I absolutely love second chance romance, but this did not suck me in. It may be the mood I’m in but I just wasn’t feeling this story. I found it hard to get invested in the story and it was just falling flat for me. I also am not one for all the extra commentary/news headlines/text conversations that we got every chapter. I can see how people would love this book, so definitely give it a chance if you like Hollywood romance. I ended up DNFing at a 40%

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ebook!

🎥BOOK REVIEW🎥

The Reunion by Kayla Olson
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

“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 wasn’t convinced I was going to love a celebrity romance story, but I loved Liv’s character so much! Liv, once a child star in a hit show, has taken a huge step back from her celebrity and is being pulled back in by a 20-year reunion special. Her self-reflection and relationship with her celebrity was my favorite part of the book. Liv has unresolved and (in her mind) unrequited feelings for her costar and ex-best friend, Ransom. Little died she know, he may have been feeling the same way about her. Their chemistry was great and I loved them together!

I loved that half of the chapters were written like a gossip column! It presented relevant information on the characters, while making it interesting and not an info dump!

Recommend if you like:
🎥Celebrity romance
🎥Childhood friends-to-lovers
🎥Slow burn
🎥Closed door romance
🎥90’s/00’s TV nostalgia

Publish date: January 17, 2023

Thank you to @netgalley, @atriabooks and the author for the ARC!

#thereunion #botm #kaylaolson #bookreview #arcreview #bookstagram #books #bookish #kindlepaperwhite #bookishreview #botmreview #bookstack #bookshelf #2023readingchallenge #goodreadschallenge

Agh, this premise! I am here for a behind-the-scenes Hollywood romance all the way and this one delivers! It reminded me of Jen Calonita's Secrets of My Hollywood Life, in the best possible way.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review!
The Reunion is a romance novel that follows Liv and Ransom who starred in the hit show Girl on the Verge in their teenage years. They were best friends until the end of the show when they decided to go their separate ways. Now it's been 20 years since the show first aired and they are going to see each other again for the reunion episode. Liv only wonders if she can push down her past feelings towards Ransom and get through being in the spotlight again.
I have to say that I had high hopes for this book and it definitely did not disappoint! I loved that we got a second chance at romance for Liv and Ransom while also getting to see the ins and outs of the reunion episode being filmed and the impacts it has on the characters. While I would have liked to see more of Liv and Ransom together, I liked that the story was equally balanced between romance and plot. Also, can we talk about the nostalgia of this story! The vibes of growing up with a favorite show and then seeing the characters come together all grown up for a reunion were so fun to see. I liked that between every chapter we had news/tabloid articles and comments to see what was happening in the story from an outside perspective. I also loved when we were able to directly read the script for the reunion episode because it added more levels to the story. All of that came together and reminded me of how I felt reading Taylor Jenkins Reid's novels like Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones, and Carrie Soto. While this novel is distinctly different from those, they gave me similar feelings of being emotionally invested and wanting to see these characters in real life. I just want to watch Girl on the Verge and eat popcorn with the rest of this fictional world! Lastly, I want to touch on how much I loved Liv's character. The way her life directly paralleled her character Honor, was fantastic. Liv always talked about how much fans look up to and cherish Honor so it was great to see her doing the same (especially in the final scene she filmed). Overall, I absolutely loved this book and definitely recommend it if you are looking for a new romance read!

A sweet, second chance romance full of Hollywood glitz and glam!

When Liv and Ransom met on the set of breakout TV series Girl on The Verge as teenagers, they quickly became best friends who fell for each other hard and fast. Neither one would cop to their feelings, so ultimately they drifted apart when the show wrapped. Fast forward twenty years and Girl on The Verge is getting a reboot starring Liv and Ransom alongside one another yet again. Neither has stopped thinking about the other since the show wrapped all those years ago. Will they take the second chance at love they've been offered or will they deny those feelings yet again?

A romance between two teen stars given a second chance when their hit TV series gets a reboot? YES PLEASE. Fans of Girl Meets World, buckle up! This was a super sweet romance, so if you're looking for spice - this isn't it. However, the chemistry was definitely palpable between Liv and Ransom. There were gossip blasts between chapters that were giving a mix between Gossip Girl and Perez Hilton which I thought were a cute addition. I liked getting a peek at how the world viewed the two stars through the blasts while simultaneously getting the intimate details of their lives through the chapters. When Liv and Ransom see one another again, it felt really insta-love which I did like considering they'd been pining after one another for so long. However, I wouldn't have minded to see a little angst there too. Overall, this was a sweet read that I'd recommend for fans of rom-coms, second chance romances, and pop culture fans!

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book was an excellent take on some classic tropes. I really enjoyed the character development, and the development of their relationship. The side characters were also excellent, and fully-formed. I enjoyed the plot and the writing, and overall I would definitely recommend this book!

My only complaint is that the fade-to-black was very clumsy. I don't have a problem with FTB, but I like it to feel like a complete moment. In this book, it felt rushed and like an afterthought. I either needed no FTB or a more robust FTB. This is, of course, my own opinion and I don't think that should sway you from picking up this title when it releases!

This is one of those reads where it would be considered a popcorn book. It wasn’t amazing but it had it’s moments and made for a good read where you don’t have to think much about it.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Liv Latimer. She was a child actress who retreated from the spotlight after the death of her father. I couldn’t imagine losing someone so close and then having paparazzi in your face about your feelings. I understood a lot of her choices. She was doing what was best for her mental health and that is something a lot of people have a hard time with.

A lot of the other characters felt very surface level, even Liz at times. I didn’t feel a grand connection to them outside of what I mentioned about the main character. Because of this, the romance felt lacking. There wasn’t a big connection between them besides what was in the past that never happened and they remained with those feelings their whole lives. It felt like everything we got from them was mostly past experiences and not enough “in the moment”. I just wish it hasn’t been so insta-love when it came to their second chance. They did at least have some cute moments together.

The format of the book includes articles and social media comments to pull everything together when it comes to celebrities and being in the spotlight. I thought they were a nice touch and always like seeing other formats of writing included.

Overall, this was a cute read but it also felt lacking in some areas.

There are so many shows that I loved growing up and was totally bummed when they ended. Party of Five, Dawson’s Creek, My So Called Life, the list goes on and on and I would love to see where those characters are now. The Reunion explores that premise and I was so excited to read about a group of stars from a popular teen drama Girl on the Verge reuniting for a 20 year reunion episode and a possible show reboot! This is my first Kayla Olsen read and I liked it. I enjoyed that each chapter opened with blurbs and articles from social media and I’m a sucker for slow burn, friends to lovers romances. Some of the story was a bit slow at times but overall a fun, light read that gave a glimpse into Hollywood and what it’s like filming a tv show. If you enjoyed How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder I think you’ll enjoy this book

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for the early copy

3.85 stars

This one started off really fun. The premise immediately sounded really intriging to me and I really liked how the author set things up in the beginning of the book. I especially liked the inclussion of articles from gossip blogs. It really brought this world to live and I really liked what they ended up adding to the story. That's kind of where the positive things end for me. I really did not like the romance. I thought it was completely underdeveloped and just hinged on the fact that "I've always loved him". That's it. That's not enough to get me to root for the relationship. Especially not because it's been 14 years since they last talked and therefore A LOT has changed and we never actually get to see their friendship/relationship in the past. On top of that we have a third act conflict that convinces me more that these two should not be together than this book ever managed to do otherwise. So yeah, that was dissapointing. On top of that the main character felt very hypocritical and the way a certain storyline with Sasha-Kate was handled almost made me rage quit. In conclusion, I wanted to love this and even had a fun enough time reading it at some moments to not completely hate it but I was not a fan of this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers of The Reunion for the advanced readers copy.

3.5 ⭐️ s (rounded to 4 due to Goodreads rating scale)

Second chance love | Hollywood romance

Kayla Olson’s book gives Millennials and Gen Zs the perfect feeling of nostalgia with this second chance Hollywood love story. She pulls at the feelings of a beloved childhood show coming back for a reunion special. Her book is an easy and light-hearted read.

What’s extra special is that Liv, the main character, is seeing her ex-best friend/coworker/crush Ransom again. Their relationship and struggles throughout the story has you rooting for them the entire time.

Throughout the story Liv battles with her feelings for Ransom, as well as her future with acting. Her character is very likable and her situation is so realistic to what is seen with stars acting in reunion specials.

In addition to Ransom and Liv there are many characters in the story who are likable— almost as much as the main characters. Which is one part of my rating. I felt that I knew as much about the side characters, costar Ford and friend/manager Bre, as I did the main characters. I wanted to feel attached to Liv and Random, but felt their relationship, story, and details were very surface level.

Furthermore, at the end of each chapter there is a “news story” or social media content with “fans comments”. Often I felt these were unnecessary to the overall story and made me want to skim through them.

If you loved How to Fake it in Hollywood or Birds of Paradise or Built to Last, The Reunion is for you!

Twenty years ago, Liv and Ransom were on the hit teen TV show Girl on the Verge. They were the best of friends from their first day on set through the six seasons the show ran, until they “broke up” and each went their own way. Reunited after all this time to film a reunion special for a streaming channel, the pair are forced back together and all their deeply buried feelings come flying back to the surface. To Liv, Ransom was her best friend and confidant, her rock and safe place when her father died, and she had secretly been in love with him all this time. But Ransom, never felt the same (or did he?), otherwise he wouldn’t have broken their friendship off so they could see other people without the complications of having a best friend of the opposite sex. But from the moment they reunite, they fall right back into old patterns - but this time the stakes are higher and the feeling and emotions more mature. Back then they were just teenagers, but now they’re adults who have been hurt and have careers and futures to consider… can they have it all? Love and successful Hollywood careers?

A second-chance romance between two former teen TV stars. I instantly felt the connection between the MCs, Liv and Ransom. This may have felt like insta-love but their deep rooted connection from years prior made it feel very real. As the third act drama unfolded, I was a bit skeptical on how the story would end but was thankful for a HEA. One thing I disliked was the over abundance of celebrity gossip articles and social media posts after each chapter. They did add to the events of the book overall, but it did feel very excessive in my opinion.

I look forward to reading romance by Kayla Olson again in the future.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

When I started reading this I was quicky hooked. It had everything I love in a second chance romance (even thought tecnically isnt) without what I usually dont like (a lot of flashbacks). And also it was friends to lovers the way I like it: with pinning, yearning and a little bit of angst. I love friends to lovers but I feel like its getting harder to find ones I liker recently, so the book already had a lot of points with me.

But unfortunately even thought it had a lot i loved, there were also a lot I disliked.
First, Sasha-kate. I don't really saw the point of her character and I usually dislike characters like her that just feel like soap opera villains and usually one dimensional. I think the part her character had at the end could have happened with her being more interesting and not just a jealous mean girl just for the sake of being. I also fing it really hard to have this without crossing the line of the main character seem like a "not like other girls" because of the other characters ambitions and interests.
Second the blog entries, tweets/messages. I love having these in books but even thought I know it isnt necessary unrealistic sometimes the "cringeness" was a bit too much and I think it might make the book a bit dated.
Lastly the conflict. I could not buy the reason Liv had for doubting someone who was above all her close friend that she knew since so young. And she said it to him even after he explained what happened.

I still will be excited to see what the author writes next! Because above all this book made me actually FEEL the romance and its something that im having a hard time finding lately, so im at least glad i started 2023 well in that part.

She was a girl on the verge of everything, but when her breakthrough show ended, Liv chose a quieter life. Now, she’s back where it all began, and not only must she made a major decision about her career, she must also decide if she is willing to open her heart to love again.

This was my first experience with Olson’s work, and I really enjoyed it. For starters, this book featured my favorite trope, second chance romance. I am trash for past loves reigniting their flame. I especially adore when childhood sweethearts return, older and wiser, to renew their bond. As far as the romance between Liv and Ransom, I was wholly on board. There were definite sparks at their reunion, but my desire to see them together grew as bits of their past were revealed to me. There is a light that never goes out, and it was the love between these two which resulted in some swooning from me.

As with most Hollywood romances, there was a lot of drama that came from external sources. It was expected, and I enjoyed the bursts of this via social media and blog posts which were often very amusing. The behind the scenes stuff was interesting, and I enjoyed the friendships that were highlighted as well.

But like I said, it was all about Ransom and Liv for me. Every smile, every glance got me more and more excited for these two to finally act on their feelings after such a long time. I would have loved to have had more time with Liv and Ransom as a couple, but I can say the time I did get was wonderful. A strong ending featuring super sweet grand gesture made a big impression on me. It had me feeling that bliss I chase with every romance I read and left me with a happy heart.

Liv and Ramson were childhood stars in a hit TV series and BFF. Years later, the cast of Girl on the Verge, was slated to appear in a reunion show. Are the once teen heart throbs meant to be friends after all these years of separation? Or are they meant to be more? This books follows the ebbs and flows of Liv And Ransom’s reunion. This is the quintessential slow-burn romance. The only negative is the press releases that start every other chapter. I believe these detract from the love story between the two main characters.

This is the first novel I've read by this author, and I really enjoyed it. After 20 years, the TV show Liv starred in is having a reunion show, and possibly a revival. Her costar, and former best friend Ransom, who she hasn't really spoken to in 14 years is there too. Old rivalries resurface, old dynamics restart, and possibly, will love bloom this time around for Liv and Ransom?

This was a fun, easy read. The characters were well formed, I enjoyed the snappy writing style, and recommend this to anyone who loved Beverly Hills, 90210 and Gilmore Girls.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for the ARC!

The Reunion by Kayla Olson
⭐️ rating: 5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 genre: romance
🔥 steam: fade-to-black

This is one of those books that I absolutely loved and could not put down…but don’t ask me what happens. Because nothing really does. 😂 But you enjoy every second of it anyway. I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed this book and Liv.

I think what I loved in this book is the characters. They were all pretty well built out & relatable (even though they’re famous & I’m clearly…not). Ford might be one of my new favorite characters & my fingers are crossed that he gets a novel next!

I also LOVED that each chapter ended/started with a breaking news article! It really helped to add necessary background and exposition I’m a fun and refreshing way!

Read if you like:
✨ TV Revivals (think more Veronica Mars than Gilmore Girls)
✨ Second chance romance, friends-to-lovers
✨ Single POV

This was the first time I read this author and I really enjoyed the story.

It's been years since the TV series where Liv played the main character ended and the whole cast is invited to a 20-year reunion. It's also been 14 years since she last saw Ransom, who played the love interest. They were best friends but haven't had any contact after she asked him for a break.

As the cast gets back together, old dynamics come into play between all of them. Liv and Ransom discover they still have strong feelings for each other, but things are not easy for them.

Second chance is my favorite trope and this was a great example of it. I liked how the relationship developed between Ransom and Liv, and the friendships with the other members of the cast, and how they evolved individually as well.

Really cute story!

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

The Reunion is a sweet friends to lovers/second chance romance. I loved the alternating POV between Liv and the Internet posts/articles about the reboot and it’s stars. I enjoyed reading about the behind the scenes on the set of the reboot and Liv’s struggle with fame. I do wish there’d been more of Liv and Ransom, maybe even chapters from his POV. Overall this was a cute rom com and a must read for fans of teen dramas or second chance romances!

Cute second chance romance story about childhood best friends/coworkers on a hit series show. Luv and Ransom have undeniable connections.