What Happens on Vacation by Jo Watson was an adequate read for me, but not anything I would gush over, recommend or go back and reread. I loved the unique settings, but I think at this point the whole co-workers enemies to lovers romcom has been overdone and unless the author is bringing something really fresh, it's going to fall flat. The book itself was well written, but the overall plot was just not for me.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Jo Watson's ‘What Happens on Vacation’ is the perfect light-hearted beach read if you're in the mood for a little sun, sand, and a plot that's as predictable as the tides. It contained my favourite tropes of enemy to lovers with the forced proximity which consumed the book.

The humour is light and bubbly, much like the endless glasses of wine I enjoyed to consume whilst reading this book. Whilst predictability in a book is often a negative factor I feel to be a strength in this book. I enjoyed the obligatory obstacles and misunderstandings that were coming from a mile away. Because let’s be honest who doesn't love a good old-fashioned ‘will they, won't they’ scenario. Whilst, I didn’t fall head over heals for these characters I am still looking forward to reading her other novels. I have heard so much good stuff about Jo Watson and I can’t wait to dive into another of her books!

So if your looking for a book which doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is: a guilty pleasure and a beach read that's as comfortable as your favourite flip-flops then this your book!

In a comedy of errors worthy of a Shakespearean play, Jo Watson has crafted a must read rom com of epic-ness.
Margaret a “serious” journalist in Johannesburg must share a cubicle with Jagger Villain (really!) writes of fluff and annoying as hell. Margaret is getting over a divorce and the loss of her father. When the chance to win a vacation for her and her mum comes along. All Margaret needs to do is win the quiz night! Something she does regularly. Unfortunately, the dastardly annoying Jagger ruins things again by tying with her. They both get the trip but at least she gets to take her mother along.

Margaret plans to avoid Jagger at all costs but he throws her for another loop and brings his father along who charms her mother. I don’t want to spoil what happens but this is worthy of a Sandra Bullock movie. Read this book.

I enjoyed this book. I will say I’m biased to anything published from Wattpad, because I spent my teenager years reading on there. So maybe take my review with a grain of salt.

This book had all the tropes I love. Especially romance, since that’s my favorite genre of all time.

If you’re thinking of reading this book, if it even slightly caught your attention, read it!

You might end up loving it.

What Happens on Vacation is a very funny, sentimental love story which you will read with a smile on your face and a tear in your eyes. With its part love/hate, letting go and mourning loss plot, it immediately grabs you and takes you on a very exotic journey.

Margaret is a very well-respected serious journalist who writes stories which impact lives and countries. With that said, her life is extremely inflexible. You know what time of day it is just by what Margaret is doing. A cup of tea? Oh, it’s eleven o’clock.

You see, this year has not been a standout year for her. She is still mourning the loss of her father who died after a short, surprising illness. She was also divorced after finding out her husband was cheating on her, and she now is living with her mother.

For someone who does not like change this has been very challenging. Even more so, she now has a cubical mate named Jaggar Villain no less and she does not like him at all. He seems to believe it is his job in life to torture and tease her. Although very handsome, she looks down on his form of “journalism” as he tackles really difficult stories, such as how to find a girlfriend on Tinder or, is a dyed checkerboard hairdo really worth the money? For some reason no matter what he says or does it bothers her to the core.

So, when they both compete in the annual workplace trivia contest in which the prize is a trip to the beautiful Zanzibar, a game Margaret has consistently won, she is shocked when he gives her a run for her money and ties for the win. She is even more upset when it is decided the two of them should share the trip!

Now, she has to go on vacation with someone she does not particularly like! And of course, nothing goes as planned. Margaret decides to take her mother and Jagger who she thought would certainly take a model, takes his father. And when those two lock eyes, well, enough said. Her luggage is lost so she must wear her mother’s bathing suits.

The trip turns from bad to worse when she is unable to sleep in her own hotel room because, well, let’s just not go there! She ends up having to room with Jagger. Of course, the two begin to get to know each other better and she discovers he’s not THAT bad. And just as they are getting closer, their parents make an unfortunate announcement!

So of course, Margaret is back to her old self, unwilling to see the good, only the bad and begins to sabotage herself and Jagger. Now, they must go home having done unimaginable things and try to work together. How can they do that? With Margaret being unbending, as well as still reeling from what has just happened and the rest of her life this past year, how does she move forward?

What Happens on Vacation is a delicious tale of love on so many levels, with so many moving parts, with a plot filled with regret, loss, learning to compromise but most importantly letting go and learning to love again.

Thank you #NetGalley #WbyWattpadBooks #JoWatson #WhatHappensonVacation for the advanced copy.

This book was utterly adorable! The banter between the two characters was witty and fresh. I enjoyed the depth of the back stories that were given to the characters. It was a bit of a slow fire romance but once the flame lit it was spicy! As always, I have to mention how much I LOVE that the main character was curvy. We need more curvy body representation in romance novels. I will be keeping this author in my mind for the future!

This was such a cute read. A light, fun-loving and feeI good romance with great characters, a catchy storyline, and a dreamy backdrop. It also had just the right amount of emotions throughout including multiple laugh out loud funny moments along with the mention of some serious topics, making me tear up a bit.
Everything you could want in a romance! The only thing I didn’t like was how long it took Margaret to get her s*** together 🤦🏻‍♀️. Otherwise, I highly recommend this one! It gave me serious Unhoneymooners vibes and, well, we know how much I love that book 🙃.

💬Memorable quote:
“Sometimes we have to embrace the grey, because that’s often where we find the greatest joy. That’s where the life-changing miracles reside.”

Thank you, NetGalley, Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group, and Jo Watson for a #gifted ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What Happens on Vacation was a fun workplace romance/enemies to lovers romance. Margaret and Jagger have great witty banter throughout and I always love a romance where he falls first. It was also a lot of fun to see them navigate their changing feelings while also dealing with their widowed parents finding love on vacation as well. Definitely an enjoyable read! Thank you to Wattpad Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel.

Sadly, I DNFed this book at 30%. I tried to keep going, but this book just did not capture my attention. I'm giving it 3 stars because, while it wasn't the book for me, it might be the perfect book for someone else.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad Webtoon Book Group for the E-ARC

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

This was an easy beach read with workplace romance vibes. It was an easy read that I think was a solid 3 star book to read by the pool.

This was a brilliant enemies to lovers, forced proximity romance. I absolutely loved this and think this is an ideal summer read.

This was a slow burn and with fantastic witty humour and banter throughout. There was a couple of moments that I was crying with laughter.

There were also moments that were heartwarming and emotional that made you feel really connected to the characters.

I liked both the main characters. I really liked the fact that Margaret was a plus size representation. I also liked the the side characters especially Leighton and the friendship that he and Margaret had.

I adored the setting of Zanzibar and the vivid descriptions, it made me want to go there.

Overall it was an easy read and I thought it as well written and it made me laugh and cry. I will definitely be reading more by the author.

Thank you to Wattpad books and NetGalley for the eArc and #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the cheekiness of the characters. The amount of sass Jagger had kept me smiling whiling reading. Also how indignant that Margaret was, was perfect. Her name matched her character so well and I loved it!

What Happens on Vacation focuses on Margaret who is a journalist for a well-respected newspaper in Johannesburg. Margaret is a perfectionist and struggles with spontaneity. Cue in Jagger, Margaret’s co-worker and confirmed nemesis. She finds him utterly infuriating and to make matters worse they share a cubicle and desk.

While he may bother her during the day, she needs to focus on winning the company quiz night for the vacay prize. Just when she thinks he’s only annoying in the office she finds he’s just as annoying outside of it. Jagger ends up tying with her at trivia which means she’s now off to Zanzibar with the last person she’d want to go with.

As they continue to spend time together on the island maybe Margaret will decide she doesn’t actually hate Jagger at all…and that his mouth has more uses than just calling her silly nicknames.

Read this book if you like:
▫️enemies to lovers
▫️a slow-burn romance
▫️witty banter & lots of teasing

Talk about a sloooow burn. I loved the premise of this book. I realize it’s an as an ex copy but there were some formatting issues I hope are fixed- like two words being on a line or quotations back to back.

I decided to DNF this book at 31% for several reasons, which, compounded, made for an unpleasant reading experience for me. I didn't share this review or any of my thoughts on other platforms, so these details are only for NetGalley.

I know this book is for adults, but the style is probably more suited for YA readers. The plot is contrived and the characters are archetypal. Nothing about this book feels true or authentic to me, right down to the shared custody of the dog-- it all feels set up. Most of the time, I didn’t understand how the storyline relates to the plot, which is supposed to be about vacation romance. Vacation had just barely been suggested (in the form of flying) when I finally gave up on this one.

I think this book has a promising concept, but I wanted more from it. You might love it, and I would recommend it to readers who like light hearted YA romance.

Really not a fan of eviscerating books but this one was NOT IT.

This book could have been cut in half. The first 40% of the book is almost all useless information. The FMC an uptight, rude, pretentious prude. She is so terribly unlikeable and has an awfully narrow view of the world. I skimmed almost all of this book bc it was repetitive and cringey. The story was not advancing as quickly as it should have been and the pacing was all over the place.

The writing style was way too flowery for me. The author was using turns of phrases and strange metaphors/descriptors or anecdotes to make things seem more frilly and deep than they actually were. She wrote as if she was talking- that’s not always a good look and it didn’t work for this story. I wish it was dual POV bc I feel like Jagger’s POV would have saved parts of this book. I really loved his character and hoped we got more from him bc he could have been the redeeming factor.

There were portions of the book I didn’t mind - such as obviously Jagger and when Margaret reminisces about her father. This actually was able to soften my heart towards her a bit. I hated her friend Lesego so much! She was rude, belittled and teased Margaret just for a quick laugh and pressured her into doing things she didn’t want. Her mother, though she may have had good intentions, was so forceful towards Margaret. I understand she had the right to have a love life after her husbands death, but she could have been a lot nicer and way more understating towards the feelings of her daughter. Embarrassing your kids outright and using them as a joke is a huge turn off so I really disliked Anke.

Unfortunately, I would not recommend this book. It tried to be profound and quirky but failed miserably. Great idea - horrible execution. If you want to read a story like this give The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas a try. Catalina is a much more bearable FMC than Margaret & Aaron Blackford can break my bed any day of the week!

this was such a fun summery type of romance I loved the representation. I had alot of fun reading it.

What Happens on Vacation is Jo Watson’s latest steamy romantic comedy. It is an enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity story that takes place at work in South Africa and on a vacation in Zanzibar.

33-year-old Margaret-Skye is an uptight divorcee who lives with her widowed mom in South Africa. She sleeps in her childhood single bed with her Labrador and has no interest in dating. Both she and her free-spirited mom, Anke, are still mourning the passing of her beloved father to cancer a year earlier. Margaret loves her job, writing important political stories for a respected, but struggling newspaper in Johannesburg. It was the perfect job until six months and three weeks ago, when the paper hired popular blogger Jagger Villian to write fluff pieces and gave him half of Margaret’s desk. She hot-glued a cardboard divider to give herself some privacy but his presence sets her on edge.

Margaret is a type-A personality with anxiety, wound very tight, fastidious about hygiene and grooming, and always serious. She is oblivious to Jagger’s charms and his laid-back attitude makes her want to murder him. He’s very handsome and tall so he stands out among their co-workers. He’s the popular one whereas she only has two good “work friends”. She takes pride in having won the company’s trivia quiz for the past few years and is looking forward to this year’s competition because the grand prize is a week-end for two in Zanzibar. Margaret plans on taking her mom.

Jagger and Margaret have a tied score for the quiz, so they are both declared winners. Jagger works it out so that they trade their deluxe accommodations for cheaper ones so they increase the number of attendees to four and stretch out the trip to seven days. At the airport, Margaret is horrified when her mom instantly befriends Jagger’s dad, Eddy. in the security line and insists that they trade seats. Soon Margaret is spending both her days and nights with Jagger while their parents fall in love and hole up in Margaret’s room.

Once Margaret stops hating Jagger, she realizes that he’s a wonderful guy who’s an excellent writer. He has had a crush on her the whole time they have been co-workers. They have sex one night after getting drunk, and it’s better than anything she ever experienced. She vows not to do it again, but it keeps happening. When Margaret and Eddy announce that they are getting married, Margaret freaks out about having a sexual relationship with her soon-to-be stepbrother.

Margaret’s best work-friend, Lesego, communicates with her frequently by text, as does her best friend of 12 years, retired 62-year-old pop star Leighton George. Leighton’s 1980’s hits, with terrible lyrics, are featured prominently in the story. Leighton arrives on the island and does his best to convince Margaret to accept her mother’s marriage. He also encourages her to have a real relationship with Jagger.

What Happens on Vacation is an excellent story with memorable characters. Many readers may find Margaret unlikable at first, but she is explained well. Her mother’s exploits both add humor and contrast with Margaret’s rigidity. Jagger is a perfect romantic hero; his good looks and laidback charm mask the awkwardness he felt as a teen-ager and his excess energy. Margaret’s seriousness doesn’t put him off. He enjoys her intelligence and beauty, and deliberately irritates her to get a reaction, much like an elementary school boy.

While the beginning of the story is set in South Africa, it’s easy to understand and relate to by an American reader. Then when they travel to the island of Zanzibar, there are many descriptions of the spectacular scenery and some history. There are so many humorous scenes and stories, and Margaret’s mother, Anke, has an unbelievable backstory. The sex scenes don’t occur until about 75% of the way into the story; there are several. There’s an occasional profanity sprinkled in the book.

My only criticism of What Happens on Vacation is that the beginning of the story moves slowly and I had some confusion with the timeline of Margaret’s marriage imploding and her father’s illness. These events are detailed later in the book. It would be easier for the reader if they were just explained initially.

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Such a cute book! A good romcom that’s an easy read. Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, all the good things. I thought the main character was annoying, but the guy helped tone her down. 2 people win 1 vacation from their job, but the guy downgrades the tickets so they can each bring a person. They bring their parents. They hit it off, leaving the office mates alone most of the vacation. It’s a we a good read!

✨Pub Day Review✨

What Happens On Vacation
Jo Watson
⭐️⭐️⭐️

I needed to squeeze in one more summer book because I’m really missing the warm weather. 🥺

This book hooked me in the beginning! First chapter set the stage perfectly. Enemies to lovers and workplace romance, two of my favorite tropes! It gave off The Ugly Truth vibes with Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl. I also really enjoyed the main character was a size 16 and loved her body! I loved seeing that!

However at about the halfway point this book fell a little flat for me. I wasn’t a big fan of the FMC. She was rude and just constantly complaining. Honestly I’m not sure how the MMC was even attracted to her. 🤣

I did love the relationship the main character, Margaret-Skye, had with her parents. Even if her mother did questionable things in my opinion. It was refreshing to see how Margaret coped with the passing of her father and her mother starting a new relationship.

Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book was a cute, fun read although slow at times and very predictable. The main characters are annoying at times and completely oblivious. Their parents falling into a relationship is the cutest thing. But the main characters behave like teenage children instead of 30 something coworkers which is aggravating. The are so wrapped up in their dislike of one another that they can’t see the relationship that they have formed (and everyone else can see!) Overall a nice escape from reality, but certainly has its flaws.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.