There is often a tension between our desires for a vocation and our desires for romance. When Marlowe Banks ends her engagement, the options for her future are increased. No longer tied to New York City, Marlowe moves to sunny California and gets an entry level job as a production assistant. Jacqueline Firkins develops Marlowe as the hero of her story and introduces the love interest as a supporting character. The roadblocks for Marlowe's success in work, in life and in love were vast and I found myself rooting for her throughout.

This was a great adult contemporary book, that I would definitely recommend reading!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Being mortified by a bad review of her costume designs in New York, Marlowe decides to try her luck in LA. Unfortunately, she cannot find a job at the level she should be at and settles for a rather menial job with a nightmare boss. Not only is she not designing, but she is running errand, taking care of her boss’s dog, etc. She also is not enamored with the male star of the series. There is a snafu on set and Marlowe winds up acting on the show. She was supposed to just do a bit for one show, but the chemistry with the star was obvious to everyone and she had to continue in the role. As they finally got to know each other, Marlowe found that he was not the person she had imagined him to be. Things are going well, then she gets an opportunity to go back to New York for a dream job. What will she choose?

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After ending her engagement and looking for a fresh start, Marlowe moves to LA to work as a PA on a hit tv show and when a costume emergency happens, Marlowe steps in as a background actor and the chemistry between her and the lead takes the fans by storm. Marlowe and the show lead, Angus, butt heads from the get go but eventually they learn they are more alike than they thought and the chemistry between them isn’t just for show.

I really liked the friendship Marlowe and Angus formed and the natural build of their relationship from friends to more. Angus is a sweetheart and is rightfully guarded but he let down his walls for Marlowe because he saw something real in her. The growth Marlowe had was so good for her character arc. Their chemistry is great and they really balance each other out. Great debut read and such a fun read!


Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was such a wonderful romcom! Full of fantastic characters and lol moments for me while reading. This one is truly met & fulfilled all of my expectations a great read I definitely recommend this one & look forward to reading more books by the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was so cute and it was different than a lot of other books I have read recently. It gave me Devil Wears Prada vibes in the best way. It was fun to read a book about the behind the scenes of a tv show from the perspective of tech, specifically costuming, as opposed to actors since that is usually what books are about. The interactions between Marlowe and Angus were fantastic, and the growth in their relationship was realistic and enjoyable. I think the representation of past trauma relating to putting yourself out there (work & relationships) was really well done and it was emotional & sweet, and handled with great care. I would happily read another book Jacqueline writes in this series, or just in general. This was a great read and I definitely recommend it.

What a fun read. I couldn’t help but adore and root for Marlowe from the first chapter. The writing is brilliant, funny, irreverent and drew me in from chapter 1. Marlowe isn’t living her best life right now. She’s working at a job she is woefully overqualified for and rewarded by being treated like the stuff she picks up after as she is forced to be a dog walker as a part of her job as a production assistant on a very popular TV show. She is there to help out her friend and those student loans are past due so she sucks it up all while knowing how disappointed her parents are and now trying to find her way and finally feel good about who she is. This is great hate to love trope that now has me going to see what else this wonderfully talented author has written.

This celebrity romance follows Marlowe and Angus. Marlowe is a production assistant on a popular TV show starring Angus. Marlowe ended up in LA after her latest costume show in NYC was shredded by critics and she ended her engagement. She's now content to exist behind the scenes as she tries to figure out her next move. But when a wardrobe mix-up causes Marlowe to be in a scene of the show, the cameras (and audience) catch something between Marlowe and Angus. As the two work together more, they both realize they have more to offer than what you first see. Overall, I liked this read but it didn't quite hit the spot for me. On NetGalley, it is listed as romance/women's fiction and I do think that is an appropriate listing. This is a story with a full romance plot arc and there is 100% a HEA for the couple. However, it felt to me more like Marlowe's story of finding herself again and that just so happened to include a romance with Angus rather than this being a story about Marlowe and Angus's romance. This is also only told through Marlowe's POV which, again, makes it feel more like her story. All that aside, I did enjoy the building of Angus and Marlowe's relationship and how much fun they were together. I'm a bit of a hard sell on celebrity romances because of the inevitable conflict of one person being more ok with being in the public eye than the other but I think this one really worked that balance out well. The conflict, as well as the resolution, felt natural to the characters and that made all the difference. Angus was such an interesting character, I really wish we would have gotten his POV more. I loved Marlowe's character and think Firkins finds the balance well between quirky character and over-the-top caricature.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC

Publication date was October 25, 2022

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced review copy of “Marlowe Banks Redesigned” by Jacqueline Firkins. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fun read! Marlowe Banks works as a PA for a television show. She finds herself in front of the camera filling in as a waitress when significant eye contact happens between herself and one of the actor’s Angus Gordon. Sure she’s actually thinking about dumping coffee on him because he’s a jerk but when the Internet starts shipping the two, Marlowe’s life will never be the same.

Marlowe’s job was so interesting to me! I never would have thought of any of the details about costuming a show. There was definitely a Devil Wears Prada vibe to all of Marlowe’s tasks. But there was also a lot of empowering one another instead of women tearing each other down. I appreciated there weren’t any mean girl characters even if Marlowe’s boss was hard on her, their relationship did grow throughout the story.

The beginning tried to give enemies to loves with Marlowe and Angus but it was more of a miscommunication between them. I liked it better when their friendship started to grow. They had great banter too.

There was also an interesting plot line with Marlowe’s ex. It showed how that relationship impacted Marlowe and how she saw the world and herself. The guy was a jerk but the ways he tore Marlowe down had her questioning if she was just always overreacting which was so relatable.

Most of all, I appreciated that while Angus came off as a jerk at the beginning, this wasn’t a story of him grappling with substance abuse. I feel like most of the books I pick up with actor protagonists are too heavy for my tastes when it comes to the actor’s personal demons. While there is definitely an audience for such books, I just really appreciated that this was a lighter book in that regard. There must be lots of corruption in the entertainment industry but I liked that this book wasn’t trauma-heavy.

In conclusion, I enjoyed this book a lot and will read more from this author.

4/5 stars

REVIEW FOR MARLOWE BANKS, REDESIGNED

4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, SMPRomance, and Jacqueline Firkins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very refreshing! At first I wasn't sure how I would like it, because Marlowe seemed very "woe is me" and I don't tend to relate to those characters much. However, her story arc was so beautiful and I couldn't put the book down!

I loved the relationship between Marlowe and Angus. I'm a sucker for Hollywood stories (I just love the glitz and glam) and so to show the softer, more vulnerable side of being a celebrity was nice to see. I thought the supporting cast was great and loved the direction the story went in.

Things I enjoyed-
- Marlowe's and Angus' chemistry
- The friends they had in LA

What I didn't like-
- Marlowe at first; she seemed kind of like a wet noodle
- Marlowe's ex and him being emotionally and mentally abusive

Overall, solid read that I enjoyed with a great mix of everything you'd want in a romcom

This book was such a fun look at the behind the scenes look into a hit show and had such a powerful message about not judging someone by what you see on their social media. This was a great slow burn romance between Marlow and Angus, with a mix of friends to lovers.

I liked the premise of this book. Marlowe is a mid-late 20-something costume designer fresh off professional and romantic disappointments in NYC who switches to LA TV production for a fresh start at something different that isn't exactly stretching her creatively. By accident, she gets pulled into a non-speaking role on set as a stand-in. The sparks fly with the hot and broody male lead. "The Look" she gives in him her brief onscreen experiences goes viral and changes her life. Thanks to this read, I learned what "eye sex" is., LOL. Hmmm, maybe what I always thought were awkward moments of eye contact were really... ah never mind, back to the review.

Anywho, Marlow gets pulled into a celebrity world she neither wanted nor prepared for and flounders around a bit with her actions and feelings. She does the same with her relationships and her career, too. With the help of her bi-coastal friends and Hollywood hunk, she figures out what she wants out of life and what she is willing to do to make it work.

Overall, I liked Marlowe as the MC as well as her supporting cast. But, I didn't quite connect personally or emotionally with the story. For someone with two degrees and a MFA from Yale, I would have expected her to be more together. She just seemed a bit young and immature for her age and educational experience, but I can only compare her to my own situation at that age. Maybe people would have called me an old sole back then.?

3.5 Stars for this easy read rom-com.

Thank you #NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This is a fresh take on the celebrity romance trope. Marlowe works on set of a TV show as a production assistant. Angus is the bad boy, heartthrob on the TV show. After a mishap with costumes, Marlowe and Angus are forced to work closely together. Soon Marlowe finds out Angus is nothing like the character he plays on tv and sparks begin to fly.

I loved how relatable and down-to-earth the characters were. Marlowe was struggling both with money and a recent failed engagement and all she did was work to pay for her rent. Angus was an actor, but had no interest in the perks and/or limelight that were the consequences of the job. Their romance was a slow build but they had some fun banter and steamy seems along the way. It was such a feel good romance!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

4/5 stars

Marlowe is an excellent character and just recently got out of a relationship and moved to LA and got a new job to get away from everything.

This book is hilarious and I’d recommend it to anyone!!

Overall, I can’t wait to read more from the author in the future

I love a good "you don't know the real me" story. This seemed to be the best take away from this super fun story.

Marlowe moved across the country to make it big in design and somehow finds herself instead a actress alongside an actor who is a playboy that can't stand her.

Of course, there is more to this story. Angus is such a fun character. Together Angus and Marlowe find ways to really connect. I love how down to earth they both are. Marlowe is basically living in squalor and neither scoff at these hard times.

I loved the real rawness of this story. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

Marlowe Banks has moved to Los Angeles and started an entry level job as a PA in the wardrobe department of a popular series. She's there to get away from her gaslighting ex and out of fear of going for her dreams.

She quite literally runs into one of the show's stars (a true meet awful with spilled coffee). In a strange and hilarious series of events that take more than a little suspension of disbelief, she and Angus get closer together.

The story is told in the third person perspective, but it largely follows Marlowe. This makes sense, as she is the titular character. But multiple times, I wished to get a better sense of Angus.

I have a new appreciation for costumes and the job of choosing them. The author's knowledge came through in all the details, not only of the wardrobe department, but also in the description of the outfits and their conditions throughout the story.

For me, one of the best parts that made the book stand out was a deep thoughtfulness about how women are depicted on screen and how that impacts girls.

4.5 stars rounded up

I am loving the celebrity - civilian trope (is that what it’s called?) this year, and MARLOWE BANKS, REDESIGNED, is adorable and really fit the bill.
Marlowe Banks is working in an uninspiring PA role on a popular TV show, wondering if LA is for her and what’s next, when a costume issue forces her into an unexpected spotlight and she finds out she’s not the only one hiding who they are.
At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Marlowe and the sort of ‘woe is me’ attitude, but as the book progressed, I really enjoyed her growth. The slow-burn, friendship-to-more she had with Angus was fantastic. I really found their story easy to fall into and loved watching it progress. The side characters (esp Cherry) were also a lot of fun! I recommend this for all rom-com lovers!
Thank you St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, for the digital copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 Stars
Another celebrity/civilian romance novel on my 2022 completed shelf. Is it my reading choices or is it an extra popular trend this year? Whatever the case, I’ve so far enjoyed them all.

I’ve read a lot of great romances with this popular trope, so it had a lot to live up to. While missing that extra spark for a full 5-star read, it still had some nice writing. It was a sweet and fun read with loveable characters and a nice bit of sexy.

Loved this quick read about finding yourself again after crashing and burning. Marlowe was quite the quirky character and I loved her.

. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⋆
This book was e x a c t l y what I needed right now. I use romance as palate-cleansers and for escapism, and this completely did the trick.

I genuinely liked all the main characters - I found Marlowe’s character to be relatable, especially in terms of her overthinking patterns ( I feel seen ) and honest in her longing for connection. Angus gave me Gilmore Girls’ Jess vibes for personality and I ain’t mad at it, and shout-out to the author for including a redheaded male figure - they are a rare beast.

I felt like the steam was well done and matched the story and its characters well - between the banter and the build-up, it had the right atmosphere surrounding it.

Dropping the L-bomb three weeks after a meet-cute is always a bit of a struggle for me, but there was so much else that I liked about this one, imma let it slide.

I laughed, I blushed, and I forgot my problems while reading - what more could one want from a romance book?

~ 👩🏻‍🦰