first off, thank you to netgalley for providing me an e-arc of this book!


I mean I kind of liked it but at the same time felt it was just good, nothing really stands out as being memorable.

Still a good read tho! def read this in one sitting so dont miss out on it!

Thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and the author for the chance to read this book.

I loved seeing the return of some characters from Love at First Site and enjoyed the dramatic Way this story started.
As with all Phoebe Macleod books, this was super quick and easy to read. I highly recommend it for a relaxing Sunday read!

I really liked this book. This was the perfect summer read for me!! I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a cute little summer romance!

I’ve read a couple of the author’s books and thought this looked like an interesting read as well. I was quite surprised by my reaction to it.

The story appears to be in the disjointed parts, but actually worked. Our lead protagonist is a determined and efficient hotel manager who has a troubled relationship with her parents – this aspect is just used to layer the plot but it is not brought into the final result. The story begins with Beatrice being taken into custody for something she didn’t even know about. She spends a week under almost house arrest and makes a new friend. This was the first part. The second is a job in Mallorca which is not directly connected but some events help the other. This job also facilitates an idea in Beatrice’s mind for the next phase in her life.

Each section comes with basic procedural details which actually helped round off the narrative while also giving an insight into some of the more off- best job roles. I really enjoyed the matter of fact tone and narrative style. There’s a bit of romance thrown in, but once again it just adds without taking over anything.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the genre.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Another witty and heartwarming rom-com by one of my favorite authors. The story provides a blend of humor, charm, and a dash of chaos giving us a crisp and refreshing read.
Beatrice is one who likes order and routine, and the finds satisfaction and comfort in her hotel job. But when her world is thrown into disarray after a police raid, she’s forced to confront life outside her bubble. Jock, the rugged and endearing hotel chef, becomes both her reluctant companion and her guide to an unexpected adventure in London.
The chemistry between Beatrice and Jock sizzles, and their escapades around the city are filled with humorous and touching moments. Beatrice’s transformation from a reserved, career-focused woman to someone willing to take risks and embrace love is both believable and inspiring.
The author does a nice job of balancing the lighthearted romance with themes of self-discovery and resilience. The story is well-paced and the witty dialogue brings an additional sparkle to the story.
This is a lovely romance with a hearty dose of humor and heart and I am glad to have had the opportunity to read it.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This book was a really fun and easy read. I give it four out of five stars merely because I thought some of the situations were extremely too coincidental for my taste to the point where it seemed a little bit unrealistic on some parts. Poor Beatrice has to endure going to jail and having to start over, to realize her true potential as a professional. I liked her character development and how she had to swim through uncertainty especially without her parents support. It is not easy to choose between love and moving forward with your career, and I think that this book provided a fine example of what that’s like.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the author for being able to provide a copy of this book, which I very much enjoyed .

i finally finished this one and i have mixed feelings.

i kind of enjoyed the chemistry and relationship between characters but i was confused about the forced proximity part. i wish there was more to these scenes because they were honestly my favorite. i also believe some more in depth development to the characters and events would benefit the storyline so much.

there was so much happening throughout the book and honestly it felt overwhelming at some point. i think author should have picked 2 events and develop them throughly instead of adding and adding stuff. i felt like this book is more of quantity over quality.

I think this book was marketed wrong. It's marketed as a romance, but you don't really get much romance. It seems like a romance for maybe the first 10-15%, and then you don't see the romantic interest until maybe 85%? I would consider this to be a literary fiction/contemporary fiction with a very slight romance subplot.
While I do think this story could have been much funnier in the right hands, it wasn't? Very meh, 3 stars.

I've liked other books by this author but I had a hard time with this one. Beatrice seemed so clueless as the manager of the hotel to what was really going on. She has her priorities so wrong focusing her whole life on work and I was glad she was forced to relax and enjoy some free time while the case was ongoing. Their whole forced proximity relationship was sweet by didn't take nearly enough of the story. When they go separate ways it becomes more a story of Beatrice's self-discovery of what's really important. When they finally get back together, it just seemed rushed and a little forced.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 3 stars ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

great fast-paced and easy to read romance book! recommend to anyone who wants a lighthearted read!

˗ˋˏ ୨୧ thank you to NetGalley and Phoebe MacLeod for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review! ୨୧ ˎˊ˗

Another hit from McLeod - i cant get enough of her books and i fly through them in a couple of hours and usually in one sitting. This was another hit - however the only negative i have is that the story was purely centred around Beatrice and I would have liked to have seen more from Jock and more about their love story

I would like to thank Rachel’s Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Too Busy For Love is a stand-alone force proximity romantic comedy by Phoebe MacLeod. Read above for the book blurb. I had never read a book by this author, but I had always wanted to. I am kicking myself for not following that impulse sooner. The book had me laughing in the first chapter. While this is a romcom, it is really about Phoebe. She was the manager of a London hotel and was proud of her job. She was blindsided when she was taken into custody in a raid of the hotel. While the police were investigating, she and Jock, the Chef, spent a week together and grew close. When they weren’t charged, they went their separate ways to find work, each believing that the other wasn’t interested in an ongoing relationship. Beatrice’s journey to find fulfilling work took her to some unusual places and in the end an old man encouraged her to put love first. She had to decide if she was really too busy for love. I loved Beatrice’s character. She was very naive in her original job as a hotel manager, and she found herself in an uncomfortable position as a result. She had to pivot on her job ideals and try to use her skills in different ways. Doing so resulted in connections that Beatrice used to make her dreams happen in a slightly different but much more fulfilling way. She grew so much during the book, going from an isolated hotel manager to a woman with a full life who went after what she wanted. The book was so funny I laughed out loud on a regular basis, and the story sucked me in immediately. If you are a reader who enjoys a good romcom, don’t miss this one. It was well worth it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ - such an interesting and fun read. It was so enjoyable and there was so much going on it kept me intrigued.

The book itself came across as quite chaotic however it worked. The writing flowed well and the story line did not get bogged down at any point.
It was such an enjoyable read with many different aspects included.

The book was such a great mix of comedy and romance. I will definitely be trying more books from this author in the future. It was engaging and I had so much fun reading it.

In this fun modern romance novel, readers follow Beatrice from a hotel job in London on a new path when her hotel is raided by the police and she is released on bail (though limited to London). After rebuilding her life, Beatrice also finds herself moving away from Jack, the chef at the hotel who she spent a wonderful week with while they were on bail together. As she finds new opportunities for her life away from London and her old job, Beatrice’s future looks bright -- but she keeps thinking about Jack when she knows she can’t have feelings get in her way. With some fantastic locations, quirky and strong-minded characters, and complications throughout the novel, readers will love the physical and emotional journey that Beatrice goes on in MacLeod’s latest novel. Beatrice and Jack have a great dynamic and are strong characters on their own, while the other minor characters are excellent foils and bring out their other qualities. Of course, relationships are at the heart of this book, and Abby and Beatrice’s friendship is particularly well done. Emotional, exciting, and a fun read, fans of the romance genre are sure to love Beatrice and Jack’s relationship as well as the tropes and tricks that MacLeod employs to create this engaging and lighthearted read.

Too Busy for Love is a fantastic women's fiction, romantic comedy. Hotel manager Beatrice loves working at a unique boutique hotel in London. Sure the owner, and her boss, is a bit quirky but Beatrice enjoys her guests and her routine. Her world comes crashing down when the hotel is raided by the police and she and the chef, Jock, are arrested. Forced together under house arrest until the police decide to press charges or not, Beatrice and Jock make the best of their new, hopefully temporary, arrangement. When the police decide not to press charges, Beatrice and Jock end up parting ways.

Both characters move on with their lives, thinking about the other but not doing anything about reuniting. Beatrice is adamant that she get her life and career back on-track. When she's about to embark on a dream-come-true, she still can't stop thinking about Jock. Too Busy for Love is a wonder exploration of Beatrice's life and the path she wants to take and the path she needs to take.

My only complaint is the lack of Jock throughout this story. There wasn't nearly as much romance in the book as I thought there would be. Beatrice and Jock are wonderful characters, though I would have loved to learn more about Jock, and get to know him better.

I loved the entire story from the catastrophe at the beginning to the finale that pulls everything together. The secondary characters rounded out the story nicely and it was a pleasure to meet them. I was engaged in this book from the very beginning, and couldn't put the book down.

I read tis an an ARC on NetGalley. What a wonderful story of life not always working out as you initially planned, but at the end being able to fulfill your dreams, even if the roundabout route was taken. Highly recommend!

Phoebe MacLeod’s Too Busy for Love is a delightful rom-com that effortlessly blends humor, romance, and the unexpected joys of letting go of control. With a likable protagonist, a sizzling chemistry between the leads, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, this book is perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Sophie Ranald.

The novel follows Beatrice, a meticulous and career-focused woman who has built her life around her job at a boutique hotel in London. Her structured world is turned upside down when a police raid at the hotel lands her in an unexpected predicament—released on bail and confined to London with none other than Jock, the hotel’s ruggedly charming chef. This unlikely pairing sets the stage for a series of misadventures and self-discoveries, as Beatrice begins to let her guard down for the first time in her life.

MacLeod does an excellent job of developing Beatrice’s character. At the start, Beatrice is a woman who thrives on routine, order, and career success. Her life revolves around her job, leaving little room for socializing or relationships. However, when the unexpected happens and her world of predictability is shattered, she’s forced to step out of her comfort zone. Jock, the complete opposite of Beatrice in every way—spontaneous, fun-loving, and laid-back—serves as the perfect foil to her structured nature. Their interactions are filled with witty banter, and their growing attraction feels both natural and inevitable.

What makes Too Busy for Love stand out is its balance between humor and heart. MacLeod infuses the story with hilarious situations and lighthearted moments, particularly during Beatrice and Jock’s “quarantine” in London. Their escapades across the city—trying new foods, exploring sights, and even indulging in some light mischief—give the novel a fun, breezy feel. But beneath the humor, there’s an emotional depth as Beatrice starts to question her life choices and whether her obsession with career success has left her missing out on love and happiness.

The romance between Beatrice and Jock is the beating heart of the novel, and MacLeod builds their connection with care. While their relationship begins under unusual circumstances, it grows slowly, allowing Beatrice to open up in ways she hasn’t before. Jock’s warmth and easygoing personality complement Beatrice’s cautious nature, and the way they balance each other out adds a layer of sweetness to their romance. It’s clear that Jock helps Beatrice rediscover parts of herself she’s long buried beneath her professional ambitions.

However, just as things start to heat up between them, reality rears its head. The police investigation is resolved, and Beatrice finds herself released without charge, free to return to her career and neatly organized life. This shift forces Beatrice to confront her feelings for Jock and decide what truly matters to her. The tension between pursuing her career dreams and the possibility of love gives the story emotional stakes that will keep readers invested in the outcome.

MacLeod’s writing is engaging and full of charm, with vividly drawn scenes of London and a cast of memorable supporting characters. From Beatrice’s overbearing boss to Jock’s cheeky sense of humor, the book is filled with quirky moments and interactions that add to the overall enjoyment. The pacing is tight, and while the story is light and fun, it also offers some deeper reflections on work-life balance, personal fulfillment, and the idea that it’s never too late to find love.

Final Thoughts:
Too Busy for Love is a charming, funny, and heartfelt rom-com that proves even the most organized of lives can be upended by love. Phoebe MacLeod has created a delightful romance with relatable characters and a story that will leave readers smiling from start to finish. Beatrice’s journey from a workaholic to someone who allows herself to embrace spontaneity and love is a joy to follow, and her chemistry with Jock provides plenty of swoon-worthy moments. Fans of light, witty romances with a dash of emotional growth will thoroughly enjoy this book.

Absolute delight! This charming rom-com follows Beatrice, a dedicated hotel worker whose orderly life is turned upside down when she gets caught up in a police raid and finds herself spending unexpected time with Jock, the hotel’s chef. Their chemistry is undeniable, and watching Beatrice let her hair down and embrace life’s unpredictability is both heartwarming and hilarious.

Macleod’s writing is witty and engaging, making it easy to fall in love with the characters and their journey. The story is a perfect blend of humor, romance, and a touch of drama, proving that no matter how busy life gets, there’s always room for love. If you’re looking for a feel-good read that will leave you smiling, “Too Busy for Love” is the book for you!

Such a great read! Highly recommend this one.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.