*I received a copy of this book in eBook format in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity. This review is being posted as part of the Couples Retreat blog tour hosted by Rachel's Random Resources.
Title: Couples Retreat
Author: Lorraine Brown
Genre: Romance
Rating: ★★★★
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ (Closed Door)
Two writers. One pressing deadline. No time for
romance...
Scarlett and Theo have one bestselling novel to their names: the psychological
thriller they wrote together years ago. None of the books they've written
separately have sold anywhere near as well...
Now at risk of being dropped by their respective publishers, their agent tells
them that working together is the only way to save their careers and sends them
off on a writers' retreat in the south of France.
It wouldn't be the worst way to spend a summer--except that they've
accidentally been booked on a couples retreat instead, and spending
so much time together stirs up some very inconvenient feelings!
With their careers on the line and a pressing deadline, romance is the last
thing on their minds...
Beach Read meets The Proposal in this gorgeously escapist and
wonderfully bookish romcom set in the south of France
Couples Retreat
is the latest romcom from romance author Lorraine Brown. Fans of enemies to
lovers, forced proximity and a good second chance romance, this is the book for
you! Add in a gorgeous French Riviera setting, a couples retreat, two author main
characters and palpable sexual tension and you’ve got Couples Retreat, the
perfect feel-good beach read for 2024.
This was my first
time reading anything from Lorraine Brown, despite all of her books being on my
TBR list, but I was instantly hooked by the plot and read the entire book in a
single sitting. I’m a sucker for a forced proximity book and thought the
concept of two people with a complicated romantic history being stuck on a couples
retreat was really intriguing and it certainly did not disappoint. The story
was brilliantly paced and the vivid descriptions of the French Riviera setting
made me feel like I was on holiday myself.
As the setup is
that Scarlett and Theo are two authors trying to save their writing careers by
writing another psychological thriller together, there was a wonderful bookish
theme throughout the whole story. As a book blogger it was really interesting
to see a bit of a behind the scenes of how a book is written, particularly when
it’s a collaboration between two authors. I really wanted to read both their first
book Little Boy Lost and the book they write over the course of the story! One
brief moment I thought was particularly impactful was when the characters were
exploring why they love books, sharing that they’ve used reading and creating
stories since they were young as an escapism tool for managing challenging experiences.
Scarlett says that books can take readers “out of their own problematic
lives for a split second” and this really stuck with me as it’s something that
I’m sure lots of readers like myself would agree with.
Scarlett was a
fantastic relatable protagonist who I warmed to instantly. We see wonderful
character growth in her over the course of the book, with Scarlett realising
that it’s ok to put boundaries in place in order to put herself first for a
change. Theo was another fantastic character and brilliant love interest who, like
Scarlett, also has wonderful character growth as we see him begin to learn how
to open up emotionally to others.
Scarlett and Theo
had brilliant chemistry and their slow burn romance, full of almost kisses and
palpable sexual tension, had me practically screaming at them to hurry up and
kiss already. Although I don’t tend to be a fan of second chance romances, the
way their relationship history was drip fed to us through the retreat’s
activities was very compelling, particularly within the setup of the therapy
sessions as Scarlett and Theo gradually open up to the wider group. This is a closed-door
romance and although I thought I’d miss a spicy element to the story, it
actually worked really well.
Although this is at
heart a feel-good summer romance, it also doesn’t shy away from some hard-hitting
topics which was great to see. I thought the exploration of parentification
through Scarlett taking on a role as a surrogate mother to her younger siblings
at the young age of just nine was particularly powerful. There is also brilliant
panic attack representation in the early chapters of the book and seeing supportive
friends looking after someone experiencing a panic attack really warmed my heart
as an anxiety girl myself. Other important topics represented within the story
include adults caring for their ill parents, the impact of adverse childhood
experiences on adult relationships and attachments and, briefly through the
side characters, fertility issues and IVF. With the story being set on a
couples retreat the whole story is very therapy-positive which is brilliant to
see as I think society generally shies away from discussing therapy and the benefits
it can have.
If you are
looking for a feel-good romance as your holiday read for 2024 which is packed
full of your favourite tropes, look no further than Couples Retreat.
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