This spicy romance is a perfect vacation or beach read. Doesn't take itself too seriously but delivers on fun and engagement

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun, heart-warming romance that combines the heat of being on holiday with the tension of workplace dynamics, and I absolutely loved it!

Jasmine and Alejandro felt so perfect for each other and I really enjoyed both of their characters. While I found some of the conflict of the workplace anti-fraternisation rules to be slightly repetitive at times, the story itself was great and I loved how these characters interacted.

If you’re looking for a fun, spicy read to keep you warm this winter, definitely give this one a go!

It was a cute read, but I feel their connection was too instalove. I would have appreciated more backstory and build to their love story. For example, more workplace happenings to show them developing the attraction and admiration for each other. Also, some of the banter and word choices were unrealistic and suspect to me. However, some of their interactions were swoonworthy! I enjoyed their time in Jamaica and them discovering how much they had in common despite their obvious age gap and ethnic differences.
I give it 3.5 Stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this arc in exchange for my honest review.|

HOT AND AMAZING NOVEL

I did not expect this to be this good.

Totally recommend to read as soon as possible.

I recently read What Happens in Paradise by Olivia Spring, and it was a delightful and spicy romance! The story follows Jasmine, the guest relations manager at an exclusive Spanish Love Hotel, known as the Love Alchemist for her matchmaking skills. However, matchmaking between staff is strictly forbidden. Enter Alejandro, the delectable sous-chef, who makes it hard for Jasmine to resist their mutual attraction. When Jasmine is tasked with setting up a new branch of the hotel in Jamaica, she's ecstatic—until she learns Alejandro will be joining her for two weeks. Under the sultry Jamaican sun, keeping things professional becomes impossible, and they agree to a secret holiday fling. The story is filled with forced proximity, opposites attracting, and plenty of spice. It's a fun, engaging read that will keep you entertained from start to finish. If you enjoy destination romances with a side of heat, this book is perfect for you!

This is a spicy, hot and romantic Olivia Spring romance based in paradise.Jasmine likes match making people but she isn't allowed to do it at work but sometimes she is driven to make the perfect match at work.

This was such a cute romantic read. I love a good age gap, add to it the prohibited workplace romance and I knew I’d be all in.
Jasmine and Ale couldn’t help themselves when they’re sent to Jamaica together to set up the new Love Hotel where couples are matched by matchmakers while spending time in paradise. Even though workplace relationships were strictly prohibited, Alejandro and Jasmine find themselves drawn to each other over and over again.
This story is very romantic. The setting in Jamaica is perfect and brings you Bob, the quirky Jamaican driver who was by far my favourite character.
My only complaint is, when the perspective changes between Ale and Jasmine, it goes over the same scene you just read again from their perspective a bit too much and started to seem a bit repetitive. Only a minor issue though because I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the Publisher for the eARC.

This story features Jasmine and Alejandro who we already met in "The One that Got Away" as staff members of the "Love Hotel" in Spain. If you have read the book, you know that there was already chemistry between those two. If you haven't read it, no worries, this book can absolutely be read as a stand-alone.
Jasmin and Alejandro have been attracted to one-another for quite a while but since their boss insists on enforcing a complete no dating policy they never acted on it. Also Alejandro is younger than Jasmine and she can't really believe he really would be interested in dating her. So they kept their distance but now they are sent to Jamaica to help opening another "Love Hotel" there and they keep being thrown together to check out possible romantic dates for the future guest. Of course this is not at all helpful for ignoring their attraction...
This book is an enjoyable and amusing read set in a gorgeous location. I had fun reading it and finished the book in one day. The main characters are mostly relatable and their romance is believable. I found it really hard to believe that any employer could have the right to fire you for your private relationships but it might be true in some countries, I guess. So while it felt a bit far-fetched overall the story worked for me.
I really enjoyed reading this book and while it was not my favorite book by Olivia Spring it really is a sweet, funny and heartwarming romance.

The second book "What Happens in Paradise" belongs to the Love Hotel series by Olivia Spring. The plot tells of the hotel's guest manager, Jasmine, who happens to be a talented "Love Alchemist", a nickname, which she got for her perfect matchmaking. However, match-making among workers is forbidden without exception. Jasmine, however, becomes extremely attracted to Alejandro, an appetizing sous-chef. Yet she has to resist her feelings towards him and adhere to her work duties. Upon the agreement with the manager of the hotel, Jasmine goes to open a new hotel branch in Jamaica. She sees this as an excellent chance to keep away from Alejandro. However, her scheme turns into something quite different once she gets the information that Alejandro will also be with her for a total of 2 weeks. The sultry Jamaican sun, which was the setting, became a minor thing. Additionally, the professional secrecy was not adhered to because they had decided to have their vacation, though secretly.

Jasmine is a determined and passionate girl who is very attached to her work and the guests' happiness in the hotel. Moreover, Alejandro, a charming and very qualified sous-chef, feels a strong bond with Jasmine. Their close and distant relationship is presented with tenderness and truthfulness, so they seem to be real and the viewer gets involved in their lives. Olivia Spring's narrative is fascinating and through the use of descriptions she can easily invoke unforgettable imagery of the place that has been decorated for the holiday. The style is also very smooth and it is as though readers were given the chance to actually enter the story which they love so much. Olivia Spring likes her readers to enjoy the moments of romance and suspense at the same time, as she makes a story capable of taking the readers through a thrilling ride that never loses its grip throughout.

The main themes of the novel are about love of those who are not allowed to love each other, self discovery, and the charm of a love story that occurs during the holidays. Through the ballad, the author tells that, if necessary, the people you don't imagine you can love sometimes offer the best moments, points to the fact that to yourselves being true is very essential to finding the right attractions.Her writing is colorful, passionate, and the action is felt as if you were living it with the characters. Some of the techniques used in the narrative are the multi-perspective approach and the use of flashbacks, which... together the readers are given a wealth of information through these means about the characters, their backgrounds and motivations. Most of the dialogue is normal and, in turn, reveals character relationships.

The story is evenly managed. It has ordered, clear, and interesting concepts that keep the reader engrossed. Each chapter leads smoothly to the following one, which in turn, has a good balance of slow and fast rhythms. The text is easy to read, as the prose is clear and the idea is explained logically and unambiguously."What Happens in Paradise" is an interesting and heartwarming romance which also combines the ideas of forbidden love, self-discovery, and the festive spirit. The way Olivia Spring is narrating the story is incredible and pulling, hence, making this a perfect read for holiday fiction and contemporary romance fans. The book makes the reader think a lot and promotes the appeal of the Christmas holiday and the benefits of love and community.

Anyone looking for a holiday romance, love stories with a twist, and human transformation of themselves may take a chance at "What Happens in Paradise." The story is a lively and heart-warming account that will be cherished by the readers long after they have finished the last page of the book. Its combination of the passionate feelings of love and the lively atmosphere of the holidays makes it a remarkable addition to the holiday genre.

I loved the concept for this book. The 'Love Hotel' was really fun, and I Ioved the different names the hotel had in place of staff roles, like a 'Love Alchemist'. I also enjoyed the fake dates our main characters had to go on to explore romantic options for the guests. Unfortunately my praises go a bit downhill from here on. I struggled with the writing style of this book, and felt the characters could have been stronger.

My first critique is a small one, but as I take notes while I read, and this is something I jotted down, I figured I'd include it - I felt a little uncomfortable with the way Alejandro and his sister spoke to each other. They seemed a little too comfortable talking about him being intimate. Alejandro's character is a very honest one, and he says he owes that to his sister, so perhaps it's just the way they've grown up or maybe their culture, I'm unsure, but maybe a better character for those conversations could have been a close friend of his.

Now onto what I disliked about the writing style. I found the sentences too short at times, without some of the embellishments and descriptions that can help bring the writing to life. They felt a little too simple or basic to me, describing too normal of things that the characters were doing, and I found the way things were explained too repetitive at times. Instead of furthering the detail and deepening the emotions described, the feelings felt more surface level and obviously stated. The impact of some scenes fell a little flat. And at other times there were too many filler sentences that described basic actions.

Overall, I found the author was overexplaining a lot of unnecessary things, and under describing what was important, for example, a lot of the scene setting/environment felt a bit empty for me, so I couldn't form a full image.

For other people this might be fine, and maybe not something they'd notice, but I feel I personally need a bit more detail to imagine the scenes more vividly in my mind, rather than just focusing on the characters conversations, which honestly contained too much back and forth of pleasantries, which got quite boring to read through so often.

A lot of scenes in this book were 'told' to the reader and not described. So 'we did this, then that, then this too'. I found myself feeling disconnected from the book, and the romance particularly, as I hadn't experienced it alongside the characters.

Characterisation-wise, I found Jasmine too indecisive to the point that it became a little annoying. She was constantly filled with regret but kept making decisions she knew she would end up regretting. I understand it was part of her character, but I found it frustrating to read as I went along. With Alejandro's character, I found he was simply too polite. It became monotonous, and felt robotic. I liked his character at first, and do think he was wonderful, but he lost personality and excitement for me.

Towards the end of the book, the firing and unfiring felt very unrealistic to me. It happened so fast there was barely time to process it. The build up to their romance was very long, but the 'conflict' of the novel was too fast and disorientating. The Manager then being fired instead of the two main characters made zero sense, as she'd only been doing her job, while Jasmine and Alejandro had behaved inappropriately with company money. I think this resolution could have at least worked better if there was simply more time to sit with it.

I think this novel had a really fun premise, and a cool twist on the 'fake dating' trope. The writing style not being my favourite could be just myself, but I do think the characters need to be stronger, with less indecisive and more separate personalities. They were too nice, and scared of stepping on each others toes, making them lack individual personalities.

2.5 ⭐️
This was very okay - I liked the premise and I really enjoyed the hotel setting (and the descriptions of Jamaica were amazing, I could picture it so clearly!). I didn’t really feel the chemistry between the two main characters and I would’ve liked to know more about their histories, a lot of the background info was just sprinkled in and not explained in-depth. I understand that Ale was Spanish and English wasn’t his first language but I didn’t really like how much Spanish was sprinkled into his dialogue (especially because it wasn’t always translated) and I felt the same way about Bob’s dialogue in Jamaican - it was quite hard to understand. I did like the ending and how it was all wrapped up - overall this was a cute summery read.

Dual POV, coworkers, age gap read. It was addicting I had to know what happens next! Somewhat predictable but it doesn’t affect the enjoyment of reading the book. This is book two in a series but can be read as standalone. I am going to read book one now that I have read this one. I enjoyed this quick and easy read. I was entertained.
I would say 4.25 stars but it doesn’t let me place a quarter star

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc of the book!

This was such a cute holiday romance story set in Spain and Jamaica. Alejandro and Jasmine have both gone through life changing events, but have then each a different outlook on life. Alejandro wants to enjoy every moment he has because you never know when it will be your last. Jasmine is more on the guarded side and scared to bring her walls down. Alejandro was able to help her see the value in stepping outside of your comfort zone and he is the epitome of a green flag!

The chapters were on the shorter side, so it made the story move so fast that I read it in one sitting! I loved this book and will definitely read more from Olivia Spring!

*What Happens in Paradise* by Olivia Spring is the perfect getaway in book form—a fun, fast-paced romance set in two gorgeous locations: Spain and Jamaica. Right from the start, I was hooked. The story follows Jasmine, a guest relations manager at the Spanish Love Hotel, where she plays the role of a “Love Alchemist” by helping guests find their perfect matches. But while she’s great at matchmaking for others, Jasmine can’t seem to shake her growing attraction to Alejandro, the hotel’s sous-chef. The problem? Employees aren’t allowed to date, so their chemistry is basically forbidden.

What I loved about this book was how the tension between Jasmine and Alejandro gradually built. When Jasmine gets the opportunity to help open a new hotel branch in Jamaica, she’s thrilled. The distance will be just what she needs to put some space between herself and Alejandro—until she finds out he’s been assigned to the project too. Cue the tropical heat and the undeniable chemistry between them as they spend two weeks together in paradise.

I really enjoyed how fast-paced the book was. The chapters are short and easy to read, which kept the story flowing smoothly, and the alternating points of view between Jasmine and Alejandro made it feel balanced. There’s definitely a slow-burn romance happening here, which I totally bought into. I appreciated how their emotional baggage—especially from past relationships—made their dynamic feel more real and relatable. And, of course, there’s the forbidden romance element, which just adds extra tension. The "only one bed" scenario? A total classic, and it delivered.

That said, there were a couple of things that didn’t completely work for me. The writing, while easy to follow, could sometimes be a little too *on the nose*, especially when it came to describing the characters’ emotions. I found myself wishing the story would leave a little more to the imagination instead of spelling everything out. I like when there’s a bit more mystery in how characters feel. But honestly, it didn’t ruin the experience for me—I was still hooked.

At the end of the day, *What Happens in Paradise* is exactly what I needed when I was craving something light and fun. The romance is steamy, but there’s enough emotional depth between Jasmine and Alejandro to make the story feel meaningful. While it might not be the most complex romance out there, it’s a great choice when you want something quick, enjoyable, and full of romantic tension. If you're in the mood for a feel-good, escapist read with a side of sizzling chemistry, this book is definitely worth picking up.

This was a cute quick dual POV read that was medium paced. Slow burn, age gap, and forced proximity. If you’re looking for something cute and summery to read this is your book. There is a bit of a slow burn and slow build up to the romance. So if you don’t like slow burns then this book is not for you. I did appreciate the quick chapters and I always love a dual POV. The character growth was moderate and was some of the main focus of the book. It is the second book to The Love Hotel so some of the side characters are in this book. Overall, it was a fun read and would recommend.

This book is between a 3.5 and a 4 stars for me.

This is a dual POV, age-gap coworkers romance, set in both Spain and Jamaica.
It was a cute fun, quick read, set in some lovely locations. The chapters were short, which really kept the story moving along quickly, which I loved! I enjoyed that both characters were recovering from their own difficult past relationships, which affected their dynamics and what they wanted out of each other. A lot of the dialogue is sorta on the nose and everything is spelled out in detail (especially the flirting), but all in all that didn't affect my enjoyment of the book too much.

Overall, a cute romance story!

This was such a fun and spicy romance! Alejandro and Jasmine have clear chemistry from the get go and have almost a forbidden romance due to their working situation.

Firstly I loved the setting of this book - Spain and Jamaica are the perfect pick me up locations to read about in a very cold January.

I liked the slow burn and tension that built up between our two main characters, it felt very believable considering what we learn about there situations and love for the job they do.

Overall this book had all the best tropes - forbidden romance and only one bed, and a perfect swoon worthy MMC. I look forward to reading more from Olivia Spring.

Links to the review on Instagram and Goodreads are below. The review will also be posted on Amazon on release day.

What Happens in Paradise by Olivia Spring was the latest romance read I’ve finished. I loved it. Don’t skip this one.

If you're in the mood for a quick summer escape to a small-town romance, What Happens in Paradise by Olivia Spring might be just the ticket. This young adult romance offers a charming setting, relatable characters, and plenty of heartwarming moments.

The story has its strengths—it's easy to follow and delivers the comforting predictability often craved in summer reads. However, as I turned the pages, I found myself wishing for more room to immerse myself in the narrative and connect with the emotions on my own. The author’s detailed writing style leaves little to the imagination, spelling out every thought, action, and emotion for the reader. While this can make the story feel accessible, it also takes away some of the magic of discovering the characters' inner worlds for yourself.

That said, What Happens in Paradise isn’t without its charm. It’s a light, breezy read that might appeal to those looking for something simple to enjoy on a sunny afternoon. While it wasn’t a standout for me personally, I can see its appeal for readers who prefer an easygoing, straightforward romance.

Ultimately, this book may not make my list of recommendations, but it served as a reminder of the beauty of diverse reading tastes. Every book has its audience, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to step into Olivia Spring’s world.

What Happens in Paradise delivers a delightful romantic escape that perfectly balances humor, heart, and personal growth. The writing captures the essence of contemporary romance with relatable characters and an engaging story that kept me interested from start to finish.
The novel explores self-discovery, love, and taking chances, offering a refreshing take on other modern relationship books. While following familiar romantic comedy ideas, the book manages to feel fresh and authentic. The characters were well-developed, with enough depth to make their journey compelling and entertaining.