* This review is spoiler-free *
5/5 ⭐
Tropes
➮ Enemies to lovers
➮ Fake dating
➮ Slow burn
➮ Office romance
Synopsis
Emily Lane was supposed to be on vacation but is instead meeting a new hire who steals the position meant for her. Needing an escape, Emily takes on her sister's calligraphy company, which fits her skills quite well. The only caveat to this arrangement is that she has to pretend to be her sister. This was all going well until she discovered her client's brother was Beckett Atteridge, the office promotion thief. He will keep her identity secret on one condition: she is his fake date at the wedding in Costa Rica. As lines are blurred between real and fake, the vacation will either become as escape or a heartbreak.
Best Quote From the Book
“But when [my pen] finally connected with the page, that's when the magic happened. Heavy strokes going down followed by the lightest of up strokes. It reminded me of following music in choir. Every downstroke belted a proud fortissimo, and every upstroke sang a delicate, hushed pianissimo."
LGBTQ+ Representation
3/5 🌈
While not at all prominent in the story, there is a small mention of a gay couple amongst the bridal party. They are portrayed as very fun and kind. Everyone is totally chill and accepting of it.
My Thoughts
I am shocked with how I genuinely have nothing negative to say about this book. There is always at least one thing I can critique in all of my reviews. That will not be happening here. This book is absolutely wonderful from cover to cover.
From literally the second page, I was completely hooked on the story. It was nearly impossible to put down, I took every stolen minute to read the book, even standing in line at the store. For a debut novel, this book blew it out of the water completely!
Ashford's writing style is naturally very witty. At times that can end up being rather grating, but not here. It just feels very natural and easily funny. There were so many moments I was legitimately laughing at this book. I kind of felt like a teenage schoolgirl giggling and kicking my feet at their dynamic and romance. There is one funny moment that involves aggressively floating that I want to shout out as a moment to look out for. The humor was exactly the kind I like with lots of inside jokes and references to each other.
Both Emily and Beck are such endearing characters. Emily and I have a passion for calligraphy and letting. Having that in common with the FMC just added even more value to the story. I will also give a lot of love to Beck for his character design, meaningful tattoos, and casual elegance. We all have to appreciate a man who knows how to dress well and doesn't make a huge deal out of it.
Ashford gives a lot of subtle and not-so-subtle nods to her home state of Texas. This includes Buc-ee's among other Texas staples. I admire how she puts herself into her book without literally just basing the FMC entirely on herself. It can be a difficult balance to incorporate special author's touches without making it overly personal. Especially for a debut novel, this line was totally respected.
I will note this book has a few spicy scenes, they are open-door. Don't bother skipping them; they add so much to the plot and give another peek into the characters. If you are uncomfortable with any spice, this book is one to skip.
I am absolutely ecstatic that this book has a nearly non-ruined vacation. They don't have to run away entirely due to tragedy. They actually communicate and address things as they come up in a very supportive way.
This was an absolutely smashing debut novel. This was the easiest 5-star I've given in years. Zero complaints. Go, run, and preorder this book so that you experience the magic and humor that is Emily and Beck. This hidden gem deserves to become a bestseller ASAP!
I received this book as part of a haylingsbookstorm arc team. My review is honest and voluntary
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