‘WRITTEN IN THE STARS’: Bittersweet Contemporary Indie with Hopeful Underpinnings

Unlike anything I’ve ever read before, Written in the Stars is an emotional story showered in the quiet joys of finding hope.

STORY: Tragedy is about to touch the life of Holly Christian. Her fiancé just died in a freak motorcycle accident, something she learns when the sheriff drives up the gravel road to deliver the devastating news. All around her in the “backroads” town where she lives, everyone offers sympathetic looks and a kind word. Through the haze, Holly feels one emotion: guilt. She hasn’t even cried, a reaction Holly knows isn’t normal. Instead all she remembers are Chad’s whispered words… and the looks she’ll get if the truth comes out.

Coinciding with these changes is the return of Brooke Langdon. Returning to Hope Canyon, all she drags with her is a world weary attitude. It’s time she prepares her grandmother’s home for selling, but her past isn’t ready to let her off so easily. Instead, returning to this town of dirt roads, and fewer people, brings up memories. One of whom is Gatlin Moore.

Written in the Stars, by Christina Coryell | Book Review

Prior to reading ‘Stars,’ I hadn’t read any of this authors books. They always popped up in my searches and stuck with me because of their brightly colored covers, but until now, they hadn’t shown up on my “read” shelf. When the opportunity to read this one arose, I remembered one of Coryell’s novels does sit on my shelf, which ignited the excitement for this story.  Discovering new stories is one of my favorite opportunities as a book blogger, especially when it’s in my favored genre. Because of this, reading Written in the Stars and discovering the story it has to tell is a lovely experience.

Inside these pages lies a story driven by emotions and themes of one’s past defining their character and future. Not all of which results in good memories or happiness. The characters influenced by these emotions feel very real. They’re “ordinary” people struggling with ordinary problems and complications. Each of the characters is splintered in some way. The four-person POV helps strengthen these underpinnings as the reader learns more about these people, their stories and the what or who keeps them going.

One of the lighter direction changes is the unexpected “road trip” angle. This is one “twist” I didn’t see coming, but found to be a neat addition and therapeutic for its characters. Unlike anything I’ve ever read before, Written in the Stars is an emotional story showered in the quiet joys of finding hope. When you think small town, you think cozy vibes and cheerful chatter. This story takes a different approach in its more complex themes and nature. 

It’s a story about reinventing yourself and seeking what’s missing. It’s about spontaneity. There’s a story about healing and a story of reconciling what’s past, and looking for the better tomorrow, the better you. And it’s a story that has so much yet to impart when these characters return in Coryell’s follow up novel, Written in the Dust. ♥

ABOUT the BOOK

Author: Christina Coryell
Publisher: Indie Published
Publication Date: 2017
Genre: Fiction; Contemporary Romance
Source: Rel’s Author Support (Author Street Team)
SHOP THE BOOK: Bookshop.org | Goodreads
FIND the REVIEW ELSEWHERE: Goodreads
Rating:

Sincere thanks to Rel and the author for providing an e-copy of this book.