This romance was so absolutely beautiful, messy, emotional, raw and real. Cynthie and Jack have so much they must go through to get to each other and it’s so amazing reading a story that feels like real love. I love the anxiety rep in this book, Laura Wood does an amazing job at showing what a panic attack feels like, and representing anxiety in settings where it would happen. I also love how she touched on the mistreatment of women in the film industry and explored that topic through one of the main characters. It’s an important topic that deserves to be spoke on more! I loved how slow burn this was because it made it feel so much more real that way. I loved that we got dual POV, and also a dual timeline. We got to see Cynthie and Jack slowly fall in love, but this is for sure a he falls first and HARD romance. I loved that we got found family and got to see all of their friends become like a family to them by the end. The epilogue was also really cute and realistic which I loved! I highly recommend this to everyone who loves a slow burn romance that has some more emotion to it.

I read Laura Wood’s debut when it came out and I couldn’t believe that it was her first book. I was so excited to get my hands on this novel. It did not disappoint given that it is the second book in the series, I don’t think it’s necessary to read Under Your Spell first. Yes, the previous characters are mentioned, but it’s more of seeing that they’re okay rather than having to know them ahead of time. I found it so fun that this book takes place in the world of acting and I really loved how the main time periods discussed were juxtaposed (even though it was only 13 years apart and the exact same characters). Cynthie and Jack really got off on the wrong foot when they first worked together; they have very different backgrounds, which were written about beautifully. With that experience being so rough, they didn’t see each other for the next 13 years until they asked to film a sequel, which really built up the tension. Now, they are both more mature people and have a much better understanding of themselves. However, the past can still be hard to let go of which makes their situation of being asked to fake dating each other even more complicated. This is such a beautiful take on fake dating with second chance romance. I love Cynthie and Jack so much and there’s just so much complexity to the characters. This book also has such great mental health representation and as someone who’s had panic attacks before. I think the author wrote about them so well. I absolutely adore this entire novel and cannot wait to see what Laura Wood writes next. 5⭐️, 2🌶

Cynthia and Jack had sizzling on-screen chemistry—unfortunately, their real-life relationship was far from it. Thirteen years after their hit film, they’re back for a sequel and forced into a fake dating scheme to boost publicity. With a documentary crew capturing every behind-the-scenes moment, old wounds resurface, and the line between acting and authenticity starts to blur.

I really enjoyed the central premise: fake dating meets celebrity drama with a splash of enemies to lovers. Cynthia and Jack's dynamic was sharp, emotional, and at times genuinely tender. Watching them navigate their complicated history while filming together again had plenty of tension and heart.

The dual timelines (“then” and “now”) were a creative choice, and while some readers may enjoy the extra context, I found the flashback chapters occasionally slowed the pacing. There were moments where the present-day story—arguably the most engaging part—was overshadowed by long detours into the past. Still, I appreciated how the side characters, especially Cynthia’s friends, added warmth and grounded the story.

If you love celebrity romances, behind-the-scenes drama, or slow-burning second chances, this book is worth checking out. It’s not without its flaws, but the emotional payoff (and a grand romantic gesture!) makes it a solid pick for fans of Hollywood love stories.

Read if you like:
🎬 Fake Dating
💫 Enemies to Lovers
🎥 Forced Proximity
🌟 Second-Chance Romance

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m going to start off by saying I’m sucker for second chances, so when I started reading this book I was hooked since the beginning. I liked the dual POV and dual timeline of the story. I highly recommend it to my rom-com fans and I’m pretty sure this will be one of my favorite and most recommended reads this summer.

An engaging tale that comes together nicely in the final act, but wasn't quite what I expected. Under Your Spell was such a marvelous surprise to stumble across last year, and I was overjoyed to hear that Wood was giving Theo's friend Cynthie a happy ending of her own in this companion novel. The premise here is solid, toggling back and forth in time between the original production that Cynthie and Jack met on and the sequel being shot years later, and features a climactic scene clearly inspired by Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling's onstage kiss while receiving Best Kiss at the MTV Movie Awards. However, despite being interested in these characters and the unfolding events, the story didn't fully click for me until well after the halfway point. Sometimes the time period would frustratingly switch right after a major development happened in one that I immediately wanted to explore more of, and Cynthie and Jack seemed to have the same arguments over and over, making the book feel longer than it was. I appreciated the direct contrast between the past and present to show how these individuals grew and became truly different people who were able to learn from their mistakes, the group of secondary characters featured a wide range of enjoyable personalities, and Jack's lovely grand gesture near the end made all the pieces of this romance fall into place. While this was ultimately a satisfying read, it was missing the fun whimsy that made me fall hard for Wood's preceding book.

4.25 stars

I loved Wood's first book and was super excited for the companion story. Note, this can be read as a standalone, but you won't want to miss out on Under Your Spell.

This has some of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, fake dating, celebrity romance, second chance romance, as well as some mental health representation.

Not only were Jack and Cynthie lovable, but so were some of other side characters (shoutout to Petra!). I cannot wait to see what Wood comes up with next.

Thank you to Atria books for this ARC! I was so excited to receive this one. Under Your Spell was one of my favorite books of 2024 so I was excited for this one! I enjoyed it! I will definitely read any and all of Wood’s upcoming books. Hoping to see some Clem’s sisters story come to life. Cynthie and Jack’s story was great, second chance , enemies to lovers, well developed characters and great tropes.

This book is a classic enemies to lovers / fake dating troupe. Jack and Cynthie had so much chemistry and tension even though they were faking it. I loved the set up and the way It was handled. I didn't 'love how they handled their previous falling out, but then again that is needed to make them enemies to lovers.

I loved this book. I finished my ARC copy and immediately purchased the hard copy as soon as it hit the shelves. The characters, the chemistry, the back and forth between past and present…I absolutely loved it. I cannot wait to see more from this author.

This might just be my favorite romance read of the summer!

He comes from parents that are Hollywood royalty. She is a nobody that landed the biggest break with her first movie casting. They instantly become enemies!

They have to sell a romance both on and off the screen to help better their careers. It’s pure hate and desire all rolled into one. So good!

Now it’s 13 years later and they are placed in the same situation. But this time is different and “he leans” 👏👏👏

Five main reasons to read this…
1. “He leans”
2. He reads Persuasion by Janet Austin with reading glasses
3. He writes her love letters
4. Also bonus points for a reference to Star Wars

I loved this. Five stars. Perfect romcom! 100% recommend.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC.

I couldn’t put this second chance romance down!!! It was absolutely engaging and the fmc and the mmc were equally fleshed out (something I don’t always see in romance!). Cannot wait to read more of this author!

Okay so I finally got around to finishing up this absolutely adorable second chance romance from Laura Wood!

I was lucky enough to ARC read Under Your Spell last year and I think I liked this one even more! I’m such a sucker for a rom-com set with Hollywood/movie vibes and boy did this deliver!

We see Cynthie in the last book as one of Theo’s exes, and I’m so glad we were able to see how her story played out. Her experience in Hollywood as a young actress sounds pretty accurate to many women we have heard from over the years. Men taking advantage of them, having to prove themselves against male counterparts, the tabloids and so much more make it exceptionally challenging to be in the spotlight.

I love that the author spends time exploring these topics and how it would impact someone in the long term.

I absolutely adore Cynthie and love that we get to see her and Jack in both timelines to really make the second chance romance hit juuuuuust right!

I was kicking my feet at the end (we all love a grand gesture 😉) and felt that their love story was really well done!

Thank you sooooo much to Atria Books for the ARC!! ✨

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

★★★★☆

Let’s Make a Scene is a sparkling, slow-burn romance that delivers all the charm, tension, and emotional payoff you’d expect from Laura Wood. As a follow-up to Under Your Spell, this companion novel shifts the spotlight to Cynthie Taylor and her long-standing frenemy-turned-fake-boyfriend, Jack Turner-Jones—and their chemistry is absolutely electric.

Cynthie and Jack’s relationship is the heart of the story. Thirteen years after their breakout film (and a very public falling out), they’re thrown back together for a sequel—and a fake PR romance that neither of them wants to revisit. What follows is a delicious mix of enemies-to-lovers tension, second chances, and behind-the-scenes drama, all while a documentary crew captures their every move. Their banter is sharp, their emotional baggage feels real, and watching them slowly lower their defenses is incredibly satisfying.

Laura Wood’s writing is witty and warm, and she nails the balance between humor and heart. The story is full of cinematic moments, but it’s the quieter scenes—where Cynthie and Jack confront their past and begin to trust each other again—that truly shine.

If you love second-chance romances with a fake dating twist and a healthy dose of showbiz sparkle, Let’s Make a Scene is a must-read.

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #atriabooks #letsmakeascene #laurawood

I loved Under Your Spell so I was excited to get my hands on the next story (even though Let’s Make a Scene can totally be read standalone). I had fun reading and this is great for a summer pool day! Alternating timelines can sometimes lose me and I found myself skimming through the past timelines.

Overall an enjoyable read. It was quite the slow burn and I wasn’t prepared for that and at times I felt like it was dragging a bit

Thanks Atria Books for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

📖Read if you like:
- Fake dating
- Hollywood/celebrities
- Dual POV/timelines
- Enemies to lovers

This was really fun! I loved the way this was written with a dual timeline format following them filming the original movie and then the sequel 13 years later. Jack and Cynthie had great chemistry throughout, even though they didn’t start on the best terms. There were so many funny moments while also dealing with some heavier topics as she looks at some of the darker sides of Hollywood. Overall, I really enjoyed this rom-com and I can’t wait to read more from Laura Wood in the future!

Cynthie and Jack were cast together in a very successful regency romance movie. Their chemistry on screen was like no other. But off screen? They couldn’t stand each other. Fast forward thirteen years when they make a sequel to the movie and they are forced to work together again, and asked to pretend to be dating to help increase interest in the movie.

This book seems to be trying to fit all the tropes - enemies to lovers, second chance love, fake dating, forced romance. If you like any of those, you will LOVE this book.

Thirteen years is a very slow burn to get a romance going, and this book was a bit of a slow burn when it came to any action. But overall, I still enjoyed it.

I received a digital ARC of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

This was an adorable enemies to lovers, second chance romance. It's told during the present as well as flashbacks to 13 years in the past.

Let's Make a Scene is a contemporary romance for Regency romance fans! I loved the fun tropes (rivals to lovers, fake dating), the behind the scenes action of filming a Regency era romance movie, and of course, all of the Persuasion references. This is book two in a series, but could be read as a stand alone.

Fake Romance: Take 2 AKA There’s a fine line between love and hate.

When award-winning actress Cynthie Taylor unwittingly finds herself in the middle of a Hollywood scandal, she agrees to rekindle her pretend relationship with Jack Turner-Jones, costar of her first ever film and its now upcoming sequel, as a PR move. Full of banter and heart, Let’s Make a Scene tells the story of Cynthie and Jack, then and now, and strikes a perfect balance between humor and emotional depth.

At a glance:
- Dual POV
- Dual timeline
- Enemies to lovers
- Celebrity romance
- Second chance
- Fake dating

Read it for
- The leaning and librarian glasses
- The banter and depth of emotion
- The shirtless workout
- The chosen family
- Petra, the personal trainer, and her Julie Andrews obsession
- The film and pop culture references
- The anxiety rep
- The chemistry between Jack and Cynthie
- And a grand gesture sure to make you swoon (and to give you the warm fuzzies, too)

I received an advance copy of the ebook from Atria. All review opinions are my own.