Reviews

I would’ve loved this book if it was written in a different format. I wish she would’ve swapped an alternating POV for a now v then timeline. I found the dual POV was redundant, and I’d get lost/bored in the flashbacks that were placed in present day. It wasn’t a bad book — I love a childhood friends trope and I really wanted to root for Birdie and Elliot. I just think the way the story was told, and some of the details (

the magic show ending was too slapstick for my liking

) got in the way of a really lovable story and cast.

thephdivabooks's review

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5.0

This book is so fun! Birdie Maxwell (stage name Robinson) is one of the most popular actresses in the world, and often referred to as America’s sweetheart due to her status as the rom-com queen. Unfortunately, it’s hard to keep the title of America’s sweetheart after she was filmed onset of her new movie screaming at popular director Sebastian Carol. Birdie is in a bind, and it seems whatever she tries to do only makes it worse.

“Well, you know Birdie. She never met a dramatic arc that she didn’t want to make one scene longer.”

Birdie isn’t sorry for calling out a director who has inappropriately touched countless women on his sets. She’s sorry that she wasn’t able to provide the context for why she told him off and stand up for the women he’s assaulted. With few options but to lie low, Birdie heads to her hometown in Barton, CA. Birdie will be hard to track down, mostly because in addition to going by a stage name (Birdie Robinson), early in her career Birdie lied about her hometown and never corrected it.

“Bird, you realize this isn’t an actual rom-com, correct?”

Being back home brings more complications, though. Her relationship with her sister Andie is on the rocks. Her parents are on a year-long trip. Luckily, she has her best friend Mona to take her for much-needed drinks, and Mona’s hot twin brother and respected journalist Elliot joins. Birdie and Elliot have a past that they’ve told no one about. A decade of attraction led to one blissful night and then a sea of hurt feelings too vast to overcome.

“That implies that my life is literally a rom-com, Elliot. I think the past few weeks have clearly disproven that.”
“Well, you never know until the closing credits.”

When Birdie is going through her belongings, she finds a love letter addressed to her real name and address. The love letter purports to be from a paramour from her past, and Birdie’s list isn’t too long. Elliot is also in need of a career repair. At Mona’s encouragement, Elliot agrees to go on a road trip in her RV with Birdie to find her ex-boyfriend’s and determine who wrote her the letter (while Elliot chronicles it for some much-needed buzz). Will Birdie find out who wrote the letter and maybe a happily ever after?

“You deserve a happy ending, Ms. Robinson.”

This book is adorable. Birdie Maxwell’s fall from grace and search for love will have even the most skeptical among us rooting for her to find her happily-ever-after. The meetings with her three exes (well, five exes) all provide a different lesson for Birdie that culminate in her clarity at the end of the book. It’s clear from the beginning that Elliot is her man (don’t we love that about romance books?), but it won’t be straight forward to get there.

An upbeat and laugh-out-loud rom-com with a fun twist at the end!