ARC Review: Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on January 16, 2024
Genres: Adult Contemporary Romance
Pages: 320
Source: the publisher
Format: ARC
My Rating:
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Blurb:

Presley Ayers is not the woman you bring on a camping trip. An accomplished concierge at an exclusive hotel in Great Falls, MI, she knows more about the top ten places for champagne and caviar than she does about the best hiking boots to go stomping around near Lake Michigan. But when she surprises her boyfriend of eight months with a vacation to the Get Lost Lodge and he dumps her instead, Presley decides to rough it solo and take the trip herself.

When Beckett Keller helps the gorgeous woman off the rickety boat and onto Lodge territory, it’s clear she’s made a mistake. She doesn’t like hiking, fishing, or nature in general, so why did she go on this trip?―but he’s got other things on his mind. A crumbling lodge, and his own plans and dreams that are forever deferred―so he doesn’t have time for Ms. Fish-Out-of-Water. But neither Beckett or Presley can help that inexplicable draw they feel towards each other. He’s all rough stubble and plaid shirts, while she’s all high heels and brand-name athleisurewear.

But you know what they say about opposites.

A charming opposites-attract romance, Love, Naturally is for anyone who ever stepped outside their comfort zone and found that all the best things can happen when you take a chance.

My Review

I was so excited to get this ARC in the mail as I usually only get e-galleys from this publisher. This was my first romance of 2024. It wasn’t a bad read overall. The characters were ones I liked, and the whole plot and small town setting was good as well. There was a lot that was great, realistic sometimes. But then a lot of it was also kind of cliche, kind of insta-love, and also there were a few characters that seemed to be thrown in just to maybe check off boxes for social expectations these days. For instance there was a they/them hairdresser that we met once or twice but only for very short times. There was a neighbor who was maybe on the spectrum with not liking to be touched and the way he dealt with situations. But also, almost seemed a bit like he was just added to check off a box, as the character being that way didn’t actually make any difference to the story itself.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about having those types of characters at all! It just seemed like they were added in to make sure the story had the diversity aspect to it. Other characters, such as the chef at the resort and his husband, fit into the story seamlessly and didn’t stick out to me like those other two did.

There was one bit where a character thought that he wouldn’t “not” fish just because there wasn’t a lot of time to spend on it. He’d go and do it when he had time just because he could. Made me think about how I never do my own writing anymore since I don’t have the perfect amount of time or environment to sit and write. When I used to use any spare time I had to write, even while working the cash register when I worked at the bookstore, in between customers when it would be slow at the store. I also liked that the main character kind of agrees with me about weighted blankets, and not caring for the feeling they made her feel smothered, like I think they do to me too.

So, this is a good read overall as I started off saying, but won’t be in my top reads of the year. Wasn’t a bad way to start off my new year of reading, although it was a little slower read for me.