I loved this! I was really surprised when I picked up Under Your Spell and the voice was so fun and fresh, so I was super excited for this one.

Cynthie (despite having a truly terrible name shortening, what's wrong with Cynthia or Cyn?) is to die for, I love her and would kill to protect her. I love her found family, I love her full life, and I love her coming to terms with her trauma and being her awesome self.

Jack is such a sweetie, and I love how you can see his development throughout the book. He has so much substance and I loved seeing things from his perspective, another win for those of us who love dual POV! I also love the way we can see him living his life for himself, and not making choices based on making his family happy. Thirteen years is a long time, but I loved seeing how the characters branch and grow, and once again the supporting cast stole my heart. Hannah is my favorite, though I loved all of Cynthie's little crew and Lee was adorable.

CWs: hostile workplace, abusive relationships, parental abandonment

UNDER YOUR SPELL made me want to crawl into the pages and stay there while throwing 5-star reviews at it anywhere I could. This follow-up featuring a secondary character from that book is just as wonderful.

Cynthie is a film star dealing with a broken heart and PR nightmare when she’s approached by her loving BFF and agent with an offer: reunite with the cast and crew from her first film — the one that launched her career 13 years ago — for a sequel. That movie’s new fandom is begging for it. Her image could benefit from it.

Of course this means reuniting with Jack, the co-star and entanglement she has deftly avoided ever since.

Of course there are contract stipulations that will force her to finally address all that happened so long ago.

Cynthie and Jack’s dual POV neatly bounces between their experiences in present day and back then in a way that weaves one of my new favorite love stories (romantic and friendship love).

It’s funny and raw and swoony and uncomfortable and safe and moving and hopeful and healing.

Highly, highly recommend.

Read the content warnings.

Read if you like:
Contemporary romance
Healthy friendships
Dual POV
Really, REALLY good kisses
Film production behind-the-scenes
Main characters’ relationship at present day (ages 33 and 37) vs “back then” (ages 20 & 24)
Found family
Wet shirts
Horses
Open-door spice

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

4.5 stars

Stayed up til 3am to read this because I couldn’t put it down. A hero who leans towards the heroine a la 'While You Were Sleeping'? Oh be still my heart, Jack! Loved it, but structurally could’ve done without too many ‘13 years earlier’ chapters. I think flashback chapters are employed a bit too much for second chance romances and messes with the pace (hence the half star dropped).

Cynthie and Jack were just wonderful together when they could finally put down their weapons. They oozed so much chemistry. I loved that Jack was a older and wiser, aware how he contributed to his and Cyn's poor relationship when they were younger. I adored seeing Clemmie and Theo make an appearance, especially Clemmie and her vigilante justice!

I just love the way Laura Wood writes characters and settings that feel so real, I'm heartbroken by the end that they're not. Why can't I see Cynthie and Jack's movies or heart Theo Eliott's songs? WHY?! A worthy companion to Under Your Spell that's swoony and sparkly.

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC.

I will post this review online closer to the publication date!

Let’s Make a Scene follows Cynthie Taylor as she stars in her first-ever film and meets Jack Turner-Jones, her fellow co-star, who does not hide his anxieties about having an inexperienced actor on set. Their chemistry shines on camera as their animosity rises behind the scenes of this Regency romance film. While doing press for the movie, they are pushed into a fake PR relationship and do not speak to each other for 13 years, where they reunite for the sequel of the beloved film. Again, they are asked to put on a show for the audience and act as though they are a couple. Will they be able to work together once again and convince the public of their love?

I will admit, this book took me a while to get into, but once I got past the quarter mark, I was engrossed in the story and the characters. This book was not at all what I thought it was going to be. I did not expect to be reading two romances at once following the same characters, and it is something that took me some getting used to. I was having trouble with the back and forth between their relationship 13 years ago and the present one as I was getting attached to the story I was reading only to be thrown back into another one. I thought the book was only about their relationship 13 years later, but throughout, you see both stories.

At first, I didn’t understand why it was necessary to read about the past, but as I read along, I started to really enjoy this original way of storytelling. It made me connect more to the characters and their stories, although some parts could have been shortened or cut at the very start. Laura Wood did a great job at portraying the different ages/times, how the characters act and think, and how they evolved in 13 years. Though, I did think their arguments were quite petty sometimes and did not deserve a 13-year-long hatred. I did like that they didn’t linger on the hatred in their thirties; it felt realistic.

Writing-wise, I didn’t think this book would be for me, but I started really liking it around the 14% mark. I had trouble with the way things were described, and I thought there was a lot of telling rather than showing, but as I said, around the 14% mark, it all greatly improved, and I started absolutely loving the descriptions. They were very vivid, and I felt as though I was right there with the characters. I feel like the spicy scenes could have been a bit longer or more descriptive because they felt a bit rushed. I rated this book 3,25/5.

I absolutely fell in love with our two main characters, Cynthie and Jack, and their relationship. The tension growing between them was very well written, and I couldn’t help rooting for them as their friends were doing. The grand gesture was also a very nice and original touch; I had goosebumps. As I was reading this book, I was writing down notes of how I was feeling, and I wrote, word for word, “OMG IM OBSESSED AAAAH;” if that doesn’t tell you enough, I don’t know what will. It was really fun to read about the process of making a movie and being on set! I hadn't read anything like it before.

This book is perfect for those who love a man who secretly wears glasses, who would like to read a second chance romance where you read about both times, and who love some good tension between “enemies.”

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, and I recommend it!

I discovered Laura Wood last year with Under Your Spell. When I saw she was coming out with another adult romance, I was excited. Let's Make a Scene did not disappoint! I adored this book😍 I liked that this story had a dual timeline and POV. Cynthie and Jack's chapters were distinct and insightful. Wood did an incredible job developing their characters. Cynthie was relatable, resilient, and funny. Jack was charming, sweet, and respectful. I loved how he treated Cynthie in the later segments. I liked how he supported her and didn't rush her. I enjoyed watching them put their guards down. I was happy with how their relationship developed. There were so many cute scenes with Jack and Cynthie. The bonfire, tap dancing, love letter, and Reckless Ed scenes were my favorite. I thought Wood's humor was spot-on. The award show scene with Steve Carell was hilarious. Also...that kiss was 🔥. I appreciated the way Wood wrote the filming scenes. She did a great job of explaining the movie set and process. As someone who doesn't know much about movie making, I didn't feel lost. The side characters were well-rounded and significant to the story. I enjoyed all of the side characters and the found family trope. I liked the ending with everyone working together for the grand gesture. It gave me season nine Office vibes. The only (minor) complaint I had was Cynthie's narrative sometimes talking to the reader. With how infrequently that happened, it felt jarring and out of place within the story. Overall, Let's Make a Scene was another hit out of the ballpark. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

a perfect companion to under your spell. i adored every single moment.

the back and forth between the past and present reminded me of the last five years in the best way. i already can’t wait to read this all over again <3

Swoon!

Cynthie is one of the world’s most successful and talented movie star. However, her stellar career and image is at risk after a public scandal. Her agent quickly suggests Cynthie reprises the role that made her a movie star 13 years ago. The only problem is that means Cynthie has to see her former co-star, Jack, for the first time since their disastrous parting.

This was wonderful - Cynthie and Jack are lovely, the plot is interesting, and the flashbacks are just as compelling as the present day storyline.

Let’s Make a Scene can be enjoyed as a standalone though I highly recommend reading Under Your Spell (I was delighted by the Clemmie and Theo (and David) cameos!). Highly recommended!

Thank you very much to Atria and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Cynthie and Jack made a movie together 13 years ago at the start of their careers and faked a romance to generate more publicity . Which was difficult given their mutual disdain for each other. Now they’re back filming a sequel while faking their romance once more -but are they lying to the world or to themselves?

This romcom jumps straight into the story which doesn’t always work for me but I was so charmed by Jack and Cynthie that in this case I was all in immediately! The story is told from dual perspectives over dual timelines which sometimes feels a bit much to me but I found it worked here. I was so invested in the main characters and their second chance romance that was also a bit of an enemies to lovers vibe that I stayed up late reading which I almost never do right now since I have a 1 year old and sleep is precious! I loved this book and I will definitely be seeking out more by Laura Wood.

4.5 stars. How I adored this book! I loveeedddd “Under Your Spell”, which is the companion novel to this one (though you definitely can read this as a standalone). I was so excited to receive the ARC of “Let’s Make a Scene”. I finished this in 24 hours, I could not put it down.

Read if you go feral for:
*** Second chance romance
*** “Enemies” to lovers
*** Fake dating
*** “The one that got away”
*** Dual POV

“Is it possible to drown in sexual tension? Is that even what this is? It feels more like a medical catastrophe. Maybe I’m not hopelessly attracted to my worst enemy. Maybe I just have the plague. Fingers crossed”.

Cynthie and Jack just ooze chemistry. This was just such a great romcom, and so effortlessly easy to sit back and enjoy. And I just couldn’t get enough of our MMC Jack. Ohhhhh Jack, you wonderful, handsome man.

I will absolutely be buying a copy of “Let’s Make a Scene” when it comes out in July! Laura Wood has now become an autobuy author for me. Can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.