Showmance is a ROMCOM with my favorite trope, enemies to lovers. A disgraced playwright goes home to rebuild his life and care for his father, only to find his high school nemesis working the family farm. Bullied in his youth for gay, Noah realizes his memories aren't exactly as he remembers from his youth.

Noah's Mother was a gem. Loved the way Noah and Luke fall in love throughout this story.

Thank you, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Books | Penguin Books

This was an interesting read for me. It was very funny but more in a campy way that in a haha way. I found the main character to be a bit stuck in his thoughts regarding his childhood bully. Mostly because it seemed like he was so upset about being judge himself and yet he was judging others.

However, I found the premise of this to be wonderful and interesting to read. I loved the broadwayness and the tone that this story gave me. It's not often you get the bright lights in the small city with a second chance at getting to find yourself.

Charming story, with the right amount of wit and heart to keep me invested from beginning to end. I don't normally read romantic comedies or anything related to that genre. The juicy premise, along with nods to musical theater and the Tonys, initially hooked me. I would say that the author's writing style is too self-referential and overwritten. The main characters weren't anywhere close to being three-dimensional, but in some respects, I guess they didn't really have to be. Another editorial pass might have tightened up the page count and overall narrative. As much of a page-turner as this novel was, once the major plot twist happens, things move very predictably toward its HEA conclusion. If that's your sort of thing, then this could be the next read for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for eARC access.

I literally finished this in half a day!! I could not put this book down! I didn’t see the betrayal coming and it had me in tears! I loved the witty banter and Luke!! I’m so glad the Gods let you bring Tom with you because it gave us Luke

An inside baseball romance for theatre nerds. This was a little long, and Noah's attitude/sense of humor/defense mechanisms got a bit exhausting after a while, but Beguelin's language sparkles and entertains. This is a love story on so many levels: between two young men (enemies-to-lovers), between a queer man and his gruff father, between theatre and its participants.

If you enjoyed the musical The Prom, which Chad Beguelin co-wrote, you'll like his first novel. Looking forward to more!

Cute musical themed romance that gives Hallmark Movie vibes. You will never guess how the end turns out.

Showmance SHOWED OUT and I adored it!

Showmance sweeps readers into the world of Noah, a writer who might be losing his spark in the big city. But when he returns to his hometown, everything changes in the most delightful way. The town has decided to stage his musical at the community theater, setting the stage for a heartwarming mix of nostalgia, humor, and unexpected romance. And who should appear in the cast but Noah’s former high school bully, Luke. As sparks fly, what follows is a wild, passionate journey that’s as intense as it is irresistible.

The characters are truly the heart of this story. Beguelin has crafted a fantastic ensemble—Noah, along with his friends and family, are both hilarious and endearing, making every scene a delight. They’re so vivid and likable that I found myself hoping for cameo appearances, just to spend more time with them.

The romance here is magnetic, too. Noah's evolving relationship with Luke is nothing short of addictive, with moments that range from laugh-out-loud funny to sweet, and undeniably spicy. Their chemistry is captivating, and readers will find themselves rooting hard for this unlikely couple, wanting more of their story with each page.

On an emotional level, Showmance tugs at the heartstrings, too. The story beautifully captures the highs and lows of family and friendship, and I found myself laughing, swooning, and even tearing up at some of the poignant moments between Noah and his loved ones. This book is an absolute treat, and readers are in for a heartwarming, entertaining journey they'll want to relive again and again.

I really liked the idea of this book, but I wasn’t happy with the follow-through.
For one, I really don’t enjoy books where the main character starts off with another partner. And not only that but I didn’t particularly appreciate the circumstances in which Luke and Noah knew each other from and I thought their reconciliation wasn’t thorough enough for me to see a long-term relationship in their future.
Noah as a character also irritated me a little bit. He had a lot of growth, but it took me a long time to be able to like him because he was just so arrogant. And not great at apologizing. I didn’t enjoy the guilt tripping he did of Luke. I can understand why in a sense he built himself up like that because neither of his parents are great, but I wanted more from those relationships too.
I liked the characters from the small town even though I didn’t love the entire small town mythos.
Overall, not for me but I’m sure there are people who will love it.

Writer Noah Adams has finally achieved his goal of seeing one of his musicals performed on Broadway. The only issue is that it completely bombs. Opening night turns out to be the show’s only performance. When Noah returns to his small hometown to visit an ailing family member, he’s horrified to learn that the town’s community theatre will be staging his show as an homage. Not only that, but they want him to direct it. He’s even more horrified to learn that Luke, his high school bully, is suddenly his parents’ employee and BFF.

But Noah is surprised to discover that things aren’t what they seem. The locals’ suggestions for changes to his play are actually kind of good, and Luke is both annoyingly likeable and weirdly kind. Also, it’s important to note, very hot. Most surprising of all, it seems like he’s caught feelings for Noah as well?

I was absolutely charmed by this book. I love when the grumpy person is the protagonist in a grumpy/sunshine romance. Noah was so endearingly snarky that I wish he could be my IRL friend. I also loved his character growth as he realized his small town had more to offer than he thought. Some of the other characters felt a bit more one-dimensional, but their banter with Noah was still great.

I also love that the author actually has a background in writing for Broadway. His deep knowledge of and love for the theatre industry shines through clearly.

If you’re looking for a cute, Hallmark style romance but with a bit more edge, this should for sure be your next read.

Here is the old age trope of high School enemies turn possibly something more Noah is living his best life, he got out of rinky dink small town, illinois existence and moved to new york city for all he wanted to do--have a show on Broadway. And finally it's his big night. It bombs and he bomb big time on the same night he gets word that his dad back. has had a health scare, so he goes back to his roots, while there he ends up putting on a version of his play. I'm sorry, musical with the help of the community theater also just happens to turn out that high school nemesis, Luke.- at least nemesis in his head from high school now works for his family's farm no one begins to see a different side to luke he
Also seems to realize that he was wrong about the past and his community- Sometimes we want to get out of a place that we were so miserable. That we didn't see anything else around us.....this was a good book

This is a fun rom-com about an aspiring playwright after his 3rd attempt in NYC falters. The growth of the main character from a self involved judgmental character to someone I would enjoy hanging out with was a fun transition. Glad I was able to read this thru NetGalley!

Thank you to Penguin for my copy of SHOWMANCE.

I loved this book so much. As a theatre person and also a book lover this checked all my boxes. Chad Beguelin has a great resume and he translates his experience in theatre to really support this story in the best way. I love this book, go snag yourself a copy right now.

I needed a sweet rom-com to read after the heavy book I read before and this was perfect! I adored the main character, Noah, and his exploration to finding himself after returning home be there for his ill father. I highly recommend this sweet, funny romantic comedy!

This was so, so fun and well paced. After a few more slowly paced books back to back, this was an actual breath of fresh air. I loved the progression of Noah and Luke's relationship, everything about the characters and their dialogue felt so natural and very well fleshed out. I really loved this one!

I am supposed to be reading thrillers but keep picking up rom-coms which is a serious mood reader problem 😂.

Noah is a Broadway playwright, his play tanks on opening night, then his dad gets sick and it’s back to the rural small town he grew up on to visit his parents and their farm.

And you KNOW his childhood nemesis is now working on the farm and is totally hot now and he realizes he had Luke all wrong in high school and of COURSE they are going to get together while putting on a alternative version of Noah’s play for the small town community and they’re a rag tag group of characters.

They don’t need to save the community center or anything just doing it for funsies 😂.

This book moves FAST. Like, there are breakups and makeups and cleared up misunderstandings and family drama and it’s just SO quick.

Sometimes I felt like Noah was a little much. Like some of the wit was funny, but sometimes it made him come off as way younger than he actually was.

But overall this was cute, warm, and fuzzy and everything turns out just fine. A closed door, sort of enemies to lovers, small town romance. I’d recommend if you’re looking for something light and fast paced.

Thank you @netgalley and @penguinbooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I read a snippet of this book in "Buzz Books 2024: Romance" and immediately requested the ARC on NetGalley. After reading the full thing, I was a little disappointed. I loved the concept and how the whole town seemingly comes together to put on this performance for Noah, but I really questioned why they felt like they owed him this - because being proud he made it to broadway just didn't cut it for me. There was no buildup to Noah and Luke. They went from 0 to 100 in like 12 pages; not even knowing Luke's middle name to moving in with him happens in one chapter. I also understand there needed a way for Noah to work from Illinois while still in the broadway/musical space, but a personal phone call from Elton John felt like a little much. I think a few less story lines would have brought more depth to the remaining ones. And I think Noah could use a little humbling. Luke tried a bit when asking about him going to college, etc. but I don't feel like Noah learned from this. He was very self-centered, not noticing other people, like his dad and how he showed his love, or how the high school bullying just magically stopped.

I did enjoy the witty one-liners, I loved Noah's mom, and Melissa and Kiara were wonderful and supportive friends even when Noah self-admittedly wasn't the best to them. Overall it was okay, and I am sure some people will really love it. But for me, I needed more character development and less story lines / characters to keep track of.

Such a cute Rom-com with depth and exploration of finding yourself and second chance romance! Funny, adorable and everything I look for in a romantic comedy!

Thank you to Viking Penguin for the advance reader copy. These opinions are my own.

After Noah's Broadway musical is horribly panned, he races home to Illinois to be there for his ill father. And his family and agent sign him up to put on the musical with the community theater in his small town.

There was so much about this book I appreciated, most notably the small town community and how they came to support Noah and his family. And I absolutely adored their festival celebrating hot air balloons. The top of my bucket list is to experience something like The Glow, in which everyone got to see the lit up balloons at night. Most of all, I am such a lover of all things musical theater and enjoyed every reference.

However, I wish the synopsis made it clear this was a love triangle, as I would have been less likely to pick the book up. The agent referenced is Noah's boyfriend, so I held my breath wondering if Noah would cheat.

As a result, I never fully felt the romance or rooted for it. Instead, I was most invested in the family and parental relationships. And I wanted to see Noah's character grow and learn more from his mistakes.

For all that, I still really enjoyed both the musical Noah wrote in the book and the ending of this novel. It had me in tears. So I come away with mixed feelings but ultimately grateful to have experienced it.

CW: previous homophobia, hospitalization

This book was good, but it wasn’t for me. I found Noah to be overly mean at times. Cheating is also a major plot point, and I prefer books without cheating.

At the same time, it was a sweet story with lots of heart. The way the town comes around
Noah is inspiring and also a good reminder that we can grow.

I recommend it if you are a fan of musical theatre, enemies to lovers, and small town romance!

What do you do when your first major Broadway musical is a flop and closes on opening night? This is the question Noah Adams is faced with after his musical adaptation of King Lear (Stage of Fools) flops on Broadway. Unfortunately, the universe conspires against him even more when he receives a phone call from his mother after just receiving the reviews that his father has had a heart attack and Noah needs to come home. Noah and his boyfriend/agent, Chase, fly to Plainview, IL. Unbeknownst to Noah, everyone in his old community theater and his family have been conspiring behind the scenes to get Noah to direct the first non-professional version of his Broadway flop, Stage of Fools.

When Chase has to go back to NYC for work and Noah dives headfirst into directing a cast of non-professional actors, Noah depends more and more on Luke, the man who works around his father's farm. Oh, and Luke was one of Noah's tormentors in high school, so Noah absolutely despises the man.

In this enemies to lovers romantic comedy, the cast is quirky and the characters are just not perfect enough to make them believable. Admittedly, some readers may find Noah a bit whiny, but I've known guys like him, so I found the portrayal realistic.

AS a whole, I really enjoyed this book. As a whole, I think Chad Beguelin's <i>Shomance</i> is a fun romp through the joys of putting on a show, and realizing that the man you may hate is just the man you've been looking for.

I want to thank the author/publisher for the opportunity to review Showmance before publication. While I am thankful for the opportunity, this review does not reflect their generosity.