Firstly, thank you so much for the arc for this book!

This was such a heart warming, fun read. I honestly didn't want to put it down!

If you like second chance romances this one is for you. I love how indepth it is - some books don't go into enough depth with the main characters but i felt this one really did. It gave me chance to really connect and understand them more which makes reading 10x better.

I LOVED Mirabelle. She's gone through heartache and shes on her own journey trying to find her chance at love again. I just wanted her to find her peace from page one. I honestly loved her.

There was some really great laugh out loud moments in the book which i find really important in romances like this one. It's serious when needed but its also fun and quirky in parts. Theres a really good balance in the book which makes it flow so well.

I also really liked the authors writting style how she wrote about her past in depth as much as in the present. Adding on to what i mentioned earlier, it really gives you that connection with her.

I overall really enjoyed this book - i struggled to put it down. I felt all the emotions and when i had finished it i felt so good about it. 4.5 ⭐️

4.5 ⭐️

This is a tender, charming, and wonderfully funny novel that follows Mirabelle as she navigates the bumpy road of a second chance at love after heartbreak. From the very first page, I was drawn into her world, rooting for her as she tried to piece together a future while still carrying the scars of her past.

What made this book truly stand out for me was the way the author wove insights into Mirabelle’s past so seamlessly into the present storyline. Each flashback added a new layer of depth and helped me understand not just what she had lost, but who she had become because of it. These glimpses into her heartbreak made her journey feel authentic and deeply earned.

There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, thanks to sharp dialogue and the kind of relatable chaos that often occurs in life. But amid the humor were also swoon-worthy scenes. The chemistry between Mirabelle and Preston was very real, and the romance unfolded in a natural way.

The cast of side characters were vibrant, quirky, and memorable in their own right. They didn’t just support Mirabelle’s story; they enriched it, offering warmth, wisdom, and the occasional comic relief.

If you're a fan of second-chance romances that balance emotional depth with wit and heart, this book is a must-read. It’s a gentle reminder that sometimes, love finds you again and that the second time can be even sweeter.

What a sweet, fun read! I really enjoyed the tension, the time flips between past and present, and the way the story unfolded at the end.

Thank you to the publisher, such a good read!

Life kind of got busy so it took me a while to finish reading this, but I finally did, and I enjoyed myself, though it confused me.

I'm not willing to spoil anything, so I'm going to be vague. The plot twist was interesting and made me care more about what I was reading, but in order for it to have the shock value that it had, it took away from the engagement in the story I'd feel if I'd known some things from the beginning. As it was, I struggled with caring about FMC's relationship with Preston for more than half of the book. Also, the sexual attraction is so high that it dims the emotional one, and I think the MMC is just a tiny little bit shitty for the things he did.

It was a good read in the end, and I'd love to read it again at some point with the knowledge I have after finishing, since I think that would be a cool experience too.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC!

I love a good enemies to lovers story, and Take 2 gave me everything I wanted. Mira and Preston have the kind of tension that practically sizzles off the page. Their dynamic is sharp, witty, and just the right amount of petty. Mira’s burnout and frustration felt real, and the forced getaway to a film set in the South of France was the perfect setup for chaos.

And of course, it had to be Preston’s movie. The guy she keeps losing to. The guy who pushes every one of her buttons. Watching them navigate the drama of filming while catching feelings they both try to deny had me fully invested. The setting, the banter, the slow unraveling of Mira’s walls it all worked.

If you’re into rivals with unresolved tension and a touch of vulnerability underneath all the snark, this book is a total win. I was smiling straight through to the last page.

This romcom was so cute. I love how it can show that people can fall in love and break apart then find each other again. I definitely recommend this story I couldn't put it down and loved both main characters and the side characters. Plus I want to attend the really fun Oscars parties the main character puts on.

A refreshing twist on the writer trope!
I’ve read plenty of books about novelists, but this is the first time I’ve stepped into the world of a movie writer—and it was such a fun, charming surprise. The author absolutely nails those cozy, heartwarming scenes that make you smile and sigh, but then—bam!—the plot twist hit me like a truck. My jaw? On the floor. My brain? Screaming What? Why? How?!

But don’t worry—everything wraps up beautifully. No cliffhangers, just laughter and lots of delightful moments. It’s the perfect palette cleanser if you need something light, satisfying, and sweet.

I also appreciated the back-and-forth timeline—it adds depth and clarity to the bigger picture, though a few scenes might have been a little extra. Still, the overall pacing and emotional payoff made it totally worth it

Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Spice: 4 ⭐️ / 5 [explicit open door]

Genre: Contemporary romance

Tropes:
- rivals to lovers
- second chance romance
- pining


Review:

Thank you NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book felt like it had a lot of potential but didn’t really live up to what I was expecting. The plot left me feeling confused a lot, but not necessarily because of plot twists. It felt disjointed at points, like the author had started with a different plot but then edited it quickly to fit the new idea.

It didn’t feel like the couple had much connection beyond physical attraction and lust for one another, and the relationship development just felt rushed.

I think I wish the flashback scenes weren’t really there, and it was purely rivals to lovers instead of a second chance romance. I think if we had one or the other (or even just leaned into the second chance without making it so mysterious and confusing), the plot would have flowed better.

Finally, as readers, we don’t see/learn what Preston did to incur such hatred from Mira until we’re a significant portion of the way into the book. As a result, I often felt like Mira was being dramatic and unlikable at the start because I wasn’t brought into the moments that made her angry until closer to the halfway point of the book.

TAKE 2 is a sweet, feel good story of Oscar-nominated-rivals-to-lovers. It takes place over the course of several years (and Oscars) and shows how the relationship between Mira and Preston changes and evolves leading up to the present, which is them going to France together to work on Preston's latest film. It felt fun and easy to read while still giving substance to the character development and their growth.

Thank you to Rising Action Publishing and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book, and I loved the romance! I can’t wait to read more from this author! The romance in this was amazing

I think my expectations of this book were way too high, and I'm sad to share that I didn't enjoy the story structure and reveals of this book. I really loved the premise of two screenwriters because we rarely get to see them shine. The Oscar lore is something that I adore and look forward to every year, attempting to watch all the nominated films, watching roundtables etc. I was the target audience for this. But the book wasn't working for me.

Flashbacks and timelines require a lot of care and Take 2 really struggled with pace. For me the reveal (for spoiler reasons I won't divulge) was a creative choice that I'm trying to reason and make sense of. I keep asking "why". Why was that the choice? Why make that a plot device? I think many readers will either leave loving that choice or leave the book in confusion and unsatisfied.

Thank you Rising Action for the digital arc.

Lights, camera, Action! “Take 2” is a enemies-to-lovers story set in Hollywood it’s a delightful second chance romance. Our main characters Mirabella and Preston are screenwriters with a past. He's the relentlessly nice guy, and she hates him. The "one-sided enemies" (Mirabella hating Preston) dynamic makes for some seriously good banter.

The story cleverly weaves between past and present, giving us glimpses into what went wrong before and how these two are navigating their complicated feelings now. The flashbacks add depth, revealing a deep story between the two and hinting at a deeper connection that’s just waiting to be rekindled.

If you're a sucker for sharp dialogue, Hollywood drama(My favorite mircotrope), and a romance that makes you root for the characters to get back together, this is a must-read. It's a Oscar’s winning 😉blend of humor, heart, and second chances.
*No cheating*

Thank you thank you thank you netgalley and the publisher’s for giving me the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, it's my first time getting an ARC for a book that I know for sure, 100% I want to read and I over the moon about it.

But maybe that's why my expectation was way to high on this one.

The plot and the trope definitely did the job for me but the excution was quite disappointing. I was not only left confused till the middle of the story due to it's weird pacing but also it was hard to understand any of the character's motivations throughout the book, or at least not till the plot twist which happens at 60% of the book?

Although there was a good rivalry between them at the beginning, preston seems to act on and off depening on the author cus in the middle of the story he doesnt even acknowledge that. I honestly have no idea why Preston was so obsessed with Mira (whom we got to know her full name in chapter 8 if I'm not mistaken), so I couldnt really root for him and not when even Mira wasn;t really fully on board with that. There was no sexual tension or build up for them to suddenly kissing each other, So when they became this friends with benefits I dont know why?

Not to mention the annual oscar party falshback that dated 10?12? years prior to the original timeline which i drag to read and at one point i was confident it was about different couple completely.

The final revelation that Ryan was indeed Preston didn't really surprised me I dont know why because they're completely different person but i kinda guessed it along the way. My issue with this is that there was inconsistency with details. All in all, it was a solid 3 stars, the stakes arent high enough for me to be as stressed out as mirabell. I seriously at lost as to what is the point of all this.