Birdie Maxwell, well Robinson is America’s sweetheart. Ok…fine. She WAS America’s sweetheart. Until she went off on the director of her latest film and happened to get caught on camera which quickly went viral. Nobody is concerned that she was standing up for the many woman he was massaging on set. When she heads home with her tail between her legs, she finds a letter from an ex. Which one? Well thats the real question. But whoever it is regrets their breakup and wants to be with her. Could this be what Birdie needs to redeem her career? With her best friend’s brother Elliot, (who also needs to save his career) by her side, Birdie heads to visit her ex’s and find out which one is the mystery behind the letter.

GAH I loved this book so much! My heart went out to Birdie so damn hard. I mean how many times have we seen the woman be the one torn down in the press for calling out mens bad behavior? Only took how many woman to finally bring down Cosby? Oh wait…he is out of prison and still performing so…le sigh. Either way…the relationship between Birdie and Elliot was so clear right from the start, and I won’t lie, there were several times I wanted to knock their heads together and tell them to just admit they loved each other! That would make for a pretty short book though, and the way this one played out made it all the better. The angry ex’s, happy and over it ex’s, the RV rides, and Birdie’s driving skills…it was so just so amazing. Was there a specific person that infuriated me? Yes, but I won’t say more! This was just such a fun and lovable story that made me beyond happy in the end! I have loved Allison Winn Scotch’s books for a while but this is one of my favorites of hers!

I had to DNF this one at about 25%. Didn't feel a connection to the main character and didn't feel like I wanted to continue.

DNF @ 20%

Initially the blurb sounded so interesting, but I didn't feel connected to Birdie nor did I care how it ended up for her.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

After an on-set outburst, the public had soured on American's sweetheart. Looking to lie low, Birdie fled to her childhood home where she found an anonymous love letter from one of her exes. Who could it be? Birdie didn't know, but she thought her search for the second-chance-ex would help rehab her image. She reluctantly enlisted her life-long crush, Elliot, to help her uncover the author of the letter. Birdie's search forced her to face her past and take a long long her her romantic history while considering her possible future.

This was quite a roller coaster ride, but one that I would gladly ride again. We have seen parts of this story before. Hollywood star falls out of favor with the public and must act to save their career, but then Scotch threw in a second chance romance and a personal journey that gave the story the type of depth I seek.

Birdie had been enjoying the limelight for many years. She rose from doing daytime soaps to being the It-Girl of rom-coms. As she thought about the idea for finding the author of the love letter, she kept writing the Hollywood endings she knows so well. But when things didn't pan out in that movie magic way, Birdie had to take a hard look at herself and her past relationships. The rom-com moments were melded so well with Birdie's introspection. Her honesty with herself was sometimes brutal, but I was proud of her, every step along the way, and I was rooting for her the whole time.

One thing I could not help but want, was a union between Elliot and Birdie. Birdie's love for Elliot went way back. In fact, he was her first love, even if it was unrequited. There were moments in their history where something could have happened, but for "reasons", their romance never took off. I loved this aspect of the story because I am total trash for friends-to-lovers and second chance romance. I simply could not resist fate waving its hand. The universe brought these two back into each other's orbits for a good reason, and it would pain me to see them squander this opportunity.

The book was packed with lots of rom-com fun. A road trip, only one bed, and other beloved tropes were employed and produced lots of hilarious and laugh out loud moments. Along the way, I saw less and less of the Hollywood veneer, and more and more of Birdie Maxwell. There were some surprises and a fantastic ending that had the happy tears flowing as well.

Overall: I was delighted to take this personal and physical journey with Birdie. I was fully engrossed and invested from the very beginning to the very end and reveled in seeing Birdie rediscover herself along the way.

I LOVE second chance romance books, it’s one of my favorite tropes so I’m sad to say that this one just wasn’t it for me. I think it’s mainly due to the fact that I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. I did however love seeing birdies growth!

This one was fun. I enjoyed seeing Birdie discover herself more and come to decisions about how she wants to live her life.

The idea of going back to attempt to reconnect with past boyfriends was fun. And it gave a good glimpse of how relationships may look different from the two people in them.

This book is somewhat a second chance romance. Usually I don’t enjoy those because I don’t understand how people can hold onto that love/lust/feeling for so long. But in this case it worked.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Birdie and Elliot; and Birdie and Mona; and even Birdie and her sister, Andie. It was fun to see them all come together in different ways throughout the story.

This was a really entertaining read. And I would recommend it.

I really enjoyed the plot and the tropes of the book, but I never felt super connected to Birdie. For the right audience, I can see this being a solid 4 or 5 star! Just wasn’t for me!

Thank you Berkley for Take Two Birdie Maxwell, this is a light and charming escapist read, perfect for the duller winter months or tucking away on a winter escape! I admit to being always drawn into to stories with Hollywood settings/themes and this one adds in the MC returns to her hometown to cope with life challenges theme (also love it) and second chance love/unrequited teenage crush vibes (yes!). So this was a win because it's got a lot of themes that really make a romance/rom com work for me.
This is also a book to stick with, let yourself get into the story and move along to a satisfying end; it's a sweet story that left me with a smile when I was done. Just what I was looking for after a truly long work season.

Treat yourself to this, a little chocolate, a glass or mug of something nice, and have a cozy time reading this. I can picture this on a winter cruise or weekend island retreat too, a perfect read for a winter escape!

The writing is easy to get into and flows well. Stopping after chapter 2 (5%). I’m not feeling invested in the plot or Birdie, but it is probably an easy three stars for the target audience and 4 to 5 for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

The feeling when you step back to look at the final picture and admire its beauty. That was me, after finished reading it only flip back again and look at some of the highlights. Elliot and Birdie were everything. And, reading this book was an indescribably beautiful experience.

This synopsis was gold and I’m bummed out I didn’t love this more. It had a lot of tropes I like: second chance, road trip, childhood friends, celebrity romance. And it had one I really didn’t: miscommunication. I’ve read a few books by Scotch and while she is a talented writer, I often find that I don’t like her characters. Birdie especially was very unlikable, and while that isn’t a requirement for me to enjoy a book, it is something I prefer in a romcom. I just couldn’t root for her. Maybe I would’ve felt differently if she had significant character growth and that journey was a big component of the story, but her remorse was a bit minimal. Elliot wasn’t my favorite either. I think the best character was Andie and would’ve loved her to have more page time, she definitely stole the show in any scene she was in. In terms of the genre, it didn’t really bring anything original. I would definitely read a Mona or Andie book! Overall, fun and fast read that’s worth checking out if you like Scotch’s other books or are a fan of celebrity romance.

I struggled with this book, which is why I will not be sharing this review on Goodreads. I feel that the premise of the story was not at good as it could have been. A lot of the characters felt immature to me, which made it very hard to root for them or to stay engaged in the plot. I will still pick this book up and give it another go whenever it releases in March, but I am so sorry to say that I just didn't enjoy it.

I didn't love this one as much as I wanted to, I think it was because I couldn't connect to any of the characters. I was very excited for the whole second chance romance and the whole plot sounded great, but I just finished it and felt okay about the whole book. I think if this would have been shorter it definitely would have kept my interest throughout the book.

Alot of this book felt immature on both characters parts and I just couldn't get myself to truly love the characters.

It still had some great parts and I loved the ending which is what saved it for me.

Birdie Maxwell Robinson, the most famous rom com actress, has a PR problem and she needs a rewrite. Elliot O’Brien, her best friend’s twin brother, and man she’s been in love with her whole life (but can’t have, because, again, it’s her best friend’s twin brother), has a journalistic ethics problem and needs a great story to save his career. Also, conveniently he has been in love with Birdie his whole life.

Now that her public apology hasn’t worked, Birdie runs home to her small town and finds an anonymous love letter from an ex begging her for a second chance - she decides the solution to revive her career is to find out who wrote the letter and create her own romantic real life show for America. Elliot, to save his career, will document the search with continually updates after each ex has been questioned. The big problem is that both of them just want a second chance with each other. But Birdie, as she careens through California in an old Winnebago, realizes that her life is not like the movies for which she is famous.

This was a super cute rom com that was exactly what I needed this week, light and enjoyable with great characters. Allison’s writing is sharp and funny and I could feel the spark between the characters jump off the page. Obviously you know the ending but the ride (even in an old Winnebago) was still so much fun!

4.25

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkely Publishing for the ARC to review

I have such a love relationship with Allison Winn Scotch, her books and her characters. I cannot wait to get my hands on her books whenever they come out and I was super lucky to get an early copy of this gem from her. It definitely helped with the post-covid fugue I was in. I laughed and cried and wanted to shake the Birdie and Elliott a few times. To me, if I am that into the characters that I talk to them while reading, it is a good thing.

Birdie "Robinson" Maxwell is reeling from being the nice Rom Com girl into the mean gal who made a scene on set. She flees to Barton, California, her hometown and uncovers a love letter that was sent to her a few years earlier but she never got. She tells her best friend Mona, whose twin brother Elliott and Birdie have a past connection. These two are dynamic and on fire together but both too stubborn. Mona tells Elliott to go with Birdie to find her past loves and see just who wrote this letter. Or did he write it? This leads to some mishaps and miscues and a lot of fun for the reader.

The finale discovery at a magic show in Las Vegas is just perfection! I was smiling so wide and it gave me all the good goosebumps. I loved it! Allison told me it is more rom-comy than her usual writing but she hit the nail on the head. I can so see this as a tv show or film. I would watch it on repeat.

Thanks to Allison Winn Scotch, Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for an advance copy for review. Do yourself a favor and pre-order this book. Buy it when it comes out next year on March 5th. Put it on your radar and escape reality for a while.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I didn’t realize second chance romances set in Hollywood were an entire genre of books until,I kept reading them. The Reunion. The Daydreams. How to Fake it In Hollywood. Will they or won’t they. (I’m sure there or many more in this genre I just made up).

This one, well this one is one of the best. Such incredible characters. Such a fun read. You can’t put it down and it harkens back to Notting Hill. I absolutely loved it. I’ve been reading Alison Winn Scotch since she started and this is one of her best.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending an ARC for review.

I'm a big fan of Allison Winn Scotch and was really excited to see a title from her on NetGalley. It felt like it had been awhile since I read her! This book follows Birdie, a famous actress who goes viral and not in a good way. She flees Hollywood to go back home, running into Elliot, the boy-next-door, with whom she has a complicated past. To redeem herself, she goes on a tour to find an old flame who sent her a love letter. She brings along Elliot to report on her adventures.

I wished the story had gone a little deeper. I never really believed she was the most famous actress in the world. I also get miffed at books where the entire premise could be settled if characters would only communicate with each other.

This book had me hooked from the very first chapter, as Birdie Maxwell sprinted away from paparazzi, her reputation going up in flames in a viral video. Returning to her hometown with her pride wounded, she found herself at her parents' doorstep, only to be met by her estranged sister who greeted her with a resounding slap. The comedic irony had me bursting into laughter, and I instantly connected with Birdie's anti-heroine spirit as she attempted her rogue entrance into her childhood home, only to be swiftly apprehended by her sister in her transformed Airbnb guest room.

Her parents were on sabbatical, and her less-than-enthusiastic sister was ready to donate the remnants of Birdie's belongings to Goodwill, dismissing her unread emails. Birdie's reputation had taken a hit after confronting a director's inappropriate behavior, and her pleas for justice were ignored, even by her longtime lover who happened to be the director's brother. Left to shoulder the blame and labeled the scapegoat, she yearned for redemption and a chance to repair her image as America's sweetheart.

As fate would have it, Birdie crossed paths with her childhood crush and a reunion with her best friend, Mona, at a dive bar. Elliott O'Brian, a successful reporter covering war zones, was grappling with his own professional struggles and reputation woes. Birdie needed a story to salvage her image, and an unexpected love letter addressed to her family home became the key. Their journey unraveled a tale of second chances, unrequited love, and undeniable chemistry as they embarked on a road trip filled with mishaps, miscommunication, and unexpected discoveries.

Caught in Mona's RV, the duo ventured to various locales, from a delectable chef's restaurant to the opulent realm of a casino hotel owner. Despite their shared past, there were unspoken feelings and unresolved tensions that held them back from embracing their emotions. The narrative seamlessly blended enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes, though there were moments when I wished the characters would shed their stubbornness and reveal their true sentiments.

While I may have deducted half a star due to these instances and an early unraveling of the secret admirer mystery, ( I found as I reached the middle) the book remained irresistibly addictive, entertaining, and an exemplar of the romantic comedy genre. In my final verdict, I'm rounding up my rating from 4.5 to a solid 5 stars, all in the hope that Birdie Maxwell finds her well-deserved happily ever after.

A heartfelt expression of gratitude to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for extending the opportunity to immerse myself in this delightful digital reviewer copy in exchange for my candid thoughts.

Oh my goodness, this book was charming, witty, and romantic and I really enjoyed it! It did start off a little slow, but once it picked up I really liked it.