Laura Wood’s Under Your Spell was great, but this book is even better! The miscommunications between characters were logical and the awkward moments were hilarious. Jack and Cynthie had amazing chemistry, and the dual timeline added a slow burn that paid off in the end.
4.5⭐️for this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Laura Wood is an auto-buy writer for me. Her books are so witty and full of great banter, which I think is often the missing ingredient in a rom com. Like her other contemporary romance, Under Your Spell, this book engaged with fame and the differences of public vs private perception, so that we saw two layers of the main characters and came to understand them better for it. This book was also populated by a cast of lovably eccentric, unforgettable supporting characters (something I also loved about Under Your Spell). Laura Wood fans, you won’t be disappointed!

LET’S MAKE A SCENE is the a companion book to UNDER YOUR SPELL, though you don’t need to read the first book to enjoy this one (I haven’t read UNDER YOUR SPELL yet, but I fully intend to now!) The characters from the first book do make a cameo in this one, which I still enjoyed, even without their backstory.

There was a LOT that I loved about this book: the found family, Hollywood romance, enemies-to-lovers, he falls first, mental health representation, and the incredible friendships were truly just the tip of the iceberg.

One of my favorite components of the story, though, was the dialogue. The characters were so genuinely witty and funny that I was actually laughing out loud, which doesn’t happen often when I’m reading.

This book really provided a lot of what I’ve been looking for in recent romance books, and I wasn’t expecting this story to deliver in the way that it did. Oh—and did I mention there’s no third-act breakup or weird, forced proposal at the end?? Truly, this story had almost everything.

The only critique I had with this book regarded the split timeline. I enjoyed the dual POVs and loved seeing the story unfold from both Jack & Cynthie’s POVs, but at times I wondered if we were spending too much time in the “13 years ago” timeline and not enough time in the present day. That balance definitely evened out as the story went on, but I was a bit frustrated during the first third of the story when we were spending so much time in the past, and I really wanted to know what was happening in the present.

Needless to say, I HIGHLY recommend, and I really look forward to reading UNDER YOUR SPELL.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book makes the reader believe in romance and although time may pass such as the thirteen years between movies played by Cythie and Jack, true love doesn't diminish if the feelings and emotions are there. I always enjoy British humor and observations and between Hannah and Cynthie, this book didn't disappoint. When the book begins, Cynthie is despondent as she feels due to her interactions with Shawn, that her career is simply over as no one will perceive her as a celebrated and talented actress. She sees herself as a has been. It feels similar to when she starred alongside Jack as Emilia in A Lady of Quality that she had no.confidence in that she was capable of giving an outstanding performance. She didn't feel talented enough. It was only through her interactions with and subsequent lifelong relationships with Liam, Patty, Arjun and Hannah that she began to recognize who she is. She deserved to be in that movie. She deserved to be Emilia alongside Edward as she championed for their love. She deserved to win that MTV award and subsequent awards thereafter. Thirteen years later, the movie still resonates amongst the audience because one can feel the heat between the characters. As they grow closer emotionally and subsequently physically, it is almost like the movie is an evolution of their relationship and love story. It was evident in the montage that Jack created for her. The epilogue as a result was perfect.

I really enjoyed reading Let's Make Scene. It was a sweet, funny rom-com with fake dating, enemies to lovers and witty banter. The majority is set on a move set in England while filming Our Lady of Quality and the sequel. This made for such a fun behind the scenes look at movies and acting even if fictional. The side characters and their relationships really make the story feel authentic.
Highlights for me outside of the main story - Petra and Reckless Ed. Honestly they both had hilarious moments throughout. But I could have had more. I also want to see more around Lee and Nico - maybe in a future book????
Ultimately the flourishing relationship between Jack and Cynthie was so sweet and fun to read. I finished the book with goosebumps and tears in my eyes.
My only negative is there were a few times where the story felt like it was dragging a little. But this was minor.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Every other enemies-to-lovers romance needs to go sit in a corner and study whatever went on in this one, because it was PERFECT. I think it’s weird to use “delicious” as a descriptor for a book, but this really was the most…delectable??? little bon bon.
(Oh no. That’s somehow MUCH worse). But really, this is exactly what I come to the genre for: Yearning! Pining! Allusions to While You Were Sleeping! I ate it up.

You’ve still got time to add this to your library holds when it comes out July 1.

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced reader copy!

Looooove a good enemies to lovers trope and this was perfect with the fake dating aspect as well! Two actors who can’t stand each other, staring in a sequel to a romance movie from 13 years earlier while also having to fake date for a behind the scenes documentary? Perfect, will definitely be rereading this one because I need to read the first book in the series. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

LET’S MAKE A SCENE is a fun romance that takes us into the world of movie-making and the lives of actors.

I really liked the two MCs together. They give us a romcom vibe, with a lot of crazy antics along the way. I wish we’d stayed more in the present, with less focus on the past timeline, but overall this was an enjoyable read.

This is a companion novel to UNDER YOUR SPELL, with different main characters and only a brief appearance by the MCs from the previous book. You don’t need to have read the first one to enjoy this one (though the previous book was my favorite).

*Thanks to Atria Books for the free eARC, provided via NetGalley.*

This is a second chance romance set on a Hollywood movie set and I really enjoyed it. Usually Im not a huge fan of dual timelines and time jumps but the ones here worked. They helped showcase where the characters were when they first met 13 years ago and their shared history as well as how far and how much they both had grown since then. Cynthie is such a a enjoyable character and I just couldn't help but root for her and her second chance at love. Past Jack is such an unlikeable guy but you can see glimpses of who he could be so that when you compare him to present Jack you are excited he became who you knew he could be. I just loved his growth and development. Great book for a fun easy summer read!

When I say I want to read romance without a third act break-up, this is exactly what I mean. Let's Make a Scene tells the story of Jack and Cynthie, two actors who starred together in a romance movie 13 years ago, had a ton of chemistry but couldn't admit it to each other, and are forced back together to make a sequel. The story is told in chapters going between then and now, with a cast of supporting characters, many of who are still in Jack's and Cynthie's lives 13 years later. This is a second chance romance, and the then/now chapters give you a chance to see actual character growth. As in, Jack and Cynthie don't make the sense mistakes again, or if one of them does, the other one (or their friends) are there to support them in making different decisions this time around. In the now, Jack and Cynthie talk about their feelings. What worked 13 years ago and what didn't work. What they need. What they are scared of. And you know what? It doesn't cause a break-up! There's still a loving grand gesture, but not some desperate attempt to win each other back. It's a gesture that just underscores exactly what they've been saying the whole time. Truly a masterclass in how to write the last 25% of a book and not have a break-up.

Even beyond the third act staying-together, I really loved the rest of this book. In the now chapters, Cynthie is 33 and Jack is 37. We love good representation of characters older than mid-20s. And while they still have stuff to work out (this book does fall into the trap of a character deciding she needs therapy and then somehow immediately finding an available therapist, but she is a celebrity, so I'll allow it), they're mature and thoughtful and not stuck in the same patterns from their 20s.

I know this book is a companion novel to Under Your Spell, and that's definitely on my TBR after reading Let's Make a Scene.

Thank you to NetGalley and @AtriaBooks for this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Let’s Make a Scene by Laura Wood is a fun, swoony, and slightly chaotic ride through fake dating, enemies-to-lovers tension, and second chances all set in the over the top world of showbiz.

Cynthie Taylor is such a lovable mess of ambition and vulnerability, and watching her clash (and later spark) with the MMC Jack Turner-Jones was pure entertainment. Their banter is top-tier, the chemistry is undeniable, and the story—two actors forced back into a PR relationship years after a messy fallout makes for plenty of juicy moments.

The book balances humor and heart well, and the documentary element adds a fresh twist that keeps things moving. I do wish we got a bit more depth in their emotional arc earlier on, but by the end, it all ties together in a satisfying way.

If you like stories where fake love might just turn real (again), and characters who are both messy and magnetic, this is the book for you. Not quite a five-star knockout, but close enough to keep you smiling the whole way through.

3.95 Stars!

#NetGalley, #AtriaBooks, #LetsMakeaScene, #LauraWood, #SecondChanceRomance

Thank you NetGalley and Laura Wood for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I devoured this book. It was a perfect contemporary romance to me.
Tropes: Second chance, bickering, found friendship, forbidden love/fake dating for PR, Hollywood.

I’m a sucker for a good celebrity "enemies-to-lovers", fake relationship romance (yes, that’s a mouthful), and this one had all the right tropes on paper. The concept? Chef’s kiss. A bitter co-star reunion thirteen years later with a documentary crew and an old flame still smoldering underneath the surface? That should’ve been everything. But unfortunately, the execution just didn’t deliver.

The beginning started off strong—I was ready for the slow-burn payoff, the biting banter, and the re-ignited spark. But the heavy focus on the past timeline dragged everything down. Instead of building momentum, the constant flipping between then and now stalled it. The history of their relationship took up so much page time that I found myself tuning out. And the kicker? The past versions of Cynthie and Jack were so unlikable—judgmental, childish, and hard to root for.

By the time the present-day plot finally kicked in, I was already disconnected. There were too many emotional gaps to fill, and not enough substance in the now. What could’ve been a juicy, character-driven second chance romance got buried under wasted words and missed opportunities.

This had all the ingredients to be addictive, but ultimately fell flat in the delivery. Great tropes, weak structure.

Cynthie and Jack. The whole cast. What a beautiful story!

What a wild roller coaster ride. At first, I wasn’t a fan of the back to the past, because they were both annoying young people, but it was so needed.

Not only because you get to see the tiny parts of the connection, but it’s so important to see where they’ve been to really appreciate where they are.

It’s also a lovely growth to see from the past, the chaos, and the mess, but even the tiny bits that bloomed into something more.

Rating: 4.5 Starts (Rounding up to 5!!!!)

Laura Wood has done it again with another fantastic romance!

Right from the jump I was hooked and could not put this book down. Laura's writing was engaging and left me wanting more after each chapter. The pacing was also very balanced and great given that it was a dual timeline (I sometimes find myself wishing to go to a different timeline when this happens in other books but I enjoyed each section equally for this one).

I could picture this book so vividly in my head that I need a streaming platform to make this into a series ASAP!

Overall, I can't recommend this book enough - if you enjoyed Under Your Spell then you have to pick this one up too!

Read this if you like:
- Rivals to lovers
- Fake Dating
- Second chance romance
- Dual POVs
- Dual timelines

Thank you so much to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC!!

I really loved Wood's adult debut last year, <i>Under Your Spell</i>, so I was excited to see what her sophomore novel would bring. I will admit, on my first attempted reading, I put this book down because I felt like the introduction of the two timelines was jarring and when we meet the hero Jack in the past timeline, I could not stand him and wasn’t going to waste my time rooting for him and Cynthie to figure out their feelings for one another.

I am so glad I came back to <i>Let’s Make a Scene</i> and gave it another chance...which is perfectly fitting for this book, to be honest.

Yes, I still think the introduction of the past and present timelines is jarring, and throughout the book the time-jumps are not always placed in a way that doesn’t mess with the building tension in either timeline.

If you can get through Past-Jack’s introduction and give Present-Jack a chance, you will see that he has been GONE on Cynthie for 13 years and he isn’t an obnoxious man-child anymore. And Cynthie is a character you can root for in both timelines - the leading actress picked out of obscurity and the seasoned Oscar Nom whose reputation has been put through the shredder thanks to a man.

If you can just make it through Past-Jack, you get to the delicious fake dating while mutual pining set-up and a lovely slow-burn that carries through the two timelines (13 years!) to a grand gesture that made me a little weepy. As a note, there is no third-act conflict here - just adults having rational conversations about their feelings. Delightful.

I really cannot stress enough - Present-Jack has done the work to earn a second chance from both the reader and Cynthie. You also get to see Theo and Clemmie from the first book - I had forgotten how much I love them! -, a prank war, a one-take award winning kiss, and love letters.

Thank you so much to Atria and NetGalley for the eARC!

Okay I adored this one! Cynthia and Jack had such good banter! Two movie stars who hate each other forced to work together? Yes please! This book was full of humor, tension and all of the good things I love!

Thirteen years ago, Cynthie and Jack were new actors, making their first big movies. Despite their wildly different backgrounds, they started off being professional, but their relationship quickly turned to not getting along and pranks. However, they were asked to pretend to date for publicity. It went so badly they didn't talk for thirteen years.
After both of them finding commercial success, they need to reunite for a sequel of their original movie, a historical romance, in order to get both of their careers back on track. Of course, their publicity again wants them to publicly date. So, after hating each other, then not speaking, they must find a way to get thru filming and the publicity without killing each other. They've both grown since then; will they hate each other the same way or find common ground?

I really enjoyed this rom com. It had all the tropes- fake dating, second chance romance, enemies to lovers. I liked the movie set setting and all the behind the scenes of the filmmaking business and how actors truly are not completely in control of their private lives. The writing and pacing of this book were good, and I liked the characters, especially the strong secondary cast of fun friends. This one would be good for readers of Annabel Monahan, Erin Hahn, and Sarah Adams.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Laura Wood, you've done it again. I loved it. I loved every single part of it.

So much of the book centers around how Cynthie and Jack have obviously (and obliviously, in Cynthie's case) been in love with each other for thirteen years, since their first film together. And this translated so well in the writing - because I truly felt like these characters were destined to be together. The little references to romance books and movies were delightful - especially when Cynthie was self-aware enough to say something like, "That never works in movies - why would it work in real life?"

I think this is a duology, so not sure if we're getting anymore in this universe, but I could think of about ten characters I want spin-off books for. I also desperately want a copy of the poster for A Lady of Quality!

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Wood, and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Emotional whirlwind of a romance!

Swooning doesn't even begin to cover it. This book had me feeling all sorts of things, and I was obsessed with it. Super enjoyable and very easy to read.

This book was something else. It was fun, and it felt like the perfect summer-romance read! I will say the pacing was a little all over the place. There were places that read really smooth, but there were a handful of times were the story seemed to drag. Pacing at the beginning was the most chaotic in my opinion. I felt it really smoothed out towards the end. Now for the good stuff... the ROMANCE! I loved it...probably more than I should have. Did it have it flaws? Yes. But overall, especially by the end, I didn't care. I was just so in awe of the passion and intensity of the love story. Jack is book boyfriend of the month! The spice was also giving! (would've loved a little more intensity, but overall it was decently good). The confessions and the use of past and present was just a masterpiece to me.

Overall, this book had a few lows for me, but in the end I was obsessed with the energy this book was giving. The romance, the FMC, the MMC, just everything was great and enjoyable! Totally would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quirky, fun summer romance!

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

Rating: 4.7/5