A light and fun romance with likable characters and a plot that moved along quickly. Overall Marlowe Banks Redesigned made for an enjoyable read.

I wasn't too certain about this one at first since I'm not much into the Hollywood scene and all it entails, but the more I read this story, the more I enjoyed it.

I especially liked seeing Angus come out of his shell and Marlowe learn to stand up for herself and to pursue what makes her happy, rather than what other people expect.

There was also one passage that spoke to me very much, when Marlowe is thinking about how relationships develop their own language that's just for the two people involved, and how that's part of the fun of a new relationship--developing that lexicon-- and often a cause of the grief when a relationship ends--that that language dies with it.

Thanks to Jacqueline Firkins, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Just cannot get in to this one! I’m almost 40% in and haven’t connected with the characters and don’t care about anything that’s happening. Probably going to take a break from reading for a bit as this keeps happening.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Marlowe Banks, Redesigned by Jacqueline Firkins is an adorable rom-com with a completely original protagonist. The story revolves around Marlowe, who is working as a lowly Production Assistant on a TV show. One day, unexpectedly, she volunteers to play a background character when no one else can fit into the costume. Then, sparks fly between her and lead actor Angus, a famous movie star. Soon, Marlowe is being asked to reprise the role for a few more episodes. Are the sparks between her and Angus real? Or is it all acting?

Here is a hilarious excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Marlowe Banks never dreamed that an MFA from Yale would earn her a job organizing hangers, picking crusted insoles out of an old pair of Top-Siders, and busting every last fingernail in an attempt to resize a watchband using only a safety pin and the force of her formidable will. The title Costume Production Assistant had sounded so glamorous. More commonly referred to as a PA, she was a cog in a machine. Nothing more.
“Just great,” she muttered as the safety pin slipped and blood beaded on her finger for the third time. “Amazing opportunity. Spectacular learning experience. Dream job.”"

Overall, Marlowe Banks, Redesigned is a fun rom-com that is like if The Devil Wears Prada met Famous in Love. The office dynamics with an overbearing boss reminded me of The Devil Wears Prada while the ordinary-person-becomes-famous plot reminded me of Famous in Love. One highlight of this book is the character growth of the main character. Dynamic characters are not often seen in rom-coms, and Marlow is a breath of fresh air. Another highlight of this book is the premise, which is a situation any reader would love to be in If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of rom-coms in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in October!

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the arc, all thoughts are my own.

I'm astonished, blown away & bewildered by this beautiful flawless book. The pure euphoria when a book exceeds all your expectations is out of the world & this was one such for me.

Love would be a small word to describe the romance. Everything was upto the mark. The meet-cute, the tension/angst between Angus & Marlowe was intoxicating. I loved how they bonded over time. What started out as a low-key enemies-to-lovers turned into a slowest burn possible.

I adored how the inside jokes, honesty, steam was portrayed. Angus came across as a a jerk at first but went Marlowe gets to know him, so many layers come off.
Again I loved how Marlowe's journey was presented with the theme of failure, criticism & social media.

And the last 2-3 chapters were completely breathtaking. An unexpected story after my own heart. Can't wait for the world to read it!

There was amazing chemistry between Marlowe and Angus. I would have loved to have seen more moments of them together and less surrounding her job. I loved reading about the television show that was going on and found that plot line to be more interesting. Overall the pacing felt irregular and very slow most of the times. A lot of information telling rather than showing.

I loved this story! Marlowe was a super-relatable heroine and Angus was all the things I enjoy in a hero (cute, smart, grumpy). I also loved all the details about Hollywood and fashion!

I really enjoyed this one!! I love good character growth and appreciated that Marlowe is empowered throughout the book. I loved the love story in this and how they had real conversations with each other. Very cute romance with a wonderful character arc!

Thank you NetGalley and Jacqueline Firkins!

Overall this book had some really good themes; specifically woman's empowerment and the right woman have to make their own decisions while feeling powerful and confident in these decisions. Both in their personal relationships, their work, and their overall lives.

Marlowe is faced with uncertainty in every choice from herself, her friends and parents. And while, yes, this is a romance, it's also a story about learning to be confident in your own choices. I almost appreciated that storyline more than the romance storyline.

But the romance was pretty damn amazing as well. Once you peel back Angus' layers, literally and metaphorically, the romance really picks up. Firkins did an incredible job of intertwining these two themes and making me invested in Marlowe's personal growth and the romance. While the overall storyline is pretty predictable I still a really enjoyed the journey to get to the ending.

If you are looking for a quick feel good romance with a touch a steamy scenes this one will be perfect for your beach or pool day.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for sending me a digital edition of this book in return for my honest thoughts.

This is a great book. The two main characters are Marlowe and Angus. They both work on a tv show production where they meet. Marlowe is a pa and Angus is an actor. There is an instant attraction. They have some problems with the press when they start seeing each other. There is a problem with trust but together they work it out and find love.

Thank you NetGalley, Jacqueline Firkins and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Marlowe Banks, Redesigned. This is my personal review.
I was so impressed with this book! It so much more than I was expecting.
Marlowe Banks had her life completely and totally come apart. Her engagement ended and so many other things were a mess in her life.
So, Marlowe decides to do something to change her life. Angus comes into her life at exactly the right time and things get very interesting!
The book was romance and so much more! The chemistry was there and to see Marlowe and Angus start out slow and as friends was perfect.
This is a book that I will read many times and keep on my bookshelf to share with others.

Marlowe Banks, Redesigned was a fabulous and fun read! Marlowe, who has recently relocated from NYC to LA after a messy breakup with her fiancé, finds herself working as a production assistant on a TV show. Marlowe feels like a failure: her parents are not supporting her, she no longer has a fiancé, and she isn't doing what she loves: designing. Marlowe is required to participate in the show after a mix up in costumes, leading to a life changing moment. She is paired with the show''s star, the handsome Angus Gordon. Marlowe is throw into the spotlight following a heated moment with Angus, something she wanted to avoid. Marlowe is required to spend a great deal of time with Angus, in which she learns a great deal about him. This slow-burn was very enjoyable. Thank you to Jacqueline Firkins and St. Martins for this ARC!

this was fun!!! i didn’t realize know what i was going in for but it wasn’t too bad. the third person pov really threw me for a loop during the beginning (probably because i actively distance myself away from books with that) but i started to feel it mid way through. this book was most definitely clique like i could predict almost all of angus and marlowe’s interactions/personality traits within the first four chapters. now did i enjoy this book? hell yeah i live clique predictable books!! everything about this book was just nice. nice characters, nice plot, nice romance, nice book.

Too cute romance. Marlowe Banks is working as a production assistant for a television series. She gets roped into so many other duties (dog-sitting) that don't actually fall under her official job title, but she manages just fine. Marlowe is skilled and efficient. She also seems to be talented in other areas. A costuming emergency arises and Marlowe gets cast as a waitress. It was a one-day role, but the chemistry between Marlowe and bad boy Angus Gordon gets noticed by fans. Her part is extended to a season-ending arc. Her relationship with Angus heats up both on and off the screen. Their relationship and their individual growth were both fleshed out extremely well.

This is a great book, filled with love, laughter, and discovery. I am so glad I was allowed to read this book. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of Ms. Firkins' work.

4.5- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 This romantic comedy was funny and adorable. There were some “steamy scenes” that can easily be skipped over. I got invested in Marlowe and Angus’s relationship, and needed to find out how they would overcome their obstacles. I especially enjoyed Angus’s views on being a celebrity.

Con- I prefer 1st person novels because some of the “she said”s confused be on who the she they were referring to. Also, what kind of name is Angus?

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. All opinions are mine.

An absolutely delight of a book. I loved Marlowe's journey, which felt real and relatable as she struggled with dealing with criticism, past toxic relationships, and being shoved into a public spotlight which brought out all her other insecurities. Angus is sweet and sexy all at once and I loved every word of this romance!

This book was exactly what I needed to get me out of a reading slump!

I loved all the characters, but especially Marlowe.

Okay so I love reading romances that have the celebrity angle, but one of my issues is that not a lot of them deal with the struggles of being a celebrity. Like, okay you're famous and have a big house but IF YOU HAVE FANS WHO LOVE YOU A LITTLE TOO MUCH ANYONE YOU DATE MIGHT BE AFFECTED.

And this! I adored this. And I got what I wanted!

Marlowe was delightful and I loved her arc and how realistic it was. I loved Angus! I liked that he was gruff and had issues and was worried and was delightfully funny. I loved all of Marlowe's friends. I loved all of Angus's friends!

I'm not going to lie, I was weirded out by one thing - if homegirl jumped from doing costuming to being on the camera... is this whole set... non-union? I only happen to know about this because of what happened with Netflix's "Nailed It" so unless I was laughing so hard and skimmed over a section, that is a weird.... part. A part almost no one would notice -- but I did!

Anyway. This was incredibly delightful.

I would never have imagined one of my book boyfriend’s names would be Agnus, but here we are…

Honestly, this book covered so much and is the perfect combination of contemporary romance, with women’s fiction.

Due to Marlowe leaving New York, and with a twist of fate, she now finds herself as the love interest for Agnus on a TV show.

This book had romance, spice, slow burn, banter, processing failure, and a revealing message regarding the impacts of social media, critics’ reviews, and celebrity worship.

This was fun and quick paced read and I think most people would enjoy it!

Marlowe Banks. Guys. This book was so good. You get skeptical when the MMC is named Angus but man, he can heat things up. I absolutely loved this story. Marlowe and Angus are such an amazing romantic couple and their relationships with the side character is so wonderfully written (I'm obsessed with Angus and Edith you guys). This Hollywood romance is a whirlwind of unexpected fame, secret love affairs, and ex's that should probably mind their own business. However, Marlowe and Angus find their way to each other and show their devotion in the simplest of ways. For any lover of the romantic comedy, you need to get your hands on this book!!

Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy.