Perfect!

5 out of 5 stars

I have been looking forward to this book for months. Honestly, the second I saw it announced, it went straight on my wish list. I was secretly hoping Chelsea Stephens would return to narrate because I’ve loved hearing her bring Andie Burke’s stories to life. Not only did that happen, but the addition of Natalie Naudus elevated this audiobook even further. The two of them make an already wonderful story absolutely shine.

Burke writes in a way that feels incredibly warm and thoughtful, and this book is no exception. It’s a slow burn in all the right ways, a wholesome love story that doesn’t rush but instead lets you sit with every small moment. What I really loved here was the dichotomy between the rockstar and the librarian. Courtney, balancing anonymity after a rockstar-level career, and Thea starting over as a small-town girl, felt fresh and fun while still grounded in reality.

The themes of religious trauma and control woven into the singer’s backstory added so much depth. It was powerful, emotional, and heartbreakingly realistic. That’s probably my favorite thing about Burke’s novels… there’s this lived-in feeling to every setting and every character. It’s like you can sense the care in every word, and that just oozes out of the book and audiobook experience.

I won’t spoil anything, but I’ll just say this: I highly recommend it. With Stars in Her Eyes is tender, genuine, and one of those love stories that lingers after you close the book.

Book Description:

Seconds from a meteoric career launch, cellist Courtney Starling suffers a frightening migraine attack during a key performance. While harmful rumors fly, she escapes to her happy place—her best friend’s Kansas bookshop. Courtney’s working incognito when a scream sends her leaping off a shelving ladder to find the woman who screamed cowering near the register.

When Thea Quinn dropped in for a misdelivered package, she did not expect a mortifying encounter with a bearded dragon in front of an inconveniently attractive bookseller. Clutching an upcoming book club flyer and the tattered shreds of her dignity, she heads back to her new piercing job at the tattoo shop next door. She moved to this quirky place for a fresh start. But maybe the meet-disaster was a sign? Maybe Thea needs to branch out beyond her photography hobby and connect with new people…like at a historical romance book club run by a particularly mysterious and sexy bookseller with a pixie cut?

Friendly lunches become stolen moments between the bookshelves. Courtney and Thea’s old problems feel ages away. But just as their chemistry heats to a combustion point, consequences from Courtney’s past arrive literally on her doorstep at exactly the wrong moment. New revelations and surprising connections take the pair from feeling joyfully lovestruck to confusingly star-crossed. Both women must decide what they’re willing to give up for happily ever after.

With Stars in Her Eyes by Andie Burke
Narrator: Andie Burke, Chelsea Stephens, Natalie Naudus
Length: 11 hrs
Published by Macmillan Audio on September 15th 2025
Genres: Return to Hometown, Slow Burn
Also by this author: Fly With Me
Brian
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