Loved the setting of this book! I wasn’t sure how I was gonna feel about the FMC at first, she came off a bit petulant, whiny, and pathetic in the beginning, but I grew to like and root for her!

This contemporary fiction novel follows Kate as her life in Toronto implodes, and she decides to escape to the wilds of Canada for a short-term position at a high-end creative retreat in the woods. Her job is to help drum up business for them, attracting the perfect high-end creative client that they desire.

While this book felt a bit too Hallmark for me, and I did not see as much character growth from Kate as I desperately desired, I thought the setting of a luxury retreat center in the woods of Canada was quite cozy. Lefler did a great job building that world, and the descriptions of the spaces stood out to me. I also thought the relationship between Kate and her dog, Eric, was really sweet.

Overall, I wanted more character growth and less cliche "woman drinking wine to cope with her emotions" trope, but I did find some moments to enjoy in this one.

Kate Rigsby makes a reel slamming her cheating ex (she’s a quintessential reels user), gets fired from her terrible job and then finds a new job at a luxury artist retreat in the snowy Canadian wilderness. At no point did I not know what was going to happen yet, except for when I was blindsided the by arrival of her ex (still not sure why) and his following attempting sexual assault of her. Character assassination was then committed when Matt was angry with Kate (?) when he came to assist. I was not convinced of their chemistry and after his victim blaming was not interested in sticking around to see if any more developed. I also did not feel any attachments to any of the other characters. The one thing I did like was imagining Kevin’s jumpers - they sounded very cozy! Oh, and I also learnt that Canadians call beanies toques, so I guess it wasn’t a bad time all round?.

Kate, an early 30s, marketing exec catches her boyfriend cheating on her. After some wine, she posts a drunken video outing him, his client, and the law firm he works for. The next morning she is fired from her job because of the video. With no other prospects, her next job is in the Ontario, Canada wilderness at a “luxurious” artist retreat to increase occupancy.

She meets Matt, Tania, and a few other staff members during her stay. Matt is the owner’s son and a friends-to-lovers situation starts. I liked how Kate’s and Matt’s relationship grew. I liked Tania and the rest of the staff and how they became friends. Eric, the goldendoodle, was a character too. I loved the descriptions of the Canadian wilderness. I’d go there in a heartbeat.

I did not like the attempted SA that happened to Kate by her ex and Matt thinking she wanted it. That left a bad taste. And even if he did apologize, I thought that could have been better written.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books. Reasonable Adults is out now.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book was okay but I wasn't bowled over by it. I was hoping for something a bit different to what it was and felt that the attempted SA about 3/4 of the way through the book seemed a bit out of place and a bit unnecessary which was made worse by the MMC trying to blame the girl for him trying to SA her as she had inviting him over - er?

Apart from that it was still a good read and I would recommend but also think there should be a trigger warning.

** Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC and chance to read and review **

Synopsis:
After accidentally getting herself fired, Kate is left with no choice but to take PR job for Treetops, a creative retreat in need of a revamp. Her job, is to bump up their attendance rates within 3 months or risk out on losing the big bonus check.

Review:
❄️ I loved how sarcastic Kate was, it made her character very enjoyable to read. I sympathized with her as she overcame all the obstacles she was faced with and thought she had good character development
❄️ The setting was very wintery and cozy - being isolated in the woods without WiFi does sound dreamy sometimes! Although there were many of them, all the side characters were great! Some a little quirkier than others, but still interesting to read about!
❄️ Bonus points for the golden doodle named Eric
❄️ As for the romance - it didn’t quite get there for me and I felt that Kate and her love interest didn’t have any chemistry. I personally thought calling it a coming of age / self discovery story fits better than saying it’s a romantic comedy.

TW: sexual assault. It takes place near the end of the book and I honestly felt that it was not handled very well and felt that it was inappropriate for the love interest to seemingly “victim blame”. I did not find in necessary to the story at all.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I wanted to love this book so much. The cover is adorable, it sounded adorable, but it feel short. I was just bored with it.

I hadn't heard of this book and author before, but it sounded very promising. Unfortunately, this wasn't my cup of tea. I'm not entirely sure what it was that I didn't like but I struggled to finish it. It definitely wasn't a bad book, just not for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Kensington Books, and the author for a chance to read this debut novel.

After a drunk mistake/PR nightmare ends Kate's career, she ends up applying and getting a job that seems too good to be true. Once she arrives she realizes that the resort is pretty outdated and that the generous salary she thought she would get is based on hitting some pretty tough occupancy goals.

I really liked reading about the setting and thought the author did a great job describing everything. My issue was it was hard to get into the story at first and I didn't really feel too attached to Kate. I love that the story is about a 30 something starting over, but the first couple of chapters she came off a bit pretentious instead of relatable.

I also wasn't a fan of having the <spoiler>attempted sexual assault</spoiler> as I didn't feel it was handled correctly. I will say please look up trigger warnings if you plan to read.

I think the pacing of the story needed some fine tuning but overall I thought it was good for a debut book.

I loved the whole premise for this book. Crumbling life led to running away to the work in the wilderness at a retreat, only to find out that it is kind of out dated and not at all what you expected. I had a bit of trouble getting into this story, and a few moments were questionable as to whether they were needed or not. But, overall, it was a light and quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

When Kate Rigsby loses her job she’s at loose ends, but then an opportunity for a new job presents itself and Kate jumps at the chance. Leaving behind the city and heading out to a creative retreat to take a new job is exactly what she needs. Kate is stepping outside of her comfort zone, but has high hopes this is exactly what she needs.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. Half of the time I didn’t even know what I was reading and I couldn’t follow the storyline that seemed scattered to me. I didn’t really connect with Kate at all, but I really enjoyed some of the other characters at Treetops. This book did not pull me in at all and I found the romance in the storyline to be lacking in any kind of chemistry or heat. I felt like I kept cringing as I read this book, unable to believe some of the things that happened and the way Kate handled them. I hate writing bad reviews because I know the author worked hard on this and this story is important at to them, but I didn’t connect to it at all and found myself rushing to finish the book so I could put it behind me. Just because this book wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean that it isn’t for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book!

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick read with some bright spots - and equally some very problematic bits, plus a bit of a pacing problem and some logic conundrums which interrupted the flow of the story. Our heroine is fired from a job she doesn't seem particularly suited for, her BF breaks up with her, and she takes on a new job at what is presented as a luxury retreat in the Canadian boonies. Once there, she realizes the place has promise, but there are issues. Not least of these is the absentee owner, who makes unreasonable demands of her staff and refuses all requests to invest to upgrade the property (or to keep it from falling down). Our heroine falls in lust with one of her coworkers and the attraction seems mutual - but of course there are lots of misunderstandings because people just are incapable of talking to each other. I did like the atmosphere the author conjured of the resort in the wilderness, and the interaction between the staff, although I found it difficult to really connect with any of the characters. I did keep scratching my head because from a business aspect this was totally unrealistic. The problematic bits refer to an SA which comes up, and how that works itself out. Overall it was a bit of a hot mess that had me raising too many questions while reading to be able to really enjoy it.

This is the perfect, cozy read. I love Kate and Matt and the entire crew. Wish I could visit Treetops and indulge in a Party Thyme cocktail! This is a light and fun read, perfect for a winter weekend!

Kate Rigsby makes a social media post about her ex-boyfriend after learning he was set to make partner. The past lead to her losing her marketing job. Kate's two friends convince her to accept a job at Treetops. It was supposed to help give Kate a fresh start. Kate and Eric (her Goldendoodle) head to the resort that has a breathtaking view. The treetop crew aren't all friendly from the beginning but when it came down to it they fought for Kate. The resort was set up to fail but Kate did everything she could to turn it around. Her efforts were starting to pay off when Brooke (member of the board responsible for hiring) fired her. Brooke did not want Treetops to make it because she was bitter about the divorce settlement. Kate also fell in fall with co-worker Matt.

I enjoyed Reasonable Adults by Robin Lefler.

Reasonable Adults follows Kate as she is fired and then takes on a new job at a luxury retreat in Muskoka and she slowly falls in love with the retreat and the people there especially one attractive worker. This book sadly was one I did not like because it took me so long to get into the plot of the book and I was not connected to any character in the book or the plot. The pacing was so slow for this book and overall it was a book that was not for me. Only thing that I did like was the dog. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC read in exchange of my honest review.

“Can we please talk about this like reasonable adults?”

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Romance
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Touches on cheating (not done by any main characters, just an ex significant other). Describes an attempted sexual assault. Contains sexual content.

I mean, Robin Lefler had me at Goldendoodle and artists’ retreat in the Canadian wild. “Reasonable Adults” follows Kate Rigsby, after she found her ex-fiancé cheating and is fired from her marketing job, hitting an all-time low. During said low, she applies to a job in Muskoka, in a remote artists’ retreat hotel called Treetops, expecting never to hear back from them, all to be suddenly hired. She can even take her dog with her. But little did Kate know that said retreat hotel is a bit wacky and, honestly, in a nosedive to bankruptcy. Her job is to stop that from happening, but management isn’t really cooperating. Will she give up and go back to the city or will she find her new calling close to the wild?

Although there was a romantic interest throughout and we got some fade-to-black romantic scenes towards the end, I wouldn’t really call this a romance book. Was it an amazingly entertaining fiction book, tho? Well yes, that it was. I absolutely fell in love with Muskoka, Treetops, and every single person that worked in that weird and outdated artists’ retreat hotel.

I’m a British Columbia girlie, so I know and love the Canadian wild, but now I really want to take a short trip to the other side of the country, all the way to Muskoka—that’s how beautifully and effectively Robin Lefler has portrayed the settings of this quirky, funny book.

I would highly recommend this read if you’re looking for a book that speaks to one finding ourselves, no matter our age, no matter our circumstances. “Reasonable Adults” gives us just that, a cozy setting, transporting us to a wintery wild, where we can find ourselves and hone our “output”, if you will.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Kensignton Books in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: October 24, 2023

“Don’t you ever feel like you’re doing things for all the wrong reasons, but it’s too much work to change the path you’re on?”

Found this to be a really uncomfortable read. Katie was completely clueless at all times. Totally lacking in common sense or decency. After her drunken antics maybe her friends should have sent her to rehab instead of a new job at Treetops. Poor Eric the dog was just dragged along for the ride.

Thirty something Kate is still trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life. She watches as her friends find success in their careers while she stagnates, going through the motions at a job she truly doesn't enjoy. Until one night, on a drunken whim, she accepts a job as Development Director at Treetops Creative Resort, It may not be her dream job, but it just may be the reset she needs .

This is a story about learning to believe in yourself. About not accepting what society tells you are the milestones you should have met, what direction you should take, what you should be doing, but instead creating your own vision of success. Each of the Treetop employees have left the norm of society, have reinvented themselves and are enjoying the life they have built. They are all a little quirky, which is part of their charm, and ultimately, a large part of their success. The setting here is also a large part of the lesson. Treetops is rundown, in need of a little reinvention of its own and is a perfect parallel to Kate's own journey toward her best life.

Written with a touch of snark and sarcasm, imbued with a warmth and a touch of humor, this is an incredibly inspiring story everyone can learn from.

I want to first state that this book is not a holiday/Christmas book. I think the cover and a few of the other comments might cause some confusion. It is very winter-focused (cozy in the snowy woods) but there are only a few brief mentions of Christmas.

This was an enjoyable, light rom-com. I liked the themes of finding your purpose and owning your power, and enjoyed the MC and the LI, as well as the supporting cast. There were some truly cringe moments with the villain, particularly for me as an employment attorney, but it made the ultimate triumph better.

I saw a few comments that mentioned the way the attempted sexual assault scene was handled. I can see where that would be disturbing for someone with a particular sensitivity to that topic, so it’s important to be clear that it happens. And I agree that the way the LI handled it felt odd and out-of-character. But for me, as someone with an average level of sensitivity to this topic, I didn’t find that it ruined the entire book at all.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Kensington Books, and the author for a chance to read this debut novel.

Kate loses her job and embarks on a journey of self discovery to an artists retreat in Ontario with her Dog, Eric. There, she meets Matt and a fun array of characters.

From the cover I was hoping for a holiday romance type of book, but it fell flat with an extremely unlikeable romantic interest. I thought the book was hard to get into but I did enjoy the storyline about a quarter of the way through as it picked up and we had more of a look at the winter scenery and side characters. I think my biggest issue is that the relationship between Kate and Matt happened too quickly and I would have liked more development and chemistry there. I also didn’t like the sexual assault scene as it didn’t add to the story at all and it felt unnecessary. The side characters were great once their stories were more developed. My favorite part of the book was definitely the Canadian scenery and the dog. I think the author could have had a really special book if the two main characters were more likeable