Totally adorbs! 'To the Moon and Back' by Melissa Brayden is like a warm hug in book form. It's super cute and sweet, perfect for anyone craving a feel-good read. I'd totally recommend it to anyone looking for a heartwarming romance fix!

I've been reading f/f romances for a while and Melissa Brayden is one of my all-time favorite authors. Once again, she did not disappoint.

Lauren, a stage manager is managing a play with Carly who is a troubled actress, always late , always trouble. Never being on stage, Carly is given the opportunity in the different world, guided by Lauren Carly tries to get her life back on track. The push, pull of their relationship develops slowly as does the maturity of Carly who benefits from Lauren's guidance. Melissa Brayden never disappoints and this is another great example of a blossoming romance.

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.

Brayden obviously knows about theatrical arts, and this book is no exception to that. It's always a pleasure to read about a subject the author knows a lot about. Add into that fun, interesting, and pleasant characters and a compelling romance, and To the Moon and Back is a great book.

Melissa Brayden is fantastic. This title was super sweet which meant that I knew the insides were also going to be super sweet and they were. The characters are so lovely and amazing.

Oof. I am not one to shy away from cheesy romances but this was just too cliché for me, and it didn’t hold my attention. It was a DNF for me.

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I knew I liked Melissa Brayden so I was looking forward to reading it. Having said that I didn’t fall in love with the characters as much as in Entangled.

Carly was kind of irritating. It’s true she improved but I still found her a little egocentric and wanting everything her way. It annoyed me that Lauren bowed down to her but I did like Lauren’s personality much more

The book was quite predictable but this didn’t make it less enjoyable. I love that Melissa is able to create characters you can really identify with. Additionally her sex scenes Are written beautifully and I always finish a book wishing I could find a similar type of partner!

I've never read a book by Melissa Brayden, so this was an interesting book to start out with her. It is a cliche romance but I feel that it was well-executed. Sometimes cliche is just what one needs! Also as one who studied Broadway history, I was amazed that I could relate to Lauren and the world she has incorporated into her everyday life. The self-centered movie star isn't something new to me. Carly does seem to be very much into herself for a good while and getting what she wants when she wants it, but I was also surprised that she does know that things can't always go the way she desires. Lauren's old desire to be an actor resonated with me about the dreams I have long put to pasture yet still wistfully wish for and remember wanting. And these two women set out to help each other in ways that neither expected they wanted but it was something they needed and Brayeden weaves them together wonderfully. Not giving up on your dreams and what you want out of life is something both women strive to accomplish and in this book the reader is along for the ride as these two women set out to accomplish their greatest desires. It's a nice book overall, and I do recommend it for a rainy day with some tea.

The premise was really interesting, but this was a DNF for me past the halfway mark. I just couldn't get into it, and the characters didn't seem different enough in terms of how they were written.

To the Moon and Back is a story where worlds collide, people get the chance to live out their dreams, and the author shares their love for the experience that is live theatre. If you enjoy romance with a touch of wish fulfillment (and let us be honest - who doesn't) then give this one a go.

Melissa Brayden has created two fun characters in spoiled starlet Carly Daniel, and overly organised stage manager Lauren Prescott. These two rub each other the wrong way, but that always seems to be a good way to create sparks. Over the course of the novel, we see these women grow and learn - realising that over time, priorities can change, and just because it was the plan when you were younger, doesn't mean it is what you want as you grow up.

Loved reading this one, and will be keeping an eye out for more from Melissa Brayden.

This was a perfectly nice celebrity romance story. But in a character-driven story like this one, it's actually a big problem when your characters have no depth and they don't really grow throughout the story. Things about their lives are mentioned and then never explored or brought up again. And that also affects a reader's enjoyment of seeing them navigate their relationship. While I'm glad the pining for each other was resolved fairly quickly, that's also where the story started to go downhill for me.

Honestly, the only thing that this story got right was the flirting and the sexual tension between the two main characters. It was a quick read, and there's a lot worse out there, but this was a dime-a-dozen utterly forgettable story featuring cardboard characters and a far-fetched plot.

Hollywood fallen star Carly has a chance to redeem herself if only she can get this theatre appearance under her belt with a minimum of fuss. Lauren is the uptight Stage Manager, but to be fair, she's not so much uptight as brilliant and meticulous at her job. They're both interesting characters. Carly, in particular, seems fun and nicer than you would expect for a star.

At the start of this book, I would say it was definitely trending towards a four-star review. The insightful detail about theatre productions and a couple of great characters with alluring energy was enough to have me on board. The feeling continued up until the final third of the book, but like in football (soccer to some), the ability to score with finesse was challenging. The angst and communication seemed to come on a bit strong and really didn't deliver for me. Still, a good read.

ARC received for an honest review

I'd never heard of this author before but I requested the book based on the blurb and I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed the story in this book and it was very easy to read. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an eARC.

Melissa Brayden, her books just bring me happiness and joy. Happiness and joy! Sometimes it is the little things in life like a fantastic run, a smile from a stranger, or a really good book that make the world seem just a little bit better. While reading To the Moon and Back that's how I felt, just a little bit better, and you know what I'll take it. 

Brayden takes us to the theater in her latest novel. Carly Daniel is a successful actress in Hollywood. She's made her mark out in LA, had a run of successful movies but now her star power is in trouble. A few antics here and there and her image and reputation has been tarnished. She has been labeled a diva who makes trouble on and off set and now her job prospects have all but dried up. Carly is given an opportunity to do theater work in the world-renowned McAllister Theater in Minneapolis. She has to take the gig, even if she really doesn't want to because this may be her last opportunity to get her reputation back on track.

Lauren Prescott is the stage manager at McAllister. She has worked her tail off for weeks on end and is now scheduled for a vacation. When her boss lands Carly Daniel for their next play, Lauren's plans for sunshine and relaxation are put on hold to make sure Ms. Daniel stays out of trouble and preforms to her highest potential. 

Carly and Lauren have immediate chemistry. They know it, and better yet we as the reader know it. Add in some fabulous banter, fun stage antics and you have the recipe for a fantastic read. Melissa Brayden does what she does best, she delivers amazing characters, witty banter, all while being fun and relatable. I loved this book, and I loved the distribution and escape from the real world it offered. You cannot go wrong with this book. 

4.5 out of 5 stars

Overall, with Melissa Brayden’s storytelling skills, it’s easy to become immersed in the story and read it in one sitting. As with the previous books I read by this author, this story was entertaining, captivating, and highly recommended.

I’m not a fan of celebrity romances because I don’t have a belief in the longevity of the relationship. And even less trust when the celeb is a known as a shallow, party animal but somehow Brayden makes it work. Carly Daniel is a household name but she has managed to drag her own reputation through the mud by partying all night and not arriving on set on time, if at all. Work is getting hard to come by until she’s offered a part in a play. She’s never done stage work but it’s not as if she’s getting any other offers. The McAllister Theatre in Minneapolis is held in high regard and stage-manager Lauren is going to ensure its continuing good name. Arriving late on her first day was not Carly’s best move and her good looks and charm weren’t nearly enough to save her from Lauren’s wrath.

I started this as an audio book but the advent of lockdown and homeschooling meant that headphones on my head may be the most sensible solution for me, they weren’t going to do anything for my child’s education. I listened to a bit more than half and then read the balance (in my own time). I enjoyed the audio (narrated by Melissa Sternenberg) but wasn’t overly enamoured by Carly’s voice because she came across as even shallower than I had already judged her. But I got used to her. When I switched to reading I found her voice changed in my head to something I liked better.

The thing about celebrity main characters is that I keep waiting for them to return to type. I quite like the tension that it sets up and the worry I have for the other character, in this case, Lauren. Lauren on the other hand is really easy to like. She’s organised, down-to-earth, empathetic and gorgeous. Lauren and Carly work surprisingly well together and it kept me invested in their relationship.

In the end, I loved the story. It’s not a wildly different story but it’s done carefully and tightly. Brayden doesn’t give her characters the easy route and that’s probably why it works. Great read.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

As always, this was a very well written and engaging book from Melissa Brayden. The witty dialogue and the entertainment background were great. However, the lead characters felt a little one-dimensional - especially Carly - and as such, I struggled to feel the chemistry between them and get invested in the outcome. It was was an enjoyable enough read, and if it were any other author I wouldn't have had anything negative to say, but knowing Melissa Brayden is capable of delivering so much more than this, I'm afraid this isn't my favourite work of hers.

To the Moon and Back is the second of Melissa Brayden’s books that I have read and if you are looking for a fabulous LBTIQ romance writer then I would highly recommend Brayden’s work. Her storylines are consistently strong, characters real and believable and the romance hot, hot, hot.

The main protagonists in this tale are Lauren Prescott, a Type A personality who wanted to be an actress but when that didn’t pan out she settled for the next best thing in her book, stage manager at the McAllister Theatre, and Carly Daniel, a Hollywood A lister who had fallen on hard times as a result of her partying too hard, missing to many call times and generally forgetting that the world didn’t actually revolve around her.

We meet Lauren as the current play she is managing is coming to the end of its season, a milestone that heralds her taking a well deserved break while the next production “Starry Night” is stage managed by another of the Theatre’s stage managers, Matt. So when the artistic director calls her aside just before final curtain up to tell her he wants her to cancel her holiday to stage manage Starry Nights she is less than impressed and only his promise to pay her above award rates ultimately persuades her to cancel her year long planned vacation and accept the gig.

Meanwhile Carly is coming to terms with the reality that the only offer on the table is a leading role in a stage production. Something she has never done, and realistically never wanted to do. It takes some work, but finally her agent manages to make her see that the only chance she has of getting off the Hollywood Black List is to take this opportunity, do the right thing and prove she is worth taking a risk on.

But old habits die hard and turning up late on the first day of rehearsals does not bode well for Carly’s relationship with Ethan Moore, the director of Starry Nights, and someone the McAllister theatre has been trying to woo for some time now, or Lauren who has an expectation about professionalism that includes being on time.

As rehearsals continue it is abundantly clear that, where there should be sparks between the characters that Carly and the other leading lady, Evelyn, play, there is nothing. Meanwhile off stage the sparks are flying between Lauren and Carly. Lauren is increasingly frustrated with Carly’s attitude towards timeliness and her insistence on messing with the other actors by encouraging them to go out and party late and yet at the same time both women are increasingly aware of the other at a different, more intimate level.

Lauren loves Ethan’s play and can see how good it could be; but can she use her skills to tame Carly and mould her into the brilliant actress she is, but with an improved attitude, and how will the increasing sexual tension between stage manager and leading lady play out?

I am very grateful to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for the opportunity read this book in return for an honest review.

I highly recommend this fabulous book.

This book is written by one of my favorite romance authors, Melissa Brayden. When I pick up one of her books, I know I will be in for several great hours of romance. To the Moon and Back did not disappoint me.

The two main characters are Lauren Prescott and Carly Daniel. Both are in show business, but at different ends of the spectrum. Lauren Prescott had wanted to be an actress since she was a little girl. Regrettably, it just did not happen for her. Instead, she found her niche as a stage manager. She has worked her way up and is now considered one of the best managers in the field. She is employed at a well-known theater in Minneapolis which is considered to be one of the top theaters for off Broadway shows.

Carly Daniel is a Hollywood actress who has achieved fame and fortune. Unfortunately, Carly has been partying too much and has established a bad reputation. Her agent advised her that roles are starting to dry up for her. The agent suggests that she try her hand as a leading lady in a play that will be opening at the theater in Minneapolis. Carly decides to take the role but has no experience as a stage actress. She thinks it is below her and it is going to be an easy part. Her feelings change when she starts rehearsals and has to deal with the beautiful and alluring stage manager. Of course, Carly and Lauren are attracted to each other. Carly wants a forever relationship and Lauren does not know what she wants until it is too late.

Ms. Brayden’s book is solid. The plot is well developed and flows smoothly. The characters are likeable and realistic. Through Lauren I learned a great deal about a stage manager’s responsibilities from the first read all the way through the final production.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to enjoy reading a happy romance story. I rate this book with 5 out of 5 stars.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.