What a treat! What will get me every time- a grand gesture, regency London pining, and a swoon-worthy MMC. Let’s Make a Scene had all three! This was a mix of sweet, light hearted rom-com with serious heavier topics. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the chance to read the ARC.

Let’s Make A Scene by Laura Wood was absolutely phenomenal. It’s a second chance romance that includes the fake-dating trope, found family, and one hell of a grand gesture. I love that we have dual POV in this because hearing Jack’s side is EVERYTHING 🙌🏻. We also get multiple timelines and it’s done so well and really just highlights how much both characters have evolved over the years. This is one of those feel good rom com books that will have you laughing, clenching your thighs together, and pushing your hand against your heart. 10/10 would recommend!

I ate this up. Read in one sitting. The chemistry and tension between the two main characters is simply magical.

I overall was surprised by how much I loved this book. I was not super excited about the enemies-to-lovers and fake dating tropes have been so mediocre recently, but this one delivers. It really hits on two of my favorite things: character vulnerabilities and character growth. Overall, such a win. Do yourself a favor and read this book immediately.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Me, the entire book: Please kiss <3

I was rooting for these characters immediately and couldn’t wait for them to finally be together. A little stubborn at times but they made the wait worth it!!

Adorable & fun

Let’s Make a Scene was a perfect read during an international trip I just took. I love a second chance romance, and I also usually love a Hollywood sort of romance, so this ticked plenty of boxes. The book runs long, but I had fun along the journey.

It is quite possible that I loved this even more than Under Your Spell. Their bickering had me cackling. The chemistry was bubbling. And the little bits of harried frenzied romance were absolute perfection. All with little bits of regency scenes and pop culture references? This book is like cat nip to me.

To say I loved this book would be an understatement! It was giving all the regency and Pride and Prejudice vibes a girl could ever want in a book. I absolutely loved Cynthie and Jack! Seeing their relationship grow through the flashbacks and the dual POV is so rewarding despite wanting to yell at them to just be together half the time! I didn’t realize this was the second book in a series but will 100% be going back to the first book and am really hoping there are more books in this series!

This book felt like watching one of those classic rom-coms where you know the couple is endgame, even if they’re being wildly stubborn about it. Let’s Make a Scene gave me all the enemies-to-lovers tension I could ask for with a fake dating twist that actually worked instead of feeling overdone.

Cynthie was such a fun narrator. She’s dramatic (in the best way), kind of chaotic, and incredibly easy to root for. And Jack?? Gruff, closed-off, annoyingly attractive Jack??? Yeah, I get it. Their chemistry was so good from the beginning, and watching them slowly peel back their defenses had me grinning hehe. There’s just something so satisfying about two people being forced to confront unresolved tension after a decade of avoidance.

The whole “behind-the-scenes of a movie sequel + fake romance for publicity” setup was actually really smart. It gave the book this meta vibe, like watching a love story within a love story. Also, the documentary crew moments were hilarious and added a layer of chaos that was so fun.

Why not 5 stars? Some parts dragged a tiny bit in the middle, and I wanted a bit more emotional payoff toward the end. But overall, it’s charming, witty, and full of heart. If you’re into British humor, onscreen-offscreen drama, and slow burn tension with actual depth, add this to your TBR ASAP.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this ARC

Enemies to lovers
He fell first and harder
Fake dating
Second chance?
Celebrities (actors)
Found family
Dual timelines
Dual POV

This was such an enjoyable read. I absolutely loved Cynthie and Jack and learning how they saw one another and how that changed as they navigated their careers with a 13 year difference between timelines. Wood weaved in so many romcommy references but my absolutely favorite is the While You Were Sleeping “lean”. Okay and the “Do you trust me?” straight out of Aladdin.

I loved the strong female friendship between Cynthie and Hannah. Never pitted against another and worked to simultaneously elevate their careers.

There is no third act breakup, which I’m glad since this is kind of a second chance. The side characters helped move this story along and never took away from Cynthie and Jack.

4.5 ⭐️ / 2 🌶️
Easy, quick read. Perfect for anyone in a reading rut!

This is my first 5 star read of the year! Contemporary Romance is my go-to genre, but lately theres been something missing in the books I’m reading. I still thoroughly enjoy the recent new releases but theres this lack of charm? Let’s Make a Scene has that charm in spades!

I am a fan of the enemies to lovers trope and the initial reasoning for their feud makes perfect sense! Once the bickering and back and forth’s began you could cut that tension with a knife. Im usually not a fan of the past and present trope because it always feels like authors like to *tell* instead of show when it comes to the characters past. Laura Wood defies this problem and I felt really immersed in both the past & present. I continue to gush, and gush, about what I did like about the book. But I digress, end it with giving it a big old 5 star badge and I implore you to READ IT, READ IT, READ IT!

I really enjoyed Under Your Spell and was so excited to see this was about Theo's best friend. This is a slow burn and I struggled getting into it for a bit. I did really enjoy the dual POVs and I loved the characters. The dual timeline was not my favorite with this just because sometimes it felt we were in one for too long and other times not enough, that just slowed it down more for me personally. The tension was good and had some fun/funny moments. I loved the pranks on set and how everyone got involved. The behind the scenes into Hollywood and how Cynthie was treated by a director was a welcome conversation. It's enemies to lovers, second chance, and they are both actors working opposite each other in a regency film. Overall, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading what Laura Wood writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. 13 years ago Cynthie Taylor made her first movie with nepo actor Jack Turner-Jones, and it did not go well. Looking back, there is no reason to want to be in a sequel, except if there is a need to change your image in Hollywood, and that is exactly what Cynthie needs!

Told through flashbacks and current timelines, this book has all the best tropes: enemies to lovers, mutual pining, second chances, and he falls first. Add to that a kooky group of found family members and you have the makings of a delightful tale.

Rivals to lovers.
Fake Dating
Second Chance Romance

Great characters and a very fun , swoony read. Good pacing, interesting storyline, the story flows well
First time reading this author and hope to read more . Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

Shared on Amazon but not posted yet

Thank you to Atria for the advance reader copy of Let’s Make a Scene by Laura Wood!

Years ago, Cynthie and Jack worked together on a film and inspired by their chemistry, are asked to fake a romance for PR purposes. Now, in the present, these two end up working together again with the proposal of a sequel to the first film and a revival of their PR fake relationship.

This was such a fun read! I really enjoyed how the past and present unfold to tell the story between Cynthie and Jack. I loved seeing the difference in how these two have grown from their first film together to their most recent collaboration. There are many memorable scenes in this book that had my heart pounding.

If you enjoy fake dating, rivals to lovers romance, this is one to check out!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Loved this one - switching timelines AND perspectives can be tricky to pull off, but this felt effortless. The rivals to lovers trope is one I always fall for and it was really well done. I loved the found family aspect and how everyone had their own growth arcs. Really fun read and I’m excited to check out more from her!

Thank you to Laura Wood, Atria Books, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of Let's Make a Scene in exchange for my honest review.

Let's Make a Scene follows Cynthie and Jack, two former co-stars who HATE each other. It has been 13 years since the two filmed the movie that propelled each of their careers, and they have not interacted since. Now, both are going through their struggles, and when a sequel to the initial movie is proposed, both are glad to take it. Well, sort of. The catch is that not only will there be a documentary about the making of the sequel, but they have to pretend to date again. This book not only has the fake-dating trope, but it also has the enemies-to-lovers trope.

I will say, you do not have to read Under Your Spell to read this book. I did not, and I still loved this book. Watching the journey that Cynthie and Jack take, both together and individually, was a lot of fun. What I appreciated was that the journey that they took from enemies to lovers was not fully impacted by their previous hatred. Time has passed since they first met, and they both can recognize that they have grown since they worked together 13 years ago. Cynthie and Jack complement each other nicely, and they are both able to push each other to be the best version of themselves. There is no judgment on where they are now. In the past, that is a different story and speaks a lot about misconceptions. While there is a plot going on in this book, the primary focus of Let's Make a Scene is on the character development and the growth that Cynthie and Jack undergo. It is a story about healing and moving forward. A story about forgiveness and the importance of forgiving someone despite their mistakes.

I like this book it was the first from this authot and I didnt hate it but I didnt love it either. The story was good and I enjoyed the book.

3.5!!

A story of second chance, faking dating and a whole lot of pining, longing and yearning. The second half of the book made my heart ache in ways i could not have imagined. Two characters, thirteen years apart, two projects and a whole lot of missed opportunities to watch their story and love comes together. A love that healed them, their own personal issues to help them grow together. Even though there was so much tender-hearted feelings throughout this book, it felt like a perfect early 2000s romcom with humor. The friendships in this book won me over, loyalty fiercer than anything and a found family built off of years of getting to know each other.

The first half of the story started off slow for me and I often felt that the dual timeline that changed frequently took me out of the story a bit which made it slower. But I definitely did enjoy having dual povs, getting to know jack's side, his growth and realization of his 13-year long crush on cynthie. At the same time, reading cynthie's hardship in her previous relationship, her lack of confidence and her journey to expose the film industry's treatment of women was extremely empowering. I can't wait for this book to be published and buy a copy of it for myself!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC. I really enjoyed this. Laura Wood’s first books was my favorite romance this year, although I wish this was had more overlapping characters. It is obvious she is setting up for a third. The way she writes characters is so enchanting and I love her plot set up. Not as great as her first, but I still really liked this.

4.25 🌟
Spice: open door
Format: ebook

An MMC who's been pining for 10+ years? Yes please! This was cute, it took me a bit to get invested but once I was it was aa quick read. Jack & Cynthie getting a second chance was beautiful. I liked reading about their first time one set and how much they have both grown since then. The side characters are fantastic, I love all of them. I didn't realize this was connected to another book, but it can definitely be read as a standalone. The ending was adorable as heck and I loved that everyone was involved!