The Reunion by Kayla Olson 🎬

Liv was the star of a teen drama and spent her entire childhood on screen trying to be as picture perfect as her character in real life. After the death of her father and betrayal of her on-screen love interest and off-screen best friend Ransom, Liv wanted nothing more than to live a normal life aside from a few indie films. Twenty years after the show’s premiere the cast is invited back for a reunion special and Liv couldn’t be happier to be back on set. Ransom and her fall into their old rhythms, rediscovering what drew them together before.

I loved the premise of this book, celebrity plus second chance romance is such a perfect combo. However I think I hyped up this book a little much in my head and it didn’t live up to what I was hoping it would be. I really liked Liv, she knows what she wants and doesn’t let the pressure of Hollywood influence how she prefers to live her life. The book was solely from her perspective which worked, however I feel like I learned next to nothing about Ransom which resulted in me not enjoying the romance between them as much.

With Liv’s unresolved feelings for Ransom, I was hoping we would get some more insight to them in the past and their friendship but that didn’t really happen. I would have loved to have seen just a few flashback moments between them to be more convinced of their chemistry. I expected a bit more of angsty-ness (if that’s a word) between them since they haven’t talked to each other for 14 years, but it felt very insta-love. I’m also someone who loves dialogue in a romance, I want to hear the characters talking through things instead of being told about it. There were a lot of moments where Liv and Ransom were together but it was just mentioned in passing instead of showing it. I needed those moments to be convinced of the romance and chemistry between them rather than be told about them in a few sentences.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. The celebrity gossip was fun, I liked the "articles" between chapters, and I loved Liv’s character. What didn’t work for me was the telling instead of the showing when it came to the romance.

single POV
3.5/5 stars ⭐️
1/5 spice level 🌶️

Is it possible to have already read the best release of 2023 barely three weeks into the year? If so, Kayla Olson’s newest novel, The Reunion, might be the one!

Liv Latimer grew up starring in the hit television series Girl on the Verge, but so much has changed in the past twenty years since the show’s premiere. Liv has dealt with grief, rediscovering her passion, and having to part ways with her former best friend and costar, Ransom Joel. Fourteen years after the series finale and deciding to take a step back from their close friendship, the show is planning a big reunion special and a potential reboot, which means going all the way back to the beginning. Liv is having the time of her life seeing old collaborators and reconnecting with Ransom, but old spats and crushes keep bubbling back up from the surface! Is going back to basics the best decision for her, or is it time to walk away for good and pursue new connections?

This book is IMPOSSIBLE to put down, and it’s clear how well the new Celebrity Romance trope shines! This is the novel for anyone who watched all of the teen dramas in the mid 2000s and was living their best life when Netflix decided to reboot everything under the sun. The main shift in Liv and Ransom’s attraction for one another was sudden at first, but since the reader is rooting for them from page one, it’s extremely forgivable.

My personal favorite segments were the tabloids in between the chapters! They were a fun reminder of how their relationships and work drama was perceived by their fans.

This is a romance I’ll be recommending all year long! Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book was great. It had a great story to it. The romance aspect of it was definitely lacking a little. I don’t have an issue with insta love but I thought they should have had the characters work up to being in love instead of it being just instant.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Our main characters in this book are Liv and Ransom. They were co-stars/best friends whilst filming their tv show, but something happened that caused them to cut ties when their show, Girl on the Verge ended. Fast forward 14 years to when they are invited back to film a 20 year reunion episode and they soon realize that their feelings for each other never left.

Ya’ll, two of my favourite tropes are childhood friends to lovers/ second chance and this book delivered! This book gave me an insight as to potentially what our favourite actors/actresses feel when they are brought back to film a reunion/reboot (Yano, since there are a lot of those happening recently) and I loved it!

I could feel the connection that Liv and Ransom had together, but I also loved that with the magazine articles, we got to learn more about some of the side characters in a unique way. I also enjoyed that this book wasn’t jam packed with drama. It had some where it was needed but it wasn’t over the top.

My only two things I wish this book had was Ransoms POV (I’m nosy, okaaaayyy?!) and some spice.

Is anyone else hoping we get a follow up book featuring our other favourites, Ford and Bre?! 👀

Former teen TV co-stars Liv and Ransom had a falling out 14 years ago, the friendship and bond they had built dissolved. When their once hit show is being casted for a reunion, Liv and Ransom reconnect. Could they just pick up where they left off after so many years of having not talked? Or, is there more in store for them?

I enjoyed Olson’s writing, the ins and outs of TV shooting, and the fun tabloid articles, comments, and even the dialogue between Liv and Ransom in-character. I love celebrity romances! But, I think I’m more a fan of celebrity hero x girl next door. That preference aside, THE REUNION had potential. The chemistry was definitely there between Liv and Ransom, but the slow burn didn’t exactly build it as well as it could. Nonetheless, perfect for fans of Erin Hahn’s BUILT TO LAST.

3/5⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This story revolves around Liv and Ransom, who both used to star in a teen drama tv show titled Girl on the Verge. They were costars but also very close friends. At the beginning of the story we learn that something had happened during the last season of the show to cause Liv and Ransom not to speak to each other anymore. This changes when their old show does a twenty year reunion special which brings both characters back into each others lives.

My first impression before reading the book was that I liked the premise and I loved the cover art. It definitely made me nostalgic for the shows that have gotten reboots or specials over the years like Gilmore Girls. Overall it was a nice story and it included fun press or gossip articles in between chapters. The story does not include any flashbacks which I usually prefer but it might have been nice to have one or two so that we could have seen Liv and Ransom’s history a bit more instead of just hearing about it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5 stars

The Reunion is a juicy, addicting celebrity romance between two former teen stars brought back together when they sign on to film a reboot of their hit show. Liv and Ransom were best friends while they were filming their classic teen show until something tore them apart in the final season. Now, twenty years later, they reunite and find that there may be more than friendship between them.

I loved this book. It flew by and I was caught up in the glitzy, angsty world. Liv and Ransom were very likable and I rooted for (and stressed over) their second chance romance. I love a Hollywood romance and this one delivered on all of the drama, swoons, and pop culture references. Highly recommend.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story about second chances.  When she was a teenager, Liv Latimer was the star of one of the most popular teen dramas, Girl on the Verge.  Her chemistry with her co-star, Ransom Joel, was palpable on screen, and, to Liv, it seemed to extend off screen.  Liv and Ransom were best friends behind the scenes, but, even though Liv wanted more, Ransom did not seem to feel the same. Toward the end of the show, the two had a rupture.  Once the show wrapped, Liv largely retreated from public view.  Recently, she has appeared in some small indie movies.  Ransom, by contrast, has become a huge action star.

Twenty years after the show's premiere, it is being rebooted with a reunion special that could turn into a series featuring the characters as adults.  When Liv sees Ransom after so many years, she discovers he is even more attractive than before -- and she finds herself as drawn to him as ever.  The two grow closer and closer as they rediscover their old rhythms and find new ones as adults.  But with the pressures around their careers, jealous co-stars, intrusive media, and fans who are desperate for their old favorites to get together in real life, Liv finds that recapturing the old magic may not be so easy -- and may not be what she wants for her future if it can't be on her terms.

This book was great!  The premise is so fun -- whether picturing Dawson's Creek, The OC, or another favorite, it is a delight to get what feels like a true-to-life look at what things are like behind the scenes and imagine what it would be like for these casts to reunite.  The author does a terrific job of exploring both the professional aspects of the story -- including what it takes to build a career after a run on a successful teen show, how the tv and entertainment industry have changed, and the pressure for stars to reveal their personal lives on social media -- and the second chance romance at the heart of the book.  Liv and Ransom are both compelling characters on their own, and their chemistry together jumps off the page.  The supporting cast, including Liv's team and the actress who played her little sister now all grown up, were terrific and added great dimensions to the story.

Heartily recommended!

𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕖𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕓𝕪 𝕂𝕒𝕪𝕝𝕒 𝕆𝕝𝕤𝕠𝕟

ℝ𝔼𝕃𝔼𝔸𝕊𝔼 𝔻𝔸𝕋𝔼: 𝕁𝕒𝕟𝕦𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝟙𝟟, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟛
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
𝗔 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘇 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁.
𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝘃 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗺. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗹𝘆. 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝘇𝘇𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆.

I love movies, and books about movies, especially when they feel like a movie. If you love Style by Taylor Swift, you will LOVE this book!

This book was a rollercoaster, and did not have any of the regular romance plots I am used to. It honestly did not feel like a book at all. Liv and Ransom have a rollercoaster of a relationship, which includes second chance, friends to lovers, and my favorite *I can't have you but I want you.*

The plot line was very well created which made it really easy to get into. The world building was subtle but you for sure get the idea of where the story is going. However, there were plenty of moments that make you want to scream at the characters and have you on the edge of your seat.

I only gave this book 4 stars because I felt like it was mildly finished, and the plot was fixed a bit too quickly. so rounded up 4.5 stars because LIV AND RANSOM. I also want to add, that you don't feel like your reading, everything is so vividly described, but not taken up to much on the setting.

Thank you to Kayla Olsen, Atria Publishers and NetGalley for this E-ARC.
(I did love this book and will continue to look out for Kayla's other books!)

Is my new favorite trope best friends to strangers to lovers? Yeah, I think so.
If you are looking for a precious romcom about child stars reuniting at their show's reunion, then The Reunion is the perfect book for you to pick up. Liv and Ransom were costars who played love interests on a beloved tv show as teenagers; they were inseparable best friends until their show ended, and they went separate ways. Now, their show is having a reunion/reboot, and Liv realizes that after all these years she still loves Ransom. As they continue to reconnect and work together, the spark is there again, and neither of them can ignore it. I also loved all of the supporting characters; they were fun to read about, and I would love to read more about them. Honestly, it was close to being a five star to me; there were some parts that I thought were rushed, and I don't like any sort of miscommunication.
All of the supporting characters were fun to read about, and I would love to read more about them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

I am so conflicted on this book. I was unable to put it down and read a majority of it in one sitting (I had self control and made myself stop at 11pm--be proud of me!!), but I feel like every chapter, I would cringe a little bit at how out of touch and privileged the people in this book were. Of course, that's probably to be expected when reading a book about Hollywood celebrities, but it really caused a rift in me as to whether I enjoyed this book or not. I feel like Liv references other celebrities and their philanthropism, but we never see a cause that she is passionate about, which I think would've added more depth to her character. And especially with all this talk on nepo-babies right now, it was hard for me to read parts of this book--though the fact that Liv's father passed away due to a paparazzi accident definitely adds some depth to this: How much do celebrities actually owe us in terms of privacy? Some people seem to argue that if you're willing to pursue a career in showbusiness, having people want to know every intimate detail of your life is to be expected, but do they not deserve privacy? But also what does it say about me that I loved reading this book that shows the other side of being a celebrity? It was all very confusing to my brain, but in the end, I really did enjoy the journey of it all.

4 ⭐️

The Reunion is a second chance romance between two childhood actors who co-starred on the same show for many years. I thought it was so cute! The book has very easy writing and was an enjoyable, light-hearted read. I personally enjoy the gossip/magazine type articles that sat between the chapters but those might not be for everyone. My biggest hangup with the book is the re-named social media sites - I didn't feel it was necessary and kind of just took away from the realistic story and slightly confused me at first. Liv and Ransom were both enjoyable characters, but I felt there was tension or drama with side characters that didn't get fully developed. (Mainly Sasha-Kate and Ransom's dad). There was a lot of emphasis on their personalities and the difficulties Liv and Ransom had with them but ultimately I didn't feel like it amounted to that much at the end. The celebrity romance trope can be so hit or miss for me but in this it definitely worked and is probably my new favorite for this trope! I'm excited to see what Kayla releases next.

Read if you like:
🎥 Hollywood romance
💜 Second Chance Romance
👧 Childhood friends to lovers
💭 Gossip magazines
📖 Easy, fast-paced writing

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early access copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I honestly requested this book on a whim after seeing the gorgeous cover and hearing that it involved celebrities. I am so happy I did and was approved because wow this book was so cute and nostalgic, with some Hollywood drama mixed in.

“…they’re the ones to remind me to be grateful,
even for the harder days.”

This story follows our main characters Liv and Ransom who became famous after spending 6 years on a sitcom that basically rocked the world. They were best friends until something happened at the series ending and they stopped talking, for 14 years. Now, it’s 14 years later and they are being invited back to set for a reboot episode. When they see each other again for the first time, they quickly reconnect and fall back into the same old patterns, with their instant chemistry being stronger than ever. But of course, this is Hollywood so nothing is ever as easy as you’d think.

First off this gave me ALL the 90s sitcom vibes.. Boy Meets World, FRIENDS, and Full House. I was loving every single second of it. The similarities were on point with the popularity of the show and then there being a reunion (hello FRIENDS). I mean who wouldn’t want to be taken back to simpler days?

The gossip articles that were thrown in between chapters were so clever and added so much emphasis to the story, I loved being able to experience them! (Reminds me of my J-14 reading days).

The romance between Liv and Ransom was so precious. I’m a huge fan of friends reconnecting and falling in love trope. I mean, my favorite book is Love and Other Words after all, and thought it was really well done in this story and throughout the plot. It didn’t feel rushed or forced. To me, it felt natural, which is how it was meant and written to be for Liv and Ransom.

“You make my world make sense.”

I would absolutely LOVE to see a companion story that features Ford and Bree!

“…he’s my very best friend, my favorite place on the planet even if it isn’t alway safe, my risk worth taking - because whatever happens from here, we have to try.”

I could absolutely see Hayden Panettiere playing Liv ...

<img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTY2OTI1NzA0NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTczMTA2Mw@@._V1_.jpg"/>

and Taylor Lautner playing Ransom.

<img src="https://hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/bio-pic-taylor-lautne.jpg?w=620"/>

This story was an unexpected delight. I went into the book expecting more of a romcom vibe, but Olsen penned an excellent single POV romance with a heavier undercurrent. Random and Liz starred in a popular tv show growing up called Girl on the Verge. They were the best of friends until their very last season and have not seen each other sense. The show is reuniting the cast for a 20th anniversary special where Liv and Ransom will have to confront their past feelings, present relationship, and future careers. A beautiful story about second chances and finding your way back to the person who makes you the best version of yourselves.

Oh my gosh. This was the most heartwarming, fluff-filled, slowburn, emotional romcom I’ve read in a long while. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry or Sophie Sullivan, this book will break and mend your heart all in one go. I fell head over heels for this book and it’s wonderful characters in an instant, and couldn’t think about anything else until I reached the end of their story. I honestly couldn’t describe how much I adored this book, and I cannot recommend it enough. Only removing a star for the dreaded miscommunication trope.

I really, really enjoyed this book. The world was so fun and warm and realistic, and the characters were so lovable, that I just wanted to wrap myself in it and live there. I love Hollywood stories, but this one fulfills a fantasy I never knew I had. Last year, after watching reunion specials for Friends and Harry Potter last year, this brought me all the feels! Liv was such a shining character, and I loved her relationship with her best friend Bre. Her moments with Ransom were sweet and hot at the same time. Ransom seemed like a sweetheart. I want him to be my new book boyfriend!

My only complaint is that I would have liked to have seen MORE of Liv and Ransom together, so that I could see more of what drew them together. But ultimately, that didn't take away much from the reading. I can't wait to go back and read it again!

I enjoyed the story and the characters but I found the romance spark to be lacking. There wasn’t much dialogue between the main characters until 40 percent and then it was insta love. I loved the celebrity aspects and the idea of a love story surrounding a reboot. I just needed to feel the emotion a bit more.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Kayla Olson for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 stars. I felt like there was something missing when it came to Liv and Ransom. I didn't really feel the chemistry between them.

I love second chance romance so was very excited after being approved to read this book. it started out so promising for me. I loved the banter and trope here is second chance romance .Liv and Ransom had amazing chemistry and feel back into their places perfectly. They seemed like they picked up right where they left off. That being said there were points of tension that I thought could have been dealt with better and differently. It was a fun and cute read though.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this ARC