I listened to the audiobook of this one and while doing so I kept messaging my book besties and telling them that they absolutely had to read this one. Or listen to it!!! I loved the audiobook of it. The two narrators were so much fun. They didn't just read they book, they added sound effects and lots of great emotion into their narration!

Molly and Beckett are so much fun! I was giggling so much while listening! I couldn't help myself. So funny! Molly is this pure ray of sunshine! Sure, she has struggles and stuff, but she doesn't let it get her down! She finds the joy in whatever is happening. And she also rambles. Like big time when she gets nervous. About fish! Hahaha! She's studying fish as part of her degree and I just loved all of her rambling and the tidbits we learned.

And Beckett, he's mr. grumpy pants! Ok, that's probably not 100% accurate but he's definitely not a people person. And he has his reasons. But he's really trying not to let Molly's beauty and zeal for life break through his persona. Lol! But just you wait because who couldn't smile at sweet and adorable Molly?!

This is a sibling's best friend, forced proximity, same room, holiday rom-com that will pull you in, make you life your head off, and have you swooning and smiling for more adorableness!!!

I will definitely be returning to this one when I need a good happy and sweet love story read!

Content: Sweet. Characters share a room together due to weather circumstances but it is clean. Molly has epilepsy and has a seizure. There are some kisses. Some mild innuendos and nothing more.

I received a copy from the producer, Dreamscape Select, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading & Listening!!!

I enjoyed listening to this book. The narrators were really good. It takes place during Christmas, but isn’t overly Christmasy. The story was interesting, though a little predictable. The characters are fun. It’s a good, clean, fun to listen to story.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for the opportunity to listen to this book.

I’ve really been enjoying the Gracie Ruth Mitchell books I’ve picked up - I can’t wait to dive into more of her catalogue! They’re quick, fun, easy (clean) romance reading.

This one had me a bit on-edge though, for a few reasons… from the author’s notes at the beginning, I knew there was a medical issue coming. She forewarned us of a trigger. I actually take a medication that the author and main character take (for a different condition that is off-label, but going cold turkey without weaning off is bad news!). It just had me anxious and nervous leading to this point, knowing it was coming… but, knowing this was an #ownvoices title and the character was living with the same medical condition as the author, so it would be written properly, was something to take to heart.

Also, being a travel agent who drills it into my clients that you watch the clock and do not miss a cruise ship departure time - yeah, that part of the storyline was extremely difficult for me!! But, it was the entire point of the plot, that somehow Molly stays onshore with her brother’s best friend Beckett, her family makes it back onboard, and they sail away with her critical medication…

This was a very well done and well written book - all my stress and anxiety for personal reasons put aside! I definitely recommend everyone reading it. Everything gets figured out even though it is far from perfect and there are definitely reasons Mitchell included the trigger warning for us at the beginning. Heed the warnings if you’re not keen on stressful medical trauma situations (or, like me, highly stressful travel related experiences)! Otherwise, it’s a fantastic read, though a clean, aka sweet & swoony, romance.

Narrated by Rylee Kuberra and John Rogers, I really enjoyed the audio version. You’re going to want to grab the newly released audiobook as it was a great performance by both narrators!

I received an advance listen copy from NetGalley and Dreamscape Select, and this is my honest feedback.

𝑱𝒆𝒏’𝒔 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌𝑵𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘

𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠: A Not-So Holiday Paradise
𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧: Gracie Ruth Mitchell
𝘼𝘽 𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨: Rylee Kuberra & John Rogers

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁: A cute tropical vacation for the holidays. I enjoyed this audiobook, it was fun take on childhood crush on brother’s bestie. I loved Molly, she was an adorable curvy FMC with the best internal dialogue that had me laughing. So fun learning all her random fish facts. Definitely a must add to the holiday tbr.

Molly is a sunshiny people pleaser who rambles about fish when she’s nervous. She’s on a cruise with her family for the holidays, and today they are stopping in the Virgin Islands. They plan to see Beckett, her brother’s best friend and the boy she’s crushed on for years that’s working there. So she plans to put on her cutest swimsuit and show him, she is no longer Baby O’Malley. 🐠

Beckett met the O’Malleys as they step off their cruise ship, ready to take them on an adventure to a local island he’s doing research on for the day. But their is a curvy and attractive women with them he doesn’t recognize then his bestie hits him because he’s drooling over Molly his besties sister. Crap! Now he has to convince his brain to unsee her as a woman. He can make it through a day in her presence no problem, he’ll just be his grumpy self.

But we all know things never go to plan. Mr. O’Malley twists his knee at the waterfall and they have to cut their day short but they insisted Beckett and Molly stay behind to finish their planned day. Then a surprise storm causes the two of them to be stranded on the little island overnight having to stay in a hut.

Trapped on a tropical island for the holidays with forbidden feelings, makes this one fun! Checkout the newly launched audiobook. 🌴

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* Older Brother’s Best Friend
* Grumpy x Sunshine
* Longtime Crush
* Forced Proximity
* Epilepsy Rep
* Protective MMC
* Family Holiday Vacay
* Set in the Virgin Islands
* Dual POV

🌺🌴🐠🎅🏼🌺🌴🐠🎅🏼🌺🌴🐠🎅🏼🌺🌴🐠🎅🏼🌺

A Not-So Holiday Paradise is a charming, adorable and beautiful brother's best friend romance. I love how the author is always able to incorporate such important and deep subjects to her stories but still keep it light and funny. The way she wove epilepsy into it, how informative it was, it was immaculate.

Molly was a true ray of sunshine. I absolutely adored her. She was hilarious with her random fish facts. Beckett was rough in the beginning but when he started opening up, I completely fell for him. They were so adorable together. The way he kept calling her “good girl” 🥵 Keep in mind this is a sweet romance, so the fact that was added truly added to the chemistry, I absolutely loved how the author made use of it.

Really cute and refreshing holiday romance. I liked that it was original and different. It was a very enjoyable read.

🎧 The narration by Rylee Kuberra & John Rogers was really good. I enjoyed both of them together. I thought they truly brought the story to life and the characters. They made it easy and fun to listen to.

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @dreamscape & @gracieruthmitchell for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so cute! This is a clean (no spice) holiday romance set in the Bahamas 🌴, which was a really nice change of scenery for a holiday rom-com. I loved the brother’s best friend trope, the curvy FMC, and the FMC and MMC’s love of science and research. This book also touches on an important health topic: epilepsy. I love that the author did a thoughtful trigger warning for this at the beginning of the audiobook and explained her personal reasons for including a character with epilepsy. I’m looking forward to checking out more books by this author.

I wasn't able to get in to the story as I really didn't enjoy the narrators. The male narrator had a speaking voice that sounded very clipped and proper while the female narrator was overly bubbly, yet also somehow still formal. I can't provide too much on the book itself (though I know the book had previously been released and has received its feedback) - I only made it to about 15% before I DNFed.

I won't be sharing on my social networks as the audio quality is not necessarily a reflection of the writing itself.

I have no words for how much I loved this book. The narration is very good and engaging. The pace is dynamic and interesting, I was completely hooked. I was laughing so much during all of the book. Its perfect.
It's the perfect fun, lighthearted romantic comedy to lose your self in.
I loved molly and Beckett and honestly cannot find anything wrong with then, she was so cute, a complete sunshine and he was so fun and ironic, and a funny grump. Their interaction is perfect, their banter is endearing and sassy.
This also deals with serious topics and they are treated very well and we can see the growth and overcoming of traumas do the characters.
The descriptions are so tasteful and drawing, you feel completely absorbed by the story.
We have:
- brothers best friend
- forced proximity
- 2nd chance

Okay, Gracie, you just knocked this holiday book out of the absolute park!! I can not wait to share this with book club girls!! I just absolutely loved every page.

After getting hooked on Gracie Ruth Mitchell during the Falling for Summer series, I was so excited to see this one pop up on NetGalley via Dreamscape Select, who very graciously approved an ALC of this one - out now!

This was such a fun and inclusive listen! I loved the main characters and their semi-second chance at love together. The setting was perfect for a little family meddling and some forced proximity thanks to a tropical storm. The fact that Beckett gets stuck on an island during a tropical storm with the now very grown up Molly challenges everything Beckett has allowed himself to feel. I loved that Molly was such a brave character, honest and true to who she is, and that showing part of herself to Beckett strengthened their bond while weakening his reserve to keep her at an arm's length.

These two narrators also did the Falling for Summer book that Gracie Ruthie put out, and I adored them once again here! I'm a big fan of the grumpy guy who keeps his distance, and John Rogers kills that kind of performance!

A solid four star listen! I'll be checking out the others in this Christmas Escape series hopefully soon! :)

quick and cozy Christmas book
we got brother's best friend
him taking care of her
rain storm and cuddling
unrequited love
I read the series when it published before, all cute and fun

Premise: Molly, her parents and her older brother are going on a Christmas Cruise to The Tropics!

So, if you’re looking for snow, hot cocoa, flannel pj’s, mountains and fireplaces, look elsewhere! (Well, maybe not the hot chocolate…) 😉

But if you’re looking for a fresh new take on Christmas and a not so perfect gathering during a different kind of storm….well then, don’t miss this one!

🛑🛑 Once again, stop here if you don’t want to know anymore! Loose outline to follow! 🛑🛑

Molly has had a crush on Beckett, her brother’s BFF, for basically her whole life! She hasn’t seen him in years. But that’s all going to change. You see he’s working in the Virgin Islands, and the cruise her family is taking is stopping there. And since Beckett is like family to them, well, they HAVE to stop and see him! And so it begins…

But, their quick stop turns into a kind of nightmare when plans need to change on a dime. And Beckett and Molly are alone on the small, deserted island, and then, of course, a storm comes through…

Did I mention that Molly is epileptic? This is mentioned as a ***TRIGGER WARNING*** in the book, so as the author says, if this is a trigger for you, steer clear of the end of chapter 17!

Very different! Very sweet!
Molly has grown up, but is not perfect!
Beckett has grown up, and seems to wear a scowl all the time instead of a smile…
And the ‘bro code’ is hysterical (and real! I can vouch…with older brothers myself…) 🤣

4 big tropical 🏝️ , Christmas-y , ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

Thanks to #NetGalley, #DreamscapeSelect and #GracieRuthMitchell for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
**** It was released on 10/1/24! ****

#ANotSoHolidayParadise by #GracieRuthMitchell and narrated nicely by #RyleeKuberra and #JohnRogers.

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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, and click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

I’ve previously read the ebook of this book, and was super excited to see that it was coming out as an audiobook because I love listening to audiobooks for rereads. I loved this the first time around and maybe even more so upon a reread. It’s so cute and romantic and funny, I’m obsessed. I’m going to start this with my previous review, and then add my thoughts about the audiobook specifically:

Half a star for every ‘good girl’ said by Beckett and a full star for all of the banter involving Wes.

Okay but in actuality, I loved this so, so much. This book checked so many boxes for me. I love when books have a stranded aspect. I love when the FMC is curvy, and confident in her body. And an overprotective MMC? Hot. And really, the author truly blessed the readers with the amount of times ‘good girl’ was said.

The balance of the stranded chapters and the Christmas-y chapters was perfect. The found family aspect is always something I enjoy. Every character - both main & side - were so well defined and great to read about. I really appreciated the epilepsy inclusion, and thought the author did a great job with it. It was part of the story, not just a side detail, and I thought that it was done well. I thought this would just be a cute and fun holiday story to read, but it quickly shot to the top of my list of favourite reads.

It really was a cute and fun holiday story like I hoped, but also so much more than that and that’s what made it a 5/5 for me. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to others, even more so now that I’ve listened to the audiobook. Both narrators did an incredible job. I did find that they spoke at slightly different speeds (the male narrator seemed a bit slower than the female narrator) but they both were honestly super great to listen to. Even though it’s still a few months until Christmas, I feel like this truly is a book that can be enjoyed any time of year.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook! I voluntarily listened to this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a sweet Christmas story. Molly, who has always had a crush on her brother’s best friend is nervous to see him again after years. Beckett does not recognize his best friend’s little sister but is immediately attracted to her. With a little matchmaking from her mother they are stranded alone on an island. Molly is the sunshine that Beckett doesn’t realize that he is missing from his life. After helping Molly through her seizure the two bond. Wes, her overprotective brother I tried to put a stop to this budding relationship. With time apart Beckett mends his reclusive ways. When the two reunite they know that they are meant for one another. I really did enjoy this book but both narrator’s voices were hard to listen to. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily

One of the aspects I really appreciated about this book is its portrayal of epilepsy. Drawing from the author's own experiences, she conveyed it in a way that felt authentic and heartfelt. It was beautifully done.

I really dislike writing negative reviews, but this book just didn’t resonate with me. I think the author had some great story ideas, but I didn’t feel the chemistry between Molly and Beckett.

publication date- Oct 01 2024
#ANotSoHolidayParadise #NetGalley

This was cuteness overload!! I have not read this author before and I have been missing out! I loved this. She write a disability in the mc, epilepsy. Which I can relate to because too got it in puberty! Loved this book!! 5 ⭐️

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Select for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Not-So Holiday Paradise presents a really fun spin on a holiday romance! Molly accidentally gets stranded on a remote island with her brother's best friend during her family's holiday cruise. The added element of epilepsy representation, taken straight from the author's personal experience, was really interesting to read about. This book was sweet, and, living in a warm climate myself, it was nice to read a holiday book in that setting. However, I found the female narrator's sing-songy voice grating, and the male narrator sounded angry even during what were supposed to be the more romantic parts, so I think I may have enjoyed this book more in written form than audio.

Thank you to Dreamscape Select for gifting me with an ALC to review! All opinions are my own.

Set in the Virgin Islands, I loved this tropical twist on a holiday romance! I appreciated the epilepsy representation, and the fact that it was drawn on from the author’s own experiences. It was eye-opening! It’s a way of life for some people, and Wes’ walk through of how to handle the seizure was great! Story was a great example of good communication between the characters.