Sublime. I liked the book, but I have a thing about big, public love declarations. I don't like them, and they can feel very love bomby. The book was good though. The characters had good chemistry. They felt real and dimensional.

Should you read this book? YES! And not just because she most definitely snuck in a Phineas and Ferb quote. If you enjoy Abby Jimenez and Lynn Painter, this will be right up your alley. This book was fun and profound and romantic!

Let’s Make a Scene is dual POV and includes time jumps between 13 years ago and the present. The chapters are nice and short, while the book as a whole felt long, following several character developments. There was a good balance between silliness and challenging themes. My favorite was Arjun who absolutely needs to be played by Karan Soni if there is ever a movie.

I rated this book a 4 because it was thoughtfully written and very cute. I would have however liked to have seen more of an equal rhythm between the past and present. I will warn you that if you don’t like Abby Jimenez books because the male characters are all too self-aware, then this may not be the book for you. The MMC was clearly written by a woman by the end of the book. It’s not a bad thing most of the time, but in this case, I think he lost a bit of his personality. Can’t a person be emotionally stable and compelling? And lastly, I rate the spice level at 2/5 🌶️

This was my first book by Laura Wood who was a new to me author so I was super excited to read this when I got offered this ARC! This was such a cute and fun romance. It’s exactly what I look for when I’m wanting an easy breezy type of romance book. It also had one of my favorite tropes, enemies to lovers! It’s rare you can go wrong with that trope! It had banter that I love and the character chemistry was perfect!

Thank you to @atriabooks for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!

While I’m not a big fan of fake dating, it’s almost like @lauracwood knew I love enemies to lovers and included that too to make this such a great read✨

Cynthie and Jack are “volun-told” into a PR relationship for their new movie and then again when there’s a sequel in the works. They’ve got the chemistry and banter on and off the screen. It even gets a little steamy.

I was a little worried about a certain character following their moves and that going sideways but I’m glad it didn’t 😅 I ✨definitely✨ recommend that you check this out when it releases on 7/3/25!
& a special thanks to @atriabooks and @netgalley for an early look 💖

*Let’s Make a Scene* is a second-chance romance that truly earns its payoff, pairing sharp writing with a plot that’s both heartfelt and hilariously self-aware. I laughed out loud multiple times while reading this—Laura Wood really nails the trifecta of witty banter, entertaining internal monologue, and genuinely funny plot moments. Plus, the setup is catnip for fans of classic rom-coms: two former co-stars, Cynthie and Jack, who loathed each other during their breakout film 13 years ago, are thrown into a fake relationship to help manufacture excitement for the upcoming sequel (and to smooth over Cynthie’s recent off-screen PR disaster). What could go wrong? Apparently, absolutely nothing because everything about how this story played out felt so right to me.

The characterization was beautifully executed, with Cynthie and Jack feeling like well-rounded MCs who actually drove the plot forward in a natural way that made sense for their characters. This isn’t romance tropes strung together like twinkle lights in a college dorm room; there’s real scaffolding here holding the plot together and it was refreshing to read. As a result, the pacing felt right on point—a real feat given the dual-timeline structure, which I felt Wood used to excellent effect. The time slip is significant, but in this story it fit, since it served to show just how much both characters have grown. In fact, the whole structure supports one of the trickiest parts of any second-chance romance: convincing the reader that *this* time, things really can work. To me, Jack and Cynthie matured in believable, satisfying ways and that made their eventual reconnection feel earned not given.

The supporting cast deserves its own round of applause, too. The ragtag group of friends was genuinely charming in that chaotic way that only old school rom coms can do (think: *While You Were Sleeping*). Even Jack’s parents, who are admittedly the worst are sharply drawn. (I hope his poor sister gets her own book next, as she certainly deserves a happily ever after. Also, I really want to read that story!)

Ultimately, this book was a delight and I would enthusiastically press it into the hands of anyone who loves Pride & Prejudice retellings, classic rom-coms, or the sparkling humor of a Christina Lauren or Sally Thorne novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Let's Make a Scene is the perfect follow up for fans of Laura Wood's first adult fiction book Under Your Spell. While Let's Make a Scene is a connected story to Under Your Spell it can also be read as a standalone. Cynthie and Jack's story is so sweet and as a special bonus reader's get an update into the life of Theo and Clemmie from Under Your Spell. This celebrity romance will make the perfect beach read for this summer.

I really enjoyed reading "Under Your Spell", so I was very excited for the next in the series. And man, Laura Wood did NOT disappoint with "Let's Make a Scene"! It had some of my favorite tropes (enemies to lovers, second chance, fake relationship) and I enjoyed the dual POV and dual timelines. It was a clever book and maybe me smile throughout. Don't miss out!

(Actual: 4.25⭐) Laura Wood has come out with another winner! I loved her debut novel, UNDER YOUR SPELL, and was super excited to receive an advanced copy of her newest companion novel to UYS, LET'S MAKE A SCENE. This book had everything I look for in an Enemies-to-Lovers AND Second Chance romance (which also happens to be my top favorite trope)— Cynthia and Jack had amazing, natural chemistry together; the secondary/ensemble cast were all fun & fleshed-out individuals; the movie plot was actually entertaining; and overall the pacing felt just right. Wood is definitely slowly becoming one of my favorite romcom authors, so I'm excited for everyone to read this come July and can't wait to see what she puts out next!

Once again, Laura has delivered pure gold! I'm a devoted fan for life. This book was everything I hoped for: compelling dual POVs, intriguing dual timelines, and that delicious enemies-to-lovers (and lovers-while-enemies!) dynamic. Plus, that little Theo and Clemmie cameo was a delightful surprise! The ending had me in tears because of my love for Cynthie and Jack. And then, the acknowledgements! Seeing our book club mentioned sent me into full-blown ugly crying. I can't wait for everyone to experience this incredible story.

The book started off strong, but I found it lost my attention. I'm not a fan of book that switch between past and present. After going back and forth between current relationship and past history, I got bored ... DNF.

*************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.***********************

I really enjoyed reading Under Your Spell by this author, so I was exited to read this next book. While it wasn’t quite as great as Under Your Spell, it was still enjoyable to read. It had the tropes of enemies to lovers, fake relationship, and second chance romance. I appreciated how much growth the characters showed during the book, including sub characters too.

Let’s Make a Scene is pure rom-com magic with a wink and a skip in its step. Laura Wood delivers a story that’s as fizzy as champagne and twice as sweet, with characters you’ll want to group hug immediately (even the dramatic ones).

It’s got all the swoon-worthy theatrics of a stage play and all the heartbeats of real life—the kind of book that has you grinning at the page and kicking your feet under the covers. The banter sparkles, the chemistry crackles, and the romance? Oh, it performs in the best way possible.

This is a love letter to drama kids, hopeless romantics, and anyone who’s ever blushed their way into something wonderful. With wit, warmth, and a flair for the fabulous, Laura Wood reminds us that sometimes the best stories are the ones we stumble into—and that love, like a great scene, is all about timing, trust, and a little bit of glitter.

Absolutely adorable, effortlessly clever, and completely stage-worthy.

Enemies-to-Lovers with a touch of glitz and glamour? Sign me up! What starts as a clash of personalities and worlds transforms into a super cute story with layers that add real emotional depth.

I cannot get enough Enemies-to-Lovers books (and add in a celebrity - say no more!) Loved the dual POV from Cynthia and Jack. Super cute story and actually had some depth to the story (along with the fun bits in between!)

Laura Wood really is just one of my favourite authors right now. The tension and heat, the wittiness and banter, the sweetness and vulnerability, all the things that make romance such a joy to read, she just hits those beats perfectly every time. And with this book, you can really tell that she has written the book she would want to read. The iconic pop culture references -- Bill Pullman in While You Were Sleeping, the Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling kiss at the MTV movie awards, the Dirty Dancing lift, for example -- were so fun! She's just like me for real because I also spend an unhealthy amount of time thinking about them. I loved Cynthie so much (and I loved seeing Theo and his wife Clemmie again)!

Oh my GOSH!!! Cynthie and Jack's story was precious and perfect, we love a good second chance romance, reluctant lovers--and this was EVERYTHiNG!

I enjoy a good romcom and I just finished a good one. Lets Make a Scene by Laura Wood comes out this summer. Pick it up.

Let's Make a Scene is an absolute joy of a romcom with rivals to lovers will have readers swooning and eating this book right up!

I loved this book. I thought this story was so fun, charming, witty and steamy and had all the perfect components to craft a great romance. Two actors that can't stand each other and forced to work together and fall in love? Sign me up! I love it already. Cynthie and Jack had some of the funnest and steamiest chemistry. I absolutely love banter and bickering and theres so much of it that it makes you giddy as you read it because you know they are about to fall hard. I loved the forced proximity and workplace romance and mixed with some film? Oh it was so good and a page turner. I couldnt put it down and a must read to the lovers of romcoms that feel like a Hugh grant movie that will have you swooning!

I LOVE A famous person trope SO much!! From the start I was instantly intrigued by the characters and story line. I love a dual POV, the character development was okay but not my favorite. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot!

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.


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. Our MMC and FMC were both working together on a film set as the leads in a regency film, and even though they begin by having an insane attraction to one another, and playing harmless pranks on each other, they quickly begin to loathe one another, and are pretty much forced into fake dating while on the publicity tour for the film. Present day sees us with the same two people who have never been able to stop thinking about one another, and are not presented with the opportunity to make a sequel to their first film. Just like before, they're asked to pretend to be together for the press, and that quickly turns to a lot of fessing up about their actual feelings, and we really get to see how their love story has unfolded over all that time. It was such a sweet book, with just the right amount of spicy scenes.