i don't think i ever knew what it felt like to want to protect a fictional character with your whole heart until i met mina rahman, i'm just......no words.

there's so much heart to tashie bhuyian's writing, it's almost overwhelming because both books of hers have made me cry one way or another and it's all because of how much i care about her mc's, karina in cdwy and then now mina in asft. it's stepping into her characters' lives the moment i open up the first page and i could see the love that surrounds them both by the people who make up their families. it's the exploration of the negative relationship that lots of teenagers have with their parents and sometimes there's no light at the end of that direction in the tunnel but there's certainly so much more of it in the friends and close relatives who keep you feeling grounded.

Mina wants nothing other than to get the he** out of NYC ASAP. Her ticket to doing that is winning a student film festival and getting into college - and having a celebrity guest star in the film would do wonders toward that dream. Enter Emmitt, a celebrity who enrolls in Mina's school undercover. The problem? They had a chance encounter that went horribly wrong, leaving them both feeling negatively about the other. But Emmitt also needs help from Mina, so they make a deal *only* to accomplish their goals, with some unexpected outcomes.

Mina & Emmitt have a compelling rapport through this whole book, even when they both thought the worst of the other. Mina didn't care about who Emmitt was and Emmitt couldn't believe it - hazard of being famous I suppose. They're initial run in with each other in the bowels of New York had me cackling with the banter and misunderstanding. I just wish it was a dual POV because I think Emmitt's POV would have been beautiful.

I loved this adorable YA contemporary romance. I look forward to reading Tashie's future work, and I'll have to go back and read her debut after loving this one. Highly recommend.

**Thank you to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

This is another wonderful YA that speaks to the experience of a teen POC. Was fun to vicariously experience a celebrity undercover at highschool. (Can’t believe this actually happened to the author)!

I will continue to recommend Tashie Bhuiyan books and will most definitely pick up whatever she writes next.

I originally started A Show for Two by @tashiebhuiyan as an eARC (thanks @netgalley and @inkyardpress ) but couldn't stay focused, so I switched to the audiobook.

Mina is one of those great characters, who is as cuddly as a cactus, but it's to protect her marshmallow heart. Emmitt was a great foil to her. You all know I stan enemies to lovers as the holy grail trope. She is really well developed, however if teen angst isn't your favorite, you'll struggle a bit.

My only negative is minor and probably a me thing. The 3rd act breakup and resolution felt unbalanced. Not in the plot, but in the amount of time they take up in the book.

BUT.

That damn epilogue. It is one of the best I've read in a long time. I would happily read this book again and again to get to that epilogue. It is such a warm fuzzy, punch to the heart.

I absolutely LOVED this book. It was pretty emotional for me to get through at some parts, and even made me cry, especially the latter half's scenes regarding the protagonist's relationship with her family. I loved how the author took an experience from her life and turned it into this beautiful and compelling story. Lovely writing style, and although I found the enemies to lovers trope a bit forced at first, both characters really grew on me by the end.

This was a fantastic romance! Swoony and engaging. Young readers will be completely absorbed in the story. Highly recommended!

This is a coming-of-age YA novel that explores topics of depression, family pressure, and figuring out how to make your dreams come true on your terms.

This was a great young adult romance and I enjoyed it. I will definitely be reading more Bhuiyan in the future.

Tashie's second novel is just as adorable as her first. I loved the premise of a theater rom com, based on the author's real life experience of Tom Holland going undercover at her high school. It was full of laughs and so much heart.

A Show for Two introduces Bangladeshi teen Mina Rahman, who loves films and hopes to leave NYC and attend USC film school by winning the Golden Ivy Student Film Award. Although her parents oppose her plans, her hopes of realizing her dream are aided when she convinces Emmitt Ramos, a popular teen film star, who is doing undercover research at her high school, to make a cameo appearance in her film. In exchange she must show him around the city, helping him choose subject matter for a photography competition he hopes to win. Seeing the city through less critical eyes, Mina begins to rethink her future, which may just include Emmitt. The author has loosely based the story on actor Tom Holland's undercover enrollment at her high school. This enemies to lovers romance is a love letter to NYC.

I wanted to love this more than I did. The concept was amazing but I couldn’t get behind the main character. I know Mina was supposed to be snarky and sarcastic but I honestly found her to be just rude most of the time. I also found Emmet to be just a bit too stereotypical with his over use of the word ‘love’ and the whole brooding bad boy image. Although it wasn’t for me, I would still suggest checking it out!

I'll be honest, I've been siting on writing this review for A Show For Two. I had alot of mixed feelings with this one. The enemies to lovers romance was so good! Unfortunately, the other elements within the story left me feeling unsettled.

When Mina and Emmit first met, they immediately clash. In fact, Mina nicknames him "dickhead" even after finding out that he is actually a celebrity undercover for a new role as a high schooler. There is so much good banter between them. It is both adorable and entertaining. The banter continues as their relationship progresses. These two characters bring out the best and the worst in each other. They are both passionate and trying to break out on their own; and when they team up to accomplish their goals they are unstoppable.

The other element I enjoyed was the representation of Bangladesh culture. Admittedly, I am not familiar with the culture so it was nice to learn a little bit more about it. There were several references to food which sounded delicious. I could tell that author Tashie Bhuiyan values her culture and I'm glad she offers others the opportunity to see themselves represented with this story.

Mina's relationship with the parents is intense. There is so much misunderstanding between them. Some of this is due to deferring goals and views of the world. Well actually the majority or it was due to this. As a daughter or immigrants parents, there are alot of expectations being put on Mina. She doesn't agree with this picture and the tension affects her entire environment. There is alot of arguing, and tears as Mina tries her best to navigate through everything. My heart went all out to Mina and wanted things to workout for her and her family. Well I did at first but as things progressed I really just wanted her out of such a toxic situation. And I was saddened when the people around her (her sister and her best friend) made matters even worse. Especially when they should have just simply been supporting her or talking to her about their own feelings. There would have been so many misunderstanding cleared up if this had happened.

Overall, it A Show For Two has a romance that completely pulled at my heart strings. Both Mina and Emmitt show characters growth through out which I enjoyed and made their relationship stronger. There was just alot of parental conflict which continuously pulled me out of the story. Ultimately I think I would have enjoyed it more if there was less tension throughout.

3.75 stars, rounded down. I just never really got into this one. I didn’t feel like Mina’s parents were THAT terrible, and so it was hard to buy into the circumstances. I didn’t feel like either side ever really tried. The whole “movie star under cover” premise was cringy and wasn’t properly pulled off. The love story was kinda cute & Mina pushing her sister & best friend away was authentic…otherwise, I just wanted to skim read it.

The sign of a good book is one that you become invested with the characters and can't wait to find out what happens next.
This book had it all. The story line was great, the location was awesome, the sub stories were great, and the characters were great. I loved it all.
And I appreciated the struggles with the various parental units. The author did a great job showing how generations can really misunderstand each other. And sometimes it can truly be an awful relationship. I thought the struggles were valid and well developed.
To end on a happy note, the love stories were well done..
Enjoy!

This book is wonderful and gut-wrenching and heartbreaking. Mina is a powerful, realistic main character and her struggles with mental health, parental abuse, and an ambition that can’t be contained will resonate with readers. The romance in the story is somewhat secondary to the main plot, with the first being Mina’s growth from a girl with a hard set outlook on life and her future to someone who finally sees the wonder of what surrounds her. The relationship between Mina and Emmet is sweet and supportive, and the ending left me cheering. I will be recommending this book to all readers looking for contemporary YA romance and books that deal with reaching for your dreams.

That moment when you read the name of the book in a sentence inside the book.
It's like donuts on crac-

Rating: ✨✨✨ 3.4

Anyways, hello darlings! And welcome to another review of ‘If I were to do or say the things the main character said to her parents to my own, I’d be fully reincarnated as a slipper, so they can step on me whenever they’d like’.

Isn’t that nice?

Isn’t it???

Of course, as nice as trying to remember a book I read months ago to then write a review of the ARC that literally got published a WHILE ago, while trying to sound as coherent and responsible as possible.

Hehe, responsible.

And okay, maybe I overreacted with my previous notions of what I felt for this book.
SUE. ME

Please don't though, I'm barely managing stealing books as I am-

As time has gone by (literal months to provide an accurate albeit exaggerated timeframe) and the fangirling feelings I had once upon a time for this story started to diminish and make clear all the flaws I was too lazy to find previously, I’ve decided that this was an ‘alright’ book.

One I probably wouldn’t reread.

Perhaps if I had a physical copy, I would gift away.

Or stay with it because it would make my shelf look pretty, and I’m shallow like that.

A book that you would read solely to stave off boredom and let go of stress, and a story that you shouldn’t look too into it.

But of course, I looked into it.

Like five seconds ago-

In a very mentally spaced and agonized way.

And came to the amazing conclusion that I remember like half-

Here are some things I enjoyed about the book itself!

* The photography contest was so cuuuuuute!! LIKE YGUIKJHGFGTYUJBVFGYUJ, TYPE OF CUTE. OKAY? WHY AM I SCREAMING? HAVE NO CLUE-

* There was the representation aspect, which, as always, I adore reading about. The struggles of living among people who would maybe not understand the struggles you face, and I felt like that was delved into thoughtfully and quite well.

* Another thing would be how easy to read it was. Not the topics, since there were parental problems and other issues, but the way the writing was interpreted and simply decorated. It was like a fresh squeezed lemonade in a hot, humid, sweaty, disgusting, crusty, musty desert- can you tell I’m living in said environment? *giggles in ‘please save me in an ice truck’* I am READY TO BE ELSA Y’ALL. I can’t anymoreeee- let it gooooooooooo

* *cough* The celebrity romance!!! LIKE???? EXCUSE ME???? YES???? PORFAVOR??? The THINGS I would sacrifice to be able to experience this. Well, maybe not experience- because the drama is an added bother in my existence. But maybe fictionally experience? In a fake yet real way? I’ll shut up now.

And as always, the part I adore the most in any of my reviews-

(The end?)

(The hot yet unattainable love interest you will never even be able to glimpse in your pathetic mortal body and soul?)

Let’s pretend we didn’t hear anything, for the sake of my heart-

THE RANTING PORTION, MWUAHAHHAHA

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNN

I was about to burst into song, but I think the universe and Apollo forgot to gift me with good memory when it comes to music-

ANYHOW, ANYWHO AND ANYWHERE- ayyy, Dr. Seuss. How are ya? *wink* (I apologize deeply)

(not really)

(well maybe)

(depends on the reward….)

AHEM, well, here are the things I disliked:>

* How shallow the familial relationships were (I believe they were flesh and cardboard, so it’s an improvement! Right?) I think this has been my problem with books from this author and Asian representations, be it South Asian among others. See, I am from the Hispanic community, so I have no hand to judge it, however, BECAUSE I’m part of a minority, I can say that not all parents are like that, and it’s sad that all the Asian representation I see nowadays just touches on that aspect. Yes, it’s incredibly accurate, more so than most, however, I believe that there is some good to be found. Some understanding to comprehend in how the parents act. Don’t get me wrong, trying to dictate your child’s way of living is unforgivable, but I feel like the main character and her sister made them out to be worse than they were.

I longed to see a multidimensional side to how the parents were acting and why, you know? But the sisters in this book didn’t let them get in a word otherwise, and it made me confused, because are the parents really THAT bad? Or are the kids not giving them a chance to explain? I am aware this is a very controversial topic, so I’ll leave things here by saying that this is how I view things, and it has nothing to do with the cultures themselves.

* This was marketed as a romance, which it was. But also, really wasn’t the focused of the book, so if you’re looking for something fun and lightly romantic to jump into, maybe consider another book, my darlings. This story touched on depression, anxiety, the main character’s journey to choosing what exactly she wants to be and all in all, was a deep-ish read and that’s one of the problems. Not that it had those topics, but that it skipped over them after a while, like the romance. One of the points I did not like about the romance at all, was the fact that it went from 60- to 100 at the speed of light, and looking back I liked it, yet even so, if I were to read it again, it wouldn’t sit well with my angsty loving alter ego self. (this one’s called Cleopatra)

* Her sister selling her out on Emmett.

HAHAHAHAHHA

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

HAHAHAHAHHAHA

I loved you and you did this.

HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA

I will cut you.

On a closing hand, this was a spontaneous add on my part and I don’t exactly regret it, just wish some things were slightly different. The arguments were sound and relatable yet at times, too unrealistic to understand, the romance was quick and fun but at the same time, rushed some interactions that could’ve added the spark this book was definitely missing for me.

And I would be missing if I had the attitude these kids had with their parents.
I'm sorry, but I-
I can't get over the fact they cussed them out-
Child-

I was really anticipating A Show for Two after absolutely loving Counting Down With You but I was a bit let down by it. A Show for Two is a cute romance and the idea of the novel is good, it just wasn't well executed. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed the book and it made me smile but it was not the most well-written. My biggest issues were the fact that the transition between enemies to lovers was super choppy. One minute they hated each other and the next they were super lovey-dovey. I love me a good enemies to lovers but when done right. The main couple also gave me insta love vibes which I really don't like.

I also didn't like how the way Mina's sister treated her for prioritizing her own happiness. I understand her feelings but I feel like she was too harsh on Mina and expected her to sacrifice her own escape and happiness to ensure her owns.

That's not to say that this is not a quick enjoyable read! It just is quite basic and some of the characters lacked substance. But it was still a cute YA romance that highlighted other themes and subplots without having the romance overtake the plot. It just did not live up to my expectations unfortunately.

A good kind of wish fullfillment fiction. Girl meets boy. Boy is upcoming movie star. They meet again in the most unprobable setting. Highschool undercover for a role. That said it's not the setting that hooked me. It's Samina's voice. Her inner turmoil, her struggle, her family, her journey.

I was invested in her drive, in her struggle with depression. I liked her relationship with Emmitt even if it had that fairytale halo. Their search for the best locations in New York to lock their camera on is lovely.

It was the right book, the right story at the right time for me.

Tashie does it again! This is an absolute darling YA contemporary romance inspired by the one and only Tom Holland himself going undercover at her New York City high school prior to filming the Spider-Man movies.

A Show for Two dives deep into strained parental relationships and the pressure they exude on their children and the particular dynamics of the Bangladeshi-American diaspora experience. Mina is such a strong character and I saw a lot of myself in her. I too was desperate to get away from the place I grew up (but for much different reasons). Her journey of finding the balance between what she needs for herself and her desire to maintain the relationships in her life was incredibly frustrating at times but was so tenderly executed that you can't help but be on her side. The epilogue was also cute as hell.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Every second of this book made me wonder why I don't have a life like Mina. Why am I not talented in filmography. She slays though. Girl is breaking stereotypes with style and is pulling a great man at the same time.. Emmitt is a sweetheart. How can you not love him? I honestly want more of them because all that I have read is not enough. Tashie Bhuiyan really outdid herself with this. If she has written other books, bring them my way PLEASE.

Thank you to Net Galley for this advanced copy.