The Reunion by Kayla Olson

When two former teen stars reconnect at the reunion for their hit TV show, they discover their feelings for one another were not merely scripted in this charming and heartwarming novel perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne.

Liv Latimer grew up on TV.

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As the star of the popular teen drama Girl on the Verge, Liv spent her adolescence on the screen trying to be as picture perfect as her character in real life. But after the death of her father and the betrayal of her on-screen love interest and off-screen best friend Ransom Joel, Liv wanted nothing more than to retreat, living a mostly normal life aside from a few indie film roles. But now, twenty years after the show's premiere, the cast is invited back for a reunion special, financed by a major streaming service.

Liv is happy to be back on set, especially once she discovers Ransom has only improved with age. And their chemistry is certainly still intact. They quickly fall into their old rhythms, rediscovering what had drawn them together decades before. But with new rivalries among the cast emerging and the specter of a reboot shadowing their shoot, Liv questions whether returning to the past is what she needs to finally get her own happy ending.

The Reunion was overall straightforward, but never boring. It doesn't veer too far away from the main plot—that Liv and Ransom are meant for each other, but haven't talked to each other in years. It's electric and bubbly and sweet without being too obvious.

Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle is one of my favorite beach reads, and this one very much felt like that book but fast forwarded twenty years, which is a major compliment! Bubbly but with heart. I actually went back and reread that series shortly after finishing The Reunion because it felt vaguely like a prequel.

The Reunion starts with Liv Latimer, the heroine of a long-running TV show in her teenage years that captivated America, and Ransom, her handsome co-star who was her best friend—who asked her to take a step back from their passionate friendship when it was complicating his romantic relationships. Nobody ever believed them when they said they weren't together, but Liv always longed for Ransom and wondered if he thought so in return. They'd always been an almost.

Now, the show's been greenlit for a 20-years-later reunion in which the viewers will finally get the answers to the burning questions left dangling in the finale. Did the couple get together, or did she take her dream job in NYC? The network's even buzzing about a reboot, which means each of the cast has to grapple with their respective roles. During their time on the air, they became like a family, with the drama and tensions to boot.

Anyhow, the book begins with the beginning of the press cycle and filming for the reboot. Liv's about to reunite with Ransom, and nervously anticipating how it will go. Are his texts signaling new interest? Is he trying to be friendly, like they were, or maybe finally realizing what he’s missed out on?

It feels conversational enough that it's almost tough to distinguish where the conflict is. It's not obvious—A leads to B, B leads to C—but is rather a stitched-together series of chapters and interactions in which Liv is measuring the overall balance and proportion of her life. Because of that, it feels realistic but still satisfying.

One of the complaints I have about People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry is that it's "like a portrait of a relationship you already know the ending to" and while that's a criticism in that review, in this one, this portrait is actually effective. It never stops feeling satiating, and has the delicious uncertainty and confusion (and exhilaration) that comes with falling in love in real life too.

Because of that, it felt heady and intoxicating in a way I hadn't been expecting, making it a prime read for laying out on the beach for several hours and needing to be swept away. For those all in on BookTok or who read more genuine romance than I do, do note that it's not "spicy" in any way. Anything physical is behind closed doors or fade-to-black, so it's more about the story than the scenes.

The writing itself was simple, also fading into the background, so no worries there. The climax was quick but still felt like enough. It was warm, familiar, and comfortable, but fresh enough to still be distinctive.

I loved the atmosphere, the sweetness, the behind-the-scenes of the Hollywood glam. I'll never get tired of poppy, escapist narratives, and The Reunion was *chef's kiss* for that need. We didn’t get a ton of information about other characters, but they didn’t feel like cardboard cutouts.

Overall, I highly recommend for anyone heading to a beach, pool, or similar, and I can see it being relatively universally appealing to readers of contemporary romance. It’s straightforward but delightful, and that’s surprising to me because I normally need a little more pizzazz in my reads. The setting and situation itself seems to lend enough for it to still make an impact.