Well, that was a wild ride. The dual timeline and movie script scenes had me a bit confused at times, but this was a very entertaining story. Only reason it wasn’t 5 stars for me is because I knew right away who the killer was. Although, I will say there were a few things that had me yelling at the book. So, if you’re in the mood for a fast past thriller, that feels like you’re watching a 90s slasher I highly recommend adding this one to your TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book. That said, the beginning was kinda slow for me. The whole time we are reading to find what happened 20 years ago but it felt like it took forever for the reveal. The past and present timelines along with scenes from the actual screenplay was a cool touch. The ending definitely revived the story for me. I thought I knew the twist but I wasn’t even close! Overall this was a solid read so I’m giving it 3.5 stars (rounding down to a 3). Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc for my honest review! Smile for the Cameras will be available to read on June 24, 2025!

I enjoyed reading this.

It was a fun mix of movie scenes and a now and than time line. And a twisted i did not see coming!

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the eARC of this novel

If there is one thing I like it is cheesy horror and this book falls under that for me. We follow final girl Ella as she confronts her past which has become her present. I enjoyed this novel because it was fun and an easy read. I was able to zoom through it in a day which I feel like I can never do anymore. The novel is perfect for movie fans of Scream, Cabin fever and the Cabin in the woods and books like I’m not dying with you tonight. It was a lot like a lot of other slashers but I enjoyed the back and forth between present and past as well as the script aspects. I am becoming a huge fan of the horror movie turned real life trope. I think it’s the right amount of cheesy, fun and spooky.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This was fun! I love a good slasher and it had a few twists I honestly didn’t see coming!

When I read the synopsis of this book (after being pulled in by the cover and title) I really thought it was for me. As an avid horror fan who has seen more than their fair share of horror films, any spooky books that extend into the world of horror movies are my favorites. Some of them are more well done than others and though I had high hopes for this book it didn't completely hit the mark.

There were aspects of this book that I really enjoyed. It was fast-paced and interesting with a well rounded in-world horror franchise that made it believable, right down to the spunky co-star who reminded me a lot of Tatum from scream. The problem there is that the depth lent to Aries was missing from some of the other characters. The emotional connections weren't as fully developed and it made it harder to believe some of the choices made.

I will give this book credit that I didn't see the twist coming but that felt more because I didn't have a strong enough connection to any of the characters to really figure out the emotional heft behind their reasons for their actions.

All that to say I would read another book by Miranda Smith and I had a good time reading this one.

Thanks NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What a book! This is the first Miranda Smith novel I’ve read, but I’m certain it won’t be my last. I really enjoyed this story. I’ll admit that the first half felt a bit slow. I got into the book just fine, but from about 25%-60% I wasn’t as interested. That all changed the last 40% of the book though! I found myself unable to stop turning the (digital) page until I reached the end. While the final reveal is typical of the genre, I was not expecting…[minor spoiler alert]

the twist about 2/3rds of the way through!

I was very pleasantly surprised and cannot wait to read this one again knowing everything now. I would absolutely recommend this book to fans of the horror genre, especially slasher fans!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Absolutely loved the classic horror film vibes of this book!

Unfortunately, the twist was just odd and I was really put off by the random sexual content, that alone almost made me quit reading several times.

I enjoyed the premise of this novel but, for some reason, I was bored and found my mind wandering while reading.

I enjoyed this! It was a quick read and kept me guessing til the very end.

Ella became famous from her leading role in the horror flick Grad Night. Now, the original cast and crew are getting together for a reunion show but Ella just wants to forget the terrible things that happened on set. She reluctantly agrees to participate, despite her gut feeling that she shouldn’t. Cast and crew then begin showing up dead just like in the original film. Ella fears she may not escape with her life this time around.

This was a fun and quick read. I enjoyed the back and forth timelines and felt like that added a layer of suspense. I do feel like the ending just didn’t quite gel with me.

Thank you to Net Galley and Ballantine Books for this advanced e-copy in exchange for this honest review.

Such a good book!!! It was creepy, eerie, uncomfortable, and it really had me kept on the edge of my own chair!! I think it was so interesting, and it was a great concept for a book. I think it was very well done!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

3.50 stars.

This had big i know what you did last summer vibes, with a horror movie within horror book..The beginning was a little slow but the writing was good enough to keep me interested. The end was super twisty and typical horror/ slasher fun. It was a fun lighthearted read with lots of twists. The use of past and present helped to keep you invested in the story. This is my first book by this author but will definitely read more

Ella Winters is trying to get back in the acting game after a long hiatus. Twenty years ago, she achieved success from her starring role in the horror film “Grad Night.” But something happened all those years ago and the cast members are the only ones who know the truth. Now, to get her career back on track, Ella agrees to do a 20 year reunion special with the original “Grad Night” cast. The whole group is back at the cabin where the horror movie was filmed, and seeing everyone again has Ella overwhelmed by the secret she’s kept for so long. Then, reality begins to imitate film when a masked killer begins hunting Ella and the other actors. Does someone know what happened during filming? And are they back to exact their revenge?

This one was so fun & totally took a turn that I wasn’t expecting. I loved the alternating timeline and that this book managed to surprise me a couple different times. I would recommend this to fans of slasher films.. especially those from the 90s!

(3.5 rounded down) This is a mystery/thriller with a pretty fun premise - Ella is returning to an isolated cabin for a filmed reunion of the slasher film she was a part of twenty years prior. Something went wrong during that filming and at the reunion, a killer starts stalking the cast and crew. Having read Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay this felt reealllyy similar to that, even down to the story structure - both present and past timelines are presented, along with selected script pages. But, while Horror Movie was a supernatural examination, this is a popcorn slasher. I found the first 70ish% to be a bit slow - the last 30% is extremely fun and twisty. It’s a quick read, but I do wish there had been a bit more…excitement (I guess?) throughout, as opposed to a lot of exposition and kills at the end. The story also touches on the mistreatment experienced by actors at the hands of directors with more power, which initially, I was frustrated by - this feels advertised as a fun thriller, and the power dynamic & abuse plot line were upsetting to read - but I’m actually glad that was a plot point. Miranda Smith wrote it with empathy and nuance. The characters fit into stereotypes you’d see in your usual slasher (the virginal final girl, the slutty friend, the annoying jock, the nice guy), but it feels intentional in the telling of a horror movie. My other minor quip is a problem I have with most mysteries/thrillers that are focused on a past event being dug up : this “traumatic event” is constantly mentioned and alluded to, with no one mentioning anything beyond that it was bad or scary or still affected them, and it gets annoying after the 20th mention. Like yes, I get it! Something bad happened and that event is going to be impactful when we get the solution to the current mystery! No need to mention it every 4th page! I’m being critical here, but I did enjoy my time with this, even if I won’t be thinking about it for too long.

I was excited to read this book as I love books about slasher movies and books that double as their own slasher movies. Slasher movies with a masked killer are kind of modern day "Who dun its?" and trying to figure out who the killer is while watching our main characters being offed one by one throughout the movie. The main character of this book is Ella, who is an actress who is attempting to reignite her Hollywood career. She took years off to help take care of her sick mother, and now that she is middle=aged, she is no longer being offered roles other than playing the mom in a tv show or movie. Ella's agent approaches her with the offer she can't refuse: If Ella tapes a reunion for the movie that launched her career with all the original cast members on the original set, it will relaunch her celebrity and she will be in high demand as an actress.

The problem with the reunion is that something really bad happened all those years ago when filming the movie and Ella doesn't want to go back and relive those memories. Of course, Ella does end up going back and at first is happy to see all of her old castmates and catch up with them all. They all haven't been in contact since the press for the movie ended years ago partly because of the bad thing that happened on set. The main characters are: Leo, the boy-next-door type who dated Ella while shooting the movie and for awhile afterwards. He has maintained his celebrity over the years and has been in many lead roles. Riley, the good looking guy who struggles with addiction and because of that hasn't been the major star he wanted to be. Aires, the child-star actress who became an influencer and doesn't act too much in the current day. And Leo, the director of the movie who has come under fire recently due to the "Me too" movement.

The book starts quickly, and the characters are back at camp within the first few chapters. After all this, the book starts to move at a slow pace. Following Ella's POV, she instantly regrets coming back and is full of dread. It takes the rest of the book to actually find out what bad thing happened on set all the years ago filming the movie. In the meantime, the book switches between present and past through Ella's POV for some character back story and development. Towards the end of the present day storyline, they add a slasher element where there is a masked killer who arrives to the reunion who knows what the main characters did in the past. The killer reveal isn't that interesting, nor is the reveal of what happened in the past.

Overall, I thought this was an average book. I thought the slasher and big secret from the past aspects of the story under-delivered. However, I did like Ella as a main character and I did enjoy her past POVs to see what it was like shooting her first big movie and learning / growing up on the job. This kept me interested enough to keep reading until the end. This was a middle of the road book for me, I've read worse and I've read better.

Smile for the Cameras follows Ella as she tries to reignite her acting career. Her mom has recently passed and Ella hopes to get back to acting, when her agent convinces her that she should do a reunion for the movie that kickstarted her career. Grad Night was a slasher film that skyrocketed her career. But it also holds a lot of bad memories. Her agent convinced her to attend and we flip from present day to the past from both her point of view and the script.
I really enjoyed this! The first half of the book moves very slowly but there was enough suspense to keep me invested. It was such a unique perspective coming from a scary movie in a scary movie meanwhile doing a great job of hooking you into the cast and keeping you on your toes.

I was a bit hesitant going into this one, primarily because locked-room thrillers tend to be repetitive and all play out the same. But that was absolutely not the case for Smile for the Cameras. The approach was unique, the characters were more flushed out, and the writing kept me invested right from the start.

The dual timeline format with the screenplay intertwined made for a quick read, and the overall vibe was reminiscent of a 90s slasher film. It kept me guessing right until the very end. Overall, a very fun read that had me shocked at the ending!

I was SO excited to read this book based on the description, so I dove right in after I was approved. It’s a locked room-ish thriller based on 90s slashers movies…hello YES PLEASE! Unfortunately this book fell short of my expectations a bit. Parts of the book (honestly, close to 60% of the book) moved SO slowly, and then to me the ending seemed so rushed and the reveals just keep coming all in a row. Even though some points felt a bit ridiculous, I still really enjoyed following the journey of the story.

I will admit I am a sucker for a good slasher. Smile For the Cameras fits the bill for any slasher/horror fan. I stayed up late in the night to finish this book and it was worth the loss of sleep. I recommend to anyone looking for a fast paced read with plot twists.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ballentine, and Miranda Smith for allowing me to read this ARC.