#BookReview: THE WAKE-UP CALL by Beth O’Leary @QuercusBooks

Publication: 26th September 2023 – Quercus

Two sworn enemies. One failing hotel. Love is the last thing they need . . .

It’s the busiest time of the year, and Forest Manor Hotel is quite literally falling apart. So when sworn enemies Izzy and Lucas are given the same shift on the hotel’s front desk, they have no choice but to put their differences aside.

The hotel won’t stay afloat without some sort of miracle. But when Izzy returns a guest’s lost wedding ring, the reward convinces management this might fix everything. With four rings still sitting in lost property, the race is on for Izzy and Lucas to save their beloved hotel – and their jobs.

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?

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

Not only a new Beth O’Leary’s novel, but also a Christmas one? I don’t have to think twice about reading it!

The Wake-Up Call is set in Forest Manor, a cozy hotel and spa. The two protagonists, Izzy and Lucas, hate each other and have spent the entire year getting on each other’s nerves, bickering and snapping at each other, for the enjoyment – or annoyance – of colleagues, friends, and guests. But it’s almost Christmas time and the hotel is in desperate need of funds or it will be forced to close. With very few options, they start selling lost property that no one has reclaimed, except for the box of rings whose owners Izzy is determined to find, turning it into a challenge with Lucas, which means spending more time together (involving also an only-one-bed situation) and realizing that maybe they don’t really hate each other.

I know I say this every time I read a new Beth O’Leary’s novel, but this is her best so far. I loved everything about it, the story, the setting, the characters, and the writing. Izzy and Lucas are two fantastic protagonists: authentic and loyal, they form the perfect grumpy vs sunshine couple. Lucas is serious and stubborn, determined to prove his worth, especially to his family, while Izzy is always cheerful and friendly, creative and supportive, the kind of person everyone wants to talk to. I enjoyed their bickering and witty exchanges and their chemistry is incredible.

There is also a wonderful cast of supportive characters: Poor Mandy, who turns out to be a genius of social media; Mr Townsend, who does a bit of matchmaking; the irritable Arjun; and the energetic Hedgers family.

Well-written, heart-warming, and immersive, The Wake-Up Call is the perfect enemies-to-lovers romance with a fantastic Christmas atmosphere thanks to the amazing found family of Forest Manor!

A huge thank you to Quercus and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this novel.

Beth O’Leary is a Sunday Times bestselling author whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages. Her debut, THE FLATSHARE, sold over half a million copies and changed her life completely. Her second novel, THE SWITCH, has been optioned for film by Amblin Partners, Steven Spielberg’s production company. Beth writes her books in the Hampshire countryside with a very badly behaved golden retriever for company. If she’s not at her desk, you’ll usually find her curled up somewhere with a book, a cup of tea and several woolly jumpers (whatever the weather).