaching that point where I don’t even want to read the last one I have left because then it’s over and I don’t like that at all 😭

Anyway… five stars. Obviously 😮‍💨🔥

[Vic (novelsandnoodles) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful story of finding love after years of running from your past. Maevyn and Westley meet at a coffee shop where there are instant sparks between them. They then realise they are in fact neighbours and begin to get to know each other after Westley asks Maevyn to pretend to be his girlfriend in front of his ex. This leads to Maevyn asking him to reciprocate the offer to be her fake boyfriend to fend off the local sh I’ll mums and after weeks spent in each other’s company getting to know each other and pretending, things turn very real! Maevyn is very closed off, she’s never let anyone in because of her troubles past. She has a 12-year-old daughter called Aurora and they’ve spent the last 12 years running from something she’s kept buried deep down. But slowly Westley seems to be able to bring down her barriers and she allows him to see the real her. This man! This man is just pure sunshine, he’s a complete caretaker who finds Maevyn sexy but also he wants to protect her and her daughter. There might also be a spicy to-do list involved that he helps her tick off once he realises that there are certain things that she’s never done before! Maevyn, despite having a hidden past is sassy, a cool mum with tattoos and a septum piercing who I basically want to be when I grow up! She’s protective but also shows her softer side as Westley gets to know her better. She loves big and wholeheartedly and he doesn’t expect to not only fall in love with her but with her daughter too. As always this book was beautifully written, Emme has that way of making this a book you cannot put down! The spice was spicing, the connection and back story we’re excellent and I just couldn’t stop reading it and devoured it in under 24 hours. Beautiful.

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Katie Thayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ARC✨
Changing The Stars
By: Emme Goode

“You look pretty, by the way.”
“Is that you doing your neighbourly duty, too? Compliments?”
“Nah, that was the thief in me. Just wanted to steal your breath.”

“It’s no use wishing on a star for something better. If you want things to change, you have to make them. So, when I come out here every night, that’s what I’m looking for. All the ways I’m changing the stars. I look at them and reflect on all the things I’ve done to make sure I’m not in the same place I was before.”

I’ve never felt like this. Didn’t even know it was remotely possible. The way West makes my heart race is exciting; it makes me feel like I’m floating.

Oh this read.. man you have to read West and Maevyn’s story everyone! Maevyn is a single mom to her daughter, Aurora, and moving to a new town she has new neighbors. One neighbor who catches her attention and doesn’t give it back, is our man West! Maevyn doesn’t trust easily and seeing her let West in and giving West everything, oh my heart melted! And then melted again seeing West become so in love with both Maevyn and her daughter. He wants to be Maevyn’s partner and support. But Maevyn has a big secret she’s been keeping. So can these two overcome that secret? You have to read to find out!!! These two are absolutely perfectly precious! You will swoon so hard!

Thank you Emme, I am absolutely obsessed!

Tropes:
Fake Dating
Single Mom
Neighbors to Lovers
He Falls First
One Bed
Spicy to do List
FMC with a secret past
She’s pierced
Cinnamon Roll MMC

Spice starts at: 50%

Spice: 3/4
Stars: 5/5

Available on May 10th

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way I obsessed over Maevyn and Westley is probably a bit unhealthy. She’s new to Heart City, having moved there with her daughter while being constantly on the run, trying to hide and stay safe. Westly is a local constructionist who works with Leif, who happens to be dating Maevyn’s boss, Claire. The two continue to run into each other, and when they need a partner for different events (hers is a school trip and his a wedding) they agree to fake date for these events. From the beginning of this agreement though, it never felt like they were faking any of it. They get to know each other, he helps when Aurora is sick, and they have nightly chats on their decks. The two end up falling for each other, and after the wedding, decide that they don’t want to fake it anymore. Though truly, I’d argue they never were. They work through her spicy list, but he also proves that he is worth trusting despite all she’s been through. While it was lovely to see that both Westly and Aurora took the secret she was holding for all those years well, I was surprised that there was no conflict with it. Especially from Aurora. But knowing what all Maevyn went through, it probably just made the most sense to both parties as to why she held on to this secret. I wanted this book to last, so I tried really hard not to fly through it, though that was so difficult because of the just overall cuteness of the story. Even when she tried to push Westly away, he wasn’t going anywhere. Sure he gave her space, but he wasn’t going to just be done. Westly is truly the definition of a walking green flag. I couldn’t stop reading their story, even when I had to. I love the way Emme writes, and the way she brings these characters to life. I cannot wait for her next story.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow Changing the Stars was an incredibly rewarding!! This fake dating, single mum romance delivers an awesome HEA and really satisfying character development, especially for Maevyn. I loved all the main characters, including Westley (mmc) and Aurora (Mae's daughter) and side characters -- fun to see Claire and references to Heart City Billionaires characters, Liv (who I assume might get her HEA next?!) and West's family. This story illustrated how families all look different and there is freedom in vulnerability and trusting others. Maevyn's story isn't easy and it makes sense how she became such a whole person, guarded, protective, brave and daring. There was a lot to her that kept me coming back for more. Plus the way Emme writes spice that has me panting and swooning simultaneously; it's just everything all at once!!

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book and recommend it!

[Mascha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much Emme for letting me have an ARC again.

The tropes:
fake dating • single mum • neighbours to lovers • he falls first • one bed • spicy to-do list • FMC with a secret past • she's pierced • cinnamon roll MMC

Westley is my new favorite mmc in Emme’s books so far (Mason, I’m still waiting for you). West is THE definition of a green flag and you just can’t help but fall in love with him.

Maevyn and Aurora are such a cute mother and daughter duo. I absolutely loved them both! Maevyn is an incredibly strong woman and it’s amazing how she’s blossomed despite - or perhaps because of - all she’s been through. You can’t help but admire her and she’s a wonderful mother. Aurora certainly makes it easy for her, though, since she’s the sweetest daughter who is impossible not to love.

Unlike Emme's other books, the spice in this one doesn't really start until halfway through, but woooooow. It knocks you off your feet again! Emme is the queen of writing spicy romances!

[Nicke M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve had the opportunity to ARC read each of Emme’s books and they never disappoint. I really enjoyed Westley & Maevyn’s story. Westley is such a solid, standup, loving MMC. He shows up for Maevyn and her daughter Aurora pretty much right out the gate. Maevyn is a guarded, semi black cat FMC with a jaded past. This book has a little bit of suspense, quite a bit of spice, and throwbacks to characters from previous books which I always love. There were also some new characters which is exciting to think about how they may have their own stories someday soon too!

[sierra kiyota · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I will eat up a single parent romance every time. The way Westley took Maevyn and Aurora under his arms and cared for both of them melted my heart. This book had it all from single mom, fake dating, and a small town romance. I can’t wait to see what else Emme Goode has under her sleeve for us !

[Melinda]

BETA READ 💚

[Jess • bestiebookshelf_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so fun, vibes were ON POINT! Releasing early May! RTC!

[Amanda Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

RTC

[Annette wellstothebellsbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC