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

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was very excited to read this book, as it seemed like a cute romcom for the winter season.

It definitely had some funny moments, and the main character gave me a “Bridget Jones” vibe in the beginning.

I did have some trouble connecting with the characters - tbh Eric was my favorite character. And I just didn’t feel as invested in the story as I would have liked to be.

It was an entertaining and quick read. Great for anyone who wants something quick and easy.

This was a quick, enjoyable read — ideally great for a winter vacation. I loved Kate’s journey in finding herself as well as the side characters and their relationships. I felt the big feelings and were rushed despite this being a slow burn. I would’ve loved more of scenes of Kate and Matt together. The setting was beautiful and Treetops sounds like a place I’d love to visit.

This wasn’t my favorite book of the year, but I did still enjoy it!

I thought reasonable adults was a great cozy read for these fall nights. I would classify it as a slow burn romance with fade to black scenes. The book follows a young woman as she’s just been fired from her job for a drunken instagram post. She decides to take a job out in the wilderness as a business manager of a very hippie artists retreat. I think my favorite part of the book is her canine sidekick. I love a good puppy and believe me he gets lots of screen time with cute doggy antics. I wasn’t super invested in the romance of this one, not going to lie. I was more focused on how the main character was going to sort her life out. So if you’re reading for romance, I would expect a more contemporary lit feel. Although the book itself was hysterically funny, with many laugh out loud moments. So it’s definitely worth a read even if you’re more into romance. It is just what the doctor ordered as we move into late fall and early winter

Kate Rigsby loses her marketing job and her fiancé and now needs to regroup. She accepts a temporary job that she thinks will be well paying at an out of the way retreat in Muskoka, Canada. Taking her golden-doodle Eric she finds the reality is the resort is very outdated. And her high salary is contingent on meeting hard to attain goals of occupancy. The lake setting sounds beautiful even if the resort isn’t. Kate meets coworker Matt Reid, who has attractive forearms. I don’t want to be shallow but I didn’t get the spark between them. I thought the story works better having Kate grown in confidence in herself and abilities. There is a lot of time spent on co-workers and guests and getting their stories. There is an unwanted and interrupted grabbing and kissing. The aftermath isn't handled well. You don’t have the victim be blamed or apologize for the reaction of others. The rest of the story is lighter and predictable. This is a likable debut novel with a few rough edges. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

Adorable! I loved all the characters, especially Eric’s silly butt (IYKYK). I wish there were more of a wrapped up conclusion with the ex and the friends but all and all a very cute story.

dnf @ 15%

Honestly, I found all the characters boring and the writing wasn't flowing well, I read some reviews and I don't think I'll like the book, it's definitely not for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Kate heads to Treetops for a fresh start- or more of a time out -and finds romance in this rom com of sorts. I was hoping for a light and funny look at the retreat (and there is some) and for love but this is hampered by an attempted assault that felt unnecessary and, frankly, by Kate herself. Matt, meant to be the hero isn't as heroic as I'd like. That said Lefler shows promise. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

Kate isn't sure where she is going with her life when she gets hit with one disappointment after another. To try to move on, she takes a job in the Canadian wilderness.

This book had some great promise for me. I liked Kate's character and really wanted to see her get some happiness after getting tossed around so much. I also liked most of the romance and the quirky cast of characters around her. But overall, this was just middle ground for me. I wanted to feel more invested honestly. And there was some questionable scenes that didn't really sit well with me. This will definitely find its audile though!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted copy. My reviews are always honest.

It sounds like a really cute rom com, but I just couldn’t get into the story. I had trouble connecting with the main character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC! I enjoyed everything about this story. The characters were fun (though a bit surface-level), the setting was incredible, and the dialogue was wonderful. The “spicy” scenes were minimal and tastefully written. I’d recommend this book, especially for someone looking for a winter-y read without it being a Christmas story!

This book was a lot heavier than I anticipated and I think it needs alot better trigger warnings or any warning for that matter. I don't mind books with a heavier subject matter but I need to know what I am dealing with before going in.

Reasonable Adults follows Kate to a winter resort/retreat in Canada. She recently lost her job and is looking for a place to start over. What follows in the usual with a love interest and finding unexpected friends. The book was a quick read I was entertained with it and would recommend. I did find there to be a few too many side characters which could've been whittled down and while the ending wrapped up just fine I would've liked to have seen a few changes. All in all a decent read and good read to cozy up with in the winter. I want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the setting and can imagine curling up on a winter day by the fire to read this snowy debut.

Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. The tone was heavier than the book summary lead me to believe, and I wish there was more of a heads up with the SA plot-line.

I look forward to more from this author as she continues to write and grow!

I was really excited when I got this review copy, and I will say this book didn’t disappoint! It was a really good read.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington books for the ARC.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. Our FMC is dumped and fired we want to root for her. The character makes it difficult.

We’re then whisked away to whimsical Canada and everything is a bit too cute for me. I get what this book wanted to be, but it wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Kensington Books for an eARC of the book. All reviews are my own.

I was excited to read Reasonable Adults (pub date October 24, 2023) for a cute rom com based in a beautiful setting. I’ve also read some books I’ve really liked about a character getting their life back on track after a setback, so it seemed like a good fit.

My rating: rounded up from 2.75

The book took some time to get into, from a pacing perspective. It did pick up more maybe halfway through.

I thought that Kate was immature, a little heavy-handed on the drinking, and her mood swings seemed a little extreme. I get that she was broken up with by a cheating ex and is fired from her job at the beginning of the novel, but her moodiness and insecurities continued on as she was progressing in her journey at Treetops and with Matt. They were hot and cold, and so many of their misunderstandings-turned-fights could have been solved by simply communicating. I did appreciate that she was able to find her voice more by the end of the book.

There’s an attempted SA scene in the book that I felt came out of left field and never was resolved. That, combined with how the MMC reacts to it, really rubbed me the wrong way.

I enjoyed the side characters (found family vibes), the dogs, and the scenery. I would like to spend some time at Treetops myself to rest, recharge, eat some delicious food, sip craft cocktails, and see Kevin’s sweater creations.

Overall, I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it. It was very Hallmark-esque (minus the groping). The scenery and secondary characters were my favorite parts of the book.