Review by Booklist Review
After failing to make her mark on the New York City theater world and discovering that her boyfriend is no Prince Charming, -costume designer Marlowe Banks heads to Los Angeles for a fresh start. But her new job as a costume production assistant for the popular show, Heart's Diner, is more of a career nightmare than dream come true. Just today, Marlowe accidentally spilled her coffee all over Angus Gordon, the super-brooding and super-hot star of the show. So when a wardrobe snafu occurs, Marlowe decides to get ahead of the situation by playing the part of a waitress. It shouldn't be a big deal. Until Marlowe discovers she will be acting opposite a now coffee-stain-free yet still cranky Angus. Rom-com fans will revel in young adult author Firkins' move to adult romance with this splendidly entertaining love story that not only delivers an abundance of clever banter and triple-digit sexual chemistry but also thoughtfully underscores the importance in separating the wheat from the chaff on social media, and learning how to deal with the fear of failure when it keeps you from doing what you love.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Firkins's uneven adult debut (after How Not to Fall in Love) finds costume designer Marlowe Banks having fled New York's theater scene, and her ex-fiancé, for a fresh start on the set of TV soap Heart's Diner. Her production assistant job doesn't utilize her skills, but it does shield her from the harsh critiques she's come to fear. That is, until she's forced to fill in as a background actor for a day, placing her near the show's brooding star, Angus Gordon, with whom she disastrously collided earlier that same day. She's happy to leave her brush with stardom--and Angus's intense stare--in the past, but when the episode airs, a tricky bit of editing turns their obvious dislike into sexual tension and sends fans clamoring for more. Despite some false starts, Marlowe and Angus bond as production forces them to spend more time together. Both feel a connection, but Marlowe quickly learns she may not be ready for the scrutiny that comes with dating a star. Though the main couple has chemistry to spare, the rest of the story falls flat in comparison; the backstory behind Marlowe's life in New York comes too late and feels too tepid to make readers invested in her personal growth. It's a shaky start, but Firkins shows some promise. (Nov.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT After fleeing New York City due to a failed engagement and an overly critiqued costume design at her former job, Marlowe Banks is now a lowly, overqualified production assistant for a hit TV show in Los Angeles. She works in the costume department, catering to her boss Babs. When a cast extra doesn't show up and it's too late to call in a backup, Marlowe is thrown into the show, cast as the waitress since the costume fits. During the scene, she and the show's arrogant and smolderingly handsome star, Angus Gordon, exchange a look that ends up rocking the social media world, leaving fans wanting more. The producers run with it and write Marlowe into the show, which forces them to get closer. Photos surface, of both public and private moments, pushing Marlowe into a spotlight she isn't prepared for. But Angus is by her side through it all, and what starts as a hostile working relationship, soon becomes genuine and romantic. VERDICT Firkins's adult debut (she's authored YA romances like How Not To Fall in Love) is a fun, albeit predictable rom-com that's fun to watch unfolding.--Erin Holt
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