Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is a very sweet, spicy rom com set in the frozen tundra of Alaska. Margot is a successful romance author that does not believe in Happily Ever Afters. She has a secret Happily Never After document where she rants about what probably would really happen to her characters in real life. It’s a place where she can express all of her disappointments and thoughts about love and how devastating it can be for those that are hurt by it. When that document is leaked during a live interview in front of her diehard fans, Margot is immediately canceled by the romance world and her publisher makes it clear her future with them is on very shaky ground.

Margot’s sister, who suffers from chronic pain and whom Margo has been taking care of for years, sends her on an adventure trip to a remote resort in Alaska to recharge and write her next book. Margot reluctantly goes, but what she didn’t expect was to find Dr. Forrest Wakefield – the hot grumpy man working at the resort and taking care of his father while he recovers from a devastating stroke. He’s the epitome of every romance trope she’s ever written, and has every characteristic and physical trait of each of her book’s hot heroes. It doesn’t take Margot long to realize she’s in big, big trouble.

Margot’s duck out of water experience in Alaska was funny to read and as an unashamed couch-potato, was very relatable to me. The descriptions of their outdoor adventures, however, sounded beautiful. It even made me want to get off the couch and explore the wilderness for a hot minute. Thankfully, that urge quickly passed.

After being dumped a week before her wedding years ago, and left by every man that was important to her, Margot has no intention of letting a man get close to her or open her heart again. But, that doesn’t mean she can’t take advantage of the hot doctor’s body while she’s in Alaska. Forrest is instantly attracted to Margot, but he also has no intention of letting anyone through the walls he’s built around his heart. Good thing the couple agree that friends with benefits is the perfect solution to their desires and once Margot’s six weeks in Alaska is over, they will part with no hurt feelings. Yeah right. It was cute to see grumpy Forrest’s sparks of jealousy over another guest’s attempts to woo Margot, and his father’s transparent attempts to push the couple together was cute.

It was inspiring how dedicated and selfless Margot and Forrest was to their ailing family members. They are willing to sacrifice their happiness, wants, desires and futures for their families. Even if the family members never asked them to, or even wants them to. It was great to see their growth and healing throughout the book, even when things go terrible wrong once they decide to be happy. I don’t like third act break-ups or miscommunication, but the author did it well here and it made sense for the story. I mean, you see it coming a mile away, you just don’t know what, exactly, is going to cause it. Never fear, however, because this is a rom com and we always get HEA in rom coms, right?

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it won’t be the last. If you’re looking for a fun rom com that throws in almost every romance trope in existence into the book with a wink to the reader, this is the book for you and I recommend you read it.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from NetGalley and Atria Books. All opinions are my own.