It was a really sweet second-chance romance. I am not a huge fan of misunderstanding due to miscommunication. As best friends, they should have been better about talking honestly to one another. Overall, a fun, light-hearted read.

The Reunion was so charming! Liv grew up on screen but after a falling out with her best friend/on-screen love interest, Random Joel, l she retreats, only doing select projects over the years, but a reunion of the show that started has her career brings them back together and old feelings resurface. I’m not usually one for a Hollywood romance but I loved the Hollywood dynamic throughout this. Liv was so wonderful and endearing! She felt so down to earth and engaging and I loved her journey through the nostalgia of her old show and her ambition for her career. She’s smart and witty, and I loved her team and drive. I didn’t feel as much spark in the romance but I think it was because it was more Liv’s journey than anything else. But I loved the friendship that was the basis of Liv and Ransom. It was sweet. This read just felt fun and light, and I really enjoyed the writing and the characters!

The Reunion had an interesting and topical enough premise, with so many of the shows from my childhood and teen years going through reboots lately. What surprised me was how much I connected to Liv’s struggles, both career and personal.

There were the early chapters of Liv describing the awkward stages of reconnecting with Ransom again after so many years. Of how they were once each other safe spaces but had put so much distance between themselves over the past 14 years that they were stuck between small talk and lighthearted texts with heavy subtext. It reminded me of the Taylor Swift lyric “Please don’t ever become a stranger whose laugh I could recognize anywhere.”

Then came Liv’s career decisions. Should she continue on with something that’s shaped so much of who she is and that she’s grown up with? The option that’s wrapped up in nostalgia and history and in many ways, comfort? Or should she jump into the relatively unknown? With the sort of projects that’ll challenge and fulfill her?

Finally, the doubts that creep into her thoughts about Ransom’s motivations and their relationship were heartbreaking and realistic.

On top of the emotional pieces that really resonated with me throughout this book, I also really liked the backdrop of the once-hit teen drama reunion show, with its cast of lovable secondary characters.

The one thing I wasn’t a fan of was that each chapter started with a tabloid article. I get what the author was trying to accomplish with them but I didn’t really enjoy them and they took me out of a story that I very much did enjoy.

This book was just okay. I understand that it's supposed to be her story but it would be way better if it was dual pov. I also really wanted them to spend more time together. They only had like 2ish dates and that wasn't enough.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I always love a good friends-to-lovers book and this truly did not disappoint because it was also a second-chance romance.

Twenty years ago, Liv Latimer and Ransom Joel skyrocketed to fame thanks to their roles on the hit show Girl On the Verge. Their characters Honor and Duke always had so much chemistry, but was that chemistry only on screen? After years of not seeing each other, Liv and Ransom find themselves together to film a reunion special to celebrate 20 years of the show. What they don't realize is that romance will immediately spark, and they'll pick up exactly where they left off. Unfortunately, they'll go through many tests of their relationship, and Liv has a big decision to make.

I absolutely loved reading Liv and Ransom's story, and I highly recommend you read it too if you like second-chance romances with almost no spice.

This is a lovely, light, escapist read about two child stars on a hit show who come together several years later to film a reunion. Think Boy Meets World except Topanga was in love with Cory IRL. And Cory got really ripped post-show.

Closed door, second chance, celebrity romance.

I am a huge huge HUGE fan of romantic comedies. I honestly don’t even know how many I’ve read over the years. The premise of this one definitely stood out to me as unique and interesting. I was excited to read it. While it was a cute sweet story, I felt that the characters needed to be fleshed out a little more. They fell kind of flat to me. It wasn’t an awful story, I did enjoy parts of it. It just needs a little work :)

Thank you Atria Books & Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. I was drawn to this book based on the premise, a popular show from 20 years ago reunites for a reunion special on a Netflix like streaming platform. The shows leads, Rumor and Liv, used to be the best of friends but pushed each other away. Once they come together again the sparks are still there and maybe this is their chance a second chance romance.

This was cute and insider-y with the impacts of gossip columns/social media on relationships. But, this was just okay. I didn't feel super connected any of the characters, and some of the story lines weren't very fleshed out. It also felt longer than necessary.

This one just wasn't for me.

This was a sweet book. Easy to read, endearing characters, and lots of romance simmering under the premise of a twenty-year reunion between cast members.

This wasn’t an earth-shattering book, but made for a lovely read nonetheless. The characters were well-written, and the will-they-won’t-they kept me hooked until the end.

I would recommend this to any reader looking for a sweet, second-chance romance.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I requested an ARC of this book based on the adorable cover and the intriguing blurb. A romance book about Teen Stars, 20 years later? Yes please.

Liv and Ransom costarred on a hit show in their teens. They grew up together, they worked together, they were basically always together...until their final season when their friendship ended. Now, 20 years later, they are thrust back together for a reunion episode of their show.

It's a friends to lovers, closed door romance where he falls first and there are delightful Hollywood vibes. I love Liv's character, and how she makes choices that you wouldn't expect of a Hollywood star. Her backstory is well developed, and she thinks things through thoroughly. Her friendship with Bre was perfection, and her relationship with her "team" was relatable. Ransom is a little more of a mystery, since we don't get his POV. Because Liv was so close with him when they were teens, she tells his backstory well, but his current thoughts and feeling are all a secret. The way this book was written really gets the reader invested in the story. I desperately wanted to know what happened back in their final season all those years ago and I really needed to know what was going on in Ransom's head, so I kept turning those pages until I found out. I loved that aspect of it. The show itself, Girl on the Verge, sounded so good. I wish it was a real show I could watch! I loved the side characters, Bre, Ford and even Jimmy the driver. All in all, a very entertaining book.

I loved the premise of The Reunion and I'm a total sucker for second chance romances, but it just didn't work for me.

Liv and Ransom were more than costars on the biggest teen drama of the time. They were also best friends. But when filming stopped, so did their friendship. Now, years later, they are reuniting for a reunion special and hidden feelings may come to light.

I loved this book! Here’s what I adored:

🎬 Liv. She was a well drawn out character. I liked that she struggled with Hollywood yet wasn’t a stereotypical actress.

🎬The Hollywood feel. It was fun to step inside a world that I don’t know much about. And it really did feel authentic.

🎬 Liv and Ransom. I loved these two. They absolutely belonged together but also valued their friendship above all else.

All in all, this was a great romantic read!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC!

This romance seemed based on the fact that 2 young people couldn't communicate and therefore lost each other. Their new romance then picked up with relatively little communication. I hate it when characters don't talk to each other!

This is a second-chance romance about two actors, Liv and Ransom, who were the stars of this very successful teen show where they played two people in a relationship. For reasons unknown to the reader they went from being best friends to not speaking for 14 years. Now that they have been hired for the reunion episode and possible reboot of this show, they have to face their feelings about each other and about what happened all those years ago.

Reading the plot I expected an angsty second-chance romance, where the characters go through a series of deep emotions and understandable hesitations about seeing each other and working together once again. What I did not expect is the kind of insta-love energy that Liv and Ransom show upon seeing each other after so long. When two people have a major falling out and don’t speak for 14 YEARS, I’d think they would try to become reacquainted with each other and talk about what happened BEFORE exchanging flirty texts and making out. Liv does have a series of cautious thoughts contrasted with her attraction to Ransom who she has always had a crush on. Yet, it felt like she was in love with the memory of him and what they had in the past.

Despite the romance being a let down, I did like Liv’s character. I enjoyed reading the way she deals with being back in the limelight. I like that she thinks about what she truly wants for her career and stays true to her vision. I thought Liv’s personality and the way she navigated everyday challenges added a much-needed depth to the story, and I found her to be a well-rounded character.

This second-chance romance was cute at times but fell flat for me due to the lack of emotional depth when Liv and Ransom reconnect after 14 years, which I think was a missed opportunity. There was a lot of tell and not enough show to convince me that their love was special and substantial. Liv’s character study was the most interesting part to me, but I did not enjoy this book as a romance. I’ll probably be in the minority here, and I’m okay with that.

forget enemies to lovers trope, the celebrity insider/hollywood trope has become one of my new faves! as a lover of pop culture and everything hollywood, its impossible to not get sucked into this book. loved it! thanks netgalley & the publisher for the arc, in exchange for an honest review!

Everything was just too forced. It didn’t seem organic and natural. I could see the chemistry but it almost seem too forced. I just needed it to flow differently.

I like the premise of the story, but the grown adults were a little more "angsty" than I expected them to be. The romance was cute, and the glimpse into celebrity life was fun. The ending seemed rushed, trying to tie up all the loose ends in a chapter or two.

All in all, a nice way to spend a few hours.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Kayla Olson for the ARC.

This friends to lovers romance set against the Hollywood backdrop is an irresistible read!

Liv and Ransom were best friends and co-stars in a hot teen show years ago. When the 20 year anniversary of the show comes up, a streaming service decides to do a reunion episode that could possibly reboot the show, bringing the original cast back together for the first time in years. Liv and Ransom had grown apart years ago, but they pick their friendship back up like not a day has passed. It doesn’t take long for the world to wonder if their chemistry is just acting, or if real feelings are involved.

The chemistry between Liv and Ransom sizzles, and their relationship evolves in such a natural, easygoing way. I loved Liv as a character, loved the side characters and all of their quirks, and enjoyed the gossipy articles and clickbait reports that finished off each chapter. The parts of the book about shooting a TV episode made me feel like I was behind the scenes seeing how shows are really filmed. This book was such a fun, addictive read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Reunion
By: Kayla Olson
Review Score: 3 1/2 Stars

Five Key Feels

-I love the premise of this story!

-I love how supportive Liv’s team is, especially compared to other cast members in the story.

-Liv and Ransom have undeniable chemistry.

-I enjoyed all of the layers of “celebrity life” in this story, it was fun to read.

-The end felt a bit forced, and a bit rushed.

———


The Reunion was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Atria. Thank you for allowing me to read this wonderful book!

Release Date: 1/17/23

I have mixed feelings about The Reunion. It starts off fun and interesting. Learning about Liv and Ransom, and their history on a teen show together was fun to dive into. However, I felt Ransom to still be a bit disingenuous. He had all that time to tell Liv how he felt, why wait so long? I am not surprised Liv is so uncertain.

I enjoyed the evolution of the story, and the rest of the characters who were on the show with Liv and Ransom. And I loved Liv’s team. She seems to have really good people around her.

The end seemed a bit rushed, and a bit forced. Obviously I hoped everything would work it’s way out, but it all seemed to be done in a chaotic matter.

I did enjoy The Reunion. It was a fun and easy read. I just didnt love it.

Childhood friends and then estranged? Coming back together via forced proximity? SIGN ME UP! I’m a sucker for a second chance romance, especially with a friends to lovers element mixed in, and this definitely delivers. Fans of Christina Lauren, check this one out.