Review: What Happens in Paradise by Olivia Spring*

*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

Trigger warnings:  References To Death Of A Parent, References To Death Of A Partner

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).