The Tourist Attraction follows a grumpy local diner owner Graham, who has a distaste for tourists that visit the small town of Moose Springs, Alaska. Although he runs a tourist hot spot that everyone comes to visit—despite reviews that the owner is rude to those who visit, it’s still ALWAYS packed—and Zoey, a struggling waitress who has finally saved up enough money to accompany her wealthy friend Lana—a seasonal tourist who Graham has come to not totally hate—to the small town for a dream getaway. The two show up to The Tourist Trap, Graham’s diner, and he catches a glimpse of a cute, shy, glasses wearing girl, who is reading in a busy room full of loud costumers. He’s intrigued. He has to know her. But why her? What’s so different about this tourist? Why can’t he stop thinking about her?

𝐇 𝐎 𝐍 𝐄 𝐒 𝐓 𝐓 𝐇 𝐎 𝐔 𝐆 𝐇 𝐓 𝐒:
This story was very cute. It had its ups and downs. There were times exciting things would happen, then times where it would drag a little, but I loved the antics the characters got into and the back and forth conversations between all the characters, It felt like I was watching a romcom play out before my eyes.

Although I loved Graham and Zoey, my favorite character has to be Jake, Graham’s adorable blind Border Collie that he dresses up in cute pajamas and hats. It’s a fun touch and I absolutely adored it.

If you enjoy slow burn, guy chases girl type romances, this is one to pick up. It was a cute read and the first in a series. I can’t wait to read the next installment.

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

This lighthearted romp was a welcomed distraction in this time of quarantine, when I wish I could not only be that tourist in Alaska, but also that girl who gets to have a meal out an a restaurant. lol. I'll keep an eye out for more of Morgenthaler's books in the future.

I'm not really keen on new romance books, there's something strange about them that I can't explain. BUT this one is a book that I really enjoyed. I'll definitely look around for more books by Sarah Morgenthaler in the future.

I absolutely loved this book. Graham, a grumpy restaurant owner, meets Zoey, a tourist who saved every penny to take a bucket list vacation meet at the restaurant when her friend Lana brings her there. Graham was instantly drawn to her. Zoey seemed to be living the life of Murphy's law. If it can go wrong, it will go wrong.

Overall, I enjoyed the slow burn of the romance in the book. It was a fun read, had me laughing out loud at times.

The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler was a delightful read!

Graham Barnett is a young, grumpy restaurant owner who is in love with his home state of Alaska, but not the tourists that come to visit. That is until he meets Zoey Caldwell. Zoey has always dreamed of visiting Alaska, but ow that she is finally there, everything seems to be going wrong. However, Graham is determined to show Zoey the best of Alaska, but they both know that this vacation romance will end too soon.

This story is a great rom-com- exactly my kind of humor! The Tourist Attraction is a great mix of sweet and hilarious moments. I especially loved the quirkiness of the love interest, with his blind dog, an overly friendly moose friend, and mediocre wood carving skills.

Overall this book is a quick, light read- HEA guaranteed. Check it out on May 5, 2020!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 ish. Super adorable.

There's just something about books set in Alaska that just make me super interested. And The Tourist Attraction definitely delivers on all the best elements of the last frontier, bringing you narwhal pods, killers whales, cute moose, and a lot of humor.

Graham Barnett is in love with his hometown, but the high-end resort at the top of the hill keeps filling it with tourists who party day and night and disrupt the small-town tranquility. When he decided to open his diner, The Tourist Trap, it was supposed to be a joke, but quickly it became THE spot in town for burgers, beers, and for Graham's utterly regret - karaoke. No matter what he does, and how rude he is, the tourists find his local joint charming, and his grumpiness is part of the package.

But his mood gravely improves when he meets a certain shy bookworm, different than the usual customers visiting Moose Springs, there's something about her that has Graham very intrigued. Zoey always dreamt of visiting Alaska, and she's absolutely smitten with the town and with the rugged man behind the counter. Can their connection be stronger the locals vs tourists feud that seems to be going on?

This book was adorable. I wouldn't call it enemies-to-lovers, per se, but the banter between Graham and Zoey was delightful. The setting is fun, and there's a great cast of characters that bring life into the small-town.

My issue with this book is around the pacing. Although it starts on a high note, it keeps using the same mechanisms to interfere with the couple, and although it's funny the first few times when their first kiss gets interrupted for the 7th time, you're like - omg get on with already.

Also, in the end, there were a few unnecessary conflicts, that did nothing to the growth of the characters and didn't really lead anywhere. By the end of the book, I wasn't sure if the conflict was resolved either. More like they learned to live with it? So, yes, although the first half was fantastic I feel like the second half was a tad convoluted.

I'm still very curious to read more about the captivating town of Moose Springs in the second book of this series, which will follow the flamboyant Lana.

The Tourist Trap by Sarah Morgenthaler was such a feel-good book. As always, I LOVE reading books set in Alaska and this one was no exception. I related to Zoey (MC) so much it was scary and what to say about Graham? So dreamy! It was such a funny book too, I loved the humor and dialogues. The ending was predictable but very welcome. One of my favorites this year. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the free ebook copy.

Zoey Caldwell has saved every penny she's earned working as a truck stop waitress for the last several years to make her dream vacation to Alaska a reality. Although her wealthy best friend, Lana, could easily foot the bill, Zoey won't allow it. All she asks is that Lana show her the ropes during their two week trip to Moose Springs, a small Alaskan town with a luxurious mountain resort where Lana's family has been vacationing for years. 

Their first stop in town: The Tourist Trap, a run-down restaurant owned by Moose Springs native Graham Barnett. Despite Graham's hatred of tourists and the lack of effort he puts into running his business, what was originally intended to be a locals-only food joint has somehow managed to become the most popular tourist restaurant in town, much to Graham's chagrin.

Lana insists Zoey try one of The Tourist Trap's infamous "Growly Bears", a blue and very boozy drink she claims is a rite of passage for all Moose Springs visitors. Graham is instantly drawn to Zoey, who stands out among the wealthy resort-goers in her Mickey Mouse sweatshirt and glasses. At the end of the evening, he ensures a very tipsy Zoey makes it back to the resort safely, believing that will be the last of their encounters. But fate seems determined to bring them together, starting with a hilarious misunderstanding in the woods that begins with a chainsaw and ends with a delicately-placed ice pack. With the help of his adorable dog, Graham decides its up to him to ensure Zoey's trip is one she'll never forget, no matter the road blocks they encounter along the way. Zoey soon realizes she's falling in love with more than just the picturesque Alaskan town, and Graham discovers there's only one tourist he doesn't mind having around. 

Full of humor and heart, Sarah Morgenthaler's The Tourist Attraction is a laugh-out-loud story about discovering where you belong and, more importantly, which people you want at your side. Featuring a wide cast of characters, including a lovestruck moose and the cutest canine companion you could ask for, this book is perfect for readers looking for a mildly steamy romance with wilderness adventures, heartwarming friendships, and lots of laughs. 

This review will be posted on Goodreads, Twitter, and my book blog on April 28, 2020.

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!