From the Bookshelf of For Love of a Book…

The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre

Robin Talley

Start date: July 16, 2025

Finish date: August 15, 2025

Discussion: Buddy Reads

Discussion leader: Ellen-Arwen Tristram

Why we're reading this: Buddy Read July
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What Members Thought

Jul 22, 2025 Ellen-Arwen Tristram rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, buddy-read, book-box

Melody McIntyre, stage manager extraordinaire, has a plan for everything. And that's a good thing, as staging Les Miserables seems to have all the usual bad theatre luck thrown at it - and then some more. Can the theatre really be cursed? And can the curse really be related to Melody's love life? She can stay single until after the musical is over; that's easy, right? Well, it was until Odile - semi-legendary star of actual Broadway productions and an upcoming Netflix show - has time in her busy Melody McIntyre, stage manager extraordinaire, has a plan for everything. And that's a good thing, as staging Les Miserables seems to have all the usual bad theatre luck thrown at it - and then some more. Can the theatre really be cursed? And can the curse really be related to Melody's love life? She can stay single until after the musical is over; that's easy, right? Well, it was until Odile - semi-legendary star of actual Broadway productions and an upcoming Netflix show - has time in her busy schedule to take part. So, Melody has a little crush, despite how blooming annoying actors can be from a backstage perspective. A crush is okay, isn't it? And the 'love curse' isn't real... but when there's so much riding on it, is she willing to risk everything?

Okay, this was just a super cute read - although I think you need to be quite a musical theatre nerd to enjoy a lot of the references! I remembered a lot as I went along, but also became aware of lots of things I definitely don't know about - all of the backstage stuff basically! I was always a wannabe actor/singer myself, so it's fun to see the 'other side'. (We certainly didn't get a student team to the backstage bits when I was in secondary school; it's interesting how different it is in the US!).

This book is just ADORABLE. I haven't read a straight (lol, very queer actually) YA in ages and this was just a delight. Wonderfully diverse, musical theatre-nerdy cast of characters, with enough 'peril' to keep me reading, but always with a smile on my face. I've had songs from Les Mis in my head for the past two days - and it's really made me want to go out and see a musical! Any musical, but there's a special place in my heart for Les Mis because... well, it's the best musical, right?

Robin Talley writes with such confidence and aplomb that it would've been easy to read this in a single sitting (if I'd had the time). A wonderful, feel-good book that I would definitely recommend. (Although I don't know how it would read if you didn't know Les Mis... I guess it's not exactly a niche!) 4.75 stars ...more

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Jan 13, 2021 Amber rated it really liked it

3.75 Very cute ya romance. I personally am not a huge fan of tons of drama but this was a sweet look at how dramatic teens can be. I adore all the theater talk it brought me back to my highschool play days!

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