Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan was such a sweet audiobook! I love an expiration dating vacation novel and this one delivers! The narrator was great and the ending was exactly what I wanted!

Thanks so much to @netgalley for the chance to review Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan. This was such a cute book! Presley was prepared to surprise her boyfriend with an awesome weeklong stay at a lodge…. But instead, they break up when she tells him about her plans. She is going to go through it, though, and she is determined to enjoy her time there! Even though the great outdoors aren’t typically her style, she embraces the challenges and makes some new friends, especially Beckett, an employee at the lodge who wants desperately for it to be a successful venture.

Maybe just slightly slow at times, this was a sweet book with excellent narration.

This was actually a super fun and enjoyable RomCom. It’s closed door but there’s innuendo and chemistry that is steamy and fun. I don’t normally love insta-love stories but this one was really cute and it was easy to fall in love with these characters. Beckett is such a good guy from the moment you meet him that you can help but root for him. The audiobook format wasn’t my favorite for this one as it’s all one narrator, for both male and female POV, which is fine. However there wasn’t really any attempt at voice inflection or change so it sometimes was hard for me to figure out what POV we were in.

I adore love stories that stay with the unexpected heartbreak, Anna love creeps in when you just expect it. This is a sweet story of finding your place in love and enjoying the present. Love comes to your when the time is right. This HEA is everything you can wish for in farthest dreams. The audio adds another layer of fabulousness. Just a lovely story than you for the opportunity to listen.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of Love Naturally in exchange ' of my honest review.

3.5 stars

Hard-working girl from the hospitality field with a side hustle as an influencer got ghosted/dumped by her boyfriend after presenting him with a all paid trip to go explore nature and fishing (his favorite hobby). Then, of course she proceeded to go by herself as one should.

The narrator of this audiobook did a great job interpreting the scenes (although I really get annoyed with child voices for the kids in the story).

This is a light hearted feel-good book on the veins of a Hallmark movie. You have some forced proximity, insta-love with no spice and a cute family/town that is quirky and loving.

I liked that the author brushed on the subject of objectification. The FMC accidentally posted a photo where the MMC was in the back stretching and people started objectifying and capitalizing over the attention he was getting. The guy was clearly uncomfortable with the attention and people showing up at his family hotel just to “have a shot” or “see him”, which he deflected by kind of asking the FMC to be his girlfriend. I honestly thought this could have been better explored, in light of the hockey romance event that happened this year (2023 btw). However, the author just made him push through when the attention dwindled at everything in social media.

Besides that I think this is a feel-good book with very low stakes for the main couple romance (which made the story a bit non-eventual). And I appreciate that this time that was the consideration of the guy following the girl after realizing his feelings rather the other time around (for some reason, the women always are the one to give up her life to be with the guy and this formula is just old).

This is the kind of love story that gives you all the feels and leaves you with smiles and warm fuzzies. Beckett and Presley will steal your heart, not to mention the amazing secondary characters, and I would love to meet them all. The setting is the ideal place to fall in love and I loved that it was outside of Presley's comfort zone. Beckett's family is charming and loveable, and they included Presley right from the start. It was surprising to realize that it's a closed door romance because the chemistry was off the charts, but that's the sign of a well-written romance and I'm looking forward to the next one. I listened to the audiobook and it's fantastic. Julie Rogers does a great job narrating and bringing these characters to life.

Presley plans the perfect surprise vacation for her boyfriend's birthday. Perfect for him, that is. 10 days on a remote Michigan island at a fishing lodge. Presley is not at all outdoorsy, but plans the vacation in the hopes to take their relationship to the next level. When her boyfriend refuses to go, and wants to go at a different time without her, she decides she is going alone. On the boat to the island, she notices a handsome stranger (Beckett). Turns out, his brother owns the lodge and is going to help him with some renovations. Some forced proximity puts Presley and Beckett together and the sparks immediately fly.

There is insta-love, then there is ultra insta-love. Presley goes from a relationship to kissing Beckett is all of two days. In romance, I am usually able to ignore details for the sake of the story, but this was too much.

I liked their relationship, outside of the insta-love. I liked how they helped each other when they were outside of their respective comfort zones.

This is a clean romance with a dual POV.

I could tell that the author is not an American due to a few phrases. As a native Michigander, I also chuckled at some of the references to big cities- especially Mackinaw City. Mackinaw City has no mall, much less a commercial airport, lol. There is one tiny airport not too far, but there is like one flight per day to and from Detroit.

Julie Rogers narrates the audiobook. I wish there had been a second narrator for Beckett, but that is personal preference. It was frustrating because Julie Rogers paused too long after sentences. I hate that because speeding it up doesn't help that. I listened at 1.75.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Love, Naturally was just okay for me. I definitely enjoyed the other two of Sophie Sullivans books that I read more than this. The plot was cute I just didn’t like ever really get invested in the characters.

The narrator was good. I wouldn’t recommend one format over another specifically.

Oh man, I really wished I liked this but it wasn't for me. I found it really bland.

I was also bothered by the way the author framed the characters. The main character breaks up with her boyfriend that she's all in with until he has some unacceptable behavior and is disappointed that her "married and kid timeline" now has to start all over with a new guy.

The main male character at one point talks about (may thinks about?) how in their small town, there aren't many people to choose from.

It really put the motivations in question for me for both of them. I couldn't get behind why they liked each other, especially since it seemed more like insta-lust than anything else. I didn't feel any tension, sexual or relationship-wise.

this book was so cute and the narration was fantastic! this was dual pov so i do wish that there had been a male narrator for beckett, but the female narrator did such a good job with both roles.

insta-love usually isn’t my favorite, but it worked well within this story. even thought it takes place over the course of ten days, it felt believable and there was so much character growth for both MCs. i especially loved presley’s growth and how much she stepped out of her comfort zone time and time again. from biking, to fishing, to four wheeling and so much more — beckett and presley shared so many sweet and memorable moments. it warmed my heart how they were both determined to put the other’s happiness ahead of their own.

i loved ollie and the rest of beckett’s family. they were so supportive of each other and both jillian and grayson have such interesting backstories! smile was the perfect small town setting and it came with all the things i love from a small town romance. i’m really looking forward to more stories in this series!

content: fade to black, some language

thank you to st. martin’s griffin and macmillan audio for an advanced copy. my thoughts are my own.

I listed to the audio version of this book. Narrator had an excellent voice. Voices all the characters.
This story takes place in Michigan. Most of the book takes place on Mackinaw Island. Which is just as amazing as described here.
Rom-Com. It is a story I have yet to read. I loved the characters and how their background stories are effortlessly woven into the story.
This would be a great gift for your friend that works in hospitality. The story takes place at a resort called “Get Lost.”

I really hate giving lower than 3 stars on a book because I know authors put a lot of effort into their novels and just because a story isn’t for me, doesn’t mean it’s bad. That said, my experience with this book unfortunately was a 2. I really wanted to like it, but it just didn’t work for me. I want to highlight the parts I did enjoy, and then get into the factors that played into my rating.

I liked Beck and his family at the Get Lost Lodge. I thought they were a fun group and I thought Ollie was very cute. I enjoyed the vibe of the setting, I thought it was very well written. I was interested in the backstory of both Presley and Beck and I wanted things to work out for them, both as a couple and personally. I was all in at the beginning and excited to get into it, it just fell a little flat for me.

First, this story takes place over a 10 day vacation. I knew that going in, and I didn’t have a problem with it in theory, but the slow pace ended up feeling very tedious. There was a lot going on, but it wasn’t keeping my attention. Since I listened to it via audiobook, this was extra hard because the narrator was slow. Eleven hours just felt too long.

This story was set in a small town, which is usually a trope I enjoy, but I felt like there were too many characters that I couldn’t keep track of. Maybe that was just my ADHD, sometimes I struggle keeping focus on audios, but I just felt lost whenever we met new people at a different diner or restaurant or somewhere else in town. I do feel it’s important to have side characters that feel real, but in this case it was too much for me, I felt overwhelmed.

The last aspect that really threw me off was the fact that she was a low key influencer and used it to help the lodge. I didn’t have a problem with the concept of that, but I didn’t like how she frequently used it to objectify him which led to a lot of uncomfortable situations for him, plus he didn’t ever really give his consent to any of that. There also was a lot of focus on her posting in general which kind of takes me out of the story.

I know I’m not in the majority with these opinions. I think there are a lot of people that would enjoy this book, it just wasn’t for me. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillion Audio for providing me a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

This was a very sweet book. The characters and relationships were very wholesome and adorable. Overall, just a very charming book! I like a little more drama and angst in my books, so sometimes I found myself a little bored, unfortunately. It also had some insta-love elements that I didn’t enjoy.


The narrator of this audiobook did the voices for both Presley and Beckett. It was fine, but not my favorite audiobook narration.

If you are a fan of hallmark movies, this is absolutely the book for you! It gives found family, adorable small town, sweet main characters, and working together to help a struggling lodge.

Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan
Overall Rating - 3 stars

This was my first Sophie Sullivan book and I really enjoyed it! It had my attention from the very beginning. Presley (FMC) decides to plan a nature get away for her and her boyfriend - to her surprise, he dumps her. She goes on the trip anyway and ends up meeting Beckett. If you love a small town romance you will love this book! There's not much conflict, just a nice easy read.

While I did enjoy this story, I do prefer a slow burn to insta-love. They fall in love very quickly. I think I would have enjoyed it more if there was a little more time focusing on relationship building.

Audiobook review - I thought the narrator did a great job, her pacing was good and the switching of pov's were still easy to follow.

Thank you to Netgalley, MacMillan Audio for this ARC!

“You fell in love, you fucking idiot.”
3.75★

I mean yeah dude, this is the quintessential romance story. It hits all of the points: girl is trying to find herself by going out of her comfort zone and she winds up with so much more, guy needs some direction in his life and all signs point to her.

Presley: FMC - marketing/hotel management city girly who is going on a small town vacation in order to get over a crappy ex. She definitely gives golden retriever vibes.

Beckett: MMC - small town boy, who is trying to keep his family’s business alive.

Tropes: small town romance, instant love, city girl/small town boy

Definitely a closed door romance, no spice.

I truly did enjoy this story, it was a nice low stress/high reward predictable plot. It didn’t exactly reinvent the wheel but I would suggest it to those who are looking for an easy, cozy, and happy read. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me access to this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Presley tries to surprise her boyfriend with a vacation to Get Lost Lodge for his birthday and when she does he dumps her. Presley ends up going on the trip herself where she meets Beckett whose brother owns the lodge. When Presley gets to The Lodge and finds it very run down and not what she expected, she is a little upset, but willing to make the most of it. She struggles to fight her attraction to Beckett and he struggles as well.

I immediately feel in love with the characters in this story, not just the two MC’s, but the side ones as well. This story had a fake-dating troupe that seemed more real than most fake-dating stories and I wanted Presley and Beckett to be together so bad. The Lodge, while it was run down, seemed like a great place to be and the people who worked there and stayed there seemed so welcoming and loving. I loved how they both were wiling in the end to give up what they thought they wanted to try to make the other happy.

Another family I immediately fell in love with.

Another small town I immediately fell in love with.

Quirky townspeople I immediately fell in love with.

Main male character who is best friends with his adorable niece whom I immediately fell in love with.

You will not be able to not fall for everyone (except Emmett, was getting major Warner from Legally Blonde vibes here) in this book. I love a good fake dating and basically instant love but I wanted to yell at both of them the entire time “this dating is not fake!”. Oh. And absolutely loved she did not wallow about the end of her relationship with Emmett. She realized her worth and moved on.

Basically fell in love with everything about this book immediately. Don’t skip this one!!

4 stars for Sophie Sullivan’s latest rom com, Love Naturally.

Presley Ayers arrives at the Get Lost Lodge in Upper Michigan to take the couples trip she purchased for her and her (now-ex-) boyfriend solo. She’s a city girl who knows next to nothing about hiking, fishing, and the wilderness, but she’s got 10 days away from her job as a hotel concierge and she’s determined to have a good time. When she arrives, she meets Beckett Keller, whose brother owns the lodge and who himself is at a crossroads in life. Over the course of 10 days, he helps her learn to love nature, and she helps him and his family reverse the fortunes of the struggling lodge.

I loved the story itself, but the setting - the lodge, the nearby small town, and all the side characters that come with it - really make the book. I didn’t want it to end and I sincerely hope Sophie is planning to set future stories in this universe because I need more from the Get Lost Lodge and the people of Smile, Michigan!

The main characters, Presley and Beckett, are fantastic as well. Presley especially changes so much throughout the course of the book. At the beginning, she’s kind of a wuss whose self-worth is tied up in her relationship (with a real jerk, no less!). Gradually, her confidence builds and she begins to truly value herself and trust her ideas. Beckett is in a better place at the beginning of the story, but we still see growth in his character as well.

Audio review: The narrator, Julie Rogers, does a nice job. However, the story is written in 3rd person with the omniscience shifting between Presley and Beckett. Julie read both “voices” (I hesitate to call them POVs since they are 3rd person), which got confusing. I would have preferred to either have dual 1st person POVs read by different narrators or one 3rd person voice read by a single narrator. This is one that might be better in print for those able to read with their eyes.

Overall, I do recommend this book and hope to read more Get Lost stories in the future. Read if you love: small-town romances, insta love (normally I’m not a fan but it works well here!), found family, forced proximity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the gifted audio copy.

There are so many things to love about this book. It is set on an island in northern Michigan on a family-owned and run getaway spot. There is an opposites attract trope. Our two characters have forced proximity when she needs to stay at his cabin. There are stars and smores and hot tubs.

That being said, this one did not work for me for one big reason - insta love. These characters are not only instantly attracted to one another, but the dive into romance felt too fast for me. Presley is just coming off a sudden breakup from whom she thought would be her future fiancé. She is in a setting that is completely not her. She is not into hiking, fishing, or much of the outdoors. And yet, she can't help but fall for Beckett when he offers to help her from day one of her trip.

That being said, that's all that didn't work for me, so I can see many, many others loving this book. Our hero and heroine have chemistry and there is found family at the core of the story. It has a sweet and satisfying ending and I was entertained throughout. I am a big fan of Sophie Sullivan's so will continue to read her books in the future. Anyone looking for a great opposites attract romance should definitely pick this one up!

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It was a quick enjoyable read. I enjoyed the FMC and the setting was amazing and just what I wanted.