*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 What Happens In Paradise blog tour hosted by Rachel's Random Resources.
Title: What Happens In Paradise
Author: Olivia Spring
Genre: Romance
Rating: ★★★★
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Explicit Open Door)
What happens in paradise… stays in paradise!
Hotel guest relations manager Jasmine, also known as a
Love Alchemist, adores her job at the exclusive Spanish Love Hotel. She prides
herself on helping guests meet their perfect match. But matchmaking is
absolutely forbidden between staff. And so Jasmine must resist the attraction
she feels every time she’s around delectable sous-chef, Alejandro. The problem
is, she knows the feeling is mutual. But she cannot jeopardise her job or break
the rules.
Because all her hard work is about to be recognized when
she’s asked to set up the new branch of the hotel in Jamaica. With an ocean
between her and temptation, Jasmine is ecstatic. This is just the distance she
needs to keep her feelings under control. But there is one kink in her plan…
Alejandro has been asked to join her. For two whole weeks!
Under the sultry Jamaican sun, keeping it strictly
professional becomes impossible when romance is literally all around them! So
they agree a (secret) holiday fling may help satisfy their desires and then
they can move on. After all, what happens in paradise stays in paradise… right?
What Happens in
Paradise is the latest romantic comedy from author Olivia Spring and the second instalment
of her ‘The Love Hotel’ series. This is a fun and spicy romance which blends the
workplace romance and forbidden romance tropes perfectly, set against the
beautiful backdrops of sunny Spain and Jamaica. Add in a reverse age gap (she’s
older, he’s younger), the only one bed trope and a whole lot of forced proximity
and you have this brilliant romance which will make the perfect beach-read for 2025.
I took part in
the blog tour for the first book in the series ‘The One That Got Away’ last
year (click here to read my review) and fell in love with the premise of the matchmaking
hotel so I was eagerly awaiting the release of this book and it certainly did
not disappoint.
This is a really
easy quick read with short and snappy chapters and a perfectly paced narrative.
We have a dual POV first person narrative and this worked perfectly for the
story. I particularly loved the Jamaican setting and Olivia Spring’s vivid descriptions
of the beautiful landscape instantly transported me there.
So many of our
beloved romance tropes have been packed into this story and they all worked
perfectly. I’ve not read too many reverse age-gap books (where the FMC is older
– in this case in her late 30s - and the MMC younger – in this case in his late
20s) but this worked really well. The combination of it being a forbidden
romance but there being such an intense forced proximity element with them having
to attend romantic excursions together created such a brilliant plot that I
just couldn’t get enough of.
There’s palpable
sexual tension between Jasmine and Alejandro which was so perfectly crafted and
had me absolutely hooked. And the ‘fuck it’ moment we finally got was so worth
it, as was the brilliant spice in the chapters which followed. Their chemistry
was electric and the romantic scenes between them – both spicy and just sweet –
were really well written.
Olivia Spring writes
thoroughly loveable characters and Jasmine and Alejandro were no exception. They
both felt really real and relatable. Through each of them we explore the
concept of starting a new chapter in their lives and learning to love again
following divorce and the death of a partner respectively and this was really
well written, particularly Alejandro’s grief.
Overall, What
Happens In Paradise is another fun and spicy read from Olivia Spring. It’s
perfect if you want something you can read in a single sitting as you lounge by
the pool somewhere sunny with a cocktail in hand (bonus points if it’s rum
based as that’s so on theme with this book).
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