November 1, 2023
Emmy Harper is trying to roll with the punches to get her latest rom-com script into production. First, she agrees to act in the leading-lady role, despite her completely devastating last attempt at acting. Then she agrees to push forward when the previously cast male lead breaks his leg, and Grayson West, whom Emmy has hated since that disastrous first movie, is the only match available. If she wants this movie made, everyone is going to have to forget about the past. Easier said than done for Emmy. When the director forces them both to reckon with the situation, Emmy realizes that Grayson wasn't the only problem, and maybe it's time to get over her long-held grudge. Even with a truce, the tension remains high, and a desperate Emmy proposes a one-time hookup with Grayson to see if it clears the air. This quickly becomes a regular occurrence, and if they can avoid the pitfalls of Hollywood romances and their own doubts, it could easily grow into more. VERDICT Ballard's (Just My Type) latest is full of winks to the rom-com genre and packed with steamy tension.--Kellie Tilton
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January 8, 2024
Ballard (Just My Type) delivers a feisty and fast-paced Hollywood fantasy in this addictive contemporary. Emmy Harper, the 30-something daughter of two Hollywood legends, gave up acting as a teenager to focus her efforts on writing. Now the Oscar-winning screenwriter is having trouble casting her next rom-com because her team only wants her for the lead role. Overcoming her doubts after her last embarrassing stint on camera, she agrees—only to be surprised on set that her leading man is action star Grayson West, her awkward first kiss and disastrous scene partner 15 years earlier. For his part, Grayson jumped at the chance to work with Emmy and is surprised by her hostile attitude toward him. With the film at risk, they must overcome their aversion to each other or just act on the sexual tension simmering between them. Through nuanced character development, Ballard does an excellent job of making Emmy’s fears of advancing the relationship believable while still showcasing her compatibility with Grayson. It’s a fun, exciting peek at the magic that can happen behind the camera. Agent: Kimberly Whalen, Whalen Agency.
January 1, 2024
Emmy's parents were Hollywood stars and she is a screenwriter. She hasn't acted since a bad incident with a costar when she was 15, but now she ends up filling the starring role in her latest project. On the first day of shooting, Grayson, the actor who damaged her confidence when she was a teen, appears as a sub for the previous male lead. Making this new movie confirms her fears as he does poorly in scenes with her, but shines when working with the rest of the cast. When the producer tells them that they're causing the film to fail, they have it out in a discussion that ends in bed. As they fall in love, their relationship becomes public, and they move towards a future, only for Emmy to discover something disturbing about how Grayson ended up in her latest project. She can't trust him, and he wants desperately for her to have faith in him. Ballard's (Just My Type, 2023) lively and fun rom-com will have readers hoping that these two have their second chance.
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Starred review from January 1, 2024
A screenwriter finds herself starring in her latest romantic comedy...alongside the hunky nemesis who made her leave acting years ago. Emmy Harper is one of the most popular screenwriters in Hollywood, and she even has an Oscar under her belt. Now she's working on her latest film with her best friend, Liz Hudson, as the director. Everything should be going great--except that they can't find an actress who fits Emmy's vision. Liz convinces Emmy to take on the role herself, even though she's hesitant to attempt it. The child of two well-known actors, Emmy had one disastrous role as a teenager that convinced her she worked better on the page than in front of the camera. But now she's excited to try again, looking forward to working with her BFF on a fun movie...until she gets to the charming small-town inn where they're filming and discovers that her leading man is none other than Grayson West. These days Grayson is a two-time Sexiest Man Alive who's known for his work in action flicks, but Emmy knows him as her co-star in her first and only movie. She blames him for her career going up in flames, and now they'll have to pretend to be in love again. The only problem, of course, is that Emmy still hates him with the fire of a thousand suns. If they want this movie to work--and if Emmy wants to avoid tanking her acting career for the second time--they'll have to pretend they can't keep their hands off each other. But what happens when their on-screen pretending crosses over into real life? Ballard creates a winning romantic comedy full of simmering chemistry. Emmy and Grayson's intense sexual tension makes the pages fly by. The cozy small-town setting gives the story all the charm of a Hallmark movie--but with way more steam and snark. A fun and sexy ode to rom-coms, full of joy and chemistry.
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