Love Unrehearsed: The Love Series, Book 2

Love Unrehearsed: The Love Series, Book 2
by Tina Reber
Published by Atria Books
450 pages
Genre: new adult; chick lit; romance
3 / 5


When I finished Love Unscripted, I didn't realize that Tina Reber intended to write a sequel. My initial reaction was curiosity; it seemed that Taryn and Ryan's story came to a good conclusion. They were together, we readers were happy, and that's that. What more was there to say that didn't repeat everything we just read?

Well, the answer comes in Love Unrehearsed, as we continue on with Taryn and Ryan. While I enjoyed more time with them - Ryan especially (le sigh) - I find stick to my initial reaction. This should have ended with the first book.

That is not to say that this is a bad book or not enjoyable. I enjoyed it quite a bit, especially the headboard rockin'. Girls, Ryan can make it happen, if you know what I mean. No, it's more that this one essentially repeats the stories from the first book, apart from a subplot involving Ryan's bodyguard.

Taryn has joined Ryan on his press tour and then on set as he films more movies. As such, Love Unrehearsed details Taryn's attempt to assimilate herself in Ryan's life. She has to adjust to what it means to date a man with 80 million screaming fans, a man who pretends to make love to other women as part of his job, a man whose every move is scrutinized by his management, his coworkers, and his fans. It's difficult, and it requires communication with Ryan. Each of them needs to get over sticking points that caused problems when they first came together.

The biggest problem with this book is that there is no problem; there is no tension or dramatic angle. It's more of a study of a commoner dating Hollywood royalty, so to speak. In that respect, it's interesting. Taryn's mistakes, misunderstandings, and misapprehension are realistic and well written. If she occasionally comes across as a sort of film making idiot savant, we can excuse that because Tina Reber clearly loves her main character. As does Ryan, whose feelings for Taryn are quite deep and sincere. When he tells her the moment he realized he was falling in love with her, it's one of those "awwwwww" kind of things for us readers.

But ... there isn't anything new here. It's really just more of the same. Whereas in the first book Taryn battled obsessed fans, near sexual assault, a car accident, and a miscarriage, you almost feel like there was nowhere for Reber to go with this book other than the more pedestrian and mundane.

The good news is that for fans of Taryn and Ryan, you get to hang out with them some more. The bad news is that there is no real hook to this one. Oh, and more good news: the sex scenes. Yum.