I loved this book. It was so well balanced between loving yourself and finding love below the surface.

Marlowe (like the detective) and Angus (not like the beef) are such interesting characters in their own right and when they come together both onscreen and off, their magic is irresistible. I really liked the internal battle Marlowe struggles with of wanting to keep her private life, but also wanting more of a life with Angus, which will push her into the spotlight.

Great, fun, touching romance overall, highly recommend.

3.5/5 - Marlowe Banks, Redesigned is the story about a woman who moves across country after a broken engagement and to try something new. Marlowe works as a production assistant on a popular television show, and a mishap makes her stand in as a non-speaking actress on the set for the day. The camera catches a heated look between her and one of the stars of the show, Angus Gordon. They are then forced to work together on more scenes and both of their walls begin to come down and they discover more about themselves and each other.

Though this book is a romance, it is also about believing in yourself and believing in your worth. Marlowe has been through the wringer with her ex and has a strong fear of failure. She is deeply insecure and through the support of Angus and her friends she begins to find and believe in herself. She still has those strong insecurities and worry about being judged by others. This is especially complicated as Angus has an extremely public life as a movie star, and is under constant scrutiny.

The enemies to lovers trope starts out this book, but slowly works itself to a wonderful friendship between Marlowe and Angus. Their chemistry and the sexual tension between them is top notch, but this is an extremely slow burn. Marlowe has to fight hard against her worries and fears and trust being with Angus is worth it. I found this part a bit repetitive, where Marlowe doubts herself, decides to go all in and them back to doubting herself again. The author did do a great job tying things up, and I did love the ending epilogue.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. What a fun, feel good book! I enjoyed this one so much! I had just previously finished a book that was a huge disappointment, so I was looking for something that was going to make me smile, make me laugh and just make me happy! This book accomplished all of the above.

So let’s discuss characters: I love Marlowe. I love Angus. I LOVE Marlowe WITH Angus! These two just might be my new favorite couple from a romance novel.❤️ Cherry (Marlowe’s best friend), loved her…wish she was my best friend.🤣 Babs (Marlowe’s boss), well she was kind of a bitch but surprisingly I didn’t hate her. Tanareve (Angus’s past love interest), I really loved how her character was written into this storyline. And finally Kelvin (Marlowe’s ex-fiance), not a fan…but that’s expected since he is the EX.

As far as the storyline goes, I enjoyed it from start to finish! I liked how the way Marlowe and Angus treated each other changed throughout the book. In the beginning, she was defensive and on guard and he seemed like an entitled actor. I actually expected much more of a snobby “Mr. I’m The Greatest” attitude from Angus but that was not his character at all! In fact, I would probably crush on him if he was a real person! This book just really makes you think about how people jump to conclusions about others based on appearance and social status.

The only thing I didn’t like was that it had to come to end. I really think there needs to be a sequel so we can read more about Marlowe and Angus, especially since Heart’s Diner may have been renewed for a 7th season! 😉

I obviously highly recommend this one. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

To see other reviews I have left, check out my Instagram and Goodreads pages:
*Instagram - bookworm_traveler808
*Goodreads - Cherihy808

I thought the premise for MARLOWE BANKS, REDESIGNED was different and interesting. I mostly enjoyed the story and pacing.

Unfortunately, while I loved Angus, I couldn't completely connect with Marlowe. In some ways I did - she feels overlooked, she needs to speak up more often. But her choices at the final confrontation of the story didn't make much sense, seeing as how she was warned. There were things Angus offered, in advance, for Marlowe to learn to cope with the media attention.

The story itself was fine, but there were a lot of themes and phrases that often made me wonder if any of the female characters like men at all? Over the last year there's been a ramp up in romances in which the women are attracted to men, but there have been many blanket statements made about men and privilege and at this point, for me, it's a turn-off.

A lot of issues the book brought up are important, but they came off as preachy and forced. I'm here for the romance of two characters getting together, not lessons on society's woes. Those lessons would be better in women's fiction instead of romance.

However, the story did give an in-depth look into behind-the-scenes of being a costume designer which was fascinating.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-copy of MARLOWE BANKS, REDESIGNED to review.

I rate MARLOW BANKS, REDESIGNED two out of five stars.

“I can’t truly fail if I’m not chasing what I really want.”

This was a very refreshing read! Marlowe moved across the country after ending her engagement and leaving her dream career as a costume designer to take a job on set as a production assistant. When she unexpectedly steps in on a scene as a background character, she sparks on-screen chemistry with the mega-watt star of the show, Angus. As she gets swept up in the magic of being written in as a possible love interest for Angus’s character, the two spend time off-screen getting to know more about each other and learning that there’s more than meets the eye. I hated how Marlowe’s ex-fiance kept trying to weasel his way back into her life, which shook her self-confidence at times. I really loved how vulnerable Angus was with Marlowe throughout the book as well.

If you are looking for romance, self-discovery and development, set on a fictional TV set, I recommend Marlowe Banks, Redesigned. Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Marlowe Banks Redesigned is a cute little romance that is entertaining and heartwarming! Jacqueline Firkin’s writing style very much gave me Katherine Center vibes and you all know how much I love Katherine Center. 🥰 Jacqueline Firkin is a new author for me. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author! If you love a good comfort read, I recommend this book! You may even be pleasantly surprised to learn something new about costume design and television productions. 😉

Marlowe works as a production assistant on a popular TV show in Los Angeles. A mishap one day leads to her to temporarily fill in as an actress with one of TV’s hottest new stars. Fans go crazy as things begin to heat up on and off the screen. Will Marlowe be able to handle the newfound stardom that comes with dating an A-list celebrity?

Marlowe Banks Redesigned comes out October 25th, 2022. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun one! We slowly but, surely get to the deeper side of the main male character Angus as time goes on. He starts off as an arrogant jerk but, we get to the softer side of him and that is when it gets good!

I loved their friendly banter, the spicy scenes and their chemistry/friendship as it developed. It reads as a rom com but., has some great character development!

Perfect for fans of BEACH READ by Emily Henry!

Marlowe Banks has moved from NY to LA to leave behind a fiancé and a stage failure. She’s a personal assistant to a costume designer and by chance, ends up in a small bit on a TV show with sexy actor Angus Gordon. Sparks fly on and off screen, but Marlowe doesn’t want to be in the spotlight…she wants her costuming to be. Misunderstandings, internet trolls, and social media threaten their budding relationship.

It’s a meet-rude instead of a meet-cute, but the chemistry between them sizzles. I loved the vulnerability and growth of the characters beneath their costumes and the faces they show to the world. I also adored how Marlowe dealt with her ex and how she learned to love herself.

Sweet, steamy, and completely satisfying.

Marlowe is putting her dream job as a costume designer on the way back burner after a not so flattering review of her last work. She has fled New York, as well as a doomed engagement, for L.A. and a below her skill job as a Production Assistant on a very popular TV show. Keeping her head down she stuffs her creativity aside and focuses on her list of tasks. She buys lunch, returns clothes, buys buckets of shoes and picks seeds off of burger buns.

As the reader we wonder, how long can Marlowe go on like this? Fortunately a costume mix up thrusts her into the spotlight. Now she is a fill in waitress for the popular tv show starring heart throb Angus Gordon. I had a hard time with the slow start of the story. Once Angus showed up it moved a lot quicker. Next thing I knew, I looked up and found myself halfway through the book.

Angus and Marlowe’s interactions were a mix of easy going banter and some cringe pontificating about the value society places on appearance and the assumptions people make about famous people they do not/never will know. Those bits fell a little flat for me and felt shoved down my throat.

Somewhere around the middle the story begins to drag again. Angus wanting Marlowe but it’s not really expressed that well. At least not in a way the reader can swoon over and get excited by. Marlowe having low self esteem and not wanting to face the gauntlet of a public celebrity, under the microscope relationship. It seems like this is yet another relationship of Marlowe’s destined to fail.

After reading the ending, of which I wish they either did differently or in the least just didn’t have that atrocious epilogue; I found myself asking more questions about Cherry, the only friend Marlowe had in L.A., than either main character.

This book is a fine quick read. It’s a three star book, if you don’t finish it. With how the author ends it, it’s a two star book.

I would recommend this to people that read US magazine and comment on their insta. Those that seem to feed on gossip. Couples that get married and end up living in different houses proclaiming, “It really works!”.

Marlowe Banks, Redesigned is the wholesome story that you need to remind you that there is pure & simple beauty in the world.

Marlowe works as a PA to a designer on a campy TV show set. Angus Hughes is the lead “bad-boy” actor, playing Jack, the “bad-boy” character.. Even though these two don’t know each other, Marlowe definitely doesn’t like him because he’s an egotistical, player who has a reputation for rotating through relationships. Thanks to Marlowe agreeing to a quick part as a waitress on camera, the world has fallen in love with the idea of Jack & Waitress ship.

I adore the enemies - lovers trope. Especially when there is a solid friendship develop. I feel in love with the characters of Marlowe & Angus, as well as the background characters. The entire story was so wholesome and charming & I want more Anglowe stories now. Mangus? They also need an official ship name.

Definitely 4-4.5 star worthy.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press & St Martins Griffin for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️ rating: 3.5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
📖 genre: romance, women's fiction
🔥 steam: low steam
pub date 10/25/2022

This is a really sweet palette cleanser of a romance novel! And there was a lot that I really liked about it - ultimately, while I liked it, it was very predictable (which I guess is why we read romance right? For the happily ever after).

So, onto the main event, things I really liked:
✨ The banter here was very fast-paced & was great back-and-forth! It gave me Gilmore Girls vibes from the overall tone and feel of the dialogue.
✨ I loved seeing both sides of Angus throughout the novel. At some points he was arrogant & smooth and others he was adorably cringey and so real. It was super interesting to see that side of acting in that what you see on the scene or even in the papers isn't really who someone is.
✨ Firkins really found very subtle ways to show chemistry between Marlowe & Angus. Small descriptions of looks or brushes of their hands really made you feel how much they were starting to like each other.
✨ "The Question Game" felt like a really natural way for them to get to know each other & dive deep without it feeling forced or weird.
✨ This book made me realize that so much more goes into costume design than I originally thought. The idea that you can tell a story with just a jacket or a pair of shoes was very interesting to me!
✨ Romance novels make me realize that women are more obsessed with arms than we let on. Haha.

TL;DR: Super cute, great if you're looking for a quick, cleansing read.

Love love love this book! This was a stay up past my bedtime to read in the dark sort of book. Firkins writes a wonderful slow burn romance, and really I didn’t want the book to end! I found both Marlowe and Angus to be incredibly likable, and I found the building tension between them wonderful. Cherry was a wonderful addition, as was Tanareve and even Babs. The book was humorous without any forced excessive comedy. I thought the writing and pacing were great, and really my only complaint is that the book ended. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Marlowe Banks Redesigned is one of my favorite fall reads that made me laugh, smile and quickly turn each page.

Marlowe is at a turning point in her life; recently having such negative reviews on costumes for a play in New York City, she’s now a wardrobe personal assistant for a production company. The production company, in fact, that has hunk actor Angus Gordon, the star that everyone wants to be around. Marlowe spills coffee one day on Angus and sets everything else in life in motion. Now, she’s thrust in the scene playing a waitress and figuring out who she is in this new lifestyle. Marlowe Banks is changing her world, buckle in.

Marlowe Banks, Redesigned shines a light on characters that are in the middle of finding out who they are. Debut author Jacqueline Firkins does a great job of showcasing insecurities, wishes and other needs in adulthood. Told in the single point of view of Marlowe, readers are also able to get inside Augus’s head and feel what he is feeling. I definitely recommend anyone but this book on their fall tbr!

I loved this book. It was juicy and romantic, packed with both tension and sweetness. Their relationship was the perfect mix of chemistry and a nice, nuanced development. They both grew as characters, which I appreciated. And the workplace friendships, dramas and details were wonderfully laid out and complex. This novel was truly a delight!

I thought this was a really sweet and fun read.

Marlowe Banks has fled NYC after her costume designs were shredded in her most recent job. She also flees her former fiancé and starts anew in L.A. working as a P.A. in the wardrobe department. An extra down on set, Marlowe just happens to be the right size for the wardrobe and ends up in a scene with the super famous Angus Gordon.

Angus does not have the best reputation and comes off as a complete jerk at first. Once you start to unravel who he really is, you realize how wonderful Angus is as a human. He's got a hard outer shell because of his profession, but there is such a deep caring, smart, generous, loyal guy living beneath his character's façade.

So many tropes in this one!
- Childhood crush
- Workplace
- Forced proximity
- Celebrity romance
- A little enemies to lovers
- Friends to lover
- Going viral

This was a slow burn and you watched as these enemies turned friends eventually turned into lovers. I loved seeing the growth in Marlowe's character. She had always been so focused on what everyone else was thinking, and playing small. She really grew into herself and learned how to stand up for herself after the trauma of dealing with the parents she had, as well as her former fiancé. Angus turned out to be a huge cinnamon roll and a wonderful partner for Marlowe.

I enjoyed the banter and all of the inside jokes that Marlowe and Angus developed. The epilogue was super cute with so many callbacks and inside jokes.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! I found it very original and enjoyable., This was my first book by this author but it definitely wont be the last!

First of all, a huge thank you to St Martins Press for allowing me to read this book prior to its release.

When I first saw the cover, I immediately knew I needed to meet Marlowe and she was an absolute delight!

This story was a perfect lighthearted read and it was SO readable, I flew through it in a 24 hour period. It wasn't a super intense plot but the pacing kept me hooked and entertained!

It was a little steamier than I prefer, so just something to keep in mind if you prefer a clean or closed door romance.

This book is available everywhere on October 25th and I think it will be a big hit! I think Jacqueline Firkins will develop a HUGE fan base too 👍👍

Great read, but I felt like something was missing. I would’ve liked to delve more deep into Angus’s upbringing. Female lead was understandable and i empathized with her struggle to stand up for herself. Ending was hilarious and original!

I have to be honest- the thing that first made me want to read this book was the fact that a Weimaraner was mentioned in the synopsis. I have a few of them, and I rarely get to see them in books, so I was excited about that! Came for the dog, stayed for the story. Marlowe's life is falling apart, so she does what anyone would do- she packs up and heads to another state. But there are some surprises waiting for her, and through the new challenges and experiences, she will find happiness once again. I enjoyed a lot of the behind the scenes stuff and Angus was the icing on the cake. I love an arrogant bad boy! Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read a digital ARC of this book!

This one pleasantly surprised me with the relationship development of the two main characters. Marlowe Banks is accustomed to being invisible and overlooked. She wears it like second skin, wanting approval and affirmation, but not quite ready to step into her own spotlight. As an assistant on the set of a popular television series, Marlowe is overqualified for her job of sorting out clothing and costumes, but it allows her to hide. She’s still reeling from a broken off engagement and taking a job across the country while coming to terms with the fact that she deserves better.

Angus Gordon, star of the show and celebrity heartthrob, has a run in with Marlowe. While it was hardly the start of a beautiful friendship, unforgettable first impressions were made. When they should not have crossed paths again, Marlowe winds up as an extra cast addition in a scene with Angus and things explode from there. Marlowe is garnering a lot of attention and scrutiny by her adjacent association to Angus and she’s not a fan.

I loved the sarcasm and humor between these two. Even though Marlowe is not an actress and couldn’t really be accused of being star struck, she doesn’t try to impress Angus in any way. Part of the joke is that she’s not lucky and she seems to keep fumbling or put her worst foot forward whenever she’s around him, which ends up being comical and doesn’t go unappreciated by Angus. Despite the packaged public persona, the real guy underneath is surprisingly down to earth, introverted and relatable.

Although a bit of a slow burn, it’s obvious that these two are like kindred spirits, too. It may seem like they come from opposite worlds and don’t fit into each other’s lives, yet they truly see the other. Marlowe is not trying to win Angus over, yet he can’t help but be charmed by her anyway despite all the mishaps. I really enjoyed seeing Marlowe come out of her shell physically through her role on-screen opposite Angus and metaphorically from her personal growth. Marlowe thinks of herself as ordinary or even less, but her authenticity is what shines through. I also admired the fact that Angus wasn’t the typical arrogant and cocky actor who expects the world to bow at his privileged feet, as he is vulnerable, too, and Marlowe keeps trying to maintain distance. Even with the humor, the issues present help to build layers and complexity with the characters and make it feel as though the reader is rooting for a pair good friends who deserve to be happy together.