Title: Bright Like Wildfire
Author: Juliette Cross
Published: July 12, 2022
Publisher: Independently Published
Readership: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: ★★★★.5
I received a copy of Bright Like Wildfire from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Bennett has no idea why Betty Mouton hates him.
Other than the time he accidentally hit her boobs with a glitter bomb in their community theater performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” he’s been nothing but helpful and accommodating. But that notorious “incident” happened nine years ago. Time for the gorgeous redhead to get over it and admit to the real chemistry between them, not just the on-stage kind.
Betty is in trouble.
She may have gotten her dream role in a production by her favorite playwright, but there’s a big problem. Her romantic lead is that cocky, annoyingly hot know-it-all Bennett Broussard. And when the fake touching and fake kissing start to feel way too real, Betty realizes one thing. She better act her heart out or finally admit that Bennett has stolen hers.
Bright Like Wildfire was such a fun contemporary romance!
Betty is a high school teacher who acts in small productions on the side. Determined to get the lead role in an upcoming production by her favourite playwright, nothing can dampen her enthusiasm… except maybe her co-star, Bennett. He embarrassed her as a teenager and she can’t quite seem to let it go, despite the steaming chemistry between them.
This was honestly delightful. Juliette Cross wrote a very charming, steamy small town romance between a character holding a grudge and the other who genuinely doesn’t know why the other is mad at them. They’re forced to work together on a play that focuses on the intimate relationship between two characters and they need to face up to the growing attraction between the two of them.
I really loved how Cross was able to weave the love story between Betty and Bennett and the story of the production – and how both characters learnt more about themselves while playing the characters they were performing. There was excellent banter between the main characters, as well as the supporting cast.
And that’s not even mentioning the scene in the movie theatre. (Seriously, get yourself a fan!)
It was a wonderful, enjoyable reading experience that brought all the cozy feelings of a small town romance while still delivering on the fun, steamy relationships that I’ve come to expect from Juliette Cross. I look forward to more of her contemporary stories in the future.
Noveltea Corner 