Andi Arndt gives voice to former teen star Liv Latimer as she is thrown back into the spotlight 20 years after "Girl on the Verge" first aired. Filming a reunion special means closer proximity to her old castmates, forcing her to come to terms with her feelings for her costar, Ransom Joel, and to make tough decisions about her future. The point of view stays mainly with Liv, other than the enlightening times it switches to fan blogs and news articles. Arndt delivers a reserved persona for Liv, which is fitting with the character’s private demeanor and is in stark contrast to the fanatical energy of the bloggers. Male voices are portrayed in pleasant tones and deep pitches without sounding exaggerated or out of Arndt’s range. S.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
The Reunion: A Novel
Narrated by Andi Arndt
Kayla OlsonUnabridged — 9 hours, 23 minutes
The Reunion: A Novel
Narrated by Andi Arndt
Kayla OlsonUnabridged — 9 hours, 23 minutes
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Overview
Liv Latimer grew up on TV.
As the star of the popular teen drama Girl on the Verge, Liv spent her adolescence on the screen trying to be as picture perfect as her character in real life. But after the death of her father and the betrayal of her on-screen love interest and off-screen best friend Ransom Joel, Liv wanted nothing more than to retreat, living a mostly normal life aside from a few indie film roles. But now, twenty years after the show's premiere, the cast is invited back for a reunion special, financed by a major streaming service.
Liv is happy to be back on set, especially once she discovers Ransom has only improved with age. And their chemistry is certainly still intact. They quickly fall into their old rhythms, rediscovering what had drawn them together decades before. But with new rivalries among the cast emerging and the specter of a reboot shadowing their shoot, Liv questions whether returning to the past is what she needs to finally get her own happy ending.
Editorial Reviews
★ 10/17/2022
YA thriller writer Olson (This Splintered Silence) makes her adult debut with this breathtaking friends-to-lovers romance. Liv Latimer became a teen star through Girl on the Verge, a landmark high school drama that lasted six seasons primarily due to the chemistry between Liv and her handsome costar, Ransom Joel. It was hard to separate playing at love for the cameras from their close friendship in real life, but Liv managed to be happy keeping things platonic—until a misunderstanding drove them apart. Post Verge, Ransom has become a blockbuster movie star, while Liv, who values her privacy more than ever after the invasive tabloid response to the death of her father, is something of an indie darling. When the cast of Verge is brought back together for a 20th reunion special, the pair see each other again for the first time since their adolescence—and the sizzle between them is stronger than ever. Olson makes the sexual tension palpable as Liv weighs whether getting involved with Ransom is worth the potential heartache. Meanwhile, agents, publicists, and social media all home in on Liv and Ransom, some pushing a romance while others work to keep them apart. This tantalizing glimpse behind the scenes is sure to wow. Agents: Holly Root and Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary. (Jan.)
The details of filming a popular show, the complications of social media, and the mania of the paparazzi make Olson’s second-chance romance a fun, fast-paced read.” —Booklist
“[B]reathtaking... Olson makes the sexual tension palpable... This tantalizing glimpse behind the scenes is sure to wow.” —Publishers Weekly
“A heartfelt, poignant look at the ups and downs of life in the spotlight. Ransom and Liv’s chemistry leaps off the page, and their journey is sweet, emotional, and thoroughly satisfying.” —Ava Wilder, author of How to Fake It in Hollywood
"The Reunion swept me off my feet. As vivid as it is sweet, I was totally immersed in this behind-the-scenes look at two actors getting their oh-so-satisfying second chance at love. I completely adored it." —Bridget Morrissey, author of A Thousand Miles
"A perfect escape. Sexy, angsty, and introspective, I loved my time on (and off) set with Liv and Ransom." —Jenna Evans Welch, New York Times Bestselling Author of Love & Gelato
“Like every iconic Hollywood love story, The Reunion sparkles incisive industry detail over the moving and deeply sweet romance of its stars, who learn with each other how to reboot their lives unscripted. Olson’s debut romance is one to obsess over like a new show and cherish like a favorite film.” —Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of The Roughest Draft
"In The Reunion, Kayla Olson crafts a friends-to-lovers emotional journey with panache. Liv and Ransom leap off the page, two celebrities made deeply human and sympathetic through a compelling story arc. This book hits all the right Hollywood romance notes." —Megan Bannen, author of The Bird and the Blade
"With an original twist on a friends-to-lovers romance, The Reunion is a page-turning peek at the life—and love of a Hollywood starlet and her co-star: the boy of her teenage dreams who might just be the man of her grown-up heart. This fun romance, set in the world of Hollywood glamour and celebrity gossip, is not to be missed." —Meredith Schorr, author of As Seen on TV
"The Reunion is a romantic romp through Hollywood full of charm, nostalgia, and sex appeal. Kayla Olson knows exactly how to tug on your heartstrings; Liv and Ransom's chemistry felt so real. I devoured it in a single sitting!" —Hannah Orenstein, author of Meant to Be Mine
“Readers, especially those who were fans of Dawson’s Creek, One Tree Hill, and similar shows will enjoy the Hollywood setting and cast of fully realized supporting characters in this excellent contemporary romance. A must-read for fans of Christina Lauren, Emily Henry, and early 2000s teen drama shows.” —Library Journal
11/01/2022
In YA novelist Olson's (This Splintered Silence) first foray into romance, Liv Latimer, the star of the popular teen drama Girl on the Verge, has returned to film a reunion episode of the show. This reunites her with co-star and former best friend Ransom Joel, who she hasn't spoken to since their friendship imploded after the series finale 14 years prior. Sparks quickly fly between the two, but Liv, whose career has taken a different, more serious trajectory since the end of the series, must figure out how to balance her career ambitions, the possibility of a Girl on the Verge reboot series, and her budding attraction to Ransom. The second-chance, friends-to-lovers romance is well-paced and well-developed, as are Liv and Ransom's external ambitions and challenges. Readers, especially those who were fans of Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, and similar shows, will enjoy the Hollywood setting and cast of fully realized supporting characters in this excellent contemporary romance. VERDICT A must-read for fans of Christina Lauren, Emily Henry, and early 2000s teen drama shows.—Whitney Kramer
Andi Arndt gives voice to former teen star Liv Latimer as she is thrown back into the spotlight 20 years after "Girl on the Verge" first aired. Filming a reunion special means closer proximity to her old castmates, forcing her to come to terms with her feelings for her costar, Ransom Joel, and to make tough decisions about her future. The point of view stays mainly with Liv, other than the enlightening times it switches to fan blogs and news articles. Arndt delivers a reserved persona for Liv, which is fitting with the character’s private demeanor and is in stark contrast to the fanatical energy of the bloggers. Male voices are portrayed in pleasant tones and deep pitches without sounding exaggerated or out of Arndt’s range. S.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940174913295 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Simon & Schuster |
| Publication date: | 01/17/2023 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
Read an Excerpt
Chapter 1 Girl on the Verge Lands Twentieth-Anniversary Reunion Special at Fanline
By Elijah Jones // Senior Editor, Arts & Entertainment, Sunset Central
Beloved teen drama Girl on the Verge—hailed by critics as “iconic” and “trailblazing”—has officially been picked up by streaming giant Fanline for a long-rumored twentieth-anniversary reunion special.
Shattering record after record over the course of its six seasons, the breakout hit launched its young actors to superstardom, most notably Liv Latimer and Ransom Joel, whose fictional counterparts were on-screen sweethearts. The success of the pop culture juggernaut remains unmatched by any teen drama.
While undeniably a hit, Girl on the Verge was not immune to criticism: with great devotion came great expectation, and the fandom proved tricky to please when the show took its final bow. With its infamously abrupt cut-to-black ending—in the middle of Liv Latimer’s final line, no less—many fans have vocalized their desire for closure (numerous think pieces defended the choice, however, praising it as “brave” and “borderline revolutionary”).
Fans and critics alike have to wonder: Will the world finally get the answers they’ve begged for in this reunion special?
Whatever the case, it will be good to see the original cast together again. In the (nearly) fourteen years since the polarizing series finale, its stars have gone on to varying degrees of success in Hollywood but never on the same silver screen. Ransom Joel has headlined many a box-office smash since his days on Girl, most recently as Hunter Drew, the titular character in a trio of espionage thrillers. Liv Latimer took a decidedly quieter route, pivoting to the world of low-budget indie films, turning out magnificent performances in each. Sasha-Kate Kilpatrick and Ford Brooks, who rounded out Girl’s original core cast, have both appeared in a number of projects but have yet to break out in a significant way beyond the show that made them household names.
Sources close to the project report that scheduling conflicts nearly prevented the entire original cast from returning for the reunion, but at long last, the fully scripted, hour-long episode is a go. Shooting is scheduled for this summer, with plans to air in the fall.
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