Too Good to Be Real by Melonie Johnson is a delightful romantic comedy that is a perfect fit for readers who adore lighthearted, humorous tales of love, friendship, and happily-ever-afters, with a dash of romance, movies, and a touch of fantasy, making it a must-read for fans of romantic comedies and those who crave a feel-good, uplifting story.

I tried to give this book a chance. I had a hard time connecting to the characters and their relationship. I know this book will be enjoyed by other readers. I will not be sharing this review on my pages.

Very well written book. Really enjoyed this author, would definitely read more by this author and recommend on my book IG

Thanks NetGalley for the preview!

This book was inventive and sweet. I loved the idea and all the funny events at the hotel. I really enjoyed the characters. This was a fresh idea and felt like nothing I’ve read before.

I wanted to start by saying I think this book is really enjoyable for the right audience. I am a true romance book lover at heart so naturally I enjoye this book but I found it to be super fullfy whcih as some points I sort of avoid but I feel like I read this at the perfect timing. Nothing too crazy or wild to wrap your head around - soe lovely mc's and some lovely-er banter.

This has me laughing from page 1. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for a review.

Love Melonie Johnson's writing. Fun and easy to fall into. Love the banter and the connection between the characters.

I didn’t really feel a connection to Luke and Julia. I just wasn’t convinced of their relationship. It felt like it was all based on lust and not actual love. Also, I didn’t feel like this resort had me convinced that it’s a place I’d want to go myself, as much as I love rom coms. I think I was expecting more based on the premise, but the actual story just didn’t do it for me.

3.75 stars

If you are a 90's rom com fan this book is a really fun read. I loved all the nods to a number of my favorite movies. This book also reminded me a bit of Austenland with it being set at an immersive role playing experience.

Luke and Julia were well matched characters with plenty of sweet moments and a strong connection. They were each keeping a secret from the other, though, and I was curious how it would all be resolved. I liked how supportive Julia and her friends were of one another too. Overall I thought this was a fun, entertaining read, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

This was a cute little rom-com and I enjoyed it dearly! Melonie is a first time author for me, but I plan on checking out her other works because of this book. Great palette cleanser after a few fantasy reads.

This was definitely not for me. I could not get into this one at all. I was not interested or fully invested. DNF from me.

*Thank you @stmartinspress for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Review not posted to Amazon/Goodreads because less than 4 stars or DNF.*

I thought the setup of this book was great: a resort where you get to live out your rom com fantasies? Sign me up! Unfortunately, the execution fell flatter than a pancake for me. I thought Luke was likeable enough and didn’t find him awkward until the end. Julia was likeable too. Her friends Andie and Kat were awesome. So, what went wrong for me? I thought the characters talked more about their pasts than presents, and were in their heads way too often. There was way so much repetition in their thoughts about whether what they were feeling was real or not, and not even thinking about the lies they were telling. The story relied on WAY TOO MANY rom com clichés. There were lots of moments between minor characters that had no bearing on the plot. There were laughs, but they felt forced so they didn’t seem funny to me. The story just seemed drawn out and didn’t come together for me.

**Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Griffin and Melonie Johnson. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own.***

I enjoyed this book because of the setting. The writing was a bit cliche but overall it was a fun read.

With the state of the world the way that it is the overtones of layoffs just weren't for me for this one. I also just didn't find the main character to be compelling enough to finish this one.

I really liked this book.The idea of a vacation where you live in a rom-com is so cool. An the seagulls added so much to the story. It was so funny. Hate that it took me this long to read it from my TBR pile.

I wanted to love this book so much. I was ready to lay down my life defending it to everyone who had given it less than three stars. And then I read it *sigh*

I thought this book was going to be the paradise for hopeless romantics like me and it just wasn't. And most of that had to do with the characters. This book was written in the third person so I already felt a little disconnected from the characters right off the bat. Then came the lack of emotional descriptions and the general lack of dimension for most of the characters. I was particularly disappointed in Luke. As the MMC, Luke is supposed to be likable and really lead the story and romance. That was not the case here. I think Luke was supposed to be awkward and a little shy, but still so adorable and lovable. I didn't find him all that cute though. His awkwardness felt awkward. And his quirks were so not cute. I was not in love with this man and just wanted to cringe every time he made a grand gesture or spoke romantically. Not great for a romance novel.

Julia was fine as the FMC. She wasn't my favorite person ever either, but she was fine. Her friends and the other guests at the resort were fun, but none of them really stuck out to me either.

Overall, I was disappointed in this book. I didn't hate it completely and think the idea was really cute, but it wasn't a win for me.

Romance is one of my less read genres, but this book was so much fun!! It was flirty and exciting, had authentic feeling friendships and banter, and was overall such a fun read. And as an obsessed dog mom, I will take all the dogs in books!!

This just wasn’t for me. Tried really hard to get into the storyline but I found myself skimming and bored.

A sweet, fun rom-com with a bit of added heat. This book started off with a great beginning that grabbed my attention. There are unique characters and a fabulous friendship between Julia, Andie and Kat. The romantic relationship between Julia and Luke was believable with the great dialogue and bantering between them they felt like a real couple.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book that is light-hearted and easy to read. It would be the perfect book to enjoy reading while on vacation.
I am grateful to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Such a cute concept I love the idea of a rom com themed vacation. This book was fun, sweet and adorable but it was lacking a bit of chemistry between the two MCs and it just isn’t one that will stick with me. I enjoyed it enough while I listened but unfortunately it’s one that will be easily forgettable