Score (Hollywood Renaissance Book 2)

By Kennedy Ryan

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.

"A triumph of art and emotion." --Talia Hibbert, New York Times bestselling author

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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Published May 19, 2026

448 pages

Average rating: 8.7

215 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

MsCierra 💋
MsCierra 💋
9/10 stars
Amazing book 🫶🏽
AngiewithanE
AngiewithanE
9/10 stars
If you guys have any type of book collection by a black author Kennedy Ryan MUST be on your list. In this 2nd chance romance we meet Verity and Monk as we see their love story heat up in the beginning then go up in flames in an instant. I was invested and learned a lot about Verity's emotional past and the mental issues that have plagued her in her life. Experiencing what she had to do to get through was extremely eye-opening for me. And seeing the resilience, strength and empathy that Monk portrayed gave me hope that there are good men in the world. With 2nd chance relationships there's usually a will they, won't they sequence that kinda gets on my nerves but when they finally make that connection it is all worth it.
LalovestoRead
LalovestoRead
6/10 stars
This book was a bit much for me and all over the place but worth the read. I found it to be just okay.
Medilsom
Medilsom
9/10 stars
Baaabbiiieeee! The waitlist I was put on to get a copy of this book was ridiculous! Thank you soooo much to Libby for giving me a skip the line opportunity to listen to this audiobook! This was such a great read and took me on a ride out the gate! Oh how I love Verti and Monk’s story. Also love their struggles and historical interwoven artists and facts told through the story. The spice and sexual tension was oh so right! If you listen to the audiobook like I got the pleasure to, you will also love the beautiful songs and music instrumentals interjected as the story is told, chef’s kiss. I literally could NOT stop listening until I got to the end and I still wanted to continue on this journey with Monk and Verti.
Theresa_annise
Theresa_annise
9/10 stars
Anything Kennedy Ryan writes is absolutely phenomenal. I read the first book in the series - Reel, and it is still my favorite romance novel to this day. I love how Kennedy writes beyond romance and shed light on the things that really matters. So good😩

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