cover image Stars Collide

Stars Collide

Rachel Lacey. Montlake, $16.99 trade paper (316p) ISBN 978-1-66250-911-7

Lacey (Read Between the Lines) pairs up pop stars in this uneven sapphic rom-com. Eden Sands, 36, needs a win. Her latest album is underperforming, and she’s struggling to get her life on track after her divorce. To shake things up, she agrees to add up-and-comer Anna Moss, 27, to her Grammys performance. When their duet stirs up buzz, her manager suggests inviting Anna to open for Eden on tour. Anna’s thrilled: Eden has been her idol and celebrity crush since her teenage years. Because pansexual Anna is out and proud, fans begin to speculate about the chemistry between the two performers, even creating a ship name: Edanna. Eden is happy for the attention, but she’s also sure she’s straight and insists that her feelings for Anna are purely platonic. As the pair spend more time together on the road, however, Anna develops real feelings and Eden questions her sexuality. It’s an achingly slow build undermined by a rushed third-act conflict and an unearned sickly sweet epilogue. Unfortunately, this wonky pacing detracts from the story’s power. Romance fans will be more frustrated than carried away. Agent: Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost Literary. (May)