This was a delightful, cozy enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance. It felt like a Hallmark movie with a much better plot and dialogue. I loved Izzy and Lucas and the chemistry between them.

Talk about mixed signals…Izzy and Lucas have that and so much more. The dynamic between these two had me laughing and loving the sizzle between them. Even through all the bickering, there was no doubt that there were feelings between them. But could they figure out what feelings they have before the hotel closed?

The Wake-Up Call is fun rom-com that had me wanting to read just a little more or a lot more. I could not wait to get home from work and have “me time” to read. The story moved quickly with good detail to the surroundings and characters. I love the Forest Manor Hotel and the history that comes with the old place. The people who stay in that hotel have become friends of the hotel. The employees who worked in the hotel were invested in making it a successful business again.

I recommend The Wake-Up Call to anyone who is looking for a fun rom-com that is easy to read.

This book was adorable, and it was different than many other romances I've read, which I appreciated. I just felt like it was missing something. I wasn't very invested in either character, which was surprising because they both had interesting backstories. I think that the characters just felt a little flat to me. I didn't care too much what happened to either of them, and I think I would've preferred to hear more about what was going on in the hotel. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC!

I loved this one! As always, I am drawn to O'Leary's characters and their lives. She makes you care about them and be invested in their choices. This novel features an enemies-to-lovers trope as well as a second chance at romance. The novel explores trusting one another with your truths, and showing someone who you are deep down inside.

‘The Wake-Up Call’ may be my favorite yet by Beth O’Leary! Izzy and Lucas’ workplace (a particular charming hotel in the Forrest workplace) bantering and rivalry was laugh out loud funny instead of groan worthy like so many are. I quickly fell for them both and their chemistry sparkled. All of this was set against just the right balance of silly and serious from the characters populating the novel to Izzy and Lucas’ backstories and families (birth & chosen!). So many books don’t get this balance right, but O’Leary got it spot on. I loved every moment with these characters and their resolution was classic, perfect rom com without feeling boring or derivative!

I love Beth O’Leary. I really do. I did not love this book.

Izzy and Lucas work the front desk together at Forest Manor Hotel, a charming English countryside hotel that will cease to exist beyond the Christmas season without costly repairs. The improbable solution? Izzy and Lucas are tasked with tracking down and returning a handful of lost wedding rings to their owners. Izzy did it once, and the hotel was generously rewarded … maybe they’ll ALL do that!

One problem: Izzy and Lucas “hate” each other. She’s bubbly … he’s stoic … apparently that’s a deal-breaker. Well, that and the fact that Izzy actually IS attracted to Lucas and his oft-mentioned muscles and wrote him a Christmas card a year ago confessing her feelings, only to find him kissing her roommate instead.

As with almost every story like this, things aren’t as they appeared, yet the reader will spend almost the entire book suffering through Izzy’s rotating lust/resentment cycle and Lucas’ bottled-up desire for her, because neither of these grown adults will open their mouths and talk about what happened a year ago or how they feel about each other now. (Of course that doesn’t stop them from behaving like horny teenagers when the mood strikes.)

The saving grace? There are some great secondary characters and the holiday season and lovely setting add a nice dose of charm. The ending also turns the mood around. Had it not taken so long to get there, and if the more appealing aspects of the story had been amped up, I would’ve liked the story more.

As for Beth O’Leary? I still love her. I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

★★ ½

This was such an enjoyable read! The story was very heartfelt, and true to Beth's writing style, I laughed out loud a couple of times :) Although I did like the romance, I thought this part could have been thought out better, as I think there were definitely some parts that worked better. The ending was too cute, though! Wouldn't change a thing about that. All in all I can highly recommend this!

This book was such a joy to read. Beth O'Leary’s comedic timing remains on point, as always, never distracting from some of the more serious moments in the story, or the depth of emotion lacing her characters’ words. I walked away on such a high, so so tempted to just jump back to the beginning.

This was a fun, lighthearted, rivals to lovers romance!

Izzy and Lucas work at the same hotel, a beautiful but struggling place they both love very deeply. Their feelings for each other, however, are just as deep, but it’s a deep dislike. Izzy is well known as a sweetheart, to everybody except Lucas, who she acts extremely competitive towards. When she discovers several wedding rings, accumulated for years in the lost and found, she makes it her mission to find their owners - and she immediately makes into a competition with Lucas.

But as she gets closer to Lucas, she realizes that her intense feelings of dislike towards him may be something else entirely.

I loved the cast of characters - especially the guests at the hotel - and found the character development to be very enjoyable. It was such a fun and original setting to read a romance in, and I loved their rivals to lovers story!

3.5 stars. This was a cute enemies-to-lovers story with great setting — an old manor house turned B&B in the English countryside. But sometimes the characters took the “enemies” thing too far and got on my nerves. And apparently Beth O’Leary didn’t get the message that we all hate the miscommunication trope, because this is the miscommunication trope on steroids. Overall, a fine, run-of-the-mill romcom with a tiny bit of holiday cheer. But not as enjoyable as the other O’Leary books I’ve read: The Switch and The Flatshare.

I mostly enjoyed this, but it definitely wasn’t my favorite book by Beth O’Leary. I enjoyed them trying to find the owners of the ring, but didn’t feel as much of the romance. Miscommunication doesn’t usually bother me, but their lack of communication was so bad that it did this time. I enjoyed the cast of characters that were staying at the hotel. I’ll definitely check out future books by Beth O’Leary.

Let me start by saying that I was incredibly excited for this book! I read Flatshare by Beth O’Leary earlier this year and I absolutely LOVED it. I had some trouble getting into The Wakr Up Call and actually ended up putting it down, and having to come back to it. Once I got into it, I did enjoy the hallmark movie feel with the enemies to lovers storyline. It was easy to love Izzy Jenkins and her quirkiness and you were left rooting for her.

Overall if you are looking for a cute, light, hallmark style Christmas read, this may be the one for you.

Thank you Berkeley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this eARC.

3.5⭐️ Hotel receptionists Izzy and Lucas are tasked with finding the recipients of lost rings as a way to make enough money to keep the hotel afloat. Their bitter rivalry begins to shift, as these two must learn to work together if they have any hope of saving their beloved hotel.

I quickly became a Beth O’Leary fan after reading the Flat Share a few years ago, and now anxiously await each and every new release. This year, I was very excited that her newest just so happens to be a holiday book.

Overall, I think this book is really cute and perfect for the holidays. The backdrop of the hotel was so fun and I loved getting to know each of these quirky characters. The banter between rivals Izzy and Lucas was great and I enjoyed seeing their dynamic shift as the story continued.

My only issue was with the pacing of the story. It had a strong start and ending, but dragged quite a bit throughout the middle half. I had a hard time staying connected as they worked to unravel the ring mystery, and felt like it detracted from the romance, even while it ultimately brought them closer together.

ʀ ᴇ ᴀ ᴅ ɪ ғ ʏ ᴏ ᴜ ʟ ɪ ᴋ ᴇ :
• enemies to lovers
• workplace romance
• forced proximity
• hotel life
• quirky characters
• holiday romance

Thank you Berkley Romance and PRH Audio for my gifted copies.

The setting of the crumbling hotel during the holiday season adds a magical touch to the story. As Izzy and Lucas compete to return a collection of old wedding rings to their rightful owners, they discover their own love story unfolding. The plot is filled with humor, mishaps, and unexpected surprises that had me emotionally invested in their journey.

Izzy and Lucas's initial rivalry is palpable, but as they work together to save the hotel from financial ruin, their relationship takes a heartwarming turn. The transformation from adversaries to partners is beautifully portrayed, and you can't help but root for them.

The concept of returning lost wedding rings adds a delightful twist to the plot. It's not just about rescuing the hotel; it's also about reuniting couples with cherished memories. The story explores the idea that sometimes, unexpected challenges can lead to the most meaningful connections.

Beth O'Leary's writing is engaging and filled with genuine emotion. The characters are relatable, and their personal growth throughout the book is both touching and inspiring. You'll find yourself cheering for Izzy and Lucas, not only in their quest to save the hotel but also in their journey to find love and happiness.

While I thoroughly enjoyed "The Wake-Up Call," I gave it 4 stars because there were moments when the plot felt a bit predictable.

This authors previous books have been hits and misses for me but I just loved this one! I adored the characters and loved the plot. So many great side characters too!

Very much a Hallmark romance, which isn't my cup of tea, but this one will have its readers for sure and is good for readers advisory.

First scene- OUCH! Like imagining that happen to you is yikes! So the book grabs you from the start. While I found some of it charming, the back and forth banter starts to wear a bit thin by the middle. Lucas reminded me of Roy Kent. Am I alone in that image? The ending is sweet and satisfying so I’m glad to have stuck with it.

Make no mistake, every cliched trope lives in this one. But it’s a cute holiday read and entertaining enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure about this book when I started it but as I continued reading I got more and more interested in Lucas and Izzy. They were so sweet and fun. Watching Lucas loosen up and Izzy realizing she didn't hate him was great.

The characters are great. The story interesting as they try to save the hotel and avoid love. Their story was so long resolving that one had to keep reading to find out if they got their happily ever after. I liked the pacing , the plot and as mentioned the characters (both major and minor).

Thanks to the author and publisher for the ARC.

If a book is marketed as enemies to lovers, you bet I'll be reading it!

There was a few things I really loved about this book. More specifically the MMC Lucas, who was a grump with a big heart and a secret softie. The banter between Lucas and Izyy was also funny and I liked the email format of the book too! They're both exhausted, hurt, and struggling characters who are very misunderstood. I also loved the hotel setting and all the customers and sweet moments we get.

There were also parts I didn't love or just couldn't connect with. The book heavily relies on miscommunication and not talking to each other but instead just assuming things. It was fine in the beginning but got old fast. I also didn't love the "ring" storyline.

Overall, this was precious and sweet and I definitely recommend it to anywho looking for a semi festive read!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC <3

Review will be posted on 10/12/23

Izzy and Lucas both work as concierges at the Forest Manor Hotel in southern England. They don't work well together, thanks to an issue they had last Christmas. Izzy wrote Lucas a letter confessing her feelings for him, and he promptly kissed her roommate. Cue the awkwardness and the resentment from Izzy. Since then, she has avoided him until the hotel assigned them both the same task of going through the lost property room and selling the items to raise money. The hotel is going bankrupt and selling the items is their only hope to not only save the hotel but also their jobs. They find a lot of junk, but then they come across five wedding rings. Izzy reunites one of the rings with its owner and receives a hefty reward. Let the competition begin! As they spend more time together, readers can't help but hope they get past the miscommunication from last Christmas and take a chance on love. Beth O'Leary's The Wake-Up Call is a delightful rom-com that would be perfect to snuggle up with this holiday season.


I really enjoyed the relationship between Izzy and Lucas in The Wake-Up Call. I liked their witty banter and their backstory, especially as readers find out what actually happened between them last Christmas. O'Leary has a way of making her romances feel like such a fun rom-com, the kind with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. Just like the older rom-com I grew up with, her books are charming, have cute settings, and will sure to make you laugh. Needless to say, I was rooting for Izzy, Lucas, and even the charming hotel.


That leads me to the setting of Forest Manor Hotel. I absolutely adored it! I stayed at a hotel in southern England once and I still daydream about it. O'Leary brought it to life beautifully and there were many holiday moments in The Wake-Up Call, which would make this a great read for the fall and upcoming holiday season.



Are you a fan of Beth O'Leary's novels? Is The Wake-Up Call on your fall TBR list? Let me know in the comments below.