📖 Title: Let's Make a Scene- Theo and Cynthie #2 -a companion novel

✍🏾 Author: Laura Wood, I read Under Your Spell and gave it 4 ⭐

📅Publication date: 7/1/25 | Read 6/30/25

📃 Format: eBook 352 pgs.

Genre:
*Contemporary Romance
*Women's Fic

Tropes:
*enemies to lovers
*workplace romance
*2nd chance romance
*fake dating
*celebrity romance
*found family

👆🏾POV: 1st person dual- 2 timelines present/13 years ago

⚠️TW: celebrity scandal-h, sexual harassment, anxiety-h, critical parents-H

🌎 Setting: LA and London

Summary: Cynthie is a famous actress that has been hiding away to escape public scrutiny after getting caught in a cheating scandal. Her agent pitches a new movie-the sequel to cult classic "A Lady of Quality," a movie she made 13 years ago. The problem is Jack Turner Jones -her co-star who she hated and vice versa. They vowed never to see each other again after pretending to date during shooting. The studio wants them to do a documentary with behind-the-scenes footage about the movie and their rekindled fake relationship. Both need good publicity after Cynthie's public affair and Jack's waning movie career.

👩🏾 Heroine: Cynthie Taylor- 20 then/ now 33. She dated Theo Elliott (H from book #1) and are BFFs

👨🏾 Hero: Jack Turner-Jones- 24 then/now 37. His parents were stage and screen actors.

🎭 Other Characters:

* Hannah-Cynthie's BFF and PA
* Gayle-Cynthie's agent
* Shawn Hardy-had affair w/ Cynthie while he was married
*Jasmine + Logan Gallow- twin siblings, directed ALOQ
*Nico-Jack's BFF
*Caroline +Max+ Lee-Jack's parents and sister
*Liam, Arjun, Patty, and Priya-Cynthie's friends

🤔 My Thoughts: This had the best I love you declaration I've seen in a while. Jack took the time with the help of Cynthie's family and friends to create a movie about their love story. This book addressed the post Me Too Movement and just how predatory the movie industry still is. Cynthie got therapy for her relationship hangups at the urging of her friends. I loved the HEA and epilogue for Cynthie and Jack, and I hope to read Hannah's story.

Rating: 5/5 ✨
Spice level 5/5 🌶️

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Laura Wood for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

Let's Make a Scene is a cute rom-com that had me laughing out loud. It includes some of my favorite tropes: fake dating, enemies to lovers (but he's actually been down bad since the start), and hollywood romance as well as dual POV, dual timelines and a cast of secondary characters that feel like family.

Cynthie and Jack worked together 13 years ago and did not get off on the right foot. Now, the whole cast and crew from that first movie set are coming back together for a sequel and Cynthie and Jack find themseleves in a spot where they need each other. I really enjoyed the way the past and present story lines intersect and how the reader could see the personal growth in both main characters.

Overall, I found Let's Make a Scene a cute and swoony story from a new-to-me author. I plan to go back and read the first book in this series, Under Your Spell. Thank you to Atria Books for this eGalley. Let's Make a Scene is out today, July 1, 2025.

I loved this one! It's a second chance celebrity romance. Cynthie and Jack worked together and fake dated on their first film 13 years ago. They were both super immature and hiding their feelings back then. It took me a while to get into the dual timeline. I thought I wanted just the current timeline and the silliness of fake dating while filming the sequel to their breakout film. That past timeline added depth to the story. It allows you to understand the characters better and see how much they gave grown in 13 years.

I could imagine another book in this world- Nico and Lee maybe? Or Hannah and someone?

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley!

THIS BOOK IS GREAT.

Rolling both fake dating and second chance into the same romance novel is an achievement, and it's done so well here.

Told from a Then and Now perspective, we learn why Cynthie and Jack had so much animosity the first time around, and then the people they've grown into who might have more than just simmering tension between them.

Jack is a fascinating character, and his growth between the past and 13 years later when he gets his second chance with Cynthie will make your heart grow two sizes bigger. Jack comes from an acting dynasty and the pressure to be not only successful, but in the exact way his a-hole parents want is just painful. I think I feel more sympathy for young jack than I do for young Cynthie, simply because he tries so hard to set boundaries even if he goes about it a little rudely, and she takes it all so personally.

13 years later Cynthie though...oof. She's being put through the ringer, and her emotionally vulnerability and taking everything so personally is exactly why she gets railroaded in this situation. I was furious on her behalf, and was screaming at the page for her to open her eyes and see the supports she has around her. It's interesting that I read two books this month that examined the post-MeToo era for women, and I'm glad this is an example of things changing for the better with time and accountability.

Seriously though, the tension between these two physically and emotionally kept me whipping through pages, and I stayed up until 1am to finish it.

Such a great second installment to the first book! Enemies to lovers will always be a favorite of mine and this couple did not disappoint. Cynthie and Jack have chemistry on the screen and definitely off the screen. Like are you kidding me with that banter?! Obsessed. A great balance of funny moments and character development.

Let's Make a Scene by Laura Wood arc review

This is my first book by this author and believe me when I say it did not disappoint.

Jack and Cynthie's love story follows a 13-year timeline, which means *time jumps* and they were executed FLAWLESSLY. As a reader, I felt like I wasn't missing points in their story, and Laura Wood was very good at making the time jump at the perfect moment when the audience would need more background information. The way the book was written made the time jumps from past and present seamless and very easy to follow, while making sure the reader had the full scope of Jack and Cynthie’s relationship.

I loved the dynamic between all the characters in this story. Truly, I believe this book would not be the same without any of them because they all play such an integral part in this 13-year romance. The found family vibes throughout this book were truly just wholesome and made my little book girlie heart aww at all the love these characters have for each other. From the pranks wars that brought this crazy group together to them having a romance intervention to get Cynthie to realize that she BELONGED with Jack (it was actually the cutest, most romantic book scene I’ve read and I’ve never felt more single in my life )
Reading Jack and Cynthie’s story was like watching a Hallmark movie, and I LOVED every single second of it. From the prank wars to the steamy “hate” filled f**k it moments their story was truly a movie in book form, which is ironic since they are actors filming a romance movie. I don’t think I could ever get over how much this man YEARNS for this woman. Like hands down, down bad, get on his knees begging for her yearning. The type of yearning that people WISH they could experience at least once in their lives. I mean, 13 years is a LONG TIME to wait for someone, and then the fact that he understood that Cynthie might not be ready and was very big on respecting/upholding boundaries set. OH MY GOSH I NEED ONE!! I have 2 favorite book moments in this novel, one of them is the Jack/Cynthie extreme workout with Petra, I laughed SO HARD it was absolutely hysterical, and the second is the great romance intervention. It was so beautiful and heartfelt, I couldn’t have read a better romantic moment.

All in all, I loved this book; it was such a fun read for my vacation, and it was just so heartfelt, I could see how much Laura Wood loved this couple. I’m so grateful that I was chosen to read this book early because it was simply fantastic. I give my biggest thank you to Laura Wood for writing this book, and I thank Netgalley and Atria Books for giving me the chance to read this book early.

🅻🅴🆃🆂 🅼🅰︎🅺🅴 🅰︎ 🆂🅲🅴🅽🅴
𝚋𝚢: 𝙻𝚊𝚞𝚛𝚊 𝚆𝚘𝚘𝚍

𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜 𝕪𝕠𝕦 🫶🏻 Atria and NetGalley for the free book! All opinions are my own.

𝔽𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝕢𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖 💕

“What is happening?”
“And why is Julie Andrews involved”

“You’re just going to make me feel safe and cared for and heard until I start believing in true love and fairy tales and happy endings, aren’t you?” 
“That’s pretty my evil plan, yeah.”


𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪 ✏️
Thirteen years ago Cynthie was a fresh face excited to be acting in her first movie and then her handsome and arrogant costar, Jack makes it clear that he wishes his leading lady was anyone but her. Now, with her life falling apart she is asked to make a sequel with the man she can’t stand and even worse pretend that they are head over heels for one another while a documentary crew follows their every move.

𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 💭
I absolutely adored this book! While I definitely think it can be read as a standalone it was written as a companion to Under Your Spell which was one of my absolute favorites from last year. Wood’s writing is just so good! It is smart and funny with so much heart. I loved the dual timelines (both had me completely captivated) as well as the dual POV. Let’s Make A Scene also has all of my favorite tropes: Second chance, enemies to lovers, and forced proximity, to name a few! Seeing Jack and Cynthie make their way back to one another was SO satisfying and the “romantic intervention” at the end is just perfection!!

Laura Wood, I am so in love with your stories!!

ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 📖
✩ Enemies to Lovers
✩ Celebrity Romance
✩ Forced Proximity
✩ Workplace Romance
✩ Dual Timelines
✩ Dual POV

This was a well written second chance romance. Cyn is down on her luck after being exposed as sleeping with her married director on her previous movie and has been dropped from the newest superhero movie she was contracted to complete in the next few months. Luckily for her, they want a sequel to her debut move that has become a bit of a cult classic. Unluckily for her that means working once again with Jack, whom she hates. What she doesn't know is that Jack doesn't hate her at all. In fact, he's held a torch for her for the past 13 years, but he knows she hates him. Part of the contract for the new film means they need to fake a rekindled relationship while trying not to rekindle a relationship.

Normally, I really like second chance romances, and I don't really mind flashback scenes. However, this book was more of a half in the past, half now situation. Not my favorite because it feels like, to me, we don't always get a good build to the current day relationship. This book was good, just not my cup of tea. I am certain a lot of people will eat this one up though!

A second chance, rivals fake dating romance? But add a documentary?! YES PLEASE!!

When Cynthie gets her big break from being cast in a movie, everything seems great...except for the fact that her co-star hates her! The two may bicker and argue, but when the cameras are rolling their chemistry is delicious and nothing sells better than young love, with the production studio forcing the two to date in the public eye. Now over a decade later, Cynthie and jack have the chance at another blockbuster hit. but will have to rekindle their charade. But things may not be as fake as they thought.

Thoughts and potential Spoilers:

I LOVE FAKE DATING! ugh it's just so good! Especially when fake dating is something so big like this? Out in the public eye where they're going to be forced into cheeky situations?! its just so good! A story like this with a dual timeline, always leaves me on the edge in a good way! Especially when you can see the character growth between the then and now!

Thank you so much Atria and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

this fell a bit flat for me, it felt like too many points of view, made it a bit more challenging for me to connect with the characters

thank you to netgalley for an arc of this in exchange for my honest feedback!

Cynthie and Jack have a long standing rivalry after a few bad statements and a one night stand that resulted form hate but not love. As a result, these two are well known for not getting along behind the scenes while they were promoting a full relationship in public to promote their movie. 13 years later, and the studio wants to revive the movie franchise but their two leading characters have to agree to do it all again along with the PR relationship. This time around they are older and wiser but still have a decent amount of animosity. The story flips between the present and the path, and so you get both sides of both stories, but I lived for the present scenes, I think it showed so much growth and change with respect to both Jack and Cynthie that really highlights why they are the perfect couple for wrong time, right person.

Jack has honestly loved Cynthie from the beginning but definitely make some hard to forgive mistakes that prevent Cynthie from ever considering him more than an enemy and I don’t blame her, but then in the future, its so wonderful to see her give him a full shot this time. This time around they are friends, they are cute, and they are just one of my favorite parts of this book. They learned to stick up for each other, help and protect one another, and just overall become a full, honest, and trustworthy friendship turned into relationship and I loved it.

After reading this book, I need to go back and read the first book, because I really liked this author’s writing and storytelling!

I loved Under Your Spell so much that I couldn’t wait for Cynthie’s story.

This is an enemies to lovers, fake dating, second chance romance between Cynthie and Jack. Thirteen years ago, they were co-stars in her first big movie where they couldn’t stand each other off screen.

Now, Cynthie is in the midst of a big romantic scandal. She needs some good news to take away the bad. When she is offered to reprise her role in the sequel to her first movie Cynthie is excited until she realizes she will have to see Jack again. Plus, add in fake dating to stir things up even more!

I love the premise and the writing. Cynthie is a hoot. I just don’t do well with dual timelines. It’s a me thing. I like to stay in the present to see how the story progresses.

I enjoy this author’s writing and can’t wait to see what she will write next!

Thank you to Atria Books and the author for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an advanced copy of Let’s Make a Scene by Laura Wood from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I absolutely loved it from start to finish. There was a moment early on when I worried the story might linger too long in the past and leave the present underdeveloped, but Wood struck a perfect balance. The pacing kept me fully invested, and the emotional payoff was so worth it.

This book delivers on some of my favorite tropes—fake dating (always a win), second chance romance, and a beautifully done "he falls first" arc. Even better, it steers clear of the dreaded miscommunication trope. The male main character is emotionally intelligent and knows how to express himself, which made their connection feel authentic and deeply satisfying.

While the book includes a few open-door scenes, they’re handled thoughtfully and never overpower the story. The heart of this novel is in its plot, character growth, and emotional depth. If you're looking for a romance that feels both grounded and swoony, this one should be at the top of your list.

I love the voice in this novel. It’s wry and smart, immersing the reader in the story right from the start. The second-chance, enemies-to-lovers vibe is a strong hook. I’m not a huge fan of the dual timeline—it killed the momentum for me and felt like backstory. I’m sure others will enjoy it more than I did.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Ahh! I love when a book gives you that giddy, giggling feeling. I basically read this in one sitting. I gobbled this book up.

Thirteen years ago, Cynthie Taylor was an unknown actress cast in her first film with hot and talented Jack Turner-Jones, son of British acting royalty. From the get-go, there’s trouble. They seem to loathe each other while also being incredibly horny at the same time. Oh dear. So, not only do they have to act like a couple in love on film, the studio decides to play up their scorching chemistry and have them fake date in real life. This was a disaster of epic proportions if you ask either of them.

Now it’s thirteen years later and a sequel to their movie is going to be made. Both Cynthie and Jack could do with some good press, so again, they’re going to pretend to date. And what’s happened to that chemistry from thirteen years ago? Oh, it just added thirteen years of experience.

Y’all. This book had me giggling the whole time. I actually didn’t use a ton of quotes for this review because I want you to enjoy them as they unfold. I had a smile on my face almost the whole time. *There are some serious topics for both characters, but I feel they are handled well.

Highly recommended for lovers of second chances, swooning, and excellent banter!

I was given an eARC via #netgalley and @atriabooks. All thoughts are mine alone.

#romance #romancebooks #contemporaryromance #secondchanceromance #celebrityromance #letsmakeascene #laurawood #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram

Laura Wood's Let's Make a Scene is a delightful blend of fake dating, enemies-to-lovers and a second-chance romance all in one charming package. If you're a fan of complex relationships and character growth, this book is definitely for you.

One of the standout features of Let's Make a Scene is its brilliant use of dual timelines. The story takes place during the indie movie shoot where Jack and Cynthie met, as well as during the sequel shoot 13 years later. This narrative choice allows readers to witness Cynthie and Jack's journey not just in the present, but also through their past. This layered approach adds significant depth to their connection and makes their eventual reunion all the more satisfying. This also gives space to flesh out all of the side characters, showing us how they've grown and changed over the past 13 years as well, and seeing how their relationships with the main characters have evolved.

And... there's a Dirty Dancing lift scene. What more could you need? Let's Make a Scene is a wonderful rom-com that will leave you wishing these movies were real

Funny, angsty, steamy, heartwarming, charming, and escapist! A pair of Hollywood stars who hated and fake dated each other as their careers took off thirteen years ago are asked to make a sequel of their cult classic, complete with round two of fake dating, this time with a documentary camera crew filming their "reunion." The chemistry is still there, but so are all the old resentments and conflicting and confusing emotions. Second chance fake dating was a fun twist on those tropes and made the story stand out to me.

A slow burn with dual timelines and POVs, you see how things started between Cynthie and Jack years earlier and their match-made-in-Hollywood reunion in the present day. I enjoyed these two. A lot. Their enemies-to-lovers banter was deliciously entertaining, and I felt the intensity of their emotions as the lines of love and hate blurred. They were well-developed characters, and the dual timeline helped show how they changed and grew over the years. Jack especially seemed to mature. Celebrity romance books don't always work for me, but this one did. The romantic tension between these two is palpable, and their relationship develops into something truly swoon-worthy!

I also enjoyed the writing, the secondary characters, and the plot. The movie and filming were intertwined with the romance, giving a behind-the-scenes peek at the entertainment industry. Some fantastic secondary characters are scene stealers who provide a lot of laughs. Although this is book two in a series, it worked well as a standalone for me, and now I want to go back and read book one. I had so much fun reading this, and think romcom fans will, too!

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the gifted ARC

*4.5 rounded up

Cynthie and Jack meet as they both move into starting roles for the first time in a sweeping historical romance movie where they soon become bitter enemies. Now, years later they are back on the set in the follow up to the movie and the same sparks are flying.

This was so good! Movie romance with enemies to lovers! Here's what I liked:

The format: this is told in past and present chapters which gives a perfect feel for the story. There is so much that happened in the past that influences what is happening in the present but I liked how Wood didn't just give it all to you up front. Every past chapter is perfectly timed with what is happening now.

The enemies of it all: Cynthie and Jack are some of my favorite enemies to lovers. They have a prank war and everything, Their animosity was perfectly written. And as always, it's so much fun to see that wall of hate come crumbling down.

The movie: I loved the backdrop of the movie set for the past and the present. It was fun to see the ins and outs of that scene.

All in all, a great romcom!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

Cynthie’s big break in acting was in a movie with Jack (a very handsome and talented nepo baby). Unfortunately Jack seemed to hate her (minus one night where things got out of hand) but the two were asked (as the young stars) to fake a relationship for the press and as soon as they could, they parted and never spoke again. The movie was a huge success and now, 13 years later they are making a sequel and Jack and Cynthie are back together on set (and again asked to fake a relationship). Both are at a point in their career where good press is super helpful, but when you fake being in love for so long, sometimes it can seem very real.

This is technically the second in a series (the first was Under Her Spell which I loved), but it can absolutely be a standalone (but I personally suggest reading the first because it's so much fun). I loved the narrating duo and wanted to listen to more than I did, but as is a theme for the next few weeks, I ended up reading more than I listened. There is a bit of a dual timeline in this one so the reader can learn the main characters’ history in a more slow reveal. The author writes great characters that you want to hang out with (somehow they stay in my brain longer than some others), I think it's the fun banter and just general humor that I like. I really hope there will be another in the series because I would love to revisit these people!

4.25 stars

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC to review

I went into this book without having read the first book in the series so right off the gate I knew nothing but I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book ! Cynthie and Jackare costars in a period romance movie and their chemistry jumps off the charts from the very first audition. But because of circumstances And immaturity on both parts, they turn into fake dating enemies. Fast-forward many years later, both of their careers are in flux and they’re getting a chance to make a sequel to their first beloved movie. That’s where the slow burn begins. These two are meant to be from the second. They met each other, but it took time immaturity for them to come together. I really really enjoyed this book and immediately ran to read the first one which was also delightful!

Thank you #NetGalleyFor the ARC in exchange for an honest review.