This is a contemporary take on enemies to lovers and I think it’s brilliant!! Being contestants on a reality show is such a unique idea that I’d yet to read before this book! I found that the plot moved at a fast pace and really enjoyed the love story between Easton and Amity. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Amity and Cooper meet on a reality adventure-meets-romance television show that is set in the Pacific Northwest. While all camping together, single men and women get partnered for each outdoor challenge. Of course they initially dislike each other, and the banter between them was fun to read. I really enjoyed both Amity and Cooper's point of view of each other, the other contestants, and the show in general. The reality show premise was entertaining and kept me interested. The challenges led to Amity and Cooper discovering different things about each other. I liked how the ending was handled and it felt like it could have been a show that is currently on television. Overall, it was a fun book to read and I enjoyed it! Thank you to NetGalley and the BooksGoSocial for the ARC.

Okay, I want to start this off by saying I got this book for free in exchange for my honest review and that will not reflect in this review at all.

I'll break it down into characters, plot, and overall because I have some things to say.

Character wise, they were so one dimensional. There was next to no personality to any of them and the only personality that showed was either assumed or just really toxic. The way Easton and Amity interacted was so off and on that it was annoying. On top of that it wasn't enemies to lovers really more like a childish teenager got into a relationship and it wasn't full grown adults. Then with a big selection of characters and all of them having zero personality it made it that much harder to get to know them or even like them. If I had to choose a favorite character it would probably be Bria because she was one of them who had some sort of personality, but even then that's giving major upgrades.

The relationship between Easton and Amity honestly felt really toxic. It moved incredibly fast and the way it went from "I hate you" to "I really really like you" to "I'm in love with you" in a span of three weeks max wasn't believable at all. They knew practically nothing about each other and barely knew each other before starting to date and even when finished at the end it was like they were still barely communicating about each other to the other person.

The plot was something I was excited for but it fell so flat. The way it was all written just couldn't be believable and then how it was written just rubbed me the wrong way. There were numerous times throughout the book that I had to stop and really think about what was said. One big thing I had an issue with was the fact that Amity called Easton bipolar just because of how fast his mood fluctuated which is really not a good term to use to describe someone. There's already a bad stigma around people who actually are bipolar and then using it outside of the context really made me dislike this book even more. Then the way it was written was if a cisgender white male wrote it and didn't know how to write anything. I know that sounds harsh but the girls were written in such an objectifying way that a male would've written it, but then the males were also written in such an objectifying way too.

Also, what the hell was with all of the men having fragile masculinities. It was as if they were in middle school fighting to impress the new girl. When most of them were in their 30s it seemed and probably should not be acting that immature.

Overall, was not an enjoyable read and I definitely would NOT recommend it to anyone because of all of this. This was not the vibes and I am kind of upset I wasted time reading this and finishing it just to be this disappointed.

Firstly I’d like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for the e-arc 🥰🥰

I enjoyed Crush in the Cascades, it’s my favourite trope!! Enemies to lovers will always draw me in.

Amity is such a brilliant MC, I absolutely adore her spirit 🥰❤️ She’s so likeable and even if I did find the plot a little predictable she totally makes this book worth a read!! She drew me in with her warmth, charm and loving character and I really enjoyed her banter with Easton ❤️❤️ I also enjoyed the forced proximity thanks to the brilliant idea of the being set over the television show.

There were elements of the of the book that I really enjoyed but there were also elements of the book that I found a little tedious. The sections where it described the challenges, for me, were a bit too long and I was more interested in the romance between Amity and Easton so I wish that there was more romance scenes and less actual description of the challenges (but thats just me). ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I absolutely adored this novel! Crush in the Cascades by Lisa Gayle is easily one of the most fun books I have read in quite some time. The story follows Easton Cooper and Amity Rose as they compete on the reality tv adventure competition, Race to Riches or Romance. We get to see their relationship evolve from enemies, to reluctant friends, to lovers.

The story is highly entertaining from the challenges, to pairings with other competitors, to the banter between Easton and Amity. Both characters are relatable and fun to read as they navigate their evolving relationship and the competition. I love that we also get to see the story from each of their perspectives as it gives us so much more insight into each characters feelings and motivations. The story is also emotional at times because of the stakes of the game and how certain decisions affect the relationship between the two main characters.

I have zero complaints about this book and cannot wait for the next book in the series. Gayle will definitely be an auto-buy author or me after this excellent read. I highly recommend this book to anyone, but especially readers of romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this romance story with all of the characters. The two main characters were Amity Rose and Easton Cooper.

Amity, Easton and others are in the mountains of Oregon to participate in a reality show that is being filmed. They all want a chance to win one million dollars. They all find out that they will be partner as one woman and one man. After they been partnered Easton not sure that the woman that been partnered will be able to win the first challenge.

This was a fun story to read. It has action, adventure,  and drama throughout. It has quite a bit of funny parts that had me giggling and laughing to.

I received a complimentary copy via Booksprout and also Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinions.

Crush in the cascades is a book about Amity and Cooper who are participants in a reality show: rags to riches competition but with romance.

I found most of these characters to be in likable. I was not invested in the characters nor the show. I was rooting for Amity not because I connected with her but because all the other characters were over the top horrible people.

I struggled to make it through this book. I just did not find the plot nor characters interesting.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with this version of Crush in the Cascades.

Crush in the Cascades takes enemies to lovers to a whole different level with an original and refreshing plot when Amity and Cooper take part in an adventure game show, providing them with the ideal setting to find a partner. Their chemistry is definitely something, and while I really didn't like Cooper all that much in the beginning, once his reasons became clear, I rooted for him to succeed.

Amity is by far my favourite character with her wit and general badass-ness. I rotted for her from the get-go, and felt for her all the way through. She's kind, compassionate and selfless to the bone.

I can't wait for the second novel, telling Hannah's story.

3.5 stars/5 (rounded to 4). This book had some of my favorite tropes, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, & grumpy/sunshine, but missed the mark on the actual romance for me.

I loved the premise, I've only read one other book with a reality TV plot so I thought this was really creative. It didn't feel like a book I've read a billon times before. Somehow, I couldn't connect with the characters and honestly, I wasn't rooting for them to end up together. The connection felt forced and pages-long inner monologue felt fake to me.

I did really enjoy this book, I loved the plot and the tropes included. I wanted to love it, especially since it was an ARC and I feel grateful to have been given a copy, but the romance felt so forced and I didn't find myself loving the characters.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this was promising, I love a good book about reality TV. Sadly, the premise was not enough to keep this book interesting for me.

Gayle switches between two MCs Amity and Easton, with the latter being extremely unlikable. The whole "mysterious rude" guy is fine as long as he isn't a total ahole (which Easton was!). His attitude made me soooo uninterested in continuing with the story.

My other gripe with this book is that it's written in once voice. Half the time I couldn't tell if I was reading Easton or Amity's POV. I'm sure this is a lot of people's cup of tea, but it wasn't mine.

Crush in the Cascades is a fun and quick read. Amity and Easton are contestants on an outdoor challenge reality show and their banter is great. I really enjoyed the backdrop of the Pacific Northwest and enemies to lovers theme. While the enemies to lovers seemed a bit rushed I did enjoy the various challenges they had to face and overcome working together and on opposing teams. If you want a quick beach read with a happy ending, this definely fits the bill.

This combines two of my favorite things- reality competition shows, and rom-coms.
I love the whole premise and would definitely watch the series. I DO wish that the "riches OR romance" played a bigger part in the competition itself, but I am a sucker for a happy ending and feel that everyone that deserved one, got it.
Except- can we get an update on Justin? Can he come back later in the series? Would have loved to get to know his story more.

As soon as I read the synopsis of this book I was really excited to read it - I absolutely loved the concept of being based around a survivors style reality show especially one set in the Oregon wilderness, I thought the author did a great job of setting the scene and I really enjoyed reading the challenges the contestants faced.

I did struggle a little bit with the characters and didn't really connect with them. I found it a bit odd how fast Easton & Amity went from enemies to friends, and then how quickly that then developed in a relationship -especially when their seemed to be so much unnecessary miscommunication between them which I thought threw off their dialogue quite a bit.

Crush in the Cascades is a fun rom-com set in a ridiculous Reality TV show….The Race for Riches or Romance. Contestants compete in teams of two and the winning team members will each win a million dollars. Easton Cooper is desperate to win so he can pay for lifesaving heart surgery his lifelong friend. Amity Rose wanted an adventure to fulfill the dreams she had with her Dad before he died. Can they work together to win, fall in love or both? Many other contestants also want to win, so the challenges are many.

this was a fun concept. I enjoyed a lot of the action scenes, and am always up for a good enemies to lovers story. I really liked Amity and her backstory, and I would definitely read a book with Bria as the MC. Easton Cooper as the male lead didn't totally do it for me. He was kind of a sexist pig throughout, labeling Amity and other female contestants in looks alone. I REALLY don't get how a male romantic lead is meant to be thought of as attractive when he described as 'spindly' , and having 'spidery arms'. that just plain creeps me out. it brought me totally out of the story. Sure, a lanky fellow can be appreciated, but almost all his physical descriptors were NOT appealing.
Overall, I enjoyed the story for what it was, a light romcom, and would read Hannah's story, as well.

Survivor meets Bachelor meets the Amazing Race in this race through the glorious Cascades, riches and romance propelling 20 contestants through a series of mental and physical challenges. But, only one partnership can be dubbed the winner. Alliances will be tested, hearts even more so. Is this the sort of reality show that could become my next guilty pleasure? With its beautiful landscapes and mountains of drama, you betcha!


The tension between Cooper and Amity blazed immediately, their forced proximity sparking an enemies to lovers premise that sold me. And boy do they nail the enemies part! The lust, blindsides, and high energy captured within each scene was thrilling, and there were no shortages of laughter or groans as everything played out. Despite the short timeframe that Gayle worked with, the pacing for the majority of the book was spot on, the challenges playing out perfectly before my eyes, the other contestants relentless as they stoked the embers and brought an extra layer of tension and dimension to this setting. This was so unlike the books I’ve read before and I really wanted to love this.

Unfortunately, as much as I loved the moments of vulnerability in which the gloves were off and Amity and Cooper’s budding affair stole the show, the romance pushed between them was a little hard to buy into it, largely due to the constant miscommunication and omissions of truth that would rekindle unnecessary theatrics. I admired both of their reasons for competing and wanted to cheer each of them on as the author revealed a lot about both their hearts, but I just didn’t understand why they continually refused to tell their truths, while allowing the other to misjudge (and at times demean) them under these false pretences. It’s not often I am relieved to see a relationship temporarily dissolve, but in this instance, I’d have been disappointed if it hadn’t. I was equally relieved that things weren’t immediately resolved between them once the cameras were turned off. Amity was undoubtedly a favourite of mine, and I admired that even in her heartache, her commitment and heart were on display as she stole the show by her actions in that final leg of the race - I could’ve watched that on repeat and still wouldn’t have stopped cheering and grinning!

Fast-paced, fresh and fun, Crush in the Cascades is the reality show transcript you didn’t know you wanted.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the advanced copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC, in exchange for my review.

While I was really excited to read this and love the concept of a romance on an Amazing Race meets Survivor-type reality show, unfortunately the story and writing just didn’t do it for me.

This is billed as enemies to lovers - but the main characters hated each other for exactly 3 minutes before they fell in instant love. They told each other exactly nothing about themselves or their true motivations before deciding they were “boyfriend/girlfriend” - words they kept repeating approx 1000 times. I really wanted to love this and did like the competition aspect, unfortunately I just didn’t care about a single one of the characters and the entire romance felt forced and uninteresting to me.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

There were many things to like about this book: the descriptions of the locations made me want to visit one day, the main character Amity was likable and I wanted to learn more about her, the premise of the story and the challenges were interesting.

Unfortunately, I did not like the other main character, Cooper was horrible and he definitely did not grow on me, on the contrary, I think I liked him better at the very beginning when he was just a random jerk. His inner thoughts were probably the worst part about him but then again, his behavior was equally as bad.

There was no character building, no depth, no redemption for me. I also found the relationship between the mains unbelievable, too quick and unrealistic. Also I just hated Cooper too much to believe Amity would love him so.

It was a quick read but one I’m not sure if I would recommend. 2.5 stars.

Crush in the Cascades follows Amity Rose and Easton Cooper, as they compete on an adventure reality show to try and win a million dollars. While they definitely don't hit it off in the beginning, they do get better in time.

I liked the main character Amity. I like how the relationship grew over time and how they also how they misunderstood each other. It kept the book interesting. I did not, on the other hand, liked Easton. He was very annoying and seemed like the kind of person I would want to hit in the face (not at all my type).

I had some issues also with some of the dialogues and I don't know if I will a 100% recommend this one but if you are willing to take the risk, be my guest.

Thank you to NetGalley for access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

I'm from the PNW, so the title and setting for this book immediately pulled me in. I was also drawn to the concept: fun rom/com with an adventure reality tv show twist between two very opposite people.

Turns out, the beautifully described environment was the only part of this book that I enjoyed. The author did a wonderful job painting lovely scenes in my favorite part of the country.

This is what ruined everything else for me:
- the insta-love trope...way too hard, way too fast, based on ZILCH!
- how fast they got physical, knowing they were being filmed for national tv the whole time
- highly unlikely for adults this age to neglect to share even the most basic bits about their lives back home/background
- the characters were underdeveloped, flat, and undefined - so confusing
- the cringey sex scenes paired with their overall lack of communication and lack of emotional connection

Overall, I had to force myself to finish it and just cannot recommend this one.