I thought this was an easy read, and I feel like it will be loved by many members of the Booktok community. However, I wasn't the biggest fan of Angus and I felt as if the book was a bit slow at times. Regardless, this was a cute, lighthearted read and I would recommend it to others!

Light romance. Pretty cute, but nothing particularly special about this one for me. I found it a bit slow.

This book and I didn’t agree and I didn’t care about Angus.. That being said I’m sure this book will be good received in booktok.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: October 25, 2022
Marlowe Banks is a costume designer- although not if you ask the critics from her last job, who tore her apart publically. After breaking up with her fiancée, and desperate to avoid the ever-present disappointment of her uber-successful parents, Marlowe decides to move to Los Angeles from New York, leaving everything she knew behind in order to start over. When she takes a menial job as a design assistant on a popular soap opera style TV series, Marlowe knows she can do better. After a coffee spilling fiasco thrusts Marlowe into the spotlight (literally), she finds herself acting opposite lead heartthrob Angus Gordon. Marlowe immediately judges Angus as being self-obsessed, arrogant and rude but as she gets to know him her feelings change, in more ways than one. But Marlowe does not enjoy the spotlight and Angus lives every day in the centre of it all- can two people who are so different make a go of it in one of the most tenuous and cutthroat professions in the world?
Jacqueline Firkins newest romance, “Marlowe Banks, Redesigned” is a charmingly adorable story about starting over and finding your voice (with a Hallmark movie style romance with two people from very different worlds who meet and fall in love at its centre). Marlowe is a hot mess, escaping to Los Angeles after breaking off her engagement, trying to find refuge in the hardest city to disappear in, especially when she starts a relationship with big-time movie star, Angus. Angus, of course, has the “bad boy with a gentle soul” thing going for him, and with the Scottish roots and red hair, he gave off a Sam Heughan vibe (which is not at all a bad thing).
As is typical for this genre, the plot was predictable and the ending was pretty much set in stone from the beginning. There were no unexpected twists, and the characters ended exactly where you expect them too. But that doesn’t mean it’s not an enjoyable experience. I loved reading about the background players in the Los Angeles movie scene, and hearing all the dirty details that are normally hidden on the big screen.
“Marlowe Banks, Redesigned” is a perfect summer read! Light, uplifting and charming, Firkins brings two adorably broken characters together, and I couldn’t help but root for both of them!

I loved this slow burn love story! I appreciated that the author was able to tie in the deep and negative impacts of social media without it feeling like I was being lectured about the pitfalls of social media! As someone who is always questioning my skills and abilities, I could empathize with Marlowe and felt that Firkins did a good job at capturing the realities of imposter syndrome.

It was also clear that the author had a background in fashion--that came through clearly in her book and descriptions.

Special thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's Press for this ARC! Truly enjoyed this read!

This was not for me. I didn't love it. I was bored and kept trying to just reach the end. I feel their are readers would love this but not me.

Marlowe like the detective and Angus not like the beef…it’s a meeting between total opposites who fall for each other once they let the assumptions and social media fantasies fall to the side. It’s all predictable but it does ask some tough questions about who deserves love and what is real when you look at anyone’s social media.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins for the arc.

This book was such an interesting and well balanced mix of fantasy and realistic romance. The fantasy is played out in the romance between a famous actor and a down to earth woman. The realism is where this book stands out. Both main characters are well developed, their fears and insecurities are extremely relatable. Both Angus and Marlowe are misunderstood in different ways and their complicated relationship with social media is well integrated into the plot. This is an endearing slow burn romance, but it is also a thoughtful book that covers many relevant issues about how we portray ourselves to the world and how the world forces us into certain molds.

I wanted to love it. Marlowe being happy at her job, other then the boss, was so nice compared to so many books where people hate their job. However the actual plot and love felt so slow. I loved Marlowe but I could have easily forgotten the love interest.

I don't always love these kind of books but this one was good. I thought Marlowe was a great character and I loved going on this journey with her.

It was honestly a great cleanser after all the horror books I have been reading. I would definitely recommend this as a feel good read.

A line that really stood out to me was when Marlowe told Kelvin that he told her upon her breakup that she would never find anyone better and she responded that she had and it was "me". She knew that she didn't have to settle for just fine and being stubborn and outspoken was a terrific attribute to get what you deserve whether it be personal or professional. She knew that what she wanted and would continue to want is her relationship with Angus and they could make it work. Unlike TV filled with costumes, this is reality and not continuously magical. She took Babs advice and became an advocate for real people and all of their flaws such as clumsiness and nerves.

It's the case of being at the right place at the right time when a casting emergency means wardrobe PA Marlowe Banks steps from the wardrobe trailer and into a scene to pour a cup of coffee. When viewers spot the sizzling romantic tension between Marlowe and the lead actor during her fleeting screen time, she unwittingly causes a social media sensation.

This book is an interesting peek into the world of television and celebrity and covers a lot of ground with Marlow moving on from a breakup and forging her way in a new city. The leading man, Angus, is an equally complex character and you will root for both of them. The ending felt a bit rushed to me and I would have liked for the back third of the book to be a bit longer but I still enjoyed this Hollywood happily ever after.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC

A wonderful surprise! I had never read any titles from this author before, so I didn’t know what to expect. The storyline was original, and both main characters were unique as well. While still a traditional romance book formula, there were a few surprising themes and problems that the main characters faced. I would definitely recommend!

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this book!

This is a funny and sweet story, I loved it, I couldn’t put it down. This is my first book by this author but it definitely won't be the last.

Marlowe's life is a mess, her work, family and love life, so she decides to go to New York to try a new job, there is the PA of a show and there she meets Angus, the lead actor who is known for being a bad boy, but the more they get to know each other, the more she realizes that everything the media says is not reality and that Angus is actually a good guy.

I loved the chemistry between them and how little by little they develop feelings, I really liked Marlowe's growth both professionally and personally. This is a cute and fun second chance romance, perfect for RomCom fans. Highly recommended

I loved this book and didn't want to put it down! I loved both Marlowe and Angus, especially that this story took place over a longer period of time than most romance books so that they really had a chance to get to know one another and their romance didn't just seem to come out of left field super strong. I enjoyed the famous person/ordinary person trope and thought it was really well done. I'm going to be recommending this to everyone!

I enjoyed reading novels of characters reinventing themselves and Marlowe Banks, Redesigned” by Jacqueline Firkins is a great example of that.

Marlowe worked as a costume designer in NYC, but had to leaveher job and fiancé to start her life over in LA. She starts work as a PA on a TV show and of course, buts heads with an arrogant actor, Augus. Naturally, the two are headed for romance with plenty of pitstops on the way.

I found both Angus and Marlowe are hugely relatable. This story and plenty of humor to balance the romance.

Three and a half stars.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to give this novel an early read.

✏️ ARC Review: Publication Date, October 24!✏️

📚72/100
Marlowe Banks, Redesigned by Jacqueline Firkins
Format: 📱(ARC e-book via NetGalley)

All the thanks to @netgalley and Saint Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for publishing an honest review!

Okay, I’m either warming up to rom-coms or this was uniquely fun! To me, this gave me what I wanted from The Love Hypothesis. It was a cute, light read that still managed to not force eye rolls. Beachy, summer fun!

————————————————————
*Spoiler Free Summary*

A wardrobe emergency forces production assistant, Marlowe, into a walk on role in the TV show for which she works. Unfortunately, this means a scene with Angus- the brooding, arrogant male lead. Her background casting turns into a whirlwind when the internet theorizes her as a love interest. Marlowe comes to learn that not everything, or everyone, in Hollywood is what they seem.

#bookstagram #bookreview #fictionbooks #readersofinstagram #booksta #4starreview #noshelfcontrol #bookish #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #tbrlist #bookworm #netgalley #arc

good book and story. i felt for Marlow. I was a good story and really enjoyed this very much. must read.

When Marlow Banks high-tales it out of NYC because of some bad reviews of her costume designs and her critical ex-boyfriend, she is hoping for a fresh start. Unfortunately, L.A. isn't working out as she had hoped either. Marlowe is full of self doubt and insecurities. Working as a personal assistant for a costume designer on a long running TV show, she meets Angus. As the star of the show, he has a reputation of being a bad boy and womanizer. But as Marlowe gets to know the real Angus, she sees that you can't believe everything you hear. As the two get closer Marlowe and Angus are faced with media lies and trolls.

I liked Marlowe and how hard working she was. I was nice to see her move forward with her life and leave the past behind. Angus was such a good guy. The author did a good job of highlighting social media and online bullying in the story. The connection that Marlowe and Angus had felt realistic and the chemistry was good. Of course, I wanted to give Marlowe a pep talk and tell her not to worry about anyone else and do what was right for her.

The story has some good secondary characters like Cherry who deserves a happy ending of her own.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for the arc. This is my honest review.

this was really cute! watching marlowe’s confidence grow was so heartwarming and i love a good enemies to friends to lovers.