I absolutely love second-chance romances, and anything set in Hollywood always grabs my attention. I was so excited to dive into a story about two younger Hollywood actors reconnecting after time apart—it’s a trope I can’t resist! But despite my excitement, the book didn’t live up to its promise.

From the start, the connection between the characters felt inauthentic. Their bond was presented as profound, but it seemed to come out of nowhere. A single, perfectly timed phone call magically reignited their relationship, but without much buildup or emotional depth, I couldn’t buy into their connection. It all felt too easy, and there wasn’t any real conflict to ground their story.

The tone of the book also threw me off. It read like a young adult novel, yet it was packed with constant references to sex—without ever showing any of it. The inclusion felt unnecessary, almost like it was there just for the sake of being mentioned. I couldn’t help but feel that the story would have worked better as a true YA, where those elements wouldn’t have been needed at all.

The pacing was another issue for me. While the initial setup had promise, the resolution of major plot points felt rushed and unsatisfying. For instance, the show’s ending completely upended Wil’s life, but the fallout of WHY it ended was resolved so quickly that it lacked emotional impact. It felt like significant moments were glossed over, which left me wanting more depth and complexity.

Overall, while I was drawn to the premise of this book, the execution left me disappointed. I love the themes it aimed for, but I didn’t feel the authenticity or emotional payoff I was hoping for. If you’re a die-hard fan of Hollywood stories or second-chance romances, it might still be worth a read, but this one wasn’t for me.

While I loved the premise of this book, it unfortunately missed the mark for me...

I found it to be very difficult to form any sort of attachment to the characters. While Dax was kind of just alright (sweet, but underdeveloped in a lot of ways), Wil was completely insufferable. She treats everyone around her horribly for the entire book, which would've been okay under a normal character development arc, but she never apologizes to anyone or really shows much growth at all and everyone just kind of forgives her for being the worst because they love her.

I also noticed that the storyline seemed to very heavily rely on this being a second chance romance, so the actual romance development was just kind of messy and underdeveloped as well because the reader is just supposed to understand that these characters had a "relationship" before. While this was a short read, I would've been okay with it being longer if I saw a chance for the relationship to actually be developed instead of glazed over. I felt like we wasted a lot of page count on excerpts from the script of the movie the characters are working on. Which, to be clear, I usually love the inclusion of stuff like that and I understand how it was supposed to add to the story, but I felt like there was more than necessary. And I actually found myself connecting more with the characters in the script and even getting emotional for their story at times more so than I ever did with the actual main characters of the book.

This is the stuff of fanfiction dreams, truly. Wilhemina and Daxon were child stars on an extremely popular TV show, but had a bad breakup when the show ended. Seven years later, Daxon's star is on the rise, while Wil has faded into obscurity. They are reunited on a blockbuster movie, and of course, sparks fly and things get complicated.

I went back and forth on whether to give this book three or four stars, and I landed on four stars because this was a fun, easy read with lots of familiar tropes that were relatively well-executed. I felt the chemistry between Wil and Daxon, but the degree to which I was rooting for them was definitely dampened by the fact that I thought Daxon treated Wil pretty shittily. When he was young, of course, I gave him a bit of a pass (even though I feel like the way he treated her was indicative of how little he actually respected her), but in the present-day timeline, it felt like he was still willing to do anything for his career and he was unwilling to really remedy the rift between them with real accountability. The movie Wil and Daxon are working on is also extremely cheesy, and there was way too much of the script in there for my liking. But this didn't feel like a three-star book to me because it is actually really written, and I loved Wil as a character.

Thank you to NetGalley and 8th Note Press for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

Amazing celebrity romance,

lots of chemistry between the caracters, I loved every page of it.

The plot was amazing and the right amount of spice included.

I'm obsessed with this book! I loved it so much. I'm on a celebrity romcom kick and this book was perfect. The author clearly knows the industry. The pacing was great. The Hollywood backdrop was perfection, and Dax and Wil were adorable. This was a fantastic debut and I cannot wait to read more from this author.

I usually hate second chance romance tropes but this one pleasantly surprised me.

I do love the costars aspect to the main characters. I usually dont read a lot of books having actors and actresses in them because characters come off as shallow a lot but these two were so different and watching them grow from nothing to everything was cute.

I loved wils growth even though she did come off as a wild child actor but really she just wanted to be seen again.

And Dax ..that man. He was calm and funny and that man was so in love.

A sweet story 🩷 it’s like if a modern aspiring actors Degrassi and The Notebook were mixed together.

Felt rushed in many places to me and that story wasn’t fully expanded.
It was a quick and easy read, and while not my favorite it was a pretty good debut novel!

I would have loved a deeper analysis of the main characters and the conflict to be less about the two of them and more to do with the Katrina character. There were unresolved things there.

This is a fun second chance rom-com featuring star-crossed movie stars. Childhood sweethearts rekindle their spark while working together on a big movie set. Although it's marketed as New Adult Romance, the story reads more like YA to me.

The book frequently shifts between timelines and perspectives, alternating between the FMC and MMC in "Now" and "Then." It also interweaves the movie script as another timeline. While this approach aligns with the book's cinematic theme, it wasn’t to my liking. I often found myself flipping back or trying to keep track of who and when between the short chapters, which pulled me out of the story. As a result, I ended up reading it over several days instead of being fully engrossed.

The romance is closed-door, but the dialogue between the characters is fun. However, I didn’t feel much spark between them. The MMC came across as too vanilla for my tastes, and the FMC felt almost bratty at times.

The plot had some surprising moments and was told in an interesting way, but it felt overly long. I found myself skimming, particularly after the halfway point. The stakes in their relationship never felt as high as the characters made them out to be, and the Hollywood lifestyle issues were a bit unrelatable, or maybe just not to my taste.

Overall, the writing was fine, and the movie-style format might appeal to some readers, but it didn’t work for me.

Spice: 2/5
Plot: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
My Enjoyment: 3.5/5

***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Review posted on Goodreads & romance.io. Will post on Amazon when available.

I went into this book with a little bit of expectation since it has been spoken about in the same breath (or sentence) as love and other words AND every summer after, so I am pretty damned satisfied with my reading experience. I love second chance romances and the angst it comes with. I loved their reconciliation and them getting to know each other all over again.

A huge thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

On Screen and Off Again by Caitlin Cross

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.25/5

As far as debuts go, this one was super solid. From the very start, I was pulled into Dax and Wil’s story like I’d known them for years. Cross does a fantastic job evoking a feeling of nostalgia from readers and sucking them in.

This book follows child actors Wilhelmina Chase and Daxon Avery through a dual timeline of them as seventeen year-olds and many years in the future starring in a new movie together. We learn about their relationship as kids and see it play out on screen throughout the script of the movie they’re starring in.

Wil is an interesting character. She comes off as quite immature yet endearing throughout most of the book. You can’t help but love her, though, because of everything life has thrown at her. And the one person who has always seen past that is Dax. But by the end of the book, it’s very clear that she’s grown up quite a bit.

Dax has always been a lovably, goofy nerd whose main goal in life is to make Wil smile. He screws up many times, but always comes back, wanting to apologize and trying to make it right. He’s never stopped loving Wil, and that spills over into all aspects of his life, including their movie.

One thing I loved about this book was that we essentially got two stories in one. We get Dax and Wil’s story and the story of To The Stars. Somehow, Cross was able to evoke the emotions of a fully finished movie with just a script. I was as enamored with the movie’s main characters, Nick and Lila, as I was with Dax and Wil. Cross brought Dax and Wil to life, who then brought Nick and Lila to life, who then had me in tears by the end of their movie.

My only critique is that once we get Wil back on set, it skips ahead to the movie being finished. I would have loved to see Wil and Dax act out Nick and Lila’s first kiss and the heart-wrenching marriage scene and then go back to being “just friends” on set. The tension would have been so palpable, and it would have been so great to watch them navigate that. I also would have loved seeing a little more after the MTV movie awards. It felt like it ended too suddenly before I was ready for it to. I needed more. So much more.

All in all, this was a great debut, and I will definitely be reading more Caitlin Cross books in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, 8th Note Press, and Caitlin Cross for the ARC. Review will post on date of publication!

I absolutely adore Dual POV and timeline jumping romances. I commend Caitlin Cross for writing a different take on the childhood friends to lovers in Hollywood storyline. Greatly enjoyed!

Thank you to 8th Note Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

When I picked up On Screen and Off Again by Caitlin Cross, I was not expecting to feel the way I ultimately did. I thought this was going to be a cute light hearted palette cleanser type read. I was wrong. It was such a cute read, but I was feeling everything from heartbreak to in love. Needless to say, it’s been a rough three days with my emotions because of this book, but I wouldn’t trade a single second of it. I absolutely loved this book. I was rooting for Dax and Wil from page 1. They’re childhood friends and high school sweethearts who eventually get cast together as the male and female leads in a movie 7 years after they parted ways. I truly felt they needed to be cast in this movie. It was almost as if they were reliving their past and it helped them work through so much together. Also, not only is it a dual POV, but it’s a dual timeline, so you get to see what their younger selves were like, and that really added to the storyline. If you’re looking for a rollercoaster of emotions, pick up On Screen and Off Again.

i usually love second chance romances, but when there is exactly zero build up (like, 26% they’re falling into bed together even though they made a pact not to), it made it hard for me to root for them. I was hoping for more character development and tension between the main characters.

Wil, a child star turned hot mess, was so immature I actually couldn’t cope. Dax was the star of this book for me. He was warm and sweet and funny and so patient.

I like really can’t stand women fighting as a way of conflict and that whole plot line really just turned me off.

The script of the movie gave big The Notebook vibes and I loved that piece of it. (And Nick/Dax).

Thank you 8th Note Press/Zando and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The concept of this novel is what really drove me to ask to read it. After a couple of chapters, I was hooked! I love the idea of this book and seeing it from a media perspective that I have, made me love it even more! The characters name even felt like actors!! The flipping between then and now also had me going, I loved it! The bailing out to jail and the fact that they had dinner and the movie is filming where I live? Crazy!! A pact? It feels like a movie as I'm reading omg! Oh no her showing up?! Her quitting and then yale and then the jello?!? Wow! The movie seemed sad like the notebook I wish I could read it and see it! Damn the slow burn but getting that award was amazing, what an ending!!!

Quote: "you're the only person who makes me feel found instead of lost"

I rated it four out of five stars!!

First off, thank you NetGalley and 8th Note Press for approving my ARC request for this novel in exchange for an honest review! Having said that, let's get into the review. THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!

Immature and selfish... Those are the only words I can use to describe Wilhemina Chase. Daxon Avery however, is a sweet baby angel that should be protected at all costs! From the minute Wil had Dax bail not only her out of jail but her two friends, without making sure that was okay with him, I knew I wasn't going to like her. She turned to this man who she hasn't spoken to in 7 years and said, "Get out your wallet." Like excuse me?? There was no way I could root for her in this story after that unfortunately. She also broke into two different people's houses and hooked up with Dax REPEATEDLY despite saying she needed to focus on her career. She strung this man along and I did not like that. This girl was not a good person, and I truly believe Dax deserved better than her.

As for the actual novel itself, I enjoyed the writing, and I always felt like I could see exactly what the author wanted me to see. The descriptions of the outfits, the movie settings, even the script itself were really well done! I really liked reading the actual script that the characters were reciting because it made me feel like I was in the filming process with them. I think the ending got a little long winded and there were one too many hurdles we had to go through as the reader to get to the point where Wil and Daxon finally ended up together. The payoff was not 100% worth it.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy deeper looks into Hollywood and celebrity life, but I would not recommend it to someone who doesn't like dual timelines or very-flawed characters. I don't mind when characters have flaws (because everyone does) but when someone is a literal criminal, very inconsistent with their actions and words, and kind of entitled, it's just not for me. I would definitely read another novel by this author; I just hope the FMC is a little more likeable next time.

The first chapter was hard to get through I'm not going to lie, it felt like i was in for another immature new adult cringe fest romance novel that I've been seeing lately. However this picked up speed so fast I felt like I was in a hurricane. Suddenly I couldn't put down this book to save my life. Dax felt like a real man to me, and Wil was so fleshed out that even though we literally have nothing in common I related so hard to her. I felt their struggles with fame and gender expectations and dealing with how life turns you up and down and how you can come out of it grown up and still feeling like you did so long ago. The time skips worked perfectly together and literally both POVs felt unique and different in their own rights and you could feel how strong their friendship was, it kept you on your seat to figure out if they were finally going to get together. Honestly was a little worried towards the end cause there was stuff happening and I got anxious waiting to see if they actually did make it out in the end. If you like Ava Wilders Will They or Won't They you will devoured this one as well, however if you are looking for explicit scenes I would say to try not to be dissapointed cause despite it being relatively closed door it didn't take anything away from the story. Stayed up until I couldn't keep my eyes open to read this one.

There is something truly addictive laced in this book because I could not put it down! This was one of my favorite reads of the year and lives rent free in my mind. Something about this book was so sweet and so fun, and it was one of those massively entertaining books that is easy to binge.

I am obsessed with the world Caitlin created and the people within it. The movie within the book was so special, and the way she incorporated the plot of the movie with the script (and gorgeous writing!) with Wil and Dax's own story was genius. The dynamic and chemistry between the two is simply magnetic. Some moments between them were so sugary sweet that I didn't know if I should grin for them or cry because I wish it were me, and they are a perfect example of why friends to lovers is such a special trope. There was such a sweetness and comfort in their emotional intimacy, yet they also had the perfect lighthearted and clever banter to keep things fun and upbeat.

As for the characters themselves, I am in love with both. Wil is so fierce and confident, and she is so perfectly sarcastic and witty, yet there is a relatability to her that I loved. Then there is Dax... Oh do I love this man. He was DOWN BAD for this woman from the first page (I mean, when you kick off with bailing someone out of jail, you know it's going to be a blast), and his pining was so excruciating and delightful. He also was the perfect mix of strong and vulnerable, and I really loved how funny and conversational his voice was all throughout.

The dual timeline worked so well in showing who they were, who they are, and who they want to be- both individually and together- and there was compelling emotional arcs woven in for both Wil and Dax. They were both so easy to root for, and I enjoyed seeing their individual growth and respective journeys.

Caitlin absolutely stole my heart with this and made me a forever fan. Thank you so much to NetGalley and 8th Note Press for this amazing ARC. I cannot wait for the world to discover this one this year!

I knew I was going to like this book and now I can say that I definitely LOVED this book. Loved it to the point that I felt like I lived it.

Anyways, my 100% honest review (ig spoiler-free):

Second chance is literally one of my favorite tropes ever and this book captures the essence of it perfectly, in the way that I just couldn't stop reading until I finished the book.

This is a pretty fast-paced book that covers two timelines: when they were younger and then in the present (Now and Then). I loved that we got to go inside both of their brain's in the past as well as in the present. The way that both characters matured over time in their POV's from the past to the present was just *chef's kiss* (perfection).

The thing that stood out to me most was the way their character stayed the same, yet different. Same as in, they had those character traits that time didn't erase, yet as the same time, so much had happened from when they were younger, that they grew as people. Also, I loved that there was a huge emphasis on their friendship since they were friends first. A lot of times, once characters become lovers, they lose out on the playfulness and banter that friends normally have, but this book carried that aspect of their friendship from the start to the finish.

Also I was hooked on the plot line for their movie. Honestly, I need a book on the ideas for that movie plot bc that was so beautiful and had me in tears. The way an extra storyline was integrated into this book was no easy thing, but it was incorporated so effortlessly that it just made sense.

For constructive criticism, the only thing I would say is I wish there was more of an explanation from Dax's side, maybe even some (more) groveling. There were a few things that glossed over a little fast, so I would have liked a little more. It didn't take away from the plot, but it left me with a couple questions.

Anyways, the cover is so gorgeous and it definitely is a motivating factor to read this book if the description wouldn't amaze you already!

I genuinely want to buy the paperback version of this book when it comes out.

Thank you to Caitlin Cross, 8th Note Press and NetGalley for this arc! 💕

This was a sweet story, I really loved how intricately woven the plot was, and how each character really felt fleshed out.

If you’re looking for actor x actor, second chance romance, forced proximity and childhood sweethearts, then this is definitely your book.

the different shows/movies felt very Hannah Montana/The Notebook, which I thought was actually super endearing. I loved the different takes on these characters

Wilhelmina’s character was absolutely wonderful to read, I felt like I was experiencing her griefs, her wins and her losses right there with her.

Wow! This incredible debut novel was everything my inner fangirl needed.

Reading a story about friends becoming more, then breaking up, then getting back together again, is a tale as old as time. The added aspect of our two main characters being actors who were co-stars as children, and are reuniting on and off screen made this story so unique and fun.

I wish we got to see a bit more of their “past” dynamic as far as them being just friends goes, but overall I think this story was such a unique take of the friends to lovers trope.