Let's Make a Scene is a dual POV, dual timeline book about two actors making (not great) first impressions then growing separately on their own journeys (while still loving/being attracted to the other). For *reasons*, they're thrown back together to not only make a movie where they reprise their roles, but they'll also be recorded for a documentary--while fake dating. I love when the lines of real and fake blur and this did it so well.
And that kiss! And the recreation at the award's ceremony! Swoon!

I will say, it wasn't my favorite style. Most of the book felt slow until maybe the 75% mark where we were in the past less.
I did like the found family (what a great group of characters!), the humor, and the second chance romance.
The setting aspects, like being on set, were fun as well, and I liked the documentary piece and how that was handled at the end.

I'll be checking out Laura's other books.

Rivals to lovers is a favorite trope of mine. I loved the flashbacks in the story. I feel like it gave a better look at them with their anger toward each other but also the underlying banter. They had great chemistry and I liked that we were able to see it.

I think the book did a great job at balancing the tension between the character plus the humor of it. And then the super tender moments. It was very cute.

Cynthie and Jack are back 13 years later for a sequel to their breakout movie. However, the last time, they hated each other and had full on war - while having to fake date. How, they’re re-doing the fake dating to help her scandal and his renewal for his show.

I loved the second book in the series. I also loved that Theo and Clemmie made appearances. The dual POV and flip-flopping between the past and present is always a favorite of mine when done right. Again, I can’t stress enough how much I enjoy a no third act breakup!

Cynthie is brand new to acting - gets her first big break from an open audition, starring in a regency era romance alongside seasoned professional, Jack. Their table read? A disaster. After he essentially tries to get her fired, Jack does not go out of his way to make Cynthie feel welcome. Their chemistry on set, however, is undeniable and it becomes difficult to distinguish acting from reality. When a fake relationship is requested to boost promotion of the movie, they reluctantly agree. Things do not end well and they literally do not speak for 13 years. Cue the sequel! Now a "cult classic," the two are back on set and in a much better place professionally, though Cynthie recently has been in the tabloids due to an "affair" with a director. Once again faking a relationship, it's now even harder to fake their real feelings.

Celebrities, gossip, found family, "it's always been you," - say less! This one was filled with great banter, just enough spice, and all the pining. I loved that they were reunited after 13 years and that they got a second chance once they grew up. They both had so much to learn when they first met, and not that they were perfect versions of themselves later, but they were so much more mature and capable of communicating. I loved that therapy was not something to be ashamed of, and that both Jack and Cynthie had friends that were family to rely on and who supported them. Cynthie had kind of stopped believing in love and romance in the real world and if you love a grand gesture, get ready! Romance readers - add this one to the TBR! The perfect summer beach read.

This. Book. THIS BOOK!! I am absolutely feral for it. Just giddy, start to finish. It’s a love letter to found family and second chances — and it is a cozy, laugh out loud delight of a thing. I adored Under Your Spell and was excited for Cynthie’s book — but I was NOT prepared for one Jack Turner-Jones. This. Man. THIS MAN!! I just — sigh. I am ruined, happily.

Let’s Make A Scene has everything I crave in a modern day romance — messy feelings, characters who get in their own way, insanely perfect pop culture references, friendships I’d take a bullet for and a love story that roots in your own chest while you read it. It’s clever and kind-hearted and lovely top to end.

It comes out 7/1!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was tough to get through and fell short for me. I think it was because the dual pov and timeline didn’t flow smoothly to me. I would have enjoyed it more had we stuck with one time line and worked through.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

no one was more disappointed by this book than me i swear. the fact that i have like 5% left in the book and can't bring myself to finish it says really everything that needs to be said

Let's Make a Scene was a beautiful second-chance romance, and I loved it. Cynthie and Jack went from colleagues to enemies to pretend lovers and everything in between. Needless to say, I was here for it and quite enjoyed the timeline of their relationship. Not only was it a second chance, but they were also actors, and I love a celebrity-esque romance. The writing was engaging, and I enjoyed the book's style, which alternated between the past and the present. I liked how much time was spent in the past because it really gave readers the proper backstory for Cynthie and Jack. The side characters were also incredible. They all felt developed and helped contribute to the overall love story. I couldn't stop reading, and I was swooning, kicking my feet, and waiting on the edge of my seat for them to give in to their chemistry. The story also felt like multiple Taylor Swift songs, which I loved. This was so good, and I can't wait to see what Laura does next. Thank you Atria for the ARC to read and review!

Let’s Make a Scene by Laura Wood is a fake dating, enemies-to-lovers, second chance romance that is an absolute must read! This is a companion novel to Under Your Spell and I would recommend reading Under Your Spell first. This is a dual timeline book, going between present day and 13 years ago and following actors Cynthie and Jack. I absolutely LOVED this book and could not get enough! The author did a great job of weaving the present-day story into the past timeline, keeping me reading and engaged. The banter, sexual tension, humor, character development, and overall readability of this book was fantastic.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

✅ second chance
✅ flashbacks
✅ dual pov
✅ ‘the one that got away’

I was dyyyyyying over 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲 cause it was that good.

Second chance with a split timeline is something that I am such a sucker for so 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲 was perfect for me. From being instantly attracted to each other, to very quickly becoming enemies/rivals provided lots of tension and the perfect ‘let’s just get it out of systems’ moment 🔥

Between the flashbacks and present day, we got to see so much growth for both Cynthie and Jack.

This is the perfect book for those who love their romances with some humor, tension and strong emotional moments.

What can be said about this book that hasn't already been said? It's enemies/rivals to lovers told in a then now format that I loved! I enjoyed all of the drama surrounding their past and present as well as the chemistry between these two! I would highly recommend it!

Thank you Atria and Netgalley for the eARC!

This was my first Laura Wood book and I thought it was cute! I’m still figuring out what my favorite romance tropes are, but my favorite is definitely friends-to-lovers, so maybe it isn’t a surprise that I don’t find a lot of success with enemies/rivals to lovers, which this one is. The drama with that trope always feels manufactured to me. Like why do these people despise one another? Because one of them was rude to the other one one time? Because of some one-sided drama that one of the parties is completely unaware of? It just doesn’t feel based in reality, which I will say is not the point of romance novels! I am too hard on them, but this is the way I feel as a reader. I DO however like books set in Hollywood, which this one also is. The story involves two actors coming back together to make a sequel to the film that launched both of their careers. Because of their chemistry, the studio pushes them into a fake relationship, and, of course, after spending a portion of the book “hating” one another, they actually fall in love. I’m being overly critical, I actually did have a fun time with this, even if I had issues. It’s a sweet rom com! You’ll know if this is for you by the synopsis alone.

ynthie Taylor’s career got a major jump start at twenty years of age when she starred along with Jack Turner-Jones in a well-loved story. Their on-screen chemistry turned the Austenesque film into a long time favorite with many very devoted fans. During the filming, Cynthie and Jack were bitter enemies making each other’s onset life as miserable as possible. They both swore never again should their paths cross…until now thirteen years later. Cynthie and Jack both need the proposed sequel to their prior blockbuster to help with issues in their current careers.

During the first film, producers made it seem as if Cynthie and Jack had a real relationship off screen. This time around, not only do they want that to happen again, but it will be part of an intrusive documentary during the filming as well. Cynthie and Jack’s relationship was near incendiary before as they both had intense feelings for one another, not all of them negative. During the first filming, Jack was dealing with overbearing, interfering well-known actor parents, and Cynthie was fresh into her career feeling nearly overwhelmed by it all.

In current times, Cynthie’s has just come off a scandalous Hollywood relationship gone bad while Jack is hoping to retain his current potion in a very popular television show. The big question is can they put their differences aside and work together for the common good? The original directing team and many of those associated with the first film are also back for the reunion.

This story is told in a then and now format so that the feelings and situations of the original movie are made clear. The backstory gives quite a bit of content to explain how Cynthie and Jack’s volatile relationship got started while giving insight to their having matured in the subsequent years. The characters are well done and quite a bit of the story is entertaining though, at times, the angst level is a bit drawn out. It is a billed as a companion novel to the previous book, Under Your Spell, but can be read as a standalone

I genuinely loved this book! Loved the characters, love the back and forth between 13 years prior and present day, loved the love story, loved the friendships. It was fun and romantic and sentimental and everything a romance should be.

I'm excited to go back and read the first book.

Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy!!

When Cynthie are Jack are both convinced to come back to the role that started their careers thirteen years later you’d think it be an easy yes! Why not you ask, they actually cannot stand each other!

But desperate times call for desperate measure that they both agree to not only come back for filming but agree to fake date along the way to get a documentary filmed.

Will these two be able to make it through filming with despising each other? Will reprising this roll find a new found like or even infatuation with each other?

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Was glad to receive this book from the author/publisher as I enjoyed the first book I reviewed. I started the book by reading before going to narration through the app and got a little confused when the book started shifting to the past. After getting used to it, it was nice to see how both the main characters were able to with through their issues from the past and find themselves together.

Love the playfulness of Cynthie and Jack. As well how the sexy fun time scenes are just what is needed.

This delightful tale follows the journey of two actors, Cynthie and Jack, whose paths cross at the start of their careers. Initially, they’re at odds, but as they work together on a film, their animosity gradually transforms into a slow-burn romance. The story cleverly weaves together past and present, jumping back and forth from their first film set 13 years ago to the present day, where they’re filming the sequel.

Both Cynthie and Jack could use some positive publicity, so they hatch a plan: a fake dating scheme during the sequel filming. However, 13 years have passed, and Cynthie has built up walls around her heart, making it difficult for her to trust love again. Despite the length of the story, the author does an excellent job of delving into both characters’ motivations and hesitations, making them relatable and endearing.

The sexual tension between Cynthie and Jack is palpable throughout the novel, and the subsequent spicy scenes are expertly crafted without being overly explicit (though there are a few open door scenes). While this book is marketed as a companion novel to “Under Your Spell,” it can also be enjoyed as a standalone. However, I highly recommend reading both books together, as they complement each other perfectly.

Thank you, Atria Books, for providing this book for review consideration through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

A novel about movie stars fake dating...twice? Color me intrigued. I had high hopes for Laura Wood's new book Let's Make A Scene.

Unfortunately, for me, the constant jumping back and forth from past to present and back again got very confusing. On one hand, Cynthie and Jack are on their first movie set and unintentional sparks are flying. On the other, they're years in the future, starting work on the sequel of the same project, thrown together again. Maybe the two sides of the coin were just not different enough? In both they are antagonistic toward one another, in both they start catching feelings. I just found myself double checking constantly which timeline we were in.

With a fundamental issue like that, it made it hard to sink into the story. With that being said, however, it is clear that Laura Wood understand romance and how to craft some interesting characters to play against one another. There was plenty of chemistry between Cynthie and Jack, and their night together in the kitchen is quite memorable! The ending also was justified and handled well, but by that point it had already lost the spark for me.

I am absolutely still interested in reading more from Laura Wood, this one just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I.... Loved this book. I ended up carrying my kindle around all of Saturday like a security blanket. The humor was just my type. The banter was great. Chemistry was fire. Hilarious supporting characters. I have to go read Under Your Spell immediately.