Presley Ayers is not the woman you bring on a camping trip. An accomplished concierge at an exclusive hotel in Great Falls, MI, she knows more about the top ten places for champagne and caviar than she does about the best hiking boots to go stomping around near Lake Michigan. But when she surprises her boyfriend of eight months with a vacation to the Get Lost Lodge and he dumps her instead, Presley decides to rough it solo and take the trip herself.
When Beckett Keller helps the gorgeous woman off the rickety boat and onto Lodge territory, it’s clear to him she’s made a mistake. She doesn’t like hiking, fishing, or nature in general, so why did she go on this trip? He’s got other things on his mind though—a crumbling lodge, and his own plans and dreams that are forever deferred—so he doesn’t have time for Ms. Fish-Out-of-Water. Even so, neither Beckett nor Presley can help that inexplicable draw they feel towards each other. He’s all rough stubble and plaid shirts, while she’s all high heels and brand-name athleisurewear.
But you know what they say about opposites.
Release Date: Jan 16, 2024
Heat Level: Warm
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley
Price: $12.99
“She shut her eyes and let the images of how she thought this week would go sift through her mind like a slideshow. Then she imagined a garbage can and envisioned herself dumping all those images into it. She was a blank slate, an empty photo album. How she filled it was up to her. Whatever she chose, she’d be wiser. Stronger. A better version of herself. One who wouldn’t have been caught off guard by Emmett’s behavior because she would have seen it coming. Look out, world, there’s a new version of Presley Ayers coming your way. Get ready, This Presley camps.”
Presley Ayers wants to connect with her boyfriend, Emmett, so she books a camping trip at an idyllic camping lodge hoping this will show him that they are ready to take the next step in their relationship. Unfortunately, Emmett doesn’t agree and would rather go on the trip with someone else instead. A heartbroken Presley decides she needs to do this trip for herself and is going to make the most of it. She knew there would be camping, fishing, and hiking, but she never anticipated Beckett Keller and the things he makes her feel.
I read Sophie Sullivan’s first book and was a huge fan and was really looking forward to reading this story but unfortunately it did not work for me. Here are a couple of the reasons. I liked these two characters independently of each other. Presley was cute and charming, and she deserved a lot more than Emmett gave to her, that is for sure.
Beckett was sweet and likeable. I loved the way he was with his niece, Ollie, and their relationship made me smile. However, these two had zero chemistry. Zilch. There was no tension, no passion. I enjoyed Beckett’s interactions with his niece more than any of them he had with Presley. I was just unbelievably bored. The second thing that really got to me was the number of internal monologues these two had about how they only had one week. It was infuriating that I kept reading the same thing repeatedly. I get it, they live in two different states, and she is only there for a week, but come on if you really want someone then you will fight for it. They didn’t fight for it, so I never believed they really wanted each other.
Overall, instead of feeling like these two are soulmates and true love it felt like they were together because the author deemed it so.
If you enjoy books by Lauren Layne or Christina Lauren, then this one may be a hit for you instead of a miss.
~ Michelle
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