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Turnabout Is Fair Cosplay: A Sweet Rom-Com
A sassy booklover, a supervillain cosplayer, and one beachy small town. Beatrice McKinney has always been prickly, but things have gone from bad to worse since she moved back home to Del Mar and started working at her dad’s law firm. It wouldn’t be so bad if Mike Benedick, a cosplayer at her brother’s escape room, hadn’t gotten under Bea’s skin—calling her a cactus, flirting, daring her to dream of a life she doesn’t have to escape with copious amounts of fiction. Bea may hate the messenger, but she can’t ignore the message.
Burned out but determined to build a life she loves, Bea quits her job and moves into a place of her own—a charming beach cottage in La Jolla with a landlord who has the most impressive collection of lovingly annotated books Bea has ever seen. She’d sign a lease just to meet this smart, thoughtful soul. She can certainly overlook the fact that the cottage shares a lot with a beach house that is currently under renovation. A little dust and noise are no big deal, especially if it means Bea might see more of her mysterious, intriguing landlord.
Just one Mike Benedick is Bea’s landlord, and he’s living in the beach house during the renovations. Now Bea has to live next door to a man she loathes in real life but has fallen hard for in the margins of fiction.
Turnabout Is Fair Cosplay is a fun, sweet, sassy, no-spice contemporary romance. It is a standalone novel, but readers familiar with the Escape to Love Series may recognize a few characters from My Cosplay Escape.
Burned out but determined to build a life she loves, Bea quits her job and moves into a place of her own—a charming beach cottage in La Jolla with a landlord who has the most impressive collection of lovingly annotated books Bea has ever seen. She’d sign a lease just to meet this smart, thoughtful soul. She can certainly overlook the fact that the cottage shares a lot with a beach house that is currently under renovation. A little dust and noise are no big deal, especially if it means Bea might see more of her mysterious, intriguing landlord.
Just one Mike Benedick is Bea’s landlord, and he’s living in the beach house during the renovations. Now Bea has to live next door to a man she loathes in real life but has fallen hard for in the margins of fiction.
Turnabout Is Fair Cosplay is a fun, sweet, sassy, no-spice contemporary romance. It is a standalone novel, but readers familiar with the Escape to Love Series may recognize a few characters from My Cosplay Escape.
- GenresRomance
380 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2025
About the author
Amy Trent
7 books29 followersI'm Amy Trent, and I write cozy fantasy, sweet romance, fairy tale retellings, and various concoctions of the aforementioned. Banter is my favorite thing to read and write. But characters who are so well written they become friends are also my favorite. And cookies. Cookies are always my favorite too.
If you are a fan of any of the above, let's talk! Let's talk books! Let's talk fairy tales! Let's talk about what makes for the best, swooniest banter!
Embrace your cozy and subscribe to my monthly newsletter. Subscribers receive my novella, Curses, Diamonds, & Toads, for FREE. https://amytrent.com/newsletter/
If you are a fan of any of the above, let's talk! Let's talk books! Let's talk fairy tales! Let's talk about what makes for the best, swooniest banter!
Embrace your cozy and subscribe to my monthly newsletter. Subscribers receive my novella, Curses, Diamonds, & Toads, for FREE. https://amytrent.com/newsletter/
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 6, 2025
Clever! I'm not an expert in Shakespeare OR cosplay by any means, but I could recognize the wit behind Amy Trent's mash-up between these two seemingly disparate interests. I also loved learning how the beach house is based on her own family stories and experiences.
I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance, and really enjoyed experiencing the transformation in Bea and Mike's feelings for each other, especially with a forced proximity situation in their living spaces.
Swoony, kissing-only romantic tension radiates from the pages as these two question what they really want out of life, including love.
The cat influencer was an entertaining addition too!
As another reviewer has noted, there is a gay relationship between two of the side characters.
I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance, and really enjoyed experiencing the transformation in Bea and Mike's feelings for each other, especially with a forced proximity situation in their living spaces.
Swoony, kissing-only romantic tension radiates from the pages as these two question what they really want out of life, including love.
The cat influencer was an entertaining addition too!
As another reviewer has noted, there is a gay relationship between two of the side characters.
September 17, 2025
Content warning: side characters have a gay relationship, the word "sexy" is used, and various scenes with characters in cosplay flirting with each other. Be intentional with what you read if any of this isn't your thing.
Amy writes this book beautifully. I love classic literature and you can't get more classic than Shakespeare. The Shakespeare lines scattered throughout the book and the prose and poetic vibes the book has is wonderful. Bea and Mike are two lonely people looking for more out of their lives and boy do they find that. This book feels like climbing onto a day bed and feeling a summer breeze while sipping cold lemonade. They both have prickly exteriors that cover the softies they really are. I now need to find blackberries and make pancakes. Watching and reading rom-coms are like eating a warm piece of chocolate cake. Delicious and such a sweet treat. I like a good fantasy book but there's something about delving into lighter reads with HEA.
Amy writes this book beautifully. I love classic literature and you can't get more classic than Shakespeare. The Shakespeare lines scattered throughout the book and the prose and poetic vibes the book has is wonderful. Bea and Mike are two lonely people looking for more out of their lives and boy do they find that. This book feels like climbing onto a day bed and feeling a summer breeze while sipping cold lemonade. They both have prickly exteriors that cover the softies they really are. I now need to find blackberries and make pancakes. Watching and reading rom-coms are like eating a warm piece of chocolate cake. Delicious and such a sweet treat. I like a good fantasy book but there's something about delving into lighter reads with HEA.
March 24, 2026
Loved it!
The writing has so much energy! It’s written in first person, and present tense, neither of which I find super exciting, but the words just leap off the page in this one. The pacing’s great. The characters breathe, have wildly distinct voices and personalities. They charm. They grate. The narration is funny and painfully honest. Even the setting gets its flowers.
I loved Bea. She made me laugh, and feel. She also pined a lot, which I did not like (I kept telling her to get a grip 😄). I liked Mike too. With him Ms Trent paired annoying with sweet and churned a dreamy book boyfriend I will not quickly forget. I did occasionally feel left out of the loop with all the Shakespeare and cosplay references, but those bits didn’t steal much from the story.
Overall, great read. It’s clean, and manages to have enough passion to not remind you of a spice-void. This one will stay with me for a long time.
The writing has so much energy! It’s written in first person, and present tense, neither of which I find super exciting, but the words just leap off the page in this one. The pacing’s great. The characters breathe, have wildly distinct voices and personalities. They charm. They grate. The narration is funny and painfully honest. Even the setting gets its flowers.
I loved Bea. She made me laugh, and feel. She also pined a lot, which I did not like (I kept telling her to get a grip 😄). I liked Mike too. With him Ms Trent paired annoying with sweet and churned a dreamy book boyfriend I will not quickly forget. I did occasionally feel left out of the loop with all the Shakespeare and cosplay references, but those bits didn’t steal much from the story.
Overall, great read. It’s clean, and manages to have enough passion to not remind you of a spice-void. This one will stay with me for a long time.
February 14, 2026
Ms Trent takes us on a wild ride with Bea and Mike, exposing us to the highs and lows of not just relationship angst but Shakespeare. I wasn't expecting how deeply intertwined the works of Shakespeare would be into the fabric of the story, but it was excellently done. Makes me want to dig out the collection I have and read some of those referenced works that either I haven't read or read so long ago I've forgotten them.
The snark! Mustn't forget that. Full of witty banter and unpredictable responses, TiFC is an entertaining read.
I received an ARC; this is my honest review.
The snark! Mustn't forget that. Full of witty banter and unpredictable responses, TiFC is an entertaining read.
I received an ARC; this is my honest review.
April 27, 2026
I loved this book! Of course, I love cosplay, and I love clean romance, so the combination was spectacular. I probably read these out of order, but I'm excited to read My Cosplay Escape: A Rom-Com too.
I liked the character development. The plot and pace were great. The characters were relatable. Who hasn't been frustrated by a crush, loved fur babies, lost things to the ocean, or lost themselves in delicious desserts? There were even a few times that I laughed out loud. I also loved the added details in the author's note at the end.
I liked the character development. The plot and pace were great. The characters were relatable. Who hasn't been frustrated by a crush, loved fur babies, lost things to the ocean, or lost themselves in delicious desserts? There were even a few times that I laughed out loud. I also loved the added details in the author's note at the end.
September 9, 2025
This book is just FUN and you won't be able to put it down. There is incredible depth to both characters, and the romance is swoony without being cheesy. They are both flawed people with passions and talents that leap off the page and they're fun to spend time with. Even the side characters are rounded and loveable--the mom might be my favorite. I loved it!
May 11, 2026
As always, content warnings
No spice level 2
LGBT+ rep (minimal and not detailed)
Tarot cards
I truly enjoyed this book. The banter was whip sharp. The couple had chemistry. The read was smooth, full of fun twists and turns, implications, Shakespeare and cosplay. Oooh and blackberries 🥰
No spice level 2
LGBT+ rep (minimal and not detailed)
Tarot cards
I truly enjoyed this book. The banter was whip sharp. The couple had chemistry. The read was smooth, full of fun twists and turns, implications, Shakespeare and cosplay. Oooh and blackberries 🥰
Want to Read
September 29, 2025I'm excited for this one and glad I could be a part of the Kickstarter! I love that it's no spice!
May 26, 2026
Content warnings:
- LGBTQ side characters that are in same-sex relationships
- mention of loss of family member to cancer
- some characters get drunk
While some content in the book wasn’t a good fit for me, it was a very well-written story.
Review:
The characters felt so real: full of flaws, complexities, and conflicting feelings. Their emotions were raw and messy. Sometimes they messed up or said the wrong thing. And sometimes they were so infuriatingly human, it hurt.
The tension and chemistry between Bea & Mike was phenomenal. You could feel the pages pulsing with their passion - for literature, for Shakespeare, and for each other. (Don’t worry, it stays firmly no-spice).
And oh my goodness, did I want to annotate almost every word that came out of Michael Benedick’s mouth. His words were so achingly beautiful. 😍
Expect:
❤️ The course of true love never did run smooth.
❤️ Enemies to more
❤️ Prickly cacti 🌵
📕 Book lovers
❤️ Shakespeare actor MMC
❤️ Cosplay
❤️ Happy ending
💋 Kisses only (descriptive). Occasional shirtless male. Intentionally ‘sexy’ cosplay costumes. Use of words kinky, sexy, sensual, and ‘safe word’. Mention of tongue in kissing.
⚔️ Violence: none (other than occasional yelling)
🚫 No profanity
If the book were a movie, it would be a solid PG.
I received an ARC from the author and all opinions are my own honest thoughts.
- LGBTQ side characters that are in same-sex relationships
- mention of loss of family member to cancer
- some characters get drunk
While some content in the book wasn’t a good fit for me, it was a very well-written story.
Review:
The characters felt so real: full of flaws, complexities, and conflicting feelings. Their emotions were raw and messy. Sometimes they messed up or said the wrong thing. And sometimes they were so infuriatingly human, it hurt.
The tension and chemistry between Bea & Mike was phenomenal. You could feel the pages pulsing with their passion - for literature, for Shakespeare, and for each other. (Don’t worry, it stays firmly no-spice).
And oh my goodness, did I want to annotate almost every word that came out of Michael Benedick’s mouth. His words were so achingly beautiful. 😍
Expect:
❤️ The course of true love never did run smooth.
❤️ Enemies to more
❤️ Prickly cacti 🌵
📕 Book lovers
❤️ Shakespeare actor MMC
❤️ Cosplay
❤️ Happy ending
💋 Kisses only (descriptive). Occasional shirtless male. Intentionally ‘sexy’ cosplay costumes. Use of words kinky, sexy, sensual, and ‘safe word’. Mention of tongue in kissing.
⚔️ Violence: none (other than occasional yelling)
🚫 No profanity
If the book were a movie, it would be a solid PG.
I received an ARC from the author and all opinions are my own honest thoughts.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews