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Take Two
Not yet published
Expected 20 Jan 26Gemma Quinn and Caitlin Stone met as teenagers in their sophomore year at Westmore High School. Little did they know that a literal run-in would change their lives. Unfortunately for them, finding the one true love at such a young age isn’t easy to hold onto when life throws hard choices their way in college.
Now, at twenty-eight years old, Gemma is comfortable. For six years, she has played a lead detective in a hit TV show and must decide whether signing on for another three seasons is genuinely worth it, or if she should chase her dreams of the silver screen. The call of a lifetime arrives when Gemma gets offered a role in a new lesbian romance film.
Caitlin followed the path she had laid out for herself since she was a young girl, and now she is the famous leading woman in every hit rom-com. Finally, she gets the opportunity to be taken more seriously as an actress in her first feature drama. But what Caitlin doesn’t know is that her co-star and love interest is none other than her ex-girlfriend.
The bond Gemma and Caitlin formed as teenagers is undeniable when their forced reconciliation comes almost a decade later. Will their on-screen romance spark real-life love, or will this proximity tear them apart? When given a second chance, will Gemma and Caitlin be a box-office bomb or a smash hit?
Now, at twenty-eight years old, Gemma is comfortable. For six years, she has played a lead detective in a hit TV show and must decide whether signing on for another three seasons is genuinely worth it, or if she should chase her dreams of the silver screen. The call of a lifetime arrives when Gemma gets offered a role in a new lesbian romance film.
Caitlin followed the path she had laid out for herself since she was a young girl, and now she is the famous leading woman in every hit rom-com. Finally, she gets the opportunity to be taken more seriously as an actress in her first feature drama. But what Caitlin doesn’t know is that her co-star and love interest is none other than her ex-girlfriend.
The bond Gemma and Caitlin formed as teenagers is undeniable when their forced reconciliation comes almost a decade later. Will their on-screen romance spark real-life love, or will this proximity tear them apart? When given a second chance, will Gemma and Caitlin be a box-office bomb or a smash hit?
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 20, 2026
133 people want to read
About the author
Erica Goodwin
2 books27 followersErica Goodwin is a Jersey girl living in Los Angeles, married to her wife and obsessed with their adorable one-eyed pug. She has spent the last ten years in California working in different capacities in the entertainment industry, ranging from an assistant at a top agency to living on the road with different A-list musicians traveling the world.
Her life now looks wildly different as she goes on a new writing journey, reading endless queer romance novels, traveling and spending time with her family.
For more information:
www.ericagoodwin.com
Her life now looks wildly different as she goes on a new writing journey, reading endless queer romance novels, traveling and spending time with her family.
For more information:
www.ericagoodwin.com
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 🌶🌶
📚 ARC Review 📚 Thanks to the author for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The narrative follows the dual perspectives of Gemma and Caitlin, who met and fell in love in high school 💖 The story moves between those young years and the present day, a decade later. Now 28, both women are actors who reunite as co-stars in a lesbian romantic drama, and must learn how to exist around one another again 🎬
Imagine your ex-girlfriend becoming your co-star on a hugely important, career-defining film. There’s a stereotype that us sapphics stay friends with our exes — these two very much did not 🫢
Gemma is a genuinely lovely character and the one I connected with most. Caitlin is more hot and cold, while trying to make up for the break-up and the years of no contact. I wasn’t always on her side (with her treatment of Gemma or her current love interest Michelle), which adds to the messiness and angst.
I especially enjoyed the sections set in the past! The author builds their relationship brilliantly, and the friends-to-girlfriends progression was fun to read and also really sweet as Caitlin, in particular, has a queer awakening. These sections made me start rooting for the their older selves!
In the present timeline, the forced proximity pushes them into difficult but necessary conversations about their past, fears, and unresolved feelings - with some 🔥🌶 both on and off set. The pace speeds up in the final chapters, but I was very happy to see these two find their happily ever after ❤️
p.s. Could we have justice for the character of Michelle please? I hope she finds love in another book somewhere 🤞📚
📚 ARC Review 📚 Thanks to the author for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The narrative follows the dual perspectives of Gemma and Caitlin, who met and fell in love in high school 💖 The story moves between those young years and the present day, a decade later. Now 28, both women are actors who reunite as co-stars in a lesbian romantic drama, and must learn how to exist around one another again 🎬
Imagine your ex-girlfriend becoming your co-star on a hugely important, career-defining film. There’s a stereotype that us sapphics stay friends with our exes — these two very much did not 🫢
Gemma is a genuinely lovely character and the one I connected with most. Caitlin is more hot and cold, while trying to make up for the break-up and the years of no contact. I wasn’t always on her side (with her treatment of Gemma or her current love interest Michelle), which adds to the messiness and angst.
I especially enjoyed the sections set in the past! The author builds their relationship brilliantly, and the friends-to-girlfriends progression was fun to read and also really sweet as Caitlin, in particular, has a queer awakening. These sections made me start rooting for the their older selves!
In the present timeline, the forced proximity pushes them into difficult but necessary conversations about their past, fears, and unresolved feelings - with some 🔥🌶 both on and off set. The pace speeds up in the final chapters, but I was very happy to see these two find their happily ever after ❤️
p.s. Could we have justice for the character of Michelle please? I hope she finds love in another book somewhere 🤞📚
January 14, 2026
Minor spoilers in this one, but I feel like they aren’t really spoilers.. it’s a second chance romance soo, but wanted to give the opportunity for some to not read the review if minor spoilers are an issue!
Thank you to Erica Goodwin for the ARC! This is my first physical ARC and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to read Take Two before its release!
I love reading about women in entertainment, so I was really excited to read this. I will say that it is usually a hit or miss for me when reading a second chance romance. Most of the time, I feel like the couple broke up for a reason. I was very interested in what happened between Gemma and Caitlin when they broke up.
This leads me to Caitlin.I liked her in the beginning. But I’m not going to lie, the more I learned about her and how she treated Gemma (yes, they were in high school, but still), it made it really hard for me to like her. I understand being terrified of discovering feelings for a girl, especially at the age of 15/16ish. So while I hate what happened, it makes sense. But it’s a different story when you are in college and doing the same thing that you ALREADY DID TO YOUR GIRLFRIEND!!
I adored Gemma, so I believe that made my dislike of Caitlin more. I don’t think she is a bad person, but I just wish she would be more mindful of how her actions affect others. This is lack of mindfulness is shown with the Michelle situation as well.
Gemma is an angel. I loved that she was unapologetically an out lesbian in high school. It was refreshing to see that she didn’t care about what others thought and didn’t shy away from showing affection to her girlfriend.
I loved the friendships in this book as well. Maddie did make Caitlin a little more bearable by calling her out on her sh*t. That’s a real friend right there. Someone who doesn’t just placate their friends is friend everyone needs.
Hayley and Gemma’s friendship was adorable as well. I definitely resonated with Hayley and her protectiveness of Gemma. It’s hard to see your friend so heartbroken and I understand her wanting to make sure her best friend isn’t hurt like that again. I would love to read a romance that featured Hayley or Maddie. The besties deserve their own romance novel.
I did start to like Caitlin towards the end, but I did wish that we saw more of them together as adults, especially before what happened in the last couple of chapters. I felt like it was too soon to take that step without actually seeing if Caitlin’s actions would match her words this time. I need to see her evolve more.
As I stated earlier, the writing is amazing, that’s not in question. I just had a hard time liking Caitlin. I’d give the book 3.75- 4 stars, I can’t decide, so I will round it up to 4 stars.
Take Two is a real, raw and messy second chance romance. I can’t wait to read more in the NYC series (I think I know who the next couple will be) and also read the author’s other standalone book!
Thank you to Erica Goodwin for the ARC! This is my first physical ARC and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to read Take Two before its release!
I love reading about women in entertainment, so I was really excited to read this. I will say that it is usually a hit or miss for me when reading a second chance romance. Most of the time, I feel like the couple broke up for a reason. I was very interested in what happened between Gemma and Caitlin when they broke up.
This leads me to Caitlin.I liked her in the beginning. But I’m not going to lie, the more I learned about her and how she treated Gemma (yes, they were in high school, but still), it made it really hard for me to like her. I understand being terrified of discovering feelings for a girl, especially at the age of 15/16ish. So while I hate what happened, it makes sense. But it’s a different story when you are in college and doing the same thing that you ALREADY DID TO YOUR GIRLFRIEND!!
I adored Gemma, so I believe that made my dislike of Caitlin more. I don’t think she is a bad person, but I just wish she would be more mindful of how her actions affect others. This is lack of mindfulness is shown with the Michelle situation as well.
Gemma is an angel. I loved that she was unapologetically an out lesbian in high school. It was refreshing to see that she didn’t care about what others thought and didn’t shy away from showing affection to her girlfriend.
I loved the friendships in this book as well. Maddie did make Caitlin a little more bearable by calling her out on her sh*t. That’s a real friend right there. Someone who doesn’t just placate their friends is friend everyone needs.
Hayley and Gemma’s friendship was adorable as well. I definitely resonated with Hayley and her protectiveness of Gemma. It’s hard to see your friend so heartbroken and I understand her wanting to make sure her best friend isn’t hurt like that again. I would love to read a romance that featured Hayley or Maddie. The besties deserve their own romance novel.
I did start to like Caitlin towards the end, but I did wish that we saw more of them together as adults, especially before what happened in the last couple of chapters. I felt like it was too soon to take that step without actually seeing if Caitlin’s actions would match her words this time. I need to see her evolve more.
As I stated earlier, the writing is amazing, that’s not in question. I just had a hard time liking Caitlin. I’d give the book 3.75- 4 stars, I can’t decide, so I will round it up to 4 stars.
Take Two is a real, raw and messy second chance romance. I can’t wait to read more in the NYC series (I think I know who the next couple will be) and also read the author’s other standalone book!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Take Two is a story of everlasting love, heartbreak, and seeking forgiveness.
It was a pleasure to get to know Gemma and Caitlyn, not only in their current age, but also in their teenage years. The flashbacks gave the necessary information to understand the animosity and the strength of their bond. I enjoyed seeing them navigate everything that happened and have been left unsaid while having to work together.
If there is one thing I wish for to make this book even more enjoyable, it would be more time for them to get to know their adult selves and more personal growth for the main characters, especially for Caitlyn. Her decision-making and communication skills were… something, and so despite the six years spent apart.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Take Two, and I look forward to reading the rest of the NYC Romance Series.
It was a pleasure to get to know Gemma and Caitlyn, not only in their current age, but also in their teenage years. The flashbacks gave the necessary information to understand the animosity and the strength of their bond. I enjoyed seeing them navigate everything that happened and have been left unsaid while having to work together.
If there is one thing I wish for to make this book even more enjoyable, it would be more time for them to get to know their adult selves and more personal growth for the main characters, especially for Caitlyn. Her decision-making and communication skills were… something, and so despite the six years spent apart.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Take Two, and I look forward to reading the rest of the NYC Romance Series.
January 15, 2026
• ARC REVIEW •
4.5⭐️
Spice Level: 🔥🔥
“Did you know that the new girl from Detroit is a lesbian?”
Thank you so much to the author for trusting me as an early reader and for sending me a copy of this amazing sapphic romance! 🫶🏼
An excellent dual POV with the added bonus of it being a dual timeline! I really loved getting to bounce between the present and the past, getting a glimpse into Gemma and Caitlin’s early years together and what led them to their original demise!
Gemma was a sweet baby angel that did not deserve the plate she was served, while Caitlin was fiery and a tiny👌🏼biiiit self-centered until their shared reality came crashing down. Gemma always made it clear she was down bad, but I was THRILLED to see the tables turn for Caitlin to really be humbled with her true feelings!
This second chance romance was messy, chaotic, and so very addictive! I loved the MCs dynamic, and the ways they were literally forced to confront their past while their present collided. The writing was concise, witty, and very engaging! I look forward to the next in the series and all future works by this amazing author! Highly recommend!
4.5⭐️
Spice Level: 🔥🔥
“Did you know that the new girl from Detroit is a lesbian?”
Thank you so much to the author for trusting me as an early reader and for sending me a copy of this amazing sapphic romance! 🫶🏼
An excellent dual POV with the added bonus of it being a dual timeline! I really loved getting to bounce between the present and the past, getting a glimpse into Gemma and Caitlin’s early years together and what led them to their original demise!
Gemma was a sweet baby angel that did not deserve the plate she was served, while Caitlin was fiery and a tiny👌🏼biiiit self-centered until their shared reality came crashing down. Gemma always made it clear she was down bad, but I was THRILLED to see the tables turn for Caitlin to really be humbled with her true feelings!
This second chance romance was messy, chaotic, and so very addictive! I loved the MCs dynamic, and the ways they were literally forced to confront their past while their present collided. The writing was concise, witty, and very engaging! I look forward to the next in the series and all future works by this amazing author! Highly recommend!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I went into this book with no prior knowledge of the author or her style. I will say, I did enjoy her writing.
The MCs are both charismatic and likable, until they're not. Gemma has her moments of complete hardheadness while Caitlin just sort or rolls over for Gemma.
With their history, I know there was some guilt in play. One of them made a huge mistake and acted out of fear instead of talking to the other.
As the story progressed, their relationship did grow, even if Gemma fought it at almost every step. Caitlin knew what she wanted, and she tried to go for it.
Overall, I did enjoy the story. The movie being made was a really nice vehicle to bring out the MCs respective trauma and emotions.
I recommend it if you enjoy second chance, childhood lovers, and interesting story lines.
The MCs are both charismatic and likable, until they're not. Gemma has her moments of complete hardheadness while Caitlin just sort or rolls over for Gemma.
With their history, I know there was some guilt in play. One of them made a huge mistake and acted out of fear instead of talking to the other.
As the story progressed, their relationship did grow, even if Gemma fought it at almost every step. Caitlin knew what she wanted, and she tried to go for it.
Overall, I did enjoy the story. The movie being made was a really nice vehicle to bring out the MCs respective trauma and emotions.
I recommend it if you enjoy second chance, childhood lovers, and interesting story lines.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 stars. I am so glad that me and Erica connected so that I could read this book! After reading the first book, I knew I was going to like this one even more. This story has second chances, forced proximity, and workplace romance all rolled into one. It is dual timeline, so you get to see how these two fall in love as teens as well as seeing how they reconnect as adults. I'm usually hit or miss with second chance romances. I either don't like them at all or I love them, and this one I really loved. This one definitely fell into the higher angst category. These two characters made so many mistakes, but you could feel their love for each other on every page. I can not wait to continue this series, since it's pretty obvious who the next characters are going to be and I am READY to see how that's going to play out.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for providing an honest review.
Damn, so first of all, my plan was to read this at my leisure but that didn’t happen. I ended up binge reading It until the lovely end.
This is, what I believe to be, the first standalone book of an interconnected series.
First of all Caitlin….jesus, just an absolute heartbreaker of a woman.
The story is told over alternating timelines, through dual POV’s, from when the gals met in High School, their time in College and present day where they’re both successful actresses, albeit separately. The transitions between the timelines felt seamless and helped to show the progress and emotional maturity of both MC’s between past and present. The author captures the whirlwind teenage romance that I am sure many of us have had the pleasure, or displeasure of experiencing which feels so monumental at the time but looking back seemed almost trivial at times. There were so many nostalgic anecdotes thrown in for a millennial like myself I couldn’t help but laugh.
As we experience present day, the tension between the two MC’s with their yearning and mistrust was so palpable I could easily rationalize every decision/choice whether good or bad that they made.
Allow me to move on to the heartbreak, specifically Gemma…dang I really felt for her at so many different parts throughout the book. Alas, I even teared up a few times in my blindingly bright cubicle at work for all to see. Gemma’s fluctuating emotions and war with herself felt so real and raw. There is some spice throughout to progress the story and the side characters, specifically Hayley and Maddie are perfect, I can’t wait to read what happens next.
This is certainly the first of many books I will be reading by Erica Goodwin.
Dammit y’all just read it when it comes out honestly, I loved it.
I rate the book a 4.5 but Goodreads doesn’t do half points so I always round up 🤙
Damn, so first of all, my plan was to read this at my leisure but that didn’t happen. I ended up binge reading It until the lovely end.
This is, what I believe to be, the first standalone book of an interconnected series.
First of all Caitlin….jesus, just an absolute heartbreaker of a woman.
The story is told over alternating timelines, through dual POV’s, from when the gals met in High School, their time in College and present day where they’re both successful actresses, albeit separately. The transitions between the timelines felt seamless and helped to show the progress and emotional maturity of both MC’s between past and present. The author captures the whirlwind teenage romance that I am sure many of us have had the pleasure, or displeasure of experiencing which feels so monumental at the time but looking back seemed almost trivial at times. There were so many nostalgic anecdotes thrown in for a millennial like myself I couldn’t help but laugh.
As we experience present day, the tension between the two MC’s with their yearning and mistrust was so palpable I could easily rationalize every decision/choice whether good or bad that they made.
Allow me to move on to the heartbreak, specifically Gemma…dang I really felt for her at so many different parts throughout the book. Alas, I even teared up a few times in my blindingly bright cubicle at work for all to see. Gemma’s fluctuating emotions and war with herself felt so real and raw. There is some spice throughout to progress the story and the side characters, specifically Hayley and Maddie are perfect, I can’t wait to read what happens next.
This is certainly the first of many books I will be reading by Erica Goodwin.
Dammit y’all just read it when it comes out honestly, I loved it.
I rate the book a 4.5 but Goodreads doesn’t do half points so I always round up 🤙
January 8, 2026
ARC REVIEW
And holy smokes that was SOOOOOO GOOOOD!! That was my second ever sapphic book and this didn’t disappoint it raised my bar for romance books and THEY ARE everything and more, the acting aspect felt so dear to my heart I was a theater kid in highschool so seeing this was so fun and seeing them blossom into a love that they always had was so special.
I love everthing about it; then finding themselves and so on their love for each other that never really stopped was very heartfelt I felt their love and I love when I can feel that so thank you
The writing is so strong I can feel the love that was put into this book. characters are so strong on their own but their soul tie basically pulled them together against and why became even stronger together
I couldn’t stop like I ate this up it’s so freaking good
The tension, the confessions, the smut scenes, the flashbacks to their teen/college years this was so freaking phenomenal and so well constructed. I was on the edge of my seat because I had to know what happened I was like is this going to happen?? And then some parts made me cry I loved them so much and some made me kick my feet like a kid cause it was so good and I screamed I loved every second of this book.
I can’t wait for more in this series especially finding out who it will be I screamed when I figured it out within the book !!
Thank you Erica Goodwin for having me read and review this book, and sending me a physical copy of this book, I loved it with my whole entire heart and I will cherish this story “forever and always”
HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS !!! You won’t regret it super fast read I couldn’t put it down.
And holy smokes that was SOOOOOO GOOOOD!! That was my second ever sapphic book and this didn’t disappoint it raised my bar for romance books and THEY ARE everything and more, the acting aspect felt so dear to my heart I was a theater kid in highschool so seeing this was so fun and seeing them blossom into a love that they always had was so special.
I love everthing about it; then finding themselves and so on their love for each other that never really stopped was very heartfelt I felt their love and I love when I can feel that so thank you
The writing is so strong I can feel the love that was put into this book. characters are so strong on their own but their soul tie basically pulled them together against and why became even stronger together
I couldn’t stop like I ate this up it’s so freaking good
The tension, the confessions, the smut scenes, the flashbacks to their teen/college years this was so freaking phenomenal and so well constructed. I was on the edge of my seat because I had to know what happened I was like is this going to happen?? And then some parts made me cry I loved them so much and some made me kick my feet like a kid cause it was so good and I screamed I loved every second of this book.
I can’t wait for more in this series especially finding out who it will be I screamed when I figured it out within the book !!
Thank you Erica Goodwin for having me read and review this book, and sending me a physical copy of this book, I loved it with my whole entire heart and I will cherish this story “forever and always”
HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS !!! You won’t regret it super fast read I couldn’t put it down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
My first ARC! I received a copy of this book from the author and wow!
I loved her debut novel, Love on the Road, but this one took the cake. The way I felt what these two characters were going through, my heart actually ached. The dual POV's and the past and present weaved together to create a second chance love story was beautiful. Having gone through the heartbreak of a teenager, you really do feel like you're world is ending, and the tension the two feel when they come back together is something I can fully understand.
Caitlin being the one who broke them apart and destroyed their love, coming back and doing everything in her power to give Gemma what she needed, even if that wasn't her, was a whirlwind. Gemma learning to forgive Caitlin for her past because her love for this woman is just to strong, even after being completely torn apart by her really shows the level of intimacy the women share. They both go through their own struggles while filming a movie, professional and personally, but love always wins.
I loved this book and cannot wait to see where this author takes the NYC Romance Series!
I loved her debut novel, Love on the Road, but this one took the cake. The way I felt what these two characters were going through, my heart actually ached. The dual POV's and the past and present weaved together to create a second chance love story was beautiful. Having gone through the heartbreak of a teenager, you really do feel like you're world is ending, and the tension the two feel when they come back together is something I can fully understand.
Caitlin being the one who broke them apart and destroyed their love, coming back and doing everything in her power to give Gemma what she needed, even if that wasn't her, was a whirlwind. Gemma learning to forgive Caitlin for her past because her love for this woman is just to strong, even after being completely torn apart by her really shows the level of intimacy the women share. They both go through their own struggles while filming a movie, professional and personally, but love always wins.
I loved this book and cannot wait to see where this author takes the NYC Romance Series!
January 11, 2026
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
Set in New York, Take Two follows Gemma and Caitlin as they are forced to confront their past for the sake of their careers. But could old feelings still remain?
Take Two had me hooked from the beginning. Caitlin and Gemma’s journey was so human and messy and real and I loved every moment of it. I loved the past versus present and learning their history while the present unfolded. I’m a big fan of forced proximity and it was perfect in this book!
I especially enjoyed Gemma’s character right off the bat and knew I was going to be rooting for her happy ever after. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!
Seriously check this one out, I read most of it in one sitting and you’ll be fully engrossed in Gemma and Caitlin’s world 💚💜
Set in New York, Take Two follows Gemma and Caitlin as they are forced to confront their past for the sake of their careers. But could old feelings still remain?
Take Two had me hooked from the beginning. Caitlin and Gemma’s journey was so human and messy and real and I loved every moment of it. I loved the past versus present and learning their history while the present unfolded. I’m a big fan of forced proximity and it was perfect in this book!
I especially enjoyed Gemma’s character right off the bat and knew I was going to be rooting for her happy ever after. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!
Seriously check this one out, I read most of it in one sitting and you’ll be fully engrossed in Gemma and Caitlin’s world 💚💜
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews