The Suite Spot is a like a warm cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven. Gooey, heart-warming goodness for my weary soul. This is the second installment in the Beck Sisters series, each one can be read as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend reading both. Float Plan was my first book by Doller and I adored the characters and setting. Doller writes love stories that arise from heartache, and she has a wonderful way of making these more serious, but real, circumstances inspiring and hopeful, using them as a jumping-off point for our characters to grow and learn.

In The Suite Spot we get Rachel’s story. I liked her from the start. She’s real and positive, despite the challenges of basically being a single parent to her three year old daughter Maisie. She works nights at a job she loves so she can be with her daughter during the day, but when she unfairly loses her job, she’s forced to make some hard choices. Inspired by her adventurous sister, she decides to accept what sounds like her dream job, even though it means moving several states away from Rachel’s mother and Maisie’s inconsistent father Brian.

After saying goodbye to her life in Florida, she and Maisie travel to her new home in Ohio, only to discover the job managing a brewery hotel isn’t quite what her grumpy—but not unkind—boss Mason portrayed it to be. It’ll be more work than she bargained for, but the location on an island in Lake Erie is beautiful and she’ll be doing what she loves.

She soon discovers Mason has his own heartbreaking story, and as they work together, they become friends. It’s a slow-burn romance with plenty of sparks along the way. And it was so much fun going along for the ride while these two make their dream hotel a reality, especially reading about what goes into making a brewery.

The characters are great, lots of diversity without trying too hard. Maisie is adorable, Mason is dreamy, Rachel is inspiring, and all of the friends she makes in Ohio are an added bonus, including a book club I would love to join!

This romance is single point of view, and while sometimes I want the other love interest’s side, I didn’t miss it this time.

My only complaint with The Suite Spot is that Mason might have been too romantic to be believable, but we are reading a romance, so who wants reality, right?!

Getting fired from a luxury hotel after not accepting the unwanted advances of a famous guest Rachel is as at loss what to do. When a co-worker suggests a boutique hotel job that would be the job of her dreams, she questions if it's too good to be true. There is a catch, it is in Ohio, problem is she lives in Florida.

Rachel decides to give it a shot, even though her on again off again boyfriend, the father of her daughter Maisie isn't pleased she needs to take this chance. She didn't expect the hotel wasn't nearly as done as she thought it would be.

Mason knew she wouldn't accept if he told her it wasn't as finished. She is overqualified, but he needs her. Mason is dealing with his own issues and trying to move forward after his divorce and loss. He is gruff but also so considerate and sweet.

Having Rachel find her footing, while also slowing falling in love with someone who valued her, saw her for who she is and calmed her body image issues was such a beautiful ride. I couldn't stop reading and while a slow burn I felt the tension and rooted for them to get together.

4.5 stars
This romance has a small town feel with a cast of quirky characters and a brew pub as the backdrop. The found family in this small town of Kelleys Island was so sweet and I was right there with the town members in rooting for Rachel and Mason from the beginning.

Rachel and Mason are both in difficult places in their lives, but they found eachother exactly when they needed to. This is not a whirlwind romance, but it was absolutely fitting to the story and I loved how real it felt.

Let me start by saying this... I'm a Michigander... I'm looking out the window at the snow coming down and it's March. The thought of being at a luxury hotel in Miami Beach is extremely exciting at this time of the year.

Rachel decides that rather than take a different job in sunny Miami after being fired from the luxury hotel, she'll pack up everything she owns (including her child) and move to this tiny island in Lake Erie. Lake Erie!?! The only thing keeping her warm this winter will be Mason, the rugged recluse who knows way more about brewing beer than building luxury hotels. Or any hotels for that fact.

While I love Trish Doller and her writing, my mind just couldn't love Rachel after she moved from the bottom of the US to the top. I know, that seems like a stupid reason to give up on a book, but my personal bias just couldn't get entertained or involved any further.

Thank you St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for the #gifted eARC of THE SUITE SPOT!

Sometimes the right book finds you at the right time and this was definitely the case for me and THE SUITE SPOT. The world is a maddening and heartbreaking place right now and I was craving some comfort which lately for me has been romance. And THE SUITE SPOT absolutely delivered that with this warm and gentle love story.

Given some of the topics covered in this romance, I think Trish Doller could have made this book more of an emotional rollercoaster, but I am so thankful that she took the comforting tone and track instead. You can’t help but root for Rachel and Maisie as they move across the country for a fresh start and a chance to build a new life together. Mason is a loveable grump with a giant cat. Mason and Rachel’s love story is sweet and not plagued by some of the communication issues that plague other romance couples. It just felt like a very adult relationship which was refreshing.

If you’re looking for a love story that will feel like a gentle hug, then definitely pick this one up!

THE SUITE SPOT is out tomorrow, March 8th!

Cw: sexual assault, mentions of child death, mentions of suicide

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4074379230
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Caz7EW5JopC/

Favorite book of 2022 (so far!)!!!!!!!

You must get your hands on it! This is going to be the next book I'm pushing onto everyone I know! The Suite Spot has just the right amount of everything- a woman finding her own way, a hunky male lead, a really cool and unique project the main characters are working on, amazing family support throughout, and a charming setting in the loveliest small town with wonderful side characters. There is so much to love about this story. While it is a romance, it's also a coming of age story as the characters find their way out of ruts together and with the support of their families. I loved this book and you need to read it!!!

The Suite Spot is technically a follow up to Float Plan released last year. While I don't think it's totally necessary to read Float Plan to enjoy The Suite Spot, it was also a wonderful story so you really might as well read it too!!

Trigger warnings: mentions of suicide, sexual harassment, loss of a child, divorce, child custody case

Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Warnings: attempted sexual assault, loss of a child
Read if you liked: The Float Plan
Steam: 2/5
Tropes: grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, slow burn, single parent

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. The Suite Spot will be published on March 8th, 2022.

This was a lovely and short read (under 300 pages) and I honestly would have liked a bit more story. I love the warm hug vibes that come with a second chance love story; there were similar themes to the Float Plan while feeling like a fresh story with amazing characters.

Things I loved: I love a tiny human in the middle of a romance. Rachel and Mason were so kind and patient with each other…also the maturity, I loved it! Antiquing + craft brewery + Disney references. The community on the island was so lovely; it reminded me why I enjoy small town romances. As a kid who grew up in Fort Lauderdale, the nostalgia was high with all the area references. Seeing previous characters for a bit.

Things I didn’t care for: It wasn’t long enough for me and I would have loved a longer epilogue of sorts.

You could totally read these books as standalones, as there is only a brief cameo + a few references to the first book but I do highly suggest reading the Float Plan if you have not already. Pre-order, add to your TBR or request at your local library!

The Suite Spot gave me all the feels. Rachel is a single mom, living with her mom, she's struggling to make ends meet, and she's kind of floundering in life when it all kinda falls apart. I felt her struggle in my soul and connected with her from the start. She had real problems and a real body and real frustrations and none of it was perfect but reading her story and the choices she made in the best interest of her daughter as well as herself was riveting. Mason again was not some book boyfriend adonis but rather a real grumpy, somewhat broken man who has had some terrible things happen in his life. This was a slow burn that felt warm and safe and exciting all at the same time. Trish Doller found a way to tell a story that honored both characters and their complicated histories that was full of romance and heartache as well as new beginnings and love.

I loved this book and felt like I wanted to hug Rachel early on then talk some sense in to her later and I wanted to uncover all of Mason's mystery.

Have you ever read a book that feels like coming home?
The Suite Spot was a bittersweet reminder of all of the places I've been, and all of the choices I had to make as a young mother that were part of my excruciating, yet necessary, journey of personal growth.

Rachel has resigned herself to a less than ideal relationship with her daughter's father. She has resigned herself to living with her mom, even though she's 28 years old, because the cost of living in Ft. Lauderdale isn't kind to the budgets of single parents. She has resigned herself to dreaming about the life and the future she is determined to have one day - running her own boutique hotel. The first step is getting the career promotion she has been working toward for ten years.

Rachel's dreams are shattered when an encounter with an overbearing, entitled, predatory hotel guest targets her after she refuses his advances. The job loss sends Rachel into a desperate frenzy, but it's also a wake-up call. Her life as she currently knows it is a constant struggle to keep above the ordinary high water mark, a continuous treading of water to keep from drowning.

Determined to change her trajectory, Rachel accepts a position as the general manager of a new boutique hotel in Ohio owned by a brewery start-up. On paper, the job seems perfect. It's a promotion. It's one step closer to her dream. It has a decent salary and housing is provided. The drawbacks are that it's located on an island in Lake Erie. There is snow. There is cold. As a lifelong Florida resident, these are anathema to her. The only way to get back and forth to the mainland is via a ferry. But the owner, Mason Brown, doesn't seem to mind that she and Maisie are a package deal. He tells her that she has just the experience he needs to make the hotel successful.

When Rachel arrives on Kelley's Island, she discovers that nothing is quite like it sounded. She hasn't exactly been the victim of a bait and switch scheme, but it feels like it. And to make matters worse, her new boss is both emotionally closed off and insanely attractive. And even though he said it was okay to bring her daughter, he seems extremely uncomfortable around her energetic three year old.

The balm to what may turn out to be a complete travesty of a situation is the fact that Rachel is given an open checkbook and free rein to oversee the transformation of the entire property. That transformation includes building and designing the guest cabins and the event space from the ground up. It's a golden opportunity to flex the muscles she earned with her hospitality degree.

Maintaining a professional relationship with her aloof employer is the only wrench in her plan. Mason is unlike any man of her previous acquaintance. And yes, she's woefully out of practice at the dating game because her life has been consumed by her work and her daughter. But she catches him looking at her sometimes out of the corner of her eye with an expression she can't decipher. And then there's the tea. And the star-gazing.

I absolutely adored this story about claiming your chance to be happy. It's okay to let go of the hold the past has on our perceptions of the future we deserve.

This was a single parent, grumpy vs. sunshine, slow burn romance that I connected with and cannot stop thinking about.

4.5/ 5 stars

The Suite Spot is the second book in the Beck Sisters series. This book is a contemporary romance and it features Anna's sister Rachel.

I loved The Float Plan so I was beyond excited to get a second book in this world.

The narrator of this book is 28 year old single mom Rachel (1st person POV).

Rachel is full figured and such a fun character. I really liked her relationship with her mom and daughter. And she was a great heroine.

I really enjoyed getting to see Anna again. She wasn't in this book a lot. But there are definitely spoilers from Float Plan included. So if you care about things like that then read the books in order.

The highlight of this book for me was Rachel's 4 year old daughter Maisie. I found her absolutely adorable. I also really liked all of the characters on Kelleys Island. And I enjoyed both Rachel and Mason's jobs so much. The romance was definitely slow burn. But it was really good. I liked this book a lot!

One of my first five star reads of 2022 was Float Plan, the first book in Trish Doller’s Beck Sisters series. It was such a beautifully written story about loss and grief and about how Anna Beck finds her path forward after losing the love of her life. That book just blew me away, so needless to say, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the second book in the series, The Suite Spot, and meet Anna’s sister Rachel Beck. How did this book compare to the first one? 5 stars all the way!

Rachel Beck’s life is not going as she had hoped it would. She’s still living with her parents and she’s a single mom dealing with a flaky baby daddy. Rachel loves her daughter, and she loves her job as a night reservations manager at a posh hotel in Miami Beach, that is until she gets fired for telling off one of the hotel’s VIP guests when he tries to ram his tongue down her throat. With limited prospects, Rachel decides it’s time for a fresh start and she takes a management position at a brewery hotel on an island in Lake Erie called Kelleys Island.

I really admired Rachel’s spunk and determination. It’s not easy to just pack up and move across the country, but she knew she needed to do something both for herself and to make sure her daughter has the best possible life. I hated that she was wrongfully terminated from a job she loved, but I was so happy for her when it becomes clear that this new job is the chance of a lifetime, definitely professionally but also personally – if she can get Mason, the sexy but moody hotel owner to open up to her.

As much as I loved Rachel, I think I may have loved Mason even more. Under that moody exterior is a man who has suffered a devastating personal loss and is clearly still reeling from it and struggling to move forward. As soon as the townsfolk meet Rachel, they are rooting for her to be the one to help him put the pieces of his life back together. And I was rooting right along with them because I loved the chemistry between Rachel and Mason and I loved how they were such a great team when it came to bringing all of the details of the hotel together. They were just so in synch with one another and I thought they really brought out the best in each other too. Each is exactly what the other needed.

Rachel and Mason’s growing relationship had me 100% invested in the story from a romantic standpoint, and there was also plenty of angst and drama to keep me turning those pages. I also really loved all of the scenes that dealt with the brewery and with the designing of the hotel’s interior. Those scenes could have easily been dry and dull and pulled me out of the story, but instead, I thought the scenes were vibrant and really helped enhance the reading experience. I could practically see the beautiful rooms coming together and taste the new delicious craft beers that Mason was brewing.

I flew through The Suite Spot in just a couple of sittings and was left thoroughly satisfied by the book’s conclusion. If you’re in the mood for an engaging and heartwarming story with a strong focus on romance, family, and how to cope with loss and grief, you’re going to want to check out The Suite Spot.

I loved Float Plan when I read it last year and was so excited for The Suite Spot to come out. It did NOT disappoint, this is the book we all need right now. It's happy, sweet, and romantic, but also real.

If you're like me and hate reading romance novels where the major conflict could be solved if the characters just talked to one another like actual adults, you will also love The Suite Spot.

Thanks to St Martin's Press via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

I loved the author’s book last year, Float Plan so I was delighted to receive a copy of her latest novel. I was even more delighted when I realized that this new book had some Easter eggs and referenced the last book! You do not have to read the previous book to follow along with The Suite Spot, but it was a fun little surprise for me! I love this author’s way of writing, she has such a charming way of describing her characters while also making them very vivid and real.

Rachel is used to working for an upscale hotel in Miami, but when she is suddenly fired, she takes a leap of faith and applies for a job running a hotel in the middle of nowhere Ohio. The hotel is remote, it is on an island off of Lake Erie and Rachel doesn’t know what to expect. When she arrives, she learns that the hotel isn’t even ready to open and the owner, Mason is really unsure of what he is doing. Mason offers Rachel a chance to build the hotel any way she would like and the offer is just too good to pass up for Rachel. As Rachel and Mason start to spend more and more time together, sparks begin to fly. They have witty banter and the most undeniable chemistry. The only question is, can Rachel and Mason build more than a hotel together? Could they build their lives together as well? Or will both of their pasts find a way to keep them apart?

Gonna have to tell my boss to not expect me in office tomorrow, I'm in a fetal position and don't anticipate moving on from this book anytime soon 🥺

TW: sexual assault (on page), death of a child (off page), panic attacks, references to suicide, divorce/custody battle drama

I loved Trish Doller's previous book, Float Plan, and didn't expect to love this one even MORE. This book is S O F T and so tender and hits the heart a little painfully, but then it heals it right away with more softness. It's pillows and fluffy clouds and cotton candy.

AND GUESS WHAT! There is no third act breakup!! How refreshing.

Of course, I wouldn't be a true reviewer if I didn't acknowledge a few things. This book is by no means perfect—as another review put it, who thinks of Ohio and beer and goes "oooh romantic"? No one. But somehow I left this book wanting to move to an island in the middle of an Ohio lake.

Probably because the bugs were never mentioned once. That is a dealbreaker.

I loved the mental health rep, per usual. Doller knows how to write grief, damn. I was am a mushy MESS. And I especially loved that our lead realized her anxiety was way more manageable in this new relationship, and learning how she can control her environment to have a handle on her mental health. That is something I also recently learned and it is a real game-changer.

Is the pacing a little fast? Yeah, but also I love the domesticity, so if we breeze over some of the drama for more of that sweet stuff I'm not complaining.

ALSO I LOVE MASON

REP: single mom (and with an actual child, not a perfect romance child), half-Japanese love interest, Japanese side character

Sigh….. I didn’t want it to end!! What a delightful breath of fresh air! I LOVED Float Plan, but this one is even better! Rachel is down and out with nothing going her way except for her darling daughter. So, stepping outside her comfort zone she does the unexpected and her entire life is upended. Enter Mason….. where the heck do I find myself a Mason?!?!? Seriously—- I want a Mason! Thanks to NetGalley for this amazing read!

When Rachel loses her job, she has nothing to lose and decided to apply for a management position at a brewery hotel on an island in Lake Erie - very far away from her current life in Miami Beach. When she gets the job, she arrives to a not yet fully built hotel and meets Mason, the owner, who knows nothing about running a hotel. As they work to build the hotel together, they become close while also going through their own individual healing processes.

After reading the Float Plan, I was so amazed with Trish Doller’s ability to take characters in really difficult places in their lives, and write them beautiful love stories in the midst of their healing. So when I saw that Rachel was getting her own story, I was so excited and this book did not disappoint. I loved Rachel and how as a single mom she was willing to do anything to give her daughter the best life. Watching Rachel develop a crush on Mason that slowly evolved into more was so relatable and heartwarming to read. I loved that he was there to support her and believe in her no matter what. It was such an endearing and beautiful romance - I thought it was so special to see them each get a second chance at love and family and slowly learn to love and trust again.

I adored the audio. The narrator told the story with so much heart and the emotion this book needed.

Thank you to SMP Romance, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advanced copies.

If a book could hug me, this would be it.

Hot Takes
- This book is so fucking wholesome and sweet. And gentle!
- It's incredibly adult or grown up feeling (like age, not sexually) and it was super needed in this time we're living in. Not that I think romance is childish at all, but sometimes you just need a book where there isn't some dramatic ass situation that *probably* could've been avoided, but ya know, romance. This book had a conflict that was super real and not drawn out which was needed.
- A single parent is turning out to be my absolute favorite trope. And my heart pulled for Mason (check CWs!) and the way he treated Rachel's daughter.
- This is closed door, but there was enough tension that made me swoon and I love that!

Read If You Like
- Simple Wild for a small town, serious romance that's got some depth and a sense of community.
- Beer!

⚠️ TW: Death of a child

Rachel Beck has reached the end of the road. She’s a single mom, still living at home, and trying to raise a daughter while keeping a dying relationship alive. When she’s accused of something she didn’t do, she’s fired from her job at a luxury hotel. On a whim, Rachel applies for a job at a brewery hotel on an island in Lake Erie. Rachel packs up her daughter and moves to Ohio where she finds Mason. Mason knows everything about brewing beer but has no clue how to run a hotel. It may not be the job Rachel had in mind, but how can she pass up a chance to build a hotel, and her life, from the ground up?

This book is the sequel to Float Plan (which is incredible-please go read it!) and I was so excited to get to read the ARC! We get to know Anna’s sister Rachel in this one and her journey to healing + happiness is beyond heartwarming. And can we talk about how cute her daughter Maisie is 🥺 I had never heard of a brewery hotel before this book and now I’m dying to try one! Summer vacay idea?? I’ll be honest and say I did enjoy Float Plan better, but I have no complaints about this one at all. It’s a deep read but with a very heartfelt theme! All the characters are likeable and I loved the two different settings. Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press, Trish Doller, and NetGalley for my E-ARC!

Trish Doller knows how to write such sweet, lighthearted but tender stories that always touch my heart and make me smile, and this new second chance story for me was no exception.

Following a sequence of unfortunate events, Rachel Beck decides to take a leap and start over with an incredible opportunity designing and managing a new up-and-coming hotel. After she and her young daughter relocate from sunny Florida to small-town Ohio, Rachel finds this project may be more than she bargained for.

Overall, this book was adorably sweet! The romance had my heart MELTING from this insanely cute couple and their chemistry.

While I adored Float Plan with its sense of adventure and wanderlust, this book took a different approach to a second chance at life and love. It was more grounded and a little lighter. I did wish it was a tad longer with more time spent on each of the main characters working through their pasts and developing feelings.

If you want a sweet, romantic read with a small-town feel, definitely add this to your lists!

3.5/5

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Let me start off by saying I LOVE Rachel and Mason! However, the relationship I loved most in The Suite Spot was that between Rachel and her new community.

I greatly enjoy books with strong female friendships and this one showcases just how important they are. As Rachel starts to rebuild her community we see so much passion and strength emerge from her. She is so strong from the beginning and it only increases as her support system begins to make her feel more at home on the island.

This book also does a fantastic job of displaying the importance of hard work in a aspects of life. Rachel must work hard to balance family, career, friends, and romantic relationships to advance toward achieving a life she loves, setting a great example for her daughter along the way