I’m sorry to say this was just wasn’t for me and that I DNFed this around the 5% mark.

The characters were unlikeable, the writing not to my taste. I’m interested in films and Hollywood and I thought the premise of having such a background and characters that are part of the business sounded intriguing but the execution left me unbothered and bored.

Reminded me of the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Really well written with fleshed out characters and a great story.

Who doesn't like a second chance? Well, unless the first chance is perfect I suppose.

Jess and Marion have chemistry and the story doesn't dwell too much on the history between them - it does, but it doesn't. Their feelings are realistic, as is their pain, but it's dealt with in a mature way.

The pace of the story is just enough. Occasionally I didn't love the backtracking, but ultimately it was a snack of history along the way in their present.

3.5 stars

An honest review thanks to NetGalley. This was a great light romantic read. It gave all the feels and the excitement of Hollywood as well. I love second chance romances and this was exactly what this was. The flashbacks really made the connection and chemistry between the two characters shine.

Good But a Little Slow
Marion is a Hollywood legend. With 30 years in the business, she has hit a slump and not much interests her anymore until a close friend comes to her with a project. She is pretty excited about it until she discovers that Jessica will also be a part of the movie. Jessica is an out and proud lesbian and the woman who owns Marion’s very closeted heart. Once upon a time they had something special until Marion broke it off without any explanation. She has always regretted it and cant forgive herself but she didn’t have a viable choice. Working together brings back all those feelings but Marion is still in the closet…Can Marion and Jessica get past old hurts and fears to find happiness or are they doomed to pine for each other forever?

This book was slow but good and well worth the read. The book went from present time to the past and back again so you could see how these women fell in love and the things that drove them apart. I think I fell a little in love with both Marion and Jessica. My heart bled for the young actress, she was in an impossible situation and helpless to do anything about it. Jessica was stronger but she had been greatly hurt. She was still willing to try to be friends with Marion and watching them reconnect was lovely. I was so glad when they were able to lean on each other and fall in love all over again. They are a special couple that truly deserve happiness.

This was an entertaining second chance celebrity romance. It was about two woman who encounter each other again later in life where they fear of being public with sexuality continues to be an obstacle. I enjoyed this and hope to read more from this author in the future.

This book had everything I could hope for: second-chance romance, LGBT+ rep, celebrity characters. But unfortunately, I spent most of my reading time just being bored. The characters felt incredibly flat, and I had a hard time relating to them. The story was slow to start, and I couldn't really see the chemistry between the two main characters.

Love in the Limelight is a second chance celebrity romance,between a pop star and actress, which appeared to be interesting yet fell, unfortunately, flat for me. I felt there was little chemistry and disappointingly couldn't connect with the characters, who I found acted immaturely and made the novel tough to finish. This book may have just not been for me, however the story was slow to pick up and there was not much between the two main characters, and I found it underwhelming

Ashley Moore provides a second chance romance Hollywood style with this engaging novel.
Three time Oscar recipient Marion Hargreaves is an acting legend. One of the finest actresses of her time, she has lived her life privately and protectively. When the opportunity arises to take a voice actor role in the animated film Petunia’s Potion, she faces a new challenge both personally and professionally. Her co-star is none other than Jessica Carmichael, the very out pop music sensation and the woman whose heart she broke years earlier.
Working closely together proves that the chemistry is still there as well as the guilt that shrouds Marion for leaving so abruptly over two decades ago. Through alternating timelines their story unfolds and their future may provide another chance at love.
Thank you Net Galley and Bold Stroke Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review.

This is the first book I have read by Ashley Moore, and it is a celebrity romance with a second chance plot.

The two main characters are Marion Hargreaves and Jessica Carmichael. Marion is a movie star who has worked in the business for over 30 years starting at a very young age. She has achieved fame and fortune. Her life, however, is lonely as she has never come out and is very private about her personal life. Only once in her life was she ever in love, and it did not end well. Jessica is a pop music star and is adored by many. She does not hide her sexuality.

After winning numerous awards, Marion is growing tired of the roles she has played. An opportunity presents itself to be a main voice actor for an animated movie based on one of Marion’s favorite childhood books. Jessica also signs on to be a voice actor for the other main character in the movie. What readers will learn is that both Marion and Jessica will find this movie contract to be highly challenging professionally and romantically. When Marion and Jessica were at the start of the filming, they had a very passionate romance. Unfortunately, Marion cuts the relationship off abruptly without telling Jessica why. Years pass with no explanation.

This was an interesting plot. Ms. Moore uses flashbacks to tell the story. Generally, this is not one of my favorite writing techniques as it tends to cause breaks in the story flow. However, in this book, it was needed to present the history of the two main characters. I found the characters interesting and well developed.

I look forward to reading more books by Ms. Moore. I recommend this book and rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the story of two women who met when both were first starting their careers in the entertainment industry. How ones decision not to allow herself to become part of a lesbian romance.
Marion Hargreaves has become a Hollywood legend. Winner of three Oscars but it’s come at a cost. Never allowing herself to have any kind of romance in her life. She found it easier this way at first but now after thirty years of hiding, deep in the closet, she’s longing to just let the world know. Perhaps maybe find someone to love. She did fall in love once but it was the wrong time and the wrong person.
Jessica Carmichael became one of the world's pop icons. She lives her life in the open and always has. When she met Marion years ago the attraction was off the charts. Did she love Marion, I don’t know but when Marion turned her back to what should have been a nice relationship, Jessica was hurt.
Now twenty years and the two women have been given the chance of having a different outcome for their feelings. Usually when acting for an animated movie the actors never meet but this director wants them to share a studio when they run their lines. Feelings long left dormant might be just under the surface, just waiting for the moment to come when they meet the right person. Very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

I really like celebrities/Hollywood romances and this one is also a second chance romance, so it was a go for me from the start. Flashback are not for everyone, but I usually don´t have a problem with them. I also liked that the author brought us characters that are not young ones. I will keep my eyes open for Moore's next works.

The main characters, Marion and Jessica are as different as could be. Marion is a very closeted Hollywood legend and Jessica is a very successful singer who is vocal about being out. Marion has not found a role that interests her until she is offered to voice an animated movie. Jumping at the chance, she is invigorated again. That is until she finds out who her co-star is.
Marion and Jessica were involved over 20 years ago until Marion ran from her. Her agent was threatening to out her if she did not end things with Jessica. Frightened that she would follow through with her threat, she did so. She had regretted that decision since then.
Now that the two women are working closely together, Marion realizes that her feelings never went away for Jessica. She apologizes but Jessica is not so quick to accept an apology over the hurt that happened years ago.
Can you go back and start where you left off?
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wasn't my favorite, but I didn't hate it either. Love the bisexual representation. I can't explain it, but something just didn't click with me on this one.

All right. This is super cute. Fun and sweet, and bisexual representation thank you. 🥰

So this is a sweet second chance sapphic romance, with one character learning about themselves and finally embracing they are any other always being themselves.

It’s cute and sweet and I really like it and I highly recommend it.

Will learned four stars

This was a well written book with some likeable characters. However, there were aspects of it that I struggled with - Marion’s speech was bizarrely formal even in her 20s, it was difficult to understand why her agent had so much power over her and why she struggled to be out in the present timeline, and the constant flashbacks made it difficult to engage with the current storyline. I related more to Jess, the other main character. I enjoyed the main characters being older and overall it was a good book.

Three and a half stars. I kept reading a bit and putting it down. I assumed it was just not having time or energy this month, but then I picked up another book (albeit, from an author I love) and swallowed that in two hours. I will say that it's mostly personal preference. I really enjoy famous celebrity characters, but I'm starting to lose interest in second-chance romance, especially when so much of the relationship is sexual. Nothing wrong with it, just not for me. The chemistry here didn't do much for me, and the problem with adding that to a second-chance thing is that the characters pick up where they left off, but I can't. I need to see them work back up to it, since something went south last time. I liked Marion, but I almost rooted for her to stay single. Can't say that's a very desirable feeling in a romance. Then there's the slow unveiling of their history while flip-flopping between past and present... it felt tired. Nothing more to say than that.

My star rating is as high as it is because the writing was not at all bad, and I do think my dislike is personal rather than anything inherently wrong with the book. I try to minimize the impact my review has on other readers, when I think that to be the case.

Since I was unfamiliar with this author, I went into this book with no expectations. In this case that was a plus. The book relied on many of my favorite tropes: older protagonists, a coming out story, and second chances at love. Ms. Moore handled all these better than most.

Marion Hargreaves has a career that most actors would kill for—as her case full of awards will attest. What no one knows is the price she paid to get them. Her latest challenge is as a voice actor for an animated movie of her favorite children’s story. What she didn’t count on was working with the woman whose heart she broke what seems to be a lifetime ago—her biggest regret.

Jessica Carmichael has lived her life as her true self— an out and proud, world icon. She doesn’t understand why Marion destroyed what they had. Now she must work with her first love. How this going to work out is anybody’s guess.

This story has drama - the pain of the heartbreak that only comes along with first love, but not to the point of driving me to tears. I think that younger readers might not understand Marion and the time in the world when coming out could wreck your life. People from all walks of life had to make difficult decisions- and an out lesbian actress stood no chance at all.

I enjoyed this story and I think most readers of wlw books will as well. I am grateful for being allowed to read this book and to give an honest review from the publisher via Netgalley.

*Thank you NetGallery and publishers for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own*

My rating is more of a 3.5 stars vs. 3. Let's get into it!

To summarize, this book is about Marion Hargreaves who is considered one of the top actresses and Jessica Carmichael - a pop superstar. Marion is an incredibly private individual and very little is known about her personal life. She was recently asked by her friend, Gwen, to be a part of Petunia's Potion, an animated movie, as a voice actor. She soon learns that Jessica will be her co-star and we learn that these two successful women have a very complicated past. This novel follows Marian and Jessica as they navigate their past and current attraction.

This is a debut book for Ashley Moore and it really ticks a lot of boxes for me from the description. I'm a huge sucker for a celebrity romance and a second chance! Ultimately, it didn't live up to my expectations, but it was a good read. I think Ashley does a great job portraying the chemistry between the two women, but I think events tended to move relatively fast. Jess is introduced and almost immediately tries to delve into the past with Marion. There wasn't a lot of awkward tension. Outside of the relationship, there isn't much character building for either Marion or Ashley, so I found it hard to root for either person.

All-in-all, I really did enjoy this book and I was able to read it quickly! I look forward to what Ashley Moore comes out with as she continues to write!

Love in the Limelight is a sweet second chance romance by debut author Ashley Moore. The two protagonists are celebrities one who is completely out and the other still firmly hidden.The story is told through a series of flashbacks and present day interactions.

I really did enjoy the storyline, it is a little slow in the beginning but quickly picks up pace and becomes quite a page turner. Moore’s writing style is easy to read and I did feel quite connected with Marion’s character and understood the motivations of just wanting lead a quiet life. I’m not always a fan of the back and forth story telling - but it worked in this situation and it offered a comparison of today and 20 years ago and the biases in the media and people’s reactions.

My only gripe - I wish there was more description of the characters (there was no frame of reference other than a description of Jess’ hair color and the tattoos) and also would have been nice to get more backstory on both characters. Excellent debut by Ashely Moore, this is definitely worth a read and would rate it 4.5/5

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.