Off Script

by Bianca Gillam

Can they rewrite their ending for a second chance?

Lara Francis has finally landed her big break. After years of bar jobs and awkward auditions, she’s been cast in her dream role – the Hollywood adaptation of her favourite book.

There’s just one catch… her co-star.

Avi Kumar is a global phenomenon. He’s an action hero superstar and now he’s taking the indie movie scene by storm too. But, he also happens to be the man who broke Lara’s heart.

On set, Lara is determined to prove that she’s moved on and won’t let anything, or anyone, stop her from claiming the spotlight. But when this leads to the Director encouraging them to work on their chemistry, Lara’s walls start to crumble. She’ll do anything to make sure they don’t fall.

In front of the camera, they're playing at detectives. Behind the scenes, it’s starting to look a lot more like a romance...

Genres: Romance, Second Chance, Forced Proximity, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

Audible Audio

Published February 12, 2026

Reviews

[joni ౨ৎ - hiatus]

after loving biana's debut this sounds sooo good!!! also a brown mmc?!! yes need that brown boy rep fr

[Shénagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5 stars)

Off Script by Bianca Gillam is a second-chance romance that starts off sweet, hopeful, and full of promise. I really liked Lara as a FMC and found myself genuinely rooting for her to get her happily ever after.

Avi works well as the MMC and the chemistry between them is nicely written, making the emotional foundation of the story feel solid. However, the pacing didn’t quite work for me. At times the book felt drawn out, with some chapters reading more like filler, and the slow burn tipped into too slow in places. I found myself drifting from the pages, which is something I hate when I’m otherwise enjoying a story.

That said, this is a well-written, gentle introduction to second-chance romance. If you’re looking for a softer, low-drama read without a heavy focus on action, this will likely work well for you.

Overall, a good and thoughtful story. Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5-2.75 stars - As a major fan of second chance romance, I liked the premise of the book and I think it started off well with a hooking prologue. I was intrigued to find more about Lara’s acting career and her as a person overall. I think it was interesting being on set with her and finding out about filming! I could also feel some of the angst with her and Avi and I found myself wanting to know what happens next between them.

While I wanted to like the book, it felt for me that we didn’t get to know any of the characters, even Lara. I still don’t feel like I know Lara or what makes her her without Avi. At one point, it felt like her personality was just liking Avi and being insecure about filming and making friends. I didn’t feel that there was a “good enough” for her to be so quiet and barely talking to anyone else except maybe Allison and Avi. I would have hoped for some more contemplation and perhaps some more internal contradictions where Lara thinks about these things but doesn’t act on them? It felt like she was confident one moment and insecure the next.

I also don’t think we got to know Avi almost at all. I still don’t see or understand why Lara liked him so much. They only briefly started talking at around 60% and then the main romance occurs at about 75%-85% and then the conflict occurs and then it’s resolved and the book is over. We don’t spend enough time with them to really feel satisfied with the romance. When they got together, they also barely talked about the past, so compared to how hurt Lara seemed to be about it, she forgave him very easily. I don’t mind the miscommunication but I don’t think it was executed well.

I also thought that the chapters felt more like snippets and didn’t flow well. They felt “rigid” in a way, like we were being given facts rather than told a story. Maybe it was because of Lara’s POV and how she is as a person, but I didn’t enjoy the pace or how quickly it moved from one thing to another.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing an ARC for this book.

[Victoria Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of enemies to lovers, forced proximity and second chance romance tropes, this is the book for you.

I think for me, if there hadn’t been the miscommunication trope scattered throughout, this would have been a four star read for me. That being said, it wasn’t that annoying type of miscommunication that has you screaming in frustration at the book, it was actually genuine and believable so don’t let it put you off reading this.

One of my favourite things about this book was getting a bit of behind the scenes knowledge on film making from an actors perspective. No matter how small, it still feels quite special and exciting to see what can happen on a set and how well oiled a machine it needs to be.

Unfortunately I felt like I didn’t get to know the characters at all so had no real connection to them. There was as a lot to each characters stories but no actual depth to it so when, for example, she was having these strong reactions to seeing Avi I would have loved her to have dived deeper into her feelings rather than the surface level of ‘it’s because of our history’.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and I flew through it so if you want a quick and easy read this year, I would pick this up.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early arc of this book.

[Eileen Cassells · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this new romance from Bianca Gillam! I absolutely adored Bad Publicity so when this popped up on Netgalley I knew I just had to request it.

While a second chance romance is not new to me, the storyline on this felt so different to other romance books I’ve read and I did not want to stop reading it. I’m typically wrapped up in a sports romance or a generic day to day but I loved the ‘co star, film setting approach in this book’.

The characters were fun, likeable and given enough ‘page time’ to really make an impact as their character. The side characters really felt like part of the story but in a way that was appropriate and embedded within the story. The relationship between Avi and Lara felt so really throughout, I felt the frustration, the nervousness, the lust and the love between them.

Bianca writes in a way that is so easy to get lost in and I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for their next cute, run, movie themed romance book.

[Nancy Weiler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an easy going read that will make you feel like you’re besties with Lara, as well as rooting for her and Avi.

This was such a surprise as second chance romances go it had a great plot and a fab workplace setting. Immediately I’m drawn into the story and Lara - she’s such a relatable FMC. You’ll be laughing and being giddy whilst reading this book. The slow burn was great, although there wasn’t a huge amount of tension between the characters physically, I think it mainly stems from the emotion.

That being said i read a huge amount of DR and Romantasy, this was the perfect book to fill in the romance hole I was yearning for. I can’t wait to read more of Bianca’s books in the future.

Also the director is my spirit bestie! LOVE HIM.

Workplace romance
Second chance
Slow burn
Relatable FMC

Thank you so much Bloomsbury for the physical ARC

[Marthareadsacouplebooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

thanks so much to Bloomsbury for the advance copy!! 💕

I was so excited to get to this one and though I had high expectations it seemingly exceeded them! I was gripped by the plot and loved the characters, wanting only the best for Lara throughout. I'm not usually a fan of the second chance trope but this was done in such a good way that honestly I loved the relationship Lara and avi had. however, it is only a 4 star read for me due to the chapter lengths which at points did feel like a slight drag, but also the slow burn was SLOWLY burning

[Marije · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5⭐️) an easy and fun read, especially for my 24hour readathon. Lara and Avi are a good match and Alessandro is a fun character, if a little stereotypical.
I hope i never meet a person like Roman, ever.

[Gales Tales70 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second chance romance
It was an easy read but the storyline didn’t pull me in as much as I’d hoped. It won’t out me off reading her other material

[Christine]

Mid way through a never ending audiobook this ebook is what I needed to get out a reading slump

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick, cute read and if you fancy an easy romance book this is fine (and available on some library apps). I enjoyed film set setting. It just lacked depth/emotion/anything else to tip it over into 3 star territory.

[Jess Primrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75🌟

A second-chance romance set in the middle of a film set! Lara finally gets her breakthrough role as the lead in the Hollywood adaptation of her favourite book, but the co-star cast opposite her is Avi: global movie star, and the man who shattered her heart years ago.

I loved the behind-the-scenes stuff. The forced chemistry exercises, the awkward filming moments, the press and reputation side of things. It felt fun and very easy to read. The banter was good and I believed their history, which is so important in a second-chance romance.

For me, it didn’t quite hit as emotionally hard as it could have. When things got deeper, I wanted a bit more vulnerability and a bit more gut punch. I enjoyed it the whole way through, but it didn’t completely wreck me or take over my brain.

Overall though, it’s glossy, bingeable and perfect if you like second-chance romance with a bit of celebrity chaos.

3.75 stars feels right.

Thank you to Bloomsbury for the ARC of this book

🎬✨🎭💔🔥🎥🌟🫶📸💫

[CrazyCatLadyReadsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lara is ecstatic to finally have landed her first big break in acting, in a Hollywood film as well! There is a catch though (of course), her co-star, and global star, is Avi and they have a past. When he got his break he moved away and left Lara and their friendship in the dust, no looking back. Lara decides she can’t let Avi ruin her chance in a real movie and so resorts to keeping him at arms length - polite, but professional, but as the movie keeps throwing them together (both in front of and behind the camera) it’s getting increasingly difficult with their sizzling on screen chemistry, and especially as Avi seems to want her forgiveness...

The Pros:
1) I’ve always loved acting - (a bit difficult when you are a shy introvert though lol). Not only that but the behind the scenes of the movie sets etc. I find it all fascinating - so a story with all this is is really appealing!
2) Give me a book that has PR stunts/manipulation of the media and the public and I love it
3) Both the main characters are likeable
4) ‘Second chance romance’ and ‘One’s a celebrity’ tropes
5) There is an ‘eccentric’ character in the book that I found hilarious
6) There are some surprises.
7) I was a fan of the ending

The Cons:
1) In a spice scene it felt like the word length was used a lot (in a short amount of time) and stood out to me, it made the scene feel a bit awkward?

The Quotes:
1) This is everything my life has been so far. Moving on from one role to the next. One job to the next. One flat to the next. Picking up mementoes, but not people. Never stopping for too long. Never putting down roots, anywhere. Because I assumed I couldn’t. And I’m still not sure that I can, or want to. I like my life small. It’s safe, and manageable.

2) ‘The list. I thought everyone had one.’ Mine is in a notebook in my parents’ garage somewhere - written in glitter gel pen as part of a manifestation exercise Alison had me do when I was fourteen. She wrote down what kind of house and family she wanted; I wrote down all the awards I wanted to win. When she saw it, she rolled her eyes. Told me I was probably going to end up living alone with several cats. Which, to be honest, as long as I made it in the meantime - didn’t sound like a bad proposition. I like cats.

3) ‘...But then I started doing school plays. And it was like... I felt like I could breathe for the first time.’ I take the champagne from him, feeling a little vunerable here. Because this is the closest we’ve come to talking like we did before. “I get that feeling,’ he says. ‘I used to feel that way too. Like... you’re the most yourself when you’re up there being someone else.’

The Summary:
This is my first read of the authors but the story was right up my street. I have always loved acting and film sets, behind the scenes secrets and the manipulation of the pubic and media. ‘Second chance romance’ and ‘One’s a celebrity’ tropes are also a favourite. I found both the main characters likeable and relatable. The ‘eccentric’ character was a really fun element in the book and gave a bit more suspense in the story. I thought the ending was brilliant and one of my favourite parts. I have the author’s other novel (Bad Publicity) on my TBR and now I’ll be bumping it up the list for sure.

Summed up in a sentence?:
Lara gets her big acting break but opposite former friend and global star, Avi

I rated the book 4 stars.

[Mary Lawrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was attracted to this book by the storyline & the cover. Bianca Gillam is a new author for me so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started reading Off Script but I needn’t have worried as I was quickly drawn in & was soon engrossed in the story.

Avi & Lara first met when working together in a bar whilst trying to get started in the acting career that they each dreamed of. Avi was the first to get a big break, he soon moved to LA & broke contact, breaking Lara’s heart. Three years later, Lara finally gets a break when offered her dream role; however, her co-star is Avi, now a Hollywood action superstar. Lara is determined that this won’t get in the way of achieving her dreams. It’s tense on set together at first. It’s a new work environment for Lara, which she is unprepared & ill-equipped to handle. It takes a while before she & Avi are comfortable together & they are able to spend down time going over lines or discussing the next days scenes. Lara does her best to keep her boundaries in place, especially as she knows from the gossip pages that Avi has a girlfriend. However, things begin to heat up between them when they get to the scenes which require input from the intimacy co-ordinator.

It’s a great story, with believable characters & a good cast of supporting characters. I became engrossed in the struggles of Lara & Avi on & off set as they tried to make sense of their relationship in the context of a career in an industry where pressures are high & choices are not always yours alone to make. The story is much more than just a second chance romance. There’s a theme about making choices. Lara, new in the industry, is impetuous in some of her decision making & doesn’t yet have advisors in place to help her with this. Avi on the other hand, tends to overthink & has an agent who has his own ideas about the direction of Avi’s career. Avi struggles with the responsibility he feels as a role model to his community, a hugely successful Anglo-Indian actor in a creative industry where too many face discrimination or derogatory comments. I enjoyed the book’s setting in the film industry, & getting some insight into its workings & some of the issues that actors can face. I also liked the way Avi & Lara communicated through the words & gestures of their characters in the film. I really enjoyed reading this book & will look out for more from Bianca Gillam.

Thanks to Netgalley & Bloomsbury Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

[Katie (cozynatured) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis:
Off Script follows Lara Francis, an actress who has finally landed her big break in a major film after years of struggling in the industry. Her excitement is quickly complicated when she discovers that her co-star is Avi Kumar — a hugely successful actor and her former flame. As filming begins, Lara and Avi are forced to work closely together, blurring the lines between acting and reality. With unresolved feelings, on-set tension, and a director keen to capitalise on their chemistry, both must confront their past while navigating their present.

Review:
I really enjoyed Off Script and would rate it around 3 out of 5 stars. While it was a fun and engaging read, it wasn’t one I felt obsessed with or likely to reread. That said, it definitely delivered as a cute, quick rom-com.

One of my favourite aspects of the book was the writing style. Following Lara and Avi’s relationship throughout the filming process, with lots of dialogue and behind-the-scenes moments, made the story feel immersive and fast-paced. It was very easy to read and kept me turning the pages.

I genuinely liked both main characters and found myself rooting for them. Lara’s character arc stood out in particular — I loved seeing how she grew in confidence and self-assurance over the course of the story. Avi was also likeable, but I felt that we didn’t get to know him as deeply as we could have. Overall, I think both characters had more potential for development. In particular, Avi being Indian American was only briefly mentioned, and I would have loved to see this explored in more depth.

The ending was the part that didn’t fully work for me. While it wasn’t bad, it felt like something was missing, and I was left wanting a bit more emotional payoff and closure.

Overall, Off Script is a cute, quick romantic comedy with a fun Hollywood setting, strong dialogue, and likeable leads. While it didn’t completely win me over, it’s an enjoyable read that I’d recommend to fans of light, easy romances.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing me with an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Richa (Drunk in Biblichor) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marketed as a second-chance romance, Off Script follows our protagonist Lara Francis, a struggling actor who lands her big break starring in a live-action adaptation of her favourite childhood mystery novel. It’s her second chance romantically—with her former friend and now hugely popular co-star, Avi. They lost touch years ago due to a misunderstanding, and now we watch them navigate their complicated history on set.

What I loved most was how deeply relatable Lara’s inner world felt—her insecurities, her spiralling over people’s opinions, her talent clouded by nerves, and her difficulty connecting even with those who genuinely care about her. I also related a little too much with the mentor relationship with the director-the way she's trying to prove herself to her mentor who believed her from the beginning, her admiration for her favourite fictional detective, and her admiring the qualities in a fictional character that you lack in yourself. For a second book, Gilliam’s writing impressed me—the small details that I mentioned here were handled in a way that felt too real, and I’ll definitely look out for her future work.

Criticisms: I wish it wasn’t a romance novel. The leads barely speak properly until more than halfway through the book, and the romance ended up feeling forced—I genuinely didn’t think they were a good match by the end. Avi’s character also felt underdeveloped, especially considering his Indian-American identity and how typecasting affects his career; it was mentioned but never fully explored. Roman, the villain actor, felt unnecessary and served no real purpose. On the positive side, I loved the women-supporting-women element (although it could've been explored more)—with a celebrity rumoured to be Avi’s girlfriend actually helping Lara instead of competing with her. More of that in contemporary fiction, please.

⭐ Rating: Rounding it up to 3/5

P.S. This was my first NetGalley ARC. Thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley. The book releases in February next year.

[Ellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes, romance isn't my usual genre so maybe other people will really love this, but it just felt so incredibly flat. The characters are all very surface-level; Lara likes acting and is incredibly insecure, Avi is a famous actor, Alison is unsupportive and Spencer and Hannah are nice friends. Oh and Roman is just kinda there, being weird, for literally no reason. They start like this, and they end like this.

Oftentimes, I find that plot-driven books take the plot-driving too far; the author wants to go from A to B in the plot, so they have a character do something specifically to drive that action, regardless of whether or not the character would actually make that decision. And that felt very much the case in this book. Lara is incredibly contradictory; she wants this role and to be an actor, so she's offered the part, and then she almost turns it down?? She has a huge blow out with her sister and wants time alone, only for two seconds later, go hook up with Avi and neglect her whole professionalism of the rest of the book. Like....what is the story here? It's all very much told to us instead of shown, particularly the fact that Avi is nothing but nice the whole book and yet we're told repeatedly that he abandoned her and that's why she doesn't like him....but he apologises for it in literally their first interaction, so I'm not really sure what the conflict was here.

The pacing was very off, most of the "action" is from about 70% onwards, and then there's (two) time jumps to wrap everything up neatly. Just all around a very odd book. I don't know, maybe this clicked with other people, but sadly, I am not one of them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing an ARC for this book.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bianca Gillam crafts a lovely, slow-burn second chance romance with Off Script. Struggling actress Lara finally gets her big break in the adaptation of her favourite mystery novels, only to discover that her co-star is movie superstar Avi, her once best friend and possibly more who cut off contact with her three years ago.

I breezed right through this book and only put it down because it was already 1am and I had work the next day. it was so well-paced with characters I became invested in. I really enjoyed Lara's journey as a novice film star, compared to Avi, who is super successful but typecast in roles he's pressured to take because he's a person of colour who has an even harder time in the industry.

What I really appreciate was the way Bianca Gillam explores Lara's acting process and the effort she put into inhabiting her Amelia role. At times, though, Lara was a bit frustrating with her inability to let Avi clear the air with her over their past. I also felt he resolution with her sister didn’t fit given undermined her and was overly involved in telling her what to do. It felt just like more manipulation. I get that Lara was very insular but Alison just stomped allover her boundaries. I also would've loved a bit more with Roman, as it felt like he had the makings of a good foil, but he didn’t appear as much for that storyline to really develop (I’d read a Roman book!).

Off-Script cements Bianca Gillam as a new auto-buy author for me. I really look forward to enjoying more work by her. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Jenn ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5🌟 (Thank you Bloomsbury for the ARC copy❤️)

Who would’ve thought that i would enjoy a book with my least favourite trope ever?! as soon as i saw “second chance” on the cover, i thought “yep, definitely not gonna enjoy this one” but boy was i proven WRONG?! this book was so so so good!!! A second chance romance between an actor and an aspiring actor who have a past with eachother, both being hired for the same movie, CO-STARS AT THAT?! you can already imagine the TENSION that came with it!! Ugh it was everything!!! Besides loving the romance - the chemistry, the banter, the tension; i also related so deeply with Lara - her drive and determination to wanting to achieve her dreams, the hesitation and self doubt that comes with it, i related so much! Seeing her overcome that and achieve the success that she strived so hard for was so admirable and encouraging - it’s given me so much hope for myself too. I love it when a character feels so real, when they go through real struggles too, i love being able to relate to a character. This book left such an impression on me, definitely a book that i won’t stop thinking about!!

The reason it got a 4.5 though is because at some moments, the reaction to certain ‘revelations’ just felt a tad dramatic to me😭 and i was SO FRUSTRATED when Lara wouldn’t let Avi speak (in terms of his relationship with Sienna)😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 and i wish we would’ve gotten a bit more insight into their happy ending😩

But aside from that, i absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for people to read it! ugh this was everything!!! (Definitely reading more books from this author)

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

Off Script is a second-chance romance by Bianca Gillam. The story follows Lara, an aspiring actress who has finally landed her dream role in the film adaptation of her favourite book. The only catch? Her former best friend Avi, the man who broke her heart years ago, will be playing the male lead opposite her.
Lara is a deeply relatable character who has spent much of her life feeling like she’s never quite enough. Despite the pain of seeing Avi every day, she refuses to let this opportunity slip away. This role is her big break, and she’s determined to seize it, no matter the cost.

“And if there's anything I've learned […] it's the dangers of not trying. Of letting the machine swallow you up until you feel like you have nothing left.”

While romance is central, Off Script is about more than just rekindled love. Gillam explores the importance of friendship, family, and self-love, and the courage it takes to open up to connection. Lara has been so focused on achieving her dream, believing it will finally make her feel whole, that she’s isolated herself from everyone around her.

The pacing of the second half felt a little rushed at times, but generally the story is enjoyable. It was nice to see more diversity in love interests and, although brief, an exploration of what it means to be a person of colour in Hollywood. I’m excited to see more of Bianca Gillam’s work in the future.

[Shalini · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎬💛 Off Script by Bianca Gillam:-
🎬💛 BOOK REVIEW:-
EHEHEHEHEHEEHEHE I loved what this book left me feeling!!! It was so so cute and gave me all the butterflies. 🦋 It has been a long time since I have read something like this. If you love reading and watching romances, I think this should be realllyyy high on your tbr. I really need an Avi in my life lol. Also, I kinda love the representation of women uplifting as friends rather than rivals. I really enjoyed this book!

🎬💛BOOK DESCRIPTION:-
Can they rewrite their ending for a second chance? Lara Francis has finally landed her big break. After years of bar jobs and awkward auditions, she’s been cast in her dream role – the Hollywood adaptation of her favourite book. There’s just one catch… her co-star. Avi Kumar is a global phenomenon. He’s an action hero superstar and now he’s taking the indie movie scene by storm too. But, he also happens to be the man who broke Lara’s heart. On set, Lara is determined to prove that she’s moved on and won’t let anything, or anyone, keep her from the role of a lifetime. But when this leads to the Director encouraging them to work on their chemistry, Lara’s walls start to crumble. She’ll do anything to make sure they don’t fall. In front of the camera, they're investigating a murder. Behind the scenes, it’s starting to look a lot more like a romance.

[The Green Eyed Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best way to describe this book is as a fun, easy read. While it isn’t groundbreaking, I’m not sure it’s one I would return to, and re-read value is often a good indicator of a truly great book.

That said, there were a few issues that stood out for me. Character development felt limited, particularly for the love interest and supporting cast. I don’t have siblings myself, so it’s possible the portrayal was true to life, but I ultimately found myself strongly disliking Alison. She came across as unnecessarily confrontational, and the way the main character, Lara, navigated those interactions didn’t always reflect positively on her either.

I would have liked to see more of Avi and gain a deeper understanding of their character. As a reader, there was very little shown to explain why these two characters were drawn to one another, which made the central relationship feel underdeveloped.

This is a very quick and highly readable book. The pacing is exceedingly fast, moving rapidly through the timeline of filming the film—perhaps too quickly at times, as a slightly slower pace could have allowed for greater depth. Still, I did enjoy the resolution, and overall the book works well as a light, easy palate cleanser that carries the reader smoothly from start to finish.

[Loren · Rating 2 out of 5]

🥀 Past History
✨ Movie Star/Up and Coming Actress
❤️ Second Chance Romance
🌻 Miscommunication

Lara Francis has wanted to be an actress for as long as she can remember. After many long nights reading and memorising scripts, attending multiple auditions just to get told no and going to jobs she quite frankly doesn’t care about, she finally gets the call of her absolute dream role. Except her co-star and onscreen partner is none other than Avi Kumar, gorgeous mega movie star and they have a past history. Will she put bygones past her or will she crash and burn?

This was a cute, quick read. I liked that I didn’t have to think too hard during this one, which is exactly what my brain needed at the time. I also enjoyed the bit of humour thrown in there and learning how filming a movie takes place, including the dialogue used on set.

In saying this, I honestly felt nothing for the characters. I don’t know anything about them except that they are actors and they knew each other three years ago with a few tidbits here and there. So I didn’t have a strong connection to them. This also has miscommunication, which I absolutely loathe.

And although a quick read, the pacing was way off. Again we didn’t learn anything about the characters and everything happened so quickly!

[Chelsea | Mrs Viking Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I really wanted to love this, but it just didn’t quite grab me the way I’d hoped.

Lara felt a bit flat and hard to fully root for, and Avi didn’t have much personality on the page, so I struggled to believe in their connection. I kept being told they had chemistry, but I wasn’t really feeling it myself.

That said, I did really enjoy the behind-the-scenes film set setting it added something fresh and interesting to the story. The premise had so much potential, and overall it was an easy, quick read.

The writing style didn’t always work for me either - it felt a little repetitive at times, especially with the constant “and then…” sentence structure, which made some scenes feel almost rushed, like events were being listed rather than fully developed. “And then he kissed me” “and then I told her” “and then she told me”. It was overused enough to pull me out of the story a bit 😩

Overall, a solid concept and an enjoyable enough read, but it didn’t quite spark the emotional connection I was hoping for. I would absolutely give something else by Bianca a try, I think maybe these characters just weren’t for me!

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for the proof copy, I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity.

[Bibliophile Bliss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I'm still smiling. This book was fun.💖

Lara is an actress who can't seem to catch a break. No good roles, just small stuff. Then one day she gets her dream part... the lead in a movie based on her favorite book. She's so happy.

But guess who her co-star is? Avi. He's a big Hollywood star now. Everyone knows him. Three years ago, he and Lara were super close. Then he left for Hollywood. No explanation. No goodbye. She was left heartbroken.

Now they have to work together every single day. They do chemistry reads. They film love scenes. They talk to the press. It's so awkward at first. But slowly, they start talking again. Old feelings come back. And you just keep hoping they figure it out.

I really liked Lara. She felt like a normal person. Not perfect. Just trying her best. And Avi? He's sweet but also dealing with a lot. Being an Anglo-Indian actor in Hollywood isn't easy for him. That part felt real.

Also, the friendship between the women in this book was so nice to see. No fighting. Just lifting each other up. I loved that.

The story made me smile and feel all the butterflies. Some parts were a bit slow but I still really enjoyed it.

If you enjoy second chance romance, workplace tension, and a peek behind Hollywood's curtain, give this one a shot.

[Via · Rating 3 out of 5]

Off Script by Bianca Gillam

After years of auditions Lara Francis finally catches her big break in the film adaptation of her favourite book. Her co star will be the global star Avi Kumar, but to her, he’s the one that got away. Lara is determined she is over Avi, and wants to put all her focus into filming this movie. But what if Avi isn’t over her, and wants a second chance?

This was definitely a fun read, it was a unique setting which I enjoyed, being able to be on set and follow Lara through her filming of scenes. It gripped me enough to read it fairly quickly, but I think it was also a quick read because it was a bit surface level. There wasn’t really exploration of the characters themselves, only really a focus on she liked him, he liked her and it didn’t work. Why they liked each other wasn’t really fleshed out. I didn’t like the turn it took after they got together, the way things unfolded and characters acted, to me just didn’t feel realistic, like it was over dramatised for the sake of it. Still an enjoyable quick read if you’re looking for a little palette cleanser!

genre: romance

release date: 12th February

Thank you to Bloomsbury for the NetGalley arc 🫶🏼

[Pippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you netgalley for this arc! I really enjoyed this second chance, forced proximity, on set romance. I found the setting of being on a film set and the plot line of Lara becoming an actress really interesting. I enjoyed the pacing of the book and would get stuck into it every time I sat down to read it. I really liked the main characters and hearing about their backgrounds. Even though we hear more about Lara's backstory than Avi I sympathised with him and his struggles of being 'put in a box' when casted in films and remarks that he was casted for diversity rather than his talent. I loved the tension and the chemistry between Avi and Lara, although I do wish we heard a bit more about their past. There were times where Alison, Lara's sister, annoyed me at times but I can also see where she was coming from. There is also some miscommunication in this book which I don't usually like but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the story too much. Overall, I feel like Lara had a lot of growth and development which also opened my eyes as she realised she should also focus on the people around her and enjoy where she is at the moment rather than solely focussing on your dream. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a fun, second chance romance.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy read. The plot moved along swiftly and I enjoyed the detail of the film set and glimpse into the industry in general. It was only at the end that I realised: I didn't really get any sense of depth or true development from any of the characters. It's possible that having only Lara's point of view didn't do the story any favours - we are told that she and Avi used to be close friends but that connection doesn't come across, which means their relationship lacks a layer of credulity; her interactions with her sister are only seen through her eyes and hence the resolution there feels unsatisfactory. If the reader saw Lara from another viewpoint rather than just as a first-person amalgam of contradictions and insecurities, I suspect she would be a more rounded character. That said, I did appreciate that certain character aspects didn't lean on cliches, particularly around Avi and Sienna. But overall, if you're looking for a quick, light romance with a sprinkling of Hollywood and a helping of off-set drama, this could be for you.

[Fiorella Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the arc!
A wonderfully cute second chance romance book. Lara lands her big break in a film for a female detective but she has to work with Avi Kumar (a global sensation) who broke her heart. This tension filled, slow burn was fantastic to read and I loved that a lot of it took place on set. Lara has fought her whole life for her acting career and has kept everyone else at arms length so that she is never deterred from her dream of acting. She is thrown into a whole new world and has to navigate the good and the bad that comes with it.
I really enjoyed the premise for this book and loved the concept of what the characters were filming too! I really wanted to see the finished product!
The ending felt a bit rushed, there was a huge build up but it felt anticlimactic by the end. I wanted a bit more excitement! But I really enjoyed the slow burn between Lara and Avi and I sped through the book so quickly.
3.5 stars!

[Zehra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read Gillam’s Bad Publicity and enjoyed it, I was really looking forward to this. I have to say it was a light and easy read. I really liked Lara and the way her anxieties around her career and her family presented and that we also got to come along with her as she was learning about the film industry.

I did feel that the last half of the book felt rushed in that a lot of the romance between Lara and Avi took place there but it felt like it passed both too quickly, and yet too superficially. I just kept waiting for more. I did get the sense of history and shared feelings as is common with second chance romance but here, it felt like we didn’t really get to know Avi. It would have been nice to have spent more time with the couple before the conflict and resolution manifested.

But all in all, it was a cute read and I had a good time while reading.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.