I write this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team, and I freely chose to review an ARC copy of this novel.

In case you’re in a hurry (I know my reviews can go on a bit), I thought I’d give you a quick summary of my opinion. I had plenty of fun reading this novel. Although it does not break any new ground and there are no huge surprises, the characters are likeable, and if you love theatre (musical theatre in particular), you’re curious about what happens behind the curtains, enjoy romantic comedies not heavy on sex or drama, and fancy a visit to the London theatrical district, you’ll enjoy this novel.

This is the second in Shelby’s Theatreland series, but it can be read independently (although I guess from the teaser at the end of this novel that you might recognise some of the characters in the other novel in the series if you read it as well). I’d never read any of the author’s novels before, although I know her romantic comedies are popular and having read this one, I can see why.

The novel tells the story of Julie, a struggling actress, who’s only been out of acting school for one year, and whose life is split between the day (rather late-evening/night) job (handing leaflets for a London night club), and trying to land an acting job. She tells her story in the first person, and she is young, dynamic, attractive and talented, although she is not aware of how truly good she is. She shares a shabby apartment with her friend and fellow aspiring actress, Alexa, who is always ready for a good time, and although happy to have casual relationships, has her exacting standards when it comes to finding “the” man of her life. Julie is far more romantic, and she meets the man all readers will guess is the male romantic lead, Zac, very early on in the book. There is a certain deal of “will they/won’t they” going on at first, but let me reassure you that it doesn’t take long for things to go in the right direction, at least for a while. There are chapters also told from Zac’s perspective, although far fewer, narrated in the third person, and this allows us to gain some insight into his true thoughts and feelings, while at the same time keeping some information hidden. Zac is, of course, gorgeous, extremely talented, and has some acting credits to his name already, but he has been away for a while and needs to find his way back into the London stage, and there are hints of darkness and secrecy about him and his relationship with Julie.

As I mentioned at the start of this review, there are no major surprises when it comes to the romance side of things. The course of true love, etc., etc., is true here as well, and that is the case for several relationships that appear in the book (not only Julie and Zac’s, but also Alexa and her partners, particularly Tim, and there is also the story of Charlie, a friend of Alexa’s from acting school, and his long-term girlfriend Suzanne), but they don’t drag on to the point where one loses interest, and there is no excess of drama. There is sex, but the scenes are pretty mild and not very explicit. I’m not a fan of erotica and tend to avoid it as much as I can, and I was not bothered at all by the scenes in this book. If I had to rate the degree of heat, on a scale of 4, this would be, at most, a 2. I wouldn’t say this is a PG book, but a lot of the action takes place behind closed doors. And, of course, there is the obligatory HEA. And it is pretty satisfactory all round.

The characters are not complex and don’t deal with any major issues, although they are not cardboard cut-outs either. What brings them to life and makes them distinctive are the relationships they have with each other (particularly their friendships, which feel real), and also their love of acting and theatre. Julie and Alexa’s relationship, in particular, is one of the things I most enjoyed in the novel, and their shared apartment felt like home by the end of the novel. There are some nasty characters (egotistical and self-centred rather than truly evil), but there are no extremes of behaviour or true evil, and most of the characters are quick-witted, caring, and have a sense of fun.

I am a fan of theatre, and of musical theatre in particular (although I also love straight plays), and I enjoyed the talk about agents, acting schools, auditions, rehearsals, dance classes, and the imagination the author displays when she comes up with the plots and names of musicals (some sound like adaptations from well-known books), plays, and also theatres, and she shows a great knowledge of the topic, and love for its history (there are some homages fans of the genre are likely to pick up). As we follow Julie and her friends, through the process of auditions and the dreadful wait for “the call” we share in the excitement, and the joy and/or disappointment. It is a fascinating world, which Shelby manages to immerse readers in, managing to keep it light. (If you’d like a lighter version of A Chorus Line, you might have found it in this book). I am Spanish, and appreciated the fact that Zac Díaz, the hero, is of Spanish heritage and uses Spanish expressions often, and Joe García, the main name in musical theatre according to the novel is also Spanish. And I had great fun imagining what La Pasionaria, The Musical, would be like.

The writing style is fluid, it flows well, it is light and airy, full of amusing references and fun moments, and although we might feel sure we know where things are heading, we can’t help but keep turning the pages. There is a secret, something that makes us wonder about the hero of the novel and his true character, and there is a reveal at the end. I guessed what it was, but I must admit that I had several theories I kept swapping and changing throughout most of the book, and the author is good at hinting and misdirecting us, keeping us guessing.

I recommend this novel to anybody looking for a romantic comedy, especially to lovers of theatre (musical theatre in particular) and of London. Although there are no major surprises, the author manages to combine engaging characters, a fascinating background (there’s no business like show business, indeed), in a wonderful setting (London’s West End). I know where to go for my next theatrical romance!

An endless runner that puts your reaction and speed to the test - Rolling sky game. It has great graphics and addicting levels. Enjoy!

First off, If you haven’t read this book yet, just go listen to the audio version first THEN go back and read the book. When I read this book in my classroom, I will make sure to play the audio book video for my class because the song that goes with then book just makes it that much more fun! The little boy in the book loves chicken soup with rice so much, he has to make it known that it can be eaten during any month of the year. Such a fun and creative way for students to learn not only the months of the year but also the seasons and what goes on during those seasons in a lesson. I would have my students do a writing assignment in their journals to tell me their favorite season or time of year or they could tell me about their favorite food that they could eat all year long.

Guided Reading Level: M 

There are a few things I didn't care for, but overall, I enjoyed the book.

What can I say about this book? It is a fun read if you are a big fan of anything Disney, but also you really have to take into account that this is written for a younger age. I personally hate saying a book is for this age group, or that age group, but this book does kind of feel dumbed down, so it really fits for a younger age group. Though I don't like when books think they need to dumb things down in order for kids to understand it.

My only problem is that there were parts that I found boring and unneeded. I dragged my feet a lot while reading this. There were so many fantastical things you had to wrap your brain around. I felt the book should have focused on less; it felt like it tried to do too much.

The whole concept is amazing, of course, but also there were bits that were confusing. Maybe because of how unrealistic they were. As a reader, you really need to suspend your belief on some of the stuff this book goes into.

For the most part, I like all the main characters, though I wonder if we really need 7 children. Some of them do not seem to get enough screen time and could probably be condensed into one character.

There were hints of romance, or foreshadowing to romance in later volumes. I did not care for that very much, it felt sudden and out of place.

I also found it so funny how they kept referencing older Disney stuff, like Ashley Tisdale, Raven-Symone and High School Musical. No doubt who the publisher was for this series. I feel like this really dates the books.

There are going to be kids who are like who the heck are those people. I found it interesting, because I grew up with them, but of course I do get annoyed when books name drop so much. I get why it was done for this book, but it was still a little odd and brought me out of the story. I should expect it a little since they are at Disney.

I'm holding high hope for the next volume.