PNW Book Blogger

Bridget Morrissey

Book Review

Gifted book from Berkley!

Overall, I would recommend this book to others.

Here is why:
-If you enjoy the movie “The Holiday”, you’ll enjoy this
-Wonderful representation in the book
-The cover is gorgeous, genuinely a work of art, for that alone, I would want it on my shelf, don’t judge me
-The actual feel of the paperback from this publisher is luxurious, so if you can purchase a paperback or hardcover, I highly recommend (I am someone who very much pays attention to the feel and look of books on my shelf)
-I found myself laughing in the first 50 pages which is always a win for me
-The dialogue and cultural references were modern and real, allowing for the dialogue and action to come to life
-I loved that one of the characters is a perfume maker, this was unique and very cool to me

The reasons this is not a 5 star book for me personally (I am PICKY, be aware):
-There are a lot of characters in this book and each of their voices sound a bit similar, so it was difficult for me to keep track of who was who. I would not mind a whole series with each book focusing on a character, as there was so much going on.
-I personally struggle as a reader when there are more than a handful of characters, so this did hinder my ability to get fully into the book and understand everything that was happening
-I will say I did find this to be an easy read, and I did inhale it, so 3.75 stars? Rounding up to 4.
-I did NOT know this was a take on The Holiday, but that’s also on me for not checking Goodreads before reading this book. I went in pretty blind to this one
-The family drama part might not be fun for some readers, but it also very might might be enjoyable for some, it depends on the reader.

Things I was neutral about:
-I feel like a lot of books I read, romance, and otherwise, the main character gets laid off or fired. I do not like that as a point of conflict at this point. However, the character did something completely unhinged and it made me laugh. This made for an enjoyable experience.

Tropes:
-Small town
-Found family
-Banter

Potential triggers/content warnings:
-Family conflict
-Alcohol usage
-Job loss

Thanks for the free book BerkleyPub!
This is my honest opinion I am leaving voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Bridget Morrissey. I received a free ARC through Berkley’s Influencer Hub for Underrepresented Voices. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this review is being left voluntarily.

Romance lovers, I recommend this one!!