"A Not-So Holiday Pradise" was the perfect pre holiday listen! I really enjoyed this fun story set in an unlikley location. It was full of humor and spark!

"A Not-So Holiday Paradise" is a brother's-best-friend romance featuring a FMC with epilepsy, an under-represented demographic that added some interesting flavor to the story.

The story itself was pretty good. Molly has had a crush on her brother's best friend forever. Not only that, her parents view Beckett as one of their own. So, trying anything with him could have serious consequences for her entire family if it doesn't work out. But she decides it's time to get Beckett out of her system once and for all.

Obviously, things don't go according to plan, especially when Molly's cruise ship leaves without her, with her medication (and her wallet) still on board. There's nothing she can do other than wait with Beckett until her family can leave the ship and come fetch her, bringing her belongings with them.

With all that time on their hands, alone, getting over Beckett might not be as easy as you'd think... At least, it certainly wasn't for Molly. And as for grouchy old, closed-off Beckett? All I can say is, things aren't already what they seem like...

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I have to admit, the narrators detracted from the audiobook. While I usually enjoy dual-narrated stories, I didn't especially like either narrator. It seemed like they both struggled to do a voice of the opposite sex realistically. Rylee Kuberra managed a male voice a bit better than John Rogers did a female one, but both were distracting. They narrate well and have voices that are easy to listen to, but they might be better suited to single POV stories or nonfiction rather than dual POV fiction.

I should have been keeping track of all the “primal” language and taking shots or something—I don’t think this book was for me! I was excited about it primarily because of the disability rep—I think this was done really well. The thing I couldn’t get past was the power dynamic of Beckett knowing Molly’s loved him forever. It was not resolved and felt uncomfortable.

As far as the narration went, it was largely good! There were a number of plosives that took me out of the story.

Molly and her family are vacationing in the Virgin Islands and her brother's best friend, Beckett, is working on an island there and joins them for many excursions. Molly had a crush on him growing up and is trying to be over it as adults. Molly and Beckett and stranded from the rest of the group and Molly doesn't have her seizure medications on hand.

I love this entire series so much!! This is such a sweet story - I loved the characters, their interactions, the banter, and the progression of their relationship. I also loved earning more about epilepsy.

Big ol' DNF because the narrators were so bad. I wanted to like this one because of it's diability rep, but I couldn't keep going.

This one was just fun. Molly and her family are vacationing in the Virgin Islands and her brother's best friend, Beckett, is working on an island there and joins them for many excursions. While Molly had a major crush on him growing up, she is trying hard to overcome it. When Molly and Beckett are marooned and she doesn't have her seizure medications he steps up and, even though Molly brother warned him off, he finds he has feelings for Molly. Will those feelings last when they get back to civilization and the rest of the family?

Yet. Another. Excellent Book. From Gracie Ruth Mitchell. How does she do it????

This holiday rom-com is silly, sweet, and meaningful all at once. The characters are great; the epilepsy rep was really neat! The setting is very fun, and the romance itself is lovely. Like everything else I've read by her, this book made me feel deeply and was also a great relaxing binge read.

The narration by Rylee Kuberra and John Rogers is great! They were both easy to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for an audiobook to read and review voluntarily and honestly.

This was an okay book, I liked the characters, but also it was often slow at times. I woudln't mind hearing about the brother in the sotry, but i'm not sure I would read the rest o the multi-author series

I hate writing bad reviews and this author had a good storyline, I just did not love how it was organized. The shifts in character development of the guy was over dramatic and unrealistic. I did like the perspective of the girls point of view in this book though. She followed the outline of an emotional journey that seems logical and touching. I felt I related to how she felt just from reading her experiences. That’s why this book got a three star instead of a two star. Whenever strong emotion can be embodied to the reader that is a partial success.

The basic summary of how I felt about this book…
First 50% was slow even though it should have felt more intense, all of the sudden the characters felt more embarrassed around each other (their cheeks turning pink often), and than all of the sudden the guy turned into a vampire (not literally) and was over possessive saying, “good girl”. Gross! I like a possessive boy when they’re caring, but somehow this reminded me in the weird parts of twilight. That is probably just me though. Don’t get me wrong I like Twilight, but there are some weird parts in it. And the guy in this book embodied the over possessive dramatic characteristics while still being human and partially “normal.”

This book was a little bit difficult for me to get through. It felt a little over the top for me. That is hard for me to say because there were many elements in this book that I tend to love forced proximity, brother's best friends, grumpy sunshine but I think I just didn't love the story. I think I was just not as invested in the love story as I should have been. That being said it is a clean romance with cute elements. I didn't connect to it strongly but I know there are people who will. I would recommend it to people who liked the movie Love Wrecked. Different premise but still gave me those vibes if you know what I mean!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story!

3.5⭐, 0.5🌶️

A sweet, non-spice holiday Christmas romance? While I didn't adore this book, it was still enjoyable and a really fun premise! I thought Molly's character was sweet and relatable: I liked that she was so honest and secure about herself, and the added detail of her epilespy honestly taught me so much. I liked that while this was a brother's best friend romance, both Molly and Beckett weren't putting up with Molly's brothers toxicity. Beckett has a healthy growth, and the third act "break" was done smartly.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Select for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

There were a lot of things that I liked about this book. Firstly, the curvy girl and disability representation. I loved Molly’s confidence despite her having so much stacked against her. This was also the first time I read a book with the main character having epilepsy, and I appreciated the author normalizing the experiences in romantic literature. I also appreciated the forced proximity and one bed tropes with a tropical holiday twist! Beckett’s inner dialogue had me LOLing several times (primarily with Beckett and Senorita the monkey’s interactions), which was the highlight of the book for me.

Maybe it’s the smutty romance reader in me, but I’ll admit I was disappointed that he kept calling her “good girl” but there were no spicy scenes to back it up? It felt like a big build up with a slight let down. But maybe that’s just me?

Thanks so much to the author, Dreamscape Select and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Sometimes, paradise is found where you least expect it."

I had so much fun with A Not-So Holiday Paradise! Gracie Ruth Mitchell brings a delightful blend of humour, romance, and holiday charm in this audiobook. It's the perfect cozy escape for anyone looking for a light-hearted story with heart and a bit of an unexpected twist.

What I loved:
🎧 The narration really brought the characters to life, adding a layer of humour and emotion that kept me engaged.
🎧 A hilarious and swoon-worthy romance with a sprinkle of holiday magic.
🎧 The setting was wonderfully festive, and while it’s about a "paradise," the characters’ witty banter and chaotic situations made it all the more fun.
🎧 A quick read that offers all the right feels and a satisfying conclusion.

What to expect:
🎄 Christmas vibes with a quirky twist
🎄 Enemies to lovers
🎄 Lots of humour and heartfelt moments
🎄 A sweet, slow-burn romance

I loved this book! It was original, cute, and funny. The narration was great, and I’ll definitely be looking for more by this author.

This book gives a bit of a spin on the Christmas island storyline!

I loved Molly. She was just the cutest and her emotions were very real and relatable! I didn't love Beckett. He was definitely grumpy to her sunshine, but he was a bit too much of a downer for me. It made the chemistry between the two less than it could have been for me.

That said, it was still a cute, enjoyable story!

3.5 stars rounded up for Molly!

This was my second holiday read of the 2024 season. It took me a while to get into it and I personally thought the first part dragged a bit. However, once it picked up, I was really hooked. I loved Gracie's fresh take on a tropical holiday romance. I also really adored her seizure representation. In the author note, she discusses how she herself suffers from epilepsy so I know the scenes portrayed are authentic and the emotions described are oh so real. I think Mitchell is incredibly brave to write about a topic so close to her heart. She did an incredible job in my opinion.

Molly...I love how nerdy and charming this girl is. I thought the story behind why she decided to study ichthyology was so inspiring. Of course Molly has some things she's a bit self-conscious of, but all in all, she is incredibly self-assured and genuine. I appreciate how well she knows herself and her feelings and how willing she is to be herself and take chances. Definitely a cool FMC and role model for us bookish girls!

Beckett...What a grump! I usually love a good grump, but this guy is particularly prickly. I love how he loves Molly though...how protective and possessive he is. It's so sweet. And all this in light of the challenges he encountered while growing up is pretty amazing!

Things I loved:

❤️Cruise ship and St. Thomas settings
❤️The monkeys (especially the female one's reaction to Beckett)
❤️The waterfall
❤️How Molly and Beckett challenge one another
❤️"Sweetheart," "Baby," and "Good girl" (that last one was a little cringy to me for a while, but it grew on me)
❤️The Christmas cactus and Molly and Beckett's gifts to one another
❤️Wes (even though he can be an annoying brother at times)
❤️The epilogue

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️

I love the author's note at the beginning of this story about epilepsy and I appreciate that they made the epilepsy scene as realistic as possible, from both the main characters and the witness's points of view.

If you are looking for a fun, holiday romance to get you into the holiday spirit then this is a great book to help you achieve that goal.

Rylee Kuberra and John Rogers do great job of narrating this book together. I look forward to listening to more audiobooks narrated by them in the future.

A Not-So Holiday Paradise is a sweet romance surrounding a woman and her brother’s best friend with a clever twist on forced proximity.

If you’re looking for a fun romance with holiday and tropical vibes, that’s closed door, this is for you.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, with was performed by two narrators who made this listen enjoyable. I listened at 1.75x speed (my normal audiobook listening speed is 1.75-2x speed).

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for this advanced audiobook copy.

What a fun Christmas audio book! I love forced proximity and when the MMC takes care of the FMC. This book was sunny and sweet while still including the best parts of Christmas!

If you are looking for a delightful holiday, but not so holiday, rom-com full of grumpy-sunshine tropical island wonderful-ness look no further! I devoured this book in one day and enjoyed every moment.

Molly O’Malley has been in love with her brothers best friend for as long as she can remember. But this Christmas she is determined to face it and put it behind her… Right?

She is on a family cruise for the holidays, stopping off on the island that he happens to work on after not seeing him in years. That moment when they first see each other… SO GOOD! I just love the way she has a new found confidence and acceptance of who she is. Her light just shines through this book! And what happens when you let your confidence shine? People begin to see you for who you actually are, instead of who they think you are.

Beckett is all introverted, wounded, grumpiness… but with a inner goodness that doesn’t take too long to show. He gravitates towards Molly‘s light and through a series of mishaps you will see him unravel as a protective and caring soul. I adored him.

This is a sweet story full of representation and beautiful messages on never being afraid to be who you are and letting people love you for that. I loved the epilepsy representation as well and getting to see the side of that many of us never get to see. I applaud Gracie for shedding light on that and humanizing something that we know little about.

I highly recommend this book and Molly and Beckett. They are perfect duo!!!