This was a fun read!

Fast paced and chock full of simmering chemistry, Alex and Bo really took me on a ride. Set in Belize, the reader will be immersed in the story. The author did a great job of describing everything I felt like I was almost watching a movie in my head!

These two characters were definitely opposites attract, but they really seemed to level each other out.

There is a bit of OW drama, but didn’t push this into a love triangle. I did wish Bo was a little more up front with his feelings, but he might have still been cementing them for himself.

This was cute! I didn’t love it but I appreciated that it took the bonkersness of adventure movies a la Indiana Jones and ran with it!

What really fell flat for me, unfortunately, is the MCs. I don’t need to like characters to root for their story or love their love. But the MMC was kind of a misogynistic jerk at times (unintentionally, but that somehow made it worse for me) and the FMC was trying to overcompensate for (very valid) the fact that she’s a woman in a more dude led field into kind of being a jerk when the MMC actually had valid questions to ask. (Which wasn’t often, mind you, see prior comments about him heh). I also didn’t love that the MMC fell in love with the FMC….a week after his fiance broke it off…while he’s chasing said fiance down? Just personal preference but it ground my gears a bit.

I liked it. I didn’t love it. I wanted…a bit more growth from both MCs. But it was cute and fun and I appreciated the bonkers aspect of the plot!

Yes, this starts with a man chasing his ex-fiance and catching feelings for another woman. But if you hold out, you will enjoy a charming story of adventure and self-discovery. To be clear - there is no cheating and the love interests maintain the moral high-ground.

Bo Ferguson is a certified nice guy which also means he's a genuine homebody who avoids all risks in his life. His rocky childhood left him in desperate need to prepare for all emergencies and make plans from A to Z. What was not in the plans? Being dumped by his fiance in a text. He flies to Belize to find out why she would choose her new archeology project over their 7-year relationship.

He hires a local guide to help him navigate the jungles and off-roads paths on his way to the dig site. Alex Stone doesn't believe in love, and really doesn't believe in Bo's plan, but she's desperate for cash as loan sharks threaten to take over her tour business. Alex won't go down without a fight but this client is seeming to get the best of her as the universe throws several hurdles in their way - including some pesky attraction.

I loved Bo's personality. I feel like it's a male type that is rare in rom coms. The way he fits with Alex is perfect chemistry. His anxiety pushes her inferiority complex but they quickly find understanding for each other. They make each other feel seen for the first time. He thinks she's brave not compulsive. Just the right amount of angst for a steamy romance, not overly drawn out.

Quick stats: He's American, she's Belize resident (racially ambiguous?). Similar ages, panic attacks, grief over parent's death. He's anxious and she jumps in head first. Both are weary of relationships and have romantic insecurities. Adult spice included, no cheating, HEA.

I enjoyed reading this short opposites attract adventure romance. A wonderful adventure through Belize, which cause me to have a 2hr long google search of all things Belize.
It was short the plot had to move at a quick pace, but didn’t feel rush. Alex and Bo had a lot of growth along the way and were enjoyable to read.

The title of the book caught my eyes immediately. I really enjoyed the movie "Romancing the Stone." This story was fun and full of adventures. I would have preferred the spicy parts left out, so I did skip over them. Engaging and entertaining. I wonder where the tale will go in the next one. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

I went into this book looking forward to an adventure Romance but was left feeling like nothing happened beyond some busted transportation.

The humour in this book was definitely not for me. From the get go FMC Alex makes suggestive comments to her client (MMC Bo), that had the genders been reversed would not have been ok in the year 2024.

The bulk of the plot has Alex and Bo on a trek across Belize where Alex gets upset every time Bo questions her choices - as she should!! She is a professional guide whom he hired, and he has never left his state!! But she's hot so clearly can't know what she's doing.

But still they somehow manage to not keep their hands off each other and within a week they’re fully in it to win it. A week. Which is two weeks total since his fiancé sent her break-up text. I needed a little bit more to believe their HEA.

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Funny, romantic, and engaging. The adventure of these two opposites coming together kept me interested. They're chemistry was wonderful. I was a little put off by the MMC nearly instantly flipping a switch from being dumped and trying to get get back to going for another woman but in the end things can't have around for me. I'll be following this author for sure. Needed something lighter added to my TBR list and this free ARC did the trick.

I requested an ARC of Romancing Miss Stone by M.C. Vaughan after looking at the cover and doing a quick once over of the synopsis, and I’m so glad I did. It’s a read in one sitting romance where the adventure of Indiana Jones meets the humor and heart of a Hallmark movie, and I couldn’t put it down once I started reading. The fact that the female main character, Alex was the adventurous one and the male lead, Bo, was the straight-laced, ‘have a plan for everything’ type was just the icing on the cake.

Bo and Alex have both had shitty encounters with love in the past. Bo was freshly dumped by his ex-fiance over text, and has traveled all the way to Belize in an attempt to get closure. Alex, on the other hand, was still recovering from grief over her father’s death when a former flame ran off with her company’s money and has struggled to keep her head above water since. When they encounter each other after Bo requests that Alex guide him to his ex-fiance’s archaeological dig site, sparks fly from the get go.

The character development in this book was great. Both of the main romantic leads show a lot of growth over the course of the story. For example, Bo has to learn how to take adventures and go with the flow instead of having a plan for everything. After the hurt caused by her former flame, Alex built her walls up high around her heart, and Bo slowly chips away at them during their journey. There’s not a lot of worldbuilding (given that it's a contemporary romance), but I think the setting and the natural beauty of Belize more than make up for that. The romance was great, and the book is full of tropes (there’s only one tent, then there’s only bed, and the entire trip is essentially forced proximity). There’s no major villain to be defeated or treasure to be found (making for a low stakes plot), which normally I would be upset about but I appreciated in this instance as it allowed the romance to shine and be the main focus of the story.

Overall, this was an excellent book. While it’s the first I’ve read by M.C. Vaughan, I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by them in the future. It’s unclear at the end of reading this book whether or not it's designed to be a series (it is listed under ‘Belize Dreams’ on retail websites), but I’d really love to see more of Alex and Bo in the future. It would be super cool to see other characters like Rodrigo or Delilah (Bo’s sister) get their happily ever after as well. I would recommend this book to adult romance readers who like stories with a bit of spice, adventure, and loads of humor in them.

This book popped up on my radar after seeing this cover while putting together the new release post. I know I’ve griped about cartoon, animated book covers recently, but this is one that is guaranteed to catch me eye. Vibrant colors, well-drawn characters that have all their facial features, and after reading I really think it captures the feel and content of the book it represents. Romancing Miss Stone is an adventure romance, and even though I haven’t really had great experiences with those lately, I jumped right in anyway.

This book was soooo much fun. Featuring a MMC who travels to Belize to confront his ex-fiancée after getting a breakup text and a FMC who he hires as his travel guide. Bo is a careful, reliable, and absolutely type A personality who can’t just ignore that he never actually talked to his now ex-fiancée after she dumped him via text. He needs to know what went wrong, so he impulsively buys a plane ticket and flies to Belize where Destiny is on a dig site. Alex is desperate to repay her debts after her ex stole all of the funds from her family’s guide business. So, when a tourist offers to pay her way too much money to guide him through the jungle to a dig site, she immediately says yes.

This is the kind of adventure romance that works for me. Instant chemistry between the main characters, playful joking and banter, only one bed (or hammock), and comedic situations that show off the differences between the main characters… this book had it all. Alex is wonderfully adventurous and a brave woman who jumps in with both feet in every scene and is messy in all the best ways. I loved her. Bo is her opposite as he’s a planner, a manual reader, and someone who maps out every scenario ‘just in case’. Their relationship and how fast they came together worked for me. Even though this book spans only like 5 days, there is just enough chemistry, meaningful conversations, self-reflection, and sexy love scenes that I was all in.

I zipped right through this read in a couple of hours. This fun, fast read set against the beautiful backdrop of Belize made me happy. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Romancing Miss Stone was a really fun and quick read. Bo and Alex had sizzling chemistry from the get-go. Their banter was great and their attraction was immediate. Bo learns how to take adventures and Alex’s walls around her heart start to crumble.

Also….Only one tent! Then only one bed! Jungle adventures! Spicy scenes that were hot and communicative! I loved how Bo learned about himself over the course of a week, and how he started thinking about know versus planning ten years ahead. He was vulnerable, and he had that nerdy hot thing going. I also really loved how Alex brought out the fun side of Bo. She took charge, and enjoyed her life.

It was a perfect read for a Saturday afternoon with just enough spice, sweetness, and happily ever after. I also think there is potential for a series here, with Bo’s sister being next up…

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Belize

When Bo Ferguson’s fiancée dumps him - via text!! - while she’s on a dig site in Belize, his neatly ordered world crumbles around him. In a manner completely unlike him, he gets on a plane and flies to Belize to find out if she’s ok and to get some answers. He hires Alexandra Stone, who owns an adventure tour business, to take him to the dig site. Alex is deep in debt after her ex stole money from her business, and she can’t afford to turn down the sexy stranger from Baltimore even if it means taking him to another woman. Bo finds himself needing to loosen his demeanor, and it’s easier and easier to do that in Alex’s company as they trek north to his maybe-ex Destiny.

Romancing Miss Stone is bananas in the best kind of way. Romancing the Stone is one of my favorite romantic comedies, and I loved Vaughan's spin on it. Bo is perhaps even more uptight than Kathleen Turner’s character, and Alex is a perfect adaptation of Michael Douglas’s. With adventure and excitement and perfect dose of steam, I can’t recommend this enough for a quick summer read! As a bonus, MC Vaughan has a lot of fun little Baltimore tidbits in her writing, so reading this felt just a little like home, even though most of it takes place in Belize.

This book is here for a good time, with fun and well-developed characters, and I am here for that!

This was so fun!!! If you are looking for something unique and different then this is for you! I don’t want to spoil smoothing, but I couldn’t put this down! I absolutely adored the characters and I will be purchasing a physical copy when this is released.

I saw the title and cover and knew I had to read this since I LOVE Romancing the Stone, and this book delivered. I love how the author took the movie and swapped the gender roles for the book - Alex Stone is our impulsive, jungle savvy tour guide while Bo is our stoic, has a 10 year plan man on the hunt for closure from his ex-fiancee who dumped him over text. Both of our main character have been hurt by love and find themselves opening up to each other on their journey through the jungle to confront Bo's ex.

Now I do wish there was more of a mystery aspect like Romancing the Stone and wish they focused more on the culture and the artifacts found at the dig site. However, Mare - I'm obsessed with her best friend, the dancing scene - I literally screamed, and all the parts I laughed out loud made me enjoy this book. Plus there was some great spice if you're looking for that! Cannot wait for book 2!

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I recently read the book Romancing Miss Stone by M.C. Vaughn and found it to be a fun and engaging adventure romance. The story follows Bo Ferguson, a man who has his future all planned out until his fiancée dumps him via text from Belize. Determined to win her back, Bo sets out on a jungle expedition with a tour guide named Alexandra Stone, who is frustratingly impulsive and attractive.

The characters in the book are well-drawn and likable, and I enjoyed the dynamic between Bo and Alex as they bickered and bantered their way through the jungle. The author does a great job of building tension and chemistry between the two characters, making their eventual romance feel both satisfying and believable.

What sets this book apart, however, is its setting. The descriptions of the jungle and the challenges that Bo and Alex face there are vivid and exciting, and I found myself completely immersed in their adventure. The book also touches on some deeper themes, such as the importance of confronting one's fears and the need to let go of the past in order to move forward.

Overall, I would highly recommend Romancing Miss Stone to anyone looking for a fun and thrilling romance with a unique setting and well-drawn characters. The book is a perfect escape from reality, and I found myself completely engrossed in Bo and Alex's journey.

I'll be honest, I had trouble getting through this one. I really couldn't stand either of the main characters and didn't care about either of them. Bo's motivation to prove his sister and his ex wrong were pretty ridiculous. The fact that he almost instantly is attracted to someone new while he tries to win his ex back felt icky. I didn't like his misogynistic attitude that he knew things better than his guide, even though he had never actually been camping or hiking. I didn't like the guy.

Not much better was Alex Stone, the adventure guide that he hired. I felt for the fact that she needed money, but her stubbornness and need to be mean were frustrating and didn't give me much sympathy for the character.

In all, this book was a bit of a let down. I had recently watched The Lost City and read "Raiders of the Lost Heart" and hoped that this would feel similar (especially with The Lost City being a sort of remake of "Romancing the Stone." Suffice to say, I didn't not enjoy this as much.

This was so cute and I got really into it but then it fell really flat for me about half way through. I was so hopeful but then sadly lost interest and couldn’t find myself getting back into it.

This book was so fun! The vibes, the setting, the characters, the tension and romance were all immaculate. I love reading stories based in really lush settings. I highly recommend this one!

Romancing Miss Stone was a fun road trip romance set in Belize where Bo travels after getting dumped by his fiancee via text message. He bumps into tour guide Alex Stone who is in deep financial trouble with her tour company as her boyfriend stole all her savings, put the company in debt then took off. She agrees to take Bo to the archeological dig site where his ex is working and Bo agrees to pay her enough to pay off a large chunk of her debt. Thus begins a series of unfortunate events including a rain soaked stay in a hammock tent, a night at a friend’s high end resort for a chocolate festival and lots of steam. They fight it because both have been badly burned by love both by partners and a parent. They also have amazing chemistry and care enough to push each other to be better versions of themselves. It was a great setting, the characters were lovable and the story was well written. The plot was original and included all my favourite tropes: road trip, forced proximity, only one bed and a little bit of fake marriage tossed in for good measure. Such a fun light read despite a conflict at the end that is not my favourite trope. Overall I breezed through this book and would highly recommend.

This book was a breath of fresh air a bit of a palette cleanser compared to what I normally read. It was a fun and lighthearted read. I really enjoyed it a loved the reference to the movie “Romancing The Stone”.

An enjoyable contemporary romance, with frequent homages to the romcom classic "Romancing the Stone" - but gender-flipped (the devil-may-care guide is the FMC) and with a lot more thoughtfulness. Bo is an unusual romance novel hero - he's risk-averse and very starchy, the kind of guy who's generally "the wrong one" in Hallmark movies - while Alex's laissez-faire attitude is sometimes counter-productive and used as a way of shielding herself from getting too close to others. There are lots of fun scenes of hacking their way through the jungle, dancing in small Belizean villages, and some great steamy scenes.

That said, it wasn't perfect - Alex's need for money felt kind of shoehorned onto either end of the book, very Harlequin Presents, and Bo's ex-fiancee was so over-the-top awful that it led me to question his judgment of women generally - which given the short timeframe of the novel means that I was left wondering if Bo and Alex will actually work long-term, despite the epilogue.

Over all, though, a fun adventure romance, which is a subgenre we absolutely need more of these days, with engaging and thoughtfully-drawn leads.