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Book Summary and Reviews of Score by Kennedy Ryan

Score by Kennedy Ryan

Score

Hollywood Renaissance #2

by Kennedy Ryan

  • Critics' Consensus (9):
  • Published:
  • May 2026, 448 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

A scorching second-chance romance between a talented screenwriter and a phenomenal musician from the New York Times bestselling author of Before I Let Go.

You never forget your first love. Isn't that what they say? Verity Hill knows this truth intimately. She didn't simply miss Wright "Monk" Bellamy when they parted ways in college. She's haunted by his touch. Every kiss, any lover since—it's a shadow of what they had.

Time heals all wounds. Isn't that what they say? Monk doesn't believe that for a second. He wasn't simply betrayed when he and Verity split. He was devastated, with parts of him left behind in the ruins of all that was destroyed.

More than a decade after their disastrous breakup, Verity and Monk must work together on the set of an epic Harlem Renaissance biopic. With Monk, now a world-class musician, creating the score, and Verity, an award-winning screenwriter, penning the script, there's Oscar buzz before shooting even begins. This once-in-a-lifetime project could catapult them both to new heights, but can they can put the past behind them for the sake of the film … for the sake of something more?

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"The raw emotion that characterizes the best of bestseller Ryan's work is on full display in her masterful second Hollywood Renaissance romance (after Reel)." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Ryan knows how to put her readers' emotions through the wringer while staying true to her characters… Every moment of heartbreak rings true." ​―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Heart-stopping, deeply felt, and beautifully told, Score is Kennedy Ryan at her absolute best—writing love stories that don't just sweep you away, but change you. With her signature emotional depth and breathtaking prose, Kennedy crafts a love story that is as healing as it is unforgettable." ―Christina Lauren, #1 internationally bestselling authors of Love and Other Words

This information about Score was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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More Information

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan writes for women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. An EBONY Power 100 Honoree, Kennedy and her writings have been featured in NPR, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, Glamour, Cosmo, TIME, and many others. Kennedy is an executive producer for her Skyland series, which is currently in development for television at Peacock. The cofounder of LIFT 4 Autism, an annual charitable book auction, Kennedy has a passion for raising Autism awareness. Dubbed the Queen of Hugs by her readers, she is a wife to her "lifetime lover" and mother to an extraordinary son.

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