A very sweet, second-chance romance! 3.5 stars!

There was a lot to love about this book. It was effortless to read. The pages felt like they were flying by, and I loved the author's writing. However, some small things ended up making me not fall in love with it entirely…

For starters, there was some depth lacking in Liv and Ransom's past. I think for a second chance romance to work, we have to fully understand the character’s relationship in the past. Sadly, with this one, we only get small pieces of it in conversation, and with Liv remembering small things. It would have been much more impactful for there to be chapters set in the past when they were on screen together in their youth. It felt like we were only told that they were close and had this history, and that's so much less impactful than actually seeing those moments for ourselves.

This, unfortunately, ended up adding to my inability to connect with the two characters, believe in their love story, and feel the romance and connection between them. I never felt myself rooting for them or getting excited once they started showing interest in each other. It didn’t feel satisfying to see them together in the present without an accurate idea of how they were in the past. This book missed out on giving us some drama, pining, and tension between Ransom and Liv. I felt myself wanting more from the two characters; more longing, more wanting, more chemistry. Even their first time seeing each other fell a little flat for me. I wanted more overall from this. It seemed like the characters stayed at the same level throughout the entire story, there were no outbursts of emotion or anything that made me feel like they even believed in their love story for themselves.

However, I still think the author’s writing is strong. This story felt very easy to read and dive into. I see many people love it, so that makes me think I might be a bit of a picky reader as well. It’s still worth checking out and reading for yourself! And I'm very excited to read anything else Miss Olsen decides to come out with!

As always, thank you, Atria and Netgalley, for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review! It was a fun one to read!

📚📚 BOOK REVIEW🌟 🌟 💫


Thank you Atria books, Netgalley and Kayla Olson for the ARC of The Reunion to provide my honest review.

Now this is the season of reboots and Reunions- as TV production execs are picking at old bygone series to pull at your heartstrings and nostalgia. Kayla smartly uses this as a backdrop, sets up a fictionalised teen drama “Girl on the Verge” reunion with sisterhood, friendship, pop rivalry and loads of fun thrown about. However what makes The Reunion endearing is the sweet romance at the core.

Liv Latimer is about the relive her teen years as she returns to a one night reunion of her popular drama. Liv though has spent her adolescence trying to differentiate the protagonist “Honor” and “Liv” the person. A major reason- Ransom Joel- her on-screen love interest and once best friend. As circumstances force the pair back together, can old bygone misunderstandings be cleared and will romance rekindle amongst the adorable fan favorite- 20 years after the show’s premiere? Will the streaming service green light the reboot? Will Liv and Ransom relive the chemistry and get the ending they deserve forms the rest of the story.

The writing by Kayla is spot on and smart- the interludes of the characters playing out scenes to advance their own storyline kept me engaged. The additional pop culture online articles was innovative and helps flesh out the characters and their lives thought could have been edited. What worked for me were the two protagonists who will make you root for them to be united. The “will they- won’t they” cliffhangers and the conflicts on the sets seem real. My first ARC for 2023 and definitely recommended.

#BookReview #NetGalley #TheReunion

FLEW through this excellent, incredible book. Tightly written, earnest, laugh-out-loud funny at several parts—one of the best romps books I've read in ages.

I loved these two characters. They were so great. I loved their background history and their chemistry, the love and support for one another, the angst, the push and pull, the sexual tension between them, everything was so well executed by the author. The characters were not perfect, they had their own struggles and obstacles they had to overcome before they came to the realization that they are better together than apart. I’m so happy with how everything wrapped up at the end. It was such an enjoyable book.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Fun friends to lovers, second chance romance set in Hollywood. Lots of 90s sitcom vibes. I loved the description and was excited to pick this one up. I got a little bogged down/annoyed by some of Liv and Ransoms miscommunications but overall loved their story and the second chance aspect. It was also fun to experience all the behind the scenes of filming. Would definitely recommend if you’re looking for an escape to Hollywood.

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much @AtriaBooks for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 17 January 2023)

SYNOPSIS | Liv & Ransom played high school sweethearts on a hit teen tv show, yet in real life they were the best of friends and nothing more. After filming ended, the co-stars had a falling out, went their separate ways & haven't spoken in 14 years. Now they are brought back together to film a special 20 year reunion episode which causes them to face their feelings about each other & what happened all those years ago.

WHAT I LIKED:
- the addition of tabloid articles & social media posts after each chapter were a clever way of allowing us to get to know the secondary characters
- the day-by-day behind the scenes look into filming a tv show
- the story focused on both the romance & on the main characters deciding how they wanted to shape & pursue their careers
- second chance romance & mutual pining

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- the chemistry between the MC & love interest was written wonderfully, but I wanted it to translate into intimacy on the page
- I would have also loved to see flashbacks of them during their teen years to help cement their romantic connection (there was a lot of telling us they had feelings without actually showing us)

The Reunion
by Kayla Olson
Pub Date: January 17, 2023
Atria
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
I was drawn to this book because I have recently read several heavy books and needed a more lighthearted one.
When two former teen stars reconnect at the reunion for their hit TV show, they discover their feelings for one another were not merely scripted in this charming and heartwarming novel perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne.
I loved the dedication page to all the Emily's who inspired the author and encouraged her while writing this book. This one's for you!
The second chance romance was cute at times but fell flat for me due to the lack of emotional depth. This is probably a case of the book wasn't for me. The writing was fine and easy to read but it felt too trendy as it mentions certain brands, celebrity gossip items and social media posts between
every chapter.
3 stars

I just finished reading "The Reunion" by Kayla Olson and it was such a fun ride! 4⭐

Liv and Ransom were teen stars in a beloved TV show 20 years ago. Their characters were love interests and they were besties in real life, but they took a step back and have fallen out of touch. Sparks fly again as the gang gets back together for the reunion special. Liv and Ransom must decide what's real and what's just acting, while also making hard decisions about their next career steps.

I got really invested in Liv and her friends, as well as the drama onset. I also enjoyed the inclusion of social media feeds and tabloid stories in between chapters. I think the only reason this wasn't more stars for me was because it was so similar to several books I read last year. But, if you love "Hollywood insider"-type stories and second chance romances, I do think you'll really like this one!

3 Stars The Reunion by Kayla Olson is a sweet, closed-door, second-chance romance between two former co-stars and best friends. Liv Latimer and Ransom Joel were just teenagers when they starred on the hit TV show Girl on the Verge and they became household names overnight. Twenty years after the show’s premiere, the cast has reunited for a single reunion episode, giving fans the closure they’ve been seeking over the fourteen years since the finale, which left on a cliffhanger of Liv’s character choosing between staying with Ransom’s character or going to New York. Liv and Ransom were the best of friends on set, even though Liv secretly hid that she was in love with Ransom for years. Just as the show wrapped up, Ransom suggested they get some space from each other, as no one would want to date them considering how close they were. Since then, Liv hasn’t spoken to Ransom at all. Now an indie film darling, Liv is nervous to be back in the spotlight and back on set with Ransom, where she has to conceal her feelings once more. Liv and Ransom grow close once again, seeming to lead towards more. Is this the chance Liv’s been waiting for? And what will happen if the rumored show reboot gets a green light?

This was a light and easy read, and I quickly read the entire thing in one sitting. I really liked Liv’s character. Even though she was a big star and had a famous Oscar-winning dad, she was down to earth and genuine, while still protecting her privacy from the paparazzi and fans. I wish the epilogue had been set further out from the last chapter so we could have seen more about where Liv and Ransom ended up.

Kayla Olson had me hooked from the Dedication page. I absolutely adored this book and its sweet story. I wish I could be friends with Liv and Brie! This book gave me so many nostalgic feels for my favorite TV shows in the 90s and 00s. I’m so glad it was my first read of he year, and I can’t wait for all my friends to read it. Thanks NetGalley!

I really enjoyed this!! It was super cute and while I was at work I was waiting to come home and read it lol. I loved all the characters… now we just need Bre and Ford’s book!!

I'm a sucker for celeb romance and The Reunion is definitely one that needs to be on your radar!

WHAT I LIKED:
- the characters, especially Bre and Ford
- Ransom is a love boat and I kept picturing Justin Baldoni and I ain't even mad about it
- Liv gave me Emma Stone vibes -- super relaxed and relatable.
- that you saw the characters as REAL people and not the famous actors that they are
- super sweet childhood friends to lovers, second chance romance
- between chapters, there are news or gossip articles
- gave me Wibbroka vibes
- I couldn't put it down and read the last 40% in one sitting
- Ransom & Liv's relationship was super sweet, adorable and gave me alllll the feels. esp when Olson describes how Ransom is looking at Liv. heart eyes for days.

I really, really hope there is a companion sequel featuring Bre and Ford bc the only thing that I didn't really love was that we didn't get more of them. GIMME MORE.


Thank you to Atria for gifting me an e-ARC of this free to review! Def keep this on your radars for its release on January 17!

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Ms. Olson for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

Liv and Ransom and their former costars (television-family and friends) are all reunited for a reunion special of the TV show they starred in (and which ended) 14 years ago. Liv is practically a recluse: she has acted since then, but only in indie projects, and values her privacy over everything. In contrast, Ransom has become a bona fide action movie star and his name is everywhere. When thrown back into proximity on-set, Liv and Ransom almost immediately kindle the chemistry that was abruptly ended 14 years before when Ransom asked for a step back to their 'friendship'.

I was not a big connoisseur of teen tv as a child: Boy Meets World, I remember seeing a couple of times, and Full House also, but One Tree Hill and Dawsons Creek and Gilmore Girls and iCarly and those sorts of shows weren't really on my radar. Nonetheless, Liv's world as a former teenage tv star is fully realized. I can completely understand the comments that her romance with former costar Ransom seems abrupt (or even instant) when they come back into contact, but there were so many years of chemistry, friendship, inside jokes, secrets, physical awareness, etc that to me her rekindling of that spark with Ransom reminded me of that friend you can be parted with for years and then reconnect with as though no time had passed. Granted, 14 years is... a LONG time. That's the only thing that didn't really feel satisfactory, although it was explained.

I really liked that Liv made the decision she needed to for herself, not for others, and I finished the book feeling pretty good about it. I'll say this: it was compulsively readable and I was flipping pages long after I should have been in bed. I would absolutely be up for reading about Ford and Bre, which seemed like it could be a pretty darn good story as well.

This was a great book to start the New Year off with 👌🤩

First, I want to thank Atria and Kayla Olson for an ARC of this book, which is releasing soon on January 17th! This was a childhood best friends to lost friendship to second-chance romance story that I definitely enjoyed.

Random and Liv were teenage stars of a super popular teen show and became best friends during the six years they filmed together, but after the show wrapped 14 years ago their friendship died with it.

Now, there’s a 20th anniversary reunion special being filmed, and Liv and Ransom (as well as their feelings for each other) are reunited!

I liked this book and would definitely recommend reading it. It’s fun and includes gossip columns between every chapter about the celebrity duo, which was unique 💛

This book was so cute and charming, I loved the premise. It fell flat in some places but I overall quite enjoyed it.

The Reunion by Kayla Olson was a fun Hollywood second chance romance but I felt that the characters lacked depth.

Liv Latimer and Ransom Joel are back, 14 years later, for the reboot of the show they basically grew up starring in. Liv is nervous about being in the spotlight again with the pressure of an entire fandom, the press, and social media. She's also nervous about reconnecting with her former co-star and former best friend, who she always had romantic feelings for, Ransom. As soon as Liv and Ransom meet again, it's like they were never apart, easily falling back into their friendship and something more. Meanwhile, there is drama around every turn as they film the reboot.

Kayla Olson has some great descriptions of setting but, sadly, her characters fell flat for me. The only full fleshed out character was Liv. Ransom, as a character, lacked emotional depth which made it kind of difficult to cheer for the relationship. There were a couple of moments where I got butterflies, but the tension and emotional connection felt a bit forced. The secondary characters didn't add the kind of value or drama that I was hoping for and mainly stayed on the periphery of the story, with the exception of Ford. I would read a whole book about Ford.

The story is told in Liv's POV, primarily, but there are gossip column articles in almost every chapter. Some of those felt unnecessary to the story and I just skimmed them. It seems like they were doing the heavy lifting of building out character development for the secondary characters. This is also a closed door or fade to black romance, which I didn't mind.

Overall, I liked The Reunion. I thought it was fun and had a good pace.

After 20 years, the cast for the hit show, Girl on the Verge, is getting together for a reunion episode. Liv, who played the main character, has not seen her best friend and co-star Ramson in a long time and when the two are finally in close proximity again, sparks quickly resurface and Liv realizes she has some big decisions to make.

This was a fun, light read that gave a glimpse into Hollywood and what it’s like filming a tv show. I love how there was a tabloid, social media post or news article at the start of each chapter that shared gossip not only about Liv and Ramson, but the entire cast and production team. This helped the secondary characters feel well-developed without having chapters from their POVs. With regards to the romance, a second chance love story is one of my favorite tropes, and I really enjoyed the development of Liv and Ramson’s relationship, the witty banter and undeniable chemistry, even though it was completed closed door. I will say I wasn’t a fan of the third act break up and wish there wasn’t so much miscommunication, but it was still such a strong debut.

I listened to the audiobook and Andi Arndt’s narration never fails to amaze me. She was animated, engaging, and her voice definitely helped me binge this book!!

Read if you like:
-Friends to lovers
-Reunion TV episodes
-Hollywood drama/ tabloids
-Closed door romances
-How to Fake it in Hollywood and Built to Last

Thank you Simon Audio for the free audiobook.

I really enjoyed this romance, it was a hard one to put down! It felt like the perfect mix of How To Fake It In Hollywood and Built to Last, which were two of my favorite reads last year. The Hollywood vibes and the costars falling for each other aspects were so cute and I was definitely rooting for them from the start. I loved the news/social media articles throughout, they really brought a lot to the story and it made it feel like we were following the love story of a real celebrity couple. I would have liked to see more of a slower burn with the reconnection between Liv and Ransom rather than this sort of insta-love feeling after not seeing each other for over a decade and no communication after the show wrapped. It was a bit hard to believe that they would just be able to slip back into the way they were before as they were so young at that time and people can change and grow so much during adulthood. Despite that, I thought the tension and chemistry between the characters was good. A little more steam would have been great, but I overall it was a solid romance read for me!

Short Synopsis:
Liv and Ransom were teenage co-stars in a hit series. It’s over a decade later and they are back for a reunion episode. The catch? Liv has always been in love with Ransom.

My Thoughts:
If you’ve been following a long for awhile now, you know I’m a sucker for celebrity romances AND second-chance romance, so this one hit all the spots.
This was fun, and light and made me smile. I loved all the news articles sprinkled in - it made it feel like I was reading about a real Hollywood show/couple.

Twenty years after the premiere of iconic teen show Girl on the Verge, the cast is brought together for a reunion special. Not only is former teen star Liv Latimer forced back into the burning hot spotlight that she hid from for so long, but she must also reunite with the costar and best friend that she was previously in love with, Ransom Joel. This return to the past gives Liv a second chance at relationships, career decisions, and happiness.

The Reunion is perfect for readers who love show business as a backdrop for romance. It was fun to see behind the scenes of a big pop culture moment, albeit fictional, and to dwell in this world of glamour and romance. As someone who is a huge fan of film and TV (especially comfort TV), those aspects of the story were my favorite. The romance was heartwarming and sweet, and the characters were lovable.

My only criticism would be that the story isn’t as immersive as I would have liked. So much of it is told through public events, the work that characters do, and social media, so it felt as if there weren’t enough scenes where we spend time with the main characters falling in love. This made the romance feel too fast. Otherwise, this is a fun, comfy read for fans of show business and second chance romance!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Fell in love with this book! I love a good movie-ish romance. I was also super excited to see it was a BOTM pick!