For Vacation Only is such a fun feel good book. its definitely a summer must read!! the prose is easy, the characters are so likeable and sure of themselves and adventurous. they know what they like and want to go with the flow. Blake and Jubliee are SO DAMN CUTE. they keep saying they are friends only but damn the physical intimacy and ease with all the touchy feely-ness is definitely saying otherwise. If you live for bollywood movies like me it's very similar to Anushka and Ranveer's story in Dil Dhadakne Do, that make it even more fun to read. I finished this book in one sitting so thank you NetGally and Mila Nicks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. definitely a 5/5 for me.

Let me start by saying this book surprised me in the best way possible. I fell in love with the characters right from the start, their love is just so pure and genuine that it's impossible not to smile while reading it. The plot itself was right up my alley and I truly recommend this book for anyone in need of a good romance novel full of representation, wich is something we need to see more of.

Lightweight Cinderella style romance, thin on characterization. Author relies on visual tropes rather than fully fleshing out characters.

Blake is left at the altar and Jubilee is a very talented singer on his solo honeymoon cruise. They travel around visiting different ports together, taking in the sights, and falling in love. I found this book to be a great pool/beach read because it is pretty fluffy. The book has tons of amazing Mediterranean destinations and moves pretty quickly. The time the couple spends together compared to the time apart is about 1:6, which made it hard for me to fully enjoy and believe in them as a couple. As a biracial couple with Blake as a very wealthy cishet male and Jubilee as a WOC who seems to survive paycheck to paycheck- but these significant issues are very much glossed over. Despite the epilogue, I think they are more an HFN vs HEA. Overall, 3.75stars rounded up to 4stars.

Thanks to NetGally for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first of Mila Nick’s works I’ve read, and I can’t say I’m disappointed! ‘For Vacation Only’ not only comes with a gorgeous cover that I definitely see myself picking up in a bookstore, it also serves readers with a swoon-worthy sort-of-eligible bachelor, a fierce and lovable woman of colour, and a fortnight getaway across the Mediterranean!

The story opens up to affluent Blake Mulligan being dumped on his wedding day via a hastily written letter... on a place card. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he ends up going on his honeymoon cruise alone. All hoping to avoid confrontation by his family and the prying public.

Jubilee Collazo is also not having the time of her life. Her relationship just fell apart, and she has to sing her first big solo, which she hopes will jumpstart her career as an actual singer. Not one in rinse-and-repeat back up performances on a cruise ship.

Crossing paths lead these two into a whirlwind romance which is backdropped by vivid imagery from touring Montenegro, and pocketing bread in Italy. It’s impossible not to root for Blake’s awkward tendencies, and Jubilee’s lilac-haired, free-spirited one. Coming from different backgrounds and social standings, they both rub off on each other in the best ways.

The writing is mundane and repetitive. It didn’t stand out to me, and thus, I find it forgettable. Compared to the preceding books I read before this, it left little a lasting effect on me.

This is a cute vacation read that is perfect for anyone confined by the pandemic. It’s a breath of fresh air with escapism at its finest.

A full review is up on my blog (www.slimmwrites.wordpress.com)

For Vacation Only tells the story of Blake, a jilted groom, and Jubilee, a cruise ship singer. Blake meets Jubilee when he goes on his honeymoon by himself after being humiliated at his failed wedding. First he hears her voice and is intrigued but then meets her again at a lounge. From the first time they meet there's a chemistry between these two even despite their different backgrounds. Jubilee agrees to be his tour guide for all the cruise stops on the cruise but the lines blur pretty fast. The couple are stuck between figuring out if they're friends, friends with benefits or something more as the cruise gradually comes to an end.

Some would call this instalove but I thought the development of their relationship was handled well. The author wrote the characters in a way that showed where blake and Jubilee were each step of the way in how they felt about each other. I enjoyed their romance, which was all about uplifting each other and enjoying each others company. I couldn't help worrying what was coming after the cruise ended, but the ending was wonderful and made up for everything.

If you're looking for a sweet fun summer read this is a great choice! Well written with characters easy to root for. Also the cover is gorgeous! It was so easy to picutre Blake and Jubilee with how they look on the cover!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an echange of an honest review.

I thought this story was cute. A real fun read.

I’m sorry to say but this was a bust for me. The cover and description make this sound so cute! However, 4 chapters in and the writing is just, awful.

DNF at 30%. I was totally drawn in by this cover which I LOVE. I also was interested in the premise of the book - after being left at the altar, Blake decides to go on his honeymoon Mediterranean cruise alone. There he meets Jubilee who is an entertainer on the ship and they decide to have a fling - just for the time of the cruise. Sounds great!

Unfortunately the execution didn’t work for me. Going to give some spoiler-y reasons below so stop reading now if you don’t want to see that. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free advance reading copy.

Right from the start I had a really hard time understanding why either of them were in their previous relationships - I guess maybe so it’s clear that we know they are better off without them but why didn’t they? Jubilee seems to know that Zayne is annoying jerk whose best quality is his looks but doesn’t care? Blake doesn’t seem to care about Val at all but was going to marry her anyway because their families thought they should?

Blake’s defining characteristic seems to be his family’s wealth. I don’t feel the connection between Blake and Jubilee other than their physical attraction to each other. Unfortunately this one was a miss for me.

This was a really sweet romance that’s perfect for summer taking place on a cruise ship. It did make me want to travel again, especially in the Mediterranean.

The book starts with Blake getting left at the altar, after which he decides to go on the honeymoon by himself. He ends up on a Mediterranean cruise, where he meets Jubilee, a singer/entertainer on the ship. The first thing that made me want to read this book was the cover. It’s so gorgeous that I immediately requested on Netgalley when I saw it there. Then I read the synopsis and I got such good and summery vibes from it, so I had to read it immediately.

I really liked both of the main characters. They have their issues but seem to work well together despite them. Jubilee has ambitions to become a well-known singer, she’s very passionate and ambitious. I liked how Blake immediately became her number one fan and supported her immediately. Also he’s such a nice and soft person, whose also very awkward at times. He’s very different from other billionaire characters in romance, who tend to be very overpowering. The characters had chemistry and the relationship felt very real. I liked the setting of this book a lot.

Sometimes I don’t even pay that much attention to the settings of romances, but both the cruise ship and the cities were great places and the descriptions were so fun in this book.
The reason this didn’t get a higher rating was that I felt that the development of the relationship felt a little rushed. It may be because they knew each other for 2 weeks, and then they had a months long break from any contact at the end before reconciling.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a cute, sweet, summery romance.

I am sad to say that this book was not a hit for me. The fact that it was about an vacation romance between a worker on The cruise and a rich passenger is usually The start of something amazing, but this was dissapointing. I struggled alot with this book and had to force myself to finish it. The reason why it was a miss what that it wrapped up things way too fast and tried to do a lot all at once

Mila Nicks has a light style of writing but brings great emotional vulnerability to her characters. On the surface, For Vacation Only contains two characters with very little in common. Blake is the heir to the Mulligan fortune and has just been shockingly left at the altar (at the wedding of the century) by his on again, off now fiancé. Jubilee is a singer on a luxurious cruise ship; she comes from humble beginnings. Their worlds collide when to avoid the embarrassment and scrutiny from his failed nuptials, Blake takes his honey trip, solo. Aboard the cruise ship, Blake hears the sound of an angel singing. He soon learns that the voice belongs to Jubilee. The pair meet and strike up a friendship, but are reluctantly aware that their lives are too different to be intertwined. In Blake, we have the perfect book hero....handsome, strong, honorable, humble, shy and sweet. Jubilee has anxiety over her singing and is recovering from a recent breakup. He sees her pain and her panic and seeks to help and heal. Unfortunately, circumstances and misunderstandings get in their way and at the end of Blake’s two week voyage, they part ways. I loved the DECENTNESS of this couple and Ms. Nicks made my heart ache when theirs did. The book also has some great secondary characters...Blake’s friend Varner and his onboard steward, Dawson.
You will root for Blake’s and Jubliee’s happy ever after.

Mila Nicks takes you on a cruise and offers a dreamy romance between two adorable heroes as well as a (dreamy) dream of the perfect holiday you want to live for yourself...

"What about if we just have some fun? We go on tours and enjoy ourselves and whatever happens happens?"

After being left at the altar and a last minute thought of going on his honeymoon mediterranean cruise alone, our hero Blake finds himself seduced by the sparkly singer Jubilee who is part of the cruise entertainment team... here begins a highly adorable romance. As the two of them starts to spend time together on board as well as in various mediterranean cities, they unfold to each other. He comes from the richy rich social american background, she is the ugly duck of her family for choosing her passion for music. He is a bit too goodey and in control. She is a vibrant and spontaneous soul...

From light holiday affair to a strong feelings romance, Mila Nicks wrote her romance in the smoothest and dreamy way possible. I found myself believing in her story and swooning over the romance from the early chapters. She offered really fun scenes (their meet cute felt so romcom in the best way possible), dreamy ones (the day in barcelona is *chef's kiss*) and some touching moments...

"For him, this was no fling. It had become something more. She was his choice. He was hers".

Her two heroes could have been the cliché ones (richy guy with a conservative family, artist girl who will never belong in his world) but the simple way they are written, the honesty of their personality made them charming. I really enjoyed how they don't ever really change, they simply learn a different perspective on life and grow from it. It also could have felt a bit too romcom or too dreamy disney but again the charm and the skills of the author add an authenticity to these characters and thus make the dream believeable.

If i was seduced by this stunning cover of Leni Kauffman, the romance and the setting turned my reading into a dream and that only deserves a five star! It's out on June 11th (only five days away!) Even more excitingly, there is a sequel meant to be and i am already willing to dream about a romance on a cruise...

ARC kindly provided by netgalley

I impulsively requested an advanced copy of For Vacation Only by Mila Nicks after taking one glance at that beautiful cover. I’m really glad that I did pick it up because it ended up being a fresh, romantic, and serotonin-boosting read for me.

LEFT AT THE ALTAR
Blake’s fiancee leaves him at the altar on their wedding day and runs off with some random dude. To get away from everyone’s prying, he decides to go on the honeymoon cruise that he and his fiancee had planned. All he intends on doing while aboard is to relax and enjoy his time away from his wealthy family. What he doesn’t expect is to meet a radiant and enchanting singer with purple hair who shows him around the Mediterranean and sneaks her way into his heart.

A SWEET ENDEARING HERO
I can’t tell you all how much I enjoyed the characters in For Vacation Only. I liked that we got dual POVs here because we get to be inside both Jubilee and Blake’s heads. They are both lovely in their own ways and it was a treat getting to acquainted with them throughout the book. I’ve said this a lot in my recent reviews but I’m loving all the sweet beta heroes that I keep coming across in my romance reads. Blake is 100% a caring and humble romance hero. He comes from a fairly wealthy and renowned family, but he manages to stay down-to-earth. I liked that he is very much aware of his privilege and the power he holds as a wealthy white man.

I also love reading about men who are comfortable with their emotions and aren’t afraid to express them around others. For instance, Blake is extremely shy at times to the point that he will blush and get flustered around Jubilee because he finds her so beautiful. I don’t know why that was so damn adorable, but I was that puppy-eye emoji every time he seemed to lose his words in awe around Jubilee. Not to mention, he likes a good snuggle and is okay crying in public while watching Up. Please, how is that not the cutest?

A HEROINE TRYING TO FIND HERSELF
Jubilee was equally fantastic as a protagonist. She is finally catching a big break on this cruise as a lead singer and is feeling excited but also nervous. She has gone through life constantly being compared to her more traditionally successful older sister by her mother. Obviously, that sort of constant comparison can truly wreck a person’s self-confidence in damaging ways. Jubilee, however, manages to have a confident aura. She is driven and passionate and all of that comes through the book.

I felt for her whenever she talked about being this woman who isn’t necessarily taken seriously even in relationships because she is fun and outgoing. Nobody has seen her as girlfriend material and as a result, her relationships have always been fleeting.

THEY SAY THEY ARE STRICTLY FRIENDS, BUT ARE THEY REALLY?
So, I was happy for Jubilee to have met someone who is devoted to her but also sees her value in Blake. From their first meeting, the sparks and connection between the two lit up the pages of the book. I was charmed by their banter and flirtatious exchanges. Because of both their circumstances – Jubilee’s career on cruise ships and Blake’s recently broken engagement – they decide to start off as cruise friends. But as Jubilee guides Blake around the Mediterranean, their connection only intensifies.

I love how they are both very determined to only be friends, but they can’t stop touching and kissing each other. I loved that I could tell how much at ease they put each other. It’s all very soft and adorable. Oh and this book has that scene that I tend to love in a romance book where the MC kisses their love interest in order to shut them up while they are babbling! Jubilee does that to Blake here and it is so cute!! And when they finally consummate their relationship? It was steamy!

The third-act conflict in this book does rely on miscommunication. There’s a significant time jump between their breakup and their reunion. That being said, I do think the time away was necessary here because they needed to work on themselves.

IF YOU LIKE TRAVEL ROMANCES, THIS ONE IS FOR YOU
Alright, time for me to wrap up this review. I didn’t even get a chance to talk about all the traveling and how good it felt to visit all these destinations on the cruise stops from the safety of my bed. You’ll just have to trust me when I say that they are a lot of fun and provide some great romantic moments – Jubilee even takes Blake on a swoony treasure hunt! Anyways, For Vacation Only was a joyous reading experience and I’m so excited there will be more books in this series!

4.5 ⭐️

When Blake Mulligan is left at the alter, his best man suggests that he continues on with the honeymoon cruise as planned. On his first night aboard the ship, Blake meets Jubilee Collazo a singer who works as entertainment for the cruise line.

The two hit it off, both of them suffering from shitty breakups and needing a distraction, when Blake suggests that Jubilee be his tour guide & friend for the next two weeks. Jubilee agrees and they spend their days wandering the ports and soaking up the sun, while tiptoeing around the growing chemistry between them, and avoiding that reality lurks right around the corner.

Should they embrace the connection and the time they have together, or just keep things platonic and friendly?

For Vacation Only is an adorable romcom that gave me all the happy feelings. Jubilee and Blake, while complete opposites in a lot of ways, somehow work so perfectly together. I loved how easy the friendship was between the two of them, and how quickly that turned into something more. They just make sense!

I seriously just loved this book so much, and plan on making my way through the rest of Mila Nicks’s backlist ASAP!

This was fun summer read that will definitely appeal to anyone who's been stuck at home for the last year. It's set mainly on a cruise ship doing a 2 week cruise on the Mediterranean. The book opens with Blake, our hero, being jilted on his wedding day by his vapid, socialite fiancee. Blake comes from an extremely wealthy family and has always done exactly what's expected of him, but he rebels against having to face the fall out from the mess she's dumped on him and decides to go on his honeymoon anyway. After all, it's all arranged, and this way, he'll be at sea for 2 weeks and won't have to deal. While on board, Blake meets Jubilee, a backup singer for the headline entertainer on the ship and is introduced to a totally different way of life, one in which he laughs a lot, does fun things he's never tried before, and gets away from the expectations that have always been laid on him. Jubilee shows him a different side of the ports they visit and a different way of approaching life. As the end of the cruise approaches though, their former lives are staring them in the face and they both must decide whether what they discovered in each other on the ship can possibly carry over into their future.

Jubilee and Blake were likable, kind characters who were both searching for their paths in life. Blake was a true beta hero, the kind you don't see often in romance. Jubilee sees him as Clark Kent and that's pretty much a perfect description of him - earnest, shy, a bit nerdy, but extremely hot and unaware of his appeal beyond his pocketbook. Jubilee was the sort of person to seize the day, always looking seeing the glass as half full and excited about trying new things. I didn't really feel the attraction between them, and thought the various side characters, especially the "evil" exes were a bit overdone, but I enjoyed the escape that the book provided.

The fluffiest, most funny read!
I absolutely loved the writing style for this one! So beautiful and so witful, also! The author brought a lovely scenario and a lovely couple (black rep) into this book and it made me want to fall in love on a cruise (I'm already in love, but can't I fall in love with the same man again on a cruise?)
If you're a fan of music and dancing and meet-cutes, adding a tiny bit of spice, this is your book! Jubilee and Blake are now one of my favorite bookish couples! We stan Dawson, btw, witful employee and friend! (Much like the one in Pretty Woman)!
Thank you @netgalley and Mila for allowing me to read this eArc!

This is a lovely summery, vacation read. Mila Nicks' writing is easily accessible and draws the reader quickly into this book. Nicks' writing has a lightness and soft humor that is absolutely charming and fits this story and it's characters perfectly. I think the cover for this novel is absolutely charming and superbly represents the delightful love story you will find between it's pages.

Blake, the hero, has just been left at the alter and on a whim he decides to go on his two week honeymoon alone, but he does not expect to meet one of the performs on board the ship-Jubilee and be completely taken with her. I found this love story to be so sweet and it brought a smile to my face to experience Blake and Jubilee's growing attraction. Blake is such a kind and soft-hearted hero, he gets tongue-tied around Jubilee in the begin and it is just so delightful. Jubilee is an artist, a dreamer and someone who works hard in pursuit of her true heart's desires. I loved watching Jubilee's carefree nature draw Blake out of his shell. I loved that through their growing relationship each person begins to learn and discover what they truly want out of life.

This novel works with a difference in classes of wealth that ultimately tests the hero and heroine in the third act. I did really like that for the majority of the novel money differences was not something that effected Jubilee and Blake as they were getting to know each other. When Jubilee first realizes that Blake comes from a very rich family it does not immediately turn her away from getting to know the true him. I also love that Blake's heart always remains in the same place once he falls for Jubilee.

This romance is softly sensual when it comes to their physical relationship. I was charmed and delighted by the few side characters that really stood out and supported both the hero and heroine in their relationship. I loved the setting of a cruise ship and the exploring of different ports. This was a lovely and fast paced read that is an absolutely perfect vacation read and I would highly recommend this if you are looking for sweet romance to whisk you away.

Review will be posted (in Spanish) on Instagram (viajentrelibros) (06/05), and is already posted on Goodreads (English and Spanish).

Thanks to NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw that beautiful cover and read the synopsis, I knew I was going to like this book, so I requested it. What I didn't know, was that I was going to LOVE it. I couldn't stop reading it, which wasn't that good because I didn't want it to end, I was enjoying it so much that I stopped reading it for a couple of days to make it last longer, the moment I started reading again I read all 200 pages that I had left that same day.

This book begins with the humiliation suffered by Blake, a very rich but kind-hearted man who was left at the altar by someone he did not even love. He was getting married out of tradition and because in his world, appearances are everything. Although saddened by his embarrassing situation, he makes the decision to go on his honeymoon cruise anyway, because he feels that he needs time to himself, away from everything and everyone, he wants to escape even for a couple of weeks from the life he leads that has him caged.

On the cruise he meets the most impressive woman he has ever seen, the beautiful and talented Jubilee, who wants to make her dream of being a recognized singer come true, but instead is stuck on this cruise singing every night as a showgirl, knowing that her contract will come to an end at some point and she will have nothing else to do.

But then she meets Blake, and thanks to him, she feels the support she needed to realize how talented she really is, he becomes an important part of her days and, on the other hand, thanks to Jubilee, Blake begins to realize that life is more than fancy parties and superficial people, she becomes his motivation to be better.

The thing is, this cruise will only last 2 weeks, 2 weeks until they have to part and return to their different worlds, especially since Blake's family would never accept someone like Jubilee. They know they can't fall in love, they have to keep what is happening between them casual and light.

I aleady told you, I loved this book very much, it was such a cute fun read, it left me with a smile on my face and knowing that I'll miss Blake and Jubilee very much, they were amazing characters to read. So I recommend this if you want to read a cute love story, if you need something that'll make your heart happy.thing that'll make your heart happy.

First off the cover is gorgeous. The story was sweet and both leads were fairly likeable. I did however feel overall there wasn’t as much ‘oomph’ and chemistry as I’d hoped there would be. It was a pleasant, cute read but even with the conflict of their different backgrounds I did not find myself fully invested in Blake and Jubilee as a couple. Nice enough but might resonate more with others. (3 ⭐️)..