This book was a lot of fun. Bex and Sam are Hollywood actors who starred together on a detective show. It's been five years since the show ended, and now they star on a reunion podcast together, but they still have feelings for each other they've never resolved. I like how the podcast digs up old secrets and they follow clues in fan fiction to solve their old friend's murder.

Bexley Simon was flying high on her first Tony Award win and projected stardom, until the sudden death of her parents. Needing to take care of her young sisters, she headed to Hollywood in search of a steady gig, and the show Craven’s Daughter became her lifeline. The chemistry between Bex and her co-star, Sam Farmer, was undeniable, but the show had no intention of creating a romance between their characters. That didn’t stop the network from leaning into that chemistry for five years until Sam walked away after the penultimate episode. Five years later, the network taps Bex to do a podcast to hype up a reunion, and Sam reluctantly agrees.

Bex is simultaneously thrilled and unsettled to be back in Sam’s orbit. Bex knows she’s at fault for the loss of their friendship and wants to rekindle it. Unfortunately, their proximity causes her to relive her emotional turmoil, creating uncertainty about what she feels and wants. Sam and Bex revisiting the most unresolved-sexual-tension laden episodes and engaging with fan fiction that reflects the emotions they broadcasted to the audience makes matters so much worse. Suppressed grief and the questions regarding the death of their colleague and friend, Jen Arnot, are also resurfacing. The network forced them to keep quiet then, but can’t now. Soon, recollection becomes investigation and the light-hearted rewatch podcast evolves into a true-crime story centered on Jen’s death. In Bex and Sam’s search for closure for the loss of Jen, will they find closure for themselves as well?

Big Name Fan tackles the phenomenon of media that ensures it remains in the zeitgeist by blatant queerbaiting. The premise is really interesting and how the podcast transitions to a true crime one is done well. With the story also being an ode to the fan fiction community, it’s clever that clues are found in fics. However, having a rewatch podcast become an avenue to read fics about said show, while also tossing in a mystery and unresolved love is a lot. The book juggles it all pretty well, given the sizable cast, their histories and connections, the investigation, etc., but falters in places from being overstuffed. I enjoyed the mystery of whether or not Jen’s death is an accident, despite knowing where it’s headed too soon for my taste. I like Sam and Bex, though the podcast guests and all the tea are the highlight for me.

Bex is fretful, conflicted, and desperately in search of her right place. She never found her footing after her parents’ deaths, throwing herself into the role of caretaker, and then into trying to reclaim her old life. Now, she’s adrift and feels increasingly shut out of her sisters’ lives. When working on Craven, she fell into line and brought 1000% for fear of losing the stability the show provided for her sisters. Initially, Bex falls right back into the pattern of rolling over and letting doubt, repressed resentment, and fear keep her silent and confused.

Then there’s Sam. She’s beautiful with a killer fashion sense (her outfits described in almost salivating detail), a flirt, confident and composed, and a patient Bex supporter—there to receive Bex’s uncertainties and stress and send out calm and encouragement. However, many of her personality aspects are told instead of shown. She’s more a foil to Bex, rather than a fully realized partner. I think this is due to their utter lack of chemistry, ironic given the premise is based on Sam and Bex’s supposed screen melting heat.

In general, the pace is pretty slow, drags at times, and retreads ground too much, struggling the most with the romance. There’s little room for their chemistry to develop in the present and what’s shown is from video clips and fic. Sam sets the “just friends” boundary and Bex accepts and believes she wants that too. Maybe? Probably? Definitely? Bex ruminates on Sam’s feelings for her and her feelings for Sam—their veracity, their applicability, and their contradictions—to the point that I’m as confused and exhausted as she is. They talk around everything longer than necessary, and between that and the mystery, there is too much speculation, backtracking, and metaphorical hair pulling for me.

The pace is also hindered by all the societal topics the book explores—sexism, racism, queermisia, status quo acceptance of abuse, etc. It’s heavy-handed enough to verge on uncomfortable and performative to me. However, the discussions of the complexities of being queer in Hollywood and how heteronormative romance is still championed is more natural. The narrative also has little time for the side plot with Bex’s sisters, so the drama is half baked. There isn’t enough evidence for the “let us think for ourselves, treat us like equals” exclamations, and Bex’s sisters are the actual obtrusive know-it-alls. When Bex even thinks parentally, she checks herself. They claim Bex treats them like kids, but this isn’t shown, another example of the story being too packed to reveal concepts contextually.

Big Name Fan takes a big swing with an interesting look into fan culture, true crime, and the willingness to cash in on queer support while making people feel like trash. The individual pieces don’t always come together successfully, but it’s an enjoyable read.

Big Name Fan is an ode to fan fiction, attempting to capture the essence of fandom and the deep emotional connections it fosters. At times, it feels like the book is explaining fandom rather than allowing it to be organically understood through the story. There are moments when the author’s voice seems to overshadow the characters, making it feel more like an essay on fandom than an immersive narrative.
One of the book’s biggest issues is its pacing. By the 10% mark, the entire dynamic between Sam and Bex had already been established, leaving little room for development. What started as a romance quickly took a sharp turn into crime fiction, a shift that felt abrupt and not entirely earned.

The premise itself is intriguing but overly ambitious. The novel attempts to juggle multiple layers: a fictional TV show, the real-world implications of that show on its actors and fandom, and, on top of that, a crime subplot that gradually takes over. The result is a lack of depth across all elements—characters become flat, the protagonists lack chemistry, and the reasons for their separation feel juvenile.

The secondary characters are too many and too vague to leave an impact. Bex’s sisters, in particular, seem shoehorned into the plot without adding much, coming across as more of a distraction than a meaningful part of the narrative.

Overall, Big Name Fan is an ambitious attempt that doesn’t quite succeed in balancing its many elements. While the core idea is interesting, the execution falters, leaving the story feeling disjointed and underdeveloped.

This was a fun little sapphic rom-com! Nothing to write home about, but also entertaining enough that it kept me reading and engaged. This is the perfect romance that I can read in between my intense fantasy novels.

Rom-com meets cozy murder mystery in this novel about actors with complicated feelings for each other and the roles they once played across from each other in a cult TV show that was notorious for queerbaiting its fans. Now they've reunited for a podcast and a reunion special, but instead of talking up the show they've decided to find out what really happened to the beloved makeup artist who died on set. A fun read though there were so many characters I sometimes had trouble keeping track.

This just ended up not being for me. And I'm really sad about it, because it really sounded like something I could love, as I grew up on fandom and all, I just couldn't get into the story.
I don't think there is anything speciafically bad about this book. I just couldn't get into the story, and it just left me feeling like it was more a chore to read this book than anything else. And I truly think that it will find its readers, because it has potential, but I guess I was just expecting more.
I would still be curious to see some of the other works from these authors, to see if I can connect more to the story. Still, this one just wasn't the book for me.

I wanted to love this one so much but it didn’t work out for me.

I couldn’t find the chemistry between the two leads to be palpable enough to carry on.

Perfect, no notes.

J/k on the notes part.

I've watched so many shows that are queerbaiting, some intentional and some not, so to get behind the scenes of this fictional one and see how the pressure of it shaped the show as well as the relationship between the two leads was great. It was very meta in that I felt like I was reading fan fiction or watching a TV show that was also the book. This was so easy to fall into and get completely wrapped up in reading.

I was not expecting a book that was ultimately about solving a murder to be so cozy and funny. My brain felt physically good reading this book.

Bex and Sam have five years of silence and complications to sort out after the abrupt end of the show that brought them together. But now they're in totally different places in their lives and they have to figure out what that means, and Bex needs to decide what she wants in order to figure out the next step. We are in Bex's perspective, but both of the love story leads are easy to relate to and understand.

I finished this book the birthday of a friend who passed away, and some of the words in this were very comforting while dealing with the wave of grief I feel every year. It put me in the head space to think about what I'm doing in my life that would make her laugh, be proud, or feels like a fitting tribute to her.

There's so much here about pressure, identity, ripping down Hollywood better than a documentary, but also a love letter to fandom that feels genuine.

Can we get Frankie and Vic's love stories too?

I loved this, a perfect sapphic read in my opinion. It had everything I needed and I loved the queer Hollywood representation.

Big Name Fan by Ruthie Knox; Annie Mare was such a fun sapphic cozy mystery-romance.
This story kept me captivatedw and engaged the whole time.
The characters are solid and engaging.
A mysterious story that kept me glued to my Kindle.

This was a did not finish as I simply could not get into this book. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Unfortunately, I had a difficult time getting through this one. IT felt like it almost didn't know what it wanted to be. Not enough mystery and not enough romance, just a lot of in between. It's a shame because the concept really called to me, but unfortunately, the execution fell a little flat.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on February 26th, 2025. Links provided.

Bexley Simon and Sam Farmer, once beloved for their portrayal of a TV detective duo, are forced to reunite after five years for a podcast celebrating their iconic show, Craven’s Daughter. The series, which ended on a sour note due to the untimely death of their close friend and makeup artist Jen Arnot, left fans heartbroken, especially as the on-screen chemistry between Bex and Sam never evolved into romance - much to the disappointment of viewers who had hoped for more. As the actresses revisit their roles for the podcast, they are confronted with two mysteries: the identity of an anonymous, prolific fan fiction writer who seems to have inside knowledge of the show’s production, and whether Jen’s death was truly an accident or something more sinister. As Bex and Sam reconnect, the line between fiction and reality blurs, and they are forced to confront both the personal and professional mysteries surrounding them, all while navigating the undeniable spark between them that could finally make their chemistry on-screen a reality.

Sadly, this book was not one of my favorites. I really struggled with how long the chapters were and how detailed, yet boring, everything constantly was. I honestly feel like this book would have worked better as two separate books: one as a mystery novel trying to unravel Jen’s death and the other as a love story focusing on Bex and Sam’s on-screen and off-screen relationship. But as one book, I felt like it was just too much going on (and yet nothing really happens) and too long for me to really enjoy it. I just kept wondering when the current chapter was going to end, and honestly fell asleep reading it multiple times (which almost never happens to me). Additionally, the romance between Bex and Sam wasn’t the most convincing in my personal opinion and left me wanting more in that aspect of the story. Overall, I can’t say I was a “big fan” but hopefully this book will find its target audience!

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of Big Name Fan in return for my honest review.

I’ll never pass up a mystery, but this one just didn’t really gel for me. Let’s just leave it at that.

Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare’s Big Name Fan offers a pitch-perfect blend of mystery, romance and Hollywood drama.

For six years, Bexley Simon and Sam Farmer played detectives on the smash television hit Craven’s Daughter. The show was beloved for its celebrity guest stars, wild plotlines and the killer chemistry between Bex and Sam. But following the accidental death of the show’s makeup artist, Jen Arnot, and contentious negotiations between Sam and the network, Craven’s Daughter was canceled, and both actors moved on to other projects.

Five years later, Bex and Sam are asked to do a reunion special and podcast about their time on the show. While they navigate long-simmering feelings for each other, the actors learn that an unknown member of the Craven’s Daughter team was prolific fan fiction author Big Name Fan, who wrote real events from set into their popular stories. Bex and Sam hope to figure out who Big Name Fan was, and if they know what really happened to Jen Arnot all those years ago.

Big Name Fan brings readers to a Hollywood set rife with intrigue and tension. Arnot had a complicated relationship with several of the show’s bigwigs, including the showrunner, writer and set designer. During the show’s initial run, Bex and Sam were focused on delivering great performances while grappling with their mutual attraction; they failed to pick up on Arnot’s struggles. The podcast offers them a unique platform to investigate her death and pay their respects to their friend.

The mystery addresses big issues like queerbaiting, homophobia and the toxic nature of the entertainment industry. While solving Arnot’s murder is the first priority for both Bex and Sam, their relationship is a major element of Big Name Fan. Romance readers will especially enjoy following the actors as they uncover clues and navigate their feelings for each other. Sam and Bex are both funny, intelligent characters who are easy to root for, and their compelling romance is an enjoyable bonus to their story. Bex’s struggle to find her footing in Hollywood while also raising her young sisters is particularly engaging, and adds another dimension to her character.

Real-life couple Knox and Mare juggle a lot in Big Name Fan—longstanding feuds, burgeoning romances and the plots of Craven’s Daughter and the fan fiction it inspired—and they balance it all beautifully, creating an enjoyable read for fans of mystery and romance alike.

This Sapphic mystery slash romcom sounded really good but somehow the mix of genres that has two former co-stars on a tv murder mystery show getting reunited ten years later as they work to solve a real life crime on a podcast was just okay for me. I honestly struggled to really get invested in the story or the characters, didn't feel much chemistry between them and wasn't in love with the cover either. A for effort, C for execution. I also listened to the audio for this so maybe that contributed to how I felt about it?? In any case, not one I'll remember long after finishing. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I had high hopes for this one.

Big Name Fan is a friends-to-lovers, celebrity romance and murder mystery all-in-one.

We start by meeting the cast of a private detective show, and their two main characters who were not-so-secretly-in-love with each other, on- or off-screen. In this way, Big Name Fan is an ode to every person who has screamed “make it canon, cowards” at their TV screen.

What I hadn’t expected was their very real dive into the suspicious death of an FX makeup artist during the last season of their show, and how invested I was in their investigation.

A reunion special. Every fan’s greatest dream, and an actors’ worst nightmare. Bexley Simon and Sam Farmer co-starred on a popular detective show, and it’s been five years since Sam walked away and effectively cancelled the show with no series finale and broken the hearts of millions, including Bex and Sam. Now the network wants a reunion special to give the fans (and the executives’ pockets) what they want. On top of that, the network wants a short podcast series where Bex and Sam talk about fan favorite episodes where they learn that maybe the accidental death of Jen Arnot, their makeup artist, may not have been an accident.

The premise of the book is very enticing. Two regular people get to play detective and solve a murder. What’s not to love? However, this book had two very significant problems. One, the sheer number of people and sub-plots in just over 300 pages bogged down the storyline and made the book slow to read and confusing at points. Each chapter introduces more and more people that have something to do with the story of how and why Jen died. As you go, you can see the threads of how Jen connected everyone for better or for worse, but it is easy to lose track once the threads start to pile on top of one another. It is also very surprising that the two main actresses were so clueless as to what was happening behind the scenes. They were on set day after day for years with these people and each revelation of bad blood and conflicts is entirely surprising to them.

Second, the way fanfiction plays a role in the story doesn’t give it the credence I feel the authors intended it to. During the run of the podcast, we learn about “Big Name Fan” who is the most popular fic writer for the television show. We also learn that maybe “Big Name Fan” was someone a part of the show because of the details no one else would know. The fics the characters read are supposed to give us a deeper understanding of the dynamics behind the show and to help solve the death of Jen. In my mind, the most the fics do is open up Bex’s mind to her memories and her relationship with Sam. Honestly, if you took out the fanfiction storyline, the story would remain unchanged. The people interviewed on the podcast provided the same or just as beneficial information to help move the story along.

The final showdown was probably the best written portion of the book. It was a little cliche, but it did wrap up everything with a nice little bow, and everyone got just what they deserved.

This was a bit of a let down. The story was just, meh. There was no romantic chemistry between the main characters so that plot line felt like it came out of nowhere and was very forced.

The mystery plot line just all seemed very convenient? Idk I found it hard to believe it was all just that easy to figure out. You basically know who did it from like 35%.

Tbh I skim read the second half of the book as I was just so bored, every time I picked up the book I fell asleep.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC.

Big Name Fan is great for those looking to read…
🩷 Sapphic Romance
🩷 Cozy Mystery
🩷 TV Stars Doing Reunion Podcast Turned True Crime Podcast
🩷 Close Proximity

I was really excited for this read & I loved the concept of it. Unfortunately, I struggled to get lost in this one & I don’t know why. I would assume it is a personal problem as I am a mood reader that just didn’t connect with this one.


Massive thanks to NetGalley & Kensington for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.