First up, I have loved all of Sariah Wilson's books, so when I saw this new book, I wanted it so bad. I just knew I would love it based on that synopsis, and I was right!

This was so cute!! I loved the seat filler concept and the first meeting that resulted from that set-up. Plus, the fact that Juliet is a dog groomer and Noah is a famous actor is just great. I'm a big sucker for the Cinderella-esque stories.  And can we talk about how sweet and swoony Noah is? He literally helps Juliet with her kissing phobia which is so sweet and hot at the same time. 

Also, I totally caught the Star Wars and Ben Solo  references and I was one hundred percent here for that. I was just like Juliet when that third movie came out. It was a nice addition to the story. 

My only little bit of beef with this book is the main source of conflict. I hate dishonesty in romances, so I really struggled with Juliet not coming clean to Noah about her lie. She could have fessed up so early on and avoided all of that drama. She also had so many chances to come clean but never did. It was frustrating. And then when it finally came out, Noah's response seemed way over the top. The lie didn't even seem like that big of a deal to me. It was annoying the amount of pain that came from it. I get all the reasons that Juliet never confessed and I even understand Noah's reaction given his history, but still. It seemed like it caused way too much drama. Oh well, lack of communication is the main souce of conflict in all romances and I just need to accept that. 

Besides that though, I loved this book. The seat filler set-up is unique and all the make-out sessions are hot. Also, not including the drama at the end, Noah is the perfect love interest. Sweet, understanding, gentle, funny, and hot. He even has a sweet dog named Magnus. What's not to love? 

Overall, great romance. I love Sariah Wilson's romances because they are clean but still hot. She will always be an auto-buy for me because of that.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. The review below is entirely my own opinion.

Sariah Wilson is one of my favorite authors. I really love how she tells a story. And what’s funny is that I’ve already pre-ordered this book, The Seat Filler. It’s going to be released in April 2021. But when I learned that it was available on NetGalley, I immediately went to the site. And luckily, I got an ARC! Yay!

The Seat Filler is one of the best books I’ve read this year!! It’s so swoony and dreamy. I love how the romance between Juliet and Noah developed and grew. And I really love, love, love Noah.

I stayed up until 4am finishing this book and don’t regret it at all.

In a year where I’ve struggled to keep my focus on reading ... which is very unusual for me... just not in the right mood or head space... this romance has brought lightness and joy.

Thank you Sariah for writing this book. It’s going to be one that I’m going to re-read often.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the epitome of a quintessential romantic comedy.
Reading about Juliet and Noah's growing relationship was pretty fun. They are two people that enjoy each other's company and of course it doesn't hurt that Noah is basically amazing.
Overall, this is a light and fluffy read with a syrupy sweet conclusion. I ended up really enjoying this one.

Juliet intoxicating personality drew me in and Noah's absolute thoughtfulness kept me. . I do belive the story had enough conflict without Juliets fear of kissing. The fact that's Noah was a celebrity and Juliet wasn't is a big enough conflict to expand on. .. Also. If the fear of kissing is there I wish it originated from a more traumatic experience then some super embarrassing situations and bullying.. I understand people can have REAL fears and buly can affect our reactions. I just don't think it was needed for this plot. I think Juliets and Noahs defferent social circles could have been enough. All in all in all I enjoyed it..

Who doesn’t want to date a movie star?!
The answer; Juliet.
This was a very cute story! I honestly was expecting something a bit different after reading the synopsis saying Juliet was afraid of kissing. I though it would be juvenile, and in a way it was. But it was also heartwarming and sweet. And who doesn’t want a book that includes a bunch of dogs?
Of course there was some miscommunication, cause what is a contemporary romance without that... but that didn’t detract me (for once).
If you’re looking for a steamy romance, this isn’t it. It’s definitely light and fluffy, but has its deep moments.
Also, Noah. Ugh, he’s the sweetest. We love a patient, understanding man.
Obviously this book isn’t realistic (although I wish a movie star would want to date me!), but it was very fun!

This book pulled me in from the first page and I could not put it down until the end. I loved the friendship between Juliet and Shelby. I really liked how Juliet was not perfect it made her more real. The book was clean and still had lots of chemistry and spark. The story line was well written with witty dialogue. The pacing was good. I was never bored or tempted to skim over parts.

Wow. I had been in a reading rut. After cranking through book after book for the last few months I just couldn't pick anything up. Insert Christmas miracle...access to an advanced copy of Sariah Wilson's newest book, The Seat Filler, being released in April 2021. I was introduced to Sariah's work via Amazon's First Reads and enjoyed The Roommaid so much that I went on a deep dive into all of her books. Among my favorites were the #Lovestruck series: #Awestruck, #Moonstruck and #Starstruck. The Seat Filler is loosely connected back to #Starstruck, and those who have read that book will enjoy a small glimpse back into the lives of its main characters (they play a minor role).

Wilson's books have the unique ability to make me laugh, cry and FEEL at such a deep level. She can take a simple kiss and turn it into the most exciting, thrilling thing you've experienced with a character. This book continues that. She makes you believe that fairy tales can be real, that true love can happen if we just get out of our own way, and that the past doesn't have to define the present. I read this book in two sittings, only because I (sadly) had to sleep! I won't say more because I hate spoilers in reviews, but if you're looking for a great quick read that just makes you SMILE and feel (and totally cringe in a relatable way, but only for a bit), you will absolutely love this book!

This book was amazing. 😍

Get ready for your next book boyfriend and a book hangover because, Noah and Juliet bring it.

I did not want to stop reading, but I also didn’t want it to end. The banter between Juliet and Noah is absolutely perfect, swoony, and hilarious. They are the sweetest and the other characters are wonderful.

I love Sariah’s books because there is always a great amount of chemistry between the characters and she pays such close attention to detail it makes the characters seem so real.

If you loved Sariah’s #starstuck, then you will love this! And if you didn’t read #starstruck, seriously, what are you waiting for 😘

*This is a clean romance but definitely brings the heat🔥.

Every time I get to read a Sariah Wilson book I know it's going to be extra GOOD. BUT THIS book was beyond good it was AMAZING. I LOVED IT. Your style of writing is just so good.
Juliet and Noah took my heart. Seeing her grown in each chapter made me root for her happiness. Noah had his own issues and together they were perfect. I loved how we got to see other special people in this book.

This was a delightful book I know people are going to love!

Everything about Noah and Juliet was so warm, honest and fun.

Then genuinely made me laugh through the pages. I found their humor so innocent but truly funny. I loved the chemistry between them and the sweet banter they had going on.

I loved how Noah's character developed through the book. He was always honest and truly genuine. I loved the patience and understanding he had for Juliet and the effort he put into helping her out. Not only because he wanted to kiss her but because he was truly concerned about her mental health. I understood why Juliet hid the truth from him but I also empathized with Noah. It's understandable that celebrities would want people to treat them like human beings rather than gods. Even though we don't have Noah's point of view, the author did an amazing job developing his character and describing his personality so well. I loved how passionate Juliet was about life and also about her job and how supportive Noah always was about it.

I loved the secondary characters as well, their friendship and relationship felt natural to me. More points to Gladys, who truly surprised me in the end!

This couple was absolutely beautiful and I know readers will love them just as much as I did. Can't wait for everyone to read it and can't want to buy a paperback for my shelf.

And the award goes to... Sariah Wilson... for writing one of the cutest, swooniest books ever! The story of an every-day normal girl with believable issues and an intriguing, sweet, and handsome-in-his-own-right actor captured my interest and hooked me from the very first page. I couldn't get enough.

I love how witty and true to herself Juliet is and the banter and attraction between Juliet and Noah completely swept me away. The whole cast of characters is perfect for this story and meshed together in an amazing way that drew me right in and didn't let me go--I think this book must be laced with something addictive because I'm feeling a book hangover right about now.

This is hands-down one of the swooniest romances I've ever read. The connection between Noah and Juliet, and the super dreamy kisses, kept me up way too late and left me floating for a long time afterward. The Seat Filler is definitely a book that deserves to be re-read and I can't wait to enjoy it all over again.

Content: mild+ romance (swoony kissing, light innuendo)

Caveat: I love all of Sariah Wilson's books so far. But this is the first one that was harder to get though (ie, I didn't feel compelled to read it in one sitting). The reason? The main character is too obviously Adam Driver that it made it difficult for me to imagine my own version of the hero in my head which is a big turnoff for me. There were too many "real-world" references (such as Rian Johnson directing the "infinitely better" 2nd movie in Noah's trilogy or thinking that George Lucas could turn up at the door). I know Adam Driver was the inspiration for Noah but the book feels too much like glorified Adam Driver fanfiction which I can't get into because I don't crush on Adam Driver.

That being said, this was a pretty excellent swoony (if predictable) girl-next-door meets movie star book. I'd recommend this to my fellow romance lovers who aren't aware of the Adam Driver connection up front OR to people who love Adam Driver already. (Side note: I also hope that the final, corrected version has the text messages working correctly. Many of mine were repeats or in the wrong place in the book).

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for the opportunity to read this one early.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. Can I just say I adored this book? It was such a fun and quick read! I loved the way Juliet and Noah connected from the beginning until the end. Sariah Wilson has a way with this novel that makes me want to pick up her other works without looking at the synopsis.

The Seat Filler is a cute tale of Juliet, a dog groomer by trade, and Noah, a very famous actor by trade. They meet at an awards show where Juliet is helping out her roommate’s fiancé’s mom by sitting in empty seats so that the show looks full (and not boring.) She only goes to a couple of these before Noah becomes the seat filler by helping her overcome her kissing phobia. I thought this was a joke at first, something Ms. Wilson made up to make a really cute plotline, but it turns out to be real. So then Noah, who has made his attraction known to Juliet, gives her kissing lessons in the most leading man of a RomCom way possible. There’s dog sitting and dog grooming as well as private jet to Vegas for a quickie marriage, and this story was just delightful. Pick it up. You won't be able to put it down.

Fans of #Starstruck will be tickled to learn what Chase and Zoe are up to with brief cameos, however, Chase and Noah seem to have some sort of (albeit understandable) tension/jealousy/thing between them. (In Chase’s first scene he asked Juliet “with disdain” if she was there with Noah.) Here’s the downside though: Chase was the first of Ms. Wilson’s men that I read about, and I just utterly adored him and his story with Zoe. So Noah is introduced as being a little pompous, described as being uncommonly handsome, and then Chase isn’t a big fan, and now I’m supposed to fall in love with him as the leading man? It was definitely a roadblock for me. (Along with the fact that this is akin to fanfiction starring Adam Driver of all people, but that’s a story for a different time.) It wasn’t the end of the road, but it definitely made the road trip longer than necessary.

I loved Juliet. She had her insecurities, but they felt believable and not over the top. I love, love, loved that she was mature and direct and took on her feelings head on and that she was the one who made the first move of reconciliation. A lot of Ms. Wilson’s heroines love their leading men, but then wait around for the man to show back up and “fix” whatever the thing is that’s keeping them apart. I liked this change. I loved that Noah didn’t take her back immediately. I hate when the reconciliation is rushed because of the basis that the reader “knows” that the two main characters love each other and are meant to be together. Great. That isn’t always believable. Especially when the thing that broke them up was a HUGE DEAL to one of the characters. I think I actually complained about this in a review for one of Ms. Wilson’s last books, and I know she reads through some of the reviews, so if she’s seeing this, I just want to say, Brava! It was believable, it was in character, and it was just… perfect. I also then loved Noah’s speech about why he was taking her back after he worked through all his issues on his own. Not everything in life has to be worked out with someone, especially when the relationship is new or fragile, and I felt like this scene showed that he was still his own person but was also of similar maturity to Juliet.

Small, ticky tack things that are most likely the result of reading an ARC: some of the text bubbles were different sizes, I feel like I missed the explanation about her neck scars? but that could be that I was reading at like 2am because I couldn’t sleep, and you most definitely need a driver’s license of some kind of state issued ID card in order to join the military so the “teach me to drive” scene, while cute, just seemed like a plot device or something.

Fans of Ms. Wilson’s other works will notice that her usual style of easy-going story telling with compelling characters with great backstories and family dynamics are still at play here. This is quintessential Sariah Wilson, and there is great comfort found in revisiting an author and knowing that you’re getting a 5 Star quality story. Of course, knowing the author can come with some disadvantages like recognizing Ms. Wilson’s affinity to insert internet memes into characters casual conversation. Again, I probably spend too much time on the internet, yes, but yes, this is still something that just stands out to me. If you’ve read other novels by the author, you’ll also start to recognize her formula, and while it works (oh boy does it!), it does begin to make the more works that I read by her more predictable than the genre already is. (Boy and girl meet. Boy likes girl. Girl does not want to date boy for [insert reason here]. They pursue some sort of relationship/friendship. They kiss, like really kiss, roughly 50% of the way through the story. But uh-oh, girl is holding on to a secret that will break them apart and is a HUGE DEAL to the boy. Girl waffles over telling him and ultimately doesn’t. He finds out anyway and is mad [roughly 80-85% of the way through the story]. They break up. Girl is sad and time goes by ala Twilight when Edward left Bella. They reconcile in some manner [usually rushed, this one wasn’t and YES!], pronounce their love for each other, flip a coin if they get engaged or not, and scene.)

If this is your first novel by the author, you will not be disappointed, and I highly recommend going back and reading some of her other works. (Start with Zoe and Chase in #Starstruck since you now know how it ends.)

If you’re on the fence about reading The Seat Filler, just do it. You won’t be disappointed. It’s a great concept that is done so well that you feel like you’re invited to the Vanity Fair party yourself. It is cute, it’s fun, it makes you dream of dating your favorite movie star, and it has dogs. Not to mention lots of swoon-worthy, Hollywood movie worthy kissing because kissing phobia. I love that Ms. Wilson writes clean stories, but she writes them in a way that doesn’t make you miss any of the physicality in the story. It makes it so easy for me to recommend not just to girlfriends but to my students as well. Her plot ideas also are just so intriguing even with just the jacket blurb and invite you to live out the daydreams we all have about the rich and famous falling in love with us. The story, the characters, Ms. Wilson’s creativity and writing will all linger with you long after you’ve finished the book and isn’t that what all book lovers are truly looking for?

Loved this book! It begins with the ultimate meet/cute that is the best I've read. Juliet is the skittish and slightly neurotic seat filler, while Noah is the current heartthrob/leading man. They shouldn't have anything in common, but they seem to be drawn together. When Juliet shares her greatest fear with him, it only seems to bring them closer.....but Juliet has another big secret.

This book has it all - humor that made me laugh out loud and poignant moments wrapped in an entertaining story that I thoroughly enjoyed. If you enjoy the genre, you will love this book. Put this one at the top of your TBR list. The author is on my must read authors' list.

A delightful, fun, heartwarming sexy sweet romance with depth. I absolutely loved reading this. It is a quick read but very satisfying and will linger in my mind and heart. I'm already looking forward to rereading it.

Juliet Nolan, a dog groomer, agrees to volunteer as a seat filler at an awards ceremony and meets her celebrity crush, Noah Douglas. There seems to be a connection but Juliet doesn't date. Even if she did, Noah Douglas wouldn't be interested in her, would he? If he is, can they battle their scars and find true love?

This story was a cute celebrity romance with a normal down-to-earth girl. The characters have such sweet personalities and their meet-cute was adorable. With a little misinformation to start and some intentional friend-zoning turned to getting over phobias to full-on romance. I enjoyed reading this story from beginning to end. The characters had so much in common and Noah Douglas is such a real and nice heartthrob movie throb.

The writing was well-done and engaging. The story-line progressed quickly and this story made me smile. With great kissing scenes and heartwarming not-dates the whole book was such a fun read. ;

I always look forward to reading Sariah Wilson's books and The Seat Filler definitely met, and exceeded, my expectations. I loved this book for so many reasons. It reminded me of #Starstruck in some ways but was a delight to read all on it's own. I've read almost all of Sariah's books and feel like this one went back to a little bit of where she started and the reason I started reading her books in the first place. Juliet and Noah were well written about and their relationship is #goals. Sariah always writes in a lot of humor to her books and there was a lot to laugh at and smile to myself while reading, but this wasn't overly snarky, which I appreciated. I love how patient Noah was with Juliet and their relationship grew and developed in a realistic way. The pacing of the book was great and kept my attention so much so that I didn't want to stop reading it. There was a typical drama/problematic issue that pops up in the book but I loved how it was resolved and made me love the characters even more. The Seat Filler really was such a fun read and is one that I'd definitely recommend and will probably find myself reading again very soon.

I love Sariah Wilson's books and recommend them to everyone who asks for a new author to check out. But this book? I may have to pass it out in line at the grocery store to total strangers. I belong to her group on Facebook and she talked about how this book was inspired by meeting Adam Driver at an awards show. I never really cared about Adam Driver one way or the other, but after reading "The Seat Filler" I think I may be a fan of his now. Noah Douglas is just that great!

This book is sweet with only kissing scenes (but those kissing scenes are so fantastic!!!) and it's funny and fun and there's bantering and chemistry and I just can't recommend it enough. If you enjoy entertaining romantic comedies, you should pick this one up right away. I loved it!

When I saw The Seat Filler was available on Netgalley, I jumped at the chance to snag a copy. Ms. Wilson is one of my very favorite authors and I knew I was in for a treat...and wow, did she deliver!

Warning- lots of great chemistry, romantic banter, scrumptious hero and endearing heroine

This may be Sariah's best book yet, and that's saying a lot because all her books are so good! I can't even form words, I just want to go and read the book again. Loved the storyline, loved the characters, loved all the swoony, and I mean S.W.O.O.N.Y. kisses! Did I mention the swoony kisses? But seriously, the love story is so great. Noah and Juliet have great chemistry, fun banter and a genuine connection.