Title: Love, Naturally
Author: Sophie Sullivan
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: January 16, 2024

I received complimentary eARC and ALC copies from St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad

T H R E E • W O R D S

Endearing • Fluffy • Adventurous

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Presley Ayers is not the woman you bring on a camping trip. An accomplished concierge at an exclusive hotel in Great Falls, MI, she knows more about the top ten places for champagne and caviar than she does about the best hiking boots to go stomping around near Lake Michigan. But when she surprises her boyfriend of eight months with a vacation to the Get Lost Lodge and he dumps her instead, Presley decides to rough it solo and take the trip herself.

When Beckett Keller helps the gorgeous woman off the rickety boat and onto Lodge territory, it’s clear she’s made a mistake. She doesn’t like hiking, fishing, or nature in general, so why did she go on this trip?—but he’s got other things on his mind. A crumbling lodge, and his own plans and dreams that are forever deferred—so he doesn’t have time for Ms. Fish-Out-of-Water. But neither Beckett or Presley can help that inexplicable draw they feel towards each other. He’s all rough stubble and plaid shirts, while she’s all high heels and brand-name athleisurewear.

But you know what they say about opposites...

💭 T H O U G H T S

I don't recall how Sophie's Sullivan upcoming 2024 release came onto my radar, but after reading the synopsis it sounded like something I would enjoy, and cover picks have been a recent trend for me. Even though insta-love is a trope I have struggled with in the past, as are rom-coms involving social media influencers, I was still willing to give this one a try because there were other little things I love.

What I like:
• the setting. I wanted to be able to visit this adventurous, small town hotel resort so badly. The townsfolk. The quiet pace. The activities. The lush forest. All of it sounded like the perfect getaway to me.
• solo travelling. I commend Presley for stepping out of her comfort zone and embarking on a solo trip. It was ballsy and a reminder of taking a chance on things that may not fit with what we'd normally do. She was willing to fish, hike, etc. and I loved it.
• the likeable characters. Both MCs were interesting to me and I was rooting for them both. Yet it is the secondary characters that really enhance the story. I loved them all.
• the narration. There is good pacing and emotion in the narration. While it was fine, it could have been made better with a male narrator for Beckett's POV.

What I didn't like:
• the forced proximity. Accepting to stay in a cabin with a hotel employee felt a little over the top and improbable.

It's quite possible Love, Naturally was a case of the right book at the right time. I adored this opposites attract, small-town romance more than expected. Did I have to suspend some belief? Absolutely! Did that bother me? No. It definitely made me wish I could visit this fictional hotel and get to know the characters. I will be interested to see if some of the side characters may get their own stories in the future.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the forced proximity trope
• readers in need of a cozy romantic escape
• anyone who loves small town vibes

⚠️ CW: divorce

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Sometimes what people think is nothing can be everything to someone else."

"These sites, they're a way for people to perform. You lose who you are to become someone followers want to see."

Love, Naturally is the first in a new Sophie Sullivan series (?) and while I enjoyed it, I'm not sure I am fully invested in what may be to come.

Newly single, Presley has set foot on a mountain side lodge set to make the best of her situation. After a mishap, she ends up staying in "lumberjack" Beckett's cabin. Beckett is a family man who has vowed to help save and rebuild the family's lodge. He's got his own dreams and decisions to make. But both Presley and Beckett are able to discover life and love may just come at a natural pace.

While I enjoyed tandem listening/reading Love, Naturally (narrated by Julie Rogers), I found the plot to be predictable starting at the 15% mark. I continued as Sullivan's writing has a homey vibe. Overall, I didn't necessarily find a connection to any of the characters and could pretty quickly figure out what was going to happen and how the couple would break up. While I wasn't one hundred percent accurate, most of the parts lined up. I enjoyed the found family vibes most of all, especially youngster Ollie. Fans of Sullivan's other works may enjoy this one however; I don't feel I will be fast to pick up any others coming out in the future.

Let me start by thanking St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for granting me advanced access to this title. I have been a fan of Sophie Sullivan's for years and am terribly smitten with the Jansen Brothers - They all make for great Book Boyfriends. All of them have their own baggage and are sweethearts to their cores no matter how they might try to mask it.

Love, Naturally follows a different family and I fell in love with them too.

Presley is the last person who would voluntarily go into the wilderness. However, in an effort to charm her boyfriend's socks off, Presley plans a surprise getaway to the Get Lost Lodge. Sadly, when Presley reveals her plans, instead of enthusiasm, she's met with a breakup speech. Presley's job as a concierge at an exclusive hotel has kept her busy and truth be told, she's realizing her efforts are no longer fulfilling her. She decides to take the trip herself and she finds herself more lost than ever and not geographically. As she gets to know the lovely Keller family, Presley is forced to reckon with herself and the direction she's headed in professionally and personally. The Keller family is warm, inviting, and bonded in a way that Presley instantly warms too and the handsome Beckett Keller is an added bonus, but Presley has to wonder, is it too soon?

I read/ listened this right before the holidays and it put me in the holiday spirit after reading this heartwarming novel by Sophie Sullivan. Her novels feel like a hug and always include found family and themes of community. I can't wait for the next Sophie!

Love, Naturally is a truly touching kind of love story. I know I can always count on Sophie Sullivan to create memorable kinds of characters. With Beckett and Presley, she has done that tenfold as these two extremely selfless people find in each other the missing part of their hearts. Both have much in common as they are at a crossroads of sorts in both their professional and personal lives. Each is at a standstill, frustration getting the best of them as they try and figure out their next steps towards what they hope will bring them happiness. With Presley's arrival in the charming town of Smile, the self-proclaimed city girl finds not only the courage to go for it all with Beckett even as she's just in his universe for only a week, but the strength to finally get what she deserves away from her crotchety boss back in Great Falls and her former boyfriend.

What I loved most was that Beckett and Presley were able to fall into what most might call a familiar rhythm almost from the very start. Her ideas to help his family's lodge are welcomed happily, giving Presley a true sense of worth. The way she effortlessly becomes one of the Kellers, with scene-stealing Ollie a big part of Presley's joy at feeling like she truly belongs, was worth all the angst and disappointment she had previously endured.

Some may say it's a bit of too much too soon, but honestly, Sullivan allowed both Beckett and Presley to feel each other out so to speak and only succumbed to their mutual attraction when everything felt right. It's like a slow burn of insta-love, which is no easy feat for any writer. But I was pleased with how both characters felt an apprehension to not go too fast but wanted to anyway since their time together clearly had an expiration date.

With an adorable grand gesture to show just how Presley and Beckett's love was meant to be, I have to admit that I felt all kinds of warm and giddy inside as those final pages were read. Sophie Sullivan has written yet another feel-good kind of romance with fabulous secondary characters who compliment our couple beautifully and provide both that requisite slap across the back of the head and shoulder to cry on when needed. I wouldn't mind more from this crew and the special residents of Smile who gave this reader all the more reason to Get Lost in the wonderful pages of this book.

Well worth your time, I happily give Love, Naturally a solid 4 stars.

Opposites attract in this amusing rom com set at a woodsy resort. Well, what Beckett and his family hope will be a resort (they're still working on it). Presley, a city person if ever there was one, impulsively bought a fishing weekend for her boyfriend who, as it turns out, is so immature that he thought it was too soon for them to go away after dating for 8 months. So she takes herself and finds a whole new set of possibilities, not only with Beckett, but also because she can use her knowledge from working the hospitality business to help the resort. Then there's Beckett, who finds insta-attraction. Both of them tell the story. It's light, it's fun, it's funny (I'm a fan of Beckett's niece). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read for a rainy day.

I completely loved Sophie’s Jansen Brothers series, from start to finish (still waiting for the sister’s book), but this one? Wow, even better than the others! I loved it that much more!

Presley is all of us - trying very hard to be a perfect employee and girlfriend to a job and boyfriend (and daughter to a family) that just don’t appreciate her. She heads off on the fishing vacation she booked for the boyfriend’s birthday on her own when he blows her and the trip off to go out with his boys. She is not an outdoorsy girl, but decides to show everyone.

From the moment she steps on the plane she knows she made a mistake, but meeting the lodge staff, the other guests and the niece of the owner, she starts to do the activities and try everything and help out and lend her work experience and expertise and everything just falls into place - not to mention the social media posts she makes that actually help the lodge increase visibility, much to the dismay of one of the lodge family members who gets an interesting hashtag, and needs her help to keep the interested ladies away.

It’s an opposites attract, sort of workplace, love at first sight, vacation fling to more romance that I couldn’t put down (except when I had to go to work), and highly recommend, especially if you loved her Jansen series!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin), and this is my honest feedback.

3.5 rounded to 4

Thank you NetGalley & Sophie Sullivan for the ARC

This was a super light and fluffy romance that I had fun reading. Closed door romance. Lots of longing stares and zinging touches. 😊 I loves Sophie's other series and was excited to dive into this one. The storyline was solid and cute. Though what took away for me was that it was written in third person. Personally, third person isn't my favorite. I find it harder to connect with the characters. Still enjoyed it and can't wait for it to be released Jan 16 2024!

Presley doesn't do spontaneous. She's got a plan for everything- including a 10 day vacation surprise for her boyfriend of 8 months. Planned out as a gesture to show him that she can be into the things he likes, like being outside, hiking fishing etc. When their relationship takes a turn to splitsville, Presley decides to go on the trip alone.

Beckett is just trying to help out his family as they navigate owning a new business. When he sees Presley on the boat from the mainland to the lodge he can tell she's not the outdoor type.

Attraction soon turns to an arrangement for "only this week". But what happens when They go back to their lives and wonder if maybe that week wasn't enough?

I loved it! Sophie Sullivan should be on every romance reader’s auto buy author list. I adored her previous books, and the love story of Presley and Beckett is just as magical. City girl getting over heartbreak meets nature boy helping out his family. (His siblings are perfect by the way and I can’t wait for their stories.). It’s instant attraction even though neither have the time for a relationship. I don’t usually like instalove, but the author does such a great job bringing the honest reality of their situations into their relationship that I was completely sold. Well done Sophie Sullivan! I’ll be on the lookout for a physical copy as soon as it releases.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own

Love, Naturally
By: Sophie Sullivan
Review Score: 4 Stars

Boogie’s Bulletpoints
-No spoilers, but I love Presley’s determination to go on this trip herself.

-Presley and Beckett have amazing chemistry!

-I love Presley’s use of social media, and how it helps the lodge grow.

-So much of how this was described gave me Stars Hollow vibes, and I loved that.

-I love how the story ended.

——
Love, Naturally was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful book!

Release Date: 1/16/24

I seriously enjoyed Love, Naturally. It was so fun to follow Presley and Emmett (love a dual point of view!) as they come together at this lodge, where Presley had planned to take her boyfriend, who dumped her.

Presley is seriously the best kind of girl. She dusts herself off, goes on this trip, and makes the best of it (and I mean REALLY makes the best of it).

There are so many good characters in this story, they just really added to how awesome this book is. Add in a beautiful backdrop, and you have all the pieces to a great story.


This is the perfect Rom Com style book, and I definitely recommend it!

#bookstagram #books #readingnow #boogiereadsbooks #fivekeyfeels #audiobooks #audiobook #fiction #arcreview #netgalley #boogiesbulletpoints #lovenaturally #sophiesullivan #stmartinspress

This was a cute book about a hotel concierge taking her own vacation after leaving her ex. I got into it pretty quickly and was excited about the dynamic between Presley and Beckett. While I wasn’t crazy about beckett’s anti-social-media feelings, he was still a pretty likable love interest.
I’m not usually into the instalove trope, so this wasn’t quite up my alley in that regard.
It is closed door, which I don’t typically go for, but it did seem well executed! It’s a bit of a slow read, I felt like it was dragging on at some times and I was not as into it towards the end as I was in the beginning. Overall, I didn’t have any huge issues with the book so I’m still considering this a 3-star read, and I think it could be really enjoyable to someone who prefers these tropes!

Read if you like:
🏖️ Vacation Romances
🤳🏻 Micro Influencers
❤️ Insta-Love
💔 Finding Love after a Breakup
🔀 Opposites Attract

If you love a fast paced romance where the FMC goes from break-up to falling in love with a new guy quickly, this is a great option for that “rebound but the right guy” vibes as well as that just “instant connection” vibes.

This one also has opposites attact with an outdoorsy MMC and a city girl FMC.

If you enjoyed the Suite Spot by Trish Doller, I think this is a great book with similar vibes!

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my review!

When city girlie Presley realizes what a complete and total asshat her boyfriend is, she dumps him and heads off on their outdoorsy couples trip solo. 'Atta girl! She makes the best of vacationing in place she wouldn't normally have chosen by trying new things and, best of all, meeting a hot mountain man named Beckett.

The character development in Love, Naturally was wonderful. The whole cast is so likeable and I felt invested in their individual and collective stories. The romance is closed door and fit in with the arc of the plot - it was a romance, but also much more. I CRIED, ok? Cried.

Presley was maybe a bit (ok, a lot) naive with the couples trip gift in the beginning, but it paved the way for us seeing what a shit her ex was so it didn't bother me much. The message was that life is too short to spend it with someone who doesn't appreciate you and I wholeheartedly agree.

Love, Naturally is my third read by Sophie Sullivan. The novel is currently a standalone novel and follows a potential couple on a wilderness trip. Presley Ayers is a concierge at an exclusive hotel in Great Falls, Michigan. She plans a surprise vacation at a lodge for her boyfriend of eight months, but plans go awry, and she ends up alone at a fishing resort. She ends up meeting Beckett Keller who helps her off the boat when she realizes her vacation mistake landing at Get Lost Lodge. There are events that then lead to the two of them spending more time together and sharing some chemistry.

The timeline of this story takes place in a little over a week. This means that there is a whole rollercoaster for the romance in a very short amount of time. The reader follows Presley as she is with someone only then to start falling for Beckett and then the two of them go through some insta-love. If this type of romance is not for you, then I don’t think it will be an enjoyable read. For me, I prefer slow-burns, but I can work with insta-love in the right circumstances. The part I didn’t connect with is the transition from the previous boyfriend to the potential current (Beckett). For me, the timeline was too short between one relationship to the next. I enjoyed the chemistry between Beckett and Presley, but I just needed a little more before I wanted them to get together. The two of them are a great match and I think the author did a great job to add some realism to the characters, so if there was a slight re-work to the timeline, then this story would be perfect for me. Overall, I continue to enjoy Sullivan’s writing and greatly look forward to reading more from her in the future.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

This was a perfect cozy, easy, low stress read.

I felt at ease reading this sweet romance. It was effortless to root for our main characters. Becket was super sweet + swoon worthy and Presley’s personality was so bubbly and friendly despite the struggles she was facing.
Their story was full of joy and love and I had a great time reading it.

The supporting cast was also very charming and easy to like and I loved the cozy small town vibe.

It is a CLOSED door book. No spicy scenes.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book. I would recommend it if you are looking for an laidback, cozy, happy and drama free read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC!

This was the cutest story!! First of all, I enjoyed the setting of this book before I even knew all the characters. I love the idea of Presley going on an adventure that is totally out of her comfort zone. The characters in this book are delightful and really add to the story. The chemistry between the characters is immediate, but I do appreciate a slow burn, behind closed doors romance. This has everything a good story should and in this world of negativity, it's a breath of fresh air.

I loooooved this book! Sophie Sullivan hit the nail on the head with this love story! Such a beautiful love story that I felt part of. The details kept me right in the middle and the relationship between these 2 made me read this whole book in one reading! Thank you Sophie yet again!

This book was such a cute and light read that really made me feel good watching as our main character Presley finds herself after a breaking up with her absolutely horrible boyfriend. After breaking up with her ungrateful and downright lousy boyfriend Presley goes on the 10 fishing and nature vacation trip without him. You'll swoon for Beckett and fall in love with all the fun side characters. Perfect light and easy contemporary romance read.

-Read if you like-
🐟Small town
🥾City girl/small town guy
🐟Insta love
🥾Forced Proximity
🐟Closed door romance

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would love to give this a full length review . I love and adore this author very much. However, SMP needs to take accountability for the harmful things that were said by an employee. I will still be reading this book and sharing it privately with those who want to read it

This was sweet, if not a bit too slow paced for my liking. I enjoyed the characters - Beckett was fantastic as the mountain man and Presley was great as the fish-out-of-water city girl. I liked their dynamic overall and really enjoyed the small-town vibes (especially the cast of side characters). Overall, this didn't completely hit the mark for me because of how slow-paced it was and the insta-love, but I think there is something really great here from the author and I would read her books again!

I love romance novels because they make me smile, and this book, Love, Naturally made me smile more than most. Author Sophie Sullivan has given us a main character, Presley, who is a young successful woman who struggles with not feeling important, not feeling like she belongs anywhere. That is, until she heads to a lodge filled with outdoor activities—which, by the way, is not something she loves—and meets Beckett and his family. I loved that she took chances, I loved that she bravely tried new things, I loved that she was smart and witty. Beckett was at a crossroads himself, deciding what his own future would look like, and meeting Presley further complicates things. This wonderful book will make you smile and laugh and swoon, as these two endearing characters open up their hearts to vulnerability and possibilities. I don’t have a crystal ball, but I hope there will be more stories to come from this wonderful family.