Beth O’Leary is back with an enemies to lovers romance set at a boutique hotel in London. The characters are real and messy, funny and sad. The misunderstanding central to the plot got dragged out far too long for my liking which definitely took it down a star for me. Not as wonderful and creative as her last book The No Show, but still a fun read I flew through!

Wake up call is a captivating and heartwarming tale that intertwines rivalry, competition, and love in a unique and charming way. The story revolves around two receptionists, Izzy and Lucas , who have always been arch rivals at work. However, their lives take an unexpected turn when they come across a hidden collection of wedding rings.

The plot brilliantly showcases the initial rivalry between izzy and Lucas as they both find themselves drawn towards each other. A heated competition ensues, The author skillfully weaves intense moments of competition and friendly banter into the narrative, keeping the readers engaged and eager to uncover the fate of these two characters.
As they spend more time together they see that they fall in love in unexpected way.
This book showed why I fell in love with O’Leary’s writing at Flat share .

What I loved:
- the setting
- the side characters
- the ring hunt, and it coming full circle at the end with the proposal!
- character growth throughou

What was missing:
- Main characters gave me whiplash at times
- Heavier topics were included but I felt they could have been explored more
- A bit slow to start, I typically enjoy a slow burn but it took me a while to get into this

3.75/5

There is no denying I love Beth O'Leary's writing. Bonus points for this one being unexpectedly set around the holiday season! But this particular story didn't work for me.

I have a love-hate with romances revolving around a miscommunication that could easily be solved with one conversation. In this case, it's a yearlong miscommunication that has convinced Izzy her coworker, Lucas, is the bane of her existence. On top of that, there was an enemies-with-benefits situation. Absolutely sizzling, yes, but it only furthered my annoyance that these two simply didn't clear the air sooner.

I will say, I loved the setting. Forest Manor Hotel and Spa was the coziest backdrop with endearing side characters. Within the rivalry between Izzy and Lucas is a fun save-the-inn storyline involving a quirky lost-property room and a Tupperware of lost rings. It was a bit of a slow start, but I really enjoyed seeing each ring returned to its owner, obviously with some funny blunders along the way!

Overall I liked this one, but I didn't love it like I expected to.

4.2 ⭐️

I was able to receive an arc of The Wake-Up Call through netgalley and I’m so happy that I did. I stayed up until 9am reading this book because I couldn’t put it down. It just made me feel so giddy and happy, especially after read “The No Show” by Beth O’Leary (literally ruined me).

Lucas has my heart. He can be seen as a grump because of the way he speaks and reacts to things, but this man is all heart. He’s so honest to himself about his feelings and it broke me when he was sad or insecure about how people perceived him. He deserves the world!!!!

I also really loved the family aspect of the hotel. The workers and customers have my heart, and I was just so happy to see how passionate everyone was when trying to help save the business.

This book would be a really nice read during the holidays. The only downside of the book is that it’s not out yet and I have no one to talk to about it and I can’t force my friends to read it 🥹 other than that, I would highly recommend this book to others.

Once I figured out what I could expect from Beth O'Leary's books (usually more depth than the frothy rom-com covers might indicate), I've been a big fan. This one was much lighter than The No-Show, more of a traditional workplace enemies to lovers story, but both main characters are working through some long-term trauma. Izzy and Lucas are co-workers at a family-friendly boutique hotel in the UK, and they've been completely at odds for nearly a year, since Izzy sent Lucas a love letter in the form of a Christmas card and he laughed upon reading it and then kissed her roommate. As the next Christmas season approaches, their beloved hotel is in pretty dire straits, and the owners may have to close down in the new year. Izzy and Lucas are given a task - work together to sell everything they can to raise funds for the hotel, including items in the lost property room. That includes several wedding and engagement rings, and Izzy sets out to reunite the rings with their owners. She and Lucas decide on a bet to see who can return the most rings, and they end up spending a lot of time together and getting increasingly confused about their feelings. I liked the interplay of rom-com tropes here - workplace romance, enemies to lovers, and sunshine/grump, and I appreciated the depth that both Izzy and Lucas were able to develop through their alternating POV chapters. This was quick and sweet but with enough substance to give it some heart.

Izzy and Lucas hate each other. They both work reception at the Forest Manor Hotel, and, after last Christmas, everything they do is a competition. So, when the hotel decides to go through the lost and found, and several wedding rings are there waiting, Izzy and Lucas race to see who can return the most rings first. But as Christmas approaches again, the anniversary of their rivalry, their relationship becomes much more complicated. Beth O’Leary always creates heartwarming and engaging stories, and this book is no different. The backstory is irritating as it is predictable and could have been avoided with one conversation between the characters, but much of the book makes up for that one shortcoming. The supporting characters are almost more fun to read than the two main characters, but that may be because readers get to see them through both Izzy and Lucas’s perspectives. Ultimately, this was a fun read despite the characters making some annoying choices. Beth O’Leary is a must read author for contemporary romance lovers.

The Wake-Up Call
By Beth O'Leary
Pub Date: 26 Sep 2023
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley
Romance
Spice:🌶
Rating: 4/5

The Wake-Up Call by Beth O'Leary is a fun read. O'Leary's writing style engaged me throughout the book. My eagerness to read from chapter to chapter was kept alive by clever dialogue and entertaining plot twists.

The Forest Manor Hotel works hard over the holidays to survive and welcomes guests like family. It is filled with twists, and banter when coworkers Izzy and Lucas make the workplace difficult with their constant fighting. But could their bickering hide a sweet connection beneath all their jabs and jibes?

This story was full of holiday laughs, and heartfelt moments that had me rooting for Izzy and Lucas from start to finish. I couldn't help but sympathize with the hotel owner, knowing she wanted everyone to experience a joyous holiday season. The characters were endearingly cute, making this an enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this cheerful and cozy book. The plot mentions sex, but it is a closed door romance without graphic content. Adult readers will find the material suitable.

#TheWakeUpCall #BerkleyPublishingGroup #BerkleyRomance #Netgalley

enemies to lovers. slow burn. he falls first. office romance. all the things.

this was my second beth book - i think i’ve just come to realize i really don’t love her writing 😭 i feel so horrible! i love her plot lines but something just always drags for me and i have to force myself to finish. wanted to DNF so bad but pushed through (skimmed a lot) but finished.

thank you so much to netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book early and give my honest opinion!

Ever since I read The Flatshare, I've been reading Beth O'Leary's new releases every year, and really enjoying them. This one, though, might just be my favourite of hers so far. While all of the others have humour, and they have romance, I would be kind of hesitant to label them as romcoms, but this one is an honest-to-god romcom, and I couldn't be happier about it.

This book was so funny from the start, and I absolutely loved the romance. It has the grumpy x sunshine trope, and I just absolutely loved their dynamic. The large, colourful cast of characters, which I've come to expect from Beth O'Leary, really added to the charm of this book, as did the setting of a struggling family hotel.

Will read anything that Beth O'Leary writes. All her books are wonderful and get me right in the feels, and the Wake-Up Call is no exception.

Cute little romantic comedy about coworkers who don't like each other due to a series of miscommunication & misunderstandings--you see where this is headed.....It had some funny moments and an adorable setting. A bit predictable, but it's a solid choice when you want to read something light with a happy ending.

this is the rom com of the year for me! beth o'leary is phenomenal at writing books about love that have so much HEART to them, which is not always a given in the romance genre. izzy and lucas are both extremely well developed characters with their own separate growth arcs throughout the story, but their love story is also really well written and believable. the miscommunication that's led to their rivalry/general dislike of each other works well and wasn't frustrating. i also loved the ensemble of the inn and how real each side character feels - they're more than just plot devices or tropes. o'leary has been a favorite author of mine since the flatshare and this book confirms that she is there to stay.

I’ve been chasing the cute romantic high that The Flatshare gave me since I read it in 2020. It was actually one of the first books that got me back into reading! The Wake-Up Call didn’t top that one but I did like it more than The Road Trip. This had all the good tropes. Hello workplace romance, hate to love, and having one last holiday season to save a failing hotel. This one was super cute. Very holiday Hallmark movie, in a good way. I think the only thing that held me back from completely loving this one was I just never felt invested in Izzy, the ring plot, or the excessive miscommunication. I did love Lucas, though. He was a gem once you cracked that tough exterior. Overall, a fun holiday read for anyone who likes workplace romance, dual POV, slow burn, one bed, and hate to love.

I read 60% of this book and then unfortunately had to put it down. I wanted to love it so badly, but I had a very hard time connecting to the characters and their behavior. The MC's relationship or lack there of was very cringe worthy for me. I wished they hadn't been so juvenile. I have loved The Flatshare, The Switch, and The No-Show so very much and I will continue to suggest those books to everyone.

Oof, this one was a slog. The entire plot could have been prevented had the characters just communicated with each other from the start. There was lots of repetition, ancillary characters weren't very dimensional, and steamy scenes had no punch. I came in hoping for a lot from this author, which was maybe why this one seemed so disappointing. Regardless, library patrons will seek this one out.

The book kicks off with a misunderstanding and miscommunication that has festered for a year and made enemies of our mcs Izzy and Lucas. This is not my favorite plot line, and I kept wanting Izzy to just talk to him and find out what really happened. Ugh. However, their banter and enemies to friends to lovers journey is sarcastic, fun, and ultimately swoon worthy. The setting is the country inn where they both work, which is struggling and may have to close. We also have the very best quirky and unique side characters and chosen family in the guests, owners, and coworkers. Then throw in a mystery of lost rings and a contest to find the owners and return them. Finally, it also takes place at Christmas! Cold weather and cozy fireplaces and holiday decor and Christmas surprises bring the whole story together and wrap it in a festive bow as Izzy and Lucas decide if they are each others true love or just a wistful Christmas wish. If you liked Beth O’Leary’s previous romances, I highly recommend this one.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Really enjoyed this book. In my opinion, it could've leaned further into its Christmas-novel origins and played that angle up further, otherwise, this was a fun romp!

This was great but it wasn't as charming and unique as the last few Beth O'Leary books I've had the pleasure of reading. I love O'Leary's writing but this wasn't my favorite. There's some cute Christmasy vibes and some fun banter, but it wasn't as exciting as I had hoped. The writing is wonderful and the MMC is fantastic!

4/5 stars!

Beth O'Leary has always been a hit or miss for me man! I enjoyed the flatshare and the roadshare but the no-show was such a disappointment. This book fell on the better side of her books for me, I truly enjoyed this one! Like this book was truly just a bucket of fun and it was a quick read and very enjoyable!

Im telling you now though if you loath the miscommunication trope this book is not for you... so proceed with caution!