A review by meganpbennett
On Location by Sarah Echavarre Smith

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

On Location is an interesting novel. It's the story of Alia, who is trying to film and produce her first nature exploration series, set in the National Parks of Utah. It's very evocative of the landscape, and did a good job describing the sights that I remember fondly from the Parks I've been to. Arches is indescribably, hauntingly, otherworldly beautiful. Alia is also contending with the worst possible host - not only is he a complete jackass, he's also unprofessional and likes to come to work high - and the man she had half a date with before he ghosted her in New York. 

On Location is well written, and it has some tropes that I really enjoy in it, including friends with benefits, and people learning how to stand up for themselves. Alia has a very loyal crew who are willing to do anything for her, even when it risks making management mad at them. Drew's a little frustrating at the beginning, as it's hard to tell if he's going to help or hinder the filming, but he eventually warms up to Alia, and her wild ideas. 
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