Kate's debut made me laugh so much with her vivacious humor right up my alley. Naturally, I had to keep her on my radar for any future books she might have publishing. While I didn't find this one *quite* as laugh-out-loud, there are so many clever one-liners. My reading had slown down dramatically recently and this was the perfect antidote to binge read and listen.
Winnie is putting in her time learning her craft, with grand hopes of becoming the next best thing in the playwright world. An opportunity to move to London is one she cannot pass up. She's tasked with dating random guys as fodder for her brilliant boss's inspiration. The only stipulation is to stay away from Juliette's nephew, Liam.
I definitely had one of those head smacking moments when I finally connected the dots of who Liam is from Talk Bookish to Me. I adore those small, Easter eggs from one standalone book to another.
This is one I would recommend in print or audio, as I did both while reading. Natalie Naudus is such a wide-range narrator. I've listened to her with fantasies, YA, women's fiction and romance. I see her name and know I'll enjoy the audiobook in question (even if the book isn't all that.)
Thank you to HTP Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy and Harper Audio for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Here For The Drama is a cute RomCom that brings readers into the world of playwrights and the theatre. It's an interesting setting but personally, I was here for the banter. I also fondly remember Bromley's previous book Talk Bookish To Me and its saucy humour.

Bromley once again shows off her comedic writing skills with spot-on sarcastic repartee between her main characters. It's so good that I have dubbed her the Bard of Banter. The story has good pacing and features an interesting array of flawed characters, great female friendships (I loved Winnie and Roshni!), and of course, some romance. Ahh l'amour!

I enjoyed the cute courtship as well as the depth that came from issues such as loneliness, career aspirations, familial problems and the complicated friend/boss bond between Winnie and Juliette. Bromley gives readers some solid backstories for her characters, and I appreciated seeing Winnie's flaws and insecurities (although Juliette felt a bit contrived and the focus on her issues was my least favourite part of the story). There's a lot going on with various subplots, but I appreciated the issues addressed and the growth we see in a couple of the characters. And while things progressed differently than I expected, it was an enjoyable and satisfying ending.

Oh, and there's an adorable dog named Ollie. 'Nuff said.

This is a charming story with wickedly witty banter about finding your passion and fighting for it. It would make a great pick if you're in the mood for a cute RomCom this summer.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Graydon House for my complimentary digital advanced copy of this book which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book because it was fun, witty, charming, and the main plot was centered around the awesome romance.

Winnie travels to London with her--very demanding--boss, Juliette. Juliette requires a lot of Winnie and Winnie is good for it. She's smart, driven, witty, and does a lot for her boss. But Juliette's nephew, Liam, is the love interest here. And Juliette isn't wanting them to be a couple.

With the backdrop of London and the humor of characters written astoundingly well--this book was a delight to read!

A lighthearted rom-com that is a quick read when you are in need of escapism. Some of the situations seem over-the-top - even for those in the theatre, but if you are looking for something to just read mindlessly and be somewhat entertained in the process, this is the read for you. For those looking for a fast vacation read.

The One Where The Author Seemingly Read My Review Of Her Last Book. I've now had the pleasure of working both of Bromley's books as blog tours, and this book shows her progression as a writer and storyteller - she is able to make a book that is just as fun and witty as her debut, but add in some serious angst and drama to boot, and in turn morph this romantic comedy into a blend of romantic comedy and women's fiction. But the most interesting facet of this book, for this reader looking back at his review of her last one, is my commentary on an unnecessary feature in that first book's epilogue... which gets mirrored (to a degree) in this book's epilogue. It seems that at minimum, Bromley was aware that this issue existed, and actively chose to go a different (and refreshing) route in the epilogue here. Oh, and this is one of those romantic comedies where the dog dang near steals every scene he is in, if not the entire dang show. Truly a fun and witty tale with heart, and very much recommended.

3.75 stars

If you’re looking for some lighthearted, escapist fun this summer, Here for the Drama is the book for you. With a heroine with a great voice, hilarious banter, and bizarre and awkward situations, this book had me laughing out loud from the very beginning.

We meet our heroine, Winnie, as her boss Juliette and co-worker Roshni are about to leave for London for three weeks. Winnie thinks she’s going to have a break while they’re gone, and she plans to use the time to finish writing her play to submit it to a contest. Her boss convinces Winnie to come along, and…what a hardship! Three weeks in London with all expenses paid! Where do *I* sign up? But it’s not as easy as that because Juliette is high maintenance, self-centered, and demanding…and her demands often include inappropriate things like Winnie going on Tinder dates to give Juliette fodder for her stalled writing career, or staying away from Juliette’s very cute, very British nephew.

What I loved most about this book was the realistic and varied relationships, and the fact the author didn’t shy away from how complicated, messy, and painful many relationships can be. The main people in Winnie’s life were Juliette, who was as much best friend as boss; Roshni, her co-worker and close friend; and her dad and his girlfriend, who she wasn’t particularly close to. Then, of course, there was the adorable Brit Liam; despite their mutual attraction, Winnie knew nothing serious could happen between them because a) Juliette didn’t want her to spend too much time with him, thinking it could make things awkward, and b) she was only in London for three weeks. Neither of those things stopped her from secretly spending time with him, though, and I enjoyed their relationship and their adventures through London. Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Ollie, the rescue dog; he was adorable, and I loved how much everyone loved and doted on him.

The interactions between the characters ranged from sweet and heartwarming to uncomfortable to maddening, and I loved that I ran the gamut of emotions while reading. The book is mostly lighthearted and fun, but it was emotional too, and there were actually several parts toward the end that made me cry, which I wasn’t expecting.

HERE FOR THE DRAMA – Kate Bromley
Graydon House
ISBN: 978-1-525-81144-9
June 21, 2022
Contemporary Fiction

London, England – Present Day

Winnie has worked for celebrated feminist playwright Juliette Brassard for several years while she continues to work on her own play that she wants to enter into a contest. After one of Juliette’s plays is announced to run in London, Juliette is invited to oversee it. She brings along Winnie and another assistant, Roshni, with her to stay in London for several weeks. England is where Juliette grew up and where she has a sister and nephew still living. Something has caused her to stay away. Will Winnie find out what happened? Winnie has asked Juliette to critique her play but she keeps brushing her aside, putting it off. Maybe now is the time to get it done. But Juliette seems determined to find Winnie a boyfriend.

Once in London, Winnie is introduced to Liam, who is Juliette’s nephew. But she is quickly warned to stay away from him by Juliette. This is too bad because Winnie likes being around Liam. They start out on friendly terms, but Liam and Winnie soon start to have feelings for each other. Unfortunately, they will have to see other without Juliette being aware. Meanwhile, the start of rehearsals for the play begins and while hectic, it also gives Winnie time on her hands. Time to see Liam, and time to delve into the mysterious past of Juliette—and learn why the woman has never married.

HERE FOR THE DRAMA is a thought-provoking tale about how love—either finding it or losing it—shapes our futures. Juliette seems to have it all, yet there is an aura of sadness and loneliness about her. Winnie is young and hasn’t found love yet. She still misses her mother who died years ago. Her father has remarried and while she is on friendly terms with her stepmother, the relationship is much different than what she had with her mother. While traveling, Winnie learns that her father and stepmother will be selling the family home. Winnie begins to feel a sense of being lost as if her memories of her mother will fade with the loss of her family home.

Meanwhile, Winnie enjoys her excursions with Liam. He is a nice guy, though his life is in Great Britain and there is little chance that they can have a future together. Once the play opens, Winnie will be heading back to New York City with Juliette and Roshni. Soon after they arrive in London, a stray dog appears at Winnie’s feet. She takes a liking to the dog and brings it back to the penthouse she is sharing with the other women. Juliette at first is adamant about no dogs being allowed but she does give Winnie a key to a lower-floor apartment she can stay with the dog. As HERE FOR THE DRAMA progresses, Juliette begins to have a soft spot for the dog. Since the women will be busy at the theater, a nice young man who is temporarily staying in the building offers to walk the dog while they’re out. He is friendly with Winnie, who sees him as only a friend. Will she end up having two men to choose from?

Winnie will have a lot of decisions to make by the end of HERE FOR THE DRAMA. Her life, one she once thought boring, begins to pick up and she will need to decide her path. Things aren’t easy, but it helps Winnie grow. A pleasant and engaging tale, be sure to not miss HERE FOR THE DRAMA.

Patti Fischer

A posh setting. Romping around London Town. A sexy male with a British accent. Find that and a lot more in Here for the Drama.
It’s about choices, taking chances, going for it even when there severe doubts, and above all believing in yourself.
Anyone who loves theater, plays, the hint of drama and embellishment should immediately read this book.

The following review was posted on my blog today, Friday, June 17th, 4 days before publication. It will be shared on Twitter and Instagram between today and the publication date, as well. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.


“All love stories are complicated.”

Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1.5 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Toxic work dynamics.

“Here for the Drama” follows Winnie, as she moved across the world from the United States to the United Kingdom—straight to the heart of London’s theater world. She is the right hard of a renowned, American playwright, and she is trying to hold the play from falling apart as the director and her boss butt heads, and as she falls for the one guy she was told not to fall for. To say there’s a lot going on in this book would be an understatement.

If you’re reading a book titled “Here for the Drama” I assume you’re, well, here for the drama. Over-the-top would be an accurate way of describing this book and all Winnie goes through. I loved the dynamic banter and I loved the forbidden romance feel to it (not the spicy part, that part was entirely awkward and worded weirdly), but I think it was a bit much at times. I wasn’t completely engaged and sometimes only skimmed through, just reading the dialogue, that’s why I’ve given this book 3.5 stars.

I would recommend “Here for the Drama” to anyone who’s ever watched Mexican Novela type shows (let that be actual novelas or perhaps tv series like “Jane The Virgin”). Basically, if you like unrealistic, slice-of-life drama and the New York City-London vibe, then this book is for you.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

As a fellow theater nerd, I really enjoyed reading this theater romance. There aren't a lot of romances set in the theater world, so that is always something I'm drawn to. Probably the best part about this book is the banter, which is top tier. Winne and Liam's conversations are so sharp and had me laughing out loud more than once. I also really enjoyed the complex relationship between Winnie and Juliette, I thought their dynamic was really interesting. Overall, this was a great, fun read!

Romcoms are not supposed to make you cry! ….I’ll allow it this time tho because Here for the Drama was AH-MAZING.

I’m not going to lie, I did struggle with the start of this book. It took some time for me to really understand and like Winnie. My original impression of her was that she was trying too hard to be “quirky”. Buuuut she (and her weirdness) grew on me throughout the book. Honestly by the end of Here for the Drama I really did love her & I believe that has a lot to do with her character development. I love when you get a first row seat to watch the character grow!

Liam and Winnie’s playful banter was EVERYTHING. I couldn’t tell you the amount of times I laughed while reading this book! And this was on top of a great plot making it even better. It was really nice seeing Winnie’s relationships outside of hers and Liam’s too. Oftentimes the main focus of romance books becomes the couple and you don’t see much outside of their interactions. So Winnie’s relationship with Juliette and Roshni was extremely refreshing!

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone that’s looking for their next sweet & funny romance read!

I really enjoyed the authors debut last year and have been looking forward to her next book ever since I finished it and I’m delighted to say this was just as sweet and charming! I loved the premise with Winnie being a playwright and having to travel to London for work, a nice escape for me. I know next to nothing about the theater scene so I found the behind the scenes aspects of that interesting and I was totally charmed by Liam almost instantly. He had that dry British humor and the way he and Winnie bantered back and forth was so fun. Natalie Naudus is one of my favorite narrators so listening to her performance was amazing as always, overall a fun and light read.

A romantic comedy set mostly in London and featuring a rescue dog? Sign me up! This one started off a wee bit slow, but I did enjoy the witty dialogue between the two main characters, as well as the atmospheric setting of London. It features a bit of a secret romance, due to the fact that the male main character's aunt (who is the female main character's boss) doesn't want them to date. There's no stopping attraction, however. Theater and drama has a major theme in this story, and that's not really something I know much about or enjoy, so maybe that's why I found it to be slow at times. I did enjoy the romance, however, which was very tame and closed door for the most part.

This was such a cute and fun read! I absolutely adored Winnie and Liam! I loved this storyline so much! I loved the healing that it brought also! This is definitely a great book I would recommend!

Super cute book! Loved the characters and story. Definitely and auto buy author for me! This is my second book by this author.

A sweet rom com that's also about healing family wounds. Winnie has been working on her play since forever but she's also working for Juliette, a famous playwright. The two of them head to London where one of Juliette's plays is to be staged and they find much more than they expected. Winnie, used to serving as an intermediary for Juliette, has to step in more than once and she has to dodge Juliette's wish that she date to provide fodder for Juliette's work. And then Liam, Juliette's hot nephew Liam turns up. Juliette and her sister Isabelle have been estranged but now they'll find a way back to one another. It's a rom com so there's sprightly dialogue and a slightly frantic pace at times. That said, it's also entertaining. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A fun read.

💁🏻‍♀️Overall Impression: My inner high school drama nerd loved this book! Great sophomore novel by Kate! 💝

📖Synopsis: Aspiring playwright Winnie works as an assistant for works famous playwright Juliette. While accompanying Juliette to London for a few weeks, Winnie falls for Juliette’s nephew Liam whom she promised not to see, ignoring the script she needs to finish.

💭Thoughts: This book has a lot going on, and I loved almost all of it.

Drama: I was a drama nerd in high school and spent a lot of time on or backstage so I loved hearing about Winnie’s theater life. I know nothing about writing a play, so that part was a tad less fun but it is different than I thought, way harder!

Liam: Amazing! Great male lead. Loved him in Italy and now more so in London! He was quirky and smart and caring and funny. I LOVED his fun banter with Winnie and how he went along with her ‘bits’ (Re: Gilmore Girls). They just seemed to get each other so well. ❤️

Juliette: I wanted to hate her, and sometimes a did, but she’s also just a great character.

Roshni: #bffgoals

Phillip: 🙄

Ollie: who doesn’t love a book with a dog?? 🐕

Cassie: what a great stepmom!

The ending (without spoilers- mostly): I love the right guy wrong time trope and think it was done so well. I love that Winnie goes after her dreams!! The ending was perfection! (I never say this, but I could have skipped the epilogue, it felt unnecessary).

This has some depth without feeling forced or heavy, something Winnie struggles with in the book. It felt true to the characters, not what the writer wanted us to feel (plot point 😜).

Mary Kate and Ashley VHS tapes were the best!!!!

🎈In the end, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was sweet and funny while touching on some deeper subjects, but never felt heavy. I love clever humor and it has a Gilmore girls-ish feel in the dialogue.

My fellow drama nerds with love this! ❤️😜😁🎭🎟🎬🎤

**3.5 STARS**

Content Warning: death of parent, divorce

I found this to be a sweet romance with a likable main character who is clearly in love with theater and working on the play that hopefully will make her a famous playwright. For now she is an assistant to Juliette Bassard who is what Winnie aspires to be. They have a best friend type of relationship, which I found endearing. Juliette, Winnie and Roshni the second assistant all take a trip to London for a staging of Juliette’s most famous play and a lot of things happen while they are there.

I’m more of a musical than play kind of person, but I found the playwriting and staging process in this book quite fascinating. You can feel the passion in Winnie and Juliette as one is beginning her career as a playwright and then other is coming into a time of transition. Of course there is a dog is in this story, just makes the story even sweeter, because Ollie is a sweet prince! The romance is sweet as well, there is some heat between Winnie and Liam but for the most part, it’s a relationship between two mature people who may have met each other at the wrong time – at least the wrong time to start a relationship and for them…it works out because they are mature to let one another go.

Of course this can’t be a story about drama and theater without drama. Juliette has a whole past in London and it comes back to haunt her. Winnie has her own things to deal with like finishing her play, figuring out her life after London and what to do about Liam. Juliette and Winnie also confront things about their relationship but in the end it all works out beautifully. I thought the epilogue did a great job to give us a very happy ending.

There were some parts that I found slow and I felt like Juliette and Winnie’s relationship was the main focus of this story as opposed to the romance growing between Winnie and Liam. It is very much a story about Winnie’s life journey.


Why you should read it:
*you love drama, theater, plays – I found Winnie’s passion for playwriting really come through in her character
*it’s a story about friendship, romance and life’s journey
*it has a cute dog named Ollie

Why you might not want to read it:
*this is more women’s fiction than romance, so if you expect full on romance, this is not it

My Thoughts:

I was pleasantly surprised with this story but I did wish there was more romance between Winnie and Liam. Winnie is a woman in her late 20’s trying to figure out her career, trying to not give up on her passion and having some romance in the process – I found her sweet and relatable. I would categorize this as more women’s fiction than romance though, but regardless I thought it was an enjoyable read and it has a great happy ending.

Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭑
Here for the Drama by Kate Bromley is a lighthearted book about a struggling playwright who is an assistant to a very famous playwright. It has a bit of a Devil Wears Prada vibe, but the screenwriter isn’t quite as bad as Miranda Priestly.

Winnie has always wanted to be a playwright, but now she has to settle for being the assistant of a famous playwright, Julliette. When Juliette has to go to London for the opening of her play, she insists that Winnie go with her to help. In London, Winnie stays busy helping with the play and meets Julliette’s nephew, Liam. Winnie and Liam have an immediate attraction, but Julliette doesn’t want Winnie dating her nephew. But, Liam and Winnie have an attraction, so they date anyway. But, what will happen when Winnie has to go back to New York?

I really enjoyed this book and the standout feature of Here for the Drama is the banter between Liam and Winnie, they are so adorable together. Kate Bromely really knows how to write witty dialogue. The story is good, a little bit predictable, but the book is mainly about Winnie and her relationships with Liam, and her boss, Juliette.

The romance between Winnie and Liam was adorable, they spend some time together before they moved toward a more romantic relationship. They just seem so happy together and I love the way they interact and also have such respect for each other

The relationship between Winnie and her boss, Juliette is a bit more complicated. They appear to be friends, and they get along really well. In fact, they have some great dialogue, and it appears that they really understand and support each other. But, is that really the case?

I highly recommend Here For the Drama to anyone who enjoys romantic comedy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I had a great time reading this book. I’m planning on going to London soon so it has gotten me even more excited for my trip.
Winnie is an aspiring playwright working as an assistant for acclaimed feminist playwright, Juliette Brassard. They are in London for a production of one of Juliette’s most well known plays. Juliette is a bit overbearing and unprofessional with Winnie in her expectations of her while in London and Winnie goes above and beyond to please her. Even if that means dating random guys so Juliette can get inspiration for another play. Winnie hopes by agreeing to this, Juliette will finally give her feedback on the play she’s working on for a playwriting contest that is extremely important to her. Never mind Juliette should have done that anyway ages ago.
There’s lots of fun with this book, Winnie gets to go to London with her sweet friend who is the intern and she meets adorable Liam who shows her around London. Liam just happens to be Juliette’s nephew so they have to be sneaky with their budding romance. Their banter made for some witty dialogue. That’s my favorite aspect to this story, the clever writing.
There’s also an adorable dog which is always a plus. Although, Winnie was a bit odd with the dog, kind of treating the dog like it’s an actual baby- for instance- oh I was able to leave while Ollie the dog was sleeping but I can’t be here more than two hours in case he wakes up. That’s kind of odd. That’s not how dogs work at all. You leave a dog and they watch you leave unless they are really old? You can’t move without a dog noticing and I highly doubt the dog will stay asleep for stretches of time while you’re away and that’s okay. Sure they sleep a lot but they will wake up when you’re gone. I guess Winnie doesn’t have much dog experience and she’s protective with her first one. But 1000% Ollie did not stay asleep when she left the apartment. Ha!
But that little gaffe is fine, mostly the Ollie storyline is pretty cute.
I loved her relationship with Liam because of their chemistry minus the apartment moment but other than that brief moment,, it was perfect. I’d also agree that the story revolves more around Winnie’s relationship with her boss than with Liam, however, I enjoyed the romance aspect. It seemed enough for me and I enjoyed how it evolved.
Overall this was a very fun book with a cool premise.