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Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC. Read my honest, spoiler-free review below.
From USA TODAY bestseller Kayla Olson, a new rom-com about a high-maintenance woman who embarks on a wilderness trek to prove to her ex how low-maintenance she can be—only to find herself with no makeup and an extremely attractive trek leader.
Those who say “be prepared” never met Sadie Whitlock.
Sadie has always been praised for being the most prepared person in the room, the one who’s thought of everything—and every backup plan—for any given situation. She knows exactly what she wants, exactly what she loves, and goes to great lengths to make sure her life runs perfectly as planned.
So, when her laidback boyfriend breaks up with her for being “too high-maintenance,” Sadie is eager to prove him wrong, and signs herself up for a weeks-long guided wilderness adventure in the High Sierras of California: camping, hiking, rappelling, and kayaking. It’s the most miserable, uncomfortable situation she can think of.
Sadie’s a five-star resort girl at heart, but she has a compelling—and suspiciously attractive—tour guide: August Thorn. Thorn lives for adventure and always keeps a professional distance from the trekkers under his care…but there’s just something about Sadie, and for the first time, he finds himself wanting to get closer. As they explore the wilderness together, Sadie realizes the great outdoors might truly be great with the right person.
The Great Outdoors by Kayla Olson Book Review
Kayla Olson is one of my favorite rom-com authors, so I was delighted to receive an ARC of The Great Outdoors!
My initial thoughts were, “This is like if Elle Woods signed up for an intense hike/camping trip after a breakup instead of applying to Harvard Law.” And I was spot on!
The plot for this book was so unique and relatable. I am also not a camper/hiker, but I do enjoy visiting our National Parks. I could relate to Sadie’s feeling of accomplishment after every day of the hike because it was outside her comfort zone and I’ve definitely felt that way myself after a few hikes.
Thorn was also such a likeable character! I thought he was going to be the grumpy to Sadie’s sunshine, but I’m glad we got his POV throughout the story and knew why he acted the way he did at times.
I did feel like the plot got a little repetitive, but not enough that it made me want to stop reading. An isolated setting with limited characters is tough to navigate in a romance book.
Overall this is a great summer read that I highly recommend!
Spice Rating: 1/5 | Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Buy The Great Outdoors: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.orG
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