"Starry Eyes" by Jenn Bennett

Ever since last year's homecoming dance, best-friends-turned enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn't hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.

But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.

What could go wrong?

With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choices but to has out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.

And as the two travel deeper into Northern California's rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon's rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just the result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?

I wasn't expecting to like this book, but I started it because I wanted an audiobook to listen to while doing chores. And I am so glad that I ended up listening to this book. It was sooo good! Normally, I'm not a big romance person but this book was just so satisfying and so much more than romance.

There is a surprising amount of really good messages in this book and I was totally shocked. In particular, it powerfully shows how family isn't just biology. The relationship between Zorie and her mother is the best example of this. Her mother is not her biological mother, but she's still her mother and this is shown over and over again. In fact, they have the sweetest relationship and I absolutely adored them.

But it wasn't Zorie's family that was the main focus of the book. Zorie and Lennon's relationship is the reason why most of us read this book. And honestly, it was a really cute romance. It isn't rushed or instalove or any of the other cliches that bother me. Plus, I'm a sucker for the enemies-to-lovers trope. It's a trope that gives a ton of chemistry.

And, oh boy, did these two have chemistry. Their relationship didn't feel forced at all and both characters were interesting. While they don't develop too much during the story, they are interesting to read about and I enjoyed reading their banter.

((So, just warning y'all, I'm about to have a total nerd out moment so skip this if you aren't interested in reading my nerd rant))

I know this has so little bearing on the story, but I adored the fact that Zorie is a budding astrophysicist who is obsessed with astronomy. There are not enough women in STEM and I love to read about science nerd characters as a fellow nerd. So this was a huge plus for me!!

Another plus was Lennon's moms. They aren't in a ton of the story, but they have such a cute relationship and it's always nice to see a queer romance that is treated totally normally in the story.

So that's it for singing this book's praises. Obviously, no book is without flaws but this one does really well. My main complaint is that it takes a little while to get going and some of the teenage drama feels overblown. But overall, this was a damn good book and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a romance novel with a surprising amount of depth.

Rating: 5 stars