Review: Behind the Limelight by Kara Flynn

Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author via Gay Romance Reviews.

Kara Flynn is a new-to-me author, and my introduction to her writing is Behind the Limelight, a contemporary M/M romance featuring two actors who used to be friends but haven't been able to be in the same space without everyone knowing they can't stand each other. So, when Ashton Archer's career flatlines, the film he was hoping to star in becomes his chance to get it back on track. But there's one hitch--Ryker Cohen has signed on as his co-star. As much as Ashton wants to walk away from the project, he knows he can't, not if he wants to prove he's serious about his craft. He's just going to have to try his best to tolerate Ryker, but that's easier said than done, especially when spending so much time together has Ashton seeing his co-star in a whole new--and quite unexpected--light. 

Enemies-to-lovers is one of my go-to romance tropes, and when the main characters used to be friends, it adds an extra layer of complexity that tickles my fancy. I'm a stickler for back stories and finding out what history the MCs have, and when it came to what led Ashton and Ryker to go from friends to enemies, albeit the animosity was more on the former's end than the latter's, the reason came off as somewhat flimsy. I also wasn't a huge fan of the single third-person point-of-view, but there was a lot of meat on the bone, so to speak, with a story and banter that kept me entertained. The epilogue did feel like a lot was crammed into it, but hey, that ending still brought a smile to my face, and I did enjoy reading the book overall. I'm giving Behind the Limelight 3.5 stars out of five stars.

Date Read: 29 April 2025

Learn more about Kara Flynn.

Purchase Behind the Limelight on Amazon.