This book is just another example of why I love to read. I always enjoy finding new-to-me authors, and after reading Marlowe Banks, Redesigned, Jacqueline Firkins is an author whose books will definitely be on my to-be-read list.

It had been a while since I had indulged in a novel set in the world of celebrity, and this one was certainly worth the wait.

This was Marlowe’s story, her journey of learning how to shake off the things and people who bring her down, of living her life her way, chasing after what she wants, and learning to love herself. I loved Marlowe. She wasn’t a perfect character. She had flaws, insecurities, struggles. I don’t want to read about perfect characters. I want the characters in the novels I choose to read to be relatable, realistic, and have some tarnished edges. Marlowe had some personal issues to overcome, and I was more than happy to accompany her on this journey.

While this was essentially Marlowe’s story, the romance that developed between her and Angus Gordon was equally as intriguing. Yes, Angus was a mighty good character.

As a big fan of slow-burning romances, this one did everything just right. Firkins took her time developing the story and her characters. She made me invested in them, she made me care. Throw in a Hollywood romance with all the push and pull, great banter, and slow simmering chemistry between the characters and it was a perfect blend.

Marlowe Banks, Redesigned just hit the mark for me. It was sincere, humorous, it not only made my heart ache, but it also warmed it. It had me rooting for Marlowe from the first moment we were introduced. Whenever I find myself looking forward to any spare moment to read a chapter or two, I know that I have found a winner. This book may very well find its way onto my list of favorite books of 2022!

*5 Stars

4.5 stars.Ok, yes, this book gave me everything I could want from a famous person / non-famous person trope. I loved Marlowe. She is a bit of a mess after leaving the theater crowd costuming in NY and taking a job as a costuming assistant in LA (more of a PA job running around town). She’s a bit out of her element, has few friends in LA, a crummy apartment with the yak sofa, a Gremlin of a car on its last two legs, and is just trying to make ends meet paying her bills. But in the moment no one saw coming, Marlowe has to jump in as a stand in for a waitress on the TV series she is helping to costume. With only her appearance needed for this insignificant scene, the cameras catch a heated glance between her and Angus, the hot bad-boy character, and decide to write her role further into the script. This is romance gold! I love an original storyline and Jacqueline Firkins gives us the BEST opening for a meet-cute between Angus and Marlowe. Is it smoldering love at first glance? Is it passion, anger?…Firkins understands so well how the lines between reality and Hollywood fantasy can easily blur leaving the audience grasping for truths. What I love is that Marlowe does not immediately become enamored without the idea of becoming an actress; she knows she is good at costuming and has never wanted to step into the spotlight. This notion follows her throughout the novel as she tries to stay true to who she is and what she wants, especially after coming out of a bad relationship where gaslighting was the main MO. Marlowe’s next move is anyone’s guess as she has to decide how to navigate her feelings for Angus and whether is is capable of acting on them.
And then there’s Angus. He is so easily misunderstood as everyone assumes he is like his bad boy role, but really he desires privacy. This need for keeping others at bay comes across as arrogant and snobbish, when in reality he is an excellent listener who is just an introvert at heart. After a bit of a rocky start, Angus proves that he is really the calm that Marlowe needs and he is unbelievably patient as she navigates what it might be like to have a relationship with someone famous. The book does such a good job of analyzing how the spot light can affect a romantic relationship (Tanareve and Angus, Angus and Marlowe) and the characters are always made to work through difficult scenarios. There are so many more things to love about this book; the banter, “Jeeves”, Cherry and her optimism, the heated moments between Angus and Marlowe. This book makes you wait for the spicy scenes, but it is so worth it. I felt that I was in Marlowe’s world from the moment I began reading and can tell that Firkins has first hand knowledge of Hollywood and the costuming industry. This was a terrific debut and I cannot wait to see what other stories Firkins has in her head. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this early copy or Marlowe Banks, Redesigned in exchange for my honest review.

I found Marlowe relatable with real insecurities and a real knack for being indecisive. Cherry was a great supporting character throughout. Angus was loveable and caring. But great characters didn't make this book any less boring, unfortunately. It's pretty clear early on that Marlowe and Angus would be more than friends. Their chemistry was undeniable. I was sad to see over 50% of the book go by without the romance that these characters deserved. The story itself was cute, and it had a lot of potential. It just fell a little short for me. The last 2 chapters were great, so I rounded up from 2.5 stars to 3 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Title: Marlowe Banks, Redesigned
Author: Jacqueline Firkins
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Marlowe Banks’s life has come apart at the seams. Her engagement ended abruptly. Her latest costume design was shredded by critics. Her student loans are overdue. Her parents have never been more disappointed. Desperate to hide from her failures, Marlowe flees New York City to embrace invisibility in Los Angeles as a menial Production Assistant on a popular TV show. While sorting socks and taking care of her boss’ spoiled Weimaraner, no one can confront her poor artistic choices or the end of her engagement, the end her ex refuses to accept.

When a costume mix-up requires Marlowe to step into in a scene, the camera catches a heated look between her and Angus Gordon, the show's arrogant bad boy, thrusting Marlowe into the spotlight. As the pair is forced together on set, Marlowe learns she's not the only one hiding. Walls come down for both of them, revealing a life Marlowe isn't sure she's ready for, and when her past comes calling, she has to decide if she's going to stay invisible or if it's time for a redesign.

This was a decent read. Marlowe life and all its drama was a bit much for me, but it was believable. There wasn’t anything surprising in the book, but a few funny moments, mainly from Marlow’s clumsiness and general awkwardness. This would make a good beach read.

Jacqueline Firkins lives in British Columbia. Marlowe Banks, Redesigned is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

This was so, so good. Marlowe Banks is a Costume Production Assistant on the television show Heart's Diner, where she often fills her days with monotoneous tasks such as unpacking orders of printed socks. It was so fun to see this side of TV production—how a wardrobe can be used as a tool of expression.

When a sizing mishap occurs with a costume, Marlowe agrees to temporarily fill the minor role of a waitress. No big deal, right? But when the on-screen chemistry between her and leading man Angus Gordon starts trending on social media, her preference for remaining behind the scenes goes kaput.

Beginning with Marlowe assuming the worst of the seemingly arrogant Angus, I very much enjoyed her quick retorts easing into an unexpected friendship (and eventual romance, of course) as the two continue to shine their chemistry on set. And it was really great chemistry, I must say!

Her fear of failure and criticism was so relatable and was certainly challenged with her now facing the public eye. You can imagine how such hesitations would create conflict with dating a celebrity. I loved the message of embracing those criticisms and chasing what you love despite them. A great reminder!

3.5 Stars. Marlowe Banks is an overworked production assistant in Hollywood. When a background actress drops out at the last minute, Marlowe is the only person who fits the costume and steps in. Her chemistry with Angus, the show's lead, is palpable and the show decides to make her a featured actress with a small arc in upcoming episodes. Marlowe is suddenly thrust into the other side of the production and it turns her life upside down and she finds herself falling for her co-star as the pair spend time together.

This book is a women's fiction novel with a romance side plot. This book is focused on Marlowe and her journey of accepting herself. From the blurb, I was expecting a lot more from the romance side of the book. Given how the book was going I was pleasantly surprised that this was an open door story. I really liked Angus and thought he was the more interesting character, so I really wish we had his POV or at least more of him. I enjoyed the side characters and found that they kept the story moving at a decent pace.

I will say that were a few things that just didn't make sense to me. For example, Marlowe somehow despite having worked in the entertainment industry for a while Marlowe seemed clueless about how somethings work. Such as, she didn't know the difference between a celebrity's personal social media account and a fan's account posting daily pictures of the actor. She also spends so much time complaining about the industry and how toxic it is, which yes it is, but there wasn't really anything keeping her in the industry. The books where this type of criticism has worked for me are books where the characters are somewhat trapped in the industry, whereas Marlowe could have walked away at any time and chose not to. Personally if my job was trigging things like my body image issues, I would change jobs, not dive in deeper.

Overall this book was an easy read and perfect for someone who wants a women's fiction novel with a celebrity romance side plot. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a HUGE fan of Firkins’ YA books. It was an obvious choice for me to pick up her adult debut, and I was not disappointed.

I love when Firkins injects her design background into her stories. My daughter’s undergraduate degree is in theatre design (costume design concentration), and I always found that world fascinating. There were a bunch of behind the scenes looks at working in that industry, as well as many of challenges associated with any creative field. I always enjoy learning more about things outside my wheelhouse.

Marlowe left NY for a reason. She was fleeing some professional failure, as well as a broken engagement. Her struggle with personal inadequacy was deeper rooted than her the last show she designed being panned. Her parents were both top of their field with ultra successful careers. They didn’t seem to support her design dreams, and that coupled with a boyfriend who constantly tore her down caused her confidence and self esteem to diminish. All of this made me root so hard for Marlowe. I wanted her to follow her dreams, and I was pleased with her growth over the course of the story.

It was fun the way Marlowe was pushed into the spotlight, but we all know the drawbacks of fame. Some great things did precipitate from this brush with fame. I would say the best was her friendship with Angus, the resident “bad boy”. He was quite layered, and there were so many wonderful things hiding beneath the persona her wore to protect himself in this industry. I loved watching their friendship grow and blossom into something more. They had great chemistry and really ending up bringing out the best in each other.

This was a fun celebrity romance with lots of rom-com moments and some weight. The story really shined for me when Marlowe and Angus were on page together. It was a slow-burn, but the romance definitely won me over. I would have liked to see more of that play out on-page. Overall, I was happy with how everything worked out for all the characters involved. There were many successes to celebrate, and even some of the more difficult characters were able to redeem themselves.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Marlowe Banks, Redesigned by Jacqueline Firkins is a romantic comedy about a young costume designer trying to make her mark in the television industry after a failed experience in the theater.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
This story sounds very much like one I would enjoy. I love a little glitz and glam plus depth in my romantic comedies, and this one seems to have both.
Actual Reading Experience:
I loved that this is a character-driven story. This gave the story a depth I wouldn't necessarily expect from a romcom, especially considering the setting. And the characters are so relatable and flawed that their story is exciting and quickly leads me from start to finish. The support characters, too, are so unique that they charmed me. I think they are exactly what I would expect to see in Hollywood but with some twists to their personal story that made them the individuals they are.
I also loved learning more about what happens on the production side of a television show. I've always wondered about the more business aspect, which also has its creative components, so getting this backstage look felt completely authentic was interesting.
The use of social media in this story is very compelling. It shows how Twitter and the trends fans create on Twitter can influence decisions made by producers of television shows. I've noticed this happening in real life, so that aspect of the book intrigued me very much.
There are a few steamy love scenes, but only a couple, and I did not notice them ever crossing the line into crudeness. I'll admit, I fast-forwarded through most of those few scenes but still caught the gist that they are very romantic-type scenes rather than down and dirty.
Characters:
Marlowe Banks is a mess – literally and figuratively. She left her fiancé and New York behind when a failed costuming job left her no choice but to try her luck in Hollywood. She is full of self-doubt and even some self-loathing, which makes believing in herself and standing up for herself all but impossible. But she is a talented designer and needs to find that inner strength she lacks to pick herself back up, dust herself off, and try again.
Angus Gordon is a famous actor on a popular tv show. He is known as a bad boy with a different woman in his trailer daily. And when he first bumps into Marlowe, he lives up to his reputation and then some. But the more she gets to know him, the more confusing the real Angus becomes, as all the pieces don't add up.
I loved the whole fantasy versus reality theme that goes into developing these characters. Hollywood is such a land of fantasy that many of us lesser mortals don't stop to wonder if the gossip and image based on gossip are real or just part of the fantasy. This story shows that the reality behind the fantasy is often much different than we would expect.
Narration & Pacing:
The pacing is very fast from start to finish. I flew through this book, and it kept my focus, which is often a challenge with any story. The narration is in the third person, which I think works great. If it had been in the first person with Marlowe as the narrator, the reader could get too bogged down in her self-doubt and insecurities, which would slow down the pace and made for a less enjoyable reading experience.
Setting:
The setting of this story is Hollywood, mainly focusing on the television studio and surrounding area. I loved that I was given a backstage pass into this little talked-about world of what goes on behind the stage (so to speak). I think it's great to see how hard it is to get even the less glamorous positions in Hollywood and all that goes into them.
Read if you like:
• Stories about bouncing back from failure
• A backstage look at what goes on in the production of a tv show
• Enemies to Friends to Lovers love story
• Witty banter
• Great character development and a character-driven story
• Slow-burn love story
• Fast-paced story

Marlowe is hiding after following her passion in costume design and the critics hated her work. She escapes to LA to be as assistant to an extremely demanding designed for a TV show. When they needed someone that fit a waitress costume to fill-in one day, Marlowe volunteers which creates a look between her and Angus, one of the lead actors on-screen. This leads to her being signed on to reprise the character as a new story arc and given her limited finances, she really can’t turn down this opportunity. What surprises her is how Angus reaches out and provides guidance. She had seen him as an entitled celebrity but as she gets to spend time with him and really get to know him, she finds a friend and maybe something more. But Marlowe’s confidence is still fragile and she doesn’t want to be in the spotlight for dating Angus. Will her fears cause her to miss out on a chance at love? I appreciated that Marlowe ultimately uses all of these challenges to find her passion, strength and confidence while realizing finding someone that encourages all of those things is the greatest gift. I also enjoyed getting to learn about all the chaos that it takes to create a TV show. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

The plot itself is basic and I'm honestly a little done with all the big Hollywood star falling in love with the imperfect 'normal' girl stories, but it's so freakin' enjoyable that I quickly fell in love with both Marlowe and Angus. It's pure, unadulterated escapism with a wonderful dollop of standing up for yourself and going after what you want.
Reading this one was a treat of perfectly balanced downer elements and fun, slow-burn romance between two people who are obviously perfect for each other finding themselves in imperfect circumstances.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the happy endorphins read!

Want a book to take to the beach, read on a rainy day, or cozying up to a fire on a snowy day, Marlowe Banks, Redesigned might be the perfect book for you. I enjoyed most of the story of Marlowe and Angus, but felt some of the minor characters got in the way.

Marlowe, age 25, received her MFA from Yale is the daughter of two highly accomplished parents who divorced when she was six years old. She has recently moved from New York to LA after breaking up with her fiancée. She gets a job as a Costume Production Assistant working for Bab’s Koçak for a successful T.V.series, Hearts Diner. Angus comes from a family of eight kids and a mom who is a factory worker and father who works in the fields.

I really enjoyed the story of their relationship but felt that there were too many shopping trips that took over the story. I so wanted Marlowe to tell Babs off when she kept expecting to watch and take Bab’s dog, Edith Head, on these trips. I did like Cherry who also worked under Babs and I could see the author writing a second book with Cherry’s love story.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

Marlowe is starting over as a PA for a costume designer boss from hell on a tv series. I love seeing the growth of Marlowe in this story and how real it felt. I wanted to see her succeed as she is pressured by her parents to do better and a job that was unsatisfying.

Now on to Angus... appears to be a grumpy actor but he is so much more. The story delved in how under the scrutiny of paparazzi and social media is so stressful and what you see is not always true.

Marlowe and Angus started off so rocky and I love how they developed a friendship. This story is so well written and I loved their journey.

I loved this book so much! Happily ever after fulfilled 💗. I cheered on Marlowe with every step of her self realization and self worth. This is such a sweet, genuine romance and the messages of being true to yourself, first and foremost are perfect. Absolutely loved it!

Thank you to St Martin’s Press for my advance e galley copy! 🙏🏻

Fish Out Of Water Romance That Shows That Not Everything Is As It Seems. This is a fish out of water romance between a barely-has-a-job clothing designer assistant for a TV show... and one of said show's stars. It is very much a slow burn, enemies to lovers type and yet still meets every RWA requirement. This noted, it does get a touch preachy about the differences between the characters actors portray and the actor themselves, though it *does* manage to keep much of this preachiness within the context of the story being told here - so that is good at least. :) Yet another romance where honest communication from the get-go could probably have saved about 80%+ of the overall friction/ drama between the couple, this one is still fairly light and funny despite its at-times heavy handedness noted above. Overall a fun look at a side of Hollywood not often seen, and written by someone with seemingly at least some knowledge of that particular setting. Very much recommended.

This was a cute romance with tons of great tropes, but it was way more slow burn than I was expecting. It had a fun combination of workplace and celebrity romance that definitely kept things

I did really love how quick Angus was to admit when he acted like a jerk and I loved how protective he was of Marlowe. I especially loved how he advocated for her contract and also how he constantly encouraged her.

Overall this was a cute read.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

4 and a half well-deserved stars for a fun romp of a rom com that sneakily contains some important themes. Marlowe Banks fled to LA after her costume design for a NYC theater production was met with cruel, negative reviews. Now she's working as overworked and underpaid design assistant on a hit tv show. Drafted as an extra, her scene with the hot bad boy star drew a Twitter storm of comments and leads to more interactions.

What stood out for me in this book was a real examination of social media and the false images they inculcate, the shaping of personas based on those images and the culture of trolls and haters. The descriptions of Marlowe's work life and how design/ costume choices impact more that a character's look. The author obviously has some firsthand experience that she drew upon. Being able to learn from and not be destroyed by failure is another theme put forth by the book.

MARLOWE BANKS, REDESIGNED – Jacqueline Firkins
Griffin
ISBN: 978-1250836502
October 25, 2022
Contemporary Romance

Los Angeles – Present Day

As a production assistant on a popular TV show in Hollywood, Marlowe Banks is expected to help keep the show’s staff organized and happy. Her job is to sort and hunt down clothes for set backgrounds, specifically those who are hired to be in the background during filming scenes. The male star of the show, Angus Gordon, is your typical badass actor who looks down on the production staff. But after a background actress is unable to show up, it’s Marlowe who is forced to step into the scene because she is the only one who fits into the waitress outfit. The part was only supposed to be a bit part where she pours Angus’s character coffee, but instead, it becomes a viral scene when they lock eyes—and don’t look away.

Soon, Marlowe is being written into the show for three episodes in a bit part as the former girlfriend of Angus’s character. This means that she will have to interact with Angus—and they soon hit it off. She learns that his pretty boy attitude is all made up. Deep down is a guy who has insecurities—just like Marlowe does. But while he glides through the Hollywood scene with no problems, Marlowe is having trouble dealing with the idea of attention being on her. She realizes that their friendship shouldn’t be more than that of friends or coworkers, but their hormones tell another story.

Marlowe had another life in New York City with her divorced parents, a job she enjoyed, and a fiancé, but she left it all behind after she realized that she was expected to act one way, with no thought to her feelings. In MARLOWE BANKS, REDESIGNED, we drop into the middle of her new life in Los Angeles. It isn’t pretty, but she loves her job sorting clothes and running errands to find specific clothes and shoes for shooting. Yet, it is hard for her to put her old life behind her, especially when her ex keeps texting her to see if they can reconcile. Marlowe just hasn’t taken the opportunity to tell him no—and why.

While we don’t really get a chance to hear Angus’s point of view in MARLOWE BANKS, REDESIGNED, we can see him slowly change from the arrogant man who stares blankly at Marlowe, until he finally begins to open up to her and shows readers another side. Their relationship starts slow, but when they finally kiss, they want it all. Except, well…no condoms! Their friendship is funny and endearing, and readers will enjoy the cute banter that runs between them. They are made for each other, yet readers wonder if any romance could be sustained. After all, Angus is a big enough star that tabloids chase after him for pictures and news, while Marlowe prefers to not have attention drawn to herself.

If you’re looking for a tale that is a bit different and will make you chuckle, then you most definitely want to pick up a copy of MARLOWE BANKS, REDESIGNED.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

This was a great read. I got a little frustrated with the heroine’s lack of confidence in herself, but then she’d stick up for herself at other times. Maybe that’s the way people are. But the book kept me interested from start to finish and I felt invested in her story and her growing relationship with the hero.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Marlowe fled NYC to go to LA after her costume designs for an off Broadway show were bashed. Now she is hiding out working as a Costume PA for a tv series, doing all the menial tasks involved in costuming the extras. This is a well written story about finding the strengths within you that got squashed by the negative people in your life. Also, finding unexpected love.

I received a free copy of this book to review through NetGalley and could not put it down.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Jacqueline is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance/contemporary authors. I am obsessed with the way she writes. It’s beautiful, yet fun at the same time. It easily puts a smile on my face every time I read her work. Once again, I was unable to put this down. From start to finish Marlowe was real, relatable and felt so many things I’ve also felt as a perfectionist who only wants to succeed but feels lost.

I loved Marlowe, I loved her friendship with Cherry and eventually Tan. The side characters brought so much more joy. I loved seeing a sapphic relationship between two of the side characters. The romance between Angus and Marlowe was spectacular! This was a warm hug on a chilly night of a book, exactly what I needed!

If you’re looking for a book that is able to run a delicate balance between real/relatable and the joy from the best rom-coms- this is that book. You will not be disappointed!