I struggled to get into this book and I’m still not sure whether I like it or not. Frankly, I thought both the FMC and the MMC were entitled brats and really didn’t treat other people in their lives with a lot of respect. My favourite character was Mona, Birdie’s best friend and Elliot’s twin sister. There were some scenes that had me laughing, but a lot that had me cringing. I was pleased that there was a lot of self-realization along the way and an understanding of how poorly both Birdie and Elliott treated each other and their loved ones.

It's one of the better celebrity/non-celebrity romances I've read, even though both MCs are known in the media world in the book's universe. .

Thanks to Berkley for an early e-copy of the book; all opinions are my own.

An extremely fun romance with a little bit of meta that really plays with romance in the entertainment world. Allison Winn Scotch is one of my favorite romance authors because of how real she makes her worlds and this book was no different. People are messy, relationships are messy, but it doesn't have to be outlandish drama to create problems, sometimes it's just being trapped in an RV with an old friend.

Birdie is the queen of the rom com. Everyone loves her…until they don’t. After an onset feud goes viral she heads to her hometown only to find a love letter by an ex, that’s unsigned. She goes on a quest with her best friend and her best friend’s twin, who also happens to be the one she has crushed on for years. A trip in an rv, second chances and happy endings in this one!

Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bestselling author Allison Winn Scotch can always be counted on to deliver an entertaining story. Her books often appear, at first blush, to be light, breezy romances with happy endings and clever, innovative premises that elevate them within a saturated genre. But as her stories progress, it quickly becomes evident that she is intent on exploring much more than simply how a couple meet, fall in love, perhaps lose each other, and then find their way back together. And Take Two, Birdie Maxwell is not an exception.

Readers might be surprised to learn that Scotch found Take Two, Birdie Maxwell difficult to write. In fact, she says she “burned down my first four drafts, deleting them nearly entirely.” There is no evidence of her struggles in the fast-paced, crisp narrative that flows with seemingly no effort at all. The story was inspired by a real-life event. Like Birdie, her lead character, she received an anonymous love letter in the mail years ago when she was at home from college during the summer. She did not attempt to discern the identity of the writer – she found it “more alarming than romantic.” But that experience was the impetus for a story that once again begins with an unusual premise and, with the addition of inventive plot twists and a cast of quirky, empathetic characters, becomes a touching meditation on the importance of communication in relationships, learning to be brave, loyalty to family, and daring to craft a life on one’s own terms that brings genuine happiness.

Birdie Maxwell is now known as Birdie Robinson and she is the beloved queen of the United States box office. Having started in a string of successful romantic comedy films, she is known as “America’s Sweetheart.” Until, that is, she blows up on the set of her latest movie and the details are leaked to TMZ. The reason for her emotional implosion? The mistreatment of women by her co-star, Sebastian Carol. Sebastian is known for being “handsy,” leering, and luring actresses to his trailer with promises of movie roles and associated perks. Birdie felt “she was defending the honor of women everywhere.” But so far, the public is on Sebastian’s side, and not even the “apology video” she reluctantly released at the insistence of her agent and publicist has helped stop the freefall into which her career has careened, once again demonstrating the ongoing disparate treatment and perceptions of men and women by both the media and the public. Birdie was aware, when the studio insisted on casting Sebatian, of his proclivities, in part, because she was enmeshed in a clandestine relationship with his brother, Miles, for five years. But she couldn’t tolerate it for one more moment, spoke her mind, and now the studio has ceased production on the film.

In an effort to escape the paparazzi and stress, she has escaped to her hometown of Barton, “a speck in the middle of California,” for the first time in four years. No one will look for her there, in part because she has claimed for years to be from Oregon. She didn’t bother to warn her parents (professors at a nearby state university); younger sister, Andie; or Mona, her best friend, the proprietor of a local dive bar who set out to be an astrophysicist, but dropped out of college and returned home when her parents needed her. She ended up staying, but her twin brother, Elliot, has traveled the world as a highly respected and well-known journalist and correspondent. Birdie has been in love with Elliot since his family moved to Barton when Birdie was twelve years old. Seven years ago, Birdie elieved her chance to have a romantic relationship with Elliot had finally arrived. But she was disappointedly, devastatingly wrong and they haven’t seen each other since one horrible, heartbreaking night they spent together. Elliot “emotionally decimated her” and she blames herself for allowing herself to think that she would mean more to him than she evidently did. Elliot has always been a handsome and charming womanizer.

Birdie’s relationship with Andie has been troubled, but she is not prepared to have Andie slam the door in her face. Had she read her emails, she would have known that her parents have embarked on a year-long sabbatical in Spain and Andie is packing up their belongings in preparation to sublet the house. Her requests for assistance from Birdie went unanswered, so she has boxed up Bridie’s remaining belongings. “Anything you want, I suggest you salvage it now.”

So, Birdie begins sorting through boxes of memorabilia, one of which contains a letter startlingly addressed to “Birdie Maxwell Robinson.” Only a few people in the world would address such a letter to her in Barton — and Birdie can’t remember whether she confessed the truth about her upbringing to any of her old boyfriends. The postmark is faded and only partially legible. Type-written, bearing no return address, and signed “X,” the letter must be several years old. It says, in part:

I regret everything.
All of it.
And I would have done it all differently.
. . .
If you have the same regrets, the same what-ifs about where we went wrong when everything could have gone right, come find me. Consider it?
Consider me again.

Letter in hand, Birdie proceeds to Mona’s bar to ponder the identity of potential letter-writers with her best friend. She is already determined to learn who sent it, plotting how documenting and publicizing the search can revive her career. “I’m thinking maybe that will help remind people that I’m likable, that I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” The suspects include Elliot, of course, as well as a world-renowned chef, a tennis pro, and mabye even Miles. Before she and Mona can finalize plans for the search, Elliot himself strolls into the bar. No one knows that his career is in trouble after an unfortunate ethical breach – he paid for information he needed to break a major story, although ultimately getting the facts right.

Mona enthusiastically suggests that Elliot write the story of Birdie’s search for the author of the letter. And Birdie and Elliot set off in Mona’s dilapidated Winnebago to track down and meet with her old flames, intent on remaining incognito as Birdie confronts her former lovers to see which of them regrets the demise of their relationship. Of course, nothing goes according to plan and as they travel together, they find themselves simultaneously getting reacquainted and revisiting their pasts, especially their mistakes and regrets. As the story proceeds, Scotch gradually reveals their history – how Birdie and Mona became best friends; Elliot’s high school years as the school’s star athlete, and most popular and desired boy on campus; how they ended up attending the prom together; and all that transpired seven years ago, culminating with their fiery and, so far at least, irrevocable breakup. Along the way, Birdie fights with her agent and publicist, as well as Elliot, and contemplates how events in her life led her to her current ridiculous professional and personal predicaments. Elliot is still harboring secrets that, if revealed, could again destroy his rekindled relationship with Birdie. He is also fighting to save his career. His editor has authorized him to write Birdie’s story, but only with strict ethical constraints that he finds himself straddling as he learns a great deal about Birdie’s past relationships, gains a deeper understanding of her, and contemplates how he will react if they find the author of the letter. . . and Birdie reconciles with him.

Scotch deftly keeps readers invested in their efforts to solve the mystery. In addition to providing snippets of her characters’ pasts that provide insight into how their current troubles developed, her characters that are at once lovable and sympathetic, and completely exasperating. They are flawed, their lives messy, and they are very relatable in a number of ways. Birdie is a small young woman from a small town with a big talent that she managed to parlay into a wildly successful career. She has always approached life as though it were a movie or play – she “always found difficult moments easier to digest if she simply pretended she was acting out a scene; this meant she could be vulnerable on the surface but not so vulnerable that she risked emotional decimation.” But now she is forced to confront reality – her usual defense mechanisms will not serve her in her current circumstances, and she has to develop a more honest, transparent, and straight-forward way to cope. Secrecy has made her personal life chaotic, and she is tired of it. But is she ready to risk revealing the truth and face the potential fallout? Underneath her love of the spotlight, bravado, and quick wit, she has always been and still is insecure, searching for validation, frightened, and very vulnerable. Especially where Elliot is concerned. Elliot is well aware of his public persona – talented, attractive, confident, and desirable. But, like Birdie, secrets have brought him to a crossroads in his life, and he has to decide if he has the strength and courage to speak his truth and clear the air. He recognizes that there is no other way to move forward toward what he has really wanted all along. Mona also figures prominently in the story. Both Birdie and Elliot love her dearly, and would never do anything to hurt her. She has been a loyal, steadfast, and unwavering supporter to both of them . . . and they are about to find out how deeply their best friend and sister cares about their happiness.

Scotch again demonstrates that she is a master at creating characters who engage in sharp, at times sarcastic, and frequently hilarious banter. Her characters’ verbal jousting injects the perfect balance of humor and emotional resonance into the crackling story as they find themselves in increasingly ridiculous situations, even as their deeply buried emotions are surfacing.

With Take Two, Birdie Maxwell, Scorch has crafted a delightful tale that is a combination of I Love Lucy-esque comedy and a journey for her characters of reflection, self-examination, and personal growth. If they can learn to communicate with each other freely and fearlessly, they stand a chance of saving their careers, creating a meaningful future for themselves individually and, perhaps, remaining in each other’s lives this time. And yes, Scotch eventually reveals who wrote and mailed the letter, and why, in a plot twist many readers will never anticipate.

I liked it and It was a super easy going cute romcom, first 50 percent held more promise, second half I felt a bit confused and unsure if these two really deserved each other. The story overall had promise, it just didn’t hit home for me - maybe because entire time I kept thinking if they just were honest this wouldn’t be happening. It’s perfect for those looking for a light hearted feel good story of long time pining.

Birdie had the a-list Hollywood career of her dreams, only to have it all upended by an on-set feud that went viral. Trying to escape the drama, Birdie returns to her childhood home. One day going through her childhood bedroom she comes across a very old letter from an ex asking for a second chance. The only problem is she has no clue who wrote this letter or when they wrote it. With the help of Elliot, a reporter who happens to be the brother of Birdie’s best friend, she sets off on an adventure to find the man who wrote the letter, documenting the whole journey to try to get good press for a change.

This book was a combination of tropes that I love - best friend’s brother, celebrity romance, and a good road trip. While these aspects led to a lot of fun moments, they were often overshadowed by the terrible miscommunication that could have resolved everything so quickly. Birdie’s journey of self-discovery and growth was admirable (and much) needed, and that aspect of the story worked really well for me. However, the romance often felt frustrating due to all of the miscommunication.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Perfection isn’t real, but this book was close. A love letter? A reputation that isn’t doing well? A rom com star? A one night stand? I enjoyed this book from start to finish!

Thank you @BerkleyRomance for the gifted copy! Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC!

Take Two, Birdie Maxwell is a trope-filled romance novel that takes the two main characters and the reader on a journey to discover who sent Birdie Robinson, aka Birdie Maxwell, an anonymous love letter. Partnered with her childhood crush/one-time hook up/best friend’s brother/journalist the search is on.

This is such a fun, chaotic, and did I mention trope-filled (one bed, road trip, second chance, childhood friends to lovers, best friend’s brother) romance. I laughed, I was interested in the mystery and pleasantly surprised by some of the turns. This book is messy and chaotic, much like the titular character at the time of the novel. What a fun read!

Take Two, Birdie Maxwell is a dual POV, second chance, forced proximity, road trip romance. Allison Winn Scotch

Premise:
Birdie Maxwell, Hollywood’s biggest rom-com star, has fallen from grace after an altercation with a popular director goes viral. With nowhere to turn, she travels back to her rural hometown where she reunites with her angry sister, childhood best friend and childhood crush, Elliot O’Brien (who also happens to be her best friend’s twin brother). After a disastrous first day home, Birdie finds an anonymous love letter and decides to contact her previous exes to win back the public and fix her career.

Elliot O’Brien, who has been harboring an unrequited crush on Birdie forever, is struggling with his own work problems. To break the best journalistic stories, he is blurring the ethical line and facing termination. Helping Birdie find the author of the anonymous letter, will also help him break a story and resolve the tension with his boss.

My thoughts
I really enjoy the forced proximity X road trip trope, so I was really looking forward to reading this book. Although there were some things I enjoyed, I had a hard time connecting with Birdie. In addition to the romance between Birdie and Elliot, there is a large focus on Birdie discovering her true self and her true wants outside of the persona and lens of Hollywood. But by the end of the book, I felt like I didn’t know Birdie much better than I knew her in the beginning. I wanted to see more depth, candidness, and authenticity.

I found this book to be quirky and chaotic, but not always in a bad way. I could see this being a movie with a fast-paced plot and unique humor. The mystery woven through the book kept me engaged as Birdie tries to discover the author of the letter. I rated Birdie 3 stars.

Tropes & Things
• people pleasing celebrity X playboy journalist
• Best friends (twin) brother
• Road trip romance
• Second chance
• Lots of secret pining X 2
• Resolving estranged relationships
• a surprising reveal

Miscommunication is one of my least favorite tropes (that prize goes to surprise pregnancy🤰🏼) but Allison Winn Scotch's charming 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗧𝗪𝗢, 𝗕𝗜𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗫𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗟 won me over. It's a best friend's brother, one-that-got-away, second chance Hollywood romance with delightful characters, great banter, and a mystery around an anonymous love letter. Now can we get a sequel with Mona's story please?

Thanks to Berkley Publishing for the copy to review.

This was such a fun second chance hollywood esque romcom!!

Birdie Maxwell is Hollywood’s biggest IT girl actress, and when a PR nightmare on set of her newest movie threatens to de-rail her reputation, her childhood best friend’s brother, Elliot makes it is mission to help her find her secret admirer and set her reputation right.

Elliott and Birdie had such a long past of friendship and the type of bickering which comes with growing up together and this back and forth tension through the book was silly! I liked their dynamic and the fact that they both were pining in their own ways. This book hooked me IMMEDIATELY!! I was so excited and thrown into this story, it was quick and fun and I was never bored!

I did find that the miscommunication became a bit too much even for me towards the last third of the book, if miscommunication isn’t for you this might not be the best book for you.

With that being said, this is very second chance and both main characters I loved! The dual POV served as a fun way to read this story and stay connected to both of their emotions and feelings towards each other.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the arc!

A fun Hollywood romance! Birdie is a PR nightmare and I’m always here for that, in real life Hollywood and in fiction. The banter between Birdie and Elliott was fantastic. And I enjoyed Birdie finding herself and figuring out the direction she wants her life to go!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Positives: the writing is good! The romantic tension (which I adore) is sizzling, and the entire premise is really fun. I really loved the idea of her going off to interview her exes. And I thought that Elliot was a great counterbalance to this wild and free person that is Birdie.

Cons: I am a very dialogue driven reader, and this just doesn’t have the dialogue I crave. That does not make this a bad book, it just means it’s not a writing style I prefer. Like I said, the writing is good overall. I also disliked the main character. She entertained me, for sure, but she seemed pretty self-centered (which I think was purposeful). For me, it made me not root for the romance, but that’s just personal opinion!

Short synopsis: Birdie Maxwell, Hollywoods Rom-Com sweetheart, is trying to get her career back on the right foot after problems behind the scenes. Finding an unsigned letter declaring their love for her, Birdie reunites with previous lovers to find her happily ever after.

My thoughts: I am a sucker for Celebrity, and second chance romances. So I had to get my hands on this as soon as I saw it.

This would make a GREAT movie, the banter, the search for the letter writer, the best friend and sister aspect. I totally guessed wrong on who wrote the letter, which made this so much fun!

I loved the search for romance and ultimately Birdie’s growth through the book, but something just didn’t quite work for me. She seemed a little too self centered and oblivious, and the lack of communication got a little old to me. I didn’t quite believe the feelings between Birdie and Elliot, but at the same time I was rooting for them.

The audio was very well done, multiple narrators that brought the characters to life to tell the story.

Read if you love:
- second chance romance
- Best friends brother
- Celebrity romance
- Family and hometowns
- Roadtrips

Thank you Berkley Romance for my gifted physical and digital copies.

Take Two, Birdie Maxwell
Allison Winn Scotch

📖 Birdie is a beloved Hollywood romcom starlet, until a viral feud lands her in hot water. To escape the media frenzy, Birdie heads back to her hometown, and stumbles upon an unsigned love letter from a man from her past, with no idea who it could be from. Enter Elliot, her childhood crush and best friend’s twin brother, who is now a journalist. When Birdie and Elliot team up to chase down the mystery man behind the letter, it's not only their careers they're hoping to revive.

💭 You heard right! This is a rom com book about a rom com star! With RV road trip shenanigans, tension and pining of the unrequited love variety, entertaining meet-ups with Birdie’s exes, and some super hot steam, this was an enjoyable read that moved at a great pace. Though I found myself frustrated a time or two at the lack of communication (just tell him/her already 😩), this was a fun, lighthearted read that'll be sure to scratch that rom com itch. 💕

**Review posted to IG yesterday 3/13.

There was so much to love about this one - the tropes, the wonderfully real character, the Hollywood setting - so why didn’t I love it?

I think for me this story felt a little unbelievable, and it was hard to shake that feeling as I read. The characters read as much younger than mid-30’s and the plot seemed really far fetched. It took me a little too long to really get myself into the story, and I think that’s why I liked this instead of loving it.

But that being said, I DID very much like it! I enjoyed the journey and I think Birdie and Elliot definitely belong together. This was so close to being a love for me and I’m sad it wasn’t.

Thank you @berkleypub and @prhaudio for my complimentary copy. My thoughts are my own.
#penguinrandomhousepartners

The premise of this book drew my attention and the story held me captivated from the first page! When America’s favorite rom-com actress suffers a serious blow to her reputation, she returns home for the first time in years, and she doesn’t exactly get a warm reception! When she discovers an unsigned love letter, obviously from one of her exes, her agent decides that Birdie needs to set out on a journey to discover her true love, with a camera in tow! If done correctly, Birdie can perhaps rebuild her reputation.

Enter Elliot, a successful photojournalist who has his own professional struggles and somehow gets talked into following her and writing her story.

Of course, Birdie and Elliot have a past, and the revelations and mishaps are hilarious as they travel together in an old RV to various locations. I was surprised when the true identity of the letter writer was revealed! Birdie, starts out as a self-centered, immature actress but she becomes more self-aware and rounded out throughout the story. I really liked Birdie and Elliot as a couple!

I enjoyed both the print and the audio versions. I love it when stories alternate between his and her perspectives and the narrators made it a fun listen.

Read (or listen to) this is you enjoy:
*Second Chance Romance
*Close Proximity
*Enemies to Lovers
*Best Friend’s Brother

Take Two, Birdie Maxwell was a sweet second chance romance story written by Allison Winn Scotch.

This story is the love story between Birdie and Elliott, who have both been crushing on each other forever. They went to prom together, but never became burning more because Mona, Elliott’s twin sister and Birdie’s best friend asked them not to. However, they had a one night stand seven years ago and as much as they tried to forget it, they can’t move on. So when famous actress, Birdie receives a love letter from a previous love, she wants to track this man down so she can finally leave Elliott in the past. But Elliott, in need of a good story to save his career as a journalist, offers to help Birdie track the mystery man down, things get complicated. Will they be able to solve the mystery of the love letter to get Birdie her happy ending or will their old feelings get in the way?

Overall, this was a solid read. However it was a bit frustrating as Birdie and Elliott were terrible at communicating their feelings with each other. So many of their problems could have been solved if they had only been honest with each other and those closest to them. While I found the storyline to be predictable, I did enjoy it and was satisfied with the happy ending.

I saw where there was going from a mile away which is fine but I also just didn't enjoy the journey to get there. Second chance romance usually pulls me in and with a bestie like Mona I thought I would be rooting for Birdie and Elliott but there was a lack of chemistry there and I just wasn't that invested. I haven't read any of the author's other books but it sounds like maybe I should try her backlist.

A rom-com within a rom-com within a rom-com. Birdie Maxwell. Elliot O’Brien. Both have a need for professional salvation - Birdie, to restore her damaged reputation, Elliot to get back in good graces with his editor and to salvage his career as a reporter. As America's Sweetheart, Birdie always got her guy. However, her acting career is crashing quickly. Elliot is not doing so great himself professionally.

At some point, Birdie received an anonymous letter from someone not only saying they are not only her ex, but that they want a second chance. Birdie's publicist Imani knows exactly how to spin this situation to Birdie's advantage. Meanwhile, forced to flee back to her hometown, Birdie reconnects with her best friend Mona. Birdie also runs into Mona's twin brother Elliot, the one man Birdie never once stopped thinking about. As things turn out, Elliot needs to play an advantage as well. Just as Imani wants to use the letter when it comes to Birdie's career, Elliot's editor Francesca has a pitch of her own - or so it seems.

This second-chance romance takes the word trope to a new level. With Imani and Francesca each puppeteering their clients, Birdie and Elliot take flight on a whirlwind jaunt with hopes of finding the author of that anonymous letter. Both of their careers can be catapulted during this search - but there is a catch. And it is a big one at that. Both Birdie and Elliot have real feelings for one another - yet neither is prepared to own up to those feelings.

So, traveling in an old RV, with stop after stop, Birdie and Elliot are revisiting her past loves to see if they authored that letter. With family and friends who have the best of intentions, only time will tell whether or not Birdie and Elliot will find their way to each other, and find the true happiness that has eluded them for nearly two decades.

Do you love tropes as much as I do? Well, then definitely do not pass up Take Two, Birdie Maxwell. This was a truly delightful read, with charming characters and an equally charming plot. This book brought smile after smile to my face, even when I deduced the twist, but the book still gained great favor from me, earning a well-deserved 5 Star rating.

Many thanks to Berkley Romance and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.