cute concept with a light M-M romance. I am sure this story will find many fans, reminded me of some of Steven Rowley's stories.

Broadway writer Noah Adams faces disaster when his musical flops on opening night. Returning to his small hometown, he’s horrified to learn the local theater is staging his show—and wants him to direct. Worse, his former high school bully, Luke, is now his parents’ close friend and employee. But as Noah navigates small-town life, he realizes the locals’ play suggestions are solid, and Luke is unexpectedly kind—and hot. With witty banter, great character growth, and an insider’s love for theater, this grumpy/sunshine romance delivers a charming, slightly edgier Hallmark-style read.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Books for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This was a very cute and fun premise. The characters were fine but overall a bit forgettable and the chemistry seemed a little forced. I absolutely loved the references of musicals, like in the chapter titles. So fun!

The first few chapters were very difficult to finish. Perhaps this just isn't my style of read, but I was really enticed by the synopsis. I found the characters to be overtly sexual for no real rhyme or reason. I powered through hoping for a story that was more redeemable, and while it was certainly not the worst book I have read, I just don't think these types of gay rom-com reads are my cup of tea.

Showmance by Chad Beguelin


Book Description

Noah Adams’s career as a playwright is circling the drain, thanks to a scorching review of his first Broadway musical. So when a family emergency sends him back to his Podunk hometown of Plainview, Illinois, he figures he’ll hide out for a bit. But to Noah’s horror, his agent has secretly arranged for him to stage an amateur version of the career-ruining musical at the local community theater.

As if trying to work with a bunch of artless amateurs wasn’t enough, Noah runs into Luke, the jerk from his high school years, everywhere he goes. Luke somehow grew up to be beloved by everyone in town…and undeniably gorgeous. As rehearsals begin, Noah is surprised by his cast’s insights, the warmth of the town he’d dismissed, and the reality of what happened with Luke all those years ago. Just how much has Noah misjudged?




My Review

Noah left his small town for college and a new life in New York City. He never expected he would have to return, especially with the added baggage of a failed Broadway show. As much as he saw the local community theatre as a safe haven when he was a closeted gay kid, he is reluctant to return there and stage a production of that same failed show.

As much as Noah had a glowup when he left home for the first time, it is only after he returns that he has the opportunity to grow up and come to terms with a lot of the problems from his youth. At first, he approaches the situation with a chip on his shoulder, refusing to listen to the suggestions offered by his cast of amateurs. But luckily, he gets over himself, realizes that they might have valuable insight, and most importantly, that his hometown is so much more than the poor provincial town with nothing to offer.

This book is hilarious. Noah has such a lively voice with snappy responses. Much of the humor comes from him being a fish out of water unsuited for small-town life. He certainly doesn’t expect to find romance, especially not with the boy who used to make fun of him in high school, but that’s exactly what happens.

I would absolutely recommend Showmance. This is a fun romcom that will appeal to fans of Broadway musicals and queer romance. I would definitely read more from Beguelin in the future.




I received a digital ARC of this book from Penguin/NetGalley

This book was such a light and fun romance. It reminded me of 90’s sitcoms where problems arose but they were quickly squashed and I knew it would all work out beautifully. After his new Broadway show flops and his dad has a heart attack, Noah flies to his small hometown, big city boyfriend Chase in tow to help care for him. While he’s in town, he finds his old high school bully Luke working on his parents farm and the local theater he was a part of growing up wants him to do a run of the show in town. Having nothing else to do, Noah agrees. But everything he thought about Luke and this small town is soon turned in its head.

I requested this for consideration for Book Riot's All the Books podcast for its release date. After sampling several books out this week, I decided to go with a different book for my review.

3.5*
Showmance was an entertaining, fairly easy read.
I liked how Noah moved back home after his Broadway disaster and got involved with the local theater trope, and how they were able to open his eyes to life.
I definitely had a feeling Chase wasn't the perfect person he appeared to be and it was nice to be validated. Although I hated it for Noah.
There's a lot of growth for Noah's character as the book progressed and it was good to see.
Luke seemed to good to be true, but he really was all that and a bag of chips.
I really enjoyed how everything worked out in the end.

When I was in a bit of a reading slump, Showmance by Chad Beguelin broke me free. It's a charming love story centered in the world of the theater (and all of the fun, zany side characters you could imagine). It's a book about going home again and what you can find there. I thought the chemistry between Noah and Luke was sweet, and I was cheering for them.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

This was a solidly cute rom-com. I liked it well enough, but didn't love it. I felt my attention wander a few times, but it was a cute story overall and I liked the characters. It's a decent palate cleanser of a book.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

4 stars- A book to not only make me laugh to myself but equally fall in love with the characters? Sign me up! Thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delightful, heartwarming read! While some of the humor didn't land quite right with me, I thoroughly enjoyed the overall storyline and romance between the characters. Some of the plot seemed too cookie-cutter and convenient for Noah, as he doesn't experience that many consequences and his problems quickly get resolved. Thank you to Penguin Books for the ARC.

I couldn’t connect with either character after a few chapters. I was hoping I would, because the blurb had me very interested. I am very much a mood reader, so I could end up loving this book in the future.

Let me start off by thanking the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Showmance. From the first chapter, I wasn’t able to put the book down. I loved Noah’s personality/antics and how he has to come to terms with certain things. It was fast paced but it actually didn’t feel like things were happening or moving too fast. I hope to read more from Chad Beguelin.
Overall a 4/5 stars ⭐️

Showmance is a fun (if slightly predictable) romp. Noah is the typical midwestern gay boy, tormented in high school and finding an escape through the local theater. He moves to NYC for college and never looks back, until his dad has health problems and he returns home. He has a too-good-to-be-true boyfriend in NYC, but starts having feelings for a boy from his childhood. The best thing about the book are all the charming side characters, especially those performing in the play. This is a good time!

Love love loved it! This book was exactly what I was looking for. Funny, full of heart, perfect for a theatre nerd like me, it made me laugh and want to burst out into song. I've already recommended it to so many people. If you need a light-hearted but moving book to lift your spirits, this is it!

This is a charming and entertaining rom com which reminded me of Sweet Home Alabama. Noah is a dramatic grown-ass theater kid living in NYC. A medical emergency (an a flop of a musical) requires that he go back to his small-town home and spend some time there, reconnecting with so many people he was more than ecstatic to leave behind. I absolutely loved seeing Noah's growth throughout the book. But mostly I loved the fun and funny dialogue. A huge thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Books and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Showmance by Chad Beguelin

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5

Things I loved:
*Fallible memories
*Different communication types
*Navigating difficult parent relationships
*Musical references
*A surprise celebrity cameo
*Nancy Kay Adams

This book is a delightful little romcom with serious Sweet Home Alabama vibes. Noah is a down on his luck writer of musicals who visits home after his latest failed musical and father's heart attack. He reunites with his high school nemesis Luke and the local amateur theater company.

I really loved Noah's growth in his relationship with his father. It's clear they both have very different communication types and misunderstood each other for a long time because of it. With Noah's extended stay at his childhood home, they are able to work through their differences and strengthen their relationship, and its absolutely beautiful to see.

I loved the fallable memory aspect of this story, too. Noah remembers Luke as one of his biggest bullies in high school and acts accordingly as an adult. Luke remembers high school differently and is hurt by Noah's words and actions when he returns home. I would have loved to see Luke's perspective to be developed more, though.

A couple of things kept me from giving this book a 4 star rating. The first is that a lot of things seemed a bit too convenient for Noah. When his heart is broken, he has friends who take care of everything. He has a new man lined up right away, and we don't really see any grieving (it mostly happens off page). On that note, I would have loved more development of Luke as a character. Though there were some beautifully intimate moments, their relationship started quickly and felt a bit rushed.

This book definitely delivers on the comedy; between Noah being an overdramatic grown-up theater kid and his kooky mother, there's no shortage of laughs. If you are a fan of Linda Belcher, you will LOVE Nancy Kay. I loved Noah's dramatic declarations of love to his two female best friends and all the musical references sprinkled throughout the story. The theater group was also full of some huge personalities, and each one made an impact on reviving Noah's failed musical and giving him much needed perspective.

What I loved about this story definitely outweighs any critiques I have. Any former theater kid is sure to love this little romp. And many will be thrilled with the celebrity cameo at the end!


*I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun romcom! As a huge reader and theater lover I was excited when I came across this one! Writer Noah Adams has finally achieved his dream of seeing one of his musicals performed on Broadway, but the show completely bombs, and opening night becomes closing night. Noah returns home to visit an ailing family member; he is completely horrified to learn that the town's community theater will be staging his show as a tribute to him and they want him to direct it! He’s even more horrified to learn that one of his high school bully’s, Luke, is his parents, employee and friend. But as he starts working on the show, he discovers that things aren’t what he expected. The locals' suggestions for his show are surprisingly good and Luke is super likeable and kind and seems to have caught feelings for Noah.

I love a grumpy/sunshine romance, and this one was so cute. I loved seeing Noah journey of realizing that his small town may have more to offer than he originally thought. Noah was so relatable and funny. I listened to the audiobook and was able to read it in a day! It's an easy quick read! You could tell that the author actually had a background of working in theater which I really appreciated. This is a solid 4.5 for me!