Reviews

Welcome to Paradise where the sun is hot but the romance is hotter…

Lisa Walker has been at the all-inclusive Paradise Hotel in Benidorm, Spain, for barely a week and has already been labeled as “Miss Grumpy” by the staff for not wanting to get involved in the hotel’s activities or socialise with the other British holiday makers who flock to the hotel ever week. But Lisa isn’t like those other holiday makers, she’s in Paradise because she’s broken up with her longterm girlfriend, lost her job, and given up her London apartment in order to save money while she hunts for a new job. This sunny summer escape is meant to be a reset but it’s felt like anything but. Until she meets poolside manager Stella Castillo, who steps in to ensure Lisa isn’t about to file a complaint about her staff after they inadvertently put their foot in it. It should only be a five minute exchange, but Stella is intrigued by Lisa and is soon inviting her out of Paradise to show her the beauty of Spain beyond the non-Spanish tourist strip. It’s clear the pair are attracted to one another, and it’s not long before the fall into a casual summer romance. Lisa’s in Spain for a finite period of time, and they’re going to make the most of however long that is, but maybe this summer fling could be a forever romance.

Lise transports us to the sunny Spanish coast in this swoony sapphic romance that delivers a lot of laughs, so much heart, plenty of fur babies, and a generous sprinkling of spice. Lisa and Stella’s relationship was so fun to follow as they navigated a summer fling that quickly turned into something more. The chemistry between the pair was undeniable, and although Lise was somewhat heavy-handed on the number of spicy scenes she included, it made sense for a couple who swept up in the magic of a summer romance, and it didn’t actually feel like an overload.

This book made for such a nice change from a lot of other romances as it didn’t include a lot of angst in the relationship, and it also didn’t deliver the infamous third act break-up. And although I love those things about romance novels, I also just really enjoyed reading a more laid-back story where it was all about the relationship developing between the two main characters. It felt realistic, because even though they did have a few obstacles to deal with and overcome, they didn’t let them effect their relationship to literal breaking point.

A really interesting aspect to this story is the inclusion of the pandemic, which is something I’ve not seen a lot of romance writers in particular include in their books yet. And while that doesn’t mean I suddenly want everyone to include the pandemic in their books, because it is a nice escape to not have in mentioned at all, it was actually a really interesting and realistic inclusion by Lise. Like in real life, both Lisa and Stella had their livelihoods affected by the pandemic, with Lisa having lost her job because of it. The book takes place during a time when the world is opening up again after being in lockdown, and we see how the pandemic affected the hospitality industry from Stella’s perspective. It’s not a major focus in the book, but it’s a nice realistic touch that helps bring the two main characters together.

This was such a gorgeous sapphic romance, so if you’re looking for a sunny escape with a side of spice and a fur baby or two, this is definitely a book that needs to be added to the top of your TBR. There’s a reason why everyone loves Lise’s writing, and I can now see why!