Okay, hear me out. This book is basically a work of Riverdale fanfic mixed with The Devil Wear's Prada if it took place on a Broadway show. Does that make sense to anyone else?
This was probably my quickest read so far of the year. It's light and fluffy and hooked me right away. Marlowe is supposed to be a lowly costume assistant on a TV show and ends up having to stand in as an extra one day. Sparks fly with the show's main man and BOOM they are thrown together.
I really enjoyed both MC's. Marlowe is a bit of a mess, trying to figure out what she's doing with her life. Angus shows you that there is more than meets the eye to his TV heartthrob persona. I always love the celebrity/ regular person trope because who doesn't secretly want that?!
While I would not have minded a bit more spice (because that's pretty much always true, for me) I flew through this book and am looking forward to seeing what comes next from Jacquelin Firkins.

Having a HEA, I guess makes this story a romance rather than women's literature. Along with the story about Marlowe, a woman with a MFA from Yale, who wants to be a costume designer, but flees NYC to LA after receiving bad reviews and criticism. The book also provides insight into what goes on behind the scenes in the film industry, especially the design part. Also emphasis how the anonymity of social media has given people the permission to be really mean and nasty to people they don't know.

Marlowe, the lone child of two overachievers, has no self confidence. She broke off her engagement to her fiancee after finally come to the epiphany that he was verbally abusive, controlling and had her questioning her worth. She takes a job as a low paid, over worked PA to the customer designer on a tv show. By a series of strange events, she ends up on the set as a waitress and the eye contact between her and the lead male is caught on tape, leading to an offer for more screen time. She discovers that Angus is not what she expected at all, and she has also be guilty of prejudging others. Angus is really a sweetie pie.

The characters are likable and relatable and the story engaging. I look forward to reading more by this author. I read an ARC offered by publisher on NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

If I’m honest, I found some parts of this book horribly cliche, but there were also parts that were adorably sweet and refreshing. I found myself rooting for the side characters like Cherry and Babs but rolling my eyes at some of the romance scenes. Regardless, this is a sweet and light love story 💗

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for this advanced copy.

For anyone wanting a funny & sweet little jaunt through what it might be like to meet & date your teen years TV crush…this might be the story for you. It’s not really that simple but it has that vibe underneath.

Marlowe is a tad insecure after a lifetime of rather questionable parenting (at least on the emotional level), a failed relationship and the loss of her design job. How does one deal with a little life/identity crisis? Well clearly you pack up and just fly across the country for a fresh start as an assistant on the set of a TV show. Angus is the drool-worthy shallow actor playing the lead bad boy role. But is he really as shallow as social media and celebrity gossip depicts?

I know, I know…you probably think this plot line seems familiar or that you’ve read something similar. It’s possible that you have, I won’t lie. BUT give this one a shot anyway because while the plot line sounds cliche at first glance, I promise this has more substance than you might think.

This one tackles themes such as the pitfalls of social media, the importance of not just blindly believing everything you see or read online, the importance of kindness & compassion, and most importantly, the simple fact that EVERYONE deserves love and you should never settle for anyone who makes you feel like you are less than or unimportant. Your voice matters - use it proudly.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Griffin, and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for an e-ARC. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

This book was absolutely adorable and the perfect read to get me out of a rut. I rooted for both Marlowe AND Angus, their dynamic cracking me up and making my heart swoon. A cute, uplifting read, the novel redesigned my bookish brain and set me back on track.

I couldn't put it down and I didn't want to. This book lived up to every ounce of hype that I had experienced for it. This book is beautifully written; a gripping storyline with strong characters. It ticked all the boxes of my expectations. I would definitely recommend it to others.

Many thanks to Jacqueline Firkins, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! Now available as of October 25th, 2022.

Marlowe needed a change of scenery after her breakup in New York, so to LA she goes. She is a costume designer by trade, but in LA she is working as a personal assistant on a hot tv show. Marlowe accidentally ends up on the show when a background worker doesn't show and after that everything spirals out of control.

Marlowe is quickly offered a small part in the show working with lead actor Angus. They quickly form a friendship, but will Marlowe stay in LA and is Angus too much in the spot light for her?

I enjoyed reading this book and it is a quick refreshing read. It follows the standard rom com format and I didn't really find any OMG moments throughout the book. Overall a great read if you need a palate cleanser.

My first read from this Author and it did not disappoint. A fun quirky rom com of a read. Marlowe is a Costume designer and the book is about all her trails and tribulations of being young and carefree. and taking a job for an assistant on a soap opera in LA. While slow paced in parts I still found it an enjoyable read.
Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press and the Author Jacqueline Firkins for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so cute!! I loved all the characters so much. It was all around funny and you are guaranteed to get butterflies while reading this. 10/10 recommend

Marlowe Banks, Redesigned is a romcom that takes place on a tv set and features a costume designer assistant and the leading heartthrob. I love a celebrity/normal person book and this one was fun and had a lot of interesting situations and other supporting characters. I recommend it.

I really enjoyed this one. Overall it was a sweet book. I’m a huge fan of the celebrities/regular person trope and I loved how Marlow struggled with the idea of paparazzi and how it can be damaging. I really appreciated that Marlowe was a regular clumsy gal and her random insights were really interesting. I’m knocking two stars off because it dragged a bit and I wanted to connect more with the main characters.

5 stars! Oh, this was a fun read. I recommend it to fans of romance.
Thank you to Jacqueline Firkins, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a surprising delight! It made me miss seeing all the fashion students walking around the FIT campus when I lived in NYC. I wish it was a bit more developed but I did really enjoy it.

I could not get into this at all. I never connected with the writing or the characters. I think part of the issue is that I've read so many books with almost identical plots, and I don't think this did enough to differentiate itself from the bunch.

It was a pretty quick read, so those looking for a quick romance might it enjoy it, but sadly, it was not for me.

Such good dialogue that created the best chemistry. On the steamier side for a traditional published book and I can’t complain about that. I loved it so much and celeb romance element has everything I enjoy - the press, Hollywood life, a cinnamon roll male lead. So good.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I loved the characters, I loved the plot, I loved the writing, I loved the love!! It was such a cute and fun read, truly couldn't put it down!

ADORED THIS!!! ANGUS… I mean what can I say ? He is the perfect boyfriend!! There’s nothing more to say about him other than swoon worthy!! The slow burn romance was just what I needed from this one.

Dnf. Couldn’t get through it. Rating will not be posted to goodreads or retailers as I only share ratings there for books I complete.

A nice and sweet romance with wonderful characters. My first time with this author and I am intrigued.

This one follows a pretty standard format for rom coms, but it’s a formula that works for me. Girl had failure and is scared to put herself out there to have her dream job, famous actor who is misunderstood, girl is a little clumsy and less glamorous than the other female characters…you know how it goes.

I liked the main character and I thought how the relationship develops was cute. There’s a bit of miscommunication but it seemed realistic and understandable.

If you’re looking for a light rom-com I would definitely suggest this one.