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It's a sweet enough story as long as all you want is a love/hate romance for most of the book. Its filled with misunderstandings, misreading and some very dubious set pieces that were a bit on the cringey side. Tasked with clearing out the “lost and found” closet, and selling anything that may be of value, Izzy finds some wedding rings, but she feels it is only right to attempt to find the owners of these items before selling them. My first O’Leary book and I can certainly understand the appeal. This rom-com was all things sweet and charming, and so wonderfully British. It was very easy to be swept up in the delightfulness of it all. I struggled a lot with Izzy’s often immature behaviour and responses to things happening around her, but I absolutely ADORED Brazilian-expat and gentle-giant Lucas, and the way he yearned for Izzy to see him in a different light. I also loved the wider cast of quirky characters who made up the other staff and long-term residents of the hotel, as a full cast of great characters always goes a long way for me. Beth O’Leary has become a must-read author, with rom-coms like The Flatshare and The Road Trip at the top of our favorites list. She follows suit with The Wake-Up Call.” ―Country Living
Set in a struggling countryside hotel, this story follows co-workers and sworn enemies, Izzy and Lucas, as they set themselves on a mission to save the hotel from financial ruin in the lead up to Christmas. And, Beth O’Leary always manages to make me smile-there are definitely a few clever revelations that bring this Christmas story full circle by the end. The Forest Manor Hotel works hard over the holidays to survive and welcomes guests like family. It is filled with twists, and banter when coworkers Izzy and Lucas make the workplace difficult with their constant fighting. Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this amazing book in exchange for my honest thoughts. But when Izzy puts her heart on the line, and confesses her true feelings to Lucas in a Christmas card-suggesting that they meet under the mistletoe-and arrives to find him kissing her roommate instead, she vows to NEVER forgive either one.It's the busiest season of the year, and Forest Manor Hotel is quite literally falling apart. So when Izzy and Lucas are given the same shift on the hotel's front desk, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and see it through. The Wake-up Call is utter perfection: it’s everything I love about romance books in a seductive, funny, big-hearted and masterfully told story.”―Cressida McLaughlin, author of The Staycation
As their bitter rivalry turns into something much more complicated, Izzy and Lucas begin to wonder if there’s more at stake here than the hotel’s future. Can the two of them make it through the season with their hearts intact? Oh my gosh. What a great enemy-to-lovers rom-com, that while it had some of the traditional tropes, still felt refreshing and new. I absolutely loved the dichotomy of Izzy and Lucas’ personalities, and the side characters provided such depth to the story, I never minded when they stole the spotlight from the main plot. The supporting characters at Forest Manor Hotel are nothing short of perfection! From Mrs. SB and the unpredictable Mandy (who's like a wild card in the story) to Arjun and the potentially godsend Mr. Townsend (if this book ever gets adapted into a movie, please cast Bill Nighy for this role), not to mention the lively Hedgers family, Barty, and Ollie, they all make you feel like a part of their family. The whole Ring Thing was just plain stupid. They should have kept the rings, sold them, used the money to fix the hotel and moved on...Problem solved. If they loved the hotel so much why wasn't that plan put into place right away? Bottom line, this was just too cutesy for my personal taste but I am glad I finally gave this author a go...it is my year of thinking outside the box as far as giving different genres go, and I can't expect all of them to work for me.
Customer reviews
As their bitter rivalry turns into something much more complicated, Izzy and Lucas begin to wonder if there's more at stake here than the hotel's future. Can the two of them make it through the season with their hearts intact?
It was immediately clear that these two were hot for each other, but that a past misunderstanding had set them on the wrong course, resulting in a lot of competitive one-upmanship and tons of snarky banter. As with many romance novels, this entire story wouldn’t even exist had Izzy simply asked Lucas “WTF?!?!?!?!?!” when she caught him mistletoe-ing her friend at the annual Christmas soiree. But, of course that didn’t happen so you get to spend the majority of the novel being frustrated until you get to the big “ohhhhhhhh, so that’s why” at the very end. Witty, clever and full of heart―Beth O’Leary has done it again with TheWake-Up Call. I adored this cast of characters and had so much fun with them. This is escapist fiction executed perfectly, I loved it.”―Laura Kay, author of Wild ThingsThe saving grace? There are some great secondary characters and the holiday season and lovely setting add a nice dose of charm. The ending also turns the mood around. Had it not taken so long to get there, and if the more appealing aspects of the story had been amped up, I would’ve liked the story more. Oh my goodness, I have not enjoyed a book like The Wake-Up Call in a long time! I could not stop reading, and when I wasn’t reading it, I couldn’t stop thinking about it! It was like having a crush! Equalparts heart-warming, touching, sharp, and sexy, Beth O’Leary just gets better and better.”―Lia Louis, author of The Key to My Heart The palpable chemistry between Izzy and Lucas, along with their witty banter, completely engrossed me in their love story. Izzy's vulnerability in opening up her feelings after being crushed by Lucas' rejection a year ago, and Lucas' efforts to make her fall in love with him, his patience, and his inner sweetness made me sigh and smile countless times.
fell in love with Izzy, who is adventurous, original, shiny, creative, optimistic, and kind-hearted! And let's not forget about our brooding hero, Lucas, who hides behind a stubborn, serious, robotic facade, despite being a real cinnamon bun. He's caring, sensitive, and a romantic planner! The Wake-Up Call by Beth O'Leary is a fun read. O'Leary's writing style engaged me throughout the book. My eagerness to read from chapter to chapter was kept alive by clever dialogue and entertaining plot twists. A fun and cute rom-com with an enemy to friends theme. The setting is around the Christmas holiday season in England at a dilapidated, but wonderful hotel. The hotel employees and guests were like a close-knit family the way they supported each other, creating a warm atmosphere. The chemistry between the two characters was off the charts. And I loved the other side characters as I already said.
To sum it up: I highly recommend this book not only to romance lovers but also to readers who need something to brighten their mood, warm their hearts, and restore their faith in happiness and good karma! There is no denying I love Beth O'Leary's writing. Bonus points for this one being unexpectedly set around the holiday season! But this particular story didn't work for me. And, when the first is returned to its grateful owner, and the hotel is given a substantial reward for their efforts, Izzy and Lucas, wager a friendly(?) competition to see who can successfully return the most rings. The fact that there was a lot of miscommunication here was vexing to me, as a usual loather of such tropes in my romance reads, but something in the way these characters were written, all complex and very human in their insecurities and past hurts, made reading their story—even with all the miscommunication—a very easy and necessary experience, on my part.
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