There are so many shows that I loved growing up and was totally bummed when they ended. Party of Five, Dawson’s Creek, My So Called Life, the list goes on and on and I would love to see where those characters are now. The Reunion explores that premise and I was so excited to read about a group of stars from a popular teen drama Girl on the Verge reuniting for a 20 year reunion episode and a possible show reboot! This is my first Kayla Olsen read and I liked it. I enjoyed that each chapter opened with blurbs and articles from social media and I’m a sucker for slow burn, friends to lovers romances. Some of the story was a bit slow at times but overall a fun, light read that gave a glimpse into Hollywood and what it’s like filming a tv show. If you enjoyed How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder I think you’ll enjoy this book

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for the early copy

3.85 stars

This one started off really fun. The premise immediately sounded really intriging to me and I really liked how the author set things up in the beginning of the book. I especially liked the inclussion of articles from gossip blogs. It really brought this world to live and I really liked what they ended up adding to the story. That's kind of where the positive things end for me. I really did not like the romance. I thought it was completely underdeveloped and just hinged on the fact that "I've always loved him". That's it. That's not enough to get me to root for the relationship. Especially not because it's been 14 years since they last talked and therefore A LOT has changed and we never actually get to see their friendship/relationship in the past. On top of that we have a third act conflict that convinces me more that these two should not be together than this book ever managed to do otherwise. So yeah, that was dissapointing. On top of that the main character felt very hypocritical and the way a certain storyline with Sasha-Kate was handled almost made me rage quit. In conclusion, I wanted to love this and even had a fun enough time reading it at some moments to not completely hate it but I was not a fan of this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers of The Reunion for the advanced readers copy.

3.5 ⭐️ s (rounded to 4 due to Goodreads rating scale)

Second chance love | Hollywood romance

Kayla Olson’s book gives Millennials and Gen Zs the perfect feeling of nostalgia with this second chance Hollywood love story. She pulls at the feelings of a beloved childhood show coming back for a reunion special. Her book is an easy and light-hearted read.

What’s extra special is that Liv, the main character, is seeing her ex-best friend/coworker/crush Ransom again. Their relationship and struggles throughout the story has you rooting for them the entire time.

Throughout the story Liv battles with her feelings for Ransom, as well as her future with acting. Her character is very likable and her situation is so realistic to what is seen with stars acting in reunion specials.

In addition to Ransom and Liv there are many characters in the story who are likable— almost as much as the main characters. Which is one part of my rating. I felt that I knew as much about the side characters, costar Ford and friend/manager Bre, as I did the main characters. I wanted to feel attached to Liv and Random, but felt their relationship, story, and details were very surface level.

Furthermore, at the end of each chapter there is a “news story” or social media content with “fans comments”. Often I felt these were unnecessary to the overall story and made me want to skim through them.

If you loved How to Fake it in Hollywood or Birds of Paradise or Built to Last, The Reunion is for you!

Twenty years ago, Liv and Ransom were on the hit teen TV show Girl on the Verge. They were the best of friends from their first day on set through the six seasons the show ran, until they “broke up” and each went their own way. Reunited after all this time to film a reunion special for a streaming channel, the pair are forced back together and all their deeply buried feelings come flying back to the surface. To Liv, Ransom was her best friend and confidant, her rock and safe place when her father died, and she had secretly been in love with him all this time. But Ransom, never felt the same (or did he?), otherwise he wouldn’t have broken their friendship off so they could see other people without the complications of having a best friend of the opposite sex. But from the moment they reunite, they fall right back into old patterns - but this time the stakes are higher and the feeling and emotions more mature. Back then they were just teenagers, but now they’re adults who have been hurt and have careers and futures to consider… can they have it all? Love and successful Hollywood careers?

A second-chance romance between two former teen TV stars. I instantly felt the connection between the MCs, Liv and Ransom. This may have felt like insta-love but their deep rooted connection from years prior made it feel very real. As the third act drama unfolded, I was a bit skeptical on how the story would end but was thankful for a HEA. One thing I disliked was the over abundance of celebrity gossip articles and social media posts after each chapter. They did add to the events of the book overall, but it did feel very excessive in my opinion.

I look forward to reading romance by Kayla Olson again in the future.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

When I started reading this I was quicky hooked. It had everything I love in a second chance romance (even thought tecnically isnt) without what I usually dont like (a lot of flashbacks). And also it was friends to lovers the way I like it: with pinning, yearning and a little bit of angst. I love friends to lovers but I feel like its getting harder to find ones I liker recently, so the book already had a lot of points with me.

But unfortunately even thought it had a lot i loved, there were also a lot I disliked.
First, Sasha-kate. I don't really saw the point of her character and I usually dislike characters like her that just feel like soap opera villains and usually one dimensional. I think the part her character had at the end could have happened with her being more interesting and not just a jealous mean girl just for the sake of being. I also fing it really hard to have this without crossing the line of the main character seem like a "not like other girls" because of the other characters ambitions and interests.
Second the blog entries, tweets/messages. I love having these in books but even thought I know it isnt necessary unrealistic sometimes the "cringeness" was a bit too much and I think it might make the book a bit dated.
Lastly the conflict. I could not buy the reason Liv had for doubting someone who was above all her close friend that she knew since so young. And she said it to him even after he explained what happened.

I still will be excited to see what the author writes next! Because above all this book made me actually FEEL the romance and its something that im having a hard time finding lately, so im at least glad i started 2023 well in that part.

She was a girl on the verge of everything, but when her breakthrough show ended, Liv chose a quieter life. Now, she’s back where it all began, and not only must she made a major decision about her career, she must also decide if she is willing to open her heart to love again.

This was my first experience with Olson’s work, and I really enjoyed it. For starters, this book featured my favorite trope, second chance romance. I am trash for past loves reigniting their flame. I especially adore when childhood sweethearts return, older and wiser, to renew their bond. As far as the romance between Liv and Ransom, I was wholly on board. There were definite sparks at their reunion, but my desire to see them together grew as bits of their past were revealed to me. There is a light that never goes out, and it was the love between these two which resulted in some swooning from me.

As with most Hollywood romances, there was a lot of drama that came from external sources. It was expected, and I enjoyed the bursts of this via social media and blog posts which were often very amusing. The behind the scenes stuff was interesting, and I enjoyed the friendships that were highlighted as well.

But like I said, it was all about Ransom and Liv for me. Every smile, every glance got me more and more excited for these two to finally act on their feelings after such a long time. I would have loved to have had more time with Liv and Ransom as a couple, but I can say the time I did get was wonderful. A strong ending featuring super sweet grand gesture made a big impression on me. It had me feeling that bliss I chase with every romance I read and left me with a happy heart.

Liv and Ramson were childhood stars in a hit TV series and BFF. Years later, the cast of Girl on the Verge, was slated to appear in a reunion show. Are the once teen heart throbs meant to be friends after all these years of separation? Or are they meant to be more? This books follows the ebbs and flows of Liv And Ransom’s reunion. This is the quintessential slow-burn romance. The only negative is the press releases that start every other chapter. I believe these detract from the love story between the two main characters.

This is the first novel I've read by this author, and I really enjoyed it. After 20 years, the TV show Liv starred in is having a reunion show, and possibly a revival. Her costar, and former best friend Ransom, who she hasn't really spoken to in 14 years is there too. Old rivalries resurface, old dynamics restart, and possibly, will love bloom this time around for Liv and Ransom?

This was a fun, easy read. The characters were well formed, I enjoyed the snappy writing style, and recommend this to anyone who loved Beverly Hills, 90210 and Gilmore Girls.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for the ARC!

The Reunion by Kayla Olson
⭐️ rating: 5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 genre: romance
🔥 steam: fade-to-black

This is one of those books that I absolutely loved and could not put down…but don’t ask me what happens. Because nothing really does. 😂 But you enjoy every second of it anyway. I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed this book and Liv.

I think what I loved in this book is the characters. They were all pretty well built out & relatable (even though they’re famous & I’m clearly…not). Ford might be one of my new favorite characters & my fingers are crossed that he gets a novel next!

I also LOVED that each chapter ended/started with a breaking news article! It really helped to add necessary background and exposition I’m a fun and refreshing way!

Read if you like:
✨ TV Revivals (think more Veronica Mars than Gilmore Girls)
✨ Second chance romance, friends-to-lovers
✨ Single POV

This was the first time I read this author and I really enjoyed the story.

It's been years since the TV series where Liv played the main character ended and the whole cast is invited to a 20-year reunion. It's also been 14 years since she last saw Ransom, who played the love interest. They were best friends but haven't had any contact after she asked him for a break.

As the cast gets back together, old dynamics come into play between all of them. Liv and Ransom discover they still have strong feelings for each other, but things are not easy for them.

Second chance is my favorite trope and this was a great example of it. I liked how the relationship developed between Ransom and Liv, and the friendships with the other members of the cast, and how they evolved individually as well.

Really cute story!

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

The Reunion is a sweet friends to lovers/second chance romance. I loved the alternating POV between Liv and the Internet posts/articles about the reboot and it’s stars. I enjoyed reading about the behind the scenes on the set of the reboot and Liv’s struggle with fame. I do wish there’d been more of Liv and Ransom, maybe even chapters from his POV. Overall this was a cute rom com and a must read for fans of teen dramas or second chance romances!

Cute second chance romance story about childhood best friends/coworkers on a hit series show. Luv and Ransom have undeniable connections.

4.5 stars

I was scrolling through Tik Tok one day and came across an author talking about her book. Sounded intriguing, so I headed here to NetGalley to look for it, and lo and behold, I already had it! Woot!

This was a fun read about Hollywood and love lost and regained, about letting go of the past and looking forward to a bright new future, full of possibilities!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.

DNF at 50%. The writing is good, but for me, the story is slow and introspective. By the midpoint, nothing has really changed from the beginning. There's no character development, no conflict, and little plot movement, I'm sure others will enjoy the book but it's not for me.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy. I thought this was a sweet book with remarkable insight into the main character’s thoughts. She seemed so relatable and I really felt for her. The premise of the story was also very entertaining.

I want to start this by saying I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really liked this book. I liked the second chance romance trope and the chemistry between the main characters. I wish we got to see a bit more of their relationship and that it was longer, but overall I really liked the book.

Oh y'all. I was so charmed by the blurb on this one! It was straight up my alley and I was so excited to get my hands on it!

It didn't play out exactly as I had hoped.

Don't get me wrong, I did love Liv and Ransom. Their ending was super satisfying and very sweet. I think what I needed is...more. More time with them together. More dialogue. Their relationship fired up quickly - but that didn't bother me because I knew they had history. I took it as the rekindling of a friendship, and I have plenty of those: where you go years apart and can pick up where you left off. But I think once there were clearly feelings involved, I needed more development in order to fully invest. So while I liked them - I felt outside of their story and like far more emphasis was given to the trajectory of their careers, when what I really wanted was more feels.

That said, I did find the whole story interesting. As a lover of these types of shows (hello, Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, Gilmore Girls...sighhh) this tickled a sweet spot for me and I enjoyed the entire premise. I also loved the way the dynamics of the characters were given - and man, I would really really love a Ford story. I loved that guy almost more than I loved Ransom. Talk about a scene-stealer!

In the end, this was a good story. I would have liked more from the romance, but the story itself was solid and entertaining and ultimately rewarding. It was worth the read, even if it didn't hit quite the way I wanted it to.

Cute read... There were definitely parts that lulled! But the banter between the two characters were so cute! Overall I enjoyed this bok!

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'm finding it hard to rate this one. Some parts I really liked. When Ransom and Liv first found each other again, their chemistry was great. Then when the novel focused on the drama of show business and the rumours, it fell a bit flat. Not much actually happened. For them to not contact each other after loving each other for so long? It's not really a concept I can understand.