Romance Quick Reviews

The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler (2020)

Unpopular opinion time, but I was a little disappointed by this book.  Graham runs a local diner in Alaska, and he's generally regarded as the resident grump, especially around tourists, until he meets Zoey, on her first trip to Alaska.  I feel like we were told so often that Graham is this cranky guy who hates tourists, but the second he meets Zoey, he falls for her and we don't see too much of his grumpy side.  The romance is sweet, but almost too saccharine and it definitely fell on the side of insta-love.  I thought the dialogue was cringey at times, especially all the pet names Graham has for Zoey after knowing her for two days, and there were too many side characters to keep track of.  I did, however, enjoy the Alaska setting and all the adventures we got to go on with Zoey (even if most of them ended in disaster!).  If you enjoy clean romances with little drama, this might be the read for you.  3 stars

You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria (2020)

 

Soap opera actress Jasmine and telenovela star Ashton are cast in a romantic comedy show on a Netflix-like streaming service.  Both are hoping that this show will take their careers to the next level, so they begin to rehearse extra in private... which leads to a steamy affair.  However, their relationship could have disastrous consequences.  There was so much to like about this book.  I enjoyed the Latinx culture and representation and the behind-the-scenes look at the making of a tv show.  Ashton and Jasmine had so much chemistry, and I liked the way the romance played out (trying hard to ignore it at first, and then giving in to it).  The main characters each had a rich backstory outside of the romance, and their families were wonderful and helped keep them grounded.  I think at times the themes of the story were a little too heavy-handed, though.  4 stars

Head Over High Heels by Lila Monroe (2016)

 

A reality show TV producer needs a hit to save her career - and she thinks she's found it in Flint McKay, a country guy who knows how to swing a hammer and looks good doing it.  But will their feelings derail this home renovation show?  I love reality TV, so that aspect of the story really appealed to me.  The chemistry between Laurel and Flint was off the charts right from the beginning, so watching them try to fight it was interesting, although they both really needed the show to succeed so a relationship was out of the question.  Monroe is really good at creating strong, sassy female characters, and there was also lots of humor in this one.  I really enjoyed the part of the story that took place during filming in the Berkshires but felt like it took a couple weird turns once the action moved to LA.  However, this book was so readable and I found myself getting lost in it more than once!  Overall, this was a really steamy but really fun romance!  4 stars

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