Beach Please
by Melanie Summers
(Paradise Bay, #6)
Publication date: June 22nd 2023
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
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A hilarious and heartwarming story that’ll have you snort-laughing, swooning, and sighing with happiness…
Lola Gordon’s dreams of a thriving surf shop were shattered when her ex vanished with all the money in their business account, leaving her on the brink of losing everything. With the bank set to auction off her beloved shop and its contents in just six weeks, Lola is desperate to find a solution.
When news of an exciting treasure hunt sweeps through the island, Lola sees it as her last chance to reclaim her surf shop and rebuild her life. There’s just one obstacle standing in her way: she needs a boat.
Enter Aidan Clarke, a disillusioned Canadian expat seeking solace in the tranquil shores of Paradise Bay. Having recently discovered his fiancée’s infidelity with his brother, Aidan wants to be alone. So when his parents decide to visit and hunt for a house near his seaside cottage, Aidan realizes he must create an illusion of happiness.
He proposes a deal to Lola: he’ll provide the boat she needs if she agrees to pose as his live-in girlfriend.
As Lola and Aidan set sail on their adventure, the lines between fiction and reality blur, and their fake affection starts to feel all too genuine.
Join Lola and Aidan as their dreams are tested, their hearts are mended, and a sun-kissed romance awaits…
Beach Please is a closed-door rom-com with a bit of heat and a fair bit of cursing. It stands alone (although to get the full treasure hunt experience, it’s best to read Whisked Away first) and comes complete with maps, colourful graphics, and a whole lot of ice cream…
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MY REVIEW
It mentions in the synopsis that this is a sun-kissed romance, and it sure is. There’s something about summer that draws me to contemporary romance books. Especially beachy, funny ones. Beach Please has all that including a treasure hunt and characters that delighted me.
Lola and Aidan both have emotional baggage and need something, anything, to change the course of their lives. Circumstances land them on a boat together and what starts as a ruse quickly turns into something tangible.
A treasure hunt. A fake romance. It’s funny, sunny, spicy and addictive. I sped through Beach Please and got everything I hoped for.
5 STARS
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Enjoy this peek inside:
“Aww, you two look so sweet,” his mom says. “I need to get a picture of you together.”
We both sit up and Aidan puts his arm around me, pulling me in. I rest my head on his shoulder and smile, my heart pounding and my stomach fluttering for some strange reason. I don’t want either of those things to happen. Yes, he’s hot, but he’s also a fussy neat freak and we have absolutely no future together.
“You two are going to have the most beautiful children,” she says, still holding the phone up.
My face flames at that thought and I can’t help but feel a tug of guilt for lying to them like this.
“Did you get the shot, mom?” Aidan asks.
“Nuts,” Ginnie says. “The camera was aimed at me the whole time. One second.”
“Sorry about this,” Aidan murmurs.
“It’s fine, really,” I say, even though it’s not fine because the longer our bodies are pressed together like this, the more I’m enjoying it. If I’m not careful, I’m going to wind up feeling very confused about what we’re actually doing here, and with us about to spend who knows how long alone together on his boat, I definitely can’t afford to be getting confused. I remind myself that he’s solidly anti-relationship. I remind myself we have nothing in common. I remind myself that the last thing I need right now is a man. And yet, the smell of his skin and the feeling of his arm around me is suggesting otherwise…
Author Melanie Summers:
Melanie Summers also writes steamy romance as MJ Summers.
Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Her first three books have been translated into Czech and Slovak by EuroMedia. Since 2013, she has written and published three novellas, and eight novels (of which seven have been published). She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe.
In her previous life (i.e. before having children), Melanie got her Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, then went on to work in the soul-sucking customer service industry for a large cellular network provider that shall remain nameless (unless you write her personally – then she’ll dish). On her days off, she took courses and studied to become a Chartered Mediator. That designation landed her a job at the R.C.M.P. as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for ‘K’ Division. Having had enough of mediating arguments between gun-toting police officers, she decided it was much safer to have children so she could continue her study of conflict in a weapon-free environment (and one which doesn’t require makeup and/or nylons).
Melanie resides in Edmonton with her husband, three young children, and their adorable but neurotic one-eyed dog. When she’s not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks in the woods near her house. She also spends a lot more time thinking about doing yoga than actually doing yoga, which is why most of her photos are taken ‘from above’. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something–more like just staying until they turn the lights off.
She is represented by Suzanne Brandreth of The Cooke Agency International.
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I love the cover! It’s so bright and cheerful.
Sounds like the ideal beach read.
This is ideal and a real treasure to enjoy this summer.
Sounds like a terrific rom com read. Love the character names Lola and Aidan
great summer read, thanks
Sounds like a great summer beach read. On my TBR list.
looks like a fun one
Curious about the weather where you live,I know your winters are long.
This sounds really good, I liked your review
What a fun cover.
sherry @ fundinmental
Sounds like a crazy adventure story that is taking place and leads into a romance story!!!!
I love how the outfit of author’s dog is colour co-ordinated to her book cover!