4⭐, 2🌶️

This was such a unique and quirky book and I really enjoyed it! I love the old-time Hollywood setting, and while the book felt long at times, the enemies to lovers, secret relationship was so fun. And even as a historical romance, we still got some spice.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of It Happened One Fight, written by Maureen Lee Lenker, and narrated by Patti Murin.

The first half went down fairly smoothly with a decent setup for some screwball antics. The fun screeched to a halt in the second half with blackmail by one of the most bitter, hateful characters I’ve encountered in a romance, followed by the public humiliation of one of the MCs by the other MCs. It’s hard to root for an HEA when the story goes that bleak, particularly without an epic grovel. Forgiveness came way to easily.

The audiobook narrator was great. The blackmail scene was performed flawlessly; absolutely made me hate a character’s guts.

3.5 out of 5. This was a very cute vintage Hollywood romance. I did the audiobook and it was great, narrated by Patti Murin who is wonderful. Some wonderful backstage drama, great Hollywood references and a love story that is adorable. It makes you want to go and watch some old black and white MGM classics.

I was hesitant to start listening to this with the mixed reviews I read but immediately fell in love with it. I just love the glitz and glam of old Hollywood. And the Gossip Girl vibes was a fun addition.

I really enjoyed the narrator. I felt like she did a great job with each character.

Predictable love story and lover miscommunication trope that pops up in so many romance novels but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Was hoping for more of a slapstick comedy, a la Cary Grant-Katherine Hepburn. Little more serious than I was expecting, but still good. There were a few funny moments, but not as much as wanted. At times a little long winded of "you're better than me, your deserve the world" type thing. Overall, though, I enjoyed it because I loved the Golden Hollywood age setting.

It Happened One Fight
By: Maureen Lee Lenker

The setting: Hollywood in the 30’s. I remember who actors and actresses were set up on dates for the press and promote a movie. If you’re a fan of old Hollywood movies and some romance this novel had all the feels.

This one revolves around Joan Davis and Dash Howard. Dash is the typical playboy of Tinseltown, and Joan is a great actress. They are like fire and ice, and constantly fight, but as things progress a little romance is starting between them. Is this true love? All for show? Unfortunately, someone one from Joan’s past creates drama which has Joan making a hard decision.
They each have to find what they truly want and I was surprised with some of their feelings. Will they end up protecting each other? Fall in love? Or is all for show? The past comes back to haunt them both.
Thank you NetGalley, for this advanced copy of It Happened One Fight. I loved this cover as it kind of reminds me of the days of Clark Cable, Cary Grant or Gregory Peck and their dating. I had both the kindle and audio version. The narrator Patti Murin did a fabulous job.
#sourcebookscasablanca, #netgalley, #dreamscapemedia, #bookreview, #audioreview, #ithappenedonefight, #maureenleelenker, #stamperlady50, #booksconnectus, #bookstagram

I loved this nod to the wonderful golden age of Hollywood! There are so few books about the giants of the, in my opinion, best age of Hollywood's movie history. I knew I wanted to read this as soon as I saw it and it did not disappoint. If you love the brilliant banter and snark of the dialogue of the golden age of cinema with a mystery thrown in, then don't walk, RUN to go pick up this book. I felt like I was hanging out with Clark Gable and Joan Crawford and all the greats of the golden age of cinema.

I really hope there are more books in this cozy mystery series!

Rating Breakdown:
Plot-3/5
Characters + Relationships-3/5
Setting-3.5/5
Pacing-2.5/5
Enjoyment-3/5
Overall Rating: 3/5 Stars

What happens in Vegas must stay in Vegas…unless your jerk head co-star tries to play a prank on you by taking the marriage license that was used to film a movie and leaving it on your vanity. But then it somehow gets filed at City Hall and you become legally wed…Only then you move to Nevada to film a movie with said co-star and just hope and pray this scheme works so you can just get a divorce.

Plot:
When I first stumbled upon this book and read the plot, I thought it would be something I would immensely enjoy. It seemed like it would be a fresh take of a romcom set in the 1930s.
However, I found the plot to not be executed well for the most part, which left me disappointed. It did have potential though.

Pacing:
It Happened One Fight starts off with us readers finding out about the prank that Dash tried to play on Joann, which ultimately makes them husband and wife even though Dash nor Joann filed the wedding license. This all comes out once Joann gets engaged to someone else. From here I thought the story was going to take off and be fun. However, the pacing was slow throughout the whole book and most of it dragged and felt a bit repetitive.

Characters:
The writing style the author uses feels dry and stiff, which is maybe something they were going for with how movies during that era felt stiffer and more serious. But due to this it made it hard to love the characters and even care for them.
I found both Joann and Dash to be on the one-dimensional side and to be irritating at times.
There were times I sympathized for Dash with his past and his wants to be seen differently than what he is in Hollywood. The same goes with Joann with how hard it can be a woman in Hollywood and not being able to be your true self.

Relationships:
Personally, I did not see the chemistry between Joann and Dash most of the time. I could obviously tell Dash was totally smitten by Joann even though they would fight like cats and dogs off set.
There were times that I absolutely enjoyed them together and rooted for them, which was moreover in the second act of the book for me.
By the third act of this book, I started to get frustrated since it has the miscommunication trope/I will do anything to protect you so I must break up with you trope. These tropes just make me want to scream at the characters to stop being stupid and just talk out the problems, fears, and what is going on. It would solve them from heartbreak.

Final Thoughts:
It Happened One Fight was just an okay read to where I feel indifferent. There were moments I enjoyed it, but there were a lot of moments I did not enjoy. I did like the old Hollywood vibes that came with this book and the play on the fake relationship/enemies to lovers trope. I definitely do see where this book had potential and because of that I will check out Maureen’s future books.

Dash and Davis are Hollywood’s on screen it couple, but off screen? They can’t stand each other. When a prank goes wrong, the two discover they are legally married. They agree to move production of their movie to Reno - home of six-week divorces. However, six weeks can also be long enough to fall in love.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times, but historical fiction is iffy for me - I loved that this was set in the 1930s! It was a fun twist on an accidental marriage, and I love learning more about the Hollywood scene of the past.

It happened One Fight
by Maureen Lee Lenker
ALC audiobook
Available now.

Hollywood. The stuff of dreams and life goals for many. The thought of being in the limelight where one can do something they love and live in luxury. Or not. The story of Joan and Dash is both inspiring and sad. We get to see both the ups and downs of being famous. At first I found this book had a lot in common with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo which was concerning as this is one of my favourites. But as I kept going I was pleasantly surprised that it moved beyond this making it unique and the characters had more depth.
Still, the overall feel of the audiobook did not totally meet my expectations. I believe what was lacking was the narration. Although appropriate sounding for the era, it lacked warmth and emotion, leaving me to think I may have liked the book more if I had just read it. Therefore I would recommend reading the book and skipping the audiobook.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this ALC for my honest review.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced listening copy of It Happened One Fight. This was an adorable romance about two starlits who were so right and wrong for each other. They had to come to terms with their own selves before they could realize their worth and help each other.

I was very excited to get started on a 1930's love story however, it fell short for me. Dash and Joan's enemies to lovers story started out ok. I just felt it carried on for much longer than needed. I was not a fan of the fiancé aspect of the story. It was too much back and forth for me. I did love the feminism though especially given the era. Overall, this one won't be memorable for me. I just reviewed It Happened One Fight by Maureen Lee Lenker. #ItHappenedOneFight #NetGalley

I absolutely ate this book up!! This was such an amazing take on an on set romance! I love the way that Joan was written as such a strong woman who didn’t depend on a man and the way that Dash began to see the blatant sexism in the industry and found ways to support her as a true partner. The two of them are amazing together and their banter was soooo good!!

All in all, "It Happened One Fight" is a nice-enough novel. Specifically the character of Dash was way less problematic than I had thought from seeing someone who looked very much like Clark Gable - a charming actor but from what we know about his behavior towards people like Loretta Young and Charles Laughton, he might not have been someone to romanticize. And Maureen Lee Lenker certainly doesn't do that. Dash is not a misogynystic hero in his own mind dropping microaggressions wherever he goes. Instead he is quite a sensitive man, whose main problem might be that he tends not to speak enough about his emotions and intentions.

That is also true for Joan, the protagonist, who is a sensual but also a thick-headed actress. I am not sure who she is supposed to be modeled after. I don't know enough about Claudette Colbert, Gable's "It Happened One Night" co-star, but I actually thought more of Katharine Hepburn. Joan is engaged to a secretly gay actor, who is frequently praised for his sensitivity, and there is also Leda, a scheming actress-cum-tabloid journalist, obviously in the vein of Hedda Hopper.

While the novel is entertaining, it suffers a lot from "why don't you just talk about it?" At some point Leda blackmails Joan regarding information that might be important to Dash. Joan decides to go along because she could not bear for Dash to find out about it. A few chapters later she tells him after all, and it all feels badly constructed. Of course, this is not supposed to be top-level literature, but a little more regard for psychological plausibility would have been nice.

It Happened One Fight is Entertainment Weekly columnist Maureen Lee Lenker’s debut novel. Patti Murin narrates well, giving each character a distinctive voice.

Joan Davis and Dash Howard are gold together on the screen, but they hate each other off screen. Well, Joan hates Dash because she feels like he set her up for a publicity stunt at her expense. Dash pulls pranks just to get a reaction from Joan. One prank though, has made their scripted nuptials into a legal reality.

There’s a lot at stake. Davis and Dash are about to make their last picture together. The script was written by Joan’s assistant and friend Arlene, for Joan. Joan thinks it’s her shot at an Oscar, one of which Dash already has. Finally, Joan is engaged to Monty, an up and coming Hollywood heartthrob with his own secrets, and Dash is about to make her a bigamist.

The script is rewritten so that Joan and Dash can move to Reno for the 6 weeks it takes to establish residency and get a divorce. Reno Rendezvous is born. When too many reporters swarm the hotel where they are staying in Reno, the studio moves them to a dude ranch full of aspiring divorcées and, gasp, they are forced to share a cabin.

Dash Howard is modeled after Clark Gable and Lenker puts in a lot of references to It Happened One Night. You don’t need to have watched the movie (though it’s very good), but if you have, Lenker’s love for the movie comes through.

I really enjoyed this until I got just past 2/3 through the book. There is a gossip columnist, Leda (in the style of Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons), who drives a lot of the action. She’s the one who tells Joan she’s married to Dash, and she’s the one who forces the third act break up. I can’t say that Leda or her actions are unrealistic, but it broke my investment in the story. As a result, the whole last third of the book didn’t work for me. I wish it hadn’t, because I enjoyed so much about the book up until that point.

CW: on page misogyny (countered), child neglect/abuse in past, prevalent sexism, sex shaming on page.

I received this as an advance listener copy from Dreamscape Media and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

I love the 1930s era of movies, so I was drawn to this book. Like the title implies, the novel pays homage to a very Clark Gable/Claudette Colbert feel (even so much as quoting the “blow down the walls of Jericho” line from It Happened One Night).

I did like the charming, time-appropriate phrases of the day like: “I’ll eat my hat” and “ doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.” However the story is only ok. It's repetitive, self-pitying (a quality I loathe in stories), and surprisingly more sexually explicit than I was expecting, which doesn't seem to match the tone of the book if you were used to watching tame movies from the 30s. Also, although you get some backstory, I felt there was room for building more depth to the characters.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

First I would like to thank Dreamscape Media for providing me a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of two movie stars Joan Davis and Dash Howard who are the Hollywood "it" pair in the movies. Joan hates Dash for many reasons and when they learn they "accidently" got married Joan is ready to kill Dash. They are shipped off to Reno for 6 weeks to film and movie and get divorced but with no distractions the relationship starts to change but can love survive the movie business.

What I Loved:
- Narrator, I LOVE Patti Murin I fell in love with her work on Broadway and now I am always looking for the audiobooks she narrates. She has such great inflection and just nails the characters from this time period.
- Time period, books, TV and films set in the "golden age" of Hollywood always draw me in since the behind the scenes of everything was NUTS. This book does a great job brining those behind the scenes to light
- Dash, a good ole boy from Texas who just likes acting and playing jokes on Joan (like a schoolboy) I mean it was hard to no fall in love with him
- Girl power, I love that a lot of this movie is about the women taking control of their careers and narrative around their lives. Without women like them back then we would be struggling even more than we do now
- Divorce, the whole go to Reno to get divorced dog and pony show made me laugh and how there was a tradition to kiss in front of the courthouse before and after the divorce...its just absurd is the most humorous way

If you are a fan of stories set in the "golden age" of Hollywood with an enemies to lovers romance and lots of women empowerment I would absolutely recommend you picking this book up. Also, any Patti Murin fans out there you MUST listen to this audiobook she once again knocks it out of the park and you will not be disappointed.

I just couldn't get into this book, unfortunately. I liked the narrator, but the plot moved too slow and I wasn't invested in any of the characters.

It Happened One Fight by Maureen Lee Lenker is absolute perfection. Perfect for fans of Hollywood's golden age, this on-screen/off-screen romance features two romantic co-stars who find themselves accidentally married. This one gives serious Clark Gable/Maureen O'Hara vibes, with a side of Rock Hudson.

Joan Davis and Dash Howard are Hollywood's "it couple"--but off the silver screen, they can't stand each other. When a prank goes awry and they discover they're legally married, they travel to Reno to film a new movie and establish residency so they can apply for a quick divorce. But during filming, Joan begins to see a new side of Dash--an honest side, a kind side--and they decide to give this marriage thing a real shot. But a scheming, vengeful gossip columnist has it out for Joan, and her plotting threatens their happy ending.

Patti Murin is one of my favorite audiobook narrators, and she knocks this one out of the park! Her performance is top-notch, and she really brings Joan and Dash to life. I listened to it practically non-stop, start to finish. The plot is well=paced, and the character development is believable. I wanted to throttle the journalist, though. She was a nightmare in heels.

This was a cute story. I liked the historical aspect of it, but the rest of the story just seemed a little too predictable. It was a good story, just not my favorite. The narrator was great and made listening to the audiobook easy.