This book was so enjoyable and cute for 70% of it. Graham and Zoey have an instant connection. Graham is a grumpy, Alaska native who runs a local diner, has a blind dog that he dresses up in outfits, and is a woodcarver in his spare time. Zoey is a tourist who has been saving up for this Alaska trip for years (so ~she’s not like other tourists~ in this typical rich area). Because of their instant connection, the story provides a lot of cute moments of them feeling like a couple from nearly the beginning. There’s also the cool backdrop of Alaska, the vacation romance element, and the small town vibe that I loved.

But, firstly, the book went on too long. It started to drag a bit. Then, there was repeating conflict. The big conflict here is that this is short term, since Zoey is a tourist. That’s all well and good, but the characters decide to “fight” about this over and over at the end which feels inconsistent with the rest of the story because they are not a tumultuous couple.

Also, Graham has a violent streak which was so unnecessary. I loved his grumpy personality with a heart of gold. But then, he has these moments of “alpha male” where he wants to punch any other guy that shows interest in Zoey, he punches a wall at one point, and actually ends up punching another male character for a reason that I think was really weak and unjustified. Zoey at one point does call him an “alphahole”, which is a romance community word for these type of toxic masculine characters, but beyond that the narrative doesn’t really address this behavior as bad. He even breaks the law a few times and it’s brushed off because “he’s a local and knows everyone.” It was an addition that felt unnecessary because his grumpy but loveable personality that was present for the majority of the book was just fine!

The combination of the book dragging on so that I lost some of the tension, along with the bad behavior dropped this from what would have been a 4 star down to a 3/3.5 star. This is going to be a series set in this tourist town, and I will likely continue as I did enjoy the setting and am intrigued about some of the side characters and their stories.

tropes:
- nicknames
- small town romance
- vacation romance: tourist + local
- fade to black sex scenes

I have to say this is definitely one of the most adorable romcom's that I've read. I laughed out loud way too many times to count and I really did enjoy reading this. However, you can definitely tell it's the authors first novel. It felt unpolished at times and some of the characters felt one note at times. There's good bones there and I can definitely see Sarah turning out to be a popular romance author because the characters she writes are engaging, loveable, and the type you want to root for!

I didn't enjoy the whole fade to black thing when it came to the romance. I don't need down and dirty raunchy smut, but considering the first kiss didn't happen until more than halfway through, I expected to have my breath stolen and my heart go all pitter patter. I was definitely disappointed with how the romance played out considering the sheer amount of build up there was.

Graham did get on my nerves at times with his over use of 'gorgeous' and fifty other nicknames he had for Zoey, and his need to punch everyone was definitely suspect. HOWEVER! He had my heart with his interaction with animals, especially his adorable collie Jake. I mean, a man who owns dressing up his dog and cares so deeply is a man I can't just brush to the side.

I'm definitely super interested in reading the sequel, learning more about Moose Springs, and seeing Sarah flourish as a romance author!

Rating edit: 2.5 stars.

Okay, so it's a 'vacation romance', set in the beautiful Alaska. A cute, bespectacled tourist; her rich, careless friend; a handsome local who owns a diner and so many other characters.

Overall, it was an okay read. No, there are certain parts/incidents that are very interesting, however there are several incidents and characters that seemed uninteresting to me. That's my problem with this book ___it's inconsistent, in terms of entertainment. Sometimes it grips you, entertains you, and sometimes you find things unnecessary. I like the protagonists and their repartee, but again their togetherness and bonding lack warmth, it fails to evoke emotions.

I received an ARC for an honest review-I was intrigued about this book after I read a starred review for it in PW. I love the premise of a disgruntled diner owner who falls for a quirky tourist, and there were some very funny scenes. That said, the constant silly misadventures felt a bit too much and I put the book down for a bit. Also, there seemed like a lot of fighting in this book-maybe that's a thing in Alaska? The secret project Lana was working on felt a bit rushed to me at the end. Clearly this is going to be a series, and I will definitely read the next one in the hopes that some of the loose ends are tied up.

I loved this book. It has an amazing Alaskan setting, a sweet romance, and great supporting characters. Graham is a gruff but loveable local diner owner and Zoey is a tourist on the trip of a lifetime. They fall for each other despite their temporary circumstances. The adventures in the Alaskan wild and the locals vs. big resort dynamic are so entertaining. I loved the development of the relationship between Graham and Zoey. Their banter is perfect and the issues they faced in building their connection were so realistic. Usually with romances there is drama thrown in to keep the plot moving forward but these two dealt with what any real people would in a new relationship with a distance factor. I am off to preorder the next two books coming in this series. I can’t wait!

Thank you to Sarah Morgenthaler, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love books that are set in beautiful destinations. And Alaska might be one of my favorite places in the world. When there are fun books set in this beautiful location, you know I’m all in.

The town of Moose Springs is so beautifully and thoroughly described that readers are quickly transported to this small town in Alaska.

I absolutely loved Graham and completely understood his compassion and concern for his small town. I also really liked Zoey – I admired her determination in saving for her trip to Alaska, and trying to make the best of her trip, even as things started to go sideways.

I also found all of the relationships believable and wanted to be a part of the Moose Springs community and all of the love and support that’s there.

However, the only thing I ever questioned was how Zoey and Lana became friends. That relationship and the dynamic between the two never really made any sense to me. And, while the history of how the two became friends is explained, the dynamic never really makes sense between the two throughout the entire book.

I really enjoyed this romcom, even though the ending was pretty predictable. Granted, light and predictable is exactly what I needed right now during this pandemic and lockdown. Especially when every day there’s something new on the news, it was perfect to be transported to a remote, small town in Alaska and spend some time there.

Tourist Attraction is one of the most fun books I have read this year. I loved Graham and his wit. I really enjoyed how much he tried to resist loving his job and his life, but how deeply he felt both. It was so warm and fuzzy to watch him fall for Zoey and to see their relationship develop.

While this was a joy to read, I do wish we had gotten more back story on both of them. It would have added so much to the story to know more about their background and what made them who they are. I recommend this sweet story to people who love a warm romance without too much steam and lots of fun.

This book was such a fun escape to beautiful Alaska! I enjoyed the juxtaposition of Graham with his restaurant catering to the tourist and his dislike for them making his restaurant wildly successful. Zoey and Graham seems to always meet with the weirdest circumstances, creating lots of humor and banter.

I liked that this book touch on keeping it local or “selling out” which I am sure every tourist driven town faces.

Northern Exposure meets Gilmore Girls!

True, our hero is a younger and hotter version of Luke Danes but the grumpiness and dislike of tourists are spot on. Moose Springs provides the charm and characters for a delightful book. The writing has a lot of cute banter filled with popular references. When Zoey, a hardworking waitress from a small town in Illinois, comes to Alaska, for her two-week vacation, she meets Graham and many adventures ensue. I loved all picture-perfect scenic descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness. Oh, and the animals...they are stars of this book.

What I didn't care about is too much backstory for the side characters, it is clear that this book gives a great foundation to make it a series. Don't get me wrong, I want to read those books but I feel more attention should be on our main couple. I also would like more clearness between the switch in point of view between narrators. Maybe if each had their own chapter or something.

This is this author's debut. And what an amazing debut it is. It reminds me of another Sarah... Sarah Morgan. So I am excited about future books she will write. It got me at Alaska!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!!

THE TOURIST ATTRACTION made my heart melt into a happy puddle of goo. Zoey has saved up her money for years, while working as a truck stop waitress, for a once in a lifetime vacation to Alaska. When she arrives her vacation does not go quite as planned, starting with getting insanely drunk at the local hangout, The Tourist Trap. She is carried back to her hotel in her drunken state by Graham, the very grumpy and reluctant owner of the restaurant. Zoey will only be in town for two weeks, but a series of mishaps, foibles, and minor disasters continue to throw her and Graham together and sparks start to fly.

I am a difficult reader to make laugh while reading a book, but this book had me laughing out loud on the very first page and continued for the rest of the book. I cannot say that I can think of another Contemporary Romance with better banter than in THE TOURIST ATTRACTION. It was utterly hilarious and also built a sweet friendship between the two leads before any romance began to grow. I loved their genuine friendship.

This book also boasts a pet dog and a saucy moose that add lightness and laughs to the book.

My only qualm, for which I am removing 1/2 a star, is that this is clearly a first book in a coming series and the author threw so many characters at us that it made the story muddled and hindered the flow of the writing. It felt as if I was hearing physical descriptions and back story on 9 different characters that stayed on the periphery of the story. While I understand that authors like to introduce side characters in the first book of a series, this book was particularly heavy-handed and it bogged down this story.

This is one of the best romances I have read this year and I cannot wait to hear more from this little town in Alaska with it's community of colorful characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

There are books that capture you form the first chapters, but then there are books like The Tourist Attraction which had me the way bread has Ulysses. Within the first page I already had my bags packed ready to go to Alaska. The author so perfectly breathed life into her story that I could close my eyes and see what the author was describing. I can see these characters and visualize the Alaska she was painting.

Have you seen the show New Girl? Did you have a crush on Nick Miller (no need to answer, of course you did). Graham is Nick Miller to his grumpy core, I’ll give you a dollar if you convince me otherwise. He has the soul of an old man who’s waiting on his porch to throw newspapers at the kids on his lawn, but swagger and humor that makes him both lovable and sexy. I just adored Zoey. Something about her just makes her so lovable, relatable, and down to earth. She’s witty enough to go toe-to-toe with Graham, but there’s a shyness and a sincerity that makes you protective of her. She’s the type of person who wants to wreck the accuracy of dinosaur displays, but also wants to learn and take in the beauty and history that surrounds her.

This book had me physically laughing out loud and my face hurts from all my smiling. I’m here for drunk Zoey drunk-reading who attempts to read a book upside down and uses her glasses as a bookmark. I’m here for Graham and his always perfect comedic use of all pop culture references. I’m here for the mishap adventures of Zoey that lead to even better ones with Graham. And I’m here, always at a safe distance, for Ulysses and his inappropriate love for a truck smelling like bread.

Along with the laughs, came all the butterflies and scenes where I had to take a moment and let me heart recover. Reading Zoey and Graham’s story was so much fun because it was a relationship that is based on friendship. They had this amazing chemistry from their first playful banter to their missed opportunities to tell each other their true feelings and everything in between. Their characters were written so well that you felt a part of their story rather than an outsider looking in.

The writing was executed really interestingly where it was done in a dual POV, but in a third person perspective. I tend to get lost while reading if it’s not clearly spelled out who’s voice I’m reading, but this was done so well and effortlessly that it was easy to follow the changes within the chapters. I love seeing a guy’s perspective and how they are strung out waiting for a girl to call even though he didn’t give her his number.

This story was phenomenal and captivating, the writing was fantastic to where the pages came to life, and over all I’m deeply saddened this book is over but really happy it’s a series where I can drive right back into this town.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this advanced copy

Omg I loved this book so so much! It was so much fun and felt very realistic for a vacation romance. I loved the insta connection, and even though it was borderline insta love, I still adored the relationship! The humor was exactly what I love and even though it wasn’t as sexy as I usually read, the banter, chemistry between the characters, and “fade to black” moments were more than enough! I loved both MC’s so so much and I ended up loving the main secondary characters as well, which doesn’t always happen! Which is awesome because I just found out that they’re getting their own stories and I’m so excited!

Despite a couple problems, I still absolutely loved it and am not effecting my rating because of them. I got so involved in the story that I didn’t even really notice these things until I was done reading. As soon as I finished, I went and preordered a final copy and the second book, if that gives you any inclination as to my love for this book!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my review!

The Tourist Attraction was such a cute and fun rom-com! What happens when a tourist captivates the local tourist hating curmudgeon? Lots of funny situations, cute moments with witty dialogue!

Jake the dog & Ulysses the moose completely make this book! I love reading books set in Alaska as I've always wanted to go to.

This comes out May 5th and I highly recommend putting it at the top of your TBR!

This book was super cute! I loved every minute of it. I thought the plot was executed really well. It had laugh out loud moments which I can really appreciate due to the pandemic. Everyone needs a bit of escapism right now. Definitely recommend! I will be reading more by this author.

What happens when an alaskan local who hates tourists becomes completely smitten with a tourist?! Utter chaos and hilarious shenanigans basically.
Zoey is having the holiday from hell, with everything that could go wrong, going spectacularly wrong. No matter what, she tries her hardest to make this the holiday she dreamed it would be. Graham usually hates the tourists that take over his alaskan town but around Zoey all the grumpiness goes out the window and he is literal sunshine. These two are constantly drawn together and seem to find themselves in quite a few near death experiences. This book had the perfect combination of laugh out loud moments and swoon worthy moments.

So if you love a great slow burn romance, some awesome side characters (Jake and Ulysees were the real MVPs here) and heaps of laugh out loud moments I definitely recommend this one!

Zoey always wanted to go to Alaska, when her friend is going in Moose Springs, Alaska for a work vacation she invites her to go as well, Zoey has finally saved enough money to make her dream a reality.

Graham owns a local diner which much to his disappointment is very popular with tourists, the Tourist Trap is his work but it isn't his dream. Especially since he really don't like the tourists that are always around his town.

After a first meeting, Zoey instantly captivated his attention, Graham is interested in her, but she is a tourist and he would never get involved with a tourist. That is what he tells himself even when he is seeking her in order to see her again.

From the first chapter this book held my attention, I really enjoyed learning about this small town in Alaska with all those interesting people. Graham and Zoey were both so cute, they had some especially sweet moments together. There were time were I was impatient and I wanted them to finally take a step forward to see their relationship develop more and I was exhilarated when this happened in the best, more natural way. I also loved their sense of humor which gave an even more cheerful tone to the book. The characters were very well developed, and the side characters gave the sense of a community in the story.

It is a debut novel and I am very impressed by it, I am looking forward to see the rest books in the Moose Springs, Alaska series.

*I received an arc from the Sourcebooks Casablanca through Netgalley.

The Tourists Attraction was a sweet and funny slow burn romance that takes place in a little Alaskan town,that was so beautifully described that it made me want to go there.


When Graham opened his diner he named it Tourist Trap as a joke. Never in his wildest dreams did he thought that it would eventually become the tourist attraction and that people would wait for hours in lines just for the opportunity to go there. To say that he doesn’t like tourists is an understatement. They are interfering with his life and creating problems everywhere they go. But there is one tourist he can’t help but like.
Zoey came in Moose Springs with her best friend Lana and completely fell in love with that little Alaskan town. I loved that friendship that quickly developed between Zoey and Graham, and enjoyed reading about all the adventures they experienced together. My favorite parts of this book were the ones that included Ulysses,the moose, and his adorable and laughable attempts to woo Graham car. Also I adored Jake, Graham dog.
What I didn’t like were the secondary characters,I simply didn’t care about them, and even though I love slow burn romances one thing I really don’t like in them are fade to black scenes.




ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️

Graham staffs Moose Springs’ diner, The Tourist Trap, and despises all stuck-up tourists... but, he’s captivated by the quirky Zoey, who is only in town for two weeks, who has saved every penny from her waitressing job to enjoy all the lovely excursions she has planned, and who isn’t like all the other tourists. What Graham doesn’t expect is making exceptions to every tourist rule he has. For Zoey. But, with a timeline of two weeks, is that enough time together? Or, are feelings going to get hurt? Hearts broken?

What a delight! Who can resist a story that featured Ulysses the moose and Jake the border collie? Reading this book was like I was also on vacation in Moose Springs. Graham was such a goof! He could be obnoxious, but it was cute and it worked for his personality. The banter made me chuckle. The story was balanced with adventure laced with romance, friendships that include four-legged mammals, and of course, humor. The long chapters just killed me in the beginning, and we all know how much I love first POV. But, the 3rd POV writing in this one was well done (and I don’t say that too often)!

Graham owns The Tourist Trap diner in Moose Springs, Alaska. He runs the diner by himself- just the way he likes it. He keeps the hours- just the way he likes them. He loves that in his quaint town everyone knows one another- and the tourists leave.
Graham has a strict no-dating tourists rule. They are all rich, stuck up and full of themselves- and don’t stick around long enough for a relationship....until Zoey. The minute Graham lays eyes on Zoey Bear (yes, he quickly gives her a nickname) he knows he’s in trouble.
Can Graham overcome his fear of losing his heart for a tourist? Can Zoey trust someone she’s just met?

Zoey is finally taking her dream Alaskan vacation, which she has been saving for years to be able to afford. Immediately, she's infatuated with everything about the small town of Moose Springs. Local diner owner Graham who can't stand the tourists that overrun the town every year - but he finds himself drawn to this one special visitor. The problem: Zoey is going back home after two weeks.

This was my second Alaskan romance book in a row and if I keep this up I'm going to find myself on the next flight to Alaska. It just sounds so beautiful okay?!

The Tourist Attraction was a fun and lighthearted read. I was all about the small tourist town of Moose Springs, and I loved Zoey's love of the town. She had the worst luck in the world, apparently, but it never got her down, which kept the book light and funny.

I really liked the dialogue between Zoey and Graham. It felt much more real than a lot of other romances. Their conversations felt fun and random and they bounced from topic to topic. There weren't any melodramatic over the top speeches - just normal, real conversation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!