Aimless Londoner Clare, and brusque American businessman, Jack, find themselves working together to save a neglected beachside bookstore in this light and fun contemporary romance novel by Georgie Tilney.

A three-month long working holiday as a bookseller by the beach seems like a dream way to spend the summer (offers welcome) so the premise of Beach Rivals was immediately appealing. To be honest though, it was the setting that caught my attention while browsing. Bali, an island in Indonesia, has been a popular holiday destination for Australians for decades, yet I haven’t ever read a book set there.

If you favour a particular romance trope, Tilney combines elements of several in Beach Rivals. As well as ‘opposites attract’, there is a grumpy-sunshine vibe to the pairing of Clare and Jack, and given that they share both a workplace and a tiny flat, forced proximity is at play too. Though the spark of physical attraction is almost immediate, the romance is a slow burn which I thought the author paced well, though it could have been enhanced with a little more tension.

There was just enough character growth to satisfy me. I enjoyed Clare’s enthusiasm to rejuvenate Seashore Books, which is as much to prove something to herself, as it is to prove Jack wrong. The store owner Adam, and his glamorous wife Celestina are wonderful support characters, and I quite liked Toby as a distraction for Clare. I do think Tilney missed an opportunity to involve a Balinese character in the story, which might have given the novel a stronger grounding in place.

A charming and entertaining novel, Beach Rivals is an enjoyable, escapist read.

An easy and enjoyable perfect holiday read!
The setting could not be more perfect, a bookshop nestled on a beach in Bali – I could practically feel the sand beneath my toes and the smell of the old books filling my nose.
The bookshop is beautifully described I really felt as though I’d been transported amongst the dusty shelves.
However, more descriptions of Bali itself would have been nice, for example the scenery, cuisine and culture but alas I enjoyed the story nonetheless.

Jack and Clare are strangers and are polar opposites, they find themselves living together in a very small and cramped flat and also working together in Seashore books in beautiful Bali.
They don’t get off to the best of starts and try to avoid each other as much as possible.
But slowly and surely their attraction begins to ramp up.
I was really rooting for these two and also hoping they would manage to turn this struggling bookshop around. Their character development was good and they both grew in confidence as the story progressed.

The perfect beach read, a feel good romance which is an easy to follow and a lot of fun to read.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, a big thank you to Random House UK, Transworld and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to read this book.

This was an easy read – one that had an easy to follow storyline, a small amount of characters, and a happy ending. An ideal book to pop in your bag for a holiday (or one to read in your garden when the suns out).
All of the characters were well crafted; they didn’t feel flat or 2D. I’m a sucker for a book that shows a bookshop being brought back to life, and I feel like this journey was documented and described well.

Personally, I wish that the story was written in first person with dual perspectives. It would have been interesting to know more about each characters thoughts and feelings, and I think I would have felt more connected to the characters if it was written this way. But the story was still enjoyable in third person nonetheless.

Setting wise, there was a lack of anything that made it feel like we were in Bali. For all I knew, we were in any kind of holiday location. I feel like Bali is such a beautiful location and it could have been utilised so much more than it was.

For a book titled ‘Beach Rivals’, I expected a lot more tension between the characters. I think the enemies to lovers trope could have been amped up a bit.

If you’re looking for an easy to read romance, then this book is perfect for you. But if you want something with a bit more complexity, then unfortunately, this book doesn’t exactly hit the mark.

A lovely holiday read. Clare and Jack find themselves running a run down bookshop together in idyllic Bali. Also forced to share a miniscule apartment things begin awkwardly with two very different people. Of course as time passes and they get to know each other, and Clare's enthusiasm for turning the shop around rubs off on Jack, they become closer. Add into the mix, shop owner and his colourful wife, Celestine and we have a fab cast of characters in a wonderful setting. A lovely read - I can't think of a better job. #netgalley #beachrivals

Perfect summer read! Who doesn’t want to read a book about a bookshop in Bali? Great setting, fab characters and a jolly storyline.

I loved the setting and location of this book. Also the concept. Imagine to go work in a book shop on the beach in Bali. Would be my dream job.

I do love a slow burn romance.

A great summer read, perfect to read on your holidays or in the sunshine with a nice glass of rose.

A beach, a bookshop and romance. What's not to like? This was a nice easy read that took me away from the rainy days I was reading it on.

Easy enough read but didn't spark my imagination as much as was hoping. Great premise and love the idea of a book shop on the beach!

This is a perfect easy summer read.
It's entertaining, has interesting and engaging characters, a fantastic well described setting and a good storyline.
It was fun to read and easy to follow, a nice feel good romance which I would recommend.

Beach Rivals is a fun summer read that centres on Clare, who is lost and unclear on what she wants to do with her life and Jack a grumpy realist as they meet in Bali to take over a book shop for three months, both determined to rescue this sinking business.
The two are forced together as they share a living space as well as the book shop and butt heads more often than not. Jack presumes Clare is only in Bali as a way of having a cheap holiday but this is not the case. Jack is very closed off and it is hard to get a read on him. He reveals himself slowly which matches the pace of the romance.
I think the addition of a side romance between Clare and a different character was probably unnecessary and I could have read more interaction between our main characters.
Adam and Celestina were fantastic side characters that added depth and purpose to the story. Their romance in itself was inspiring and learning more about their history through the book was great. Adam and Celestina met before she transitioned and fell madly in love. Celestina was a budding author who wrote under a pen name at the time and Clare and Jack are very inspired by this.
This was an easy read, low conflict with a happily ever after for all. I did forget at some points that the setting was in Thailand and could easily mistake is for being a bookstore anywhere in the world. Maybe some deeper exploration of the fantastic setting that contributed to the beloved book shop.
Thank you for the eARC!

This was a nice story.

The problem I had was, it never felt like it was in Bali, but could have been any beach location.

Just a pleasant romance, with some nice characters.

Two people on opposite sides of the behavioural spectrum (one uptight and by-the-book, one flaky and struggling to find direction in life), a beach in Bali, a bookshop in need of salvation. Three big ticks on my list of things I love in books.
Claire was an endearing character, with a zest for life that no challenge seems to have dampened (even if it took her a while to find it). Jack was frosty, but never annoying - it was obvious that his intentions were good, so he was always likeable. Their relationship was a lovely slow-burn that kept a believable and charming pace right up the end (the last chapter or two felt slightly rushed).
I particularly enjoyed the additional relationships within the story. Adam and Celestina were wonderful additions, bringing fullness and emotion to a light and fun story. Ben and Lina gave a deeper sense of connection to Claire and Jack, as well as bringing extra humour.
The exploration of individuality within the sphere of connection was beautifully written, and gave the story a deeper meaning than I was expecting it to have. This wasn't a simple story about two people finding love on a beach, it was also about two people finding out who they could be in their lives, without any pressure from anyone else.
For what appears to be this author's debut novel, I found it to be outstanding and thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

This was such a cute lighthearted read. The location (Bali) stunning, a bookshop setting - what more could we want, and of course the good old classic of enemies to lovers. I loved Clare and seeing her self confidence grow through the book, it was actually quite refreshing reading a book where someone doesn’t have their whole life together. I even loved the side characters of Celestina and Adam, Celestina honestly sounds like the most glamorous woman, and it was great to see some trans representation in the book too.
I read this book in literally 2 days it was such an easy read and all I wanted to know was what was going to happen at the end of the 3 months and would the bookshop be saved.
If you want the perfect easy summer read then you have to pick this up

Thankyou so much to @what_emreadnext @penguinrandomhouse and @netgalley for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you for inviting me to be part of the book tour on this book!
It was a great read! My only mistake is that I wasn’t round a pool sipping cocktails whilst reading it.
This book was pure escapism and probably every bookworms dream, pack up and start a job in a bookshop!
It is a great summer romance read! One that should be making its way into your suitcase if you are planning to go away!
A short, sweet, fun and light summer read

This was such a sweet summer Romance read!

Easy to devour and set in the beautiful country of Bali.

We've all seen the ads and heard the stories. Run a book store in another country, this story is what if you said actually applied and got accepted.

I just wish that the Jack and Clare hadn't spent half of the book trying to avoid each other, I needed a bit more arguing and back and forth so that when the romance kicked into gear it made that umph impact I was looking for.

The ending was sweet, a little too sweet and perfect in my opinion but we all need a HEA to go with the warm sun.

It was funny and light and everything you need in a romantic read on the beach!

I’m not sure the title of this book is particularly true. I love an enemies to lovers book but this is not one of them. There’s very little conflict or hatred to make them enemies. They have a few disagreements but they’re all minor and relatively polite. There was also a lack of tension between the two. It felt like they didn’t actually spend that much time together so I didn’t really feel the chemistry. The bookshop is adorable but I needed more Bali. It sounded like you’re usual cosy English book store. The book's 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. It’s an easy read for summer but not one of my favourites.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Beach Rivals is a lovely, easy summer read. The setting could not be more perfect, a bookshop nestled on a beach in Bali. The bookshop is beautifully described and conjured up all sort off lovely images and I started imagining how I would organise the books and displays. More descriptions of Bali itself would have been nice, for example the scenery, cuisine and culture which would have emphasised the idyllic Bali setting.

Jack and Clare are strangers and complete opposites, they find themselves living together in a rather small flat and also working together in Seashore books. Slightly awkward around each other at first and clearly not liking each other, it was lovely to see their growing attraction develop over the course of the story. I was really rooting for these two and also hoping they would manage to turn this struggling bookshop around. Their character development was good and they both grew in confidence as the story progressed.

The perfect beach read, a feel good romance which is an easy to follow and a lot of fun to read.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the eARC via Netgalley

i enjoyed this enemy-to-lovers story and wish I could live in Bali. Well plotted and entertaining
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A book shop located in a beautiful location and the age old trope of enemies to lovers make for a fun, summer read. (3 ⭐️)

A really enjoyable 'beach read'. The classic 2 young people forced together to work but who obviously like each other..the Bali setting is idyllic and the bookshop the the quaint rundown property you can imagine wanting to lovingly put back together. The characters are endearing and as the reader, you want the best for them all. I'm not sure the title is the right one, I personally wouldn't have gone for rivals! Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for my arc