Thanks to Netgalley and Transworld Digital for a review copy of this book.
Clare is a young Englishwoman who after many tries with different jobs somehow hasn’t been able to get her life on track until she answers a job ad for someone to work at a bookshop on the beach at Bali. Seizing the opportunity she arrives to find that she is sharing the job and a flat with a handsome American guy, Jack, whose life seems a bit too ordered for her liking. Forced to make the best of it Clare struggles to find compromises and approaches to make the job and her unavoidable relationship with Jack work. The process both challenges her and forces her to understand more about herself, what she wants from life and also the choices of others. A pleasant read, that has a bit of local colour, eccentric characters and solid main characters, that though labelled a romantic comedy is more warm hearted than funny.

For a switch off read, this book is perfect and as a huge fan of quirky bookshops I wanted to be right there in the thick of it. Some scenes describing the local area were enticing...and the 'secret' restaurant.
I wanted to know more about the time Clare spent with Toby and the conflict that would cause her.

The characters each go through some personal shift and ride a rollercoaster of emotions. Insecurity through to anger, despair to love and lost to found.

I read the book in one go and the feel-good factor didn't disappoint. An easy read for seekers of happy endings,

What could go wrong with two rivals in a tropical location! Loved the destination of Bali and the essence of the story! A perfect beach read!

MY ONLY WARNING IS AFTER READING THIS BOOK YOU WILL ABSOLUTELY WANT TO GIVE UP EVERYTHING TO GO RUN A CHARMING BOOKSTORE IN BALI (A SEEMINGLY ABRUPT MAN WITH NICE FOREARMS WOULD BE A NICE BONUS)

Thanks Netgalley and the :Publisher. This was a great easy read, good storyline, annoying characters but I enjoyed it.

This was a simple, fun, easy and quick read. The perfect type of book for your holiday, beach, pool kind of read. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Clare is fed up going from one temporary job to another so when an opportunity to run a bookshop in Bali she jumps at the chance. She doesn't realise until she gets there how rundown it is and that she'll be working with Jack. Loved this book

This was thoroughly enjoyable escapism. A perfect, quick paced page turner with lovely characters and a warm, engaging storyline. Highly recommended to slip alongside your summer reads.

With the book title and description, I was looking forward to a cute beach read with a steamy rivalry between Clare and Jack. The set-up felt great, but unfortunately this didn't hit the mark for me.

The book had promise but everything fell too flat. Jack's jealousy for Toby felt short-lived (Toby in general didn't seem to add a lot to the plot development), and there wasn't so much a rivalry as miscommunications and bad first impressions. I had to fight to stop myself from skimming the pages as unfortunately I wasn't invested in the character conflicts and goals.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I really enjoyed it and as a lover of books I found myself looking up the authors and titles mentioned in this book. I would definitely recommend this book.

I adored this. I was in a reading rut and got through it in half a day. Embarrassingly I think it’s the first book I’ve read with a trans character. Albeit not a main one. Would highly recommend

I really liked the premise for this book: we've probably all heard about the famous ad to work for a few month in a small bookshop in an idyllic location (I think I remember it was for Maldives?). In the story, the ad is for Bali and as I absolutely loved Bali, I was very much looking forward to getting lost in that paradise, surrounded by books.

Unfortunately, I feel like the story missed a bit its target. It was a fun summer read but I didn't feel a special connection to it. I did like a lot how our main character evolved during the story and how her selfdoubt started to fade and she started to believe in herself and her capacities. But I didn't feel a special spark with her coworker at the bookshop. I think we missed a bit more background and development in him, to understand exactly what he was going through and how he felt about her. Half the book they just tried to avoid each other and not really talk sadly.

I would have also liked a few more scenes in which Bali shines. The story could have happened in any small bookshop. This is why I am only giving this 3 stars. It had good parts and a good plot but it was lacking a something extra for me.

A light and fun summer read that is perfect to take with you on vacation!

The romance in this book was amazing! It takes place in Bali and the setting was just absolutely beautiful!

There were a couple moments where I did feel a little disconnected to the story, but I’m chalking that up to the fact that it’s been cold and raining the last few days! Besides those few moments I was sucked into the book and the relationships between the characters!

*Thank you so much to NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review! It is much appreciated!

3.5

This was definitely a light and fun summer read but lacked the depth that I like in my books. It is a character driven book, which led to chapters that felt stagnant. This book could have used a little bit more plot personally.

I absolutely adore the enemies-to-lovers trope but I never felt like Clare and Jack were proper enemies. However, the chemistry between them was wonderful and that really drives the book forward.

Tropes:
- Flatmates
- Enemies-to-lovers (kinda)
- Workplace romance

This is not a book that immediately had me hooked but is definitely a fun beach read. I recommend it as a palate cleanser.

The book is set in Bali and they are trying to save the bookshop. A sweet romance but needed something extra. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Oh this was just the perfect read for wet and rainy British spring! I loved everything about this. The bookshop running setting was so unique, and having never been to Bali I loved learning more about it too. The chemistry between the characters felt real and I loved meeting their friends and family along the way. Only slight negative is that this reminded me quite a bit of Emily Henry, especially Book Lovers - but let’s be honest, that’s hardly a criticism is it! And really that’s just the books setting and the styling of the cover. A fun, light-hearted read with real heart. Instagram review to follow.

Sadly this was really not my kind of book

I didn't find the writing style to be one that worked for me and it wasn't punchy enough.

The characters were ok but they weren't as well developed as I thought they could be, they did not come across as having strong personalities and they left me lacking.

The book needed more energy added to the plot to make it flow

I am sure it will be enjoyed by others but it is only 2 stars from me

It was a nice read, but not one that will stay with me for ever, a story that was like a rollercoaster ride - it had moments when it was on the high and it had moments whne it was down, when nothing was happening, when it actually felt like some kind of an anti - climax.

The story took place on Bali but for me it could have been anywhere, actually, I missed this feeling of the setting, you could just walk in any bookshop in the world to be honest.

The "sworn rivals" from the synopsis is a bit overdone in my opinion, I've never had a feeling that the two main characters hate each other or that they compete, absolutely not. And well, Clare also thought that her ideas are much better that those of Jack's, so they're quit, right?

Altogether I have a feeling that the book touches upon many things, but on the surface, that there is not enough depth - the author tried, of course, what with Adam's partner or with Jack's job, but it feels too amateurish. There was an idea behind the story but for me it was developed too flatly. Nevertheless, it is an easy, light summer read with a lovely ending and gorgeous, summery cover.

It's a definite beach read for sure. Very easy to follow and I enjoyed reading it. I managed to read it within a couple of hours and I'll be thinking about going to Bali for a while now

I absolutely loved this book, I have read this book in one day and have been daydreaming about moving to Bali to do up a bookshop! It honestly sounds like a dream.
I loved the book so much, I didn’t find any of the characters annoying at all which is so rare for me! I also believe that the ending of this book was so perfect and rounded up the entire book perfectly.