Author: Trish Doller
Publication Date: 8 March 2022
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Page Count: 288
Dates Read: 5 March 2022
Reading Method: Physical (thank you to the publisher!)
Review
What a sweet story! After getting fired from her job at as a night manager at a fancy hotel, Rachel must find a new job to support herself and her daughter Maisie. After a bit of encouragement from her sister, Rachel finds her dream job of running a hotel, but it comes with a lot of caveats. She’ll have to move out of her mom’s house in Florida to a tiny island in Ohio, the cabins barely built, and then there’s Mason, the grumpy owner and brew master extraordinaire.
As Rachel and Mason learn more about each other and the darkness in their pasts, they are drawn closer and closer together. Their relationship unfolds slowly, but it’s very sweet. I quite liked that it wasn’t a rushed romance. They both have to work through some tough parts of their past before they can devote time to the relationship between them, and I think Doller did a great job of gradually bringing them together while still keeping them true to themselves.
My favorite part of the story was Avery and the island’s book club! Avery warmly welcomes Rachel and introduces her to the colorful and hilarious ladies of the book club. Their shenanigans are some of the best parts of the story. They’re so supportive of each other and fall into a fast, easy friendship that I am slightly envious of.
Personally, I don’t really care for children in books, but Maisie was a big part of the story (obviously). Rachel’s sole motivation is doing what is right for her daughter, including making some very tough choices to ensure Maisie gets the best life possible. Of course, this brings about a little trouble, but I loved how Mason interacts with Maisie and supports Rachel in her decisions. Mason is also struggling with something major that effects the relationships he has with Rachel, Maisie, and the whole town really.
This was a fun, quick read. I read it on a long road trip and it passed the time well. Though it’s not my next five star read, it was enjoyable and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to a friend. I’m hoping to pick up Float Plan soon!
About the Book
One of the few bright lights in Rachel Beck’s life is her job at a Miami Beach luxury hotel―until she’s fired for something she didn’t do. As a single mom, Rachel knows she needs stability, and fast. On impulse, Rachel inquires about a position at a brewery hotel on a tiny island in Lake Erie called Kelleys Island. When she’s offered the job, not even the grumpy voice on the line can dissuade her from packing up her whole life and making the move.
What she finds on Kelleys Island is Mason, a handsome, reclusive man who knows everything about brewing beer and nothing about running a hotel. Especially one that’s barely more than foundation and studs. It’s not the job Rachel was looking for, but Mason offers her a chance to help build a hotel―and rebuild her life―from the ground up.
About the Author
I’ve been a writer pretty much since the first time I started stringing words together to make sentences, but I didn’t try to get published until much, much later – something for which everyone should be thankful.
My debut young adult novel, Something Like Normal was a 2012 American Booksellers Association New Voices pick, as well as chosen for the YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults list in 2013. I’ve written four other YA novels, including Start Here, which was tapped for the YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults list in 2020. My women’s fiction debut, Float Plan, was published in 2021.
I was born in Berlin, Germany back when there was still a wall, but grew up in Sandusky, Ohio; worked at Cedar Point amusement park through college; and graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism. Since then, I’ve been a radio personality on a morning show, a staff writer for my hometown newspaper, and a bookseller.
I have two grown children who are currently exploring the world. When I’m not writing, I love sailing, traveling, and avoiding housework. I live in Florida with an opinionated herding dog and an ex-pirate.
