📚 Beauty and the Beach by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
🔖 Series: Falling for Summer
🎧 Format: Audiobook
🎙️ Narrated by: Rylee Kuberra & John Rogers
📕 Genre: Romance
📖 Read: July 2024
✨ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘹'𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮.”

‎‧₊˚✧ TROPES ✧˚₊‧
ꕥ Enemies to Lovers
ꕥ Brother’s Best Friend
ꕥ Marriage of Convenience
ꕥ Slow Burn

So… I was full on ready to give this book a bad review, however, I had a change of heart.

Let me explain.

I found the first half of this book to be awful. Holland’s character was so annoying and the banter between her and Phoenix was almost mean. I found them both to be incredibly immature and the chemistry just wasn’t there.

Unfortunately I think a big part of why I didn’t like Phoenix in the beginning was because of the narrator. I found the male narrator to be angry and harsh in his presentation, which had me cringing at times.

I came very close to a DNF for this one but I stuck it out because I wanted to have the full story to review. I’ll admit, I sped up the audio until they sounded like chipmunks but, I hit about the halfway point and slowed it down because things did get better.

Once Holland and Phoenix decided they needed to have some respect for each other, things definitely lightened up a bit. I feel like if we got less of them being enemies and more of them being lovers it would have been better. I will say there were definitely some hilarious quotes in this book and a lot of sweet moments near the end. The support and love they eventually learned to show each other was really touching.

I have to give a shoutout to Wyatt, he was truly the silent hero of this story. He reminded me of a fairy godmother.

So, would I recommend this book? I don’t know. I’m always willing to give anything a try so why not?

Check out my Bookstagram for aesthetics:
https://www.instagram.com/booked.and.listening/

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Gracie Ruth Mitchell for this audiobook. This is my voluntary, honest review.

I loved it!
This was an amazing book to listen to. The characters banter and everything was portrayed amazingly. Really enjoyed getting to know these characters after hearing about them in previous books. It exceeded my expectations.

True enemies to lovers in this great book. I think it would be best to go in blind and enjoy the ride. I am docking this book one star as I HATED the male narrator. I would like to give it another try as a non-audiobook.

Well, I just loved this!! The perfect enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, slowburn Summer romance! 😍🫶 They had such cute banter and chemistry!! Adorable! I like that it was a true slowburn too! I just loved how protective he was! I loved the end so much! Marriage of convenience is my fav! I'm a little hesitant with enemies to lovers these days but this was done so well! It was so playful while having depth!

To inherit, Phoenix needs a wife and the only person who fits the bill is Holland who sorta loves to hate him. But Holland agrees to a marriage of convenience and sets aside her prancing ways to convince his family that they’re the real deal.
Is there anything better than a “let’s get it out of our systems”? Besides when they don’t. 😏 I loved their back story and the transition in their relationship flowed so well. It’s really hard to not enjoy a modern marriage of convenience!
I listened to the audiobook - Rylee Kierra is a fun voice to listen to especially for a lighthearted rom-com. I wouldn’t hesitate to listen to another from her. On the flip side, I just did not care for John Rogers much as his performance was lackluster at best.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and the author for the alc. All thoughts are my own.

"Gracie Ruth Mitchell is a master writer! This book is so good. Each book in the multi-author series has been wonderful to read.

Phoenix and Holland have the rivals-to-more vibe down pat. Their banter makes the story fun, entertaining, and fast-moving.

A contractual marriage trope with no swears, no alcohol, and kissing only. Intimacy hinted at between a married couple."

Beauty and the Beach, by Gracie Ruth Mitchell, is part of the Falling for Summer series of non-explicit contemporary romantic comedy books published by a variety of authors. This series takes place on a fictional island in Florida called Sunset Harbor, and although the characters have cameos in each other's stories, each book can each be read as a stand alone. This was the first book I read in this series and I was able to understand the storyline completely; no back story needed from previous books.

In this modern spin of Beauty and the Beast, Holland and Phoenix start as enemies for a several valid reasons. It was fun learning more about their past with vignettes as the book progressed, instead of hearing the whole backstory at once. Motivated by a few life challenges, they both reluctantly agree to a marriage of convenience. Their dual POVs really helped me understand their perspectives as the story unfolded. Through forced proximity and a little courage, they begin to act less like enemies and more like lovers. And, not to spoil anything, but the kisses are 5 stars!!

This book was so cute and enjoyable. A perfect summer read! It focused on more than just physical beauty, and emphasized the value of friendship which I appreciated. It even tackled loss in a very sensitive, gentle way. The audiobook voices used were perfect for the personalities of the characters.

Content: Clean, kisses only. No swearing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the complementary ARC copy of this audiobook. My opinions are my own and are in no way influenced by the publisher.

So I’ve been on a Gracie Ruth Mitchell kick 🤷🏼‍♀️ so sue me 😂. I love her style of writing and the tension she creates between her characters are perfection. This one definitely had some hostile vibes between Phoenix and Holland (pretty sure Holland is the cutest name for a girl) and I loved it. His nickname for her made me melt and i’m not even sure why, I guess i’m a sucker for nicknames. I loved the crazy family dynamics, the millionaire vibes, and the navigation through grief. It made me tear up in places and also laugh out loud. Thanks Gracie and Netgalley for letting me review this!!

🏝️Romcom
🏝️Book 5 in Series/ Can Stand Alone
🏝️Kissing Only/Mild Innuendos
🏝️No Swearing
🏝️CW: Death, Car Accident, Dysfunctional Family Relationships

Cute rom-rom. Dual POV. Brother's best friend. Fake marriage. Nicknames.

Phoenix wants to inherit his Grandmother's tampon company, but she sets a condition that he has to be married, Holland is in need of money to cover tuition and medical bills. Phoenix looks to his late friend's younger sister to enter in a fake marriage. Little does he know that Holland, a.k.a Amsterdam, had a crush on him when she was younger (of age). I laughed at moments and teared up when they talked of her brother. Listened do the audiobook. Narrators were good. Spice level 1,

Ohmyobsessedoverthisbooklanta! Ok. I’m going to try to be brief and not ramble. Yeah right.

(I read blind so I’ll say that this doesn’t actually have beauty and the beast vibes, unless the grandma is the beast.)

Phoenix needs to get married to get everything he’s ever wanted. Holland needs money. It’s a marriage of convenience not made in heaven. Because they despise each other. And have a history. But hey, signatures and money get exchanged and they become hitched. No big.

SO BIG!! Holland and Phoenix are possibly… ok…. I’m going to say it…. my new favorite enemies to lovers couple. Period. There is something about their entire relationship that just ran deep with so many fun layers to discover. And it felt very unique. Sometimes there is a pivotal moment in a book where the entire story shifts to a HEA. But this one made all of these squeaky noisy unexpected turns with the characters still remaining true to themselves until the very last word.

Holland is hilarious and man she could hold her own. Phoenix was broody and squishy and as hot as his name.

So I liked it. Obviously. And I listened to the audio which was absolutely perfect. The voices were so well done and clearly I need an actual copy on my shelf so I can highlight:

-the black mourning outfit
-the nicknames
-all of the banter
-the heartfelt conversations
-Wyatt
-the flashbacks
-the storm and nightmares
-the ending like a boss

This is the first story I’ve read in the Falling for Summer Series and I totally grabbed the hook! Can Phoenix and Holland find real love when if they take a deeper look? I received a copy from NetGalley and these are my own opinions!

Holland and Phoenix

It was so fun being back in this chaotic little beach town again! There seems to be a disproportionate number of billionaires to population in this beach town, but since a small town x billionaire trope combination is my favourite combination I'm completely here for it!

This book was the perfect balance of ridiculous and serious. Rather than trauma bonding over the tragic car accident that Holland's brother/Phoenix's best friend didn't survive, Phoenix and Holland can't stand each other. Phoenix "reluctantly" looks out for Holland because he promised her brother he would, but Holland can't stand his constant hovering. They're constantly bickering, but when Phoenix's deranged grandmother changes her will to include a marriage clause, Holland is the only one Phoenix is willing to marry.

I loved that Phoenix had a solid head on his shoulders. He was confident, competent and self assured, but we also could connect his character development off page from flashbacks to their younger selves. Holland's character growth was wonderful. It was nice to see Phoenix share with her that he goes to therapy and encourage her to do the same to deal with the trauma of the accident.

The narration was very well done and I don't want to take away from that because the narrators really did a great job. However, I'll admit that the reason I requested this ALC in the first place is because - although there are different authors for each book in this series, I assumed it would be performed in duet narration because the other audiobook in this series that I listened to was. So, I was slightly disappointed it wasn't performed in duet.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gracie Ruth Mitchell and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

If you are looking for a witty, snarky, prank playing, tension filled, strong willed but caring enemies to more story, this is it.

Holland and Phoenix have a shared traumatic past and now both have important reasons to enter into a marriage of convenience. She loses all her money and he needs someone to help him inherit the company from his crazy grandma. The 2 have been enemies for awhile and pulling pranks for far longer.

The dual narration for this story was phenomenal. Rylee and John captured the tone and personality of Holland and Phoenix. I had previously read the book, but listening to the book gave the story another level. Feeling and hearing the emotions of the story truly brought it to life. I was transported to a front row seat and felt like I watching a play. The emotion, timbre of the voices, the kisses...all of it was on fire.
The story itself has a depth to it that you wouldn't think possible in a Rom Com, but Gracie knocked it out of the park. You feel for the characters and want to be apart of the story. I loved the dual POV. They have a hilarious relationship and the banter had me laughing out loud many times. They are stubborn and loyal. You will love the story! This is a closed door romance, but the kissing will still have you swooning.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and netgalley for the advance reading copy. This novel wasn't my favorite in the series, it left like the two main characters disliked each other too much to make the short timeline work from enemies to lovers with fake marriage. I did enjoy the dual POV of the novel and the narrators were great.

Beauty and the Beach by Gracie Ruth Mitchell

A stunning novel and a fantastic audio 👌🏻

This story is the perfect summer read, with hilarious pranks, romantic tension for days, and some deeper topic threads that give it that emotional punch.

Beautifully crafted, I absolutely adored listening to this story. Like seriously, don’t let this summer go by without reading this one.

Content: grief, trigger warning that could be a spoiler (dm for details), kisses

Updated Review for Audio:

After thoroughly enjoying this book in ebook format, I was so excited to receive the audio ARC. I still loved it just as much and enjoyed the narration for both narrators. The chemistry between these two is just perfect and the narration definitely made that shine. I highly recommend either format.

I received an advanced copy of this audiobook from NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions are my own.


Original eBook Review: I devoured this book in one day because I loved it so much and couldn’t put it down. Phoenix and Holland are so horrible to each other but you can see the underlying tension that there is more to it. As they always say, there is a thin line between love and hate. I loved the subtle ways Gracie shows us that along the way. The kisses were on fire (especially that first one) and there was so much heat for a closed door book. The nicknames and banter were so funny and I smiled to myself frequently while reading. Marriage of convenience is my absolute favorite trope and I loved how this one played out.

This book also had a surprising amount of depth for a summer romcom. Holland and Phoenix have past shared trauma that has been addressed for one but not the other. Watching that unfold and the support given was a great representation of how grieving needs to happen for healing to begin. Add in Phoenix’s truly toxic family and how he deals with that and you have a great read.

Content Notes: Kisses, Closed Door Romance

This was exceedingly cute
I was surprised by how much I liked it. I stayed up late to finish it lol
I like these interconnected/multi author series but honestly, before this audio arc, I was going to skip it. Now to get on KU and read the rest. I really liked Wyatt.

•𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐏, 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐘•

Oh my goodness I LOVED this book!! This was actually the first audiobook I’ve ever listened to and I’m in love! The narrators were spot on and literally brought the story to life. I was laughing out loud within the first few chapters, which is always a good sign.
This enemies-to-lovers/marriage of convenience trope was written to absolute perfection!

Mavis was the star of the show for sure! The epitome of devious and oh, so cruel, constantly keeping her family on their toes with her constantly changing will and testament as she hovers at death’s door. She is conniving and willing to do anything to get what she wants. And as Phoenix said, “𝙸’𝚖 𝚐𝚕𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚗𝚘 𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐.”

“𝙳𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚊 𝚐𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗’𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚗.” -Phoenix

“𝙸 𝚐𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝙸’𝚖 𝚊 𝚐𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚍𝚒𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚗𝚘𝚠.” -Holland

“𝚁𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝚏𝚕𝚘𝚠; 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢’𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚌𝚢. 𝚆𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚠𝚒𝚖 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚠𝚊𝚢.” -Phoenix

Holland is literally so unhinged at times, it’s hilarious. I love how Phoenix can’t help but protect Holland even when he’s overcome with annoyance at her. Their banter kept me highly entertained for the entirety of the book! The ending was perfection ♥️

Hilarity/Favorite Scenes:
🌴the dead fish in the mailbox
🌴toothpaste in the Oreos
🌴arguing over tampons in the grocery line
🌴the human sized dog bed
🌴he’s stupidly hot and stupidly rich
🌴her nicknames for him: toucan, flamingo, titmouse, rooster, canary, dodo bird, fifi, Pelican & a Stork ♥️
🌴his nicknames for her: Amsterdam, spinster ham, gangster glam, hamster slam, dumpster man, Sweetheart ♥️
🌴the wedding photo shoot
🌴grim reaper on their wedding day
🌴the dark closet
🌴honeymoon night courtesy of Mavis
🌴stormy night at the office
🌴all of Wyatt’s scenes
🌴his phone contact name for “her”
🌴the second wedding

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to the audiobook version of this book! All opinions are purely my own.

I am loving these Falling For Summer audiobooks! And Beauty and the Beach is absolutely amazing and a definite summer must read!

Phoenix and Holland’s enemies-to-lovers story is bursting with humor, chemistry, and the kind of banter that makes you laugh out loud. When Holland, a vibrant and determined woman, finds herself in a tight spot, and Phoenix, her childhood nemesis, with problems of his own, throws out a wild proposition it’s obvious the pros outweigh the cons…. But this isn’t just anything he’s proposing, he’s suggesting a marriage of convenience!

Their journey is filled with hilarious pranks, sizzling tension, and surprisingly sweet moments that reveal their deep connection. Phoenix’s steadfast support and Holland’s straightforward, lively spirit make them a perfect match. Gracie Ruth Mitchell has crafted a story that’s as heartwarming as it is entertaining, with a side of wacky family antics that you won’t want to miss. If you’re looking for a fun, engaging read that’s perfect for the beach, this one’s a must!

Huge thank you to @netgalley and @dreamscape_media for the audiobook copy!

I ADORED this book! The chemistry was phenomenal. The humor, wit and just overall vibe screams beach read. Truly, one of my favorite rom-coms this year!

3⭐️ 1🫑
- Marriage of convenience
- enemies to lovers
- brothers best friend
- billionaire (“stupid rich”) MC
- dual POV
- forced proximity
- nicknames

Audio narration review
I found this to be extremely difficult to finish on audio. The female narrator’s voice for Holland is trying very hard to sound perky and cheery and in turn it makes it nearly impossible to speed up the narration without turning the audio into a high pitched mess.

I typically want one of two things with audio narration. 1. Be such a phenomenal acting performance that I don’t want to speed up the narration. or 2. Sound normal and not distorted at 1.25-1.5x speed.

This did neither.

For the record I sampled other works by this narrator and they are no where near as high pitch as her voice for Holland. I think adding this “cheery” and high pitched voice for Holland only makes the character present as immature and young. I felt noticeably different about Holland’s character once I switched to reading the print version.

now on to the book itself

This book checks the trope boxes, and if you don’t mind reading a book that feels written to around including tropes this could be fun. To me it felt a little tired and overdone. It is predictable and formulaic to a fault. The MCs felt like caricatures.

There was really nothing wrong with this book but also nothing at all special about this book either.