Witty, STEAMY, and oh so fun.

Margot is jaded.  Happily ever afters seem to elude her time and again.  And yet, as a famous romance author, she’s the queen of writing them for other people.  But when her sister forces her into a vacation that’s overwrought with romance tropes and a brawny man, it might be enough to soften her cynical heart.  

Oh Forrest.  <Sigh.> He was broody brilliance. I’ve never enjoyed a sleeping bag as much as I did in this camping scene.  🥵   I’m now in search of a candle scented “cedar and muscles” and would consider an Alaskan adventure if he was included.  

This was a romance I cheered for.  I appreciated the complexity of the situation and the layered characters with real life problems.  It felt equally heavy and sweet while also abundantly (ABUNDANTLY) spicy.  

I wasn’t sure about the inclusion of (literally) every single romance trope.  But in the end, it only added to the fun and made the love story that much more bingeworthy.  

It’s worth noting that this one did feel a little drawn out.  I’m sure the caregiver storyline will be relatable to many, but for me, it took over too much of the storyline, seemed a bit clichéd, and, at times, leaned into unhealthy territory.  (Maybe because it was 2 storylines instead of just one? I’m not sure.)

Still, this debut was a hard to put down, easy escape.  I’ll be interested to see what Lavine does next! 

🎧I went back and forth between the audio and print for this read, but more often, I found myself grabbing for the print.  The audiobook is narrated by Tim Paige and Jesse Vilinsky.  Paige’s raspy depiction of Forrest will live rent free in my head. Swoon!  But I found Vilinsky’s narration of Margot to be too breathy, especially in the intimate scenes.  

Many thanks to my friends at @atriabooks and @simon.audio for the free gifted copies of this book.  #partner