Showmance

Drama Games, Book 1

By: Arielle Morisot

Narrated by: Andrew Joseph Perez

Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Rachael Reed is a married theatrical dresser and makeup artist who dreams of a life backstage on Broadway. Hugh Davidson is, quite seriously, a British knight and also a famously gorgeous classical actor. When Rachael takes a chance and leaves her life in Philadelphia to become Hugh's personal assistant, he promises that he'll help to fulfill her career dreams. Soon, however, as the two bond over late-night rehearsals and that special, intimate theater magic, they take that intimacy to the next level, crossing professional boundaries and making a steamy backstage mess of their lives.

Will Rachael throw her career away to fall in love with this dramatic heartthrob, or will she let herself break his heart - and her own - in order to fulfill her Broadway ambitions?

©2021 Arielle Morisot (P)2023 Arielle Morisot

A wonderful audio novel

Beautifully done with excellent character readers !!! i recommend to all seeking a beautiful romance in audio firmat.

Great Story !

Sum up of the Book :


Rachel is a theatrical dresser/ make up artist, she’s married to a Drunk. She meets classical actor Hugh with his sexy accent and charming ways. Rachel decides enough is enough with her husband and leaves. Hugh offers her a job as his personal assistant where things get a bit steamy. 



Review:


The narration on this was really good. Andrew did a great job on hughs British accent. Hugh was my favorite character with his charming chivalry and his pet names he used with rachel. He was even endearing when he was flustered and upset he still treated Rachel with respect. I feel like Rachel really developed during the story, going from taking care of a drunk husband to finally standing her ground and thinking about what she wants. I really enjoyed their journey together.If you’re in the mood for a love story I recommend this !

I fell in love with SHOWMANCE!!!

Arielle Morisot has written an engaging piece of apparent fluff that turns out to have wonderful depth!

As a theatre professional, it is clear Marisot comes by her plot and twists by first-hand experience.
Rachel Reed is a hard-working professional dresser with technical aspirations in the theatre. Hugh Davidson, The White Knight of the theatre scene (and a real knight to boot), sweeps her off her feet. Hugh is at least as smitten as Rachel, if not more. A difficult romantic history for one combined with a difficult relationship present for the other combine to provide a riveting plot.

I found myself talking back to the book frequently, sometimes agreeing with a character, other times disagreeing with them, but always engaged in the story.

Andrew Joseph Perez does a wonderful job narrating the book, bringing each character to life with their own style and cadence.

Thoroughly enjoyable!!!

SHOWMANCE , the first book in the Drama Games Trilogy, by Arielle Morisot is a fantastic, contemporary adult romance.

SHOWMANCE , the first book in the Drama Games Trilogy, by Arielle Morisot is a fantastic, contemporary adult romance. Narrated by Andrew Joseph Perez the characters come to life with splendid, theatrical glory.

When Rachel, a make-up and costume tech at a theater in Philadelphia, finally reaches her limit with her alcoholic husband she is offered a too good to be true opportunity from the handsome and charming leading man, Hugh. Will Rachel make her way and find her dreams in the Big Apple, or will she fall in love with her new boss?

I appreciated the strong female characters and Rachel’s true to life inner dialogue. Hugh is the charming, older man you want to sweep you away and off your feet.

This audio book has gregarious theater characters and perfectly describes the sometimes too close relationships among fellow actors. The drama is strong in this steamy romance and the ending left me wanting more! I can’t wait to listen to the next book in this series!

I was pleasantly surprised when I began listening and realized this book fit right in to week two of the #readwithpride initiative I’m taking part in this month. With several bisexual characters this hit the mark for BQIA+ spectrum reads for the week.

I am so grateful for the free audio book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

In awe!

As a hopeless romantic, the language really tugged my heart strings. Beautifully written. It was a joy to listen to during my work commute.

A fun story about the theater and navigating life

I am terrible at writing reviews on time, so I am reviewing this after 9 months have passed since I read it!

First off, I deeply enjoyed the portrayal of what life is like in the theater industry. So often when I read books set in the theater, they fail to grasp the reality of life in that world. Usually it is over-simplified, or a version of reality that the author is writing about that excludes the oddness of that life. Arielle Morisot succeeds in capturing the gritty and fantastical elements of professional theater in equal measure!

Next, I loved how LGBTQ+ friendly this story is! It's a reflection, again, of the realities of life (and especially theater) that we are all a little more queer than we think we are. And none of it is presented with any fanfare; it just exists.

I really appreciated how Rachael grappled with her changing life. I think Morisot did a wonderful job exploring how complicated severing ties with your old life can be. I also loved how Hugh always makes an effort to be conscious of their dynamic so as to be as respectful as possible of Rachael's autonomy and her position as his employee.

Finally, I want to give a shout-out to the narrator! Each character was wonderfully distinct, and I really appreciated the delivery, too. It was an audiobook that felt alive and like listening to a radio play.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! If you want a story about life in the theater with established adults, I highly recommend this first book in the series.

A must-read (or rather, listen) for theater geeks!

This was my first audiobook ever, and boy am I glad that Rachael and Hugh were my first. I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fantastic adult contemporary romance for lovers of the theater. It is an age gap, but with (I believe) a late 20s or 30-something woman with a mid-40s man, making it much more palatable. And that man is charming, dashing, and British as all hell. Andrew Joseph Perez does a phenomenal job of bringing not only Hugh to life, but the entire ensemble of characters, in ways that are perfectly timed to be funny, sultry, heartbreaking, etc. depending on the context.

Arielle Morisot has created a cast that is not only colorful and diverse, but full of representation; I was pleased to hear that her treatment of everyone on the sexual identity spectrum, from asexual to poly, was very careful and respectful. As a bisexual woman myself, having the MALE lead be bisexual/pansexual without turning it into some hand-wringing, pearl-clutching (or worse– fetishizing) plot point, was such a breath of fresh air.

The ending is a HFN and may or may not be setting up more books in the series with the same couple. It was a satisfying, bittersweet ending, but just a heads up for people who may like a lot more closure with their HEA. Overall, I would highly recommend this audiobook.

A must read for theater and romance lovers alike!

Showmance is a beautiful start of a story of two people, at points of transition in their lives for very different reasons, coming together and learning about themselves in the process. There are many theater references but even if theater isn’t your “thing” the story can easily be enjoyed. The story is easy to follow without being overly formulaic. The audiobook narrator, Perez, does a lovely job of portraying each character uniquely and distinctly. I was left at the end of the book feeling excited for what would happen next and I look forward to seeing how the characters and story moves forward as I continue the series.

Endless entertainment in a story about PEOPLE

I loved this book from the premise: we follow not our on stage starlet, but a backstage wrangler (the people who make the show happen) as she uses a helping hand to fully rescue herself from her situations. I love Rachael. She sticks to her guns and doesn’t back down but she also cares so much. I love Hugh, and how genuinely sweet and caring he is. I love how every single character in this book felt like a PERSON. I love the bisexual leading man! I love it all, so much

Showmance=when love starts on the boards

This delightful romance brings us into the world of professional theater in a believable and romantically infused way, as a martied theater tech heroine works with and lovingly admires an established, older leading man. Full of enriching details about the 2021-2022 NYC theater milieu, the heroine must manage several relationships as she attempts to join the top ranks of NYC theater professionals. Delightful and a little appropriately adult. This is book 1 of a 3 book series. It is an entire story, but the same characters carry on in book 2 and 3.