I had such high hopes for this book but it did not live up to them.

I DNF’ed it at about 15%. The comment that her uncle makes about how she should stop losing weight because her bosoms are disappearing. That comment really have me the ick and I couldn’t get past it.

Also, there is a typo about 4% in where the uncle is called uncle Bill when his name is Dan. This really confused me because Bill was the guy that her aunt brought up and not her uncle.

Nora is the event coordinator for the “American Idol” elimination style global bartending event at the Paradise Bay resort, located in the fictional Caribbean Benevente Islands (they sort of look like a reverse Hawaiian Islands on a map). This event needs to go smoothly for Nora to be considered for a major promotion. Unfortunately, her wild little sister has barged in as her intern. Theo Rojas is the CEO of Rojas Rum, a suddenly struggling brand because of a celebrity partnership gone wrong. His brand is sponsoring the contest and he also needs the event to be perfect. Also, unfortunately, his brother (who got the company into its current mess) is also “helping” him at the resort. Nora and Theo are both Type-A personalities with a lot to lose, although Theo starts off presenting himself as an arrogant, rude, snobby a-hole to Nora. Of course, they’ll eventually be put together in some awful situation (perhaps on a deserted tropical island!) and become attracted to each other.

This modern day retelling of Pride and Prejudice has two POVs, so the reader is convinced, long before the characters are, that both Nora and Theo have a lot of attractive qualities. The writing is witty and delightful. There are amusing chapter titles (“Lemur Stink Fights Masquerading as Civilized Meetings”) with cute narrator specific graphics (Theo is a bottle of rum; Nora is a piña colada). I loved the illustrated maps, resort PR, secret island of Eden ad (only $24,449 per night!), and invite to the 2022 World Bartending Championship Mixer — all great additions to an ebook. The story line is familiar, but Ms. Summers’s Caribbean spin on the Austen tale is so enjoyable and enchanting. Reading the original “Pride and Prejudice” was a high school homework bore — this version should be enjoyed with a fruity rum drink at hand. 5 stars for this guilty pleasure!

This book is the 5th in the Paradise Beach series, and I must go back to finding the previous installments like “Resting Beach Face” 😂 The series is an Amazon exclusive, and will be free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES That would be the Darcy-ish Theo.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO But Nora is a houseplant serial killer and should be banned from plant stores, but she aspires to have a garden and a greenhouse someday.

Nora is an event planner but she finally gets her break and get to organize the World Bartender Challenge. Unfortunately, Theo, as the major sponsor on the event, micromanage every thing. Of course, the fight initially but the sparks fly too...

Love Nora and Theo. Love their chemistry and fireworks! :) It's a quick and really enjoyable read. Lots of funny scenes that will have you LOL.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.