Love in Rehearsal: A Spicy Cozy Paranormal Romance Short Read

by Evangeline Hunter

Saving the town’s musical was never part of her plan. Falling for the leading man definitely was not.

Sydney Greyson likes her life neat, counted, and predictable. By day, she runs the register at the Lighthouse Diner. By night, she keeps her werewolf instincts tucked safely behind routine. Chrysanthemum Cove works because nothing changes. She does not take risks. She does not chase spotlights.

Agreeing to understudy in the town’s production of Anastasia was supposed to be harmless. Understudies stay backstage. Understudies do not go on. And they definitely do not fall for charming, too-handsome-for-his-own-good Broadway actors.
Reese Hale is only in town to hide. A siren with a voice that once sold out Broadway theaters, he is laying low after a dangerous stalker turned applause into fear. Summer stock is temporary. Safe. A paycheck until his next big contract.
Then the theater’s treasurer disappears with the entire production budget.

With the show on the brink of collapse, the Lighthouse Diner steps in to host a fundraiser dinner and cabaret. Reese agrees to perform so he can actually get paid, but he shocks everyone by choosing shy, steady Sydney as his duet partner. She is the least likely to chase fame. The least likely to chase him. What he does not expect is the power in her voice or the way singing beside her feels more real than any standing ovation.

Rehearsals spark. Late-night diner dinners turn intimate. Sydney discovers she does not hate the spotlight nearly as much as she thought. Reese discovers he is tired of chasing crowds when one woman’s quiet belief feels like home.
As summer fades and Reese’s next contract calls, both must decide what matters more. Safety or stage. Applause or belonging.

In Chrysanthemum Cove, love is not just about hitting the right note. It is about daring to stay for the encore.

Love in Rehearsal
• Small Town Romance
• Summer Fling That Becomes Forever
• Understudy to Leading Lady
• Shy Heroine x Charismatic Hero
• Celebrity in Hiding
• Forced Proximity
• Workplace Romance
• She Finds Her Voice
• Hidden Identity / Supernatural Secret
• Saving the Community Together
• Cinnamon Roll Hero With Siren Powers
• Quiet Strength Heroine

118 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2026

Reviews

[Nickole · Rating 4 out of 5]

rcvd an ARC from the author.

we meet Sydney, local werewolf who works at the Lighthouse Diner and dreams of opening a kids theater. she also loves to sing....where no one hears her or sees her. we meet Broadway star Reese, who is in Chrysanthemum Cove to get away from the drama of NYC...aka..his stalker. He is going to be the male lead in the towns adaptation of Anastasia. Sydney is the understudy...its safe and has no chance of going on
but when the theaters funds had disappeared, the group decide to hold a charity show to raise funds and Reese selects Sydney to be his partner for the show. Sydney is reluctant but with Reeses persuasion, she relents. things are not what they seem in the small town especially when their lead female for the show also goes missing. but alas the show must go on!

[Susan1566 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun, short read (118 pages). Set in Chrysanthemum Cove, it is about Sydney, the werewolf waitress at the Lighthouse Diner and Reese, the siren Broadway star trying to escape a stalker.
When the funds for the local theatre production go missing, a fundraising event is planned. Sydney and Reese are singing together.
Sydney is very self conscious, shot down by her father for singing when she was young, she is scared to be in the spotlight. But Reese can help with that.
When the main character in the show goes missing, Sydney, as understudy, must go on.
This book has an interesting story, great characters, a bit of a mystery, humour and some romance (some spice is involved)
All the books in the Lighthouse Diner are short, fun, enjoyable reads.
Definitely worth recommending and reading.

[De Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute and sweet book to read. It fits in wonderfully with the other Lighthouse Diner books. Sydney really connected with the theater kid in me. She works so hard at everything she does. And she loves the theater, but is shy about it. She has been dreaming and I wanted nothing more than for her to get exactly what she dreamed of. Cue the appearance of Reese. He’s had his own share of trials and tribulations. But the way he shows up for her had my heart fluttering. The connection they shared was beautiful. And the ending was exactly what I wanted for them. The thing that could have pulled them apart, withdrawing into themselves, created a deep connection that tethered them together. It was beyond sweet. I couldn’t have been happier for these two.

[Samanta Simão · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first glance, Sydney seems like the kind of perfect employee we see in movies: someone whose life revolves entirely around work, always in the right place, doing exactly what is needed.
No one would imagine that, when she is alone at the register, she dreams of something more — something she herself never had.
Then, an event in the city gives her the chance to experience a part of her old dream and leads her to meet the seemingly perfect Reese, who always appears to be by her side.
She begins to lose her fear of showing who she truly is, but when things start to feel different, the old Sydney fears she may have already woken up from the dream..

[Hannah Etherton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Music is in the air and maybe love is also in the air!
I liked this one, probably slightly less spicy than the previous ones. Also didn't have the whole running away trope this time, glad it wasn't repeated! Another day in Chrysanthemum Cove, another couple matched! A lovely cosy reading, nothing complicated. Difficult to get a great depth to story in a short book, hence the 4 stars, not to say that it isn't good!
eARC copy received, review left.

[Hannah Rhoades · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how the author is keeping the stories going following different people from within the community. This one is not as spicy as the others, which I actually enjoyed. It shows that even the shy ones deserve happiness also.