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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
3.5 stars ✨
Kaliya, you could’ve been Mrs. Kim 😭 There was more chemistry in one night than the rest of the book with Danny.
Outside of her dating life, everything about Kaliya felt so genuine. She was a very smart, talented woman who struggled in pursuit of her breakthrough and grew unsure of her skills because of it. As a woman of color who also studied the arts and finds themselves stuck in an unrelated role, her character resonated with me and I loved seeing how she rebuilt that trust in herself and acknowledge her own potential.
Danny is… trash. Sure, he has a smooth and charming energy, but that man kept pissing me off. He needed to get his priorities straight before dragging Kaliya’s reputation and professional opportunities through the mud. He’s just full of excuses. There was no self-improvement journey, he’s practically the same person from 8 years ago. It was way too easy for him to let go of Kaliya each time. Honestly, did he really want a life with her or was he going with familiarity?
In terms of their relationship, everything about these two felt so icky. The flashbacks to their overlapping year in college didn’t convince me that they were actually in love. The writing focused so much on describing what happened and it lacked any emotional portrayals. It was more tell than show.
The lack of romance in their past made the breakup seem so mediocre. Apparently they were both super heartbroken but I didn’t care, and honestly preferred their relationship as collaborators. The blandness aside, my girl Kaliya didn’t deserve to be iced out like that. Also, you want me to believe that he didn’t betray Kaliya all those years ago based on a technicality?!?! Nope. I’m not accepting that weakass story, especially considering he didn’t actually explain the physical side of things while his supposed love was being pushed away. This made it all the more infuriating to find out that Kaliya believed his crap and took him back so easily each time.
Also, I didn’t like how Danny spoke about her lack of experience. One of his favorite things about her is her purity?! Excuse me?! I found it so annoying how often they emphasized Kaliya’s lack of romantic experience AS A COLLEGE FRESHMAN. Do we really believe that 18 is a late bloomer?
Then we have Celine, the evil girlfriend for the first half of the book and ex-girlfriend for the second half. Siri, play “traitor” by Olivia Rodrigo. Off the bat, she feels very stand-off ish and bitchy toward Kaliya. However, let’s not forget that our protagonist asked her boyfriend to keep their romantic past a secret and then she had to witness said boyfriend sharing inside jokes and longing glances with his ex. There was way too much back and forth with her character. We’re supposed to hate her by the time Kaliya asks how they got together, but then Danny shares this winded story about how she’s basically just a woman who’s been through a lot but didn’t stop working hard. At this point, I now hate her. If that was her background, why is she hellbent on giving Kaliya that same mistreatment? Ex-girlfriend or not, this is like when you’re in the bathroom and your nemesis asks for a tampon. You help a girl out, or at least don’t push her down. Then the major reveal happens and I hate her for other reasons, but I didn’t like that part of the storyline. Honestly, it felt so misplaced. It’s like the author wanted a way of making readers feel okay about Kaliya and Danny, but let’s not forget, emotional cheating is still cheating.
From the past to the present, there was a serious recurrence of miscommunication. The constant back and forth was so annoying. They needed to have conversations early on about their intentions and what was holding them back, but they kept overlooking this! Also, I need the guy to be utterly obsessed, head over heels in love with the girl and Danny was not that. Their relationship felt so bland.
Honestly, this should’ve been the love story that led to Kaliya Wilson-Kim.
The major scandal toward the end was interesting in theory because it’s so realistic and reflective given the context of the story, but the aftermath diluted it. The solution was so obvious—clearly, they were able to sort out the legal side of things, so why did they hold off for so long on releasing the truth? Bella could’ve stepped up for the reveal. We all know her background would’ve protected her from getting anything worse than a slap on the wrist.
My favorite part about this book was the commentary on the wider entertainment industry and nepotism. It was also interesting to learn about Danny’s film and his intentions for it (lowkey felt more romance through Danny’s parent’s story than our leads).
As an artist, my favorite quote is: “We’re led to believe that being perpetually overworked, underappreciated, and, even worse, underpaid is some sort of rite of passage or ticket to entry. When the worst-kept secret is that so much of the key to success in this town is based on who you know, what you look like, or what you own.” (312).
Lastly, let’s stop it with the celebrity mentions. Meryl Streep sending a birthday card every year? Really?
Overall, this book could’ve been so much more. Kaliya could do so much better than Danny. I’m not against second chances, but did they really have a chance in the first place? What fire was there to reignite? I just kept reading because I loved the insightful pieces about women of color in the arts.
Audiobook side note: DeWanda Wise narrates. It was decent. Didn’t really change up her voice enough for the other female characters.
Kaliya, you could’ve been Mrs. Kim 😭 There was more chemistry in one night than the rest of the book with Danny.
Outside of her dating life, everything about Kaliya felt so genuine. She was a very smart, talented woman who struggled in pursuit of her breakthrough and grew unsure of her skills because of it. As a woman of color who also studied the arts and finds themselves stuck in an unrelated role, her character resonated with me and I loved seeing how she rebuilt that trust in herself and acknowledge her own potential.
Danny is… trash. Sure, he has a smooth and charming energy, but that man kept pissing me off. He needed to get his priorities straight before dragging Kaliya’s reputation and professional opportunities through the mud. He’s just full of excuses. There was no self-improvement journey, he’s practically the same person from 8 years ago. It was way too easy for him to let go of Kaliya each time. Honestly, did he really want a life with her or was he going with familiarity?
In terms of their relationship, everything about these two felt so icky. The flashbacks to their overlapping year in college didn’t convince me that they were actually in love. The writing focused so much on describing what happened and it lacked any emotional portrayals. It was more tell than show.
The lack of romance in their past made the breakup seem so mediocre. Apparently they were both super heartbroken but I didn’t care, and honestly preferred their relationship as collaborators. The blandness aside, my girl Kaliya didn’t deserve to be iced out like that. Also, you want me to believe that he didn’t betray Kaliya all those years ago based on a technicality?!?! Nope. I’m not accepting that weakass story, especially considering he didn’t actually explain the physical side of things while his supposed love was being pushed away. This made it all the more infuriating to find out that Kaliya believed his crap and took him back so easily each time.
Also, I didn’t like how Danny spoke about her lack of experience. One of his favorite things about her is her purity?! Excuse me?! I found it so annoying how often they emphasized Kaliya’s lack of romantic experience AS A COLLEGE FRESHMAN. Do we really believe that 18 is a late bloomer?
Then we have Celine, the evil girlfriend for the first half of the book and ex-girlfriend for the second half. Siri, play “traitor” by Olivia Rodrigo. Off the bat, she feels very stand-off ish and bitchy toward Kaliya. However, let’s not forget that our protagonist asked her boyfriend to keep their romantic past a secret and then she had to witness said boyfriend sharing inside jokes and longing glances with his ex. There was way too much back and forth with her character. We’re supposed to hate her by the time Kaliya asks how they got together, but then Danny shares this winded story about how she’s basically just a woman who’s been through a lot but didn’t stop working hard. At this point, I now hate her. If that was her background, why is she hellbent on giving Kaliya that same mistreatment? Ex-girlfriend or not, this is like when you’re in the bathroom and your nemesis asks for a tampon. You help a girl out, or at least don’t push her down. Then the major reveal happens and I hate her for other reasons, but I didn’t like that part of the storyline. Honestly, it felt so misplaced. It’s like the author wanted a way of making readers feel okay about Kaliya and Danny, but let’s not forget, emotional cheating is still cheating.
From the past to the present, there was a serious recurrence of miscommunication. The constant back and forth was so annoying. They needed to have conversations early on about their intentions and what was holding them back, but they kept overlooking this! Also, I need the guy to be utterly obsessed, head over heels in love with the girl and Danny was not that. Their relationship felt so bland.
Honestly, this should’ve been the love story that led to Kaliya Wilson-Kim.
The major scandal toward the end was interesting in theory because it’s so realistic and reflective given the context of the story, but the aftermath diluted it. The solution was so obvious—clearly, they were able to sort out the legal side of things, so why did they hold off for so long on releasing the truth? Bella could’ve stepped up for the reveal. We all know her background would’ve protected her from getting anything worse than a slap on the wrist.
My favorite part about this book was the commentary on the wider entertainment industry and nepotism. It was also interesting to learn about Danny’s film and his intentions for it (lowkey felt more romance through Danny’s parent’s story than our leads).
As an artist, my favorite quote is: “We’re led to believe that being perpetually overworked, underappreciated, and, even worse, underpaid is some sort of rite of passage or ticket to entry. When the worst-kept secret is that so much of the key to success in this town is based on who you know, what you look like, or what you own.” (312).
Lastly, let’s stop it with the celebrity mentions. Meryl Streep sending a birthday card every year? Really?
Overall, this book could’ve been so much more. Kaliya could do so much better than Danny. I’m not against second chances, but did they really have a chance in the first place? What fire was there to reignite? I just kept reading because I loved the insightful pieces about women of color in the arts.
Audiobook side note: DeWanda Wise narrates. It was decent. Didn’t really change up her voice enough for the other female characters.
I'm 60% through the book and I'm so tired of the MCs. They're all coming off a little childish.
lighthearted
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A great read. The characters were complex and well written. I was rooting for Kaliya’s success throughout the book. A great debut novel from the author, I’m looking forward to reading more.
The cover had me hooked it’s so beautiful. But I was 50% into this book and was about to DNF because it was a very slow burn for me. I’m glad I didn’t DNF because this ended up being a cute story. I just wanted Danny to go after Kaliya like he actually loved her. I’m glad Kaliya was able to find her true voice.
emotional
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I absolutely loved this book. It’s a beautiful, emotionally layered second chance romance that truly stuck with me. The writing is stunning, the story is rich with tension and yearning, and the romance made me believe in soulmates. I’m such a sucker for second chances and this one was done so well.
What really stood out to me was how much depth there was beyond the romance. The book thoughtfully explores privilege—how it impacts opportunity and shapes someone’s perspective—and it made me reflect on my own advantages and how that has shaped the way I see the world. I also found the FMC incredibly relatable, especially in how stuck she felt in her career and how hard it was to imagine another path forward. Watching her grow and find her place before fully stepping into the romance was so satisfying and powerful.
This story didn’t just deliver on the romance—it was also filled with meaningful themes like discrimination, class dynamics, and the challenges of breaking into a world like Hollywood. Their love was so beautiful to watch unfold, and while I really enjoyed the ending, I do wish there had been just a bit more to their reunion—it wrapped up a little quickly. Easily one of the most memorable contemporary romances I’ve read in a while!
What really stood out to me was how much depth there was beyond the romance. The book thoughtfully explores privilege—how it impacts opportunity and shapes someone’s perspective—and it made me reflect on my own advantages and how that has shaped the way I see the world. I also found the FMC incredibly relatable, especially in how stuck she felt in her career and how hard it was to imagine another path forward. Watching her grow and find her place before fully stepping into the romance was so satisfying and powerful.
This story didn’t just deliver on the romance—it was also filled with meaningful themes like discrimination, class dynamics, and the challenges of breaking into a world like Hollywood. Their love was so beautiful to watch unfold, and while I really enjoyed the ending, I do wish there had been just a bit more to their reunion—it wrapped up a little quickly. Easily one of the most memorable contemporary romances I’ve read in a while!
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is my favorite type of romance novel, sweet sappy and the best ending.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
"You know that feeling when a song comes on the radio that you haven't heard in years, and instantly, it's your favorite song all over again? That's you. You have been my favorite song all over again."
This second chance romance is so sweet!
Kaliya has been working at the reception desk of a film studio for years and has almost given up on pursuing her dream of producing when suddenly her ex-boyfriend shows up with a film and a job for her.
Set against the glitz, glam and daily workings of Hollywood, this romance slowly starts to unfold as two exes try to tell a love story.
While it is easy for them to understand each other's creative vision, it is very hard to let go of and forgive the past and while these two slowly talk it out and get closer again they have to deal with some personal and professional hurdles.
"Because on the dancefloor when you asked me what I wanted from you, I wasn't ready to say it out loud. But I am now. My answer is everything."
While I really enjoyed the story, there were some things that frustrated me and both the fmc and mmc didn't really seem to think things through at times and seemed willfully unaware of how some things would look to the outside.
All in all this is a sweet story though, that's definitely worth a read.
This second chance romance is so sweet!
Kaliya has been working at the reception desk of a film studio for years and has almost given up on pursuing her dream of producing when suddenly her ex-boyfriend shows up with a film and a job for her.
Set against the glitz, glam and daily workings of Hollywood, this romance slowly starts to unfold as two exes try to tell a love story.
While it is easy for them to understand each other's creative vision, it is very hard to let go of and forgive the past and while these two slowly talk it out and get closer again they have to deal with some personal and professional hurdles.
"Because on the dancefloor when you asked me what I wanted from you, I wasn't ready to say it out loud. But I am now. My answer is everything."
While I really enjoyed the story, there were some things that frustrated me and both the fmc and mmc didn't really seem to think things through at times and seemed willfully unaware of how some things would look to the outside.
All in all this is a sweet story though, that's definitely worth a read.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes