This book, despite promising potential in the reunion of former teen show stars Liv and Ransom, falls disappointingly short of expectations. The narrative takes an unexpected turn from an angsty second-chance romance into insta-love territory, robbing the story of the anticipated emotional depth. While Liv's character stands out as a redeeming factor with a well-rounded portrayal, the unconvincing chemistry between her and Ransom undermines the authenticity of their rekindled connection. The novel's attempt to incorporate trendy elements, occasional brand mentions, and the obnoxious inclusion of gossip articles and social media inserts between chapters disrupt the narrative flow. Despite Liv's character offering depth, the overall lack of substance in the central romance leads to a forgettable reading experience. The constant name dropping and overzealous descriptions of outfits and food further detract from the overall enjoyment. Unfortunately, as a Book of the Month choice, "The Reunion" fails to deliver a compelling reading experience, lacking the depth and substance needed to make it stand out in the genre. Special thanks are extended to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing the ARC, but the novel ultimately disappoints with its predictable plot, lack of spark, and underdeveloped characters.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook.
The story itself was okay. It was a bit slow and I really didn't care about the characters or their background and the whole Hollywood thing was boring.

2/5 Stars

I felt nothing while reading this book. The synopsis sounded so good and right up my alley but it just wasn't a hit with me. I couldn't connect with the characters so I just really didn't care about anything that happened with the romance. The Spark for me just wasn't there. I'm not sure if it was the writing or just the general story for me. Everything about this book should've been a hit. Overall this was just not the book for me, hopefully, others found love with this second chance romance.

Delightful second chance romance set in a glamorous world that most readers can only dream about. The world feels very real, too. I felt as though I was invited backstage for a peek.

"The Reunion", by Kayla Olson, centers around the main characters of a world-famous TV show who must come back together years later for their show's anniversary and reunion special. Liv and Ransom practically grew up together on set as stars of the hit show "Girl on the Verge." Despite growing feelings for each other, time and distance kept them apart through the years. But now, 20 years later, the whole cast is reuniting for a TV special and Liv and Ransom discover that they haven't hidden their feelings for each other as well as they thought they had. Upon reuniting, they realize their love for each other hasn't diminished through the years. However, can they keep these feelings hidden in order to limit distractions on the rest of the cast?

I enjoyed the format of this book -- switching from narratives, Twitter threads, articles, etc. -- and enjoyed the ease with which Liv and Ransom enjoyed their time together. This was a cute and enjoyable book! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

this was so so so SO cute. I had so much fun reading this book. I loved the blog chapters, I loved how so much of it felt like I was on the outside looking in, but also very personal. I loved ransom and liv, but I wish there was more emotional angst due to their separation instead of automatically reconnecting. There were definitely things that I wish could've been different but overall it was so much fun. like I always say, best friends to lovers you will always be loved by me.

I love a famous person meets normal person rom com - but this one is a famous person & famous person fall in love which was so much fun! I loved the setting of the TV reunion and these characters getting to be back in each other's lives after so many years.

This was cute, funny, heart warming - if not a tad forgettable. I would definitely recommend this one if you are looking for just a quick fun palette cleanser especially after a heavy book. You won't be disappointed.

I am so mad at myself for taking so long to get to this book!! oh my gosh, it was so fun.

I ended up picking this up on audiobook in addition to my kindle copy, and I think this combination was perfect for me. The narration was amazing and really brought the story to life! This is the first book I've read about actors/co-stars and I adored it. I loved the behind the scenes look and Olson did an amazing job making the in-universe show and celebrities feel utterly real. It was impossible not to root for the characters and I cared so much for them immediately.

The second chance romance was adorable, sweet, and tender. I'm so happy these two got their happy ending, and watching their relationship form after years upon years of mutual pining was *chef's kiss*.

Friends, unrequited crush. Reconnection after time, coworkers/costars

This whole book wouldn’t exist if they’d just communicate! Back as teenagers and now.

📺Review📺

Okay so this one has been on my tbr for a while and I had heard about it and seen it at the bookstore but didn’t know a lot about it. But I did love the idea of the story: a tv show getting a reunion that brings together two costars who were secretly in love with each other and lost touch over the years.

First and foremost, I love a book set in Hollywood on sets, about actors. Not sure why but it’s something o love to read about. Maybe it stems from my childhood wants to be an actor just for the camaraderie on set, maybe it’s because I always found it fascinating to watch behind the scenes specials or of on tours of tv and movie sets in LA (I have physically been in Stars Hollow twice and been an audience member in sitcoms being filmed… ask me about it if you’re curious 😉)

I really liked this story and the characters. Was disappointed it was a fade to black situation but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book.

Liv and Ransom (what a name by the way, Ransom) had the kind of best friends to lovers relationship I always dreamed of having, without the prolonged space from each other for 10 years. I kind of really doubted Ransom the whole time though because if someone is important to you, you don’t let someone else (I.e. his dad) convince you to let go of their friendship. In any case, I’m glad they came together in the end.

Couldn’t stand Sasha-Kate. Loved Ford and Bre.

📚The Reunion by Kayla Olson: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 ~ 3.5 stars (4 on Goodreads)

This romance has it all- great characters, great romance, and a great plot besides the romance. I couldn't put the book down, and it was a pleasure to read from cover to cover.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This was a great, feel-good romance and I enjoyed it! The romance element was tame, which is not for everyone, but I found it to be a sweet story.

I was completely sucked in by this book! I hadn’t read a second chance romance like thief a true friends to lovers situation with mutual pining for the ages. My only complaint is that it’s a fade to black, closed door romance, but the story was so sweet and every character so interesting that if this becomes a series where everyone gets their own story, I’m reading on for sure. I especially want to know what Sasha-Kate’s deal is. Fantastic read, made me think of the Gilmore Girls and Full House and Boy Meets World reunion shows and how crazy it is to see someone again who was so important to you for so many years. The old hurts and bonds that come up, the fear and anxiety of how times have changed. It made for some really great romance.

This was a fun read. The book reminds me of primetime teen soaps from the 90's. However, I found the romance to be kind of bland. No tension but the chemistry between the characters was there.

This book was honestly just a feel-good book! I loved every minute of it! It fulfilled the fantasies of my teen years, where I was a famous actress and had a whirlwind romance for the ages. Kayla Olson does such a great job of capturing the magic of that whirlwind romance, while also staying true to fact and reality. Great read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a bit of a slow start for me but once I got into it, it was a quick read! I love romcoms about celebrities & royalty, and this fell into the former category: two former teen actors who stared on the same show (think: Dawson's Creek type) are reunited when their show comes together for a reunion episode.
This was a PG, fluffy, enjoyable read.

I ended up really enjoying this romance. I was intrigued by the concept when I first heard about it and was pleasantly surprised by the story. It was a pretty standard romance that followed your usual romance formula, but the voice was fresh and the writing style was easy and fun to read.

The Reunion follows Liv and her estranged former best friend and first love Ransom. The two were inseparable while filming their show, Girl on the Verge, but grew distant after its completion. Now the gangs all together again to film a reunion episode and feelings previously ignored quickly Ignite again.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. I typically prefer a duel perspective when reading romances, but Liv was such a grounded and relatable (minus the being a famous actress part) that I didn't mind reading the whole story from her POV. Definitely a great read for the summer!

This was fine. Not bad, not great, just kind of there. The plot appealed to me - stars on a former hit teen TV show (think Dawson's Creek) reunite 20 years later for a special and confront their feelings for each other. The plot sounds great and possibly packed with drama, but it was just kind of light with no stakes.

It was fine for a one time read.

Such a cute, PG romance, light and fluffy with likeable characters. I do wish we got to know the supporting characters a bit more. Ford and Bre were so likeable and cute, I could definitely read a sequel about them!

I can't overstate how much I loved this book. It was so light and fun and exactly what I needed to get out of a reading slump! If there's an element of Hollywood and/or reality tv in a romance, I'm GOING to pick it up. In fact, it might be the only thing that gets me to pick up a romance as it's not typically my favorite genre. This one also featured my favorite trope - former friends/enemies to lovers and was incredibly well done!

I loved the personalities of the main characters, but my one critique was that the secondary characters like their co-workers and friends, kind of fell flat. I wanted more of their stories, and would even pick up a sequel focused on the reboot of Girl on the Verge and how those cast members interact. Olson did a fantastic job of making the reader buy in and I loved the way the blog posts were interspersed - made me feel like the characters were real celebrities as someone who loves to read gossip and blind items! Will recommend this one to everyone, even those who aren't fans of romance like me!