Published by Penguin on June 15, 2021
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
Source: ARC
An unexpected tropical layover with her nemesis turns a flight attendant's life upside down in this witty, breezy debut romantic comedy about life--and love--30,000 feet above the ground.
After ten years as a flight attendant, Ava Greene is poised to hang up her wings and finally put down roots. She's got one trip left before she bids her old life farewell, and she plans to enjoy every second of it. But then she discovers that former pilot Jack Stone--the absurdly gorgeous, ridiculously cocky man she's held a secret grudge against for years--is on her flight. And he has the nerve to flirt with her, as if he doesn't remember the role he played in the most humiliating night of her life. Good thing she never has to see him again after they land....
But when their plane encounters mechanical problems, what should have been a quick stop at the Belize airport suddenly becomes a weekend layover. Getting stuck on a three-hour flight with her nemesis was bad enough. Being stranded with him at a luxury resort in paradise? Even with the sultry breeze and white sand to distract her, it will take all the rum punch in the country to drown out his larger-than-life presence.Yet the more time Ava spends with him under the hot Caribbean sun, the more she begins to second-guess everything she thought she knew about him...and everything she thought she wanted from her life. And all too soon, she might have to choose between keeping her feet on the ground and her head in the clouds....
Ava has a very specific idea of how she expects her life to go. Quite simply, she wants nothing to do with the untethered lifestyle of her parents; flitting from one adventure to another. Ava craves roots, stability, and dependability and as luck would have it, it appears that brand-new fiancé, Alexander, may just be all that in one shiny (workaholic) lawyer package. If you don’t care for your MC to be attached to another man at the beginning of a Rom Com, this is your warning. It doesn’t bother me so much, though I wish we had some more evidence of Alexander’s behavior/actions.
The supporting characters were amusing, though I’m not sure how realistic Gen’s lunacy. As long as readers are okay with suspending belief and just holding on for a wild ride, Gen’s particular brand of wayward can be charming.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t crazy about Ava at the start. It took a solid 45% of the book for me to stop pursing my lips at her inner thoughts and being frustrated with her inability to see how unhealthy her relationship was. Paired with her intense dislike of Jack, I wasn’t sure I was rooting for her HEA until she underwent some growth. Truly though, it made her growth and self-discovery more enjoyable as we spend time with Ava and Jack.
I’m a sucker for enemies-to-lovers, and while the root of the enemies on this one was a little flimsy, I adored the banter between the MC and love interest. Jack Stone is cool, confident, and patient. He takes most everything is stride and it really just an all-around nice guy.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Waldon’s debut! It was light, breezy, and filled to the brim with tropical goodness and adventure that makes it a perfect beach read. It made me feel like I needed to pack my bags and flit off to a new destination for exploring! But then I remember how traveling with a 3 year old is basically one of Dante’s circles of hell and decide that maybe I should just mix myself a tropical cocktail and reread The Layover and pretend I’m in Belize, or Fiji, or some other paradise.
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
