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Where Our Stars Align

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"Sometimes I wonder if I tore myself open, would the wound glow with all the nights I spent wanting him?"

Emma and Ben were never supposed to meet again. Not after their tragic fallout. Not after she married for safety, and he spent years convincing himself she wasn’t the only thing he ever really wanted.

She writes stories to keep herself from falling apart. He is a dangerously magnetic doctor who saves strangers, but has never figured out how to save himself from her since they were teenagers.

And once again, the universe refuses to let them forget they’re written in each other’s bones. So when Ben returns to San Francisco, moving just one floor above Emma, the spark they buried turns to wildfire. But the timing is catastrophic, and they have to accept that someone is going to get hurt…

Where Our Stars Align is an angsty, steamy romance that deals with second chances, forced proximity, and a forbidden desire. Book one of a series; book two releases in 2026.

Contains emotionally intense themes, mutual obsession, explicit sexual scenes, strong language, and infidelity. It's for 18+ readers who like their romance messier and all-consuming.

637 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 14, 2025

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About the author

Christina Mach

1 book18 followers
Christina Mach is an author of angsty, steamy romance.
A former musician turned storyteller, she's often inspired by her belief in wild soulmates and her tendency to overanalyze... well, everything.

She loves urban nightlife, cars on highways at 3 am with windows open, boujee lifestyle (secretly-not-so-secretly), and characters that are far from perfect—that's where her stories are born.

She writes for people who feel like too much and not enough at the same time. Who highlight books. Who want tenderness, but also obsession. Who cry at sunsets and get emotionally attached to song lyrics.

When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her beloved husband, taking photos no one else sees the meaning in, or reading Carl Jung.

Currently based in London.

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5 stars
84 (51%)
4 stars
53 (32%)
3 stars
18 (11%)
2 stars
7 (4%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
Profile Image for taylor ୨୧.
256 reviews274 followers
February 19, 2026
5 ⭐️ coming back to change my rating to 5 stars because i have not stopped thinking about this.

4.5 ⭐️

is this a god tier? oh my god. ANOTHER HIDDEN GEM. this pulled me out of an almost month long slump and hooked me within the first chapter. there’s nothing like an angsty, toxic, contemporary romance that’s going to reel me in and have me wanting to throw it across the room. both characters frustrated me to no end but GOD were they intoxicating. their tension and love for each other shined through the pages. i need the next book immediately.
Profile Image for cloud_9_reads.
263 reviews31 followers
January 26, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ Where Our Stars Align is an emotional romance that leans into bad timing, fated connections, and a kind of love that never fully fades…even when life moves on.

Ben and Emma have instant chemistry when they first meet, but neither is in a place to pursue it, so they set those feelings aside and try to be “just friends.” Years later, they cross paths again, only now they’re living very different lives with new partners, and carrying unresolved feelings they never quite left behind.

What follows is a messy, emotionally charged reconnection filled with longing, internal conflict, and the pull of a relationship that feels unfinished. This isn’t a neat or easy love story. It embraces emotional complexity and morally gray areas with flawed, very human characters making imperfect choices.

This is the kind of romance that lingers, long after you finish the last page. (As always, please check the TW before reading)
Profile Image for Rita Grande.
44 reviews1 follower
March 3, 2026
I need to emotionally recover after Where Our Stars Align by Christina Mach… because that ending? RUDE. Devastating. Unfair. And completely unforgettable.

This book lulls you into this tender, aching, slow-burn connection. You watch these characters build something fragile and beautiful layer by layer, conversation by conversation, glance by glance. Their chemistry isn’t explosive in a dramatic way; it’s intimate. It’s in the quiet understanding, the almost confessions, the moments where you can feel them fighting their own hearts.

And just when you think you understand where the story is heading… the rug gets pulled out from under you.

That cliffhanger isn’t just a “to be continued.” It’s an emotional gut punch. It leaves you suspended in that painful space between hope and heartbreak. Questions unanswered. Feelings unresolved. Your heart completely exposed.

What makes it worse (in the best way) is how invested you are by the time it happens. You don’t just want answers you need them. You’re already attached. Already rooting. Already believing these two are written in the stars… and then suddenly you’re left staring at the last page like, “That’s it?!”

Christina Mach knew exactly what she was doing.

This story is tender, angsty, and beautifully written but go in prepared. You will not get neat closure. You’ll get longing. You’ll get emotional turmoil. And you’ll immediately need the next book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Five stars for the slow burn, the ache… and the audacity of that cliffhanger.

Desperately need the next book ASAP !!!!
Profile Image for Manuela.
304 reviews1 follower
February 12, 2026
4.7⭐️No like i’m actually sick that ending was DIABOLICAL. i need the next book like i need air. This was an angsty toxic right person wrong time emotional rollercoaster. The two main characters Emma and Ben go through a traumatic ride of finding each-other again after their long tension filled history, while they are both married mind you. This is a second chance romance done in the most insane way possible. My ONLY complaint and why this isn’t 5⭐️is the way the cheating trope was handled wasn’t my favorite, and how it just felt like so much stuff was happening (relating to their relationship) it started to feel kind of like it was just for shock factor.

This genuinely had me gripping the edge of my seat, every moment I was glued to the page wondering what was going to happen next. I hated these characters in so many moments of the book, but then I loved them so much and felt like I could feel their pain and yearning. That just made me even more obsessed with this story. Ben and Emma have the most explosive chemistry and everything that happens in this book just tears them away from eachother. I keep checking kindle over and over to see if the next book just spawns like checking the fridge for food that isn’t there 🙂 no i’m fine IM FINE.

Plot:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Characters: 🕺🕺🕺🕺
Romance:🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Profile Image for Bridgette.
4 reviews26 followers
March 13, 2026
6 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟!!!!!!!!!! The best book I’ve read in a long time. I can’t believe this is a debut by this author. Her writing was beautiful. The story unfolded like a movie. The love of Emma and Ben will stay with me for a while….

The only bad thing about this book is the hangover it’s left me in. This is why I love to read.
Profile Image for Larissa Canassa.
283 reviews69 followers
July 4, 2026
Soooo many wrong things in this. But you know when you hate something but can’t look away? That was me
Profile Image for Alexandria.
Author 3 books37 followers
February 5, 2026
I went into this book knowing only one thing: the MMC has chest hair (he does and it’s glorious).

Wow 😮‍💨 this was messy—but in the good way—the characters aren’t perfect people, they don’t always do the right thing and they don’t magically have everything “turn out fine”. That made it feel almost a little too real 😅🫠 I spent at least 80% of this book like this 😳 and 100% of it was on the edge of my seat waiting and waiting to see what happened next. If you’ve never experienced a messy love, maybe you won’t get it, but jfc 😭

I totally thought this was going to be a stand-alone, and was SHATTERED by it, BUT! It’s not! So good news, their story isn’t over (and we’re getting Ben’s POV in book two?!?!?) and the bad news, it’s not in my hands right now 😭

35 reviews
February 27, 2026
Not sure if I loved it or hated it

I don't know if I loved this book or hated it. I started getting annoyed with all of the dancing around each other Ben and Emma were doing and thought for sure they were finally getting it figured out. Part of me wanted to throw my Kindle across the room and the other part can't wait to find out if they ever make it.
8 reviews
February 27, 2026
fabulous read!

Cried my eyes out and stayed up all night as I couldn’t put the book down and I didn’t want this story to end!

True GEM of an author. Thank you.

Read it! You won’t regret it. I can’t wait for book 2
2 reviews
February 6, 2026
Absolutely addictive!

This book sucked me in so quick..the tension, heat..spice 10/10 Ben became a top book boyfriend after a couple chapters. The love story is a rollercoaster but soooo worth the ride! I cannot wait for book 2! For a serial reader its been one of the best ive read over the past year.
Profile Image for Anete Štelle.
Author 1 book7 followers
February 3, 2026
Why would I go when I have my girl here?
My heart stopped. I swear these two MCs had my heart on chokehold.
I'm not gonna lie, I hated them both in some scenes, but in reality, which one of us don't make mistakes when it comes to love?
This book is not the soft romance where everything clicks in places. It is an emotional roller-coaster where you want to scream at characters.
I drank this book up in 24 hours. Did I loose sleep? Hell yeah. But it was so worth it.
Oh, and the spice is spicing soo good.
I get why Emma did what she did at the end of the book. I would have done the same.
I'm so invested in their story.
If they don't get their HEA, I'll riot.
Profile Image for Alicia Madrigal.
56 reviews
February 2, 2026
where do I even start with this? Toxic, messy, unputdownable. I had my heart ripped out time and time again, completely obsessed! And to leave me on that cliff hanger? Illegal. Wow Ben and Emma ruined my weekend in the best way.

“Meet me where our stars align.”

I need book 2 like I need air. 😭
112 reviews2 followers
January 20, 2026
Flew through it.

I was intimidated by the length of this book, because I measure books based on how may other books I could have read, but with a day off, I dove in, and didn’t look back! This book tackles cheating, heartbreak, finding love, and losing. I didn’t expect there to be a second book, but I’m so excited for it to come out!
12 reviews
January 9, 2026
This book was perfection! It drew me in from the first page. The characters were developed to the point that you ached when they ached. The storyline never broke and was written in a way that you didn’t want to villainize Ben or Emma for the situation they got ended up in. Richard and Lisa were seen just enough to feel they deserved being treated poorly. The side characters were a perfect compliment to the main characters and the love journey thy were traveling. Highly recommend but have time to devour it because you will not want to put it down once you start.
Profile Image for Angela.
5 reviews
December 27, 2025
I devoured this book in a week. Need a “Ben” in my life!!
142 reviews
January 19, 2026
This was a great book, but I think it was too long to be a cliffhanger. I was so upset! I am happy at the fact that there next will be dual POV. I really need to see things from Ben's side.
Profile Image for Betsy.
453 reviews19 followers
February 1, 2026
"Sometimes I wonder if I tore myself open, would the wound glow with all the nights I spent wanting him?"

“You think telling me to stop makes me want to? Say you don’t feel it and I will.”

Where Our Stars Align is an angsty steamy romance that deals with second chances, forced proximity, and a forbidden desire. An emotional romance with bad timing, fated connections, and a kind of love that never fully fades - even when life moves on.


Emma and Ben were never supposed to meet again after their tragic fallout. She married for safety, and he spent years convincing himself she wasn’t the only thing he ever really wanted.

But, the universe refuses to let them forget they’re written in each other’s bones. So when Ben returns to San Francisco, moving just one floor above Emma, the spark they buried turns to wildfire. But the timing is catastrophic, and they have to accept that someone is going to get hurt…

Ben and Emma have instant chemistry when they first meet but due to circumstances decide to stay "just friends. After years, life has crossed their paths again- only life goes on and they have different lives with new partners- all while still having unresolved feelings they never quite left behind.

Insert- a messy, emotionally charged reconnection filled with longing, internal conflict, and the pull of a relationship that feels unfinished. Embracing emotional complexity and flawed human characters making imperfect choices with huge consequences/ implications.

This is the story of a romance that lingers long after you finish the last page.

I highly recommend this to readers who live a good dramatic romance full of emotion, unresolved feelings, and morally gray choices. These characters are human and leave you wondering and rationalizing their choices because no matter what they decide to do regardless someone gets hurt.

Please check your trigger warning!

Thanks to Christina Mach for the gifted ARC. These are my honest opinions.
10 reviews
April 25, 2026
I couldn’t put it down!!!

Wow! Just wow! What an ending(cliffhanger) I can’t wait for the next book! I loved Ben and Emma and their story… he did keep pissing me off when he kept leaving Emma so much to go to Lisa that was bullshit bc so many people have babies and are NOT together , I just don’t like that he didn’t stand up to tell Lisa “hey these are my plans” on Emma’s bday no he cancelled on Emma. And stayed with Lisa. So I felt like he did Emma dirty , I get he was torn but still. At the end I kinda wanted her to move on and date Julian give & Ben the middle finger but deep down I am rooting for them just he needs to wake up and get his head out of his ass! But this was a 5 star read for me! I love books like this that actually make you feel something! Oh and I did!
130 reviews
June 17, 2026
I have a few issues with this book. One: their “reason” for not speaking to each other was so stupid and literally felt like a middle schooler type of conflict. Not believable when they were supposed to be best friends for over a year at that point. Two: the cheating. They both are married and yet easily cheat on their spouses. He is so inappropriate with her from literally the second he sees her again. It’s giving serial cheater/huge asshole vibes. Another problem: they already start hooking up at 36 percent… like come on. Also although some spicy scenes were hot there were WAY too many of them. The last thing is the pregnancy from his wife and how the mmc got upset and then bought them baby clothes. Holy moly if I were the wife that was cheated on and then the other woman bought my baby clothes I would literally freak the F out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for sahltmarie.
118 reviews10 followers
April 14, 2026
Reading the first few chapters had me hooked, more so on Ben and Emma.

Their chemistry was off the charts from the moment they met, and they effortlessly put aside their feelings to become friends.

It took me aback, but the more I read, the harder it became to put the book down.

A few years later, both Ben and Emma are married, yet they still have unresolved feelings for each other.
The yearning they had for one another was intoxicating, and the story took me on a rollercoaster of emotions.

The cliffhanger at the end was unexpected and left me with a heavy heart.
I can’t wait to read more of Christina Mach’s writing. Christina Mach’s writing is truly remarkable.

Rating: 5⭐️
3🌶️
215 reviews5 followers
April 19, 2026
I didn't know what to expect when I started the book! By the end of it, it made me rethink so many assumptions I hold regarding cheating and soul mates! Also is any relationship after a fated one just a rebound to keep moving forward! I definitely don't feel sorry for Richard! He knew and he still pursued her, more his ego! Emma is a free spirit and I am so glad with the ending with regard to the other aspects of her life! But Ben, is he selfish / scared/ really in love with her, I never worked that bit out, as his whole family were supportive and he couldn't fully commit. I do hope their story doesn't end yet... but a thought provoking book exploring all the shades of grey in love!
41 reviews1 follower
May 5, 2026
Love a good angsty romance! I enjoyed every bit of this one. If you like books like A Love Letter To Whiskey or Maestro - this one’s a good one. It’s not as frustrating as B’s and Jamie’s story, but it’s just as good. The yearning, the blurred lines, the banter, the chaos… ALL. OF. IT. Chef’s kiss.

There’s a cliffhanger! Wish I’d known beforehand that this was just book 1 of Emma and Ben’s story, so that maybe I could have held off and waited for book 2 to be ready to read. But now I have to wait impatiently for the next one.

But I loved it! Even the spice was 👌🏽. It’s just the right amount - not over the top, not unnecessarily added just to have.

Definitely a good time.
Profile Image for Emerald Morhous.
103 reviews3 followers
June 12, 2026
"Still chasing stars?"
"Always."

Three years apart. Two wrong marriages. One love that returns as fire 🔥

Emma and Ben's story was filled with yearning, tension, and forbidden desires. But beyond the 'forbidden' aspect, these two characters actually act on their true feelings and take their own fate back into their hands, rather than just living the lives they got "stuck" in. I really enjoyed that Ben wanted Emma to be herself, dress how she wanted to, and that he reads all of her books 🥰 in addition to making her homemade freaking cannolis!!! Like what?!

Overall, I think it was written, gripping, and could be relatable for many readers.

What you can expect:

💖 Forbidden Romance
💖 Italian MMC
💖 Pool & Rooftop meetups
💖 Infidelity x Secrets
💖 Music festival
💖 He makes her Cannolis

🌶🌶🌶/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for megan.
93 reviews
June 23, 2026
guys my chest was physically aching for the last 10% of this book like it HURTTTTT

if i was the fmc in that position, i would never in a million years be able to stay, so i loved that she chose to walk away too.

i know they’ll work it out and get their happy ending, but i really hope he grovels for it…. even though he technically didn’t do anything wrong????

regardless i will be seated for book 2 bc these characters made me so angry and i loved every minute of it
Profile Image for what_megs_read.
148 reviews
March 24, 2026
Whaaaat!!! Don’t cheat on your husband’s folks!! Bloody hell what a ride this book is!

Now is it a brilliant book? Probably not no, I’d actually say it’s quite OTT and toxic but did that make for a great reading experience? Absolutely!!! To say the book is 627 pages, I flew through it as I just couldn’t put it down!

Can’t wait for the next one now!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kelly Rae.
25 reviews1 follower
March 26, 2026
I absolutely loved this book. It felt like it could be real life with real problems and issues. Emma and Ben’s story just completely captivated me and I cannot wait to read more of their story! I was very sad when the book ended because I just wanted to keep reading them!
Great job to Christina Mach, for a debut novel, it’s beautiful!
Profile Image for Ilaria Savarese.
2 reviews
June 9, 2026
This book had me in a chokehold. It made me laugh, smile, cry. It was one heck of a rollercoaster and I loved every minute of the journey. We need to talk about that cliffhanger though😩 I will be thinking of Ben and Emma for the foreseeable. Keep writing Christina because I will absolutely read every single piece of literature you produce🫶🏼
Profile Image for Lissbeth Bayona.
107 reviews
March 31, 2026
omg this book had me hooked. I swear these characters feel so real to me? It kept me on my toes and although they pissed me off so much I wanted what was best for them 🥲 by the end all that was playing in my head was All Too Well 10 min version. can’t wait for the next book !!!
Profile Image for Leanne Glover.
66 reviews1 follower
April 26, 2026
I actually don't even know where to start with this one.

What a read this was! If I could give it 1000 stars I would.

I never knew what was coming next! I can't wait to read the sequel when it's ready!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews