Read if you like:
❤️ Celebrity Couples
❤️ Boy Meets World
❤️ Friends to Lovers
❤️ Coworkers to Lovers
❤️ Second Chance Romances
❤️ Closed Door/Clean Romances

This one had me absolutely swooning for these characters. It took me back to watching Cory and Topanga, DJ and Steve, and all the other television teenage couple goals of my childhood fall in love and wondering if the actors would really fall in love in real life because it just felt so real.

I absolutely loved the building blocks put in place for the past and present colliding with the big show reunion episode to wrap up the loose ends from the series finale from 14 years previously. It truly felt like reading about the actors from halloweentown announcing their relationship and how my heart awwwwed over them being together in real life as adults who randomly came back together years later and happened to fall in love.

I also loved the cut scenes with the gossip rag articles and social media commentary as that really added another layer of feeling like I was with them hoping for this relationship to go off screen.

If you are looking for your next romance book, I highly recommend picking this one up as it had me swooning!

The Reunion by Kayla Olson follows two of Hollywood's beloved actors, Ransom and Liv. Once childhood co-stars, they have reunited for a reunion episode of their show Girl on the Verge. They deal with lingering feelings, pressures of all things Hollywood, and friends who could really get their own book next...FORD!

We follow Liv and Ransom on their path back to one another. Lots of chemistry between the two. The book was a bit predictable and I could do without the girl drama. But, a good and easy read.

Let me start by saying that I read this in ONE sitting, under a 6 hour span. It instantly drew me in and I found myself falling in love with the male main character through the eyes of the FMC.

This story follows Liv, who was kind of a child star - she was the main character on a sitcom that blew up. It’s 14 years after the final episode, and they’re putting together a reunion episode to see where the characters might be at during this point in their lives. The guy that starred opposite to her, Ransom, ended up being her best friend and they were close until their final season when they slowly had a friendship break up. Now, in the present, it’s their first time seeing one another…. SPARKS FLY. Is it possible she wasn’t the only one who had feelings years ago?!

And ya’ll know I’m a sucker for friends to lovers. And it’s low-key like secondhand since they’re coming back together after 14 years apart… just freaking perfection! This was the perfect romcom, completely fantastic, and it literally had my heart happy the entire time. And Ransom?? If you’ve seen my stories, you know that I’ve had phases where I only pictured Miles Teller or Adam Driver as the male main characters in soooo many books a couple months back. Well, it’s safe to say that it’s kind back because I pictured Miles Teller as Ransom and I was in heaven.

3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4! I enjoyed my time in this universe and will happily go back for more. Bee and Ford’s story???

This was such a cute book! The Reunion follows Liv Latimer, an actress who has just signed on to do a reunion special of the television show that set her career on its path to success. But it’s not just the show she’s reuniting with. She also has to face Ransom Joel again, her best friend turned stranger of a costar who played alongside of her.

While I did enjoy this book, I wish it had more emotional depth. I wanted to know WHY these characters fell for each other but everything felt surface level between them. Still a good read though! A solid 4/5.

I loooove a good Hollywood centered novel, and I was super excited about this one once I heard the premise: the stars of a beloved TV show who always had a little something between them are brought back together to film a reunion episode, forcing them to confront their feelings for each other. This was fab! I really loved how this felt balanced between the romance between Liv and Ransom and the careers of the characters. I actually think the sections where Liv considered the future of her career were my faves! The gossip columns and articles throughout were really effective in helping to propel plot lines (and we all know that I loooove a mixed media element!). I definitely recommend this one if you like Hollywood romances!

The Most Anticipated Contemporary Romance Books of 2023

While it’s easy to recommend contemporary romances based on various combinations of shorthand tropes and archetypes, it’s equally fascinating to pick up on the common themes in a year’s crop of new romances.

In 2023 expect more than one ghostwriter falling for her client (because what’s more intimate than learning someone’s voice) and plenty of author crushes in the flesh. Yet there’s also the themes of writing ourselves into fantasy scenarios or idealized versions of ourselves—or if not writing, then taking the cannonball plunge into summer camp or other group getaways in the sunshine, when we can be freer versions of ourselves not weighed down by expectations or exes. Or if you’re looking for a sharper edge to your contemporary romance, get ready for books that amp up the archetypal enemies or rivals into witch-versus-witch-hunter or competing con artists. This list has new books from Kate Clayborn, Emily Henry, Taj McCoy, Christina Lauren, Tehlor Kay Mejia, and many many more. Truly, it was difficult to narrow down, and this is just the first half of the year.

The Reunion by Kayla Olson

Release Date: January 17 from Atria Books

It’s really fun to see contemporary romance authors tap into millennials’ nostalgia for early-2000s TV, like in last year’s How to Fake It in Hollywood and now The Reunion. Both books seem to wink to stalwarts like One Tree Hill or The OC as the inspiration for fictional teen dramas that made the careers of female Hollywood stars who are now looking for a second act in their thirties and forties.

Here, Liv Latimer never quite got out of the shadow of the show that made her a face of primetime, yet she can’t say no to participating in a reunion special. But when she’s paired back up with her former best friend Ransom Joel, who betrayed her despite their on-screen chemistry, she’ll have to contend with balancing the smooches for the camera with potential real-life attraction and baggage. Then there’s whispers of a reboot…! A great mix of looking back and looking forward to kick off the year of romance.

I'm going to have to avoid slow burn reads after the last couple I've read! This follows Ransom and Liv two former best friends and co-stars as the show the starred in films it's reunion. Liv had always loved Ransom but something went down when they were teenagers and they haven't talked in years. As the show starts to film and they end up back in each others lives seamlessly it all seems to good to be true. But with Hollywood and rumours abound can these two make it stronger than before? I enjoyed this one from Kayla Olson and would like if Bre and maybe Ford got a story??

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

Secondary characters friendships were a highlight to me. Hollywood isn’t my go to setting, but it added a unique element to the romance.

This was a cute and easy read that really satisfied my need for celebrity gossip, even if it was made up lol!! There wasn’t a lot of drama, and the relationship between Ransom and Liv happened quickly, so we got to see a lot of them being together and not just buildup.

I really wish Girl on the Verge was a real show. As a teen drama series enthusiast, I’d watch the heck out of that. I loved that parts of the script for the reunion episode were included in the book!

Between each chapter there were news stories and magazine articles about the characters. As a nosy, gossipy, celebrity obsessed gal, I thought these were SO fun! I loved how the book started with an article the quickly recalled Girl and the characters, and then set the scene for the reunion; I thought that was a great way to start the book and introduce us to the past and the characters without feeling like an info dump and without glossing over the past too much.

I would really like to talk about the absolutely ridiculous names of the characters in this book though……. They’re bad. So bad. Like SO bad. They’re almost all two alliterative, often geographical or colorful, first names put together and sound like the names of modern day kindergarteners. Here are some of my favorites:
- Ransom Joel (like … ransom money for a hostage?)
- Jade Johnson (color)
- Gemma Gardner
- Sasha-Kate Kilpatrick
- Honor St. Croix (island)
- Hunter Drew (…. What)
- Ford Brooks (a truck and half of a 90s country band)
- Duke Beaufort (this cannot be real)
- Ithaca Alexander (I don’t hate this one)
- Vienna Lawson (capital of Austria)
- Mars Heath (the love child of a planet and a candy bar perhaps?)
- Caroline Crenshaw (the city that the kid from that football show All American is from)
- Edna Arcadia (a generic old person name and almost a national park)
- Lila Lavender (color)

Aside from the dreadful names (that I just laughed about the entire time), this was a decent book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and it went by in a blink because I was so engrossed in the celebrity-ness of it all. This would be a good one to get you out of a reading slump because it’s short, straightforward, insta love romantic, and will speak straight to your celebrity obsessed nosy soul if you’re anything like me.

The chemistry between Liv and Ransom drips off the page it’s so good. Could have used a little POV from Ransom just to get his side. All characters are well developed, the writing is good flows nicely. The plot is filled with longing romance, drama and excitement.

The Reunion by Kayla Olson is amazing! This book pulled you into the world quickly and made you want to get involved with the different characters and stories being told. I love that there was the regular story and then you had the gossip column at the end of each chapter. It gave me a Hollywood tabloid feel with all the good gossip. The romance was cute. The second chance at love trope was in full force. It's a well rounded book that balances friendship, stardom, and romance excellently!

This book was amazing! Truly it was such a great story. It pulled you into the world quickly and made you want to get involved with the different characters and stories that were being told. I love that there was the regular story and then you had the gossip column at the end of each chapter. It gave it a really good Hollywood theme and actors.

Something that I truly enjoyed about the character Liv was the different choices that were presented to her along the way of the story. It showed how she dealt with the pressure of having such an iconic role so young and truly the struggle in wanting to shape her future. I thought the idea of choice and career goals was a really cool spin on an actor focused story.

The romance was cute. That second chance at love trope was in full force and of course my favourite: miscommunication!!

It's a well rounded book that balances friendship, stardom, and romance excellently!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

The Reunion
by Kayla Olson
Pub Date: 17 Jan 2023

One of my favorite tropes is childhood friends who are secretly in love. While I do find myself at times yelling at the characters to just proclaim their feelings that are completely obvious (sigh.) but then we wouldn't have enough material to put in a book, so...:)

This book focuses on a hit teenage drama where Liv and Ransom were the stars. On the show the characters were best friends and over the six years the show was on air they became more. In real life, the two were best friends who had secret feelings for each other, but of course never shared their truth. Then the show ended as well as their friendship. Double sigh.

Flash forwarded fourteen years later, and the cast is called back to do a reunion show. I loved the whole feel of this book. The story made you nostalgic and so invested in the characters from this show to have true love off the set, too. Even though "Girl on the Verge" is not a legitimate TV show it brings to mind shows from my past that I could easily relate to.

The book is so much fun with plenty of sweet, swoony and chemistry-filled moments and there are kittens! Yes, there is angst. Yes, there is miscommunication. But you will cheer for the path to the satisfying ending...did I mention the kittens? :)

5 stars

This was another adorable romance read. I really enjoyed the story, the characters and their love story. It reminded me of a lot of the TV shows from my childhood. An inside look into the glamorous (and not so glamorous) parts of Hollywood. I read this quickly and truly enjoyed it. It was a really fun book with even more fun characters.

Liv was the star of a popular teen drama. After 20 years, she and the cast are getting back together for a special reunion. Which means that she will have to face her old best friend and love, Ransom Joel. After years with minimal contact, the chemistry is still there. Will Liv be happy to return to the past? Is it what she needs for live her happily ever after?

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy!

The Reunion is a fun and delightful romance about Liv and Ransom who meet again as they work on a Reunion for a long time hit TV show. Both Ransom and Liv have moved on and built a life past child/teen stardom but is there unfinished business on a personal level.

The book was a fun breezy read written in an easily accessible style. I enjoyed the TV/movie setting and the main and supporting characters and would definitely recommend this to readers who want a fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review This book is available for purchase now.

This was one of my most highly anticipated new releases for 2023 and it honestly really fell flat for me. I’m very much a dialogue person and this book was probably like 60% description. It got really annoying every time a scene changed and we would have to learn every detail about the setting and the clothes everyone was wearing. I honestly just wanted it to get to the point 😅 it got really good at about the 85% mark but at that point I was already pretty over it and just wanted to be finished. I think many people will enjoy it but it just was not for me 🤷🏻‍♀️

I absolutely loved this read. From the second chance romance to the early 2000s nostalgia, this book is a perfect peek into the glitz and not-so-glam of working in Hollywood.

This friends-to-strangers-to-lovers Hollywood romance is so beautifully written. The dual timeline format helps the reader see Liv and Ransom’s backstory and the effects of growing up in Hollywood.

The two main characters had an undeniable chemistry, and even though I was hoping for some more spice, I can 100% appreciate this sweet romance for being just that.

The side characters were beautifully written, and I also loved the incorporation of tabloid articles sprinkled throughout the book.

As a lover of early 2000s teen romance shows like One Tree Hill and The OC, this book definitely filled the spot in my heart that has been vacant since these shows have been off the air.

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for the opportunity to read this ebook ARC.

THE REUNION is a nostalgic book for fans of ‘90s teen rom-coms (#TeamPacey) and celebrity gossip. When indie darling Liv agrees to sign onto a reunion special (and possible reboot) for the teen soap that launched her career, she is reunited with her co-stars and thrust back into the spotlight. Liv gets a second chance at romance with fellow lead Ransom after their friendship abruptly ended more than a decade before. Readers who enjoy behind-the-scenes glimpses of show business will enjoy the blurbs and social media fodder that help move the story along in a fun, engaging way.

This was a fun way to start 2023. Thank you to NetGalley, Atria and Kayla Olson for an advance copy of The Reunion.

"The Reunion" follows two former child stars, Liv and Ransom, who reconnect 15 years later to film a reboot for their beloved TV show. For reasons unknown to the reader, the two went from being best friends to not speaking. Now suddenly 15 years later they not only reconnect but immediately start sharing flirty texts after not speaking for a substantial amount of time. One of my least favorite tropes is "insta love" and that's basically what we got here. Ransom (terrible name) is immediately laying it on thick to Liv who reciprocates albeit mild hesitation. The writing was fine but it was missing that witty banter that we get from Emily Henry or Abby Jimenez. I typically like books centered around celebrity or pop culture but this was a miss for me.

2.5 rounded up