There was amazing chemistry between Marlowe and Angus. I would have loved to have seen more moments of them together and less surrounding her job. I loved reading about the television show that was going on and found that plot line to be more interesting. Overall the pacing felt irregular and very slow most of the times. A lot of information telling rather than showing.

I loved this story! Marlowe was a super-relatable heroine and Angus was all the things I enjoy in a hero (cute, smart, grumpy). I also loved all the details about Hollywood and fashion!

I really enjoyed this one!! I love good character growth and appreciated that Marlowe is empowered throughout the book. I loved the love story in this and how they had real conversations with each other. Very cute romance with a wonderful character arc!

Thank you NetGalley and Jacqueline Firkins!

Overall this book had some really good themes; specifically woman's empowerment and the right woman have to make their own decisions while feeling powerful and confident in these decisions. Both in their personal relationships, their work, and their overall lives.

Marlowe is faced with uncertainty in every choice from herself, her friends and parents. And while, yes, this is a romance, it's also a story about learning to be confident in your own choices. I almost appreciated that storyline more than the romance storyline.

But the romance was pretty damn amazing as well. Once you peel back Angus' layers, literally and metaphorically, the romance really picks up. Firkins did an incredible job of intertwining these two themes and making me invested in Marlowe's personal growth and the romance. While the overall storyline is pretty predictable I still a really enjoyed the journey to get to the ending.

If you are looking for a quick feel good romance with a touch a steamy scenes this one will be perfect for your beach or pool day.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for sending me a digital edition of this book in return for my honest thoughts.

This is a great book. The two main characters are Marlowe and Angus. They both work on a tv show production where they meet. Marlowe is a pa and Angus is an actor. There is an instant attraction. They have some problems with the press when they start seeing each other. There is a problem with trust but together they work it out and find love.

Thank you NetGalley, Jacqueline Firkins and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Marlowe Banks, Redesigned. This is my personal review.
I was so impressed with this book! It so much more than I was expecting.
Marlowe Banks had her life completely and totally come apart. Her engagement ended and so many other things were a mess in her life.
So, Marlowe decides to do something to change her life. Angus comes into her life at exactly the right time and things get very interesting!
The book was romance and so much more! The chemistry was there and to see Marlowe and Angus start out slow and as friends was perfect.
This is a book that I will read many times and keep on my bookshelf to share with others.

Marlowe Banks, Redesigned was a fabulous and fun read! Marlowe, who has recently relocated from NYC to LA after a messy breakup with her fiancé, finds herself working as a production assistant on a TV show. Marlowe feels like a failure: her parents are not supporting her, she no longer has a fiancé, and she isn't doing what she loves: designing. Marlowe is required to participate in the show after a mix up in costumes, leading to a life changing moment. She is paired with the show''s star, the handsome Angus Gordon. Marlowe is throw into the spotlight following a heated moment with Angus, something she wanted to avoid. Marlowe is required to spend a great deal of time with Angus, in which she learns a great deal about him. This slow-burn was very enjoyable. Thank you to Jacqueline Firkins and St. Martins for this ARC!

this was fun!!! i didn’t realize know what i was going in for but it wasn’t too bad. the third person pov really threw me for a loop during the beginning (probably because i actively distance myself away from books with that) but i started to feel it mid way through. this book was most definitely clique like i could predict almost all of angus and marlowe’s interactions/personality traits within the first four chapters. now did i enjoy this book? hell yeah i live clique predictable books!! everything about this book was just nice. nice characters, nice plot, nice romance, nice book.

Too cute romance. Marlowe Banks is working as a production assistant for a television series. She gets roped into so many other duties (dog-sitting) that don't actually fall under her official job title, but she manages just fine. Marlowe is skilled and efficient. She also seems to be talented in other areas. A costuming emergency arises and Marlowe gets cast as a waitress. It was a one-day role, but the chemistry between Marlowe and bad boy Angus Gordon gets noticed by fans. Her part is extended to a season-ending arc. Her relationship with Angus heats up both on and off the screen. Their relationship and their individual growth were both fleshed out extremely well.

This is a great book, filled with love, laughter, and discovery. I am so glad I was allowed to read this book. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of Ms. Firkins' work.

4.5- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 This romantic comedy was funny and adorable. There were some “steamy scenes” that can easily be skipped over. I got invested in Marlowe and Angus’s relationship, and needed to find out how they would overcome their obstacles. I especially enjoyed Angus’s views on being a celebrity.

Con- I prefer 1st person novels because some of the “she said”s confused be on who the she they were referring to. Also, what kind of name is Angus?

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. All opinions are mine.

An absolutely delight of a book. I loved Marlowe's journey, which felt real and relatable as she struggled with dealing with criticism, past toxic relationships, and being shoved into a public spotlight which brought out all her other insecurities. Angus is sweet and sexy all at once and I loved every word of this romance!

This book was exactly what I needed to get me out of a reading slump!

I loved all the characters, but especially Marlowe.

Okay so I love reading romances that have the celebrity angle, but one of my issues is that not a lot of them deal with the struggles of being a celebrity. Like, okay you're famous and have a big house but IF YOU HAVE FANS WHO LOVE YOU A LITTLE TOO MUCH ANYONE YOU DATE MIGHT BE AFFECTED.

And this! I adored this. And I got what I wanted!

Marlowe was delightful and I loved her arc and how realistic it was. I loved Angus! I liked that he was gruff and had issues and was worried and was delightfully funny. I loved all of Marlowe's friends. I loved all of Angus's friends!

I'm not going to lie, I was weirded out by one thing - if homegirl jumped from doing costuming to being on the camera... is this whole set... non-union? I only happen to know about this because of what happened with Netflix's "Nailed It" so unless I was laughing so hard and skimmed over a section, that is a weird.... part. A part almost no one would notice -- but I did!

Anyway. This was incredibly delightful.

I would never have imagined one of my book boyfriend’s names would be Agnus, but here we are…

Honestly, this book covered so much and is the perfect combination of contemporary romance, with women’s fiction.

Due to Marlowe leaving New York, and with a twist of fate, she now finds herself as the love interest for Agnus on a TV show.

This book had romance, spice, slow burn, banter, processing failure, and a revealing message regarding the impacts of social media, critics’ reviews, and celebrity worship.

This was fun and quick paced read and I think most people would enjoy it!

Marlowe Banks. Guys. This book was so good. You get skeptical when the MMC is named Angus but man, he can heat things up. I absolutely loved this story. Marlowe and Angus are such an amazing romantic couple and their relationships with the side character is so wonderfully written (I'm obsessed with Angus and Edith you guys). This Hollywood romance is a whirlwind of unexpected fame, secret love affairs, and ex's that should probably mind their own business. However, Marlowe and Angus find their way to each other and show their devotion in the simplest of ways. For any lover of the romantic comedy, you need to get your hands on this book!!

Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy.

Marlowe is working behind the scenes helping costume the stars of a popular TV show, when she is suddenly thrust into the spotlight herself and given the opportunity to experience a taste of life in front of the camera, and time with the brooding star, Angus. She is already starting over in a new state and new job, trying to leave past mistakes behind. What will this twist of fate mean to her already tenuous plans for her future?

I had a hard time with the first part of this story, when Angus and Marlowe are first interacting. Angus would act like an a-hole and then when Marlowe would stand up for herself, he would launch into a lecture about what how hard it is to be a celebrity when everyone is making assumptions about you. No assumptions being made my friend, what you said was totally rude. On the other hand, Marlowe really loved to make speeches of her own for no good reason. If the intent was set up tension and to illuminate the challenges of being famous and dating someone who is famous it can be, and has been, done better.

Luckily when the perils of fame have been well documented, the story finds its footing. There is the push and pull of attraction and Angus shows his inner kindness while Marlowe remains a bit of a charming mess. I really enjoyed reading about Marlowe's struggles with her career and evening found the tedious errands her Miranda Priestly like boss sent her one interesting to read about as I have never considered what goes into costuming a TV show,

It is always fun to escape into a book about a Hollywood fantasy and after all of the caution tape surrounding this one was unwound, the charm was able to breathe.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Cute chic lit. Easy and fast read.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this novel, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! It's half romance and half women's lit, and does a great job at exploring the growing romance between Marlowe and Angus, while ultimately being about Marlowe's personal journey. Marlowe left her old life in New York City behind after the criticism from both theater critics and her ex-fiancé got to be too much. As Marlowe takes on a small role on the hit tv show she works for and starts to spend more time with its star, Angus Gordon, she faces more criticism from strangers about both her role and her relationship. I loved the message that although we live in a world full of criticism, both positive and negative, it shouldn't stop us from doing what we love.

Failure is hard, and Marlowe Banks has had it hard. She retreated from failures both romantic and professional in New York to Los Angeles, where she works as a lowly production assistant on a television show nearing the end of its run. Her boss fills her day with trivial tasks, and she spends most of her time driving around the city buying and returning items for wardrobe. Until. One day she pitches in on set and pours a cup of coffee, and her world turns upside down.
I loved the taste this book offered of the inner tedium of glamourous Hollywood, and I appreciated watching Marlowe learn to distinguish reality and reality TV. She stands on her own two feet, and her arc is a pleasure to read.

This is gonna be a short review because I think you should go into this with an open mind and knowing that you’ll close the book thinking about one of the big themes: failure

Dealing with adversity all wrapped up in a relatable book. And no, clearly don’t mean we all work in tv, but we all have that pain of being criticized and the self esteem issues that comes with it. It’s celebrity meets reality in a steamy self exploratory contemporary romance.

So good. Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy in return for an honest review.