Book Review: See the Stars by Eleanor Ray

I’m so excited to be welcoming Eleanor Ray to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, See the Stars.

Do you ever feel that life isn’t going to plan?

When Alice Thorington collapses in the street after a particularly hellish day at work, she must finally admit to herself that her outwardly happy life – steady relationship, well-paid job, beautiful flat in the city – isn’t everything she’d hoped it would be. Burnt out by long hours and living a life that doesn’t fulfil her dreams, Alice returns home to Yorkshire.

Her childhood home brings complicated family dynamics, a rediscovery of her passion for stargazing and two new friends: Berti, a boy who finds it easier to count the stars than interact with people, and Matt, her brother’s best friend and Alice’s teenage crush. With each of them facing their own struggles, can the stars that meant so much to Alice in her past help them to find their way in the present?

Filled with heart and warmth, this uplifting novel reminds us all that we need the darkness if we want to see the stars.

*****

Alice has always loved the stars. It was a passion she shared with her beloved Grandfather. However, when certain events occur in her life, Alice steps away from her dream and goes into the world of finance instead. 

When she ends up retuning to the north for a while, can she recapture her love of astronomy and the life she left behind? 

Although I’ve had the pleasure of hosting Eleanor Ray on this blog before, it’s the first chance I’ve had to read one of her novels. I was excited to be invited onto the tour for Eleanor’s latest book, See The Stars. 

The cover for this book is possibly one of my favourites. It’s so wonderfully done. 

What is also beautiful is the story itself. As this was my introduction to this author, I didn’t know what to expect. What I found was a book full of realistic, flawed, likeable people and a story of rediscovery.

The narrative follows Alice in the present and features flashbacks to her past which gives the reader true understanding of how she’s ended up where she has. Alice is lost, stuck and is doing what’s expected of her instead of pursuing what she loves – something I think a LOT of people can empathise with. Part of this is down to her fear of facing her past – again, something that is relatable. 

The supporting cast, for the most part, is wonderful. There is one character whose behaviour is just…ugh. I actually told this person to go away a few times (I can’t reveal what I actually said as the language was bad. Haha.) If you read it, and I hope you do, you’ll find out who I mean. 

I especially loved Berti and how he saw the world. Oh, and like any cat sidekick, I want to adopt Basalt. 

The plot develops nicely and the jumps in time are integrated well. I laughed and smiled through Alice’s triumphs and cried through the tragedies. I won’t say much more about that as I don’t want to spoil it. 

See The Stars is a stunning story of second chances, love, life, family, friendships and everything in between. It reminds us that it’s never too late and the people we lose can be found in the stars. It may seem soppy to say that but that’s what I felt once I’d finished this novel. You have a new fan, Eleanor Ray. 

About Eleanor Ray –

Eleanor Ray is the author of the highly acclaimed novels Everything is Beautiful and The Art of Belonging. She has an MA in English Literature from Edinburgh University and had a career in financial marketing before turning to writing. She lives in London with her husband and three young children.

See the Stars, her new novel, is about reclaiming our dreams and was inspired by her own career change. Her son’s passion for space fuelled her research, and together they visited science museums, planetariums and observatories around the world. She is currently writing her next novel.

Say hello to Eleanor on Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok.

See The Stars was released by Piatkus on 10th July 2025. Click here to buy on Amazon and Waterstones. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.