Phoenix Park is the man I fantasize about...hitting with my car, that is.
He's rich. He's sexy. He's the absolute worst. But after I fall prey to an internet scam and lose every last penny in my account (please don’t ask), it’s Phoenix who swoops in with an offer I can’t refuse. I’ll marry him for the summer so he can inherit the family company from his dying grandmother, and in return, he’ll drop a hefty sum of money into my bank account.
Buy me a pair of sweatpants with GOLD DIGGER across the butt, because I’m just desperate enough to agree.
Our arrangement is only supposed to be for a few months, until Phoenix’s poor grandmother passes. I can pretend for that long. I can stop insulting him long enough to force a few smiles and some lovey-dovey glances. But with every touch we share, with every kiss we fake, I find the walls around my heart beginning to crack—letting in feelings I'm not prepared for.
And when Phoenix’s grandmother makes a miraculous recovery, leaving us stuck indefinitely in this charade of holy matrimony? That’s when I know I’m really in trouble.
Gracie lives in a tiny town in Idaho, where she subsists on a diet of chocolate, romance novels, and kisses from her cute family. She may or may not have a cheesecake addiction, as well as an addiction to scribbling story ideas on whatever flat surfaces happen to be nearby. Clean romance, romantic comedy, and mystery rom coms are her passion.
To be known. OH TO BE TRULY KNOWN. THIS BOOK HAS ME IN A CHOKEHOLD! I am obsessed!
MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE ✅ ENEMIES TO LOVERS ✅ PAST HISTORY ✅ NICKNAMES ✅ MY WIFE ✅✅✅ HE TAKES CARE OF HER ✅
Are you catching my drift?? This book has everything you could possibly want! I implore you — GO FORTH AND FEAST YOUR EYEBALLS ON THIS STORY!
Holland and Phoenix together…firecrackers! Their shared history made their “hate to love” amusing because it was so clear how much space they took up in each other lives. BUT SO GOOD! Because their chemistry was POPPIN’ off the page the entire time!
And as they started to REALIZE they actually might like each other…EEEEKKKK! Que kicking feet and giggling girl!
This book had so much more than romance though! It was trust. It was healing. It was standing up for yourself. It was history. It was just LOVE! (Deeper than romantic love)
Seriously, I loved this book so much! I didn’t even ever use a bookmark. 😅 And stayed up way past my bedtime…WORTH! IT!
5/5 stars
*I received this book from the author**All opinions are my own*
I took this on a recent vacation and I had a hard time putting it down.
Marriage of Convenience? check. Fun Setting? check. Humorous Nicknames? check. I Loathe to Love You Banter? check. Kissing Scenes that were a straight up TEASE? check.
Phoenix and Holland can't stand each other...well that might not totally be the truth, but that's the one they are sticking to. In order to gain his family company inheritance Phoenix proposes marriage to the one person who lives rent free in his brain despite his best tested efforts.
I adored this back and forth banter that never felt vicious to me because each gave as good as they got. There's something to be said in well placed sarcasm humor between another person that makes you feel safe. I loved the back and forth banter...the I know you want me so i'll tease it out of you until you finally admit it kind of vibe.
I love a buttoned up man and Phoenix was a fantastic love interest who played well off of Hollands shenanigans. Gracie makes you goofy grin one page and the next she's woven in added layers of trauma and depth to give these characters a well needed deep dive.
A favorite romance of the summer. delicious and silly and just what I needed.
I never understood how a fake marriage works when it's for career purposes. Like all of the sudden showing up married is believable to the one that made the demand? Anyway, it was cute. RTC
Phoenix & Holland (27) What to expect: ~ dual 1st person POV ~ marriage of convenience ~ fake marriage ~ enemies to lovers ~ dead brothers best friend ~ dead best friends sister ~ no steamage
I'm officially done with the series. Overall, they were all pretty cute and I recommend them.
Series notes: The timeline is the same for each book meaning the characters from other books in the series are in the background, but haven’t necessarily had their story told yet. I like this way of doing things since it doesn’t make it absolutely necessary to read them in order, but it’ll be better if you do.
To protect his inheritance, "stupidly rich" Phoenix is forced to marry, prompting a reluctant alliance with Holland, his late best friend's sister. In exchange, Holland will receive a much-needed payment to recover from a recent internet scam.
But with a complicated history and shared grief between them, this marriage of convenience was anything but simple. Beneath their playful animosity was such a deep sense of longing and genuine care for each other. The tension!
Phoenix's overt protectiveness over Holland was so charming, but also incredibly heartwarming in its reasoning. Their building romance was a delightful dance of teasing and testing limits, leading to some seriously heated moments and scorching kisses!
The wild antics in Phoenix's family reminded me of The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren. Grandma Mavis doesn't mess around. If you're looking for similar vibes but prefer a closed-door romance (that still sizzles), this would be a fantastic choice!
If you need a book that feels like summer, this brought those vibes and the atmosphere I have been craving. This is a GEM. READ IT OKAY.
I have a hard time finding true enemies to lovers in contemporary books. And this DELIVERED. I was obsessed with the snark and banter and all of the nicknames had me hollering. There was this sense that you just KNEW they already loved each other, and getting to see the process of the forced proximity break down those barriers was everything.
There are so many scenes I want to shout about but I also need you to go in blind and trust the moments, because they are MOMENTS. I HAVE NOT RECOVERED FROM THAT HUG SCENE. AND I PROBABLY WON’T. Not to mention the kissing scenes lit my kindle on fire.
I liked the level of chaos that was added from Phoenix’s family. I loved the positive therapy rep. I am obsessed with the chemistry between the MC’s (and it’s dual POV too!!). Everything, I loved everything about this book.
Overall audience notes: - Contemporary Romance - Language: none - Romance: make-outs - Violence: low - Content Warnings: an emotionally manipulative grandmother, losing a brother in a car accident
3⭐️ 1🫑 - Marriage of convenience - enemies to lovers - brothers best friend - billionaire (“stupid rich”) MC - dual POV - forced proximity - nicknames
Audio narration review I found this to be extremely difficult to finish on audio. The female narrator’s voice for Holland is trying very hard to sound perky and cheery and in turn it makes it nearly impossible to speed up the narration without turning the audio into a high pitched mess.
I typically want one of two things with audio narration. 1. Be such a phenomenal acting performance that I don’t want to speed up the narration. or 2. Sound normal and not distorted at 1.25-1.5x speed.
This did neither.
For the record I sampled other works by this narrator and they are no where near as high pitch as her voice for Holland. I think adding this “cheery” and high pitched voice for Holland only makes the character present as immature and young. I felt noticeably different about Holland’s character once I switched to reading the print version.
now on to the book itself
This book checks the trope boxes, and if you don’t mind reading a book that feels written to around including tropes this could be fun. To me it felt a little tired and overdone. It is predictable and formulaic to a fault. The MCs felt like caricatures.
There was really nothing wrong with this book but also nothing at all special about this book either.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for sending this book (ALC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I’m speechless at how this adorable summer romcom made me laugh, CRY, and fall in love.
A unique marriage of convenience with lovable characters who try so hard not to fall for each other. Phoenix who is a straightforward, masculine guy that acts like an actual real life man! Holland and Phoenix really dislike each other at the beginning but by the end their chemistry is undeniable. Their nicknames and the way they pranked and teased each other was so adorable!!
I switched back and forth between the audio and kindle and I highly recommend both but the audio is so well done. Both narrators did an excellent job!
Gracie Ruth Mitchell is one of my favorite authors because her characters feel so genuine and they behave in quirky silly ways that I love. She’s also not afraid to tackle hard topics. This one included PTSD and grief in a way that brought me to tears. The way she weaves mental health into this story is so perfect and satisfying. My heart needed to hear this story so thank you Gracie Ruth Mitchell!
Fav quotes: “Despite all his strength, he still needs someone on his side. I will be that person. ‘I’m not leaving you,’ I say in his ear, barely a whisper”
“Something deep in my soul whispers that these tears have been a long time coming—that I’m witnessing the destruction of a dam she built around her broken heart years ago.”
“His voice is reluctant as he continues. ‘I’m not a romantic man, Holland. I don’t buy flowers or write poetry. And I’ve never been shown what a healthy marriage looks like. But you’re mine. I’ll keep you safe; I’ll treat you well.’”
These quotes make this book seem very serious but trust me there was silliness and teasing, pranks and banter and nicknames. That’s what made it so special in my opinion. It was the whole package!
Phoenix needs a wife - and soon - or his grandma will disinherit him from the family company. In desperation, he turns to his best friend's sister, Holland. They do nothing but argue and she annoys him to no end, but he is out of time and ideas.
Besides, the marriage will only be temporary - he can withstand his growing attraction to her for such a short time.
Thanks to an internet scam and mounting bills, Holland is desperate for money. Which must be the only reason she agrees to marry her biggest enemy. She can't stand him but it's not forever, right?
She just has to ignore the sparks between them and avoid falling in love with her husband...which is hard when he starts looking at her like he is falling in love with her too.
What you'll love: Enemies to lover Brother’s best friend Marriage of convenience Dual pov The nicknames The photo shoot The storm healing crazy grandma that first kiss and pretty much every kiss “My wife” soooo much chemistry one bed connections with the rest of the series “I want all of you.”
Marriage of convenience and enemies to lovers has got to be the swooniest trope combination EVER. Phoenix and Holland truly could not stand each other but oh my, there was so much tension and chemistry in very single interaction, and that first kiss just about did me in! The pacing of their romance was just right - not too fast, not too slow - and it made the 180 turn in their feelings believable.
This is definitely a romcom but the plot does have some heavier topics and I loved watching Phoenix and Holland learn and grow and heal together. Such a beautiful thing!
This book had me smiling from the first page. So many laughs and sweet moments and the romance was straight up swoony! I could NOT get enough of Phoenix and Holland on page together! This is a sleep-stealing must-read summer romance, my friends. You don't want to miss this one!
I received a complimentary copy but a positive review was not required.
I laughed. I cried. As I read more romcoms I’m slowly figuring out what tropes I enjoy and this book was just *chefs kiss*. It had immediate tension and banter and a tragic backstory for great character depth.
Tropes: grumpy/sunshine, marriage of convenience, only one bed, rivals to more, best friends sister Content: kisses only, past death of brother, toxic family members
Thank you Gracie for trusting me & sending an eARC of this BEAUTIFUL MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE!
I devoured this book! The characters, the setting, THE STORY! You’ll find yourself falling love with a grumpy, suit wearing, m&m connoisseur who just so happens to be more than meets the eye! I LOVED Phoenix Park & the way Gracie wrote him and Holland? STRAIGHT ❤️🔥!
The underlining emotion of this book too felt so authentic & I laughed, cried & just absorbed every morsel of goodness Gracie gave!
It’s one of those true enemies to lovers that is hard to find these days & so many other wonderful tropes are weaved throughout the story, y’all will have to read to find out!
There wasn’t a moment I didn’t love and I can’t wait for yall to fall in love with this book! July 17th can’t come fast enough!
'Falling for him is scary...but trying not to fall for him has been torture.'
Enemies-to-more mixed with the marriage of convenience trope. Are you ready for it?
Holland and Phoenix have a steady enemies-to-more vibe in the beginning filled with pranks and doing everything to get under each other’s skin while fighting a physical attraction. This also includes a brother’s best friend trope where our main characters have bonded through a trauma related incident.
Will these two be able to become friends, or something more? You’ll have to read to find out!
I did feel heavier themes through this book, more so than your typical romcom, but I believe that was to possibly up the "beast factor" of our MMC.
If you're up for a Beauty and the Beast, summer beach read and can handle some heavier topics I think you'd enjoy this one!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Content: death of a loved one (off page, but mentioned throughout), grief, highly dysfunctional family, two implied fade to black intimacy moments between a married couple (nothing descriptive), mention of tongue when kissing, kisses and make outs.
This was a really great read! I did not want to put it down! The banter is delightful! I thought both characters were so perfect. This is the first marriage of convenience book I’ve read in a long while that I really bought into. I didn’t have to remind myself that “it’s fictional and make-believe so just enjoy the story”. It actually did feel real and I loved the story! I’ve been reading this series in order of how they came out. It’s so cool how they all overlap and how the characters are connected. This one has the least summer vibes and the least amount of connections to the other books. But it’s such a strong plot that it’s not needed and would have bogged it down. Romcom/ marriage of convenience readers, this is a must read!!
From the opening scene to the very last page, I was hooked and laughing so hard.
“Mavis Butterfield was now requiring that her inheritor be legally and lawfully wed. So I did the only thing I could do: I set out to find a wife…until Mavis’s death do us part.”
I’ve been awaiting Holland’s story and it didn’t disappoint. Phoenix is hoping to inherit his crazy grandma’s company and now needs a wife and who better than his mortal enemy and best friend’s little sister? The banter in this enemies-to-love swept me off my feet but it was the marriage of convenience, thanks to a human-sized dog bed, that really solidified my love for this book.
This author has a way of developing characters full of life and wit that I adore. The nicknames had me laughing and wondering what would be next and the angry revenge kisses were oh, so swoony. They say the closest emotion to hate is love and it was very apparent from the intense sparks flying around that this saying is true.
Although a romcom, there are some deeper, slightly heavy topics that pop up, but it was a beautiful experience to watch these two navigate them. From the trickery involving one bed to the photo shoot and the storm, I devoured every word and couldn’t get enough.
This book, and actually the whole series, has a cemented place in my heart.
Content: Kisses only; off-page death
*I received a complimentary copy from the author and an audio copy through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given*
What could I say that hasn’t already been gushed about over this book the last few weeks?? Maybe that
IT’S WORTH THE HYPE!!!!!!!
At this point, my phone keeps autocorrecting the MMC’s name, Pheonix, into caps because it is used to me exclaiming over him now.
It’s got the despite/hate to love happening, backed up by major history between Pheonix and Holland. But here’s the thing. They’re not downright mean. They can’t stand each other, but because of their history and relationships, they deeeeeeeeeeeeep down (like really deep, deeper than deep) care a little about each other. Even if it’s mostly obligatory reasons.
Anyways. Hate to love. Marriage of convenience, yes please! And the tiniest bit of Crazy Rich Asian feel (mostly family and the wealth) which how many of you have seen it? Because I’m forcing Gracie to watch it with me now. I’m totally picturing Henry Golding as Pheonix, and I’m not mad about it.
Friends. Go get this book. The audio is great. It’s also out if that is the medium you prefer to read. You need this book.
*many thanks to the author and to netgalley/dreamscape for the advance copy, thoughts are ALL my own.
“Falling for him is scary. But trying not to fall for him has been torture.”
* I already love Phoenix 😂 * Oh my gosh these two hahaha * The kiss ahhhh * The animosity! * Not the wearing all black 😅 * Ugh all this tension is going to kill me * Oh my gosh I’m overheating 🥵 * When you can hate that fiery you can love that fiery * He’s truly so thoughtful and I just can’t
Okay, THIS BOOK! I could not get enough of it. Phoenix and Holland are incredible. Their rivalry and friendship and tension and passion are just TOO GOOD.
They are both such interesting characters and I loved getting to see them figure out who they were and who they could be together. And once they got together and decided to stay? The sparks be flying!
Plus marriage of convenience? I love when we can sneak that into these contemporary romances!
Do yourself a favor and read it asap. 😍
“Despite all his strength, he still needs someone by his side.”
“Then give it to me… all of it. All of you. I want all of you.”
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
I absolutely loved this book! The banter, the chemistry, the way they were always there for each other! This is a book I will definitely be rereading for years to come. Their first kiss was perfect! 🔥 🔥 (romcoms are not my favorite genre, so for me to give this 5 stars, you know it’s good!)
The audio was done really well. I enjoyed the narrators a lot.
A huge thank you to the author for an ARC of this fantastic, summery, beautiful book. It was utterly bingeable and I read it with a permagrin on my face. True enemies to lovers can be hard to find, but this delivered. Holland and Phoenix have a shared past which binds them in a way neither of them fully understand, and I loved their dynamic. It was chaotic and tension filled and just straight FIRE. I loved every single scene they were together in, these two were soo dynamic and hilarious. Their nickname war is next level. I also adored the sweeter scenes where they got vulnerable and honest, you basically just cannot go wrong with any scene in this book. All the feels and vibes are immaculate. The perfect summer read for someone craving a fiery, incredibly deep romance.
Oh my goodness I LOVED this book!! This was actually the first audiobook I’ve ever listened to and I’m in love! The narrators were spot on and literally brought the story to life. I was laughing out loud within the first few chapters, which is always a good sign. This enemies-to-lovers/marriage of convenience trope was written to absolute perfection!
Mavis was the star of the show for sure! The epitome of devious and oh, so cruel, constantly keeping her family on their toes with her constantly changing will and testament as she hovered at death’s door. She was conniving and willing to do anything to get what she wanted. And as Phoenix said, “𝙸’𝚖 𝚐𝚕𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚗𝚘 𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐.”
Holland is literally so unhinged at times, it’s hilarious. I love how Phoenix can’t help but protect Holland even when he’s overcome with annoyance at her. Their banter kept me highly entertained for the entirety of the book! The ending was perfection ♥️
Hilarity/Favorite Scenes: 🌴the dead fish in the mailbox 🌴toothpaste in the Oreos 🌴arguing over tampons in the grocery line 🌴the human sized dog bed 🌴he’s stupidly hot and stupidly rich 🌴her nicknames for him: toucan, flamingo, titmouse, rooster, canary, dodo bird, fifi, Pelican & a Stork ♥️ 🌴his nicknames for her: Amsterdam, spinster ham, gangster glam, hamster slam, dumpster man, Sweetheart ♥️ 🌴the wedding photo shoot 🌴grim reaper on their wedding day 🌴the dark closet 🌴honeymoon night courtesy of Mavis 🌴stormy night at the office 🌴all of Wyatt’s scenes 🌴his phone contact name for “her” 🌴the second wedding
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of this story! All opinions are purely my own.
This book was a mood read and it fit the EXACT feeling I was hoping for. It was PERFECTION.
It had a beautiful combination of swoony, fluffy moments mixed with raw, unfiltered emotions. The main characters weren’t annoying or trying too hard. It felt real, but like a romance book. I literally couldn’t ask for anything more.
It was clean, but realistic which I LOVE and it’s something so hard to find. Refreshing, to say the least.
I saw an error and I didn’t even care. That’s saying A LOT coming from me.
My word! The chemistry y'all!!! Beauty and the Beach seriously had some of the BEST chemistry between two main character in a romance novel that I have ever read. Seriously, the book was clean but I felt like their chemistry was lighting the pages on fire!! And it was a modern day marriage of convenience which is seriously my favorite trope ever! I think this helped with the chemistry because they could live together and have more physical moments (again, it's clean so nothing gets raunchy!) and I didn't have to feel weird about it. Their banter and arguing and oh my gosh the kisses. I felt like someone was squeezing my heart inside my chest because all of the emotions! And it wasn't just about the romance, Holland and Phoenix both had some pretty heavy shares trauma that required working through and admitting the need for some professional help. I can't recommend this book enough.
This was a fantastic summer read! 👏 I have a couple of thoughts, but the things I loved outweighed them. This was funny and so sexy. (Full review soon)
After thoroughly enjoying this book in ebook format, I was so excited to receive the audio ARC. I still loved it just as much and enjoyed the narration for both narrators. The chemistry between these two is just perfect and the narration definitely made that shine. I highly recommend either format.
I received an advanced copy of this audiobook from NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions are my own.
Original eBook Review: I devoured this book in one day because I loved it so much and couldn’t put it down. Phoenix and Holland are so horrible to each other but you can see the underlying tension that there is more to it. As they always say, there is a thin line between love and hate. I loved the subtle ways Gracie shows us that along the way. The kisses were on fire (especially that first one) and there was so much heat for a closed door book. The nicknames and banter were so funny and I smiled to myself frequently while reading. Marriage of convenience is my absolute favorite trope and I loved how this one played out.
This book also had a surprising amount of depth for a summer romcom. Holland and Phoenix have past shared trauma that has been addressed for one but not the other. Watching that unfold and the support given was a great representation of how grieving needs to happen for healing to begin. Add in Phoenix’s truly toxic family and how he deals with that and you have a great read.
This was a fun story with one of my favorite tropes and some of the best banter I have ever read. I loved the jokes and the pranks. There’s a bit of snark that worked with the characters initial relationship. Then when the relationship grew that snark turned into some great tension and steam.
Phoenix’s family was straight up crazy. His grandma was over the top manipulative and controlling. Normally, this level of insanity wouldn’t work for me but I was here for it with this book. Outside of Phoenix’s family, there were plenty of lovable side characters
This was a light summer read. It kept me thoroughly entertained which was what I wanted. Read this for the drama, the tropes, and the swoon.
This is part of a series of companion novels written by several authors, but I read it as a standalone.
This book contains no profanity and has kissing (some stellar kissing.)
Gracie nails the genuine & heartfelt with the comedic & swoony!
Phoenix & Holland were TRUE enemies to lovers in this older brother’s best friend, marriage of convenience rom-com.
I laughed and teared up by turns! The underlying thread of grief & loss gutted me, but it was handled so well. Also, the importance of stepping away from manipulating relationships was spot on.
Seriously stuff aside, THE BANTER! Ha! I was absolutely dying over the nicknames and the pranks. However, I did feel the hating stuff to be over-done and even borderline red-flag at times. Like, if Holland was my in-real-life friend… some strongly worded “girl, I’m not sure about this” would be necessary.
On a personal preference note, some of the kissing was too much for me. It wasn’t inappropriately written, and they are married, just a personal preference thing. :)
ALSO! Wyatt needs a standing ovation because that man is GOLD. He’s a sweetheart & reminded me of a chill Mr. Moseby (iykyk). 😂
I'm insufferably picky with my rom-coms. But I'm tellin' ya, Gracie freaking rocked this one! It pulled me in immediately, no slow build up for me whatsoever. I feel like every moment of this story was packed with interesting romance and/or comedy. No lulls.
I am obsessed with our main characters. Not just them together, but them individually. I fall for a well written MMC pretty easily but I adored our FMC just as much! Holland and Phoenix's chemistry was in 👏🏼 sane 👏🏼
This is a completely closed door romance that brought ALL THE HEAT. 🥵 My favorite. 🙌🏼
Gracie managed to keep the light hearted swoony focus while adding the perfect amount of grit and character depth. It didn't feel surface level, THEY didn't feel surface level! (Which is what makes me struggle with rom-coms sometimes.) These were complex characters with history and traumas, crazy relatives and currently a wild situation. . . but it was so funny, upbeat and romantic.
What I'm trying to say is, just read this book! This is my favorite book I've read in a while. It's so SO good. This was my first of the Falling For Summer books and it makes me want to read more!
Thank you, Gracie for crafting the perfect summer read. 🙌🏼
This book kind of flew by. I was waiting the whole time for this moment that you have in every book in kind of the middle. I don’t know if that book even had that special moment, but if it had it, then it was more towards the end.
Falling for him is scary…but trying not to fall for him has been torture. So I spread my wings and prepare to jump.
Don’t get me wrong, the book was really sweet, but I was missing this special moment. The one we’re you realize that there is nothing that could keep them apart. However, I still really enjoyed this book and it was an easy and fast read.
Last of all he moves his hand and touches my chest, just over my heart. “This is mine too. Your heart is mine.” “Only if I give it to you,” I insist. He dips his head. “Then give it to me,” he whispers against my lips. “All of it—all of you. I want all of you.” But I know, deep down, that all of me is already his. “Let’s get married,” I say, kissing him lightly. “Again.”
Beauty and the Beach is the first book I have read by Gracie Ruth Mitchell, but it won't be the last. I was approved for an audiobook through Net Galley, but when I went to listen to it, it was gone. So, I listened from Hoopla and I recommend you do the same.
Beauty and the Beach was funny right from the beginning. I was captivated by the story and didn't want to stop listening. Holland and Phoenix's relationship was interesting.
Read for:
😄enemies to lovers
😄shared history
😄brother's best friend
😄 the nicknames
😄marriage of convenience
😄witty banter
Beauty and the Beach is a romcom at its finest. It is also a deep story. There is a tragedy, there is emotional baggage, there is therapy, and there is so much heart to this story! The story is dual POV and the narrators delivered a fabulous experience. I enjoyed every minute of it. It was one of those stories I did not want to end.
Thank you to Net Galley for approving me to listen to the audio. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts are entirely my own.
(4.5 stars) - Different in a dysfunctionally good way
After the previous 2 books with the Palmer brothers, which were good but did have some similarities, it was fun to have something different
Phoenix's family is so toxically dysfunctional that it's a miracle he's not - though his relationship with Holland leads you to wonder.
Holland has a contentious history with Phoenix that's not helped by their shared trauma in a car accident which took her brother's/his best friend's life
It's a bit heavier subject matter, but it doesn't weigh the story down. Though admittedly the humor may feel a little dark at times. Still, our conflicted couple help each other find healing & happiness - which is one of my favorite tropes
*Romance level: passionate kisses but nothing graphic; there's a kissing scene which is more aggressive than loving which some might find distressing, but it's mutual, & I'll admit to finding it amusing as it's obviously intended to be (on par with a PG movie rating)