This was a great story of a woman figuring out what she actually wanted from life and finding a romatic partner to live it with. I liked the all of the characters (well, the ones you were supposed to like) and the setting of Belize was really fun.

The Layover is a fun summer read with wonderfully witty banter. I really enjoyed the behind the scenes look at the life of a flight attendant and the patterns they repeat with each flight. I also really liked discovering how Ava struggles to find balance in her life and the thought process that occurs throughout the book. Jack was also a really interesting character, slowly revealed as Ava allows herself to see him through a different lens. This book was a great summer trip to Belize that would be perfect to throw in your bag on the way to the beach, the pool, or wherever you choose to rest for the day.

Thank you to @netgalley and @putnambooks for a free digital arc of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

The layover - Lacie Waldon
Pub by - G.P Putnam & sons
Pub date - 15/6
PLOT - Flight attendant Ava Green will be flying her last trip as she is engaged to Alexander a Type A personality lawyer. So this 3 day trip with a 24 hr layover in Belize is like the best farewell she can get, but she finds out that her co attendant is none other than Jack Stone against whom she has an old grudge. What happens when at Belize they get another 24 hr extended layover and Ava realises what she is gonna miss when the trip ends. Is she ready to give up?? Is she wrong in judging Jack as she gets to spend time with him?!?

MY THOUGHTS-
For her debut novel Lacie has done a great job. The comic dialogues by Gen (another FA) ,the flirtatious lines by Jack to appease the passengers and the intricacies of the Flight attendant s lives makes it a fast easy read!
Loved the second half of the book with all the tropical adventures and the climax with a romantic end.
Its also about Ava's journey to self discovery and in accepting who she is and wants for herself and then going for it!
I just wished we could have more of Jack's backstory or a couple of chapters from Jack's POV!
For all enemies to lovers and rom com lovers who want a nice summer read check this one out!!.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ava has been a flight attendant for ten years, but has decided to give it up after her boyfriend proposes because he doesn't like that she's gone so much for her work. Unfortunately, Jack Stone is her fellow attendant on her last flight and she not looking forward to the flight and long layover with the man she's held a secret grudge against after he witnessed one of the most humiliating moments of her life. But the more time she spends with him, she finds he's not what she expected. And the more time she spends in the air doing the job she loves, the more she realizes how much she'll be giving up.
I love the behind-the-scenes look into the career of flight attendants. While I didn't really like her flirting with Jack while still technically engaged to Alexander, it was clear from the beginning the engagement wouldn't last. I like how she learns in the end to stand up for herself and what she really wants out of life. The beautifully colorful cover was what first drew me to this fun summer read.
I received a free advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley and this review is given voluntarily

Ava was preparing for her last trip as a flight attendant before she settled down and was excited to enjoy a layover in Belize. When mechanical problems extended her layover, she began rethinking her plans.

The Layover had so much humor and heart, but it was also about Ava's personal journey. She was a really interesting character. She made many of her life choices based on wanting a life opposite from that of her parents. They were free spirits with no roots, and Ava felt like she missed out on things during her childhood because of their vagabond lifestyle. She was determined to settle down, have a home, be a wife, but the layover had her seeing things a bit differently.

It wasn't just the layover that had Ava rethinking her plans. Jack ended up being a big game changer for her. He was the flight attendant she loved to hate. Ava had so many narratives about him going in her head though she had hardly ever spoken a word to him. Getting stuck together allowed her to get to know him, and as Ava did, she began to see a lot of herself in Jack. I personally found him sweet and charming, and the more I learned about him, the more I loved him.

The cast of characters and various subplots were lots of fun too. Gen was hilarious, Paul was a peach, and the captain had some interesting hidden depths. I loved getting to know them all and was so happy that Ava finally embraced her co-workers and took the time to get to know them better.

Overall, the book was fun and fizzy and full of heart. Waldon did a great job with the enemies-to-lovers trope here, never veering into the really mean side that I sometimes encounter. I loved seeing Ava begin to see more and more of herself in Jack, AND I got to romp around an island paradise as well. Win-win!

Loved it. An entertaining bit of fluff. Interesting background stories for the couple. A childhood dream of becoming a flight attendant never happened for me, but certainly fun to read about. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

I expected a cute love story or rom com based around a flight and a layover and got exactly that. Ava is a flight attendant and an unexpected layover leaves her life in a complete 180*. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Ava and Jack, and how she is so comfortable being her sassy and spontaneous self. Waldon does an excellent job creating the animosity and dynamic between them. This is a great example of enemies to lovers and forced proximity, and even more special to be set in paradise. I really enjoyed it.

My only criticism is that the initial dislike between Ava and Jack seems extreme without a lot of context. Initially Ava hates Jack because of a rumor she heard about him and it reminds her of an ex. It didn’t seem too realistic to me, and felt kind of forced, but as they started interacting their actions made their behaviors flow better

This was a fast, fun read! There were many moments where I caught myself laughing out loud. I really enjoyed the main characters. This is a book that I would definitely recommend to others.

A cute, fun romance novel! I enjoyed the setting and was invested in the watching Ava and Jack fall in love. But not the most memorable book in the genre.

I have never read anything by Lacie Waldon before and I very much enjoyed The Layover. I don't always enjoy enemies-to-lovers romance books, but this one was pretty great. Ava was a likeable character, and it was funny to see how her assumptions of Jack colored her perception of him. Her character development was well-done. My only wish is that there would have been more of a focus on Jack's backstory and character development, which I felt could have been fleshed out more. I also wish the toxic relationship would have been better resolved as I felt it was glaringly obvious that Ava was in an abusive relationship, but she only vaguely addressed it in a way that was not satisfying. Overall, an excellent read. I would give it a solid 4 stars.

Enemies to lovers stuck on a tropical destination. MAGICAL.

I loved how the story tackled so many different types of relationships too (parental, friendships). And what we hold on to from our pasts.

I loved all the tension and cute banter. A true delight.

This book is an enjoyable read that’s perfect for summer! It was beyond enjoyable to travel with these characters, go on adventures, and enjoy tropical beaches. The way Lacie Waldon writes banter is PHENOMENAL. It was so witty and sarcastic, and Jack’s character was especially charming. I will definitely be picking up other novels by Waldon in the future!

My main disappointment with this book is the fact that the main character, Ava, is engaged at the beginning of the story. Although she does leave her fiancé, I did not enjoy the emotional cheating aspect that was in the first third of the story :-(

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for allowing me to read this ARC!

This had a lot of promise and you may love it if you are enamored with enemies to lovers romance but something felt off to me. I liked the traveling but the romance was very up and down. There was too much unexplained for a large part of the book then it was shoved in in the end.... I would definitely try other books from this author because this did have promise but it wasn't my favorite especially with so many good books I've read lately.

The Layover comes out soon on June 15, 2021 and you can purchase HERE. If you are looking for a super fun flight attendant romance, I would pick up Sparks by Wendy Higgins. I love that book!

It's so strange how sometimes a conversation can make you feel lonelier than silence ever did.

This dazzling debut novel by Lacie Waldon was an amazing blend of adventure, tropical vacation and enemies to lovers romance!

The plot of the story is that the plane in which Ava is a flight attendant has some malfunctioning and the quick layover in Belize is extended! This is her last flight as an attendant which she was really hoping to enjoy before bidding her 10 years of flight attendant career a goodbye, only to realize the former pilot Jack, her nemesis for last several years is on this very same flight!

I was genuinely surprised to learn that Ava was engaged to a lawyer which was I,tired from the synopsis! Regardless the story gradually fell into place. I loved the nemesis to lovers trope of Jack and Ava!

This book is a perfect witty summer read where you would to dance, enjoy beaches and most of all go on a tropical vacation!

Thank you @putnambooks and @netgalley for the gifted galley in exchange of my honest review!

I found this heroine rather irritating. She has let her insecurities determine her life from choosing a partner who is obviously wrong for her and choosing to leave a career she clearly loves to please that partner. And she jumped to a conclusion about Jack, a guy she met once and decided that she despised him. She treats him rudely in every interaction even when they’re working together. And then, over a couple of days when they have to stay in Belize together, she realizes that Jack is actually a great guy and that her fiance is not for her and she wants to stay in her job as a stewardess. Complications ensue, but it all stems from her being indecisive, insecure, and judgmental to start with. Jack deserved better.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

This had a ton of potential but ultimately fell short for me. The concept was brilliant and unique. The author is/was a flight attendant so she has a ton of insider knowledge. These details were particularly interesting.

The real problem in here was the main character, Ava. She was kind of awful. She was in a serious relationship, yet harbored a ton of resentment towards the hero, who was not the man she was in a relationship with. There were definitely a few things happening that most people would deem as cheating. I felt like I was missing something because she's so angry towards Jack but you really have no idea why for a good part of the book.

I would definitely try to read another book by this author but cross my fingers for a more likable main character.

I will say that going into reading this book I was very excited. I thought that the plot sounded great and I just hoped that it was kind of similar to the Hating Game, Shipped and Unhoneymooners. In the end though it was only slightly similar and I was kind of disappointed. I'll start with what I enjoyed about the book. I'll give the author credit because she really set up all the characters and the settings. The writing itself was very good and I had no issues with it. I also thought the ending was very touching so I enjoyed that. Also, Jack was a great character. He was super sweet and funny and read very cute. Lastly, the comedy was very good each character had quippy one liners and I really appreciated that. On to the things that I didn't care for as much. I must say that I did not enjoy that she was engaged when she left and I didn't get a feeling that she was in a relationship from the book description. It was kind of annoying because realistically she would not be ready to get into another long term relationship so soon after ending her relationship. I just generally feel like there was a lot missing. There were so many plot points and I feel like so much was dropped and the speed of the whole thing gave me whiplash. Overall, it was cute but just okay.

3.5 stars - this was so close to being perfect, it had so many tropes I love. I was hoping it would remind me of The Unhoneymooners with the enemies to lovers, stuck on a lovely island setting, because I loved that. Unfortunately something jumped off the page at me from the get go, that was not in the synopsis and I think was a big deal - the heroine has a fiancé that she believes herself to be well-suited to and in love with at the beginning. She leaves her ring at home "so it won't get damaged" but tells no one else she's working with, even the one's she's friendly with. I was so uncomfortable with the idea that we were supposed to root for her falling in love with the hero, when she's clearly taken. Eventually, obviously, the engagement is broken off, but she IMMEDIATELY is getting closer to the hero, like hours later, since this all takes place in a handful of days. The end had me so emotional, and this one definitely caught me, but it couldn't make up for the uncomfortable feelings I had in the first half of the book. One other issue that I had (that only takes place over one scene) was the juxtaposition between the sexy hero stepping in to save her and the "disgusting fat man" hitting on her during the dancing scene. She approached HIM. Yes, it isn't appropriate how he then treats her, but his fatness is treated as a part of his disgustingness/inappropriateness, and I was again pulled out of my comfortable reading to be uncomfortable. I enjoyed the second half of the book much more than the beginning, and if she'd been single the whole time this might've been a 5 star read for me. I loved the side romance - I shipped Gen and Paul so hard.

The Layover starts off with a bit of a whimsical air and all seems right in the world. Ava has her head in the clouds, funnily enough since she's a flight attendant. I've not read a novel with this much insight into the commercial flying industry. It was a fun and diverting way to live vicariously through some of the nonsense they must go through.
Ava is on her last trip after nine years in the industry after deciding to end her career with a proposal from her boyfriend. With several stops on the way to Belize, she attempts to treasure her last moments but a few things and people have her questioning what is really important.
This novel is more about a woman finding herself with a side of romance. I personally prefer character driven stories and was drawn into the story. The thing I struggled most with is the appearance of cheating, whether it's emotional or physical. It's one of those things that make me cringe. Otherwise, I thought it was a quick, summery read and I need a trip to Belize sooner rather than later.
Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

This has been such a strange experience for me. I think this is the first book that I really enjoyed in spite of the fact that I really didn't like the main character. It's a breezy summer read, quick and light hearted and perfect to read by the pool or at the beach.

What worked: Waldon's clear and smooth writing style and a fun cast (Ava aside) made this a nice read. The cover evokes the tropical setting as well. I'm a sucker for pretty cover art.

What didn't work (for me). I didn't like Ava. I found her cringey and mean for no reason. It's not until halfway through the book that we get any insight why Jack is the target of her ire. There's no way he would (or should) put up with that for any length of time just because he had to "find out what was so great about a girl who was lovely to everyone but him." I also had to go reread the synopsis, because this book wasn't exactly what I was expecting. It sounded like a straightforward enemies to lovers plot. There's no mention that Ava's actually engaged to someone else. This is a huge part of the narrative. Finally, I wished Belize itself was a little more fleshed out. The setting felt like it could be anywhere tropical.

But the problems I had were mostly subjective, and so even though the pros/cons look a little unbalanced up there, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to rom-com fans and I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books/Penguin for granting me this ARC in exchange for a review.