Published September 26th, 2023 by Quercus
Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Fiction, Festive Ficiton
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
*THE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*
‘Beth O’Leary is that rare, one-in-a-million talent who can make you laugh, swoon, cry and ache all in the same book’ Emily Henry
They’ll do anything to save the hotel, except work together . . .
Welcome to Forest Manor Hotel, where the staff and guests are one happy family. Except for Izzy and Lucas – bitter rivals banned from working the same shift, for everyone’s sake.
After struggling for years, the hotel may soon have to close its doors forever. But when Izzy returns a guest’s lost wedding ring, the reward convinces management this might fix everything. With four rings still sitting in lost property, Izzy and Lucas are forced to work together to try to save the day.
But as their rivalry becomes something much more complicated, Izzy and Lucas start to wonder if there’s more at stake here than the hotel’s future . . .
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MY REIVEW:
Forest Manor Hotel and Spa, New Forest, prides itself on being one big, happy family. Well, except for Izzy and Lucas, who are such bitter rivals that they are banned from working together on reception. Business hasn’t been good since the pandemic and the hotel may soon have to close, so a collapsed roof just before Christmas is not what they need. They need to raise funds, and fast. So Izzy and Lucas are charged with sorting through lost property together to try and raise the money needed to fix the roof. And when Izzy receives a reward after returning a lost wedding ring, it looks like they’ve found the solution. There are four more rings in lost property waiting for their owners to be found. Can Izzy and Lucas work together to find them and save the hotel?
Beth O’Leary never fails to deliver. Heartwarming, witty and chaotic The Wake-Up Call is an addictive enemies-to-lovers romcom I couldn’t stop listening to. One of the things I love about Beth’s books is that not only does she deliver sweet, first-class romance and sizzling chemistry, but she also delivers a layered storyline and compelling characters that leap from the pages. And Izzy and Lucas do just that. I loved their banter, fierce rivalry, and how deeply they loathed one another. But, as we know, loathing can often hide other feelings, and that was certainly the case with them. The sparks were flying and it was fun watching them wrestle with their feelings as they argued and battled it out to try and save the hotel. I was totally invested in their relationship and rooting for them to end up together. The background characters were entertaining and I enjoyed seeing one of the characters from one of Beth’s previous books make an appearance.
Being set at Christmas made this the perfect festive read to enjoy at the end of last year and I loved the many ways Ms. O’Leary wove the season into the story, including the play on the traditional Christmas rhyme by using five gold rings to try and save the hotel. I was heavily invested in this storyline and rooting for Izzy and Lucas to reunite the rings with their owners and raise the money needed to save the hotel. This storyline added an extra layer of tension that kept me hooked and on the edge of my seat alongside the will they or won’t they aspect of their burgeoning romance.
An entertaining romcom that will have you hooked at any time of the year, I highly recommend this book.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Beth is a Sunday Times bestselling author whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages. Her debut, The Flatshare, sold over a million copies and is now a major TV series. Her subsequent novels, The Switch, The Road Trip, The No-Show and The Wake-Up Call, were all instant bestsellers. Beth writes her books in the Hampshire countryside with a very badly behaved Golden Retriever for company. If she’s not at her desk, you’ll usually find her curled up somewhere with a book, a cup of tea and several woolly jumpers (whatever the weather).
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx
Emma's Biblio Treasures 