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Stood Up
When successful lawyer Nikki Harper’s disastrous date with Lewis, an insurance broker, leaves her questioning her life choices, a chance encounter introduces her to James Keller, Hollywood’s most enigmatic star.
Swept into his dazzling world of fame and fortune, Nikki finds herself torn between thrilling adventures, heartfelt moments, and the harsh realities of his high-profile lifestyle.
Will their connection overcome the challenges of their vastly different worlds, or is true love just another Hollywood illusion?
Prepare for laughs, passion, and glamour in this captivating romance!
Swept into his dazzling world of fame and fortune, Nikki finds herself torn between thrilling adventures, heartfelt moments, and the harsh realities of his high-profile lifestyle.
Will their connection overcome the challenges of their vastly different worlds, or is true love just another Hollywood illusion?
Prepare for laughs, passion, and glamour in this captivating romance!
392 pages, Paperback
Published August 28, 2025
5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 26, 2025
ARC Review: E Chapman’s ‘Stood Up’
[I want to preface that I received an advanced copy of ‘Stood Up’ through NetGalley. My review is based on my personal thoughts of the book].
THE WHAT: Nikki, a successful employment lawyer living in London, has been divorced for two years. When she finally agrees to go on a date with Lewis, a man she met at a friend’s party, things don’t go as planned. As she waits for him at the bar, Lewis texts to say he won’t be coming just as A-list actor, James Keller, offers to buy her a drink and invites her to join him for dinner.
THE VIBE: Slow burn, celebrity, Hollywood romance.
THE HOW: This book is a slow burn romance. Nikki and James really take their time leaning into their relationship. We are taken through the story from the perspective of the FMC.
THE HIT: I thought that this was a cute story with two likeable main characters. It was a fairly easy read and there were differently moments where I had a little chuckle with the humour woven throughout. I was happy for Nikki and James at the end of the book.
THE MISS: Unfortunately, there were a lot of misses for me in this book. First, I thought the writing style was a bit odd - we would jump into days after in the same chapter without really receiving a closing statement about what the author was discussing previously. In addition, some of the words used were odd - I understand the character is English but the word “groin” for a woman just stuck out oddly, for example. I also thought this book was incredibly long and could have been told with the same impact in half the pages. Last, there were no spicy scenes in the first half of the book, almost completely jumped over and then in the second half - full of detail. It was odd.
THE REC: The story line is cute and the characters are likable. Unfortunately, this book needs some major refinement in order for me to recommend it. I would not be able to recommend this book to others at this time.
THE OVERALL: I have a rule - someone took the time to write it, so I always finish any book I start. That being said, if I didn’t have this rule, I probably would have stopped less than half way through as I wasn’t connected to the story.
Spice Level: 2/5
Overall, this book gets 1.5/5 from me.
[I want to preface that I received an advanced copy of ‘Stood Up’ through NetGalley. My review is based on my personal thoughts of the book].
THE WHAT: Nikki, a successful employment lawyer living in London, has been divorced for two years. When she finally agrees to go on a date with Lewis, a man she met at a friend’s party, things don’t go as planned. As she waits for him at the bar, Lewis texts to say he won’t be coming just as A-list actor, James Keller, offers to buy her a drink and invites her to join him for dinner.
THE VIBE: Slow burn, celebrity, Hollywood romance.
THE HOW: This book is a slow burn romance. Nikki and James really take their time leaning into their relationship. We are taken through the story from the perspective of the FMC.
THE HIT: I thought that this was a cute story with two likeable main characters. It was a fairly easy read and there were differently moments where I had a little chuckle with the humour woven throughout. I was happy for Nikki and James at the end of the book.
THE MISS: Unfortunately, there were a lot of misses for me in this book. First, I thought the writing style was a bit odd - we would jump into days after in the same chapter without really receiving a closing statement about what the author was discussing previously. In addition, some of the words used were odd - I understand the character is English but the word “groin” for a woman just stuck out oddly, for example. I also thought this book was incredibly long and could have been told with the same impact in half the pages. Last, there were no spicy scenes in the first half of the book, almost completely jumped over and then in the second half - full of detail. It was odd.
THE REC: The story line is cute and the characters are likable. Unfortunately, this book needs some major refinement in order for me to recommend it. I would not be able to recommend this book to others at this time.
THE OVERALL: I have a rule - someone took the time to write it, so I always finish any book I start. That being said, if I didn’t have this rule, I probably would have stopped less than half way through as I wasn’t connected to the story.
Spice Level: 2/5
Overall, this book gets 1.5/5 from me.
September 4, 2025
I'm not compelled by the writing style. The instalove trope isn't my vibe which only seemed to get worse as I kept reading.
A part of me found the unlikely match of a mega film star with a regular lawyer, whom he only saw from a distance and overheard she'd been stood up, very unusual and unrelatable.
I struggled with the lack of depth throughout the book. Who is Nikki? Why is she special? Who is James outside of being a film star? A strange example of the lack of depth is the game scene at Nikki's apartment when James is in town and Jules and Mark are playing a game guessing songs and films. Not a single song, artist, or film is actually named in the scene. Felt clunky.
An inconsistent aspect of the book were the sex scenes which were initially skipped all together and didn't provide any detail. Until suddenly halfway through the book we get a somewhat detailed sex scene. I kept reading thinking it will end abruptly, like all others but no, it kept going. Then I wished it didn't.
The descriptive details in the book seemed misplaced. Each chapter jumps onto the next relationship stage for the characters with nothing substantive in between to deepen the reader's understanding of who Nikki or James are. But then details about the eggs being free range are provided, as if it's necessary to mention such pointless details.
Overall, I would call this book a good first draft. I couldn't accept that what I read is ready for publishing. Each chapter was just the next great thing for Nikki and James, but that's all. The only minor disagreement they had was over another woman throwing herself at James, then it was over. Nikki and James were an unlikely match which never felt justified by the end of the book finally ending in a happy ever after.
eArc provided by NetGalley and The Book Guild in exchange for an honest review.
A part of me found the unlikely match of a mega film star with a regular lawyer, whom he only saw from a distance and overheard she'd been stood up, very unusual and unrelatable.
I struggled with the lack of depth throughout the book. Who is Nikki? Why is she special? Who is James outside of being a film star? A strange example of the lack of depth is the game scene at Nikki's apartment when James is in town and Jules and Mark are playing a game guessing songs and films. Not a single song, artist, or film is actually named in the scene. Felt clunky.
An inconsistent aspect of the book were the sex scenes which were initially skipped all together and didn't provide any detail. Until suddenly halfway through the book we get a somewhat detailed sex scene. I kept reading thinking it will end abruptly, like all others but no, it kept going. Then I wished it didn't.
The descriptive details in the book seemed misplaced. Each chapter jumps onto the next relationship stage for the characters with nothing substantive in between to deepen the reader's understanding of who Nikki or James are. But then details about the eggs being free range are provided, as if it's necessary to mention such pointless details.
Overall, I would call this book a good first draft. I couldn't accept that what I read is ready for publishing. Each chapter was just the next great thing for Nikki and James, but that's all. The only minor disagreement they had was over another woman throwing herself at James, then it was over. Nikki and James were an unlikely match which never felt justified by the end of the book finally ending in a happy ever after.
eArc provided by NetGalley and The Book Guild in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and @TheBookGuildPublishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Nikki Harper is a successful lawyer who’s stuck in the aftermath of a hilariously bad date. Enter James Keller, Hollywood heartthrob, all charm and mystery and suddenly Nikki’s life is looking a whole lot less predictable. Their chemistry is instant, and watching her get swept up in his glamorous world was equal parts fun, steamy, and surprisingly heartfelt.
What I loved most is that it’s not just glitz and red carpets. Sure, there are laugh out loud moments, flirty banter, and plenty of swoon worthy scenes, but there’s also real vulnerability here. Nikki has to figure out if she’s ready to risk her heart, and James has more layers than the typical “movie star” archetype, which made their connection feel believable instead of just a fantasy.
If I had one tiny gripe, it’s that I wanted a little more time with some of the emotional moments. They flew by almost as fast as Nikki’s disastrous date but honestly, that’s a small thing in an otherwise bingeable romance.
If you love rom coms with banter and that “what if?” kind of love story, this one is the book for you.
3.95 Stars rounded to 4!
#NetGalley, #StoodUp, #EChapman, #TheBookGuildPublishing, #RomCom
Nikki Harper is a successful lawyer who’s stuck in the aftermath of a hilariously bad date. Enter James Keller, Hollywood heartthrob, all charm and mystery and suddenly Nikki’s life is looking a whole lot less predictable. Their chemistry is instant, and watching her get swept up in his glamorous world was equal parts fun, steamy, and surprisingly heartfelt.
What I loved most is that it’s not just glitz and red carpets. Sure, there are laugh out loud moments, flirty banter, and plenty of swoon worthy scenes, but there’s also real vulnerability here. Nikki has to figure out if she’s ready to risk her heart, and James has more layers than the typical “movie star” archetype, which made their connection feel believable instead of just a fantasy.
If I had one tiny gripe, it’s that I wanted a little more time with some of the emotional moments. They flew by almost as fast as Nikki’s disastrous date but honestly, that’s a small thing in an otherwise bingeable romance.
If you love rom coms with banter and that “what if?” kind of love story, this one is the book for you.
3.95 Stars rounded to 4!
#NetGalley, #StoodUp, #EChapman, #TheBookGuildPublishing, #RomCom
September 6, 2025
DNF at 51%
I made it to Chapter Twenty-Nine before deciding not to continue. The story begins with Lewis asking Nikki out on a date, only to cancel on her last minute. While Nikki isn’t too heartbroken, her luck changes when James Keller—an American movie star—overhears and invites her to dinner. From there, the story shifts to the developing relationship between James and Nikki.
Ultimately, I chose to DNF around the halfway point. For me, the writing leaned heavily on detailed descriptions (such as lengthy passages about Nikki’s apartment décor) while offering less emotional depth and character development. Even aspects of the characters’ pasts, like their previous marriages, weren’t explored as much as I would have hoped.
That said, this romance has a very cozy feel, with a tone that reminded me somewhat of Emily Henry’s lighter stories. If you enjoy slower-paced romances with vivid settings, minimal angst, and a more surface-level approach to character emotion, this may be a great fit for you.
I made it to Chapter Twenty-Nine before deciding not to continue. The story begins with Lewis asking Nikki out on a date, only to cancel on her last minute. While Nikki isn’t too heartbroken, her luck changes when James Keller—an American movie star—overhears and invites her to dinner. From there, the story shifts to the developing relationship between James and Nikki.
Ultimately, I chose to DNF around the halfway point. For me, the writing leaned heavily on detailed descriptions (such as lengthy passages about Nikki’s apartment décor) while offering less emotional depth and character development. Even aspects of the characters’ pasts, like their previous marriages, weren’t explored as much as I would have hoped.
That said, this romance has a very cozy feel, with a tone that reminded me somewhat of Emily Henry’s lighter stories. If you enjoy slower-paced romances with vivid settings, minimal angst, and a more surface-level approach to character emotion, this may be a great fit for you.
September 25, 2025
Not my favorite. I signed up through netgalley as it was marketed as "erotica" and sounded interesting and this is absolutely not that. It is clean romance or behind closed doors or a short, not very descriptive scene. Things like "the feel of him in my hand" or "he enters me." No anatomy mentioned. This would be fine if it was marketed that way. The plot line was okay, didn't really hold my attention. I originally stopped reading about 40-45% and finally came back to it to finish 3 weeks later. Alot of dialog, lenghtly conversations or thoughts in Nikki's head (single POV) and not a lot of description through out the book. And in turn other parts had too much. Not conisistent in the writing. Feels like it lacks alot of depth. The banter between Nikki and James is fun and it is a romcom. The instalove was a little to much espically without major confilct.
October 7, 2025
I enjoyed the premise of the book I was however confused about the chemistry of the main characters Nikki and James. At times they had chemistry and other times they lacked chemistry. It was very back and forth. I was also confused by the smut scenes. They were very skipped over which is fine. Romance books can be just romance with no smut but then smack dab in the middle boom she gets James on all fours and licks his glory hole with all the details of a smut book. I was totally confused. Then the rest of the book there was a little more detail but not much. There was no consistency for it. The drama with Amanda was rushed and didn’t give me that gut feeling like a book should. I wish it had a better more dramatic lead up. The book was still good but needed more drama. What happened to Lewis? I felt like he could have played a bigger part too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2025
A charming little story full of people you would like to know - perfect for a rainy day cozy read.
You have to wonder about THE DATE... that led to the book's title... We know HER point-of-view: bored at the party, maybe one too many drinks, pushy guy who wants a date, later wants to cancel out but thinks its rude.... but what about HIM? Is he satisfied and smug that he proved able to get a date with this gorgeous gal? Is he insecure because his actual girlfriend has been critical or even walked out on him and he wants to turn that around? Did he make up with the girlfriend at the last minute? We think we will never be quite sure (and, maybe, never care) but we can always count on karma.
I want to thank NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.
You have to wonder about THE DATE... that led to the book's title... We know HER point-of-view: bored at the party, maybe one too many drinks, pushy guy who wants a date, later wants to cancel out but thinks its rude.... but what about HIM? Is he satisfied and smug that he proved able to get a date with this gorgeous gal? Is he insecure because his actual girlfriend has been critical or even walked out on him and he wants to turn that around? Did he make up with the girlfriend at the last minute? We think we will never be quite sure (and, maybe, never care) but we can always count on karma.
I want to thank NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.
September 8, 2025
This was such a sweet sweet book. Reads like a fairytale to me. Famous actor meets successful lawyer when she is stood up on a date (hence the title). Nikki sits alone at a bar until James Keller walks up and changes her life forever. May every one that wants a love like this find them. This is a HEA that I thoroughly enjoyed. The cast of characters are so well written, to me, that it just drew me in and I couldn't stop reading. If you are in the mood for a lovely happy story with a bit of drama then this is for you. I wanted to go into more detail but I don't want to do spoilers, I encourage you to grab this and read it.
September 19, 2025
Ugh. What. A. Snoozefest. I honestly am still surprised I actually read the whole thing, considering I was unimpressed from the second chapter. The meet cute had so much potential, but then the author failed to make the main character have ANY depth. It felt like the story was written by a middle schooler. Don’t waste your time.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
November 26, 2025
The premise of the story is good and the characters were ok however it was missing any depth to the characters. For me it was missing what the characters felt meaning that I had no visceral reaction to their feelings/situations. It was all very detailed on irrelevant content.
Thank you to Netgally & publisher for the copy.
Thank you to Netgally & publisher for the copy.
December 21, 2025
I received a complimentary copy of Stood Up in exchange for nan honest review. If only real life worked out so well. This was a good resd and I'm glad the rich and fampous can be so humble. Overall, Stand Up is a delightful, feel-good read and I'd recommend if yuou ar elooknig for something light and fun.
August 18, 2025
This book was actually really good! I particularly loved the ending because it almost felt like a soap drama was unfolding and things were just getting revealed left right and centre and it was great. And for the record, I HATE AMANDA.
September 5, 2025
Stood Up turned out to be a mixed experience for me. On one hand, I found the story simple and easy to read, which made it a light and pleasant distraction. I also enjoyed the type of romance the author created.
However, the narrative sometimes focused too much on details that didn’t add to the plot, which made it harder to stay fully engaged. Even so, I still appreciated the book for what it is: a straightforward and uncomplicated romance.
However, the narrative sometimes focused too much on details that didn’t add to the plot, which made it harder to stay fully engaged. Even so, I still appreciated the book for what it is: a straightforward and uncomplicated romance.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews