A fun start to a great series about exotics places.

I enjoyed this book but know it's not a slow burn at all, it's a hello lets get it on kind of story which works for the setting. Hello vacation/ adventure couples are almost never slow burn, that would be crazy. I enjoyed the book and laughed alot throughout the story. Looking forward to reading all the books in the series.

Love Love LOVED this book! It was a fun and sexy romp through the Panama Canal!
The characters were fun and interesting. The adventure that they were on was such a fun thing to read about!

This fun beach read is a novel of love, adventure and travel all mixed together. It is pure escapist fiction. I received this novel as an advanced reader copy from net galley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love a book I can devour in 2 days! The downside is now I want a Sailboat to go on an adventure and I don't think I could ever afford it lol. In the meantime I am here for the next book of this series.
*** Possible Spoilers Ahead ***
The author describes every part so well. I could see myself in the marina at Panama, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and crying with Lila in the hostel. Top this with some smutty scenes and you have a perfect recipe for a great book.
Lila and Eivind are super fun together and perfect for each other. The rest of the characters bring tons of personality and contribute to the plot in their own way.
There is some sailing jargon but nothing overwhelming. Ms. Alden threads it very well into the story and conversations.
On a personal note, I'm a huge Dawsons Creek fan, and in my head I envisioned Pacy and Joey on his sailboat throughout the book, but this is just me :)
I received the book as an ARC in net galley and I hope I'll be able to receive the next one in the series, I can't wait to know what happens with Jonas!!!

*ARC recebida através do NetGalley em troca de uma opinião honesta*

The Hitchhiker in Panama é o primeiro livro da série Love and Wanderlust. Além do conto, que resenhei aqui, teremos também mais duas histórias. Esse foi meu primeiro contato com a Liz e gostei bastante.

A australiana Lila decidiu fazer um mochilão pelo mundo antes de realmente tocar sua vida. Primeira parada: atravessar o canal do Panamá. Logo nos primeiros dias de sua aventura, ela conhece o norueguês Eivind, mas uma paixão de férias não estava em seus planos.

Esse livro foi tudo o que eu sempre gosto em um romance: fofo, divertido e sexy na medida certa. Por se juntar à tripulação do Eik (navio que Eivind faz parte), Lila teme em se envolver com o boy por motivos de climão em alto mar e não ter muito onde correr. Mesmo assim a atração entre os dois é inevitável, e eu gostei muito da dinâmica deles.

Lila é divertida e com um espírito de aventura. Ela não tem medo de arriscar em suas viagens, mesmo que tenha de mudar um pouquinho os planos. Eivind é charmoso e leal. Ao lado de Lila vemos um lado bastante carinhoso e compreensivo do norueguês. O relacionamento deles é bem desenvolvido, mesmo que fique a impressão que foi tudo rápido demais. As conversas e provocações entre eles é bem fofinha de ler.

Os personagens secundários também possuem bastante espaço na história. Marcella, Elayna e Jonas (sendo ele o capitão do Eik) formam o restante da tripulação e um grupo de personalidade diferentes, mas que funcionam muito bem. Marcella eu conheci seu passado em The Night in Lover's Bay e estou bem ansiosa pela continuação da sua história. Jonas faz o tipo mais introvertido com um grande senso de responsabilidade com sua tripulação. Já Elayna, eu não consegui me conectar muito.

Um ponto legal é a vívida experiência de se navegar em alto-mar num navio. A própria autora já fez a travessia do canal do Panamá assim como passar um mês no mar. Pode parecer um pouco confuso todas as descrições envolvendo o funcionamento de um navio, mas gostei por ter dado um ar bem real à experiência de Lila.

A escrita da autora é bem gostosinha de acompanhar e a narração feita por Lila faz com que tenha um ótimo ritmo de leitura. O epílogo aqui já deixa um gancho para o próximo livro, The Sailor in Polinesia, protagonizado por Jonas e estou bem ansiosa por sua história também.

(3 and a half stars) This read was a nice, light read of adventures that most people do not end up having. I was surprised by the sailing aspect of it as I didn’t expect that but it has been very interesting to learn/read about the community of sailing and how quickly people meet and make friendships while out on the sea.

I liked it. The premise of the book was interesting and engaging. I thought at times the characters were a little flat. Not enough inner dialogue on how the main character was feeling.

I loved the cover. I think it's just adorable. If given the opportunity to read the other planned novels in this series I would read them.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Super cute! A little bit of a drag since i feel as though the end couldve been cut shorter, but adorable and fluffy nonetheless :)

This book was a wonderful distraction from the leftover winter blahs. Lila is backpacking around the globe, planning to hike down the continent of South America, when she detours to traverse the Panama Canal. There at the mouth of the canal, she meets the sexy Norweigian man, Eivind, and joins the crew of the Eik. Lots of adventure and fun, sexy times ensue!

Overall, I thought this book was very sweet and steamy, and most of all an escape. I liked the tension between Lila and Eivind before they got together and how their relationship grew the longer they stayed together. You want forced proximity? A tiny berth with little privacy is a great way to do it. I don’t want to ruin too much, but the jungle scene on the cover and the description is a very small part of the story. (IMO, this cover needed a boat, not a sloth) Most of the time is spent on the water with detailed explanations of what the boat and the crew are doing at any moment. It’s possible that a reader looking for a purely relationship-driven story might be put off by the day to day workings of a boat at sea, but I found them intensely immersive. I felt like I was on the boat, working the sails and staring up at a sky filled with stars. The presence of a handsome, buff Scandinavian man is not a bad thing either. Make sure you visit the author’s website when you’re done, as she writes more about her personal experiences on the Panama Canal and sailing in the Pacific, and her travel photos on her website are not to be missed. Thank you @netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Hitchhiker in Panama was a epic journey from the beginning. I had no knowledge of people who travel the Panama canal or even sailing a long journey by boat, and I learned so much, not enough to try it myself-don't worry.
Lila is on the adventure of her lifetime, and she's got a plan for all her adventures. The crew of the Eik throw that into chaos with her attraction to the first mate. Is he worth changing her plans and embarking on a whole new adventure? I was interested throughout the entire story because it was a whole new world for me, but I could also never predict what Lila was going to do.
This is the perfect beach read for anyone who wants a little adventure and hasn't been able to travel for a while, so basically all of us.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the chance to read and review Liz Alden’s debut novel, A Hitchhiker in Panama, prior to its 4/6 release!

After reading Shipped, I am all about the vacation spot romances. I am traveling through these destinations in these books because I can’t physically travel with COVID. So when I saw Panama on the title, I requested it.

This follows our main character Lila as she takes an adventure to travel to the Panama Canal and hops on board with the members of the Eik. There she meets Eivind, a Norwegian sailor who is gorgeous. Soon a romance ensues.

This book was described as a slow burn but that is the opposite of what happens. One second Lila and Eivind are talking and the next they are literally jumping each other’s bones and saying they love one another. It felt flat to me and like there was no romantic development or chemistry for that matter.

This book is told in first person through Lila, who is as stiff as a board. We hear what she is observing but nothing regarding her inner thoughts and emotions. She’s not the only character who appears dull. They all do.

I thought it was really cool that the author put a note at the end about how she has traveled through the Panama Canal herself twice. I feel like that made this story so much more personable. It’s clear that Alden knows what she’s talking about when it comes to these locations mentioned and the sailing terminology. The terminology did get a little confusing at times for readers like myself who know nothing about sailing. I think it would be even better if there was more explanations about those terms or less of them. I did like learning about the culture of all the destinations that they mention in this story.

The ending felt mediocre to me, and it is obvious by the ending that this will be a companion series and the next book will follow Eivind’s brother, and captain of the Eik; Jonas.

Not a bad debut but nothing that really sticks out to me. I am sure with time the authors writing will develop more.

This is a contemporary romance that follows Lila, a young Australian woman who just finished university and wants to travel through Southern America by herself to experience life before she finds a job and settles down.
Lila is a sympathetic and engaging character for whom it is easy to root and the people she meets along the way are over all fun, especially her love interest.
The writing is lighthearted but interesting (details about the Panama canal and sailing life), beware that there are some steamy scenes.
If you need to project yourself in warmer climes among alluring travelers, this is a good fast read and I will look forward to reading the others in that series.

The Hitchhiker in panama is a fine little, steamy romance story. The characters are likeable, but not lovable. This is a very uncontroversial little isolated romance, Lila our protagonist is trying to find a boat to take her through the Panama canal and like a lot of romance protagonists, everything seems to fall into her lap out of sheer luck, however, I am not reading this book for a gruelling personal journey, I read this for a fun and fluffy contemporary romance. I did find although there was definite chemistry between Lila and Eivind, the love interest, it was a little bit insta-lovey but you kind of have to detach yourself from reality a little bit and suspend logic, you have to believe that the people in this story are the most generous and kind people out there. If you're looking for a quick, fluffy romance with a travel element then you may really like this book, but for me it was just okay.

A special thanks to the author and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Lila is taking a gap year away from her home in Australia. She lands in Panama hoping to find work as a crew member to cross through the Panama Canal on her way to backpack through South America. Her entire trip is planned down to the letter, all through internet research and reading blogs. She's ready to learn and she's ready to explore to find more out of life. After being welcomed into the crew of the Eik, Lila hits it off with Eivind, but tries to deny her feelings at every turn. Once landing in on the other side of the canal, Lila must make the tough decision of whether to follow her plans or follow her heart.

This was a wonderful debut novel! The setting is absolutely serene. You can feel it through the pages - the jungle, the sun and humidity and the sounds. It is escapist fun and just the story I needed to read right now. I am a huge fan of Below Deck, so I was fascinated by the inner workings of the yacht. There are parts that may get a little technical for some that don't know boats, but I really enjoyed learning how things work. You can tell that Alden has spent significant time sailing and knows her stuff.

My favorite part of the book was the cast of characters. They come from all over the world and their backgrounds are incredibly diverse. I loved seeing how the yachting community is like a family. They help each other out with question, acting with love and not out of obligation. Edith and Peter are hilarious and they made me smile.

Eivind was a wonderful hero. He was suave, incredibly flirty, and oh so adorable. He was persistent in his attraction to Lila and never let her forget that he wanted her and was into her. He was all about chasing Lila and showing her the world. And the open mic night performance...LOVED. My only wish for Eivind was to dive a tad deeper into his background, especially how he gave up being a chemist to sail the world and chose not to look back. I wanted to know more of why he was complacent working in a restaurant, instead of using his degree.

I am excited to read the next book in this series!

This was the perfect read to get me out of this traveling sadness that I’m on due to covid! lol 😩😂

The Hitchhiker in Panama was such a cute and easy read! We get to know Lila, who just graduated and ends up taking a “gap year” before applying to jobs and starting her life plan. She has a whole backpacking plan but first she wants to travel through the Panama Canal. Once she arrives in Panama her plans are slightly altered and she ends up having to make a decision.
Will she proceed with her scheduled backpacking through South America or will she go off her schedule and sail her way into a new adventure/love?
I was excited to read about Panama and the culture, sadly the author didn’t touch much on Panama other than the Canal. We only read about Panama for about 7/8 chapters? That aside, I did enjoy reading how the Panama Canal does its thing! I felt like I was there with them! It was also fun learning a bit about the life of a sailor and some of the their lingos/duties.
Wasn’t expecting any steaminess but there were some good steamy scenes 🙊

If you just want to mentally travel, or an easy read, then this is your book! Happy reading!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! 🤗

This was such a cute story. The plot was very original and I did not expect to learn so much about sailing, I loved it. I liked all the characters and while there was some slow times with regards to the romance part, I didn’t seem to mind because it was fascinating to read about the Panama Canal and how much work it took to sailboat through it. Overall I enjoyed reading this story.

This was a very nice, sweet romance set on a boat where the MC, Lila, has hopped on board to help as a linehandler on a trip first through the Panama Canal, and then across the Pacific Ocean.

While I loved the setting and it was clear that the author knew what she was talking about regarding the trip and sailing details, it was missing some of the adventure that I was yearning for. The story itself basically follows the day-to-day life of these two people as they get to know each other and start dating. The setting is ripe with potential, but there was very little actual drama or excitement within the story. With that said, I did book a trip to Central America upon finishing this, so take that how you will.

It was a really nice and adventurous story. The writing trasports you to other places and you can feel like you are under the sun and in the sea. Unfortunately, there are a lot of sailing terms that I have no idea what do they mean. In the beginning, it was really interesting and exciting, but after a while I got a bit overwhelmed. I would like a bit less of terminology and more of character development in order to rate it more than 3 stars.
However, a really entertaining book.

In this book, we follow Lila on a journey of adventures and discoveries. After spending her whole life listening to her overprotective mother she finally decides to go on an adventure on her own. This is where she meets the crew of the Eik and more particularly Eivind. Together they embark for 25 adventurous days at sea.

I found this book really sweet, entertaining and educational. We can feel that Liz Alden knows what she is talking about when it comes to sailing. The adventure is at the front of the story and the sweet romance between Lila and Eivind is a great bonus.

When you read this book one of the main thing you notice is the credibility of the characters. They feel real and believable, almost like they could be your friends.

In addition to this story, there is a bonus epilogue and a prequel if you subscribe the the author’s newsletter !

It was a great book and I look forward to reading the adventures of the rest of the crew.

*This ARC was provided to me by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Being from Panama, I was pretty excited to read a romance that takes place in my country. A story about a female hitchhiker that decides to cross the Panama canal on board a sailboat where she meets a man she starts to fall for, it sounded interesting! Sadly, I did NOT enjoy this book.

It's narrated in first person POV and it's pretty bothersome to read from this perspective when our main character lacks any sort of personality. Her head is empty and she only narrates what she does during the day, no type of thinking or monologue to take advantage of the POV. Because of this, the romance did not have any type of chemistry and felt extremely rushed. The synopsis said that it's a slowburn and that's a complete LIE. They get in each other's pants from the get-go, don't build up their relationship, spend their time having sex or sleeping and by the end... They're in love?
Also, the "conflict" was... Unnecessary, the drama that it created at the very end of the book just felt forced in.

The book is not just for me. From the simplistic writing style to the lack of chemistry or personality and the shallowness of everything, it was tedious to get through.