This was probably my second 5 star read of the year and MY GOD WAS IT GREAT!! If you love Pride and Prejudice (which who doesn't???) you are going to LOVE this one!! Every character was extremely likable and funny. The flaws of the main characters were highlights of this book, but what I liked is that when they reached present day, they owned up to their flaws and actively worked on them to be better. The relationships, the banter, the romance, the buildup, the heartwarming scenes!! Everything!! This book is everything!!

This is a heartfelt, chemistry-filled second-chance romance that completely swept me away. Cynthie and Jack, former co-stars turned fake lovers turned enemies, are reunited 13 years after their breakthrough film to film a sequel and pretend to be a couple again. Their banter is sharp, the tension is delicious, and the emotional depth feels so real it hurts. I loved the dual timeline structure that shows how much they’ve grown and how unresolved their feelings still are. Laura Wood beautifully explores anxiety, healing, and how love can endure time, misunderstandings, and personal trauma. It’s witty, romantic, vulnerable, and packed with pop culture references that genuinely enhance the story. If you enjoy enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and emotionally satisfying slow burns, this book is an absolute must-read.

Cynthie and Jack meet when she is a naïve and bright-eyed brand new actress on her first set, while Jack is the child of an acting dynasty with big shoes to fill and a killer anxiety disorder. One bad first encounter leads to ensuing hijinks and a villain origin story. Jack and Cynthie have amazing chemistry in this story. The dual timeline adds a slow burn that gives us time to really get to know the characters and their motivations. Enemies to lovers is one of the best tropes if done right, and this one was totally done in the best way. This book could have been just another annoying miscommunication trope, but I can safely promise this is one of the very few books where the miscommunication trope actually works for the betterment of the story. The book does a good job balancing humor, tension, and character development. By showing their story in two timelines, we see both their initial conflicts and misunderstandings alongside their current reunion, where they've matured but still maintain their captivating dynamic. This book kept me smiling and swooning for the entire ride.

🎬 Review: Let's Make a Scene by Laura Wood
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A sparkling, enemies-to-lovers gem with fake dating, second chances, and sizzling on-screen (and off-screen) chemistry! Let’s Make a Scene is pure rom-com perfection. Cynthie and Jack’s tension-filled reunion is equal parts hilarious and heartfelt, with just the right dose of behind-the-scenes drama and emotional depth.

Laura Wood nails the slow-burn payoff, and the documentary angle adds a fun, fresh twist. If you loved Under Your Spell, this companion novel absolutely delivers.

I did like the story but I couldn’t rate higher than a 3 so didn’t do a social media post. The main character was just so mean to her for no reason and I wasn’t a huge fan of the large time jump with the story. I really did like the female main character

Under Your Spell knocked my socks off last year so I drooled a little bit when given the opportunity to pick up this follow up. Theo's best friend, Cynthie, becomes the lead and their friendship remains a delight to witness.
Told in dual timeline with dual POV, Cynthie and Jack are forced into proximity once again. They hate to love each other and a second fake relationship is demanded of them through the film studio. There's nothing for it but to just do it in order to make their return to screen a success.
I liked this book, I didn't love it, and I 100% blame my terrible mood. I know that Laura's writing and all of the humor/microtropes would normally make this a ME read. I kind of just got stuck on their resentment and it felt a little too negative for too long when so clearly the chemistry is there. The ending, however, is positively delightful and pulled me out of the doldrums.
Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

If you’re excited about the news of Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson making a new film trilogy,, you should definitely check out Let’s Make a Scene while you wait!

Let’s Make a Scene features:
😈 Enemies to Lovers
🎥 Film set x forced proximity
🥰 Found family
🙌🏻 Fake dating
💕 Second chance romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gosh, I adored this book and recommend it on audio too! I am now excited to read anything by this author!

If you’re looking for some undeniable chemistry and a unique premise, I recommend this book!

I’m a bit mixed on this one. It had a strong start, but the second half wasn’t that good. It had great potential, but it was lost. There wasn’t a whole lot going on, lacked spicy scenes, and what there was, was very short and to the point, not much detail. I enjoyed the rival aspect, but found that it fell pretty flat everywhere else.
It wasn’t bad, but not a favorite of mine. There’s not really much to say about it, it was just somewhere in the middle for me.

Let’s Make a Scene is a charming, feel-good romance that reads like a cozy daydream. Laura Wood delivers a delightful mix of witty banter, chemistry-filled moments, and just the right amount of emotional depth.

I loved the theater setting—it added a fun, dramatic backdrop to the story without overshadowing the romance. The heroine was vibrant and relatable, and the love interest had that quiet, steady presence that really balanced her out. Their interactions sparkled with tension and humor, and I found myself rooting for them from the very first scene.

While it didn’t necessarily break new ground plot-wise, the execution was warm, clever, and full of heart. If you're a fan of sunshine/grumpy dynamics, forced proximity, or stories set behind the scenes of a creative world, this one will hit all the right notes.

Overall, it’s the kind of romance that leaves you smiling—light, lovely, and wonderfully entertaining.

After loving Laura Wood’s Under Your Spell, I was so excited to pick up her next book, and Let's Make a Scene did not disappoint. Wood writes with such warmth and charm, and her dialogue sparkles in a way that makes her characters feel instantly alive. This one follows an aspiring screenwriter and a reluctant leading man, and the chemistry between them is just the right mix of banter and slow-build tension. I loved the behind-the-scenes look at the film world and the cozy, escapist feel throughout. It’s romantic, funny, and self-aware without ever feeling too clever for its own good. I didn’t connect with this one quite as much as her debut, but it was still such a satisfying, feel-good read. I’m officially on board for whatever Laura Wood writes next.

I absolutely loved this book! The chemistry between Cynthie & Jack was so raw and real. I loved watching them slowly realize their feelings for each other despite trying so hard to push them down. Such a great second chance romance!

I will never be shutting up about how much I love Jack and Cynthie!! This is the perfect romantic nod to all the dreamers who grew up wishing for grand gestures and subtle moments and I cannot recommend it enough!! The world that Laura Wood created is so vivid and full I felt so immersed in every page. Half of my notes were just me screaming about how horrifically in love these two were with each other, I loved it so much!!

This book felt extremely Love, Rosie coded and was just brimming with tension, and heartache, and longing! The love confessions in this had me tearing up, they were so beautifully written and earnest!

Jack Turner-Jones is the love of my life now and such a perfectly flushed out character. He was honest and vulnerable and oh so patient it was so beautifully done!! A perfect romantic lead for this story, I truly adore him!

Cynthie Taylor is someone I think so many people will relate to and I know I certainly did. Watching her find her light again after so many years was such a beautiful thing to witness, oh I just love her so much. I think we can all see ourselves in her at times which just makes this book even more unputdownable!

If you were raised on 2000’s rom coms and Jane Austen, always looking for that magic spark this book is absolutely for you. It is full of banter, and yearning, and emotional declarations, and most importantly a love story!!

Thank you so much to Atria for the gifted book!

I was so excited for this one- I love the cover and have heard amazing things about her debut book!

As much as I tried to like it, I never connected with the characters and really struggled to pick it up! I hate to say that, but will still read what she puts out next!

After reading Under Your Spell, I enjoyed this companion novel about Theo's good friend Cynthie. Cynthie and Jack are actors brought back together to make a sequel 13 years after a blockbuster hit. It had several romance tropes - enemies to lovers, fake dating, second chance love. I liked both of the characters and was rooting for them throughout. Thanks for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A beautifully written second-chance romance full of heart and charm
I was completely blown away by how much I loved Let’s Make a Scene by Laura Wood. As a lifelong fan of Pride and Prejudice (the Colin Firth adaptation, of course) and contemporary romance, this book hit all the right notes for me.
Told in a dual timeline that shifts between the present day and 13 years ago, the structure took me a moment to settle into—but it ended up adding incredible depth to the emotional arc of the story. The past informs the present so beautifully, making Cynthie and Jack’s journey feel layered and truly compelling.
This is a wonderfully heartfelt, funny, and at times heartbreaking story of missed chances, vulnerability, and what it means to find your way back to love. I laughed, I cried, I got frustrated—and I adored every minute of it.
Laura Wood delivers such rich character development and chemistry. I was completely invested in Cynthie and Jack, and I didn’t want their story to end. Highly recommend to anyone who loves thoughtful, character-driven romance with emotional payoff.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a like, not a love for me. I was so excited to see I was granted early access to this book after LOVING Under Your Spell last year, which was to my surprise the author's debut book. I just knew I was going to love this one too. Unfortunately, it didn't quite have that same magical effect like her debut did. It was good but I didn't become obsessed with this one like I did Under Your Spell. I highly recommend reading that one. I am excited to see what this author writes next, because I am a big fan of her writing!

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

Omg this book! New top romcom! I love a Hollywood romance so I hoped I would love this and it exceeded all my expectations. Cynthie & Jack became my personality for the day it took me to read this because I couldn’t stop reading but also had to participate in real life. I legit was smiling ear to ear reading but also had my jaw dropped at some points. The time jumps were done perfectly - I could tell you which timeline I wanted more of (both, obviously.) And there was a cherry on top with no third act breakup. 10/10. Laura Wood, give me your next novel, stat!

This was a good book but kind of lacked much to keep me super interested. It was good while I was reading it but just wasn’t about to connect too much. I felt it lacked depth so I do wonder if reading the first book in the series would have been beneficial for character development. It had all the makings of a good read with the enemies to lovers, celebrities, dual timeline, but lacked any spark for me.

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

New favorite author alert! I am obsessed with Theo and Cynthie and their story. The angst and banter and overall story was perfection. I am recommending this to everyone - an absolute delight to read. I enjoyed every page and wanted more but was wholly satisfied by the end.

3.5 rounded up. This was a fun celebrity enemies to lovers book. I enjoyed the banter and snark between our MC’s and the behind the scenes movie parts. My biggest gripe is that I felt like it took so long for the enemies to become lovers. I also wanted more present day scenes because the flashback chapters kept pulling me out of the story. I absolutely loved Under Your Spell and will still read anything this author puts out in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!