Unfortunately, I got stuck and was not able to move forward on to the next chapters. Somehow, it lacks the element that captivates my attention on the first few pages in.

The third book in this series and my third Mia Summers book. Jake Leonard was introduced in book 2 as Logan's friend in a toxic relationship and now he's the star of book #3. Delilah is taking care of her grandmother in the small town of Elk River after an accident that led to a broken foot. Grandma does housekeeping for Jake and Mia must help keep up his house as her grandma is out of commission. When Jake's toxic ex shows up, Delilah and Jake strike a bargain: She pretends to be his girlfriend to get his crazy ex off of his case while she stalks him in town for the next two weeks and Jake will help Delilah get her art into a gallery for a showing.

I think this book is my favorite of the series, honestly. I was so happy that there wasn't a huge focus on papparazzi, lots of beautiful landscapes detailed in the writing, and two really likable main characters. I even liked the element of the crazy ex Zoe, she's written very well to be despised. The descriptions of Delilah painting by the lake were quite lovely. Delilah's spunky grandmother Agnes is incredibly cute. My favorite thing about this book was that it didn't follow a similar formula to the first two. Very cute, closed door romance.

I loved this book! It hits on all my favourite tropes, a fake girlfriend-to-lovers situation, and famous person vs common folk. And unlike Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, The Reel Deal did not make me cringe at all. In fact, I found all the scenes to be super adorable and tastefully written. The author did a fantastic job writing the romantic tension between Jake and Delilah.

Typically, I don't like reading stories with alternating narrative perspectives, but The Reel Deal does it very well. I found that it provided an intimate look at how Jake and Delilah felt during that moment and I really appreciated

The overall conflict with Zoe, the ex-girlfriend, felt to be under-developed. It came off as a typical villain for the main characters to navigate around, which is perfectly fine, however, I thought that the story made a weird decision near the end of the story. 

Overall, this novel was such a fun and light-hearted read. I loved how descriptive the food scenes were. And the eloquent descriptions of the paintings were very well done, I could truly imagine it in my mind as I read. If you're looking for a light-hearted read, I recommend giving The Reel Deal a try.

I read ‘Love interest #9’, the second book in the ‘Big star, small town’ series by Mia Summers and I enjoyed it a lot, so I was happy to receive book three as an advanced reading copy. Lukas and Rachel from book two pop up every now and then, which was fun. Although this is part three, the book can be read as a standalone.
The book is about Delila and Jake. Delila returns to the small town Elk Ridge to take care of her grandmother who broke her foot, but she ends up at the house of famous actor Jake Leonard. Delila’s grandmother is his housekeeper and since she broke her foot, her gran persuades her to do some chores for him in her absence. But then Jake’s ex-girlfriend shows up and Jake introduces Delila as his girlfriend, hoping that will shoo her away. Delila plays along and she ends up staying at his mansion for two weeks, in which the relationship blossoms…
This book is a sweet story about two people with totally different lives but are basically both looking for trust, acknowledgment, being seen and loved and cherished for who they are on the inside.
There are a few things in the storylines that seemed too good to be true or realistic, but it does add to the feel-good vibe that you want. Jake is a sweet man and Delila is very caring and authentic.
I valued that Mia Summers kept this a clean story, instead focusing on the relationship and the story.
I can recommend this book and I hope you’ll enjoy it like I did.
I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and I am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Starling and Stone Publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

While I have not read the first two, I gave it a try anyways. I do enjoy a fake dating scenario after all. I wasn't overly enthralled by the characters, they kind of felt a little flat, but for a simple hallmark type scenario it was cute.

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley for my honest review! Thank you Netgalley! If you've read this author's other two books in this series then you know exactly what you are getting, A cute, hallmark type romance with a normal girl and a hollywood heart throb falling in love. Hijinks ensue. It's a fun time!

3.5 ⭐️ - Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book! The Reel Deal is a cute celebrity romance between Jake & Delilah. I really enjoyed this book! It wasn’t too long so it felt that none of the plot was drawn out & the romance was adorable! Mia Summers writing was very easy to read. I loved the fake dating and the dual pov. I’m excited to read more from her!

2.5 stars — A cute small town, forced proximity, fake dating celebrity rom-com with zero spice.

Once an aspiring artist, Delilah comes home to Elk Ridge to care for her injured grandmother and take over her housekeeping responsibilities to ensure that she doesn’t lose her biggest client, who happens to be Hollywood heartthrob, Jake Leonard. Delilah’s trying hard not to judge Jake by his extravagent mansion and ridiculous list of daily demands, while simultaneously finding herself inspired by his exquisite taste in art. Jake boldly stakes his claim on Delilah as his girlfriend when his ex unexpectedly shows up trying to win him back. She dutifully agrees (for Grandma, of course) and reluctantly moves in with Jake to play the part.

Summers has a way with surroundings, her detailed descriptions make it impossible not to feel like the story could be real. As I’ve come to expect from this author, her characters have depth, the plot is interesting enough, the pace is quick and easy but there is no real climax. The story, while sweet, flatlines, lacking genuine conflict and chemistry in the end. She does have a tendency to end her books abruptly, and this one is no exception. Another cute, clean rom-com from a very consistent writer.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was so much fun! I always love fake dating trope and even though celebrity trope is not my favorite it was done really well in here. So i loved what this book has done. I enjoyed my time reading it

Who knew celebrities could be so kind?! When Delilah meets Jake Leonard, famous actor, she expects a spiked, self-absorbed celebrity but Jake turns out to be anything but. Trying to some respite from the Hollywood scene, Jake retreats to his personal estate in the mountain town of Elk Ridge where Delilah is temporarily staying to her nurse her Gran, Jake’s housekeeper, back to health. This cute story has all the great tropes: fake relationship, celebrity relationships, forced proximity, slow burn, small town romance. I found both Jake and Delilah’s characters endearing and how their chemistry played out in the page.

There were a few minor typos/grammar errors. One towards the end of the book (pg 186/187) where Jake notes that Delilah would be doing something later that “morning,” while he is simultaneously preparing what he refers to as “dinner”, typically a meal enjoyed after the morning. Fairly minor and it didn’t really cause too much heartache, as the reader can assess what the intent was there. Overall very enjoyable reading!

This is such a great, feel good, classic romcom. You have all the favorites: one bed trope, fake dating, forced proximity, celebrity + normie, NO major miscommunication, great banter and chemistry, dual POV, instalove, small town setting and more. I seriously spent the entire book grinning from ear to ear and having a “kicking my feet” type of moment.

I struggled on this one. I love Mia Summers but this was a hard read. I loved the idea. Delilah and Jake were great characters but the writing just wasn't the same as prior books. Delilah and Jake's love story was good but the writing just wasn't as good.

"The Reel Deal" delivers a charming and heartwarming romcom experience that combines Hollywood glamour with small-town charm. The story unfolds as a delightful tale where a seemingly ordinary protagonist finds herself thrust into the world of a famous Hollywood heartthrob, Jake Leonard.

The premise is set when the protagonist, prompted by Grandma's injury, steps into the role of caretaker for Jake in his sprawling mansion. What begins as a routine assignment takes an unexpected turn as the protagonist is roped into playing the part of Jake's girlfriend. The narrative skillfully weaves through the challenges of this fake relationship, introducing the complications brought on by Jake's demanding ex-girlfriend.

The strength of the story lies in the dynamics between the characters, particularly the growing connection between the protagonist and Jake. The slow burn romance adds a layer of anticipation, and the closed-door approach keeps the focus on the emotional depth of the characters rather than explicit scenes.

If you are looking for a cute small town romance then this book will scratch that itch.

This book follows Jake and Delilah’s path to finding loving. Delilah comes to the small town to assist her injured grandmother, who happens to be a housekeeper for a massive mansion in the woods. Jake is a Hollywood star who just got out of a toxic on again off again relationship. When his ex shows up to his house while he is walking Delilah out he drags her into a fake relationship to make the ex go away. In return he will help her get her artwork into a gallery.

I will really wanted to like this book more. I felt that the chemistry between the two characters was very awkward at times. If I am being honest I feel that I loved the relationship between Delilah and her grandmother more than her relationship with Jake. I was actually ok with the closed door, slow burn portion of the book and I loved that Delilah did not let Jake’s ex runover her. I just wish she had that confidence when she was alone with Jake.

In the end, it’s a cute book if you are looking for a sweet palate cleanser.

I received this Arc free in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the chance to review this book.

What a cute read. All my favorite tropes. It wasn't over the top heart wrenching or angsty. Good palate cleanser. Would read more by this author.

Fairly predictable rom com but it was still a good read that I enjoyed. It will be on of the ones that ends up on the list to recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher/author for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Another great novella from Mia Summers. I loved the connection in all 3 books with crossover characters and hope there's another in the future.

This was a fun, easy read that didn't play too heavily on the other woman drama.
Jake and Delilah are easy to like characters.
I received a copy via NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

If you're looking for a sweet, feel-good romance with some entertaining banter and enticing descriptions, this books for you, and for me, it was time well spent.

It was such a fun book and I enjoyed reading it so much! I found the story simple with characters that aren't too deep, so nothing very unique in that department. For me, the scenery and descriptions really stood out. The novel is set in a mountainous area, so the visual imagery involved is just gorgeous. And this is without mentioning Delilah's beautiful paintings.

I've read many books that use the celebrity and fake dating tropes, and usually love them. In this story, it wasn't the tropes or insights into the world of a celeb that wowed me, but the chemistry between the MCs. I think the whole fake dating bit was quite cliche and unnecessary, so the book could've done without it and Jake's ex Zoe.

Overall, Jake and Delilah went together really well, just super cute and heartwarming as a pair. Their feelings for each other, the POVs and the declaration raised my already high standards even more and I'm sure I'll always have memories of them lingering in my mind.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book, all opinions expressed are my own.

This was my first book by Mia Summers, and it was an easy and enjoyable read. I enjoyed the characters of both Jake and Delilah who were genuine individuals who had a real connection. Their relationship progressed with realistic experiences together and bonding over shared interests. I'm always a sucker for a fake-dating romance and this was no exception. Add in lovely side characters and no miscommunication and this is definitely one I'd recommend. I can't wait to read some more from this series.

4⭐️ read for me

Favourite Quote: "It was a ruse, and one that doesn't bother me in the least, seeing as it introduced me to the love of my life"