40-Love

It was fine - I love Olivia Dade's plus-sized heroines and their strong senses of self, but I just didn't buy the romance here. Not because of the age difference between the characters or anything, really, but it's a vacation fling, they've known each other not even two weeks and he's ready to quit his job and move several states away? Even assuming that wouldn't cause any issues with his work visa, that's a big change. I feel like Lucas needed more development as a character for that decision to make sense. All in all, this was a fun, goodhearted book, but I wanted it to show its work a little bit more for the plot and character decisions to feel earned.

(2021 Summer Romance Bingo: wardrobe malfunction, would also work for educator.)

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book and I adored everything about it.
I literally could not put it down and read it all in one sitting because I was swept away in the romance that was Tess & Lucas.

The setting for this wonderful vacation romance was perfect and I also love how low conflict this book is.

From the second they meet through the unconventional circumstance of Tess using him as a human bra shield to stop her from indigent exposure (lol btw), the chemistry was explosive.

We get to see more of them as they tentatively and sweetly navigate their relationship and actually engage in open and honest communication.
Of course, we expect this work from our 40yo heroine but the fact that Lucas, our 26yo tennis pro, is ready to lay it all out there for love? Yep. Put it in my veins.
Mama loves self aware characters.

I really liked the discussion of their careers and their goals for the future too. This could have been all vacation and no real world but I think the “threat” of the real world on their relationship and the fact that it was kind of a part of their vacation the whole time was deftly done.

Can we also talk about how Belle is a bomb friend? She is the kind of person you want in your corner to push you into situations that will make you happy and also happily take with you to eviscerate an evil ex.

Definitely a hot summer pick.
Take this to your pool or the beach (if you're allowed to go) with some cocktails and enjoy.