I enjoyed this one! It was fun and as a theatre fan myself I always love books set in the theatre world! It just wasn’t a favorite, and not something I think I would reach for again. But I do believe it has its audience out there for it!

A fun pride and prejudice retelling. I haven’t read anything by this author before but I really enjoyed their writing.

This book was so cute and a pick me up mixed with humor and romance. I am grateful for this ARC of The Stage Kiss by Amelia Jones. This was my first book by this author and it will not be my last.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

I loved the book. Both main characters were fun, the MMC was a little obnoxious and uptight at times but that fit in quite well with his character. Otherwise, I loved the premise, the plot, the characters and the love story. Very interesting!

I love a Jane Austen adaptation. Gimme them all. Spray me down with a fire hose of Jane Austen retellings. Stage Kiss is another modern Pride and Prejudice redo, but this is double P&P bc it’s about Broadway actors in a P&P musical who are also living out the plot of P&P. Interestingly nobody even realizes that art is becoming life bc they are so self centered

Eden is a struggling actress who gets to play Lizzie Bennett against beautiful Broadway king Brennon as Darcy. As expected their relationship gets off to a rocky start bc Brennon has zero social skills- his Darcy is Darcying. He and Eden fall in lust after about 2 performances together and spend the rest of the book miscommunicating, apologizing, groveling, forgiving, making out…wash, rinse, repeat.

I’m gonna say that I loved the first half of this book. It shared the energy of P&P but also had its own uniqueness with the dual plot line. But then it went off the rails- particularly with Eden. Her personality soured and she transformed into the poster child of an insecure, narcissistic actress. Her actress was actressing. She remained fairly insufferable to me right up to the end when she forced Brennon to move out of his fancy apartment bc the ghost of his ex gf was there- my eye roll is eye rolling.

If you love Jane Austen and Broadway, I’d still give this one a read. Despite Eden being frustrating and insecure, I still enjoyed the book overall, particularly Brennon as Darcy who is one of my fave book boyfriends to ever book boyfriend.

Smut- 2.46 stars
Romance- 4.12 stars
Story- 3.91 stars
Actresses being actressy- neg 6.85 stars

I enjoyed this slight Pride and Prejudice retelling. More than I thought I would. Because I’m not a huge Pride and Prejudice fan nor a Mr. Darcy fan I know shocker.

The Stage Kiss is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice in a broadway tour setting. After the leading lady quits, her swing Eden Blake is finally getting her chance to be in the spotlight. Career wise things could not be going better apart from the fact that her on stage romance partner, Brennon Thorne, is a jerk to her.. until their chemistry starts growing off stage.
I loved this book and how the chemistry between Eden and Brennon grew both on and offstage. Their relationship grew at a good speed that felt organic to me. As a musician, I loved getting to read about the stage and touring life of the characters and how they worked to get better at their craft,

If it is a Pride and Prejudice retelling, you can bet I am going to read it. This book was so adorable and fit right in line with my expectations. I could see the parallels of both of the stories and I loved just how smitten Brennon was with Eden. He was completely captivated and I really enjoyed that P&P was part of the storyline as well. If you like enemies to lovers where the MMC is a goner for the FMC, then you will definitely want to grab this one.
Thanks to Alcove, Amelia Jones and Netgalley for an early copy.

would like to thank netgalley and Alcove Press for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was enjoyable, but it being published under two names is confusing.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Amelia Jones for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was super excited about this one after reading the blurb however, I felt it was very repetitive in its storyline and drama which made it hard to connect with the characters.

Overall, it was an okay book but nothing that excited me or I couldn’t put down

This was just okay.
I love a theatre romance, and really loved all the detail put into the story, but I just wasn’t feeling the MCs and their chemistry with one another. I honestly was more invested in the side characters than Eden and Brannon.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Alcove Press. All opinions are my own

This book started out so good and fun and then...

This book is a fun, modern Pride and Prejudice retelling in a Broadway/musical theater setting. It started out exactly how I hoped it would. There was lots of tension, an MMC who was a little conceited and flawed, but still kinda lovable. A strong-willed FMC who was fighting for her position on the tour, and trying to understand the intentions of her fellow castmates. Also, the chemistry between Eden and Brennon was incredible. Their kisses were soooooo good then...

The second half went off the rails for a couple of reasons. One big one was the wishy-washy-ness of the love story. Eden and Brennon would fight, then get back together, then fight and it just kept happening. It didn't make any sense. And they weren't really talking it out so nothing of value was getting resolved. Also, Brennon really went all out on his feelings when they knew nothing about each other. He had just gotten out of a relationship barely a month ago and all-of-a-sudden he's in love with Eden? It was weird. And don't even get me started on that epilogue.

Honestly, there was probably more I abhorred about the second half, but I'll end it there. I don't recommend this book to anyone, sadly.

This was a really enjoyable read and even though I’ve only ever seen the Pride and Prejudice movie, I could easily see the parallels between this book retelling and the original story. Eden is a solid FMC, who lets her insecurities get to her too often. Her mother also has some major problems that Eden fails to address for years before the book occurs. Brendon is certainly a grumpy MMC and tends to be too cold/hot at some times. I know this is to show the Mr. Darcy traits, but sometimes it’s too much and too mean. There is a lot of push and pull between Eden and Brendon, along with miscommunication, so I could’ve used more solid character building and communication. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I do recommend checking it out. 3.75⭐️, 2🌶

Eden and Brennon meet in a play Liz and Darcy. They argue at first, but will they see each other in a new light as they get closer?

In this enthralling enemies-to-lovers tale set against a theatrical backdrop, I was captivated by the story of Eden Blake, an actress thrust into the lead role of a national Broadway tour of "Pride & Prejudice." Working alongside the infamously challenging Broadway star Brennon Thorne, their initial animosity transforms into undeniable chemistry, mirroring the iconic Elizabeth and Darcy. The slow-burning romance and rich depiction of the theater world made this book compelling, especially for fans of romantic stories like Pride and Prejudice.

I had issues with my ARC (it disappeared off my kindle) - but I did purchase a copy of this book and so would still like to review it.

I think this book has a very specific audience. Readers who love Pride and Prejudice – specifically, those who swooned when the BBC adaptation came out in 1995 and believed with all their being that Colin Firth was the perfect Darcy.

If you are that person - then this book is for you.

We have a twist on the original - with the backdrop of the original to boot.

Eden Blake is the understudy for Elizabeth Bennet in the touring cast of Liz and Darcy: The Musical. This is her chance to shine and prove to all those theatre snobs that she can make it on Broadway - even as they travel across the country and are most certainly not in NYC.

Brennon Thorne is the leading man of the moment. He doesn't audition for roles - he simply expresses an interest, and the role becomes his. He is also reserved, judgemental ... honestly… He's a modern-day Darcy. And he just so happens to step into the role for two months of the tour.

What he doesn't count on is playing against the understudy, rather than the actual lead (who leaves the tour unexpectedly). He certainly doesn’t expect Eden to affect him the way she does. Basically … they become a modern day re-telling of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy’s romance. They both had the same personality traits – and stubbornness. What follows is much of what you have already read in the past, only it takes place now, on a stage and between two actors. Their meet-cute at the very beginning of the book is such a disaster.

Our grumpy and grumpier (because neither of these two qualify as the “sunshine” character) love story follows much the same path as the original Austen book. If you are looking for something completely fresh and different – you wont find that here. However – I did love the entire backdrop – the theatre, the antics, the castmates. All of that kept this story fresh.

I’m giving this 4 stars. Some of that rating is because of my great love of the BBC P&P and the rest of it is because I enjoyed myself so much while reading.

I really enjoyed this one! I loved the way that Brennon really developed and the way the relationships throughout the book grew. The writing was easy, making the story flow. I loved the messy dynamics of a traveling cast. I did find Eden a little annoying at some times but understood why she felt the way she did.

This was a well-written, entertaining book. It was fun, cute and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Thank you to Author Amelia Jones, Alcove Press & Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this fun book! All opinions shared are my own.

I'm a huge fan of the theatre and had high hopes... and boy did this book deliver! I loved this behind the scenes view into the spicy lives of those involved in the touring production of Liz and Darcy: the Musical. FMC Eden was such a relatable personality and I appreciated that she acknowledged her flaws and went after her dreams whilst having being authentic to herself.

MMC Brennon was a great compliment to Eden, and I adored the supporting characters. Both friend and foe, they brought all the drama and I felt connected to Eden's besties right away. I also appreciated that the story had a set timeline and the tension built in preparation to the finale.

I really enjoyed this book and its available now!

First off I’d like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity and I read this.. it’s not my typical read but I enjoyed it. If you like enemies to lovers, pride and prejudice and theatre you’ll love this book.