I didn’t read the synopsis before I started this one. Thank goodness!
(Total side thing here - but within the last year another reader pointed out the fallacy of the “trope.” How that word is dismissive and groups together books in a sort of random and unimportant way - creating impressions that all books with a similar storyline must be alike. And frequently that does a great disservice to the reader and the book. I’ve said it before - I’m sure I’ll say it again - I think I don’t like certain story lines and really I just don’t enjoy the way common authors handle them.)
Whew. That was a mouthful. Back to the point - Bc of my issues with physicality I struggle with an “enemies to lovers” storyline (assuming for argument’s sake that that is a real thing but not conceding my above argument that it really isn’t.) I generally cannot fathom the idea of disliking someone but wanting to be physically intimate with them. For me love is cerebral.
And I wouldn’t have requested this book had I realized what it was going to be about. At 5% I had my ew face on. They hate one another. They’ll be thrown together. Cue making out followed by intense inner-loathing and resentment.
But - I request books by Lucy Parker without reading the synopsis for good reason. The woman is brilliant. Nick and Sabrina, to whom I felt no draw or connection in the previous book, came at this thing with such total honesty. There was one line - one thing that Sabrina said - addressing their conundrum head on. In that moment I relaxed and began to thoroughly enjoy myself.
I am fascinated by relationships. Love to see two people with believable issues work through them and come out in love. I enjoy ups and downs that don’t feel contrived, unnecessary, awkward, foolish or dependent on the reader being a complete moron.
Lucy Parker just nails this. Her characters are the perfect combination of real enough to be relatable and fictional enough to be wildly interesting. Their problems, while being glamorous and show biz, also feel familiar - we see ourselves in their struggles and triumphs. And, make no mistake, for Lucy Parker fans this one is all triumph.

*as always, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

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4 1/2 Stars!

A more unlikely couple probably didn't exist. Sabrina Carlton and Nick Davenport had more reasons to hate one another than to ever get along...let alone maybe fall for one another. Nick had single-handedly caused a great deal of disgrace and heartbreak in Sabrina's family. Yet, they are now expected to work together? Is this a bad joke? Not only do they need to work together, they need to be successful and make people want to tune in to watch them on the "morning show." If they fail, they both lose their jobs. It's that simple...except it really isn't.

What starts as a job becomes a friendship and then evolves to more. Sabrina and Nick find that the other person isn't who they expected. Actually, they find themselves not only respecting each other and finding mutual ground as friends, they each feel a simmering attraction that becomes more difficult to deny.

I love a good "enemies to lovers" story and this one was done really well! In addition, I felt pulled into the story and the lives of the characters. Ms. Parker has done a wonderful job with the books I've read in this series. I'm definitely a fan!

Thank you to NetGalley, Carina Press and Ms. Parker for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, a huge thank you to Netgalley and Carina Press for this ARC.

I am a long time fan of Lucy Parker and I have been waiting for this book for a long time. It didn't disappoint. This enemies to lovers romance and the gradual transformation of these two rivals was more than fun to read about. The storyline was perfect and it show the competition in show biz along with the pressure that comes along with it. In true Lucy Parker fashion, the story didn't drag and was perfectly timed. I personally loved this book. Starting from the plot to the characters , it was a very well written book and I am glad that I got to read and review it early.

I recommend it to all fans of enemies to lovers contemporary romance and it really is a treat for Lucy Parker fans. If you're looking for a good book, you must read it. It won't disappoint. You may encountered characters from previous books and it adds to the essence of this series.

Happy reading.

<em>Headliners</em> is the fifth and I think it's the final book in the <a href="http://bookbinge.com/reviews/series/london-celebrities/">London Celebrities</a> series by <a href="http://bookbinge.com/reviews/authors/lucy-parker/">Lucy Parker</a>. This book follows Sabrina Carlton as she falls in love with the man she despises above all over men, Nick Davenport. They are rival TV presenters who bicker back and forth but their rivalry kicks into high gear when Nick drops a story that takes Sabrina's family by the throat and squeezes. The story Nick drops hurts Sabrina's family and it's something that Sabrina hasn't gotten over so when they're forced to join forces on a morning TV show, in order to keep their jobs and neither of them is happy about it.

Nick's career was on a fast track to him getting his own travel journalist gig where he would be writing investigative news. He would have followed in his father's footsteps but nobody is more surprised as Nick to learn that he is actually enjoying hosting the morning show with Sabrina Carlton of all people. Sure, they had a rough start where anything that could go wrong, did go wrong but with Sabrina's help, Nick is doing his own investigative journalism trying to figure out who is trying to wreck their show. It's an inside job for sure and the deeper Nick and Sabrina dig to find out who the bad guy is, the closer they seem to get with each other.

I really enjoyed getting to know both Sabrina and Nick in this book. Seeing them both front and center was a lot of fun. I didn't think that I would love Nick as much as I did because I couldn't stand him at the end of the last book but Lucy Parker did a fantastic job of redeeming his character for me and I'm glad because I really, really loved him. He was probably my favorite part of the book. I loved him on his own, I loved him when he was with Sabrina. I loved seeing him with his niece, with his brother, and his mother. He was a fleshed out character that melted me at every turn and I just adored him.

Sabrina was a fantastic character on her own. She's the big sister who loved and supported her sister in every way, but she struggled with her relationship with her father and I was glad to see that Lucy Parker included that relationship in Sabrina's overall character arc. I was glad to see her and her father work through their issues and come out stronger on the other end. Sabrina was such a strong character and I really enjoyed seeing her work through her different issues within herself, with Nick, her father and I loved that through it all, she was still the Sabrina that we knew and loved. She was just so much more in the end.

The romance between Nick and Sabrina was hot and I was here for it all. I thought they complimented each other well and when they became each other's person without realizing it at first, I was thrilled because I really enjoyed seeing them together. This was such a strong addition to this series and if it's the end, I thought this story ended the series on a high note. I adored seeing everyone from the other books in this one and I have come to care about all of these characters so I will miss the hell out of them. All in all, this was a great book and if you haven't read this series, I highly recommend that you change that. Everyone should know and love these characters, Nick and Sabrina will capture your heart just like they captured mine. So good!

Headliners is the 5th offering in the London Celebrities series form Lucy Parker. This book be read as a stand alone, but you are missing out in a lot of fun, not catching up with the celebrity crew from books 1-4. The previous boo, The Austen Playbook does heavily effect the storyline presenting in Headliners.

From the start, this enemies to lovers story grabs you and takes you on a fun ride as Londons two top TV headliners are forced to work together on the morning show as penance for their PR misdeeds that have placed them on the network heads naughty list!

Sabrina Carlton and Nick Davenport have been rivals for ever and their pent up angst releases in sexual gratification that is fun and hot. If they can get over the fact that they have fallen in love with their arch nemesis, these two could have something magical on their hands!💥💥💥

The characters Lucy writes are amazing people. Faults and all, you can’t help but love and root for their HEA… which Lucy delivers in spades!!!

Headliners is a fun romance read! I highly recommend it… and the rest of the series too!😉

Headliners by Lucy Parker is scheduled to release January 20th, 2020.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from HARLEQUIN - Carina Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#Headliners #LucyParker #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

Ever since "Act Like It", London Celebrities series has found a place among my favourite contemporary romance reads and this book only strengthened its position. Lucy Parker writes engaging, heartfelt stories paired with relatable, interesting and humanly flawed characters.

It's a thing to cherish, really.

I've been intrigued by the possibility of Sabrina and Nick since the very moment they appeared in this series. I'm a huge fan of enemies/rivals to lovers trope and this one didn't disappoint. Here we have a story of two people, one who has every right to despise the other, brought together by circumstances that force them to work as a team. But it's also a story of forgiveness and moving forward from the past.

And I think that's one of the most prominent aspects of Parker's writing for me. Because while I do mostly appreciate romance books for their escapism, what I love even more is a certain authenticity...authenticity of characters and of feeling. That's something that this author nails in her stories.

The focus of this particular story is, naturally, the romance between Sabrina and Nick. But parallel with the progress of their relationship, we get to see their growth as individual people. More than that, it is clear that one cannot happen without the other. To be honest, what I loved most about their relationship, was how...natural it felt; the way things progressed between them. The more time they spent together, the more they uncovered new sides of each other, and the more they knew each other, the more vulnerable they allowed themselves to be.

They also made mistakes but then they learned from them and moved on, and it was all without the very unnecessary and the very annoying side drama of "if only they communicated better". There was no big fallout here before they got together "for good" and breach from this standard formula in another big fat plus in the column of reasons why I loved this book.

All in all, this was a terrific book, well-written, well-paced and full of witty dialogues, totally allowing the reader to immerse themselves in London's celebrity/artistic scene. I cannot wait for more from Lucy Parker, whether it's in a form of new series, or continuation of this one.

i absolutely adore this series. i need lucy parker to write more. act like it blew me away and so did pretty face. they are my favourites. i also love love loved making up and the austen playbook and can see myself re-reading them, but they didn't hit me in that special book love place like act like it and pretty face. which is fine, i still loved them and recommend them. but i expected headliners to be like that, enjoyable, will reread one day, will recommend, but act like it and pretty face will always be my faves. but i was wrong. headliners blew me away. don't ask me to choose my favourite out of those 3, i simply can't.
this was my last read of 2019 and it was perfect. it was funny, it was cute, it was sexy, it was adorable, it was everything. it was the perfect enemies to lovers, done so well and realistically. i loved the characters, i loved the story, i felt all the feelings. i need more.

Headliners is the latest installment of the London Celebrities series by Lucy Parker, and it's a whole lot of fun! We follow side characters from the previous book who are TV host rivals with a complicated history and animosity. Now Sabrina and Nick must work together on a morning show in order to save their respective careers. Their relationship begins to thaw and they must discover who is behind the seeming sabotage of their show.

This was funny and sweet and would make a fantastic rom-com film! I really enjoyed it and liked how the characters are more focused on solving external problems while their relationship continues to slowly develop. Definitely worth picking up! I received an advance copy of this for review via NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Lucy Parker is one of my favorite writers when I need a pure, fun and well written escape. The trope is almost always the same - enemies to lovers, but her characters are delightful and the chemistry is fantastic and believable. When I saw (almost by accident, thanks to the holidays) that I had gotten this ARC, I basically dropped everything and it didn't disappoint. I might even say this was my favorite of the series. I almost never rate romance books or romcom books five stars due to my own biases, but I adored everything about this.

Headliners by Lucy Parker is the fifth book in her entertaining London Celebrities series. I would suggest at a minimum read book four, The Austen Playbook before reading this one because events happen in that book that have a bearing on this one. After a family scandal tarnishes Sabrina Carlton’s prospects as a television presenter, she is dismayed to find out that she’s been transferred to a morning/breakfast show and her co-host is none other than her nemesis Nick Davenport, and they’re only there on trial, make it work or out. Nick’s career is also in jeopardy after he was caught on camera, loudly trashing the owner of the network and having to work with Sabrina is just the icing on the cake. Trying salvage their respective careers while battling rumours that they’re really a couple and dealing with a saboteur on set makes for delightful enemies to lovers story that I thoroughly enjoyed. I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Medium Steam. Publishing Date January 20, 2020. #NetGalley #Headliners #LucyParker #CarinaPress #HarlequinBooks #Bookstagram #ContemporaryRomance #RomanceNovel

3.5 stars. I was looking forward to Sabrina and Nick's story after reading Freddy's. I thought they had such an intriguing set up, and it was fun to see their story play out. Nick was a complete sweetheart and I loved that he had secretly held a torch for Sabrina. I enjoyed the progression of their romance, and it was also fun once they teamed up to try to find out who was trying to sabotage their show. I do wish there was some closure with Sabrina and her father though. It was a significant issue for Sabrina, so it would have been nice to have seen them have their long-overdo heart to heart. Overall, it was another fun addition to the London Celebrities series, and I'm looking forward to future character banter from Lucy Parker!

This was my first time reading anything by Lucy Parker, and I was not disappointed!

Sabrina and Nick work on two TV shows, and end up having to make things work on one show with each other. They aren't fans of each other, but have to make nice in order to keep their careers intact.

Little things keep happening to them on and off-air. On-air, it appears that someone is out to get them. Off-air, they begin to realize the other isn't so bad.

It's a sweet love story and since reading this, I've started reading others within this collection.

Lucy Parker is one of my favorite authors for fast and fun romance; she's the author that inspired my "Summer's 10 Romance Novels That Are Perfect for Summer Reading" post.

Headliners has made it onto my list of 2020 Winter books I'm super excited to talk about. I can't wait for others to read this!

What a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful book! (Yes, that is three wonderfuls. Be glad I didn't fill the page with them. Cause I wanted too,) I loved this book so much! If you haven't read any Lucy Parker books yet, climb out from under the rock and grab some. She's brilliant!
In this installment of the London Celebrities we have two talk show folks. She is the sister of a previous character and he is her nemesis. . Interested yet? Wait till you hear the rest of it. The two of them have been at each other for years. But due to a professional mistake on his side and sabotage on her side in the last book, they are both scrambling to salvage their careers. Enter the Daily Show. You know that talk show/news/ all the other stuff you used to read in magazines. They each have until Christmas to make their marks. But they have to work together. Tune in tomorrow to see sparks fly and what the newest saboteur has planned to keep them on their toes.
Thank you so much to @_LucyParker and @NetGalley for the wonderful (that would be 4) opportunity to read and review this awesome (thought I'd shake it up) book!

5 stars rounded up from 4 1/2. It took me a bit to get into this book but once I did get sucked in, I really enjoyed it.

This book is a stand alone but I recommend that you read the entire series, or at least The Austen Playbook before reading Headliners, because I believe you will enjoy it more knowing the backstory for the characters.

Sabrina, I liked from the beginning - Nick, not so much. While I never hated Nick, I wasn't overly impressed with him either. He grew on me as the book progressed and he expressed regrets for the way that he had handled things in the past. (Nick never really groveled for his mistakes, but I don't think that was really necessary in this case.)

The secondary characters were well written and I enjoyed seeing some of the characters from the past books making appearance (where it made sense).

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance.

Headliners by Lucy Parker is another amazing addition to the incredible London Celebrities series. Lucy Parker's trademark witty banter sprinkled with pop culture references shines in Headliners!

This fifth book follows Sabrina Carlton and her rival Nick Davenport as they're forced to become co-hosts of a failing morning show in order to salvage what's left of their broadcast careers. In light of recent blows to their reputations - Sabrina's at the hands of Nick and Nick's self-inflicted - the network challenged them to increase the morning show's ratings by Christmas Eve or face unemployment over the holidays. As if that isn't hard enough, it appears someone is sabotaging the morning show and the enemies now turned co-hosts will need to spend even more time working together to catch the saboteur before the show and their careers are irreparably damaged.

Working with your enemy is never easy, but it's even harder when your enemy has harmed you and your loved ones. Nick faces a serious uphill battle when it comes to getting Sabrina to trust him and I'm so impressed with how Lucy Parker navigated this challenge in Headliners. She never gives Nick a free pass just because he's the hero of this novel and she takes her time to show readers Nick's genuine regret over his actions in The Austen Playbook. While you could read Headliners as a standalone, I recommend reading The Austen Playbook first so you can fully enjoy the evolution of Sabrina and Nick's relationship in Headliners.

The enticing push and pull of Sabrina and Nick's enemies-to-lovers relationship paired with the hilarious morning show shenanigans make Headliners a must-read contemporary romance. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Sabrina and Nick learn how to work with and trust each other all while falling in love. The chemistry and intense attraction were there from the start but watching them overcome their issues from the past made their HEA even more rewarding.

I highly recommend Headliners and the entire London Celebrities series! I can't wait to see what Lucy Parker comes up with next.

Thank you NetGalley, Carina Press and Lucy Parker for the digital ARC!

Thank you to Carina Press and Netgalley for the advance reading copy. Headliners is the 5th book in this series and while it can be read alone, I recommend reading The Austen Playbook before it - I think it’s really helpful to have that backstory.

Sabrina and Nick have been professional rivals - as the evening news anchors on competing shows, they haven’t been quiet about their disdain for each other. Unfortunately they are now being thrown together - and given one month to turn around the ratings on the morning talk show or both be out of jobs.

As they reluctantly start working together - it seems like someone else is out to sabotage them both. They need to work together to figure it out so it doesn’t derail both of their careers.

This story contains some romance tropes I love - enemies to lovers and workplace romance. I really loved the story of the romance between these characters and enjoyed so many of their interactions. However, I felt like the side stories in this one bogged it down a bit - it got a little slow for me toward the middle. While this wasn’t my favorite in the series, I’m still really glad I read it and got to enjoy Nick and Sabrina.

Lucy Parker does it again! HEADLINERS is a thoroughly satisfying love story in the familiar world of Parker's London Celebrities series. Nick and Sabrina are well-matched and feel very much like equals, and the subplot of their plan to secure a new morning show adds a lot of fun and drama. One thing I appreciate about Parker's writing is that she has characters actually talk to each other when there are misunderstandings. At a few points in this book, she could have manufactured drama by having Nick and Sabrina misunderstand each other or refuse to talk it out, but she always chose not to go for the easy conflict, and that's appreciated.

Lucy Parker writes so consistently well, it makes it difficult to decide what to highlight in the book. Looking for enemies to lovers workplace romance? It's here. If you've read the Austen Playbook, you've already met Sabrina and Nick. You also already know that Nick went above and beyond to really mess up Sabrina's family and career on his way to getting a major scoop. What kind of grovel is he going to have to do once you find out he's Sabrina's love interest? Well....

As it runs out, two networks have merged and Nick has majorly effed up by badmouthing the new network head with his dressing room door open. An all-to-eager intern put the rant on YouTube and and now Nick and Sabrina are running the morning show instead of their evening spots as the network downsizes. They have until Christmas Eve to make it work. I wouldn't call this a Christmas book though. The focus in on Nick and Sabrina as they try to save their jobs, find themselves liking the ghastly morning slot, and then even, maybe, each other?

They also have a mystery on their hands as someone is out to sabotage them, and they start to investigate. It's a major problem on top of an already tense situation. They're both dealing with this, other personal developments, and it's not a matter of "oh, I'm attracted to you, now I forgive you." Sabrina's trust is really difficult to earn for legitimate reasons. They're also being followed by the paps or having photos sold of them wherever they go, further adding to the tension. Nick gets to see firsthand the fallout of how Sabrina is treated after his story on her family. 

A few highlights for me (spoilers ahoy!!): Nick is good friends with his ex-wife and her husband, who are adorable, and they share dog custody; they get locked in a wine cellar at a wedding and she teaches him how to knit (not a euphemism); there may be some glimpses of previous heroines and a hero that are not related to Sabrina; and there's a subplot with a Christmas toy that is all the rage that made me laugh repeatedly, it sounds terrifying.

I would recommend reading The Austen Playbook first because readers will have the background of that story, but if you don't, the key details are covered.

This book is a 5 star read for me. It doesn't make light of an extremely difficult situation between the h/h and it takes a long time for trust to build. I believed in their romance and that they built a good relationship foundation by the end, which makes me even more impressed with Parker's writing. A new deal with Avon has been announced and I suspect the hero may be Nick's brother, Iain, and possibly the heroine is someone who also appears briefly in this book. I look forward to it.

Another excellent addition to the London Celebrities series. While it’s not necessary to read Lucy Parker’s previous installments, earlier characters are both mentioned and appear, and the fallout from The Austen Playbook leads directly to the plot of Headliners. Also, the previous books are all excellent and should be read, period.

This is a tried and true rivals-to-lovers story, with bitchy banter and sexual chemistry off the charts. But what really sets Parker’s characters apart is their respect. Even in their early hatred and annoyance of each other, both Sabrina and Nick respect each other’s talent and work ethic. They’re not afraid to acknowledge the good in each other, even while disliking them. That respect, along with an amount of trust, allows us to avoid the ultimate big bad in romance - the miscommunication - and that is entirely to the authors credit.

I cannot recommend this book, and the whole London Celebrities series, enough. Hands down favorite contemporary romance series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.