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!

Beth O Leary writes such great romantic fiction. Her books feel cozy and comforting. Her character feel real and relatable. This is no exception.

If you like books featuring…
Holiday love stories
Charming inns
Enemies to lovers

Great for fans of…
White Christmas
The Matchmaker by Cat Walsh
You’ve Got Mail

A delightfully fun read. A struggling hotel over the holidays with guests like family, and staff who are working hard to ensure the hotel survives the year. Coworkers Izzy and Lucas make the workplace difficult with their constant fighting but could they be hiding feelings for each other beneath the insults and perhaps a misunderstanding. The characters were quirky and enjoyable to read.

Beth O'Leary's books are the literary equivalent to a cozy blanket, a warm mug of coffee, and soft PJs on a super cold morning- perfection. "The Wake-Up Call" is no different and is just about perfect.

The Wake-Up Call offers a cozy setting (minus, of course, the destruction), enemies to lovers, workplace romance and miscommunication vibes. I feel like this is a fun choice to read on a cool fall/winter day. The overall concept was cute but I liked the contrast between Izzy and Lucas the most. This sadly isn't a new fave, but I know some people that would really love it!

Izzy is a spunky hotel desk clerk who calls Forest Manor Hotel her home. Sadly, this hotel is falling apart and she has to work with nemesis Lucas at the front desk. Lucas, the man who kissed her "ex" roommate last Christmas after writing a letter professing her feelings. Forest Manor won't last another season if Izzy and Lucas don't do something. Finding unclaimed wedding rings, the race is on to see who can reunite the rings and make money to save their workplace. What they don't understand yet is that this race may also give them the "wake-up call" they needed to hash out the past and come clean with true feelings.

Beth O'Leary never disappoints with storyline and plot! The Wake-Up Call is a missed communication second chance (ish) enemies to lovers tale that those who enjoy Sophie Kinsella and Abby Jimenez books will delight in! While I wish the chapters were shorter and better paced in the middle, this story kept my attention and I adored getting able to have both Izzy and Lucas's points of view!

Izzy and Lucas do not get along, but they are forced to work together to save a seriously failing hotel. I loved their chemistry and banter, but the whole misunderstanding storyline had me wanting to pull out my hair.

Cringey

The Wake-Up Call is an enemies-to-lovers romance about a failing hotel and the employees working to save it from going out of business.

Izzy Jenkins loves working at the Forest Manor Hotel. She considers it her second home. The one flaw is her co-worker, Lucas--a hot buff Brazilian whose rigid demeanor turns her off. Izzy hates Lucas over an event that happened last Christmas. Lucas hates the way Izzy treats him. However, when the two join forces to save the Forest Manor, they find themselves fighting their true feelings for each other.

Chapters alternate between Izzy and Lucas. I couldn't stand Izzy's character. She is close to 30 years old and incapable of having an adult conversation. She is over the top, hyper, and all-out annoying. Mix in her childlike behavior--she was just too much.

Lucas' character is more mature than Izzy's. I enjoyed his chapters more because he is calm, controlled, and at least has adult-like thoughts.

The two have some chemistry, and I found Izzy less annoying after they got together, but she was still annoying.

There are several cringy scenes, and perhaps the clingiest is the grand gesture.

What was most enjoyable was the bulk of the novel takes place during the winter holidays, with a focus on Christmas, and it was nice to escape brutal summer weather and fantasize about the cold!

Overall, this is a pretty standard enemies-to-lovers romance, but I have higher expectations for O'Leary. Still, this would make for a fun Christmas holiday read.

Thank you to Elisha Katz of Berkley Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

Beth O'Leary is one of my favorite authors and this latest work didn't disappoint. Her creative storytelling is full of longing, poignancy, tenderness and hope. Her stories always leave me a with a smile on my face and hope in my heart. This latest love story about two employees and the magical hotel keeping them together was such a delight! Perfect fans of forced proximity, enemies to lovers with a splash of second chance romance thrown in. I'm not typically fan of the miscommunication trope but it really worked for the plot here. This author continues to surprise me with unique love stories!

Thank you Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for my copy.

I couldn't put this enemies to lovers workplace romance down!! Set over the holidays two boutique hotel receptionists compete to find the owners of four missing rings. The tension, the banter, the chemistry, the found family and the utterly charming New Forest setting all worked to perfection.

This was my first holiday read of the year and it definitely set the bar high! Feel-good and heartwarming without being too over the top Christmas-y. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

Steam level: closed door, fade to black

The Wake-up Call is a cute romance that’s sure to please anyone looking for a light, fun read. To me, it’s not Beth O’Leary’s best work (The Flatshare and No Show are my favourites of hers), but it was still a lot of fun.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#TheWakeUpCall #NetGalley

Izzy and Lucas work together at a boutique hotel. Last Christmas, Izzy confessed via Christmas card, that she had feelings for Lucas, but we discover almost a year later, nothing has come from the confession. They are assigned to work together on a work project, and through it, we are introduced to the quirky world of the Forest Manor Hotel with all of its side characters, as well as Izzy and Lucas as we learn about their pasts and vulnerabilities that they both need to work through not only to work together, but also get together.
I always recommend Beth O’Leary to fans of Emily Henry as well as Taylor Jenkins Reid’s contemporary books, and this book is no different. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.