Quick take
They might not have got a Hollywood ending first time around but a revived show might just give love a fighting chance.
Good to know
Light read
Movieish
Millennial
Second Chance Romance
Synopsis
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.
Free sample
Get an early look from the first pages of The Reunion.
The Reunion
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.
Why I love it
Kate Stayman-London
Author, One to Watch
I have two jobs: As an author, I write romantic comedies, and as a TV writer, I work on a reboot of a beloved 2000s TV show. So when I heard about The Reunion by Kayla Olson—a rom-com about two actors on a reboot of a beloved 2000s TV show—I knew I absolutely had to get my hands on a copy.
And let me tell you, The Reunion did not disappoint!
The novel follows Liv Latimer, the breakout star of the hit teen drama Girl on the Verge. Twenty years after the show premiered, Liv has mostly left acting, save for a few indie films. But now that Girl on the Verge is filming a reunion episode, Liv is questioning whether she was right to leave stardom behind—and whether she should rekindle a friendship (and possibly more?) with her searing hot co-star, Ransom Joel. (Side note: If picturing this Ransom as Chris Evans in Knives Out is wrong, I don’t want to be right.)
I went into this book expecting a juicy romance with some Hollywood glam, but The Reunion is much more: It’s a story of a woman reckoning with her past and what she wants from her career. The novel smartly blends the thrills of gossip and nostalgia with the satisfaction of rooting for a character who has truly worked to earn her happy ending. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Member ratings (7,863)
Emilia J.
Shady Side, MD
This didn’t come across as too “Hallmarky” or cheesy. I loved that it was a story with love but also rediscovering self and friendship and didn’t just shove romance down your throat. I loved this.
Meaghan M.
Norwood, PA
A fun, low-stakes read! I’m happy I read it. Things were a little slow at parts and I wish we’d gotten more time with some of the supporting characters, but I found Liv and Ransom’s story very cute.
Denise W.
Marietta, PA
This book was super sweet. It kept you rooting for Liv and Ransom throughout the entire story for them. I just loved the characters and how they were torn apart as kids and brought back as adults ????
Lacey H.
Aubrey, TX
Loved this nostalgic second chance romance so much! If you still reminisce about your favorite tv series (Friends, Boy Meets World, Gilmore Girls) and it’s memorable characters, this one’s for you!
Stephanie W.
Hope Mills , NC
This was a really really good book. I loved the spark between Ransom and Liv from the beginning. They were meant for each other. I am sad that Liv doesn’t continue the show but on to new beginnings.