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book notes
title: Second Act Romanceauthor: Julie Soto
series: The Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances #3
published: 1.20.2026
publisher: Amazon Original Stories
source: Kindle Unlimited
genre(s): holiday/seasonal, romance
pages: 56
format: eBook
buy/shelve it: Amazon | BookBub | StoryGraph | Goodreads
rating:
| series rating: 
the blurb
Two musical theater costars, separated by fate, reunite for a showmance to remember in a sizzling and banter-filled short story about second chances by #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Soto.
When food poisoning takes out the lead in their Valentine’s Day production of Oklahoma!, TV sensation Colby J. Turner swoops in to save the show. But for leading lady Bex Hardgrave, this last-minute casting is more drama than she bargained for. Eight years ago, their onstage chemistry sparked real-life fireworks—until a misunderstanding brought down the curtain on their budding romance. Now they’re sharing the spotlight again, and their old connection is threatening to steal the show. As showtime approaches, Bex and Colby will have to decide if their second-chance romance deserves its own standing ovation.
Julie Soto’s Second Act Romance is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances, stories for star-crossed lovers and hopeless romantics. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. Let’s do it again.
a few notes
POV: 3rd person
setting: the theater
keywords/phrases: theater, showmance
tropes: second chances
spice: 0/5
language: 0/5
mood reading: in the mood for a short and sweet romance.
my review
I think this one would have worked better for me as a full-length novel. It was so short that there just wasn’t enough character development for me to really feel all that much for the characters. It needed space to breathe, to build, to grow. I just couldn’t really feel the chemistry between Bex and CJ, which is disappointing because I loved the premise of their meeting. But I did enjoy the theater setting.
About Julie Soto
JULIE SOTO is a USA Today bestselling author, playwright, and actress originally from Sacramento, CA. Her musical Generation Me won the 2017 New York Musical Festival’s Best Musical award, as well as Best Book for her script. She is a musical theater geek, fandom nerd, and the author of many spicy fan fictions. Julie now lives in Fort Bragg, CA, with her dog, Charlie. She is probably drinking coffee as you read this.
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