Note: I am a mood reader and I feel like I picked up this book when my rom-com/contemporary review nance mood was starting to fade. I wanted to give myself a few days before writing up the review after finishing this one.

3.5 rounded up to 4.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Eden Blake takes over the role of Liz in the musical production of Pride and Prejudice, unfortunately her co-star is Brennon Thorne. From the beginning Brennon is an absolute ass. Eden does her best to work with Brennon but also not let him get away with any of it too easy.

When I first picked up this book I thought it sounds really fun with this premise of enemies/co-worker rivals to lovers. All while working on a musical production of Pride and Prejudice. While I think this book was enjoyable there were a few problems that made it hard for me to fall in love with the book. The chemistry between the main characters, the side characters story line, and the MMC.

I am super picky about chemistry between the lead characters in any book and for this one it just didn’t grab me. I think some of it has to do with the early interactions between the main characters and what we get as they work together. It just seemed to be missing something for me.

The side character storyline was a little messy and distracting for me. Both Eden and Brennon’s friends hook up, but it has some miscommunication. I spent too much time kind of trying to figure out what was going on there and I never got the resolution to it I was looking for. It isn’t complicated or anything I can just struggle with stuff sometimes when I am trying process it.

Brennon Thorne. When we first meet Brennon he is the absolute worst. He looks down on Eden and mocks her. All I could think was wow I wonder how he will make it up to her, or is this going to get worse before it will get better. Unfortunately it got worse. Words were shared between Brennon and his rival and it was not looking any before the MMC to redeem himself. Brennon makes the accusation that Eden would happily sleep with him knowing it could boost her career. Oh no. After that I was pretty over Brennon Thorne.
Sadly in the end when Brennon attempts to fix the mess he has made he doesn’t really do much. To add to that Eden is made to feel even worse about what she did and that she should have been nicer to Brennon.

All that said, I do think this book was well written and I would absolutely try another book by this author. And as I did state at the beginning I was moving out of one reading mood and moving into another.

🌶️🌶️🌶️ On spice it is adult but pretty limited in scenes.

I do think if you like the enemies/rivals to lovers you might give this one a try.

My thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC of this e-book.

The Stage Kiss brings us the story of cast members from Pride & Prejudice The Musical. Eden Blake is an unexpected Liz to Brennon Thorne’s Mr. Darcy. In true Mr. Darcy fashion, Brennon makes a terrible first (and second, and maybe third) impression. The trouble with this is that at some point, for me, he became irredeemable, which makes the rest of this slow burn hard to believe. I never really felt the connection between the love interests. I found myself more invested in the behind the scenes drama, and the romance between other cast members.

If you’re a fan of the theater, Jane Austen, or historical romance tropes in a contemporary setting, this might be for you.

Spice rating: 3/5

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Joining the cast of Liz and Darcy: The Musical was a dream come true for Eden Blake, but she never expected that she would soon become the principal lead for the part of Lizzie as it makes it's debut American tour. And the fact that Broadway royalty, Brennon Thorne is set to play Darcy is a set too far. But where Eden thought she would be having the time of her life, it's clear that Brennon would rather act alongside any one other than herself. However, soon it seems as if the parts they are playing are coming reality, and the chemistry between the two could rival even that of Lizzie and Darcy.

I simply adore anything and everything Pride and Prejudice related, so as soon as I saw the cover and synopsis of this book, I immediately requested it, and dove right in! This was such a great P&P inspired book, and the premise of having a stage show where the cast are starting to embody the characters of Lizzie, Darcy, and all the others, was wonderful. Eden was such a great main character, who felt so real in her vulnerabilities that I wanted to reach into the book and give her a big hug at times. Her and Brennon's chemistry was electric, and they gave as good as they got. Brennon was so rude and grumpy to begin with, but as any P&P lover will know, he was hiding his shyness behind that gruff exterior, which Eden managed to break through. There were so many moments in the book which were the epitome of Lizzie and Darcy's interactions in the original material, but also so new and fresh that it wasn't a clear copy from Austen. I found myself unable to put this book down at all, and needed to see if Eden and Brennon would be able to overcome all of their miscommunication to find their happiness, but it was all worth it in the end. A fantastic Pride & Prejudice inspired contemporary romance!

This was a really fun book to read and a quick at that I would definitly read this author again thanks so much for letting me read this book

If you know me, then you know that I have a weakness for a modern adaptation of Pride & Prejudice -- and this book is double that. While it is a modern take on Austen's classic novel, it is also set behind the scenes of a musical inspired by P&P. The Stage Kiss is a delightful slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance set in the world of theatre. Oh, plus spice. Lots of spice.

The Stage Kiss, told in dual points-of-view, is fun and cute -- with a super sweet romance/HEA once the slow burn reaches its boiling point. Author Amelia Jones writes with compelling language that was intriguing to follow along and had me dying to discover what would happen next in this version.

Chef's kiss✨💖💞



Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

This book was so fun to read. Filled with little theater references, and characters who developed as the story went on. Eden is a driven character who gets the chance of a lifetime to take the stage as the lead in the touring company in a Broadway show. Made even better as broadway’s favorite leading man will be staring alongside her. Except one bad first impression leads to a lot of personal feelings coming forth under the disguise of their characters. Eden had some ups and downs as a character, but her arc was written incredibly well, and I found that she was incredibly relatable. The book was very well written and paced, leaving everything to happen exactly when it needed to

Thank you to Alcove Press and Netgalley for giving me a digital copy of "The Stage Kiss" by Amelia Jones in exchange for an honest review.

Actress Eden Blake is an understudy for a Broadway musical "Liz and Darcy" while it tours the U.S. She's been a working actress since she was a kid, but she's never really gotten the break that she's looking for. When she's unexpectedly bumped from understudy to main performer in the role of Elizabeth, it seems like her moment has come. She's got the looks, the drive, and the raw talent to make it happen.

Unfortunately, a cast change means that she'll be playing opposite Broadway royalty, Brennon Thorne. He's rich, handsome, six foot four, and Julliard-trained. He has a reputation for a strong work ethic and consistent performance. All of which is fine with Eden, except at their first meeting, he bone-headedly embarrasses her in front of their fellow performers, 'joking' about a Viagra-like infomercial she did once. Thorne never had scrounge to pay the bills; he's been destined for success from the start, so he never had to take crap roles just to keep the lights on.

Cue a loose reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, playing out as the cast perform the musical onstage. It's a fun concept, although the rest of the actors don't always play their novel equivalents onstage. The Jane equivalent is Maddox, Eden's best pal pining for Adam, who plays Mr. Collins. The Wickham equivalent Jonathan performa Bingley in the play. Eden's mom/first manager makes a GREAT Mrs. Bennett equivalent; she is so cringe. There are equivalents for Caroline and Lydia, but no Catherine de Bourgh. It helps to have a familiarity with the original novel, just so you can mind-map out who is supposed to be whom.

The problem with doing this kind of reimagining is that everybody's got Opinions about the original and I am no different. Reading through, I realized how glad I am that we never got Darcy's perspective in the original novel, because observing Thorne waffle between admiration and disdain is pretty obnoxious. True to character, absolutely, but not necessarily pleasant. He's a jerk, then he's totally in love, and while that is how it feels in the original too, it doesn't work as well if we have to sit through his snobby internal monologue. He does make up for it with some lovely moments; like Darcy, when Thorne falls, he falls pretty hard.

For the most part, I found Eden to be a sympathetic character, a woman who has worked hard for her entire life and FINALLY finds a chance to step up. She's not as closely modeled after Elizabeth Bennett, though. Yes, she has embarrassing family, but she's more prone to self-consciousness and vanity than the Elizabeth (only natural, I suppose, if a good portion of one's career is based on how one looks.) That said, the Big Separation at the end, the one that forces our protagonists to consider what they really want, is entirely of her doing and it is very frustrating. I won't spoil it, but her behavior was the complete opposite of everything we admire about Elizabeth Bennett. That would be fine if we hadn't just read through endless comparisons and parallels with the original story; it was a not a great time to go off script, so to speak.

In general, I enjoyed the story. I wish the ending hadn't gone the way it did, but until then, I had a good time. Recommended for fans of Lucy Parker, if you like show business romances. Fans of Jane Austen/P&P romances may want to approach with caution, especially if you're like me and prone to getting hung up on details.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Eden and Brannon, playing the main roles of Pride and Prejudice on the stage....and loosely following the story's plot off stage as well.

An overall decent read, but I never really warmed up to Brannon's character as I would have wished,

this was okay, but read a little juvenile and i didn't feel connected to the characters or what happens to them at all. i can see other reader enjoying this a lot tho!

— thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the free digital ARC.

3,5* Pride and Prejudice meets the modern age.

Eden Blake's dream is to be a Brodway star. After years of tv commercials she finally gets her chance being the understudy for Elizabeth Bennet in the tour of Pride and Prejudice musical.
When the lead on suddenly quits, it's Eden's opportunity to shine, but Brennon Thorne, Broadway royalty, just set in to play Darcy in the tour.
Will they be able to move beyond prejudice and false starts?

The book is a Pride and Prejudice remake set in our days: Brennon is the perfect Darcy, handsome, Broadway star, excellent actor and sort of a snob; Eden is quite prideful, and easy to hurt.
Their surrounded by other cast members which are the moden equivalent of the real Bingley, Wickham, Jane, etc...
The story is pleasant and has a nice romantic feeling, Eden and Brennon have a nice chemistry, but you already know how's everything going to go.
That's why it is a 3,5* instead of 4*.
Totally recommended to hopeless Pride and Prejudice lovers.

Thank you netgalley and Alcove Press for providing this book as an arc in exchange of an honest review.

as an Austen fan and a broadway girly I LOVED THIS. I dont normally read YA but i had to request solely for the cover.
I loved the slow burn, and I felt almost transported back to all the theatre days. Absolutely ate this up

I wanted to love this book, being someone that has been out on a national tour as well, but the third act just killed it for me. The MC became so whiny and her convincing the star to call out for her to go on in LA was so ridiculous, I wanted to scream. I loved the first 60ish percent of this book and it was so real to the experience of being on tour and the friendships and drama that happen in those situations but I just could not get over the third act.

A Pride & Prejudice retelling set in the live theatre world! And Darcy is a snobby Broadway actor and Lizzie is a clever and sweet up-and-coming actor! I really enjoyed the slow-burn and the way that the original plot's emotions were neatly sister adapted into this one. I did feel like the miscommunication went on for too long and for one too many times, but that that could be a me thing.

TWs - cheating (past), misogyny, classism among employees

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

A fun Pride and Prejudice retelling with a musical theatre setting.

Eden is an aspiring actress who has just landed the lead role in the pride and prejudice musical due to the star of the show dropping out. However this means she must act against the man who insulted her at a cast party, the broadway superstar Brennan.

This was fun to read with everything you expect in a P & P retell. Misunderstandings galore, grumpy male lead, interesting side characters and great chemistry between the leads.
I would have liked more witty dialogue between the characters which would have spiced this book up.

An enjoyable read for those interested in musical theatre and romance.


Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A delightful retelling of Pride and Prejudice. It hit all the major plot point without feeling like it was stuck too much in the original. I loved the Broadway setting.

This is a Jane Austen/Pride & Prejudice-inspired retelling! I really loved the writing style of this novel. It's immersive and character-driven, and even though it's told in the third person, the external & inner monologue has enough depth to make you feel connected to the characters!!

Read if you like:
- Romance surrounded by musical theater drama
- third person POV
- Pride & Prejudice retellings

I am only able to purchase materials for young readers at this time. I did love this book and would recommend it to personal friends.

Thankyou to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy of this title in exchange for my honest review

Actress Eden Blake’s is given the opportunity to headline and star in a tour of Broadway’s hit Pride & Prejudice - a true dream come true when in walks the ‘Darcy’ Brennan Thorne - immediately they hit heads and as life imitates art, we find our characters wrapped up in a modern telling of the classic hit they play night after night

The story was a little predictable which was fine, the only thing that really bugged me was that the characters didn’t really resolve anything themselves, they have a circle of friends either passing messages or giving them pep talks with little to no real interaction between the main love interests

Still was an enjoyable read though

This was a fun read! As someone who has always loved musicals especially musical theater this was fun to read! It was quick and funny. The only thing that I didn’t like was how unlikable Eden could be at times 😳 like girl stop just stop. She could be so annoying 🥹 you know a character is annoying when the author writes in her friends telling her that she needs to shut up 😂. I’m happy with the ending though it was very cute. I’d recommend if you love musicals and theater and all things Broadway.