Melissa Brayden

Film actress C arly Daniel thinks that stage work is boring and unexciting, but when she accepts a lead role in a new play, stage manager Lauren Prescott tests both her heart and her ability to share the limelight.

To the Moon and Back

Izza

Lauren Prescott had dreamed of being an actress since she was cast as Wendy in her middle school production of Peter Pan. Yes, her nightgown snagged and brought the set tumbling down, but she was hooked. After years of unsuccessful auditions, performing just wasn’t in the cards. Instead, Lauren established herself as a successful stage manager at the esteemed McAllister Theater. Unfortunately, the resident director has cast celebrity Carly Daniel: headstrong, entitled, and always late. So why is their chemistry turning her the hell on? After partying her way through her twenties and ruining a successful film career, Carly Daniel has to take whatever she can get. If schlepping it onstage will raise her star again, she’ll listen to her pesky agent. Added bonus: the uptight stage manager is a sexy distraction. When Carly’s costar is sidelined, Lauren must decide whether renewing a long-forgotten dream will jeopardize what she has percolating with Carly. Is the limelight big enough for two?

Lucia Correa

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars for this Melissa Brayden romance.

This is a pleasant romance that I’ve come to expect from Brayden. And that is a good thing, because I was disappointed that couldn’t get into the first book of her Seven Shores series, so I didn’t read the other books in the series. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood or mindset at the time? It happens. One day I’ll go back and try the series again.

First off, let me confess that I’m a theater fan - ok a fanatic. I have a subscription for the Pantages in Hollywood (2-3 hrs from my house even though there are other good theaters much closer, but Pantages is better, IMO), I have traveled to NYC just to attend Broadway plays and to other cities if I’m bingeing on a favorite play. So, a book set in a theater? By Brayden who has a theater background? Sign me up…

In this book we have Lauren Prescott, the Stage Manager at the 1500 seat, well respected, (fictional) McAllister Theater in Minneapolis. Originally, Lauren aspired to be an actress, but it didn’t pan out, so she moved backstage. With her mad organization skills and anal retentiveness tendencies, she became a successful and well respected stage manager. She admits “I’m like the Marie Kondo of theater”. Next we have the movie actress, Carly Daniel. When she was twenty, she was cast in her first movie and her roles and popularity rose exponentially. However, now at 29 years old, her career has crashed and burned. Her acting talent and beauty can no longer offset her continual tardiness and demands on set, her partying and adding to the fact she is no longer an ingénue. Absolutely no one will hire her in Hollywood. However, she gets one offer for a lead role in a new play at the McAllister. Reluctantly, she takes the job at her agent’s urging. However, Carly is very apprehensive. She has never done any stage work, not even in High School. 

Unfortunately, Carly continues her “bad behavior” in Minneapolis - late for the daily rehearsals and partying in the evening with cast and crew. Partying, although not ideal, would be OK with Lauren, if only they weren’t hung over and tired the next day for rehearsals. To Lauren’s surprise, Carly is a very good actress but is not used to stage work – you know, things like memorizing pages of dialogue, no take twos, and being on time. Lauren takes her under her wing so to speak, helping Carly with her lines which is essentially a two person play.

This is a romance. So you can predict what comes next. Love, success, jealousy, growth and figuring out what each person needs and wants in their relationship and career. And of course Angst. I think I liked Carly’s journey the best. But then she had the most to travel and with no secondary career to fall back on. She had to figure out what she would have to do, to remain in the business.

So if you like show business romances, Hollywood, Theater scene, likable characters and/or Brayden you may like this story. I wouldn’t necessarily say enemies which sounds too harsh – let’s say “not friends” to lovers, then you may like this story. I liked this story.

An ARC was given to me by publisher, Bold Strokes books via Netgalley for an honest review.

Jude Silberfeld

I love Melissa Brayden’s books because they’re often fluffy and profound at the same time. They touch delicately on challenging topics (family, anxiety, imposter syndrome…). They seem lighthearted and happy, and they are, but they’re also more than that. And I’d do well to remember that because as much as I enjoy the joyful feelings they give me, I also feel the angst deep inside.

When her dream of becoming an actress didn’t pan out, Lauren Prescott became the best stage manager she could be, and now loves her job at the McAllister Theater in Minneapolis. She loves the environment, loves her coworkers, loves that she’s so good at a job that satisfies her need for order. So when her boss and mentor asks her to put her well-deserved vacation on hold to handle the next production because of a high-profile actress, she says yes, albeit reluctantly. Carly Daniel is a very talented Hollywood actress whose star is on the way down (way down) after too much partying and starletting. When her agent suggests she gives the theatre a try, she’s not convinced at first, and brings her bad habits to the stage, unintentionally and carelessly messing with Lauren’s precise organisation. Her sweet personality and willingness to do better go a long way to help her find her footing within the more theatre-savvy cast, except for her costar, who seems intent on looking down on her.

To The Moon And Back is all about Brayden’s love of theatre, onstage and backstage, and she does a delightful job of sharing that love. This novel is pure Brayden, so don’t expect anything else. The characters will feel familiar because that’s the way she writes them. They’re lovely and sweet, the kind of people I want to be friends with, but with much better dialogue than most people come up with in real life. It’s quick and witty and fantastic. There’s even a hint of the new series Brayden has been teasing for a while, with Carly mentioning her mother works at Tangle Valley Vineyards.

This is not a story with plot twists and unexpected developments. Brayden set the scene so well I knew what was coming, not because it’s unimaginative but because she made it obvious it was the only way things could go. She leads the reader exactly where she wants to take them, with brilliant writing as usual. Also, not everyone can make office supplies sound sexy.

I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Ariel Duke

This was my first book by Melissa Brayden. I have heard great things about her in the past and I was ready to jump in with both feet. I came into this book very excited for this sapphic romance and I was not disappointed with the romance that I got. 

This book really spoke to my inner theatre nerd by showing both sides of the theatre. That being said, I did feel like the set up in the beginning of the book was a little long for me. I understood why we were spending so much time setting up the theatre background, but I was so ready to see sparks fly between Carly and Lauren. But boy oh boy when sparks flew, did they fly! The chemistry between the two main characters is electric and had me quickly finishing the book. 

I will for sure read more Melissa Brayden books in the future.

To the Moon and Back

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