I had fun with this novel. It was an easy read, cute light sweet romance and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Good for people wanting to get over book slumps or- in my case- a palate cleanser from fantasy.

I loved Under Your Spell which was a five star read for me, so I was very excited to revisit some of the characters and dive into Cynthie’s story.

This is an enemies to lovers/second chance/fake dating masterpiece. There is so much chemistry between Cynthie and Jack.

Cynthie and Jack starred in a film together 13 years ago. A series of misunderstandings and nerves mistaken for arrogance meant that they ended up hating each other. Despite their on-screen chemistry, they have avoided each other ever since.

But now they might need each other. With both of them needing some positive press, when the chance to make a long awaited sequel comes up, they have to rekindle their on screen magic. But they are both older and wiser, and who knows, maybe their fake dating could become something more.

I loved the split timelines – you can see the mistakes that Jack and Cynthie made in the past and how they have grown as both people and actors. They have both been successful in different ways since they worked together so the dynamic between them have shifted since they first worked together.

I love the chemistry between them – lots of fizzy flirting and sparkling dialogue that makes you smile. It’s clear that they belong together – the fun is waiting to see how long it takes them to realise it!

I also love the cameo’s from Theo and Clemmie, the protagonists from Under Your Spell. Theo and Cynthie have previously dated and remained friends and it was so lovely seeing what they did next.

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2025 and it did not disappoint. Another 5 star read for me!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for my gifted digital ARC. This is perfect summer reading – preorder it now; it won’t disappoint!

“Thirteen years ago we swore we’d never see each other again. It’s a promise we’ve managed to keep. I close my eyes. Apparently, that’s about to change.”

When books get tagged as ‘enemies to lovers’ - most of the time they’re not even enemies, here you can tell they HATED each other (especially ‘that’ incident after their first meeting). The tensions were high! It’s a fine line between love and hate, and a whole lot of angst and tension in between.

Loved the flashback scenes! The contrast of when they first worked together, their past slowly unfolding, and the present day - where they’re planning on fake dating for the promotion of a sequel to that first film. I loved the contrast between the time periods. Where the 13 years ago segments show her excitement of her first film and their ‘enemies’ relationship - to the present day showing the pitfalls of being famous (the media, paparazzi and fallout from scandals) and their ‘softer’ relationship where he’s clearly been in love with her all this time!

In terms of their relationship - I enjoyed the ‘prank wars’ scenes and how so many side characters got involved. They really created a sense of ‘found family’ in generating such a good atmosphere for the set. I also liked that they were low levels pranks, nothing too harmful, and that they amped up the tensions between the two main characters and provided some pretty humorous scenes.

I also liked that they were ‘older’ - we got the younger POVs from the flashback chapters, but we also got to see the characters 13 years later. The fact we also got to see them as ‘adults’ was a point I really enjoyed. I adored the way he was there for her when she needed him - the small things like just being on set as a reassuring face, or bringing her coffee - in the present day he can see she’s having a rough time and just wants to support her.

I really liked the friendship between Cynthie and Hannah - they were each others ‘person’ and just there for one another. This was one of my favourite elements of the book. Her developing friendship with Jasmine was another high point for me, and the ‘found family’ she has with her friends from the first film. So heartwarming in the present day scenes.

Overall I’d really recommend this. Enemies to lovers, second chance romance, found family, he falls harder and fake dating all set in the ‘film industry’. Such an enjoyable read and a new favourite!

ARC copy provided by Simon & Schuster UK & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This gave me so many things I adore in a rom-com - enemies to lovers, fake relationship, second chance romance, ‘I’ve seen everything you’ve made/done’, laugh out loud banter and bickering, exquisite pining and SO much sexual tension. All that paired with a low key regency romance setting? Perfection. I loved everything about it.
I loved the dual POV and going back and forward in time, it really felt like a fully fleshed out story and gave extra depth to the characters.
I haven’t read Laura Wood’s previous work, but I absolutely will be, and I’ll be looking forward to more!

Sadly this book was a DNF at 30% for me. I found it so slow and I actually really disliked jack so much it put me off wanting to read it. I put it down in the hopes I would return to it but I have no desire to pick this back up.
I needed more plot to keep me hooked in the first part of this book or more from the characters to absorb me into the story.

I'm actually really annoyed at how much I enjoyed this because I hated Jack for about the first two thirds of the book. HATED! But then, even though I can only say I thawed enough to be lukewarm about him, Laura Wood worked her magic and swept me along with her! I loved Cynthie, the supporting cast were delightful, we had cameos from Clemmie and Theo, and a grand gesture at the end that was enough to even melt the heart if an old cynic like me!

This was probably the best second-chance romance I've read in recent memory. It's funny, warm, emotionally engaging and I loved how it was structured. I don't always get on with dual timelines, but here the author used them really well, and I think the story benefitted from it. While the flashbacks add context to the present day timeline, the reverse is also true, and together they paint a really compelling picture (or set a compelling scene) of why things worked out the way they did then, and how those events have shaped the characters we see now. How people's insecurities can filter how they act towards, or react to, others, and how much emotional maturity can help curb those gremlins.

I think what I enjoyed most is the way the crafting of the book reflected aspects of storytelling not just in romantic comedies generally, but within the story itself. There's a meta approach to it - a story about narratives, both real and constructed, outward and internal - that I thought elevated the novel whilst never being intrusive or overdone. And I really appreciated the subplot about #MeToo and the shift in attitudes and female empowerment - both within the then/now dual timelines, but also within the story itself as Cynthie heals from her trauma and begins to open up to her industry colleagues.

All in all, a satisfying read on many levels, and one I'd happily recommend to anyone wanting a second chance romance with humour, heart, and depth. It's a standalone story but does feature cameos from a couple of characters from Under Your Spell (which is also an excellent read), and I suspect there may be another spinoff from this, too - and I'm going to be 100% here for it!

This was such a delight to read. Jack Turner-Jones was so hot! Honestly I loved every minute. It had all my fave tropes in it from fake dating to second chance romance and I really really did enjoy it.

I haven’t read anything by this author before but I will definitely be checking out more of their work after reading this one. It was so beautifully written - I could honestly feel the tensions sparking from the pages.

This will be such a great summer read and I definitely recommend to all romance lovers out there!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I couldn't put this book down – absolutely loved it.

Thank you for my earc of this book. This was a really enjoyable romance with a fun setting (film set). I liked the time hopping to give more context to their history, and though it felt long/slow at times, it didn’t feel unnecessary. The 2nd chance and enemies to lovers is done well, there is some miscommunication which I don’t always enjoy but it’s not frustrating to read.
I found the ending a little cheesy for my taste but still enjoyable, and I loved the epilogue

Having loved Laura Wood's previous book 'Under Your Spell' I was really excited to read the latest offering from her. I did absolutely love this book but felt that it was a little slow at the start. Saying that I do love Laura's writing style and find myself engaging with the story quickly. The book is set in the same world as the other book but this time follows different main characters are they re-establish a relationship. The chemistry between the characters were great and I thought there was a lot of humour throughout this book, it was really heart warming. A highly recommended read from me!


Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchanged for an honest review.

I did really enjoy this book. However I thought the first maybe 50% of it was a bit slow. I did actually put it down for a bit and went back to it. I have to say I did enjoy the last half more. I feel like the book could have been shorter. Saying that I loved seeing both point of views from 13 years ago and now. Seeing the journey for both of them. I really enjoyed the side characters as well.

What a wonderful, good book.
I had a bit of trouble getting into the first half of this book, and I think that was mainly because of my own expectations. I thought this was going to be light hearted and hilarious, and that is not what Let's make a scene is about.
I love all the characters, both main and side characters. (Could the next book be about Hannah or Lee please?) Cynthie is more complex than she appears to be in the beginning and I admire how Laura Wood takes the time to build her up.
Jack is, of course, book boyfriend perfection.

The plot is is good, although it does drag for a bit. It wasn't until 50% of the book until the story really got going, and by then it went at exactly the right pace.

The themes are important: the me-too movement, mental health, toxic relations and self-worth, to name the ones that stood out for me.

All in all I liked this book a lot!

A wonderful romance book full of great characters and happiness with a perfect amount of chemistry and comedy.
I really enjoyed the mentioned of characters from Laura’s previous book though not a huge plot point it was a nice nod to see them mentioned again as I was a huge fan of Under Your Spell.

This is a fabulous four-star read. I wanted to love this so much more than I did, I don’t know why but it took a lot to get into and stay into, and I really don’t know why, as the characters are really good well rounded people, the story was good and the back and forth okay, this was just a well written story that grabbed me but it didn’t grab me enough to make me not able to put it down. It was close to being five-stars in places, but then others really dragged, and I hate that as I loved this author previous work. I will keep reading them, as I think maybe this one was just down to the editing.

An absolutely wonderful second chance romance. Cynthie and Jack’s story is beautifully written, funny and endearing. I loved the pranks, the tension and their friend’s hilarious reactions to everything. Five stars.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Another triumph from Laura Wood, Let's Make a Scene was romance perfection.

I loved Cynthie and Jack, and enjoyed the way their past and present was woven together throughout this novel, which was filled with magical on-screen moments, simmering tension and laugh-out-loud fun. The Under Your Spell cameos were brilliant, but you definitely don't need to have read Under Your Spell to enjoy Let's Make a Scene. I can't wait for my finished copy to arrive so that I can read it all over again.

Oh my days! I've always loved stories about filmmaking, and Let's Make a Scene perfectly combines my love of movies and cute romcoms into one addictive, feel-good novel.

The story unfolds across two alternating timelines. In the present day, Cynthie and Jack reunite to film a sequel and agree to fake-date for a second time. Thirteen years earlier, we see a young Cynthie and Jack clashing and irritating each other incessantly while working on the first film. I found this structure really effective — both timelines were equally engaging, slowly revealing more about the characters’ dynamic and hinting at the reasons behind their complicated relationship.

Moreover, this novel genuinely made me laugh and smile. It’s funny, sweet, and clever, and I loved the early rivalry between Cynthie and Jack, which even escalates into a slightly immature prank war involving the crew. Alongside all the humorous hijinks, the romance blossoms into a genuinely heartwarming story that made me feel giddy in the best way.

At the same time, there's a more serious thread running through the story. The book explores a past traumatic experience Cynthie had with an influential film director and delves into how much the standards on film sets have needed to change and improve over the past decade. It powerfully highlights the importance of fair treatment for women in the industry.

If I had one critique, it would be that the ending dragged a little. I also felt that some characters’ perceptions of young Jack — as a bit of a 'dickhead' — felt unfair, especially since his actions weren’t significantly harsher than Cynthie’s. Both characters could be cutting in their younger years, and the narrative sometimes leaned a little too heavily on Jack as the villain of their early dynamic.

Still, I really loved this read. It was such a joy to follow these characters as they filmed their Regency romance (one of my favourite film genres). Overall, Let's Make A Scene felt very "Emily-coded," and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

*Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC*

I adored this book! It is a lighthearted, heartwarming romance that will keep you up at night. Cynthie and Jack were everything; I loved their relationship dynamic and of course the enemies to lovers plot. I personally enjoyed the underlying message of female actors not being pressured into uncomfortable situations by male directors (I mean you Shawn). I would recommend this book to romance lovers, especially those who love second chance romances and enemies to lovers. Normally, I am not a fan of second chance romances, but I really enjoyed this book (Laura's writing is magic!) and I will be reading more second chance romances in the future because of this book (Thank you Laura).

I received this book as an ARC and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to net galley, the publisher and of course Laura Woods for allowing me to read this amazing book.

Firstly, thank you Simon and SchusterUK AND NetGalley for accepting me to read anE-arc in place of an honest review.

I just finished let’s make a scene by laura wood and I’m OBSESSED.
Thirteen years of tension, longing, and chemistry that crackles off the page —this book had me kicking my feet and squealing like it was my first crush. The amount of times I nearly dropped my phone!!

If you love second chance romance, swoony moments, iconic movie references (hello Dirty Dancing lift!), and heroines who grow into total queens, this one’s for you.

Cynthie and Jack’s story gave me butterflies and a whole emotional rollercoaster. There’s a scene in the rain that I promise will live rent-free in your head.

Tropes? Oh yes:
🎬Second Chance Romance
🎬Enemies to Lovers
🎬Fake Dating
🎬Forced Proximity
🎬He Falls First
🎬Slow Burn

It’s a whole rom-com in book form.
The whole book reads like a love letter to classic rom-coms — While You Were Sleeping, When Harry Met Sally, Dirty Dancing and so on I was living for every reference!

If you’re into authors like tessa bailey, Ali McNamara or josie silver, let’s make a scene needs to be on your TBR.
It’s swoon-worthy, hilarious, and packed with heart and will be published July 3rd in the UK