A definite must read for fans of rom-coms with the trope of enemies to lovers.
When Noah’s broadway musical doesn’t go as planned, he heads home to his parents with his boyfriend, Chase.
There he is met with his high school nemesis, Luke.
The story unfolds and we are thrown into the showmance!
Super cute, fast paced and entertaining.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks, Penguin Books, for the advanced review copy via NetGalley (available 1 Oct 24).

Noah heads to his small hometown after his first Broadway musical fails. There, he helps stage an amateur version of his play (musical!) and tries to avoid Luke, a jerk from high school who is now sweet and gorgeous.

I want to watch this as a NetFlix movie starring Andrew Rannells (or Adam Devine) with a cameo from Stanley Tucci (or Cher!). I’m a sucker for musical theater and a big moment, so of course, I teared up at the end. But overall, this was a miss for me.

Noah’s latest attempt at a Broadway musical has flopped. Badly. It lasted for only one show — much like his previous attempt — and Noah’s heart is breaking from a combination of embarrassment and grief that even his boyfriend, Chase, can’t comfort. That’s when the night goes from bad to worse, as Noah gets a call that his dad is in the hospital with a heart attack.

Back home, Noah reunites with his mother and his childhood bully, Luke, who works for Noah’s dad on the farm. The local theater company — which used to be Noah’s refuge from the harassment and bullying in school — wants to perform his flopped play and asks him to direct it. With Noah’s mother guilting him into staying, Noah is forced to come to terms with his play, why it failed, and what he can do to fix it. And, with Chase gone back to New York, Noah has time to get to know Luke again.

This story pushed so many of my buttons and I have things to say about how it absolutely didn’t work for me. To start with, Noah as a character feels formless, as if he speaks according to the script, but the script seems to hate him, because Noah is always in the wrong. He is, in almost every single situation, the aggressor, the asshole, and the judgmental jerk who says cruel, hurtful things. This allows everyone around him to show him, with quiet dignity, how right they are and how wrong he is, so Noah can apologize and learn from them and be a better person. (There’s a brief attempt near the end to suggest Chase and the Big City taught Noah some bad habits, but it lasts all of a paragraph.) Noah says random and cruel things. For someone who knows people who grew up in trailers, why does he make a comment about how terrible people living in trailers? He says things out of nowhere that don’t feel like they come from the character, but rather some script that wants Noah taken down a peg or two so that he’s … what, at Luke’s level?

All through high school Noah was bullied by Luke and his friends, and by his father, who told him repeatedly to suck it up and be a man. Only, according to everyone else, that’s not how it happened. Luke was never a bully, he was a good guy who stopped the bullying. And Noah’s dad didn’t mean any harm when he ignored the bullying. He loved his son and didn’t know how to show it. In fact, he was the one really hurt by the bullying because he couldn’t protect his son. When Noah finally has a chance to confront one of the boys who threw a garbage can of food on him, the guy shrugs and says sorry, my bad, leaving Noah looking like the aggressive one for confronting him. The bullies are sorry, so it’s all water under the bridge, and Noah, can you stop being so dramatic about it?

Next, this book has cheating from both Noah and Chase, but only Chase is called out for it. Noah gets away with it, presumably because he’s the main character. Luke kisses Noah one night — knowing, knowing — Noah has a boyfriend. When Noah tells his mother about this, she shrugs. When he reminds her he has a boyfriend, she shrugs that off too. When he asks if he should tell his boyfriend someone else kissed him, she says it depends on what Luke’s kiss meant to him. So, she’s fine with her son cheating so long as it doesn’t mean anything? But when he doesn’t immediately tell his boyfriend what happened, she’s cold and judgmental. Noah’s cheating doesn’t seem to matter though, because Chase is cheating, too. But his cheating is evil, and now Luke can get all self-righteous about how he knew Chase wasn’t good enough for Noah.

Noah is estranged from his father — and it’s this relationship that had the best line in the book: “When I was a kid I would catch him looking at me like I was somebody else’s luggage he picked up at the airport by mistake.” There’s so much potential there and I kept looking for those moments to show up, but it never goes anywhere. In the one scene where Noah finally has a moment alone with his father, it’s brief and hollow because there’s been no groundwork to establish how the two men are feeling. (Also, his father is sedated after a second heart attack.) But this one relationship — one that shaped his entire play, an adaptation of King Lear, a play about the connection between a parent and child and the pain and distance between them — is sidelined in favor of Noah’s mother. Again and again, she’s right there between them to explain away what’s going on rather than letting the two characters talk, bond, heal, or even share a glance.

Noah’s mother is the quirky artist who paints eggplant emojis, her poor innocent mind never knowing what they mean (but of course she knows, because she’s clever like that), who gossips about everyone, has an opinion on everything, and will not leave Noah alone. He wants to sleep in? Tough! She has a clown costume for him to put on so he can go paint faces at the fair. Does he know how? Doesn’t matter! Does he want to? Also doesn’t matter. Mother has spoken. She’s also right there to tell Noah to be nicer to his father, to explain away their problems in her mother knows best way, and turns every scene into a Noah was wrong, Mother was right message. She likes Luke, so Noah should fall in love with Luke.

This book fully embraces the “quirky small town” trope where everyone knows everyone else’s business, and all of them somehow know better than Noah how to fix his play. Then, because of this colorful cast of characters who came up with all the ideas and did much of the character work and choreography, Noah gets credit for being a skilled playwright. Look, I have nothing against the idea that different people have different opinions, and maybe Noah was too close or too fixated on something and was missing the forest for the trees. But only once is Noah right about anything.

While I’m not personally a fan of the small towns know best sort of mentality that fills this book, the fact that Noah had to be taken down a peg each and every single time got so exhausting. The cheating, the bullying — which seemed to exist solely to show Noah he should get over it — the relationship with his father, none of it worked for me. And it’s not helped that the blurb already let me know that things wouldn’t work out with Chase, because the blurb was about Luke. It was so heavy handed, lacking any nuance or subtlety or character that I honestly really didn’t like this story. Personally, this is a solid pass.

I always love a book that weaves in music somehow, and that’s what first drew me to Showmance by Chad Beguelin. Noah Adams has just had his Broadway debut… but his musical, Stage of Fools, is an immediate flop. He goes back to his small hometown in Illinois to be with his parents after his dad’s heart attack. While there, his local community theater is preparing to put on a production of Stage of Fools, and Noah gets roped into directing it. The guy he hated in high school, Luke, is helping out with the stage production. But is there more to Luke than Noah remembers? Could there be a romance brewing beneath the surface?

Tropes & Narrative Devices:
- (One-sided) enemy to lovers
- Fade to black
- Small town
- First-person POV (Noah)

What I Liked:
- Musicals! I love music in all forms, and musicals have a special place for me. Noah is a musical playwright, and though his Broadway debut didn’t do well, he still has the music in him. I loved the many references to musicals and their songs and watching Noah and his community revamp his musical.
- Noah learns valuable lessons. He’s not always likable at the beginning, but we get to accompany Noah on his journey to some needed self-improvement. He learns how to be less hard on himself and see success instead of just failure. How to listen to others, even if they’re “less qualified” or “lowbrow” or just not the Broadway set he’s used to. Ways to improve his musical by stripping away the pretentious fluff and giving it heart. How to be less of a jerk and be kind to others. Where to recognize love even when it’s not said in words.
- Luke! The way Noah first described Luke, I wasn’t so sure I’d want him to be the love interest. But he won me over very quickly! Noah may have been wrong about some things, and Luke is so sweet.
- Noah’s mom! What a fun and wacky woman. I love her.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
- Noah is dating a different character, Chase, for about the first 50% of the book. That’s too long! I wish they had either broken up within the first couple of chapters or that Chase was only Noah’s manager, not his boyfriend. That would have opened up the romance between Noah and Luke to being able to start earlier.

Final Thoughts
Showmance is a romance full of heart. There’s some snark and mean humor from Noah early on, but I love the journey he goes on and how he and Luke eventually get together. This novel is about family and community as much as romantic love.

I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Books for sending me this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The cover is not my favorite and, personally, I don't think I would have picked it up in the wild. But I'm glad that when I found this book in NetGalley, I decided to just focus on the blurb and let it pull me in.

It's such a lighthearted book with hilarious and over-the-top characters that are hard not to love. There were moments when I did stop for a split second and went "Well, that was a choice" but it never took me away from enjoying the book. Noah is insufferable in the best way possible, but it's also amazing how he grows as a person throughout the story. Luke is such a sweetheart and I like how Chad Beguelin dealt with Luke and Noah's history.

I have to admit that the book did make me tear up. As someone with a complicated family history, mainly with my dad, I'm always a weak bitch for stories whenever there are themes of parents-children relationships. I'm trying so hard not to spoil the book because it's such a heartwarming and unexpected part of the book, so I will refrain from saying more and just let you see for yourself.

Lastly, I'm not really a theatre or musical type of person (although I do love Shakespeare) but I have always had a respect for it so even though I might have not understood all the musical theatre references, I still had a great time learning about it. (I'm also writing a novel where the love interest may or may not be a theatre student at NYU, and this certainly gave me some ideas).

If you're looking for a quick good time with characters that never fail to make you crack up and help you escape for a moment, I suggest you hurry up and grab this book.

Showmance by Chad Beguelin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a fun read filled with memorable, funny characters, lots of heart, and lots of witty sarcasm. I adored this book, and I probably would’ve rated it higher had I not felt so jarred by the ending.

The characters in this one made it. Every one of them were brilliantly created. Their interactions with one another were funny and natural. Noah’s mom was my absolute favorite.

I wished the romance was a little bit more developed. After reading a few romance books, I’ve realized instalove isn’t really my thing, and this one felt pretty instant. I saw so much potential for growth but it seemed to just sweep one issue under the rug and immediately jump to the next.

The ending really didn’t work for me. Or rather how entirely unbelievable it felt. This whole story felt grounded in reality, and I thought the writer did an excellent job of making me feel like these were real people in a real place. The decision to have a certain thing happen pulled me from the reality.

All in all, this was a great lighthearted read. If you love brilliant interactions between characters, book with humor and heart, and community theater, you will love this one.

I absolutely loved the premise for this book, even though it definitely messed around with how theatre (both professional and community) works. That was, unfortunately, all I loved about it. The main character was so dreadfully unlikable that I found it incredibly hard to root for him. He was so mean to his mother! I did not like the "big city guy coming back to his small town" trope here. When Hallmark does it, it's fantastic because they LOVE their small town. Noah absolutely hated everything about Plainview, including all of the people who gave him his start, both in life and career.
And that made me not like him.

Showmance is a cute MM romance, but there is so much more to it. The characters are great and push the story along, and while you want to slap Noah or tell him to pull back, his development is worth it. Not only his. I will say though, Noah did not steal the show for me. It was the cast of supporting characters, and there were more than a few times when I thought it dragged or was a little too much, but that didn't distract too much from the story. 3.5 stars.

Ugh what a fun and fresh story! I loved the characters and I loved the plot line. I will say at certain parts it was a little predictable and formulaic but overall this book just hit all the feels. I loved how each character still stayed true to themselves and didn’t have some dramatic change at the end, especially Noah’s dad. A few things were a little too convenient and the ending definitely didn’t feel long enough. I loved all the broadway background and getting a glimpse behind the current of stage production. I liked the romance with Luke but wish we had a little more about them and some of their dates. It felt a little insta-lovey at times. Overall though, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend!

I enjoyed this small town M/M romance featuring a down on his luck Broadway playwright, Noah Adams, who returns to his Illinois hometown to help his ailing father and gets roped into producing an off Broadway rendition of his latest musical that was panned by the critics. Full of quirky characters who help show Adam new ways to think about his version of King Lear, this was a fun rivals to lovers, grumpy/sunshine romance that was great on audio narrated by Michael Crouch. Anyone who loves theatre and LGBTQIA+ friendly stories won't want to miss this big-hearted queer romcom debut perfect for fans of authors like Timothy Janovsky and Steven Rowley. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

What a sweet surprise of a novel. It was witty, heartwarming, charming, and funny. This enemies to lovers was unexpected and endearing. This is a closed door romance that does include a few references and some kissing.

Noah, a struggling playwrite, returns home after his Broadway dreams came crashing down. The town comes together to do an amateur rendition of his musical in which he directs. He is reunited with his high-school bully, Luke, and everything changes.

It's such a great read. I highly recommend it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Chad Beguelin, for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Playwright Noah Adams returns to his hometown to escape a disastrous Broadway review, only to find himself staging his flopped musical at the local community theater. As he navigates rehearsals and rekindles his relationship with former high school nemesis Luke, Noah discovers unexpected truths about love, talent, and the importance of home.

This book was SO cute I was audibly sighing, squealing, laughing, and crying. Noah’s personality was so prickly and sarcastic and witty. I was cracking up at his constant quick thinking on his feet. I absolutely adored Noah and wanted to be his friend.

Luke was an unexpected charmer and I was HERE for his golden retriever energy. Yes, please! I loved how he secretly pined for Noah since high school and he was just so sweet and lovely. But also, secretly had a bit of a sexy take-charge attitude in this closed door romance.

I was rooting for these two cuties. I loved how they grew together and how supportive they were. Their vulnerable, open, loving relationship was so lovely.

Not only that - but this book was chock full of beautiful friendship, silly families, and unexpectedly choked up moments. The moment Noah’s dad repeats Noah’s words back to him had me openly weeping on my couch.

I absolutely adored this one so much. And it’s out today so get after it!!!

Lighthearted and fun!

I really laughed a lot reading this one - I loved the rivalry, Noah’s antics. Luke and Noah’s romance developed beautifully. Highly recommend this one.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Showmance" by Chad Beguelin was such a delightful read! As a lover of musical theatre, the Sondheim references made my heart sing. The story had this incredible warmth that just wrapped me up like a cozy blanket. Yes, the protagonist was a bit prickly, but I found myself really connecting with him. And Luke? A sexy farmer type? YES MA'AM!

Now, I won’t lie, I had to suspend my disbelief here and there—it’s almost too perfect, like a Hallmark movie on steroids. But, as a Hallmark fan, that only made me love it more!

And guess what? This heartwarming, feel-good novel is out today, October 1st! If you're in the mood for a story that will make you smile, laugh, and swoon, grab your copy now!

Showmance speaks to the heart of every theater kid! Noah made it all the way to Broadway -- but a bad review caused the show to close. A family emergency separates him from his glamorous NYC life and boyfriend, and brings him back to his rural hometown, where instead of being left alone to sulk and recover, his theater community is celebrating him in a BIG way. Yes, there is a love story here and it's a (closed door, not spicy) romance book, but I absolutely loved the character development, the redemption arc of some high school bullies, and the general all-encompassing love of a theater community. The rural Wisconsin community theater kid in me thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for early access.

I was so excited to get this ARC.
Showmance by Chad Beguelin was simply adorable!
This book has it all; passion, love, charm and an engaging storyline. The characters’ journey was both heartwarming and entertaining.

Thank You NetGalley and Penguin Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

First thank you to penguin group and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: Noah finally reaches his dream of his broadway play opening but the reviews are not good. A family emergency sends him back home to his small town where he learns his old theater group is going to put it on. However his high school nemesis is the stage manager..

What I liked: this book is great. The banter is top notch and laughed out loud several times. I loved the storyline of Noah who is pretty pretentious learning from his small town theater group. He becomes better with their comments, advice and talent. The cast of characters is so great. It reminded me of Gilmore girls or parks and recs. Of course Noah comes home with a British boyfriend who is very posh. However Luke his high school nemesis has done a lot of growing in the years. I love their interactions and chemistry. I had the best time reading this book and recommend it. I would love to see this made into a movie.

Cute, snarky theater romance.

Noah is a playwright in NY when his show does absolutely terrible and at the same time his father has a medical crisis. He goes home to tend to his father and reevaluate his career. When his high school bully/nemesis seems to be everywhere and loved by everyone. Will he ever get peace?

Tbh the romance stressed me out until about 60% there is a trope in there that you knew was coming but didn’t happen fast enough and gave things a yucky feeling. I loved the characters and the dialogue.

Thanks to netgalley and penguin for eARC

Familiar with this authors work on Broadway I was intrigued to read this book. Showmance may be semi autobiographical, a story of going home after the bright lights of NYC.
Noah Adams,playwright, returns to Plainview, Illinois when his career implodes after a disastrous opening night on Broadway. Backed into a corner he grudgingly agrees to direct his play in this town that his young self couldn’t wait to leave.At first Noah is sarcastic and often snarky, but a lot of what he believed about these people doesn’t seem to be true. Especially Luke, the high school bully who seems to be the kindest and most handsome of the bunch. I have to say, this story took hold and I was all in. Just a heartwarming rom-com of second chances and small town USA. Finished it in one afternoon and I could have read more. Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Books for this story.

So there I was, scrolling through the upcoming queer releases on NetGalley. I stumbled upon this one, and I immediately requested it after seeing it was a story about the writer of a Broadway musical. But then I looked up the author and discovered that I was already extremely familiar with Chad Beguelin's work - just on the stage, not the screen! Beguelin has been nominated for a Tony 6 times in his career, and some of those were for shows I hold near and dear to my heart, like The Prom.

The opening chapters of this story reminded me of The Prom: opening night of a new musical becomes closing night after it gets ripped apart by the critics. But that is where the similarities end. Our writer goes back home to deal with a family emergency and ends up putting together a production of his flop hit. The people from his small town end up helping him rework the show while he works on his relationship with his father and reconnects with someone from his past.

I truly loved this book. It was so funny and had so much heart. Some of the scenes between the main character and his father had me bawling like a baby. My only complaint is that it is a closed door adult romance.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!