I don't know why it's advertised as romance considering the romance is just a subplot throughout the book. This reads as more of a woman's fiction.

Beatrice's a hotel manager and she got arrested when the hotel owner was arrested for prostitution. While waiting for the investigation results, she spent time with the hotel's chef, Jock. We follow her journey through it all as she navigated her life after that one mishap.

The first few chapters, we follow both main characters together as they did tourist-y spots together and lowkey fell in love but they went on their separate ways. Beatrice got a job working in a reality show and then she wanted to help bring a abandoned hotel back to life.

It was a roller coaster plot as we jump from one story to another that the reality show was a filler in-between the plot, and although we saw how Beatrice was resilient and brave, it was just amazing to see her growth throughout the story.

It would've worked if it's a dual POV since we might see some yearning from Jock too, but overall it just didn't work as a romance fiction.

I rarely rate an ARC a two or three, but man this was a pain to read, that I audibly sighed in relief at the end before i see the epilogue and had to endure yet another pages due to it. I almost dnf it a lot of times.

I wanna break down why this book isn't to me and falsely advertised in it's title as romantic and comedy/hilarious when in fact it didn't hit any of that with the hope that I can articulate it better than what i feel:
○ i appreciate the author wanting to be plot and character focused on this, but it took away the main plot of it all : Romance. There was nothing romantic on here, yes there were moments but it was overshadowed by side characters and side stories. I understand it was realistically possible since in real life we also rarely get the opportunity for love, but man this was FICTION, this was a Romance Fiction at that and yet, we only get utmost 30% or less of bookscreentime of the couple.gosh i am so frustrated. And the only sweet time thag happened? That first parts in the hotel after the police scenes and before they left it. After that it was all so miserable for me.
○ secondly, the plot it aims- it misfired in all direction thag it felt a whole lot like a joke(and that was not even funny or hilarious part it was meaning to sell. None of this is something i can remotely says it tickled the smiling nerve.) Where are the funny parts???
○ it felt like a series of novellas stitched together haphazardly to create the full book, and like running after word count at that. So many scenes could have been not included. So many scenes scrapped to make way for something more interesting or something to add to the romance. So so frustrating to read a first part thar was so promising only to be let down after they left the Hotel. It all became just a buzz of noisy words.
○ i totally understand the need for some of the characters but spending countless of pages on characters that did not even do justice to their lovestory or even the work/feminism thing happening, it was such a waste.
○lastly. Mygosh I agree with Flor (or whatever her name was) couldn't he have proposed on a better circumstance? Gosh that was so not just anticlimactic but something like oh "hmmm should we put the proposal here, so it can just gone and over with?" I understand the author wants to be faithful to the title, but the lack of surprise and even just simple UPS in the story: FRUSTRATING.

I NEVER GOTTEN THIS FRUSTRATED AND LONGREVIEW IN A BOOK. But it ate hours of my time I was on the edge of breaking down and having a long-ass BOOKSLUMP. Please for the love of god.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

This was such a quick and easy read! I really enjoyed it. I wish there was more but this book was good! A great summer read! Such a funny read! I really liked the characters and they had great chemistry!

A HUGE thank you to the author, Phoebe MacLeod, and the publisher, Boldwood Books, for giving me the chance to read an ARC of this wonderful book and provide my honest opinion about it.

Warm. fuzzy, exciting and very funny. indeed.
This book was everything I've ever needed in my life and didn't know it!
Would be happy to read other books from the author.

A fun, sweet and fluffy rom com. I was hooked at the syart and loved the premise of the plot. But the romance didn’t really do it for me and I felt it really slowed down in the middle and I got bored. But it was easy to fly through and fun if you want a quick and easy read.

The story of Beautrice, the hotel manager, and the hotel’s chef Jock. After their boss gets jailed, they are “forced” to stay together in the employee section of the hotel for a week on house arrest. They explore London together and find out they harbor some feeling for each other. But as life goes on, they separate for work – but always think of each other.

The start of the book focuses on both, and their time together. Which kept me reading. But the majority of the book is Beatrice’s journey alone navigating finding a new job and working endlessly towards the opening of a new hotel. I would loved to see more interactions between the two, so I was keen on reading on to find out how this panned out. The last part of the book was a bit “rushed” I would say. Suddenly it all worked out, almost too fast.

But overall, a good book I don’t regret reading. A couple of spicy scenes.

Thank you to Boldwood Books, Netgalley and the author for the ARC of Too Busy for Love in exchange for an honest and independent review.

I enjoyed this book though it wasn’t wildly romantic, which is what I was expecting. The first portion of the book seems a little odd but once you get past the settings, it becomes more obvious what is going to happen.

As a romance it’s a bit flat, but as a light story it’s engaging and interesting.
Lots going on, many different characters and the settings are evocative and a bit different.

An easy summer read 3.5* rounded up

I have read many Phoebe MacLeod in the past and while they are (like most in this genre) a tad formulaic, I do love to revisit characters past and see that their happy ending has continued on. In this book we are introduced to Beatrice at the lowest point in her life, having been arrested for working in a brothel being very convincingly hidden under the front of an efficiently run hotel for which she is the manager.

We follow Beatrice for the week following her arrest as she is forced to live under curfew with Jock (whose real name is Andrew) the hotel chef with whom she has barely, before now, shared a single word.

Of course, the UST is there, as is much more, but that's sort of what I've come to anticipate from these books, and while the book itself is short, there is no absence of it throughout!

Of course, there is a predictable yet strangely not annoying third-act twist but given the reintroduction of Ella and Noah (who I really did like) from Love at First Site), will the happy ending for Too Busy for Love be Jock and Beatrice's or someone else's?

Overall, not a bad book, I read it in a couple of hours and it's the perfect pick me up after a long day (as it can be easily read in a single sitting, so you get the whole thing in one go).

Beatrice and Jock are so cute! Definitely captured my attention but slowed down a bit. Either way, it was still a really cute story.

The premise of the book interested me, and while the beginning of the story kept my attention, it seemed to slow in the middle. The author did a nice job bringing the reader into the setting of the hotel/food industry, and the dialogue between the MCs kept a good beat. The chemistry between Beatrice and Jock ebbed and flowed, but I was cheering for them all the way. This is my first book by Phoebe MacLeod, and it was enjoyable.

I want to thank NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Unique plot line that initially felt all over the place, but settled into its rhythm. Lots of sex early on and then a really slow burn romance without much at the end. Character building was really good and the side characters were really well developed and balanced nicely with the quirky plot.

3.5 stars

While this book was not the romance novel I was expected, it was still a very enjoyable read. The romance definitely is only a small part at the beginning and end of the novel, with the rest focusing and the FMC's personal journey. There are slight mentions of the relationship between the two main characters, but there are minimal interactions. Also, definitely would not have called this forced proximity.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beatrice’s dream job at a London boutique hotel is turned upside down when a police raid lands her out on bail and stuck in the city with only the hotel chef, Jock, for company. As she loosens up and explores London with Jock, she unexpectedly enjoys the spontaneity and his company, despite the looming threat of prison. Once released without charges, Beatrice tries to refocus on her career, but she can't shake her feelings for Jock. It turns out, maybe you can't ever be too busy for love.

I get what this book was trying to be, I really do. there were three separate parts to this book that had the weakest of links between them and were all rushed and underdeveloped. the characters felt like strangers to one another, and there were so many tropes and moments that were given about three seconds of air time. this is marketed as a 'forced proximity romantic' which I think is misleading from every angle. the characters had no humour or romance between them, and the forced proximity was a choice for a few nights in the first chapter or so of the book. if this was marketed using the interesting parts of the plot such as the hotel industry and Beatrice's journey to fulfil her dream, I feel like the book would reach who I think is the target audience. the book was also littered with some extremely outdated and lukewarm takes on sex workers, and strange comments regarding 'illegals' and the exploitation of workers felt icky to be included in what is meant to be a lighthearted book.

thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

this book was definitely not what I was expecting. If you are expecting a typical romcom this isn't it but that isn't a bad thing. I loved the focus on Beatrice and who she is as an individual. It really hops all over the place but I enjoyed her adventures and the focus in the hospitality industry. I enjoyed the nods to Love Island but wished the ending could have been drawn out a bit more. Overall, an enjoyable read that I recommend!

It’s hard for me to review this book since I wasn’t necessarily a fan. It is fast paced which was good so I pulled through and the beginning was more than amazing. But it soon took a turn and everything felt a bit rushed and I noticed I started to care less for the characters. And even though it is supposed to be a romance book it felt like the romance part became a subplot at some point and you were only reading fiction.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC of Too Busy for Love in exchange for an honest and independent review.

Beatrice is living a perfect life of contentment as a manager of a posh boutique hotel in upscale London. Her days are predictable and her perfectionist nature allows her to excel in her craft. All of this quickly comes crashing down when the hotel is raided by police and Beatrice is taken into custody as a potential accomplice in an upscale prostitution ring being run out of her place of employment. As evidence is collected that will either exonerate her and prove her innocence or condemn her to a prison sentence, Beatrice finds herself released on bail with only the company of the hotel's chef, Jock, to pass the time with. Beatrice is able to finally let her hair down and explore the city of London with Jock at her side as they both await their fate in the investigation. Over the course of the week, sparks fly between Beatrice and Jock in this forced proximity romance as Beatrice starts to imagine a future outside of these hotel walls that suddenly includes Jock and a world she is only starting to explore.

As fate would have it, both Jock and Beatrice are exonerated and forced to go their separate ways in search of a new career path. As Beatrice sets sail in building a new life, she cannot help but come back to the whirl wind week she had with Jock over and over again and begins to question if life is really worth living when you're only living to work. Will circumstance allows their paths to cross once more, or is life really too busy for love?

Although this book started well and kept me wanting to explore the possibility of a future for Beatrice and Jock, it all ends quite suddenly when they are once again forced to go their separate ways. The rest of the novel really focuses on Beatrice's journey to self discovery and is really less of a love story and more of a personal journey. Beatrice reflects fondly on her time with Jock, but throughout the entire novel, neither character really takes any action to explore things further, which was incredibly frustrating and made things rather dull after the first quarter of the book. While it was interesting to see how Beatrice's relationships with other characters unfold, it felt so far removed from how the book started and the pace was much slower and less interesting.

While Beatrice and Jock did keep in touch during their time apart, there was nothing from either party that showed any interest in pursuing their relationship any further. When they finally do come back together, it all seemed a bit forced or unrealistic to me seeing as neither have tried to make any sort of meaningful connection with one another. Phoebe's writing is incredible and her ability to convey emotion and scenery are top notch, but I feel that this one just fell short for me. The first quarter of the book was so promising, but I felt that the rest was just filler to what could have been a much more interesting love story. Although the premise started off strong, I quickly ran out of the desire to keep reading to see what happens next.

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book surprised me! Strong start, then it dwindled a bit. But then things took a turn I didnt expect. The pace was really good and it was a romance book that wasnt too cheesy. It was something different, with the aspect of hospitality weaved into it. It was original and I enjoyed the story as well as all the side characters.

The premise is good but it's not a book for me, I don't know if I really liked the protagonist, Beatrice, and her relationship with Jock. Even though I liked him individually, I couldn't root for them to be together.

However, the beginning of the book is very good and in general it was very fast paced so it’s worth reading.

For Beatrice, working at one of London’s boutique hotels is a dream come true. She doesn’t need a social life. She just needs an ordered diary, crisply folded sheets and happy guests. But Beatrice’s routine comes to an abrupt halt when her hotel is raided by the police. Suddenly she finds herself released on bail, and trapped in London, with only the hotel chef Jock for company.

The flow of this book is so different to what I would have expected and I am here for it. This book delivered on all fronts. It is a funny rom com with the ending we always want. There is so much going on, but not too much that it gets confusing.