So Not My Romantic Getaway by Evie Sterling Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Coworkers to lovers

➮ Fake dating

➮ Opposites attract

➮ Off limits

➮ Mistaken identity

➮ HEA

➮ Meddling friends/family

➮ Dual POV

Synopsis

I am stuck at a Hawaiian resort with my rival coworker… He’s terrible to work with but way too good at playing fake-boyfriend.

My Thoughts

One of Evie's best-written stories so far! It is super obvious that over the past year, she has greatly refined her writing style. This improvement has been very fascinating to see. I look forward to seeing it get even better in the future. 

In addition, this was the earliest in the story that I remember Evie's characters ever kissing. I'm used to her pacing being similar to a romance anime where the characters only kiss at the very end of a will-they-won't-they situation. It also felt steamier than before. This is a welcome change in my opinion. The steam made the tension higher which made the story more hard-hitting as a whole. 

There were a lot of smile-worthy moments. From adorable times with Jack's family (particularly his nieces). The animals involved also made me smile a lot. I think we would all benefit from a sea turtle as a therapist. The gorgeous setting of a Hawaiian island helped massively with this. Evie really made the setting part of the story without it taking over too much. 

The one part of the story I wasn't as in love with was how held back Hazel was by her overthinking. It felt like it took a very long time relative to the length of the book for Jack's free spirit to rub off on her at all. I really just wanted to shove them together and see her relax a bit more earlier on. 

Jack's character as a whole is super adorable. From him being a certified Swiftie, to his baby fever. I appreciate that while he is a daredevil masculine man, he also isn't afraid to like stereotypically girly things. His well-roundedness is so refreshing to see. I definitely wanted more of his perspective. 

I also really liked the way this book wrapped up. I will not spoil anything but I will say it is very fitting to who both Hazel and Jack have become by the end. 

Overall, this is definitely a top contender for my favorite book by Evie Sterling. The increased steaminess, beautiful setting, and well-written MMC caused me to smile a ton while reading. If are looking for a light-hearted summery romance to read while summer is still upon us, I recommend this one. 

I received this book as part of the haylingbookstorm street team for Evie Sterling. My review is honest and voluntary