Synopsis

Paige Parker danced before she could walk. After a lifetime of performing, her wildest dreams come true: she gets the chance to originate a lead in a Broadway show. Determined to make the most of her time in Chicago, where the musical is workshopping, she vows to find herself. No more crushes, no more dating, no more mistakes. But all of that changes when stand-up comedian Alexandra Tate walks into her life.

Sweet, sexy, and fun as hell, Alex sweeps Paige off her feet. Gone are Paige’s rules, as well as her insecurities about not being worthy of love. The magic of Chicago summer surrounds them, and even though they try their best to simply enjoy the time they have, they can’t help falling in love.

Autumn and life-long dreams pull them in different directions. What comes first – a love like neither of them has ever known, or opportunities that they’ve yearned for their entire careers? If their ambitions don’t keep them apart, will Alex and Paige find a way to their own happily ever after?

Review

Now I don’t want to gush, but this is the book I’ve been waiting for. A Sapphic theatre romance set in New York. If I’d chosen a different path it could almost be about me… Sadly, it’s not, but I really wish it was.

I loved the characters. Despite being downtrodden after struggling with bit parts and a one-sided relationship, Paige still retains her feisty personality. It might be buried after all her setbacks, but it’s still there and starts to come out again when she meets Alex.

Their relationship is so natural. Even though Paige hadn’t completely realised she was bisexual, the story flows and is entirely believable. The relationship does move quite quickly which, given that it’s very new for Paige, might be unrealistic, but sometimes these things just happen! Alex has her quirks but their love feels very genuine.

Through her new experiences, we see Paige adapt and grow as a person; she starts to appreciate that a relationship can be equal and how to channel real life into her acting. The message here is that you should never settle for less. Keep striving for more and never stop believing you deserve the best. But it never feels contrived, because Paige is learning too.

I admit my feelings toward Paige ranged from jealousy to pride. Her life just seemed to come together so nicely and Alex was hot; yes there were challenges but finally all her hard work was paying off. The role of Cassandra was an amazing opportunity and the costumes sounded incredible.

The girls’ day at Pride was a great addition. Their excitement and sense of belonging was wonderful and it felt like such a fun day out. However, it did make the next part of the story much more emotional!

In fact I cried ugly tears when reading this. I understand the excitement and anticipation of curtain up, the difficulty being honest with family and trying too hard to be someone you’re not. This meant the story really resonated and I could associate with the characters and what they were going through.

This book is well-written, engaging and beautiful. I can’t wait to read more from the author… especially if it takes place on Broadway!

I was provided with an ARC by the author. All opinions my own.

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