I really enjoyed the premise of a reality tv show that took the contestants into the backcountry of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. I think the author did a wonderful job with challenges contestants faced.

However, I did not like any of the characters in this story. They felt one dimensional and under developed. The two lead characters who were the most developed weren’t very likable on their own though.

I could see this book being turned into a fun made for TV movie though where the one dimensional characters would be less of a sticking point.

DNF 26%

This had a great premise and I jumped at reading it once i read the blurb. Unfortunately, my excitement for the blurb could only carry me through this book so far.

Thank you netgalley for the advance copy

Really disappointed :( this book seemed right up my alley. As a romantic comedy fanatic and an avid fan of the show Survivor, I thought I was getting the best of both worlds with this one. Unfortunately I couldn’t finish this one. I just wasn’t able to connect to any of the characters, and it felt like the plot just dragged.

I'm not the type to DNF books, especially ARCs, but this one really had me wanting to. Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for an ARC of Crush in the Cascades in exchange for an honest review. SO this one piqued my interest because it wasn't just any reality TV show setting, but an adventure one. Being on the reality TV show kick lately, I thought this one would be perfect because I was already in the mood. Unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to care about any of the characters, and there honestly weren't very many redeeming qualities about any of the characters, much less character development. They were honestly immature and coupled with the miscommunication trope, the book just dragged more than anything. Maybe it's just not my cup of tea so if you love sort of enemies to lovers but in reality, it's insta-love, the miscommunication trope, stereotypical characters, and a reality TV show setting, this book is the one for you. I helped curb my reality TV show kick, so props for that.

This is the perfect sort of light-hearted happy I’m always looking for. The inside of this book is as cute as the cover. Definitely give it a read!

Thank you to Netgalley and to Montlake for an opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. My full thoughts will be posted on the release date.

dnf at 40%
I always feel bad for dnfing arcs but I just don't want to read this any longer. I was so excited to read this book as the description sounded amazing and I'm always a sucker for a good enemies to lovers. Unfortunately, the characters were so meh that I didn't feel like forcing myself to finish this.

I was not a fan of Easton he was misogynistic and judgemental asf. Throughout the part that I read, Easton kept being like 'why doesn't amity like me?' and in the same chapter, he would insult her a million times and for no reason. Sir Amity doesn't like you because you're acting like my middle school bully.

Amity was a decent character but oh my gosh in one of the first chapters she didn't know what flint was and then acted like Easton was the stupid one. I get it not everyone knows what flint is but why would you join a wilderness survival show if you don't know what it is nor what it looks like? But she did cut off her hair to save their asses which made me respect her a little bit. Still, she wasn't that interesting of a character but she still was better than Easton even if she was talking shit to herself over another girl wearing braided pigtails because it's 'childish' like stfu aren't you an Easton the people acting like 5-year-olds every second over little things?

Anyways this story was very stereotypical and boring. The Miles drama was sorta interesting but it was getting a little repetitive. I went and read the last few chapters and I still don't know if I like Easton or not but I probably would've ended up liking Amity. Overall this story had potential but it fell flat for me. I think that if you want an easy-to-follow romance then this would be a great pick for you but like I said it just didn't personally work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 huge stars! I found this novel so entertaining and fun to read. The characters were enjoyable and very likeable. Think Big Brother camping addition with contemporary romance. I was so happy to see there is going to be a sequel.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this cute book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you to Lisa S. Gayle for allowing me an ARC copy of this book. I can’t even express how much I loved it. The story hits the ground running on page 1; you will not be able to put it down. Lisa S. Gayle hit a home run with this one!

Amity and Easton are both contestants on an outdoor adventure based reality show; The Race for Riches or Romance will award the winning team 2 million dollars. With their own intentions in mind, Amity and Easton find themselves paired as a team for the first challenge. Dressed to impress, Amity doesn’t realize that she will begin the competition immediately…in her dress and heels. Outdoor expert Easton Cooper can’t believe he could potentially be eliminated during the first round due to his clearly pampered partner.

As the competition moves on, Amity and Easton can’t seem to stay away from one another despite being paired with other competitors for various challenges. They are challenged physically and mentally while learning to work with the varying personalities of the other contestants.

Do they trust one another, form an alliance, and fan the sparks that are flying between them? Or is it better to play it safe and stick to their initial intentions? Can you really find true love on a reality TV show anyway? What happens when the cameras turn off?

Without hesitation, this book gets 5 stars. It’s fun, evolves at a great pace, has just the right amount of attention to detail, and allows the reader to experience a variety of emotions.

The characters were so well developed; you’ll enjoy their backstories and personal quirks. Even the secondary characters have clear personalities and hold your attention. The game show premise was new and a little out of the box for me; honestly, it was awesome. It just worked. I could go on and on. Just read it. Then tell all of your bookish friends to read it too. Lisa S. Gayle deserves some love for this one!

Solid 3.75 stars, rounding up to 4. This book was fun! Amnity and Easton meet on a reality TV show, The Race for Riches or Romance. While Amnity is in the race for an adventure, Easton is there to win the money, hoping to split the 2 million dollars prize money with a female contestant. The two are paired in the first match and immediately hate each other. Their hatred turns to lust pretty quickly and that’s when things get interesting. This made for a fun, quick read!

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

🌳BOOK REVIEW!🌳

Crush in the Cascades by Lisa S. Gayle
Release Date: May 2, 2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶🌶/5


Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be on one of those wild reality racing shows? If you have this book is for you.

Riches or Romance? Can you have it all? What would you choose?

Meet Cooper. A handsome mountain man who is in desperate need of some cash. He signs up for this action packed adventure show and lucky for him, he is right in his element. Standing across from Cooper is Amity. Dressed for a party, Amity is clearly NOT in her element. All the contestants seem to think that she is just some sort of socialite princess, here for the attention. But never judge a book by its cover. Follow this story of instant irritation and see what can blossom when money and love are on the line.

🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱

Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this before it is published!

Truth be told, when I was younger, I always wanted to do the Amazing Race. This book instantly changed my mind. Lol This book was so much fun to read. If you love a good, fast paced, instant romance, this one is for you. If you have ever been irritatingly attracted to someone, this book will make you feel less alone. Lol I really enjoyed all of the banter and exciting challenges these characters face. With a dash of spice, the story between Cooper and Amity is so sweet. If you need a fun, flirty, irritating (in a good way) book to read this summer, consider checking out Crush in the Cascades when it releases next week.





#bookstagram #bookmom #bookstagrammer #bookclub #whatimreading #bookies #bookish #readwithme #ilovebooks #booksbookandmorebooks #bookishlife
#bookishthings #currentlyreading #netgalley #arc #romance #womensfiction #contemporaryromance

The plot is amazing. The writing kept me engaged. It wasn't too lengthy nor too short. that's why it didn't seemed boring to me. in the end it was a nice read for me. The cover of this book is also fabulous.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, BooksGoSocial and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


I wasn’t impressed by this one and couldn’t get into it.

If I’m honest first thing that attracted me to this book was the cover. I am a huge fan of contemporary romance anyway, but when a contemporary romance is paired with a cartoon cover like this one I’m probably going to give it a go! When I read the description I was even more drawn in. I thought the concept and plot sounded very unique - It included all the rom/com elements I love with the twist of adventure and reality television thrown in.

Things I liked about the book:
-As stated above, I really liked the uniqueness of placing a romcom in a adventure reality TV setting. I’ve not read a book that’s done that yet.
-Being the enemies to lovers fan I am, I love repairing the very opposite people together.
-I thought the location was interesting in the sense that it wasn’t the typical settings I expect from lots of contemporary romances I have read.

Things I wasn’t too keen on:
-I find miscommunication troops frustrating. The lack of communication between the characters made for, at times, a not so enjoyable reading experience. However, I know there are many people that do enjoy this in books, because of the drama it can creat3. That’s completely valid, but just not my cup of tea.
-To pair with the miscommunication, this book has the instant love trope. Again, that is valid and there are loads of people that enjoy that in contemporary romance. I have also enjoyed it from time to time, but when used in conjunction with a lack of communication it is confusing. This is because sometimes the switch from being ‘in love’ to the duo not getting on felt very sudden or unjustified.

Overall, I think I would recommend this to a friend. This is because the issues I had with the book could just be put down to personal preference. I think there is definitely an audience for this and there will be people that will love it!

This is one of those books I just happened to stumble upon, and I’m so glad I did. It was a fun, light read with likable main characters and an original premise. And it reminded me that I don’t really ever want to go camping. Not that I needed the reminder, but it’s nice to have your life choices affirmed every now and then.

Cooper and Amity both sign up to be on a new reality show aptly called The Race for Riches or Romance. They get off on the wrong foot when she arrives in an evening gown, wrongly assuming the romance part of the show will be a bit more important. But really, it’s survivor-light. Physical challenges, trail runs, and woodsy tasks completed in pairs, and the final pair standing wins a million bucks. Cooper thinks she’s a snotty princess, Amity thinks he’s a backwoods weirdo, and the real journey is them realizing they’re completely wrong about each other.

This was a really cute book, and though I did think some of their issues were dragged out by miscommunication, I still overall enjoyed this read. There’s absolutely an element of insta-hate followed by insta-love, and insta-love doesn’t always work for me. But I’ve seen enough reality TV shows to know that those sort of heightened reactions happen under the circumstances that producers set up. Insta-love is almost to be expected, and it’s what happens afterward that really proves if a couple is meant to be together. And it’s definitely fun watching Cooper and Amity try to figure that out for themselves.

And I will absolutely be on the lookout for the sequel featuring Cooper’s sassy younger sister.

dnf @ 25%

I always hate dnfing arcs, I get as far as I possibly can and way further than if I got the book myself after publication, but there isn't anything redeeming that makes me want to finish this. Marketed as survival show enemies to lovers, I thought I was going to love this. The premise seems do fun, interesting, and exactly what I'd normally look for in a book. Unfortunately, it fell flat. The writing fell flat with me, and the characters felt more like stereotypes than fully fleshed out characters. Easton jumped between hot and cold, respecting Amity and looking down on her because she was a woman he decided was uptight and high maintenance, only to respect Bria who he perceived was more capable on the same small introductions. I wanted so badly to see if there was any redeeming development, but there wasn't anything pulling me in and making me want to continue.

⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book :)
THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN TAGGED SPOILERS.
Fast-pieced romances in a reality tv show, insta-insta-love, and kinda enemies to lovers(?).
Crush in the Cascades tells the story of a two contestants in the realty tv show Riches or Romance, where they face challenges in skills, track run but also relationships.

PROS
- The idea was excellent and actually original. The relay tv show set is something I haven’t seen anywhere yet and the main reason why a picked up this book
- The challenges and the competition was actually dope. I really like the parts about the race, the planning and the scenery where the book is set.

Yes, the pros ends here.
This book had good parts but it was mostly confusing and pretty full of CONS:
- Insta-insta-insta love. I get that insta love is supposed to be fast but how is it that at page 20 we already have the super protective alpha act and they haven’t even said a word to each other? The entire romance is confusing because it happens way too fast.
- Flatter than flat characters. Most of the characters have no evolution or even change through the book except maybe one (Liam?). The mains are both kind of hateful and their thinking process doesn’t make a lot if sense.
- Easton. Yes, he deserves an entire con. I hated the main male because from the start he’s so full of himself judging every like what? Oh he’s also a misogynistic asshole who thinks he’s always right.
- *SPOILER ALERT* Why are they almost thirty acting like teenagers? Mostly since they start dating it feels like it’s an high school romance, they are thirty and always talk about past relationships, so you should know you at least have to talk?

For the entire book I was like wait, what?
It has a lot of potential but definitely need another edit.
x/G

Amity and Cooper are contestants on a reality show that seems to be a mashup of Survivor and the Amazing Race. He needs the money, and she … also needs the money, but is more so looking for an adventure (?)
Unfortunately this book is why I avoided romance books for years.
First insta love is not for me. It’s described as enemies to lovers, but they were enemies for like 3 pages.
But more importantly the story was just not there, like at all.
There is no story, no character growth, nothing that makes this book stand out. It’s full of romance novel cliches and I found myself whispering *oh come on* multiple times while rolling my eyes.
If I was writing a Saturday Night Live skit about a romance novel, it would look a lot like this.

Amity and Cooper are contestants on a new reality show, a survival game where the rules can change at any moment. From the beginning, they hate each other. But slowly, they both realize they've underestimated the other, and that hate turns into begrudging respect, and then love. Over the course of the show, the two get closer, forge alliances, and take stock of what matters most to them-- for Cooper, it's saving his best friend's life; for Amity, it's experiencing the kind of adventures she was never able to have with her father-- and falling in love.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book, as well as the tension between Amity and Cooper before they get together. The show setup was fun, and I was really drawn in every step of the way in that regard. I'm not much of a reality tv person (I love reading novels set on reality shows, just not watching them) but I absolutely would watch Racing for Riches or Romance if it were a show. The challenges were fun and interesting, and the characters were compelling-- even though we didn't know much about most of them. The setting was also gorgeous, and every single time the mountains were described I was utterly captivated. Amity coming across as an entitled, spoiled rich girl when she'd actually the complete opposite also created a fun set of circumstances.
Unfortunately, though I LOVED the tension between Amity and Cooper before they get together, I didn't love the relationship itself. The stakes were really high and the internal struggles, Amity's especially, didn't really line up. She keeps wondering if a MILLION dollars (the prize money for winning) is more important to Cooper than she, a woman he's known for a couple weeks, is, and she expects him to be willing to give up the things that matter most to him (namely, outdoorsy things she deems too dangerous, like rock climbing) to be with her-- again, someone he's only known for a couple weeks. The day they start dating, the narration shifts from using the other person's name to referring to each other almost exclusively as "his girlfriend" and "her boyfriend," and names don't really re-enter the equation for a good bit. Overall, while they needed to be together for a bit before the final challenge, I wish the details of that had been different, or that the early tension, which I LOVED, had been drawn out longer. All that being said, there were a lot of things I really loved about this book, and I am looking forward to reading the second book and getting to experience Hannah's story.

3.75/5

Um romance leve, rápido de ler e com todos os ingredientes para dar umas boas gargalhadas.

Quem não adora um belo enemies-to-lovers?!

Easton e Amity são como o cão e o gato, mas nem tudo é o que parece.

Gostei imenso do conceito do reality show e das dinâmicas do enredo. Houve alguns momentos mais lentos e parados, mas no geral foi uma boa leitura.

Ideal para quem quer uma leitura leve, divertida, recheada de aventura e bem romântica.

𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘐𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 follows Amity and Cooper as they each navigate growing attraction amidst a reality TV gameshow with cameras hovering everywhere.

- ~ -

Hmm... So a lot of the reviews say Cooper was misogynistic and I swear, usually I can sniff misogyny from a mile off, but this time?

I mean did Cooper meet the standard for romance novels protagonists? Certainly not.

But was he misogynistic? I don't think so.

I'll however, fully support the fact that Cooper did not treat Amity right, her instant forgiveness let him get away with so much a-hole behaviour. And that irritated me beyong words like how dare he not trust her or warn her then have the guts to half pin it on her?

And don't even get me started on the near instant attraction and confessions and then engagement??? It was too much in too little time.

But again did I enjoy reading the book? A bit.
It was all props to the setting. I mean it's scorching hot out, and the thought of being immersed in the cool terrains with the buzz of nature and cackle of cameras as well as the thrill of the gameshow, that might've done it for me.
But I can confidently say the book deserves protagonists and improved dialogue and monologue writing.

- ~ -

2.75 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴𝘎𝘰𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 & 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.