Sapphic Reads's Reviews > Sprinkled in the Stars

3.75

I was genuinely hooked at the beginning of this book! It kicked off with a strong start, featuring ice queen Mel repeatedly crossing paths with AJ and her daughter Parker. It set up what seemed to be the perfect foundation for a heartwarming romance. And to be fair, there were plenty of sweet moments: 7-year-old Parker, who is on the autistic spectrum, bonding with Mel (who discovers from AJ that she's on the spectrum too) was a touching thread throughout the story. The cozy family gatherings with Kate, Andrew, and Rob also added a wholesome warmth.

However, something shifted for me after Mel has an accident on the set of her new movie and AJ, the paramedic, swoops in to help. Suddenly, Mel seems to do a complete 180 — her ice queen demeanor melts away, and she becomes surprisingly clingy and needy, almost desperate for AJ’s attention. It was such a stark contrast to the confident, guarded Mel we got to know in the first few chapters, and it threw me off. From that point on, it felt like Mel's interest in AJ and Parker was driven more by loneliness than genuine connection.