I loved Beauty and the Beach! This audiobook was fun and summery and had a fake marriage plot what else could I ask for?

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
1 🌶️ - kissing

This book is technically the 5th in the Falling for Summer series, but they are all about different characters and written by different authors. While I did really enjoy this one, I'm not sure if I'll read the others in this series. This book did so many things well with the romance between these characters. This book isn't really an enemies to lovers, but does fall in the hate to love category. The 2 main characters meet and have a really poor first interaction only to find out that they are going to be stuck around each other due to the MCM being the FMC's brother's roommate and eventual best friend. The story jumps back for forth in time to explain in detail why they don't like each other, but also to explain why they have these past traumas and Phoenix (MCM) has this sense of duty to watch out for Holland (FMC). They also have this dynamic between them that's almost like a game of chicken, constantly egging each other on but refusing to be the first to admit they might have feelings for each other. I absolutely loved the slow unpacking of their relationship and feelings - it was perfect. The way this fictional man comes across as possessive is so hot to me - I really liked him as a main character. Their relationship in general was so swoon worthy, I couldn't get enough even though it's a closed door romance, it was done so well. This book is a perfect example of swoon worthy romance without needed smut or sex in a book for it to be sexy and romantic. Last, but not least, I loved the epilogue - chef's kiss, it was perfect.

Tropes/Tags: marriage of convenience, he falls first/harder, possessive man (your mine), hate to love, brother's best friend

Thanks to #NetGalley for an e-copy of #BeautyandtheBeach by Gracie Ruth Mitchell to read and review.

The narrators, Rylee Kuberra and John Rogers were perfect. Their voices were exactly what I would have pictured in my own head while reading and they did such a great job at sucking me into the story and kept me interested and the plot flowing from beginning to end.

"If you kiss me now, you're mine. And I'm yours."

Phoenix and Holland have a complex and turbulent history. Their meet-cute is nothing short of embarrassingly perfect for them and things only get better/worse from there. Unfortunately, even if things had ever recovered after the convenience store and the closet incidents, a tragic accident tears them apart even more.

While this book is certainly a romcom it does lightly touch on some deeper topics, including loss of a loved one, and there is a bit of a journey included because of that. There is grief and sadness but there is also so much love. And I think that is kind of the entire point of romcoms. To give us hope even when life gets heavy. And I LOVE how these two show up for each other even when they are the most loathsome of frenemies.

Honestly, Phoenix and Holland were adorable and the heat was top-notch while remaining closed door.

Thank you so much netgalley, Dreamscape Media and Gracie Ruth Mitchell for this ALC. It was perfection.

This was a super cute summer read! I loved the marriage of convenience and brother's best friend tropes woven together. Holland and Phoenix had such fun chemistry and banter. Can't wait to pick up more books in this series. This is also my first book from Gracie Ruth Mitchell and I'll definitely be picking up more!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a free digital copy of the book for my honest thoughts.

I’ve really had fun with the Falling for Summer series! These are 7 interconnected stand-alones by 7 different authors. I love how each author is putting their own spin on this adorable community of Sunset Harbor and the characters.

Beauty And The Beach was an adorable story by Gracie Ruth Mitchell.
This one was a blast to read! It wasn’t just a cheesy, light-hearted storyline. There was definitely depth and emotions intertwined in the plot that I haven’t felt in some of the other installments in the series. Both the MMC and FMC are on a journey of grief and healing and I loved how therapy was represented in the storyline. In addition to the grief representation, the characters are learning to trust not only each other, but themselves and learning to stand up for what they know to be best for their own lives.

The banter between Holland and Phoenix was hilarious and so full of chemistry! I loved the history they shared and watching their relationship grow from friends who drive each other crazy, to a couple crazy in love was just perfection.

This is definitely one of my faves in the series so far! If you love a closed door/ fade to black romance with marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers or the “my wife” trope, I totally recommend reading it!

My rating 4.25

I read the audiobook of Beauty And The Beach and thought the narrators were great! I loved the dual narration. Thanks so much to Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this audiobook.

ARC READER 📚
- Thankyou NetGalley for the ALC!

This is such a great romcom to lose yourself to in the summer!

I absolutely loved the marriage of convenience, and brothers best friend… say no more!
There was a lot of funny moments and great banter between Phoenix (MMC) & Holland (FMC), both pranking each other.
I did wonder why they really played into the hatred of each other for so long.. sometimes it did seem a little over the top.
They both shared some trauma of things they went through which they bonded over.

This book basically closed door, they do kiss but nothing else.

If you are in the mood for a summer rom-com filled with sparks, banter, and family drama this book is for you! This was an excellent audiobook with dual narration.

You’ll love this book if you like:
🦚Pranks
🦚Enemies to Lovers
🦚Brother’s best friend
🦚Crazy family drama
🦚Flashback scenes

Favorite scenes/things
🦢Market flashback
🦢Closet flashback
🦢All the bird names
🦢Amsterdam
🦢Going to the river
🦢Epilogue

Deep. If there was one word I would use to describe this book it would be deep, just like the water rushing through the river Holland hates.

Holland and Phoenix have a history with each other going back to high school/college and it has always been a love to hate relationship. Tragedy strikes and each deal with it in a different way.

Fast forward to present, Phoenix’s grandma (slightly crazy and very manipulative) is dying and according to her will, in order for him to take over the family company he needs to marry. He quickly needs to find someone that he trusts to marry. Enter Holland, down on her luck and out of money. They strike a deal and soon get married, albeit in a gothic sort of ceremony.

Bringing these two together causes tension but also walls to come down. Phoenix’s grandma’s manipulation causes them to face some hard truths and realize the best person to help them through the pain and change may be the other.

I listened to this book and started out laughing hysterically at the antics between Holland and Phoenix. I mean, toothpaste in place of Oreo filling is prime hjinks. I always love an enemies to lovers trope but this one had layers.

As I listened through this book I kept chuckling but then as I covered more about Holland and Phoenix my heart started breaking for them. They each faced trauma and family issues and needed each other to lean on.

I enjoyed this audiobook. I thought both narrators did a great job with voicing the characters. There were a couple of times the male narrator had a make a quick switch between voices and I got a little confused as to who said what in the moment but it was brief enough that I figured it out. Overall though, I’d highly recommend a listen!

Thank you @dreamscape_media @netgalley for the ALC!

#beautyandthebeach #gracieruthmitchell #audiobook #closeddorrromance #closeddoorromcom

Definitely enjoyed this a lot. The dynamic of this couple is so cute, they hate each other but they like each other adorable , and how each knows the others needs and take care of it even without realizing it. Love it. The audio was really good and I enjoy the voices a lot , easy to follow and know who was who. Definitely would recommend

🎧🎧 Book Review 🎧🎧 I loved the idea of this Falling for Summer series compiled by different authors but could not say with absolutely conviction how much I loved it until I at least read two of the books and now I can say that I am sold! Beauty and the Beach brings us back to Sunset Harbor once again but this time with a marriage of convenience to make grandma happy and brings endless laughs. Phoenix and Holland are a delightfully paired accidental couple with an arrangement that will benefit both of them…and could it bring more? The Falling for Summer Series is delightful together or as standalone novels. While I know my beach vacation cannot last forever, at least I know that I still have more of these books to feel like it can continue….

Desperate after an internet scam wipes out her savings, Holland agrees to a summer marriage with Phoenix, the rich, sexy jerk who needs a wife to inherit his family's company. But as their fake relationship turns into something more, feelings start to bloom. When his grandmother recovers, the temporary arrangement becomes a permanent dilemma.

This book had the most fun little elements:
Pranks
A tie pull
Photo shoot
Grumpy grandma
Nicknames
Claiming/“Mine”
Heated flashbacks
He takes care of her in a storm
Businessman in a suit

I giggled through all of it. Gracie Ruth Mitchell knows how to pack a lot of cute things without the story dragging along or feeling stuffed with too much detail. The book feels exactly like the intended marriage, quick and spunky. Parts of it gave me Crazy Rich Asians vibes (the wealth, the cookoo family) + Betty White as the grandmother from The Proposal. This story has it all- humor, bickering, unconventional side characters, chemistry, and a lot of shared history with heart.

I didn’t enjoy the male narrator. He felt too old and his performance forced. Good news thought: the ebook is available on Kindle Unlimited!

Thank you @dreamscape_media @netgalley for the ALC 💙

Perfect for you if you like:
Businessman beau + quirky pranks
Family drama
Marriage of convenience + history between characters
Hate to love/enemies to lovers/bickering banter

Similar to:
The Rule Book by Sarah Adams (open door)
A Groom of One’s Own by Emma St. Clair
Beachy Keen by Kasey Stockton

⛔️closed door romance (kisses only, implied intimacy)
⚠️previous death of a loved one, nightmares

Loved loved loved!

Listen to this audiobook in one sitting!! The narrators were fantastic and gave life to this book amazingly.
I loved the characters dynamics, the enemies to lovers was chefs kiss!! The twists, back story, revelations, everything I want and need in a romance!

Highly recommend

This is a sweet summer read with lots of sizzle and low spice. The story reminded me of The Paradise Problem but without the strong language and open door scenes.

I know this one is part of a Summer series set in this town. I haven’t read any of those, but I’m sure there is some fun character overlap if you have.

That narration was good! I enjoyed the banter between Holland and Phoenix. I always like audiobooks better when the chapters from the MMC POV are done by a man.

Overall this was an enjoyable, if somewhat predictable, summer read!

This is a fun rom-com that will have you laughing out loud. I liked the progression of the romance between Holland and Phoenix. They started out their marriage of convenience as enemies but it progressed to a beautiful supportive relationship. The narrators did a great job bringing these characters and their story to life. I enjoyed the dual POV and the banter. Even in their enemies stage, you could still feel the connection between them. Even though this was a fun light hearted listen, there is an undertone of a heavy topic. It was done well and I enjoyed this audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this audiobook. I voluntarily read it and gave an honest review.

Love the whole premise of this book. It was great the readers could see it before Amsterdam and Titmouse! A great read and perfect for an end-of-summer getaway!

Okay I am so unexpectedly in love with this one. The first chapter didn't sell me on the story but as soon as I got to the interactions between the two MCs I was absolutely smitten. This was the BEST way to do enemies to lovers + marriage of convenience. I'm in love, they're in love, the story was slightly unhinged, and I loved it. The narration was also great. Go read this one before I stick a dead fish in your mailbox.

"I may be a single man, and I may be in possession of a good fortune. No matter what universal acknowledgment says, however, I have never been in want of a wife."

Holland needed cash after losing every penny in her account to an internet scam. Phoenix needed a wife in order to inherit the family company from his controlling grandmother. They hated each other's guts, so of course they were perfect for such an arrangement.

This is the definition of enemies to lovers; the disdain they had for each other, trying to one up the other to the point of even kissing to prove there was no attraction. Speaking of, the tension around that first kiss was so intense!🥵

The gradual change from enemies to slightly tolerating each other in order to support each other was wonderful to see. I also loved that the banter was never ending even after they admitted their feelings for each other. Their open communication was definitely a plus.

I loved the narrators. They brought out the enmity perfectly! Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ALC in exchange for an honest review. Get this now!

This was such a cute book! I loved the two characters and I loved their story. I was rooting for them the whole time! What a great love story.

This book is a romcom, right? I mean, that's what the genre is, correct? And it is! It's funny, and I laughed out loud several times. But it's also surprisingly deep. I was very impressed with it.

But also, the love-to-hate banter is delightful. The snark, sarcasm, and pure "dislike" was pure joy to read.

And since I listened to the audiobook, I will say that the narrators did a wonderful job with all the feelings and emotions-good, bad, AND snarky, and I loved it all!

I was a little confused at the beginning because both Holland and Phoenix talk about their grandmas and I knew it’s a romance so I actually didn’t know if they were related and had the same grandma 😆. They’re not btw 😉
🏝️
Aside from that confusion, I loved the marriage of convenience. Holland’s older brother is BFF with Phoenix who she once harbored a crush but now they throw insults and barbs like they’re preparing for war every time they see each other. Phoenix is a little gruff and mean which I get he’s going for the Beast vibe of the loose Beauty and the Beast retelling. He was definitely possessive.
🏝️
I love seeing the snippets of their past interactions. This book deals with heavy past trauma of a loved one. Holland and Phoenix’s growth and realizing what was holding them back, leaning to each other and finding comfort in their shared trauma was beautiful.
🏝️
The storm on the island 😍 I was a little disappointed that more of the island and other characters weren’t seen as much and they didn’t even really know about the marriage. The 4th of July was a little disappointing, like why include it🤷🏻‍♀️
🏝️
The narrators were fantastic! I couldn’t put the audiobook down and listened to the whole thing in 2 days. This book releases in this week. These are my own thoughts and opinions. Thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the alc.

What could I say that hasn’t already been gushed about over this book the last few weeks?? Maybe that

IT’S WORTH THE HYPE!!!!!!!

At this point, my phone keeps autocorrecting the MMC’s name, Pheonix, into caps because it is used to me exclaiming over him now.

It’s got the despite/hate to love happening, backed up by major history between Pheonix and Holland. But here’s the thing. They’re not downright mean. They can’t stand each other, but because of their history and relationships, they deeeeeeeeeeeeep down (like really deep, deeper than deep) care a little about each other. Even if it’s mostly obligatory reasons.

Anyways. Hate to love. Marriage of convenience, yes please! And the tiniest bit of Crazy Rich Asian feel (mostly family and the wealth) which how many of you have seen it? Because I’m forcing Gracie to watch it with me now. I’m totally picturing Henry Golding as Pheonix, and I’m not mad about it.

Friends. Go get this book. The audio is great. It’s also out if that is the medium you prefer to read. You need this book.

*many thanks to the author and to netgalley/dreamscape for the advance copy, thoughts are ALL my own.