"𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒖𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒂𝒔𝒌 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒆."

Special thanks to @penguinrandomhouse @bantambooksuk @mirandasmith & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

👉🏼 swipe for synopsis ➡️

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love a good slasher books, and this one doesn't disappoint. It takes you through the filming process of a 90s Slasher film called GRAD NIGHT. It's in dual times lines the before and after, when they all meet up again for the reunion. But everyone is harboring a deep dark secret from the original film.

I love the main 4 characters' dynamic together. Their off screen loves and even the cat fights. Trying to go through the trauma more than once is hard for everyone but what happens when the haunted rumors start to come true?

The snippets of the movie script keep you reeling for more, throughout the book.

I definitely didn't see this ending coming. And the whole truth. It was such a great read, putting you right into your horror movie nostalgia vibe.

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
June 24, 2025

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ What's your favorite subgenre?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #smileforthecameras #mirandasmith #netgalley
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A chilling and suspenseful dive into the dark side of Hollywood! This story masterfully blends eerie vibes, slasher-level gore, and sharp commentary on the film industry—especially the challenges women face behind the scenes. I loved the unique touch of including pieces of the original script, and the way the past and present narratives connected made the tension even stronger. A standout horror read that I’ll definitely be recommending!

This was a fun fast paced thriller that was written for fans on 80’s-90’s horror and I had a fun time with all the twists and turns! This book follows two time lines with the same group of folks, in the past they follow a group as they are working on a horror movie and what really happened on set. In the modern time frame we follow the same group of people years later as they come together to film a film reunion. All is going well until people start showing up dead like their deaths from the movie. This felt like a popcorn thriller it was fun at times unbelievable but overall a quick easy read. I loved the writing and the way the story was told with the two timelines it really kept me engaged. There was one trope in here I really don’t care for that brought down my rating but I don’t want to say too much since it’s a bit of a spoiler.This was my first book from this author but hope to pick up more in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Miranda Smith for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Former actress Ella reluctantly returns to the set where she and her castmates rose to fame in a horror film twenty years ago. But being back dredges up the dark secret they’ve all kept buried and the guilt that has haunted them ever since. When they’re invited to a reunion, the past collides with the present as people begin dying in the same order as the characters in the movie.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read with a few twists I didn’t see coming! It also highlights the real-life horrors of women being exploited while those around them stay silent. My only gripe was the frequent flashbacks, they felt too similar to the present timeline and could have been trimmed down to keep the pacing.

A slasher for fans who are fans of the 90’s and 2000’s horror movies. Perfect to read in the summer on the beach or at night during a thunderstorm

Smile for the Cameras has all the makings of a killer summer horror read: a cult-classic slasher film, a cast reunion in a creepy cabin, and a Final Girl who just can’t seem to outrun her past. The setup is fantastic - full of potential and ripe with nostalgia - but the payoff didn’t quite land for me.

Ella Winters, once the breakout star of Grad Night, retreated from the spotlight after disturbing events during the original shoot. Now, 20 years later, she's reluctantly lured back for a reunion documentary, only to find herself and her former castmates stalked by a real-life version of their cinematic killer. It’s a classic horror setup, and author Smith blends past and present with the film’s original screenplay to add a meta layer that was genuinely fun.

There’s a lot to like here: Ella is a compelling lead, the campy slasher tone hits the mark, and the pacing is snappy enough to keep the pages turning. I appreciated how the story jumped between timelines and how the Grad Night script cleverly mirrored real events. And the setting? Perfectly eerie.

But where it stumbles is in the middle ground - specifically, the murky in-between of what happened after the original filming and before the present-day murders. The motivations behind the killings felt a little thin, and the reveal - while surprising - lacked emotional weight. I found myself wondering why the killer waited so long, and what exactly triggered this all now. That lack of clarity dulled the impact of the climax.

Still, this was an entertaining read with strong slasher vibes and just enough mystery to keep me engaged. It didn’t fully live up to its brilliant premise, but I enjoyed the ride and would definitely check out more from Smith in the future.

If you’re looking for a quick, fun horror story that blends nostalgia, revenge, and a bit of blood-soaked drama, this might be the summer scream-fest for you.

Can the final girl survive this one?

🪓📸 Smile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith 📸🪓
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“You shouldn’t have come back.”

Thank you to NetGalley, Miranda Smith and Bantam for the eARC to review! I have an obsession with slasher films and books, and there are bonus points if the sub-genre is has to do with found footage or the killer coming back. (Hello, Halloween and Scream! I see what you did there, Miranda.)

Going into this, I knew it could stand on its own two feet based on the hype and I know it was correct but I was not left disappointed. Told in dual timelines, we experience that fateful night at Blackstone Cottage, the affects of those events twenty years later and what the consequences are. We also get pieces from the original script to help tie elements together to help create the image in the reader’s head. Our FMC, Ella, left the industry to take care care of her ailing mother after things went wrong on the set of her first big movie twenty years ago. When a reunion is announced, she’s wary and needs a lot of convincing to return to the place that ruined everything for her. Once she’s finally convinced and returns, she learns quickly that she will have to survive the real-life version of the movie they filmed all that time ago. Was it worth it to revive her career? Tune in to find out.

I really loved this one! I’ve been trying to find the right movie-style slasher fiction book. I feel like Goldilocks just trying to find the right book, and this one did it for me. The mystery portion of the story is slow burning, with the crescendo of violence occurring about 60-80% in. In agreement with some of the criticism, it did feel like it could drag on in the first 50% of the story but for me, personally, it did not. I loved playing the game of who-dun-it (I didn’t win) and having the most ultimate of plot twists occurring, which completely altered the way I looked at the story. Hats off to Miranda Smith, that was one hell of a gotcha! The palpable suspense and (essentially) edging done throughout the story will have readers holding on, begging for more and want to keep picking up the book to finish the story and really figure out what happened at Blackstone Cottage. It’s your turn now, reader.

“If she emerges from the forest, this maze of madness and mayhem, she’ll be a survivor. If she doesn’t, she’ll end up dead like all the others.”

“You need to stop living in your head. Your life depends on it.”

“The world loves to give up young girls with no opportunities.”

“Twenty years have passed since I’ve entered these words at night. Twenty years of trying to forget what we did. Twenty years of trying to forget what we left behind.”
 
Summary:
An actress desperate to reclaim her fame must survive the real-life plot of the horror movie that made her famous in this psychologically twisted locked-room thriller influenced by '90s slasher films.

Twenty years ago, Ella Winters was the it girl. She made a name for herself in Hollywood and throughout America as the final survivor in the cult-classic slasher Grad Night. But the real horror is what happened when the cameras weren’t rolling—something terrible that Ella and her co-stars agreed never to speak of again. Shortly after the movie's premiere, Ella disappeared from the acting scene under the pretense of caring for her ailing mother, hoping for a quiet life out of the spotlight to ease her guilty mind.

Now, after her mother’s passing, Ella has decided to return to the silver screen. And with the cast and crew of Grad Night in the process of filming a reunion documentary, Ella has the perfect ticket back into Hollywood's good graces. Weighed down by the secret she’s been keeping all these years, Ella apprehensively makes the trip to the original set—a cabin in rural Tennessee—to reunite with her castmates for the first time in over a decade. But when the actors begin to meet the exact gruesome fates of the characters they originally played, falling victim to someone dressed as the Grad Night villain, it's clear their secret is out.

Now, the question Can the final girl survive one last nightmare?

Genre: Horror, Mystery Thriller, Fiction

An excellent take on horror in the Hollywood scene! A great combination of eerie and suspense, and the horror and gore just adds to the story! Loved the film industry aspect of it- learning about women in film and the challenges they face. And getting to read snippets of the original script! The connection between the past and present adds even more to this story. A great slasher/horror book that I will absolutely be recommending!

3.5 stars

After Ella's mom died, she decides to attempt to return to acting. Her agent has the perfect project to kickstart her career again - a reunion of Grad Night cast, the horror movie that started her career when she was the last survivor. Ella has been rejecting the reunion for years but this seems to be the only way for her to start working again. She reluctantly goes to the cabin to reunite with her costars, one of whom is also her ex. Aside from the cast, they've also gotten as many crew members to return as possible. The reunion takes place at the filming location, which is also the scene of a secret the costars share.

The story is told from Ella's POV in both the present and past, broken up by scenes from the movie. The beginning half focuses on the reunion and the only deaths are in the movie. During this part, I didn't feel connected with any of the characters and struggled to remember who was who with a few exceptions. The second half got more fast paced as the murders start and reflect scenes in the movie. This is also when all kinds of secrets start spilling. We knew about the major secret, but there were a bunch of others that came out of nowhere and made the characters more distinguishable. Unfortunately, by the time I started to care about some of the characters, it was too late. I didn't guess the killer which is rare for me so it was nice to be surprised. Both the movie scenes and the book were very campy and had the feel of slasher movies. The chapters are really short, getting shorter as the tension increases which adds to the fast paced feel. I would have liked it better if I felt more connected to the characters, but I was hooked by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read Smile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith.

This was awesome! The experience of up and down emotions. To cattiness and behind the scenes angst, what a ride! I won’t spoil it but I want to give props to the author leaning into the horror/slasher tropes. I felt she wrote those details well. I’m not a fan of past and present, however, I was interested and invested in both timelines. I also appreciate acknowledging what was okay then is not okay now. Truthfully I felt majority of the book was well rounded.

There are a few things in this book I have a hard time believing or just felt it was out of place.

I’m giving this a solid 4 star!

Overall this was a good slasher story. Also, this is actual HORROR!

I loved this! I would love to see it play out on the screen. I was very caught off guard in the third act and found that twist to be excellent.

Some parts of this I enjoyed. Others felt predictable. I did really like the premise of this novel but felt like something was missing.

This book was pure slasher nostalgia with a sinister, slow-burning twist. Scream meets I Know What You Did Last Summer with a dose of Hollywood glam.

Smile for the Cameras follows Ella Winters, once the ‘final girl’ of a cult-classic horror film, now a faded star haunted by a secret she’s kept for two decades. When a reunion documentary brings her back to the movie’s original set, things quickly spiral. Cast members start dying in ways eerily similar to the kills in the film, and Ella realizes someone knows what really happened all those years ago, and they’re ready to finish the story.

Miranda Smith does such a great job balancing gory fun with psychological tension. The setting is a creepy cabin in rural Tennessee, which adds so much atmosphere. The tension between the former castmates is deliciously claustrophobic. Ella is a compelling, messy lead, and I appreciated that she’s not your typical scream queen.

If you’re into horror that blurs the lines between fiction and reality, or you’ve ever wondered what happens after the final credits roll, this one is for you.

Thank you to Bantam and NetGalley for the DRC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. I was very excited to read it and the premise reminded me of a summer slasher. Once I dug into the book, I felt really bored. The pacing was very slow, not great build up to the “big reveal” and I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters including Ella, the main character. I pushed through but this one wasn’t for me. Beautiful book cover art, however!

This one started off super strong for me!! I loved the vibes of Scream/IKWYDLS and rolled with it. The story had a lot of potential, the writing was fun and the industry talk/movie stuff was cool… then the mystery/thriller part was rather boring and predictable. Also, was not a fan of any of the characters.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, NetGalley and author Miranda Smith for gifting me a copy of Smile for the Cameras ❤️ This is my honest and voluntary review:

I did not expect that ending! This book gave so many twists, just when you had an idea what would happen you were thrown off again. I really enjoyed the overall story and the plot. My favorite part of the book was reading the script for the movie. This book definitely gave slasher / horror vibes perfect for summerween! 🔪

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

Smile for the Cameras had a lot of promise for me because it was giving peak 90s/00s slasher vibes and I was incredibly excited. Unfortunately, it just didn’t have the follow through that I was hoping for.
I didn’t particularly care for any of the characters and couldn’t connect to any of them. I felt like the big ominous secret being kept was more annoying than anticipatory and seemed to be very predictable. The timeline also didn’t work very well for me because the time in between didn’t make much sense.
There were some good parts I did enjoy, like the past being told primarily via a movie script and the various horror movie tropes.
Although this one didn’t quite work for me, I’m interested to see what the author will write next!
Thank you so much to Bantam for the gifted copy.
Publication date 6/24/25

This one hooked me right away. I loved the premise, women taking back the narrative and demanding justice. Miranda Smith does such a great job weaving that theme into a chilling, horror-movie-feeling story that kept me turning the pages.

It’s spooky and suspenseful in all the right ways, with that eerie, creeping tension that makes you want to leave the lights on. But it’s also smart and layered, which I always appreciate. And that ending? So good. It tied everything together in a way that was both satisfying and powerful.

A perfect pick if you want a thriller with heart, grit, and a little horror edge. Loved it.

I dont know!! I read this so quickly and it is super digestible, BUT I didn’t understand why there was this play on the common 80s-90s horror movie tropes as though they were silly and outdated, but then the plot itself followed that trope-y, predictable plot.