Review of The Wake Up Call by Beth O’Leary

As you all know, I mostly read thrillers. But I will always make an exception for a few offers and Beth O’Leary is one of them. I have loved her books since I read the flatmate. This one was really sweet and I enjoyed every second of it. I love the hotel setting. I loved the romance that developed and the characters. Solid read and I highly recommend it.

Synopsis:

Two hotel receptionists—and arch-rivals—find a collection of old wedding rings and compete to return them to their owners, discovering their own love story along the way.

It’s the busiest season of the year, and Forest Manor Hotel is quite literally falling apart. So when Izzy and Lucas are given the same shift on the hotel’s front desk, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and see it through.

The hotel won't stay afloat beyond Christmas without some sort of miracle. But when Izzy returns a guest’s lost wedding ring, the reward convinces management that this might be the way to fix everything. With four rings still sitting in the lost & found, the race is on for Izzy and Lucas to save their beloved hotel—and their jobs.

As their bitter rivalry turns into something much more complicated, Izzy and Lucas begin to wonder if there's more at stake here than the hotel's future. Can the two of them make it through the season with their hearts intact?

So excited Beth O'Leary is back! I love her more traditional rom-coms and The Wake-Up Call is a perfect return to this style. The miscommunication trope did get me down a bit but it was saved by Izzy and Lucas being extremely cute + the delightful countryside hotel setting.

Beth O'leary's writing is always so cozy and heartwarming. I love reading her books with a cup of tea on a rainy day as they bring a lot of joy. Her debut, The Flatshare, was actually one of the books that got me into reading contemporary romance.

The Wake-up call felt very reminiscent of her debut. The setting of the dilapidated hotel and the characters that lived/worked there just fit. I am not one for a whole array of quirky side characters nor a plot based on miscommunication (one of my most hated tropes) but if I trust anyone to take those two pet peeves of mine and turn them into a book I would be sobbing over, it's Beth O'Leary.

I took my time reading this one and I felt all the emotions. I was infatuated with Lucas and Izzy throughout the whole book and I just loved the pace at which their relationship progressed.

All in all this was a lovely read and I am hoping to purchase the physical copy for myself. Thank you so much for letting me review this book.

This was a cute story about two coworkers spending the days before Christmas researching and delivering lost wedding rings. It was cute.

A great rom-com with an enemies to lovers theme and great characters!! Thanks for the opportunity to read and review.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

This is a sweet romance between two hotel employees who are competing to see who can find the owners of the wedding rings that were lost in the hotel. Each ring comes with a unique romantic story, I loved the stories that the couples told, they’re creative and heartwarming. I recommend this book, 4 stars.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The No-Show was one of my favorite books I read last year, so I really tried hard not to compare it to The Wake-Up Call. On its own, the Wake-Up Call is a solid contemporary romance. I loved the inn setting and I thought Lucas and Izzy had great chemistry. A lot of bad communication between the two which was frustrating at times. I did enjoy the secondary characters and the holiday feel to the book. I look forward to reading more from the author!

I adore Beth O'Leary's writing and The Wake-Up Call was exactly what I expected! I love a good enemies-to-lovers and this one absolutely scratched that itch in the rom com category! Lovable mains and secondary characters with beautiful flaws that make them so easy to root for even if you don't experience the same difficulties. Izzy is 90% sunshine and seeing that 10% of vulnerability and struggle come through without overpowering the romance was *chef's kiss.* Lucas? I'm sure you can hear my swoony sigh no matter where you are. Lucas was an amazing MC, growly and grumpy while still being incredibly thoughtful and baffled by Izzy's behavior toward him. I love when a couple seems to pair just right! The banter was on point and made me laugh out loud constantly and my heart ached when Izzy and Lucas shared their pasts and difficulties.

I admit, I put this one down for a while because I couldn't handle the third act break up nonsense at the time and I was irritated with my beloved Izzy for not jumping on board the Lucas train as thoroughly as I did.

Overall, this was an absolute delight and has reminded me that I have a physical stack of O'Leary's books that are calling my name, ready to be devoured. I've already recommended this book to so many people and even convinced my book club to pick up another one of her books this year!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Berkley Publishing for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Ugh. I just could not connect with this one. The characters were unlikable. The plot was slow. You may love it.

I LOVE THIS AUTHOR!! I really enjoyed this read. Beth gives me romance, drama, and I fall in love with her characters everytime. I will be recommending this one to friends and family.

Ended up dnf'ing this one and it made me so sad. I just found the two MCs to be very annoying and the chemistry between them gave me the ick. Definitely not a book for me.

This was such a sweet, rivals to lovers, workplace romance! I loved both main characters and glad we got a dual POV. The plot revolving the rings made the book unique and overall really enjoyed the book!

This book was not for me. I've enjoyed other books by O'Leary, but I did not connect with any of the characters or the plot. Everything felt a bit precarious, and the miscommunication at the center of it all felt too weak to be a driving plot point. Sadly wanted to like this more.

I am a huge fan of Beth O'Leary but I could not get this novel to work for me -- Izzy's character felt immature and Lucas' character felt bland, I didn't buy into their enemies to lovers vibe (the banter felt extremely immature, not how I'd expect adults and colleagues to interact) and I ended up not caring about their relationship. It really pains me to say, but this is not O'Leary's best book in my honest opinion. I look forward to checking out her new novel though.

This story unfolds with a delightful blend of rivalry that turns into unexpected connection, adding layers of complexity to the hero and heroine's journey. With a charming holiday backdrop, this novel offers a heartwarming and engaging tale of redemption, love, and the magic of the season, making it a delightful read for anyone in search of festive cheer. I'd definitely recommend this one as a holiday read to add to your TBR this fall / winter!

I found myself struggling to finish this book and skim reading more than I usually do. I’ve loved all of Beth O’Leary’s other novels but unfortunately I didn’t connect with this one. I found Izzy immature and Lucas had no personality. I wasn’t rooting for them at all. I enjoyed the side characters more than the MCs, I would have liked more of all the side characters. I’m sure many people will enjoy this cute enemies to lovers closed door romance but I unfortunately just couldn’t fully connect with the MCs.

3.5 stars. I liked the woodsy, small town hotel atmosphere, but couldn't always picture it. I enjoyed the two main characters, Izzy and Lucas, and their enemies to lovers vibes. Izzy occasionally got on my nerves, but I could understand where she was coming from. I love a found family story, but don't love one where miscommunication is a huge part of the tension. I also didn't feel like I fully bought the romance between Lucas and Izzy. I really enjoyed quite a few of the side characters. Mr. Thompson was the best! I thought the hunt for the ring owners was a fun storyline.

The writing is solid, creating a vivid atmosphere, but the plot is a mix of captivating moments and predictability. Characters are well-developed, though some lack depth. Pacing fluctuates, making it a decent but not outstanding read.

Beth O’Leary is one of my top auto-buy authors and The Wake-Up Call is her newest and might I say, best read yet!

Forest Manor Hotel and Spa is in trouble. Between Covid Lockdown and less guests staying in hotels these days, this 40 year hotel might be on its last leg. Izzy and Lucas need to work together to see if they can save it! Problem is, they HATE each other! Will they be able to do it?

The Wake-Up Call is definitely up there as one of my favorite reads of O’Leary’s. This enemies to lovers rom-com is a bit less serious than some of O’Leary’s other books and I was enamored with the charming hotel and cast of characters from the very beginning. I also love that it's a holiday romance!

The Forest Manor Hotel and Spa reminded me of a cozy, sweet hotel straight out of a Hallmark movie. I pictured soft lighting, wood panels and cheer decor. A huge Christmas tree and a long staircase with wood banisters you can slide down. Antique rooms and candlelight dinners and beautiful artwork hanging on the walls. I loved that the story centers around saving this hotel! Well, and also romance and love!

Izzy is sunshine and optimism. She is original and was a nerdy kid growing up and believes that “putting good stuff out in the university gets you good stuff back.” Her enemy Lucas is all brooding and serious and grumpy. They had a miscommunication last Christmas and have struggled to get along since. I love that they have to work together to help the hotel and one of their most important jobs is to clean out the lost and found bin in hopes of making a little extra money to keep the hotel afloat. Izzy finds some wedding rings and decides she can’t sell them and would rather get them back to their rightful owners. At first, Lucas thinks this is a waste of time but eventually sees the importance of it and they compete to get as many rings back to their rightful owners. There is so much funny banter and their chemistry is off the charts! I love their hard exteriors but over time you get to see softer versions of these too stubborn characters. They both have suffered losses and they way they learn to take care of one another is my favorite. I also love how other members of the Hotel staff and guests get involved!

Forest Manor has had to make major cutbacks and so many of the hotel staff really add to the story. The owner Mrs SB is so thoughtful and I loved Poor Mandy and the cook Arjun too. Mr. Townsend is so sweet and so is Barty, Ollie, and the Hedgers Family as well. It is the perfect found family and I love characters that you root for and fall in love with!

The Wake-Up call is the perfect blend of humor and more tender heartfelt deep moments. It's the perfect book to get you into the holiday spirit and even makes some references to the movie Love, Actually which is a Christmas favorite of mine!

If you haven't read O’Leary’s books, you must and after you read this one I would highly recommend The Flat Share and The No-Show