A cute summer romance story - I loved the banter, the setting of the bookshop and the love interest. The bookshop is adorable but I needed more Bali. The books saviour is that there are some amazing characters and I adored Celestina. I also think a lot of people can relate to Clare and not knowing what to do with your life.

Beach Rivals is the perfect holiday read for fans of books about books.

Clare is drifting aimlessly. And so, on a whim, she flies to Bali to run Seashore Books for three months. What she doesn't expect is to find a shop neglected and almost abandoned. Nor did she know that she was to be living and working with Jack.

Clare and Jack are complete opposites. She is impulsive and creative. He is careful and considered. So, it isn't exactly plain sailing to begin with. But as they start to work together on bringing the shop back to life, they start to resurrect their own joie de vive, and find a deep respect and passion for one another.

With a cast of wonderful characters that add so much joy and colour to the story, Beach Rivals was a pure joy to read.

I really enjoyed this. It was an easy read and the story line kept me up turning pages into the morning. Would definitely recommend to all I know.

Clare is floundering, moving from temp job to temp job after the death of her father, but one day she spots an advert for a 3 month contract to take over a bookshop in Bali and goes for it. When she arrives though, she realises she has to share the job with Jack who she doesn't really see eye to eye with.
Really enjoyed this one, more for the main storyline than the romance element, I mean, I'm a bookworm, this book is basically my dream. I was fully invested in the bookshop doing well, I maybe wanted the book to be slightly longer, I wanted to experience Bali a bit more and the romance side felt a bit of a side story even though it was nice. A brilliant holiday read that I'm glad I saved.

This was a quick fun read. I really loved the setting of Bali, I love that so many romance books lately have been using different more unique cities and places to set books in rather than the usual places (don’t get me wrong I need all my Christmas books set in New York, so I’m not complaining 😂 but it’s nice to change it up sometimes)

This was a sort of middle of the road one for me, I enjoyed it but wasn’t obsessed with it but I still think it’s definitely worth a read if you love books about books and about bookshops!

Also if you loved Emily Henry’s Book Lovers, I found this like a re-write of that, I thought it was so similar, even the cover, the name etc felt like it!

From the blurb -

One bookshop in paradise. Two bitter rivals. A whole summer to get through...

Clare thought that by now she would have her life figured out. Instead, she's living with her parents, working a job she hates and has absolutely no idea what she wants to do with the rest of her life.

When she sees a viral job advert for a three-month bookseller position on a Bali beach, she jumps at the chance. But it's not until she arrives in Bali that Clare realises she won't be working in the bookshop alone.

Instead she's sharing the bookshop - and a flat - with a handsome but infuriating American man. Jack is Clare's opposite in almost every way, and it's not long before they're driving each other crazy. But fighting with Jack is also the most fun Clare's had in years, and it's only a matter of time before their relationship turns less than professional...

*ARC from Netgalley ✨

This took a while to pick up but it was a nice fun read for the summer! It ticks all the romance book boxes.

I absolutely loved this book, from start to finish I was engrossed and couldn't put it down.
Can we also take a.sexond to talk about this absolutely stunning cover I love it

So is this a real job and if so how do I sign up? Honestly this book was a dream job for me living in paradise running a little book shop on the beach. If jobs like this exist I am emigrating. In this book we meet Jack and Claire two stranger thrown together to run a bookshop in paradise. As they both try to make a go of the little shop and bring it back to life they also have to navigate their different lifestyles and views but are they both wasting their time on the shop. I loved both lost Claire who doesn’t know what to do with her life and opinionated Jack who is using this role as a stop gap before starting a new job. Don’t miss this great beach read that will put a huge smile on your face.

This book and it's plot was an absolute dream come true for book lovers everywhere - seriously, this premise needs to become a reality! I absolutely adored the two lead characters and their light enemies-to-lovers romance. Jack is the perfect book boyfriend and Clare is relatable to most bookworms out there. This is the perfect summer read, one that you will not be able to put down.

This book was a dream. The plot was immaculate. Two opposites not only working at the same bookstore but living together in a small apartment too!!! I read this book in one day and it was just so easy and light and irresistible. I couldn’t put it down because I just wanted to keep reading. Jack was so cute. He helps Clare put on her shoes. Reads the princess diaries because she said she liked it. Annotated a book for her. I was swooning and giggling into my pillow. Was it cheesy at times? Yes.
Did I love it? Yes.
Perfect summer read about books and an adorable romance with the best tropes. Grumpy x sunshine, opposites attract, forced proximity and a slight touch of rivals to lovers. What more could you want?

Clare's life has stagnated. After the death of her dad, she gave up uni and went travelling.
Now the money has ran out, she's back at home with her mum working dead-end jobs and no life plans. Then she sees an advert for a 3 month contact running a beachside bookshop in Bali, seems a silly idea to apply but what has she got to lose?

Now she's in Bali, sharing a shoebox sized flat with corporate robot Jack (who's also on the bookstore contract), trying to sort out her life while enjoying the sun, sea, sand...and Toby the Hemsworth-lookalike.

Overall I enjoyed the book, it's a chill summer read, fairly predictable but nice for it. The characters aren't overly fleshed out but I was fond of them and hoped for the best, Celestina in particular is FABULOUS, I'd love to spend an evening in her company!

It's not hilarious, but it's amusing and sweet and I really enjoyed it. A nice calm break from real life which left me smiling...and a little jealous. I want to run a bookshop on a beach!!!

4 ⭐

Also posted to Goodreads but unable to link account.

A fun and cosy feel-good romance set in a sleepy corner of Bali. We've all dreamed of doing a bookshop holiday, but getting to experience it through Clare and Jack is almost good enough! A pure delight, and the relationship between Clare and Jack evolved so naturally. Clare's tenacity and unwillingness to back down was so charming, I'm still thinking about this book weeks later. Georgie Tilney has certainly become an auto-buy for me!

Thank you so much Netgalley and the publisher and Georgia Tilney for this ARC!

This was such a sweet, easy summer read! Absolutely perfect for sitting on the beach and reading or cozying up in bed as it will most definitely bring a smile to your face!

This really cute HEA romance was so good and I will definitely be recommending!

Thank you so much to the author/publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this to read and review

I enjoyed my experience reading this book, it was fun and fast and who doesn’t love a bookshop setting?

The problems I had thought were obviously in part the believability but also that I just couldn’t envisage the setting at all. I think if you are someoen that’s been to Bali maybe you will see this clearly but I just couldn’t imagine what this bookshop looked like and where it was.

The other problem I had was that I truly did not feel an ounce of chemistry between the two characters: and they both felt sooo one dimensional and plain. Unlike so many other romances I read I wasn’t cheering when they got together or on the edge of my seat with anticipation. In fact: I was almost a little bored.

I think maybe a little more tension and flirty mess would be good as it seems these characters went from indifferent to lovers overnight.

Overall: not a bad book by any means I just wish a few things were different.

Oh and another side note: I just read a book at the beginning of the year with this exact plot and it feels a little unoriginal.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

The premise sounded so great and while there wasn't anything wrong with the story, I just didn't feel the pull of it. I loved the location but Claire and Jack was boring as characters. Nothing really happened.

Beach Rivals is a great choice for a holiday escapism read. Packed with tropical, idyllic beach settings and a love story with a few twists and turns. Clare and Jack turn up to a bookshop in paradise that over the years has become neglected. They find themselves approaching their three month job as the new booksellers in totally opposite styles. Over time, they end up complimenting each other as they try to turn around the luck of the bookshop.

I haven't really heard anyone talking about this book, but I thought the premise of an enemies-to-lovers romance set in an island bookshop sounded ideal, and I definitely enjoyed it! I wasn't convinced by Jack as a love interest in the beginning, as I didn't find him charming at all, and actually just felt he was unnecessarily rude, but this did change as he warmed up to Clare and her ideas for the bookshop. Even then, I did find their romance to come somewhat out of the blue if I hadn't been anticipating it from the start. The actual plot concerning the revival of the bookshop and the community that grew through their efforts was sweet, and the whole 3-month timeframe did allow momentum to build up throughout the course of the book. I enjoyed Adam and Celestina as secondary characters, and I wish they were utilised a bit more, especially Adam, as I felt his sudden involvement towards the end was a bit unexpected. Overall a perfectly decent summer read!

Clare realises she needs to sort her life out, drifting aimlessly from one bad job to another.. A 3 month stay in Bali, working in a book shop seems a good opportunity to relax and sort her life out, but she doesn't realise how passionate she will become in saving the bookshop from closure. Will the relationship between herself and Jack become more amenable? A perfect holiday read.

If you love a good slow-burn romance, this story is the one for you! It will also give you ALL the summer vibes and if you live anywhere near me where it has been raining non-stop since the beginning of July, this book will transport you to a place of sunshine, beaches and all the summer you want.

This is gorgeous summer read with the perfect setting - a bookshop on the beach in Bali! I loved the premise - two strangers having to work and live together for 3 months, which obviously leads to a delicious slow burn romance. I even loved all the side characters and storylines, revolving around saving the bookshop. And the romance film ending was just too lovely 🥰. 5/10 epilogue though - give me mooooore.

I’m not entirely sure why it’s called Beach Rivals though?! There wasn’t necessarily a rivalry between Clare and Jack?

Includes a lot to love:

- opposites attract
- forced proximity
- exotic setting
- some LGBTQ rep
- slow burn
- light spice