Alex Evansley
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: June 12th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Debut author Alex Evansley delivers a sweet summer romance in this inventive novel about a young heartthrob and teen author falling in love.
Teddy Sharpe is kind of famous. He might actually be on his way to being really famous, especially if he’d nailed an audition for the lead role in the movie adaption of the newest bestselling young adult book series. There’s just one problem: He totally blew the audition. And he’s stuck in a tiny North Carolina airport. And his maybe-ex- girlfriend kind of just broke up with him.
The weekend isn’t exactly looking good until Bennett Caldwell, author of the very book series he just auditioned for, takes pity on him and invites him to her family’s lake house. Away from the glitz and glam of Hollywood for a few days, Teddy starts to relax . . . and somehow he and Bennett just click. But dating is hard enough when you aren’t the subject of several dozen fanblogs, and the Internet is full of juicy gossip about Teddy and Bennett . . . gossip that Bennett might not be prepared to handle.
Chosen by readers like you for Macmillan’s young adult imprint Swoon Reads, Alex Evansley’s debut novel, written from both Bennett and Teddy’s perspectives, will have teens laughing, swooning, and falling in love along with these fantastically relatable characters.
ReviewLove Scene, Take Two is a really cute contemporary YA romance. I love the premise - actor auditions for the role of the male co-lead in an upcoming movie adaption of a major YA bestseller meets girl on an airplane who just happens to be the (very cute) author of said YA novel. Actor gets stranded at airport and author invites him home with her.
OK, yes, there are a lot of cliches and convenient plot devices in this book. (Oh no! Your flight was canceled because storms at the other end of the connection. And there are no rooms available at the nice hotels because a nameless convention of some sort is in town!? Whaaaaaaat...) There is also some rather unnecessary drama thrown in (for plot reasons, I assume) that isn't very well explained or completed through the storyline. That being said, this book is still SO CUTE, and I was compelled to keep reading it. Binge read the whole thing in one sitting.
The dynamic between Teddy and Bennett is just SO compelling, and I love their witty banter. They're both quasi nerdy and I love the little bits of geekdom sprinkled throughout this book. Also, forget #Sharpwell, I'm all about shipping Emmy+Olivia. (Tell me I'm not the only one!!) I love Teddy so much, and would totally have torn his picture out of my Teen Beat magazine and taped it up in my locker. ;) Bennett's character was a little more confusing for me... Maybe because the first half of the book was told from a ... point of view that I don't actually know the word for. It's not Teddy's first person POV, but it follows Teddy and we only see what he sees and what he's thinking and whatnot. The second half then switches to following Bennett. On the one hand it was nice being able to get both their viewpoints, but on the other it was weird having half the story told just from Teddy's viewpoint and then suddenly switching to Bennett.
Another wonderful part of Love Scene, Take Two is the cast of side characters. I already mentioned I'm team #Emlivia 4ever, and Bennet's family is also really fun. They're so welcoming and warm, and just dripping with southern charm. Will was also really sweet, and I'm hoping there's a sequel that stars Will (and that also gives us some more Emmy & Olivia because I want confirmation that they're SO a couple!!) So if you're reading this, Alex, please please pretty please write an amazing book about Will and his rise to stardom, with lots of Olivia and Emmy gloriousness included as well. Kthxbye. :)
This is a relatively clean read as far as sexual explicitness goes, though there is quite a bit of cursing as well as underage drinking.
Author BioAlex Evansley is a twenty-something-year-old writer from North Carolina. Her specialized talents include putting on workout clothes and not working out, sleeping during the day, losing socks, and procrastinating stories she’d like to write. Love Scene, Take Two is her debut novel.
Thanks for hosting today! This sounds adorable and a perfect beach read! Great review! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! It is definitely a great beach read. :)
DeleteThis does sound like a lovely read.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lot of fun - if you read it, I hope you love it as much as I did! :)
DeleteI think it's unique and the cover is lovely.
ReplyDeleteIt was certainly a fun read, and I love the cover too! :)
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