Member Reviews

The marriage of convenience of Phoenix and Holland

He’s the absolute worst. She’s the most infuriating. The two can’t stand each other, but also can’t stop thinking about one another.

From playing petty pranks to suddenly getting married so Phoenix can inherit the family business and Holland can help her family out.

Sparks fly between these two as they try to convince Phoenix’s family that the marriage is real and the two are in fact madly in love.

Can they pull the fake marriage off? Can the two admit they have feelings for each other?

Brace yourself for laugh out loud moments, the sparkiest first kiss, family drama and the tender moments.

Rylee Kuberra and John Rogers deliver another great performance. The dual voicing adds to the already stellar story.

Was this review helpful?

Rating: 4.5/5

I loved this one! It was a great marriage of convenience that really put the ENEMIES in enemies to lovers. The banter between Phoenix and Holland was off the charts, especially in the beginning, and I loved their various nicknames to bug each other.

Grief was a big part of this story and I loved how that shared loss brought them together. Phoenix was so caring and thoughtful as he helps Holland work through her guilt. So many sweet moments.

The audiobook narration is done really well. Highly recommend!

Content: kissing

Was this review helpful?

Beauty and the Beach is part of the Falling for Summer series but it will work just fine as a standalone. The story takes place on the fictional island of Sunset Harbor, off Florida’s coast.

Beauty and the Beach follows Holland and Phoenix on a fantastic enemies-to-lovers journey. As the story plays out, both Holland and Phoenix realize maybe they were not enemies after all.

This is a story I should hate from a moral standpoint. The plot is dark and messed up but I still loved it. The premise is that Phoenix’s grandma is on her deathbed and she will only let someone who is married take control of the family company after she passes. Holland needs money so they get married as a business deal with plans to split after Phoenix’s grandma passes. For a lack of better words, how shitty is that?

Even with that premise I could not help but fall in love with the story and the characters. I love all the nicknames Phoenix and Holland call each other. They both have a tragic shared past and I like how it was a drip feed of information finding out what happened.

Just like Beachy Keen, this is the perfect book to read while relaxing on a beach this summer.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a a fun, fresh book for summer. I absolutely loved the fun banter and the character development. It was such a fun summer audio.

Was this review helpful?

I had high expectations for Beauty & the Beach. The plot sounded adorable and I do love a modern marriage of convenience story.

The romance was fantastic. Phoenix and Holland were perfect enemies to lovers. I couldn't get enough of the banter and nicknames. They also had sooo much chemistry, my gosh! There's only kissing here but the kisses were hot, hot, hot! I think the tension is what really sells the romance and makes this closed door romance still sexy. The romance is believable and paced well. I really loved Phoenix & Holland's dynamic.

This book is summer vibes. I really enjoyed the setting and made me wish I was on a beach while reading this. This book is definitely my sense of humor. I could not stop smiling/laughing. A true romcom!

Narrator did a wonderful job as well. I really liked their voice and thought they did a great job bringing the story to life.

If you need a summer romcom, I would 100% recommend this!

Was this review helpful?

From the moment this was announced, I knew it was going to be a banger, and let me tell you, this book is a BANGER!!! Small-town summer romance, marriage of convenience, a twist on brother’s best friend, and some of the BEST hate-to-love I’ve read in a long time!

I loved Holland and Phoenix from the very beginning! I was immediately drawn in by their antagonistic and barbed but also witty and charged with chemistry and tension. The dynamic between them was AMAZING and I could not get enough of their banter, I thought that the way their hate-to-love arc was handled was so unique and compelling as their dislike that was rooted in a shared past and deep connection and intimate knowledge of each other. It made their acceptance of genuine feelings believable and genuine.

The town of Sunset Harbor was a fantastic setting for this sun-soaked summer romance! Gracie's voice and specific brand of characterization are masterful and I never wanted this book to end! The audiobook and the narrator's performances also enhanced my overall experience. Beauty and the Beach is a favorite of the year, for sure and I highly recommend it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Podium Audio for the ALC of this awesome book!

Was this review helpful?

Desperate for money after a financial scam, Holland makes a deal with the infuriatingly wealthy and handsome Phoenix: She’ll marry him for the summer so he can inherit his family’s company. Their fake marriage is supposed to be temporary, but as their charade unfolds, Holland finds herself falling for the man she swore she hated.

Hilarious and heartwarming, this rom com is a delight to read. The banter is brilliant. Holland and Phoenix are lovable and perfect for each other. The story is strong and fast-paced. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Was this review helpful?

the books is great! i love Gracie Ruth Mitchell books! the audiobook wasn't really my thing...but that's just me, I"m picky about my audiobooks haha
worth the read...or listen! :D

Was this review helpful?

Loved this book!
I listened to it on audio and the narrators were great- I do listen to it sped up. I loved that they had both a male and female narrating.
The story was so much fun! I absolutely loved Holland she was just adorable. Phoenix was dreamy. They were both so perfect for each other.
I thought this book was well written- there was so much romance and humor, but it also dealt with some serious things (past trauma). It had a bit of everything in it.
I have read a few of the books in this series and they were all really good, but this can be read as a stand alone.

Was this review helpful?

Beauty and the Beach by Gracie Ruth Mitchell is a marriage of convenience with a summer atmosphere.

The story follows Phoenix and Holland, who are always pranking each other and acting like enemies. Phoenix was friends with Holland's older brother who has passed away. Phoenix promised Holland’s brother he would look out for her. Holland and Phoenix have a history of chemistry and tension that has turned into an interesting relationship.

Phoenix needs a wife to inherit his family’s company, and Holland is his best option. Even though their marriage is fake and temporary the feelings they have for each other are not.

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.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Gracie Ruth Mitchell for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a cute book!

Beauty and the Beach is a super sweet romance with lots of heart. I adored Phoenix and Holland together. They are constantly driving each other crazy with pranks, but I love their playfulness and nicknames for eachother.

I actually liked the narrators (I did speed it up a bit). I know some people complained about the male being monotoned a bit, but sped up you couldn't really tell and Holland did complain about Phoenix talking without emotion at times, so it kind of added to the story a bit.

Read if you like:
Closed door romance
Brother's best friend
Enemies to lovers
Marriage of convenience

Thank you to the author, Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for this free audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A lovely closed door ramoance of 2 long time friends brought together by a marriage of convinience.

Holland and Phoenix have been ea others sphere for a while brought together by the tragedy and death of Hollands brother Travis.

Holland a little spontaneous, broke (scammed), loves her sister and grandmother, hates Phoenix (plays juvenile tricks on him and calls him bird names) and guilty about her brothers death.

Phoenix, rich, smart, and promised Travis that he will always take care of Holland and does so.

Phoenixs manipulative and dreadful grandmother has changed her will to stipulate that only her married grandchild will inherit the family business. So a marriage of convinience is born, except when Phoenix and Holland are married and living together, their animosity and hostile banter changes into caring and affection. Can their fake marriage actually become real. As they navigate through their feelings, they fall deeply in love.

A nice, romantic beach read.

Was this review helpful?

🩵𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝
💍𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞
🩵𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

🎧Dual narration:
Rylee Kuberra & John Rogers

♥︎Holland and Phoenix Park have a knack for driving each other absolutely mad. In the past, a devastating accident tied their lives together. Now, their marriage of convenience is about to change everything they know about each other.

♥︎This story was fun. It did take some time to get used to the narrators, who delivered their lines with a touch of monotony and lacked variation in their inflections. However, despite this small drawback, I found myself genuinely enjoying the story. It was charming and handled a significant event with great care.

♥︎Overall, if you're a fan of closed-door romance set in small towns, you're sure to enjoy this one.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟑.𝟓⭐️
𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫

Was this review helpful?

Beauty and the Beach is part of the Falling for Summer romance series. Holland is in desperate need of cash after having her checking account wiped out and she’s doing everything she can to make the ends meet, but when an opportunity presents itself that will solve her financial problems she’s not sure she can take it. Phoenix, Holland’s older brother’s best friend, finds himself needing to get married in order to inherit the family company from his grandma and he propositions Holland. The pair barely get along, but they both trust each other enough to take this leap of faith. The deal is simple, Phoenix and Holland get married and start married until Phoenix inherits the company and Holland gets the money she so desperately needs in exchange. Maybe it isn’t that simple after all, especially after the feelings of hate turn out to be closer to love. Will Phoenix and Holland find what they are looking for or crash and burn?

I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, but this can definitely be read as a standalone. I am a fan of brother’s best friend romances, enemies to lovers and fake marriage tropes so this book hit a lot of my favorite tropes in one. I was hooked from the beginning and fell in love with Holland and Phoenix very quickly. The banter, snark and chemistry between these two was perfect and added so much to their relationship. It kept me coming back for more. I loved this couple together and thought the baggage they both came with was a great addition to their relationship because they helped each other deal with it. This was a great summer read and I definitely recommend it. I will definitely have to go back and read more in this series because I loved this small town/island setting!

Was this review helpful?

Marriage of convenience! This book was great, totally recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC

Was this review helpful?

I’ve been seeing this one floating around bookstagram and figured why not! The cover is cute, summery, and one trope was enemies-to-lovers. That is a favorite of mine!

The book is told from two point-of-views and they come from Phoenix and Holland. Their first introduction didn’t go very well and since then they have kind of hated each other. They play pranks on each other and just kind of torture one another which was pretty humorous. They also have a common trauma that involves Holland’s brother and a car crash. It’s something that they must deal with in time as they learn to live with one another because there is also a marriage of convienance.

It takes awhile for us to get to the marriage since the plot is building with Phoenix’s job and his rude grandmother who is a dillweed. There is also Holland who doesn’t have health insurance and is trying to take care of her younger sister since they were kind of cut off by their parents. They are both from different worlds and with that brings its own set of issues. I liked seeing how they maneuvered it all, even at times together.

Although I did like it overall, I wasn’t a huge fan of the male narrator and some of the scenes felt too over-the-top for my taste.

Overall, this was good! It would be great for the summer and I’ll have to see what the others in the series are about.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a cute, sweet, witty, and compelling audiobook! It was literally a super great summer read and I’ll be recommending it to my friends!

Was this review helpful?

The story overall was great, but the male narrator was like listening to a Human Resources video narrator 🫢

Was this review helpful?

I literally love this book. It's the best enemies to lovers i've ready in awhile. Not just that, it's also a marriage of convenience.
I absolutely loved the banter and chemistry between these two.

The audio was done really well and worth the listen.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a copy of the audio book. (:

Was this review helpful?

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
How cute was this!! I love a marriage of convenience and enemies/rivals to lovers so this was such a treat. Even pretty hot for a closed door romance! Phoenix and Holland have a strong rivalry/animosity between them ever since Holland’s brother and Phoenix’s best friend died in a car crash they were all in. The brother’s best friend/best friend’s little sister trope was also a fun addition to the tropes in this book though it wasn’t heavily talked about. I loved the revolving door of nicknames between them and constant bickering/bantering. The angry kissing to prove they don’t care was 👩‍🍳💋 chef’s kiss absurd. I absolutely loved it. This was a really fun book and I love a dual POV and dual narration from Rylee Kuberra and John Rogers! I haven’t read any other books in this series but I want to now! It looks like the tropes used in these books are a little less common. I’m looking forward to exploring the island more!

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Gracie Ruth Mitchell for the ALC in exchange for a fair review!!

Was this review helpful?