Note: small typographical error at start of chapter 6 — “She carried such a reverence for the place and sometimes had to pinch herself to remember that she acCtually worked here.”

I haven’t read many books by this author, but I think this is my favourite one by her! There’s just such a warmth to the story, and even the supporting characters feel living and breathing. While there’s some RomCom cliches, the banter and chemistry between our two leads more than makes up for it. I also applaud the author for taking the complex path to a satisfying ending. Overall, the book is engaging and lovely to read!

Melissa Brayden has been a favourite writer of mine for a while now, anytime a new book comes out it immediately jumps to the top of my to-read list. She is great with the natural, funny dialogue, romantic scenes and honest chemistry all the while giving you the feeling that it could be you. No overly dramatic or unrealistic storylines, just life as it can be for anyone of us. Ofcourse having very high expectations also makes it increasingly more difficult for a writer to meet the bar that's set. Which is okay, her last book didn't really do it for me, but this one about stage-manager Lauren and fallen movie star Carly is exactly what I love about a good romance novel and what I expect of Melissa Brayden. She knocks it out of the park with this one again and I will be sitting here, eagerly awaiting her new one.

An ARC of this novel was sent to me by NetGalley for reviewing purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love reading Melissa Brayden books! It's fun and sweet, and I had a blast reading it. I thoroughly recommend it for anyone who's looking for a light and sweet romance.

**Thank you to Bold Stroke Books for providing me the ARC for review!**
4.5* Melissa Brayden has another winner in this book. Lauren is a stage manager for the McAllister Theatre. She's organized and great at her job. When she was younger, Lauren has aspirations to be an actress, but gave up after not being able to get jobs. Carly is a Hollywood star whose star is waning. She's now better known for partying and being a diva than her acting abilities. Her agent told her that a starring role in a new play would be a good first step to getting back into the studios's good graces. They meet and the chemistry is there, but Lauren thinks Carly's an irresponsible party girl since she keeps coming in late to rehearsals. As with other books by this author, the romance is sweet and adorable. I like that they did not jump into bed right away. Their perception of each other changed as the story progressed and the relationship evolved from there. Both characters had to overcome personal insecurities before they can fully be happy.

As usual with any Melissa Brayden novel, this story is sweet, the main characters are likable, and you can almost feel the chemistry between them.

I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved everything! For some reason this book reminded me of her novel Waiting in the Wings (maybe because of the theater setting?) which I also loved.

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to enjoy a sweet and fun romance.

This one I admit I had trouble really getting into. It was well written and the characters were likable, there just wasn't a pull to it that kept me excited. The main characters engage in a mutual attraction fairly early on. Again it was entertaining and the chemistry between them was there from the beginning.

My interest really piqued when the drama really kicked in in the latter half of the book. I got a bit emotional by that point over the interactions between them. This really brought the story up for me and I really enjoyed the ending.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This adorable book is about Lauren Prescott, who's wanted to be an actress since she was very young, but after some failed attempts, she gave up on that dream long ago, and now she's settled as a stage manager, a job which she also really likes. She was ready to go to her much earned vacation, when she's asked to work on a new play, since a big star who's having some big attitude issues - Carly Daniel - will be on it.

Well, I thought this book was absolutely adorable. I really liked the writing. It's simple, but it got me hooked from page one. I also really enjoyed the humor in the narrative and dialogues between not only Lauren and Carly, but also between the other crew members and friends.

The romance was very well developed. Of course there's some immediate mutual attraction, but that's not only the incredible chemistry they have that made them so great. They really get along and get each other, even though they come from such different background.

It's a very short book - I read it in a day very easily - about 200 pages or something, but I feel it could be even better as a novella, with only about 100 pages or so, since I felt like the dilemmas and problems between them took too long to get solved.

Overall, I really liked it and recommend it if you want to read a cute story with a f/f romance :)

Lauren Prescott’s life was structured and controlled. She was good at her job as the stage manger at The McAllister theatre in Minneapolis but was looking forward to a much needed vacation. Hollywood star Carly Daniel’s career was on a downward spiral mainly due to her partying ways and holding up production by her lateness. When her only job offer was for one of the leads for the stage production of a new play, Starry Nights, she reluctantly agreed. Since Carly’s difficult reputation was well known, Lauren’s boss asked her to postpone her vacation and use her polished people skills to deal with the self- absorbed star.

There are many aspects of this story that were enjoyable. The characters were likable and their career paths were interesting. I loved how the characters evolved throughout the story, especially Carly. The emotional highs and lows were beautifully written as she took a serious look at her life and made positive changes.

These characters were never boring. They held your interest with the best part of the story-the dialogue. As usual with any story written by this author, the dialogue was engaging from start to finish. It could be playful and serious -sometimes within a short conversation. An example of this was when Lauren and Carly were taking turns stating facts about themselves. The dialogue could also be emotional when hard choices needed to be made and the characters’ lives took a different direction.

Overall, with Melissa Brayden’s storytelling skills, it’s easy to become immersed in the story and read it in one sitting. As with the previous books I read by this author, this story was entertaining, captivating, and highly recommended.
ARC for an honest review.

Melissa Knows how to write a great book. this is no different, I loved it a lot it was long I think but I did not feel it when I was reading. in fact I felt like I was watching a movie. One thing tho, It was predictable. Like I know that the drama was coming and what about, it's not annoying and did not effect my enjoyment.

I felt for Carly it's so hard to see your dream happening to someone else. specially since I went through the same thing = still Am sadly, plus i think they over did it on the hate.


Highly recommended.

Thank you for the author and her team for the copy in exchange of an honest opinion

I love Melissa Brayden and a fan of her work and I loved her newest title as well..
I love when Melissa’s characters are actors so was very much looking forward to reading this book and was not disappointed.
Lauren Prescott is a stage manager for a prestigious theater. She had dreamed of being an actress since she was a little girl but life in L.A. did not go according to plan. Lauren likes her life very structured and finds that although her acting dream fizzled she finds a new love by working behind the scenes.
Carly Daniel is a famous actress who is in a bit of slump finding roles due to her partying ways and showing up late on set. She finds that the only role she can get is in a new play in Minneapolis and takes the job in hopes to getting back in the limelight doing movies. She carries this attitude with her in her new role which is making Laurens job as stage manager harder. Although Carly is pretentious and continues to be unprofessional Lauren sees that Carly is an amazing actor and always kind to everyone and can’t help the attraction she feels for her. Lauren finally has enough when Carly is late again and calls her out on it and Carly knows she needs to change.
When Lauren suddenly finds herself cast in the play due to the previous actor being sidelined, that’s when the sparks truly fly.
This was an enjoyable read and recommend.
I was given an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review. Many Thanks!

I RECEIVED AN ARC COPY OF THE BOOK FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY AND VOLUNTARILY LEAVING MY REVIEW.

CARLY IS A DOWN AND OUT ACTRESS WHO NEEDS TO BUILD UP HER CAREER AGAIN FROM SCRATCH WHICH SHE IS NOT HAPPY ABOUT. SHE IS ALWAYS RUNNING LATE AND DOESN'T CARE ABOUT ANYONE ELSE EXCEPT HERSELF.

LAUREN IS A SUCCESSFUL STAGE PRODUCTION MANAGER WHO HAS ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN ACTRESS.

I'D SAY THIS WAS MY LEAST FAVOURITE BOOK FROM THIS AUTHOR. I HAVE READ ALL BUT TWO OF HER BOOKS AND LOVED THEM ALL BUT THIS ONE DOESN'T HIT THE MARK FOR ME.

THE CHARACTERS ARE GOOD (ONE OF THEM) AND THE SEXUAL TENSION BETWEEN THEM BOTH IS OFF THE CHARTS, BUT, FOR ME, I LIKED LAUREN BUT I COULDN'T TAKE TO CARLY FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE BOOK. THERE IS JUST SOMETHING ABOUT HER THAT I DIDN'T LIKE. I LIKED SOME OF THE STORY LINE AND AT OTHER TIMES I FELT IT DRAGGED ON. IN THE END WITH THE LAST TWO OR THREE CHAPTERS I JUST SKIMMED OVER THEM.

THERE IS ALWAYS ONE BOOK FROM AN AUTHOR THAT YOU FIND JUST IS NOT FOR YOU AND FOR ME I WOULD SAY THIS IS THE ONE FOR ME. HOWEVER, I WILL CONTINUE TO READ HER BOOKS IN THE FUTURE.

I will be the first to admit that anything Melissa Brayden puts out I will read. She is for sure in my top 5 favorite romance writers. She knows how to put two characters together and make them sizzle. I was super excite to read To the Mood and Back. I really love a celebrity romance so this was up my alley. Lauren Prescott wanted to be a actor since middle school. Eventually after many failed attempts she found her niche being a Stage Manager. Carly Daniel is or was a successful actress. She basically has ruined her career by being partying her way through life and now no one wants to cast her. She is in desperate need for a gig and is convinced to play the lead role in a play at the theater Lauren works.

In theory this all sounds good but I did not connect with this romance at all. The leads in this one were not really interesting and the story was slow and a tad bit boring. Listen, this book is not what I expected from Brayden. Sure, I will continue to read all of her books because she is a great writer, I just wasn't into this one. There were things I did like about this one but it was just slow for me. There was nothing exciting about the mains. Anyway, i will rate this one 3.5.

A solid offering from a consistent author. I may be nostalgic but for some reason I prefer her earlier work (Waiting in the Wings, How Sweet It Is, Kiss the Girl); they just had more angst, depth of feeling, the longing and heartache and simmering chemistry and sexy banter was just so rich in those but it’s been somewhat more subdued over the years. I would still rather read Brayden over most any other lesfic author. Both leads here were likable, but not much character development beyond those 2. Realistic and had me reminiscing on Waiting in the Wings (some definite similarities). Not sure I’ll read this again, but will always rush to read her newest work!

An honest review thanks to NetGalley. I love Melissa Brayden and she did not disappoint in this new novel. The chemistry between the characters was off the charts, like massively off the charts. I loved looking into the play and all the components that come about when trying to put one together. All in all, another fantastic read by Brayden!

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Lauren always dreams of being a actress but it's seem not in the cards for her. So she decide if she can't be on stage the best thing is being a stage manager at esteemed McAllister Theater and she became successful at it.

After working so hard she decide to go on vacation but that plan is out on hold when she is ask to help with a trouble starlet.

Carly is a starlet when her reputation seems to be in trouble her agent convinces her to take a role in a theater production.

There is some conflicts because when it starts Carly is a entitled spoil brat but as you read there more to her and I like how Lauren doesn't take her crap and there it's a beginning of a romance.

It was predictable but it was cute romance. I really enjoy reading it.

4.5 stars
The first thing that attracted me to this book was the cover, obviously. At first I thought it’s YA, then I read the synopsis turn out it’s not. it didn’t quite match with the story in my opinion. But I said it’s okay, it’s Melissa Brayden, I always expect good things from her. I think the best part of this was the first and the last 20%. There’s the usual witty dialogues, which is one of my favorites in Brayden’s works, although it got old fast in this one. The characters were likable, as usual. If their get-together was dragged out a little or sprinkled with more angst before they officially admit their attraction for each other, I would have given it a perfect star. Overall I liked it, I enjoyed it and I would still buy it for someone.

Grounded from the gulp.

Lauren is a stage manager at an esteemed Minneapolis theater, The McAllister. Her much needed vacation is thwarted when she is asked to cancel and run interference for a troubled starlet who just signed on as a lead for the upcoming production.

Carly is a starlet that is not quite as troubled as the tabloids would have you believe. But perception is reality in the world of gossip rags. Her agent convinces her to take a role in a theater production in order to help re-build her reputation.

This was the most satisfying romance. The way Brayden writes chemistry is off the charts. Who knew there could be so much sexual tension in just a simple billiard lesson? Then she gives us some early on conflict because Carly is a spoiled Hollywood actress that is inconsiderate of everyone's time and Lauren isn't having any of it. What I loved the most was how Brayden wrote the character of Carly. The magnetism and charm despite her faults. The desire to be good when all that seems to result is bad. She became completely smitten with Laruen and it was extremely endearing to witness on page. It was easy to see how Lauren could fall for Carly when all her common sense told her otherwise.

The book was entirely predictable. But sometimes you just need a solid love story that you can count on. I didn't care in the least that I knew what was coming. I just enjoyed experiencing everything unfold.

There is nothing like reading Brayden dialogue. I look forward to that before starting any of her books. She is the absolute best at writing it. She did not disappoint. And dare I say I might have enjoyed the dynamic between these two main characters more than in any of Brayden's previous books? OK, I said it. I loved Lauren and Carly.

There was formulaic 80% drama. It made me cry until the end.

The only critique I have is that the pacing was slow in a couple of spots with lengthy exposition. Full pages without dialogue. Namely, the very beginning which made it hard for me to get into initially. Then again toward the end.

I recommend this to anyone who loves to read about romance, enemies to lovers, intense chemistry, fantastic dialogue, cute banter, communication, theater, Hollywood, dreams come true, character growth, Brayden's 'non sequitur' calling card, and emotive hair.

Melissa Brayden has just nailed it again. This book is typical of the author and I've read all her books, likeable main characters, witty dialogue, the usual drama...will they or won't they get together, angst, sexual chemistry and it all just works. Probably the only things I didn't like about this book is the cover and I think the ending could have been drawn out and dramatized a little more but that's only because I just didn't want this book to end. I really enjoyed the storyline and I loved how we got a glimpse of the inner workings of theatre life and that certainly added substance to the storyline.
This book is definitely one of Brayden's better books. 5 out of 5.

I'll say up front, don't worry, this ends up being a classic Melissa Brayden story.

I'm not a fan of "people" on book covers, and the title led me to believe this might be total fluff. The first half felt really slow to me and I wasn't "bought in" for the longest time.

By the last quarter of the book I realized that the longish first half setup was needed to establish the characters. The story doesn't fit in with most standard lesfic tropes (ice queens, age gap, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, etc.), but what did hit me is the "A Star Is Born" theme, even if the characters are the same age. One is on an upward trajectory in her career while the other is trying to recover from a downward slide, and they're in danger of passing each other by.

Many times in books by my favorite authors I feel like the beginning is gangbusters but maybe the ending fizzles. This story is the opposite. The requisite 80% drama/angst really made this book for me. I literally cried in a couple of places. And I really enjoyed the references to other Melissa Brayden characters (wow, if rival surfers can get a chip commercial why can't I?) and also the celebrity game show angle.

For me, To The Moon and Back isn't in the league with Beautiful Dreamer or Back to September, but it's an entertaining, enjoyable story with strong characters and that trademark witty dialogue we all love from Melissa Brayden.

To the Moon and Back is everything you expect a Brayden novel to be. It’s sweet, fun, sexy and of course the writing is smooth. This book is a little cloud of fluff, exactly what I needed amidst this awful week at work. Whenever I was reading it, I found myself smiling and feeling just a little lighter.

Brayden is a master at creating likable MCs who compliment each other and who have great chemistry. Lauren Prescott is the girl next door type with a love of stationary that rivals Amy Santiago’s. She’s grounded and practical. Carly is your typical Hollywood actress with a wild strike you should find annoying, but you can’t help falling in love with just a little bit. She’s charismatic, always down for a good time and is kind to everyone. Opposites attract?

Though this book basically follows the “lesfic recipe”, it’s still a solid, very enjoyable read. I definitely recommend it. There’s little twist or two that are sorta predictable but still surprising, if that makes sense… :p I got a little emotional when Lauren’s parents showed up and so angry when the media trashed Carly.

Maybe give this one a shot if you like theater, a nice feel-good romance and pugs!

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