- 3.5 Stars -
I do love a solid celebrity romance. This book definitely hit all of the marks for things I wanted to see in it. It did take me a while to get into this book as there were a lot of names you needed to learn at a rather quick pace. Even after I finished the book, I found myself asking who certain people were or what they would have been important to the plot for.

I really liked Liv and found that a lot of the things she went through were tough. I did however find her annoying in the sense of “oh whoah is me” in regards to Ransom. She was the one who had told him to not contact her and then was upset when he stuck to what she had asked him to do. I hate the miscommunication trope and this was the epitome of what that looks like.

Ransom was a pretty great male lead for this story. I did truly applaud his restraint in not contacting Liv for 14 years. His pursuit of Liv was one that I enjoyed as he really did care about her and you could just sense how much he loved her, even from their early years of being on the show together.

Overall, this book was good! It was a solid debut and did make me feel all the things. However, I just found that I couldn’t connect super well with the characters, and that may be due to the length of time that it took me to read the book (11 days) or maybe just the story that they were telling about their second chance love. But, either way, I did enjoy this read and if you want a celebrity romance you might as well!

⚠️TW: death of parent, car accident, gaslighting, infidelity, death

Thank you @simonschusterca for this finished copy in exchange for my honest review! All of the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Loved this! The sitcom reminded me of Boy Meets World, which is always a good thing, and the second chance romance was super sweet. I also appreciated that it focused on the emotional connection more, as it's more rare to find lower heat levels these days, and they can be easier to recommend to students. I think anyone who likes second chance romances and celebrity-style books will enjoy this one.

Liv & Ransom are/were best friends when their show Girl on the Verge was one of the hottest TV shows, first airing 20 years ago.

And now they are back together when GOTV is getting a reunion special. They lost touch after the show went off the air and now that they are back in contact, Liv is left with a lot of unresolved feelings.

This was an adorable second chance romance with beautiful chemistry between Liv & Ransom. A solid 3.5 stars only because I felt like it was missing something to really make the story grab me.

I really enjoyed Liv and Ransom's story, from teenage co-stars and best friends to reuniting for a 10 year anniversary episode of their hit show. It had just the right amount of Hollywood intrigue and gossip to go with the second chance romance.

I loved this more than anything. I loved the relationship between Liv and Bre so much. I want this to be a series. I would love more of Bre and Ford. I want more Sasha-Kate, I want to know her side of the story. This was amazing and I loved it so much!

The Reunion by Kayla Olson
The blurb for the book caught my attention right away. It was a cute book, a solid second-chance romance with no spice. Good plot with interesting characters.

The Reunion by Kayla Olson follows the story of cast from a hit TV show reuniting to do a reunion special after almost 20 years.

Liv was the high achieving, girl next store, star of the TV show Girl on the Verge who is coming face to face with her past for the first time in almost two decades. She has to navigate stepping back in to an iconic character that defined her early life and reuniting with her one time best friend and crush, co-star Ransom Joel. Will they ever get to the bottom of their feelings and the rapid demise of their friendship and will their be an opportunity for more? Read to find out!

This was an easy to read, page turner that could be a good fit for a reader who was a fan of those coming of age shows from the early 20s. I just so happen to be watching Gilmore Girls (for the first time), and it pairs well for the imagination! I recommend for readers who like romantic comedies, movie-life stories, and are looking for a quick paced read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kayla Olson, and Atria books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to @simonandschuster and @netgalley for sending me The Reunion in exchange for an honest review. #partner

You may have seen this as a BOTM selection this month and for good cause! This was an adorable romance about two teen heartthrobs from a sitcom reminiscent of Boy Meets World who get a reboot a decade later. Of course, because #romancereasons they have been in love for ages but only now realize it.

I really enjoyed this and if you like romance without any open door components and minimal steam, I definitely recommend this. It’s a lot more focused on the emotional component, rather than the sex. Everything is from the main character, Liv’s point of view, and in it you see her struggles with fame, creating for the sake of what people say and her coming to terms with what she actually wanted to do. The fact that this is set against the backdrop of Hollywood just made it so fun.

This reminded me a lot of Funny You Should Ask, as another Hollywood themed romance with depth.

All in all, this was such a good read and it made me want to binge BMW again! I do hope Bre and Finn get their book (maybe I made this up in my head but they feel perfect for each other!)

I was so excited about this one and it totally lived up to my expectations. I can't recommend this enough the hype is real for a reason! I loved their chemistry!

The Reunion

Oh man. Where do I start? This book had so much potential. The synopsis really intrigued me and I was excited to dive in. And then I did dive in and the water was shallow. There was no depth. The characters were lackluster and I did not care what happened to them. Liv and Ransom’s love story lacked any kind of real spark for me and I felt there was just WAY too much angst. There wasn’t even much to get angsty about. Maybe if the story had multiple timelines with the characters so we could get a better feel for their chemistry I would have felt differently. Disappointing because there was so much potential to be a great read but it just fell really flat for me.

What a fun read! The Reunion is a sweet, angsty friends to lovers/second-chance story. Co-stars on a well loved teen sitcom, Liv and Ransom were best friends, inseparable, all throughout filming. When the show ended, they had a miscommunication which meant they went their separate ways and were not really in contact. Fast forward 14 years, and the show lands a reunion special, bringing the cast together for the first time since the series finished. Can Liv handle being around Ransom for the filming? Will they be friends like they used to be? Or will everything fall apart and jeopardize the reunion special?

I really enjoyed this one. The characters felt real, and so did their relationships. I found myself invested in whether they would work out, how the filming would go, what would happen in their lives afterwards. It was an interesting look into the backstage lives of famous actors, dealing with agents, directors, and costars, and it felt familiar, like it nearly referenced a lot of the shows we watched growing up. That made it easier to feel a part of, like maybe we were talking about *that* actress from *that* show we loved. The nostalgia of it all really drew me in.

The Reunion is an adorable second chance romance about actors who reunite for a reboot of a teen drama they starred in during the early 2000s. The characters are charming, but the story is pretty little slow moving. It was very descriptive and focused on Liv's interior thoughts. I became frustrated by how little their relationship advanced through most of the book. I enjoyed the relationships of the cast members and nostalgic aspects of the novel.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

It’s been about 20 seconds since I last read a “celebrity romance” novel, what can I say I’m a whore for pop-culture and I’m a slut for romance novels. Put these two things together and it’s basically a brothel of happiness.

Liv is a Nepo baby, who starred in a popular, teen, sitcom, opposite, mega handsome, Ransom. (Ed note: Rhymed that on purpose #poet). The two were “best friends” but we’re actually just secretly in love with each other for years. When the show ended, they had a platonic friends “break up” and never spoke again.

The two meet again after years when their show films a reunion special and find their chemistry is still raging on. They also both have careers on the rise and have to manage them carefully. While this book is technically a romance, most of the book is really about Liv and her career. It’s more of a love letter to how the sausage gets made in Hollywood, which I found interesting and fun to read. Did it excite the slut receptors in my brain? No. But the celeb-whore receptors were very satisfied.

If you were looking for a hot and steamy Hollywood romance, you won’t find it here. I think maybe Liv and Ransom have sex? It’s unclear if they just have a heavy petting session or if the D actually falls into the V- fade to black has left me wondering. If you’re interested in a look at a few weeks inside the life of a Hollywood starlet and how she balances her work and love life this is a the book for you. Overall it was an enjoyable read.

Smut- 1.41 stars
Romance- 4.26 stars
Story- 4.17 stars
Satisfied celeb whore receptors- 12.78 stars

I kinda have mixed feelings regarding The Reunion. Like I enjoy reading it, but I kinda felt a little disappointed about this book. Let me explain.

The Reunion had potential in being a good romance book, but it felt lacking in the characters depth. Let me explain. The characters felt shallow in my opinion. There wasn't much to them when they were reunited again. Yes, they did not keep in contact for years, but immediately, they felt their love for each other. I'm not really into insta-love because I don't know how they did not keep in contact or why they still love each other. I just needed a little more depth about their self and their love for each other.

But let's focus on the positive; this romance read is a second chance romance trope with a bit of forced proximity. And we get all the feels when these two old friends reunite again. And they spark their romance again with a few complications along the way.

I love a good celebrity romance, and this book was no exception. Two formally inseparable child stars reunite decades after their falling out to film a reunion episode of their hit show. The resulting story is full of tension and longing, and I ate it up.

A few things 𝐈 𝐋𝗼𝐯𝐞𝐝: Each chapter starts with an article from a news or gossip site. Such a nice touch that made each character feel real. I also really enjoyed the sneak peek into the filmmaking side of things!

The only thing that I would have liked more of is scenes with Ransom and Liv together. I loved their banter, and their chemistry was palpable. I would have loved to spend more time with them!

3.7/5
I loved the dynamic between Liv & Ransom and how their connection was as strong from childhood stars to adults. This is a cute easy read story for anyone who loves childhood friends to lovers!

Not the typical second chance romance in my opinion as it seemed to be instant love for the couple. I liked Liv as a character a lot. Also enjoyed the celebrity gossip excerpts.

Thanks NetGalley for an ARC of The Reunion. I really enjoyed the first half, especially Liv and Ransom’s chemistry but the 2nd half fell flat for me. Cute story and loved the Hollywood setting!

I started reading this on Kindle, and did pause to wait for my BOTM copy (I do love my physicals)! This was SUCH a cute fast read. I like that there was not too much wait time for them to get together, if you love each other since childhood then you know! I liked how fast paced the story was and the cute romance between Liv and Ransom. Sometimes second chance romances are hard to pull off but this was so fluffy it was fun to read. So glad I got to enjoy this book!

Who doesn't dream of a reunion of their favorite show? An ode to the 90's babies, during our reunion era, I could not wait to read this book, and it ended up being everything I was hoping for and more.

"I've never felt more like me than when I'm with you. You make my world make sense."

Liv and Ransom were the second-chance romance I felt like we deserved as readers, and THE REUNION made for such a quick and easy read with characters that were easy to fall for. The side characters (especially Bre and Ford) made this cast one I could've kept reading about, a great mix of behind-the-scenes and celebrities in real-life vibes that made me happy, and could easily have been any of my favorite actor couples over the years. Give me the sneak peeks and what happened then vs now, forever, I need more of Olson's books for sure after this fantastic read.

For me, the addition of the news articles and social media updates went so well with the celebrity lifestyle, and added a fun medium to the story that reminded me all my favorites -- Gossip Girl , 90210, Dawson's Creek vibes a plenty, it was so easy to get into this story especially with the dual timelines!

Thank you NetGalley + Atria Books for the advance copy of this book to read and review!