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.

I am a complete sucker for a fake dating, enemies to lovers romance and this was no exception! I loved the tension and chemistry between the characters.
Cynthie Taylor and Jack Turner-Jones had amazing on-screen chemistry in their first film together, which launched their careers, but their real-life dislike for each other made just as many headlines. Thirteen years later, they're brought back together for a sequel with an added complication—they need to pretend their relationship is real again for publicity. With cameras constantly around them, old issues resurface, tension builds, and the boundary between acting and reality becomes unclear.

This was soooo good. I am really struggling to give it a 5 stars, though. 4.5, yes. I'm really doing some soul searching and may come back to revise my score. So far, this is the best book I've read this year.

First, I was really into the characters and the story. This was not a fluffy rom-com where the author did some rinse and repeat of some of her fave films highlighted in the book. She tried to add some depth while keeping the pace. I would be down for more weight, but know that would've changed the tone.

Thrilled we got to the end without a serious break-up obstacle.

GIVE ME ALL THE FLASH BACKS!!!

Ugh, over a decade in the making, I was sat. Fake dating, enemies to lovers, and a sweet slow burn.

This book follows Cynthie and Jack, two actors who are working together. The banter is witty, the plot is fun, and it definitely amounts to the vibes of Pride and Prejudice!! The dual timeline really adds to the story in my opinion, providing context and background where we wouldn't usually have it. I personally love these kinds of stories.

Ugh. I generally liked this story but might not have picked it up if I had known that the book would be switching from past to present. I am not sure that the book needed to be structured that way and it took away from the contemporary story that I really did enjoy.
Thirteen years ago, Cynthie starred in the film that catapulted her to stardom. It's too bad that her costar was such an unbearable jerk. Jack may have been Hollywood royalty but was also an ass and a half. And now they're starring in a sequel and they need each other. Cynthie has been embroiled in a scandal caused by her last director (who also tore down her self-esteem) and Jack needs to not be killed off the the vampire television show where he is a Giles-type character.
Once again, sparks fly and the two make the front page. But is this fake romance in danger of turning real (hint: this is a romance novel so... probably.)

Three and a half stars
This book came out July 1, 2025
ARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Thirteen years ago Cynthie got her first acting gig as a total newbie in a historical romance movie, when the lead actress had to drop out and she was chosen during an open casting call. She had good chemistry with her male co-star Jack. The only problem is Jack hates her , and the feeling is definitely mutual. Jack is a nepo baby and doesn't want an untrained newbie to come and ruin his first movie role. Their chemistry is undeniable and the studio has them fake date for publicity.

In present time both Cynthie and Jack find themselves in a very similar situation as their past selves. Cynthie has just been dropped from a film when she gets wrapped up in a scandal. Jack's future on his long running show is not certain and needs something to convince the studio to renew his contract. So when the opportunity to film a sequel to the movie that brought them together all those years ago comes up, and they need to fake date for publicity again, they both jump at the chance. Only now both Jack and Cynthie are grown up, and the chemistry between them is still there.

Honestly the author hit it out of the park again on this one. The growth that both characters made was spectacular. The dual timelines of finding out their story 13 years ago, and their story now was weaved perfectly. The romance and emotional intelligence of Jack was swoon worthy. Honestly I could scream about this book from the top of my lungs forever.

This might just be the best second-chance romance I’ve read in ages. Funny, warm, emotionally layered—and so cleverly structured. I don’t always click with dual timelines, but here they’re used beautifully. The past doesn’t just illuminate the present—it deepens it, and vice versa. Every reveal is earned, every scene thoughtfully placed, as we watch two people grow into the versions of themselves who might finally get it right.

It’s a story about miscommunication, yes—but also about emotional maturity. How insecurities can distort connection, and how growth makes space for something more honest and real.

What I loved most, though, was the meta layer—this is a romance that plays with storytelling itself. Narratives real and constructed, personal and professional, are woven through Cynthie’s journey as a writer and a woman recovering her voice post-trauma. The #MeToo subplot is handled with care, showing shifts not just in society but in the character’s own inner world. Quietly powerful, never preachy.

It’s romantic. It’s smart. It’s full of heart.
A perfect standalone (with delightful cameos from Under Your Spell!) and I really hope there’s another spinoff coming. I’ll be first in line. 💫💬🎬

This was such a good read! Nothing like a 13 year long slow burn am I right?! I really enjoyed how the flashbacks tied into the current story, and seeing the different parallels. The characters in this were a lot better developed than in Under Your Spell (in my opinion!) which made me connect with the story more. I love a good fake dating to real dating pipeline, and it was done so well. Cynthie and Jack’s characters were very likable, and actually made sense together. There were a lot of characters in this, yet I felt like you knew who they all were even just from the little snippets of them. Overall I would recommend this for sure, and am now awaiting a book that is purely just the plot of Blood/Lust since i’ve been curious since the last book.

Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for this E-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this book and it was fun getting to learn more about Cynthie’s story. This was a lovely enemies to lovers romance. I was intrigued from the beginning and also enjoyed getting to see a glimpse of Clementine and Theo from the Under Your Spell.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the early ARC!

I loved Theo and Clemmie so it was so fun to get to know Cynthie better and be introduced to Jack. Honestly, while I loved this book, I would say the supporting cast were the winners for this book! I loved Hannah, Arjun, Patty, and Liam! They were so much fun to follow. It was also fun to get the feeling of what it’s like on the set of a movie. At times it felt like the book was a little long and could have been cut down a bit. It almost felt like there was too much trying to be tackled in this one but it all came together and worked well. I adored Jack and his sweetness and at times wanted to shake Cynthie! But for the most part this one was a fun and feel-good romance!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Woo!! I’m just now realizing this is the SECOND book in this series so now I have ANOTHER book to go and read!! Love this author.

I really enjoyed it. It’s love at first sight but also slow burn. Love that there are men out there (even in fictional world) that recognize that every woman craves a grand gesture

THE CHEMISTRY.

Okay, got that out of my system. Let's Make a Scene has fake-romance, enemies-to-lovers, and a second-chance romance all in one intoxicating book that I couldn't put down. Plus, it kinda feels like watching a behind the scenes documentary about the making of Pride and Prejudice which all women of a certain age worship.

This was such a lovely second chance, pop star-esque romance that I really loved! Theo and Cynthie worked on a project together years ago that was a HIT, but they were NOT (they had a falling out, hmm, I wonder what happened, lol). 13 years later, they're coming back for a sequel! And so we go on a second chance journey with them and my oh my was it so much fun.

I love Wood's writing style and that there's real life feelings involved in her stories. This story was so much fun to read, and I really felt like I was IN the story with Theo and Cynthie. Romance with a plot is my favorite genre, and this one definitely served. I LOVED "Under Your Spell" by her, and while I didn't love "Let's Make a Scene" as much (I did think it was a skosh too long), she is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me.

Pick this one up if you love a second chance romance! Bonus points for pop star/famous actor romances as well!

Loved this! I haven’t read the previous book by this author but definitely will be now. Such a fun romance with great characters, fun celebrity storyline, and so much heart.

I got it in my head that it was imperative to read Under Your Spell before reading Let's Make a Scene, so that held me up on reading this one. It is completely not necessary to read Theo & Clemmie's book first, but I'm so glad I read both of them, because they were each a delight to read!

Let's Make a Scene is a story of two actors, Cynthie and Jack, who were paired up when they were young and immediately got off to an antagonistic start. This book has everything: enemies to lovers, fake dating, second chance fake dating, workplace romance, is this hate or is it something else? But it's all handled very beautifully. It took me a while to get into this book, owing in part to a misremembered part on my end from the first book and partly to the dual timeline, but I was soon all-in and was in tears by the grand gesture. Great found family stuff here too.

Cynthia and Theo’s second chance romance is an absolute delight. Delicious tension bubbles as they’re acting on and off camera again and their triumph of being brave enough to embrace something real creates a satisfying happily ever after.

Thank you so much to Atria Books & NetGalley for this e-arc.

This is a heartwarming, chemistry-filled second-chance romance that completely intrigued me. Thirteen years after their big-budget movie, Cynthie and Jack, who were formerly co-stars but are now rivals, get back together to film a follow-up and act like a couple once more. Laura Wood skillfully tackles healing, anxiety, and the enduring power of love despite miscommunications, personal pain, and time. It is funny, romantic, caring, and full of pop culture connections that really improve the story's flow. This book is highly recommended!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. I enjoyed reading this book and read it in one day. I loved the storyline and the characters. I thought the characters had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book.