Book Review: Here for the Drama by Kate Bromley

The second book in my London literary date series is Here for the Drama by Kate Bromley. And oh my god this book was absolutely made for literary dates. It has almost too many spots to go to but I will save all those details for my literary date post. You’ll get a bit of a tease here but first, I have to tell you all about this fab book. It is definitely a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sending me this advanced reader’s copy of Here for the Drama in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Winnie works as an assistant to the world-renowned, acclaimed playwright, Juliette Brassard, and Juliette is quite the unorthodox boss. First, she coerces Winnie to go to London with her (although I wouldn’t mind that), and then once there, she uses Winnie for inspiration for her next play by sending her on dates with guys Winnie does not want to meet. That’s hella awkward but okay.

They are in London because one of Juliette’s most well-known plays, The Lights of Trafalgar, will be staged in London in Regent Park’s outdoor theatre venue. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Winnie goes above and beyond to please her boss so she agrees to the dates only because Juliette says she will finally read the play Winnie has been tirelessly working on. Very frustrating because Juliette should have done that ages ago but Winnie brushes those feelings aside to do what she needs to do.

Thankfully, Winnie has an ally and friend in the intern Roshni and during a disastrous date, she rescues an adorable dog while at Hyde Park. I do not know if Winnie did a thorough search to find its potential owner, but that’s okay, I’m here for rom-com books with cute dogs, especially ones named Ollie.

But most importantly, there is a romance with a fabulous British guy named Liam who…ruh roh…happens to be Juliette’s nephew. Of course, in all things annoying about Winnie’s boss, she’s also against any fraternizing with her nephew. So Winnie and Liam take their romance behind the scenes.

Here for the Drama has some high stakes- they have to successfully put on Juliette’s show, there’s a secret romance, and Winnie’s own playwright aspirations have many obstacles. It also has a side plot that shows Winnie going to great lengths to ensure Juliette’s happiness.

My Thoughts on Here for the Drama

Not only is it a fun read, but it’s funny. I know that should be a given for a rom-com book but honestly, IMO funny is not always the case with them. This book has great banter, which is my favorite aspect of Here for the Drama. The witty dialogue especially between Winnie and Liam is the best. I agree with others who say it’s not the romance but the relationship between Winnie and Juliette that is the central focus of Here for the Drama, but the romance aspects were enough for me.

The only thing that bothered me about the romance is that it was absolute perfection with that awesome banter, the charming and handsome British guy showing her around London but…the apartment moment, no. I will not write what happened but I would have run for the hills, and definitely wouldn’t have stayed for milkshakes.

But Liam is a great guy so Winnie I guess went about it in the right way. This is why I’m single and fictional Winnie has a fabulous guy with a delightful English accent.

Dog Mom Newbie

Another aspect of the story that made me pause is how overprotective Winnie is with her rescue dog. One time, she goes out and tells someone that she snuck out while Ollie was sleeping so can’t be out long because she doesn’t want him to wake up without her. First of all, as having many dogs throughout my life, I don’t think you can sneak out of any place without a dog waking up and being aware of it. They will definitely know you’re gone and that’s okay.

Despite that oddity, the Ollie storyline is pretty cute. I always love a book that has a cute dog. I guess Winnie, as a new dog mom is still learning so I’ll give her a pass.

Theatre!

Also, as a former actor, I really enjoyed the theatrical aspect of this story and that was one of the main draws for me. Here for the Drama gives a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into staging a production like this. I think it’s a creative backdrop for a rom-com book.

Overall, I thought Here for the Drama was a fun, romantic, light, and easy read that anyone would enjoy. The setting in London is a character in itself and makes it that much more enjoyable. Every time Winnie went to a different spot in London, I got more excited about my upcoming trip to London.

So if you like theatre, romance, dogs, and London, then Here for the Drama is for you!

About The Author Kate Bromley

Here for the Drama is Kate Bromley’s second novel, her first one, Talk Bookish to Me, is about a romance novelist/bookstagrammer who is having some writer’s block until her first love shows up. Sounds like another fun one!

Kate Bromley lives in New York City with her husband and son. She used to work as a preschool teacher but is now a full-time novelist. You can learn more about Kate Bromley and her books on her website KateBromely.com.

Buy the Book: Bookshop | Amazon

Here for the Drama Literary Date

A Here for the Drama literary date will send us to Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, and St. Paul’s Cathedral, just to name a few spots. We definitely need to see some theatre too, this literary date wouldn’t be complete without it. I did have a bit of a letdown during this literary date, things not going quite to plan. More shall be revealed but despite that, it was still an awesome literary date. I’m very excited to share it with you!

Until then, here’s a sneak peek into my Here for the Drama Literary Date:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here for the Drama Literary Date coming soon! Thank you for reading!

Check out some of my most popular literary dates:

8 Fun Things to Do in Chinatown, NYC | Girl in Translation Literary Date

YOU & Me & NYC Tour: You, Set in New York City

My Breakfast at Tiffany’s Tour in the City

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