The romance/adventure premise of this book was fun, but the setting in Costa Rica was so vague that I never felt it was a real part of the setting. Lots of places can be hot and humid, but that doesn't say anything unique about Costa Rica. The drug cartel story line also made me wonder why that story line considering Costa Rica has historically been a very safe country in Central America. And then, every time a character says something in Spanish it is conveyed completely in English followed by some from of "he said in Spanish." So, my question is: Why bother with a beautiful setting if it only serves as a mostly neutral backdrop with some added flavor for a flimsy stereotype?

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Exit through the Jungle follows Jolie, an influencer that after a few down months is rebranding her online presence and chose to begin her journey in Costa Rica. This story was made up of a convoluted story that was so pulled in so many directions it ended up being super messy. There were a lot of storylines that I would have been interested in delving in to, but instead none were fully developed because there was way too much going on.

This was great. Felt slightly ridiculous at times but the characters were likeable and it helped me escape reality for an afternoon.

This one wasn't great for me unfortunately. The romance-adventure aspect/premise for this book fell a bit short for me and the high hopes that I had, but it was still a well written and easy read! Thanks!

This is a short story and it was an easy read. Jolie and Kai relationship kinda flat. I don't feel the romance here or the connection. I don't feel any spark or even excitement reading this book. I just wanted to finish this book and done with it.

I don't like Jolie duh I mean when they get lost in the jungle she was mad when Kai don't want to have sex with her like wtf girl?? Why do you have to act like that? Goshhh

Thank you Netgalley, publisher and author for this ARC!

The premise of Exit Through the Jungle is a typical rom-com: people meet in unusual circumstances and fall in love. It should work but there are too many problematic moments in the book for the reader to really get into it.
Jolie is an Instagram influencer, forever on the hunt for the perfect shot. But her brand is waning and she needs a shot of cash to make it work. This means going to her dad to ask for a loan. He’s skeptical but agrees with the stipulation that she’s written out of his will if she can’t succeed.
Kai is settling his dad’s coffee estate and is the only sensible one of his brothers. This isn’t so bad but things escalate quickly: there are drugs and cartels; kidnapping and a botched robbery that are all on the doorstep of Kai and his brothers. That there is any kind of redemption of these men seems like it’s really stretching the bounds of reality.
Exit Through the Jungle tries really hard to shock the reader but it ends up being a mess. Jolie’s love of animals and her push to remain independent from her father still doesn’t make the reader want her to succeed. And Kai is supposed to be a good guy, except that he aids and abets some of the most troubling decisions in the book. Hopefully, the author does better in the next book.

To be honest, I thought this book was a little to stockholm at first. But then, it turned into a sweet romance, with edge-of-your-seat action. Once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. Loved this cute novel!

I received an Advanced Readers Copy from NetGalley but all views are my own.

I was kindly gifted an advance readers copy from Three Dimples Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I’m a day late in finishing this one so the book did actually release yesterday.

When I first heard about this one I was reminded of On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves, a couple stranded in an inhabitable environment while tension builds between the two of them. It was right up my alley, I had high expectations of the romance, but it wasn’t as I expected.

I was surprised at how the book started, I was expecting some sort of holiday gone wrong but it was more exciting than that. It started quite slow with a slow build of the background of both characters, both which interwind quite well. I was concerned that I wouldn’t like Jolie’s character as she was quite self centred at the beginning but I did grow to like her as the book went on.

I was surprised at how little of the book was set in the jungle itself, since its the main plot and what the book is named after, I liked the romance but felt it was quite quick to develop, it was almost from nothing to everything, there was some slow burn but not an awful lot from what you would expect from a romance novel.

I did find the ending quite abrupt, the build up of Kai’s background didn’t really get resolved, rather it felt like things were wrapped up quickly to get it out the way.

Overall I did enjoy it, I wished there was more build up to the romance and maybe more plot centred about the actual jungle. So I’d give this one 4/5 stars.

This was a quick, light and summer-orientated read with a rom-com feel. It took a rich, entitled instagrammer/influencer Jolie, on a journey to Costa Rica and eventually humanised her into a more grounded person. She was a bit vapid but still entertaining.

Then came an accidental kidnapping (yes, I did say that) which was rather funny and Kai found himself landed with Jolie running through the jungle to escape some drug dealers. These two had fun chemistry and the story was engaging.

This wasn't a deep read, it didn't require a lot concentration and so its great for the beach. I would have enjoyed a bit more in terms of story development and longer connection.

Thank you to Three Dimples Publising for the early review copy.

Thank you NetGalley, Three Dimples Publishing and Alicia Crofton for gifting me ana advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Jolie worked hard for her success as an Instagram influencer. She decides on a relaxing trip to Costa Rica for a much needed recharge. She never expected to be accidentally kidnapped and lost in the jungle with a hot local, Kai. There’s also drug dealers and cute animals.
This is a romantic comedy not meant to be taken too seriously. The fun, over the top banter and ridiculously situations make this a fast read!

I enjoyed the book but it wasn’t exactly an edge-of-my-seat page turner. If anything, it was an entertaining summer read that had a little bit of romance, adventure, and maybe a little suspense. The book starts off right away with jewelry heiress Jolie Bourgan on the beach taking photos for her social media account. She’s been successful as an influencer but has to turn to her father when sponsors start pulling out and he isn’t exactly happy about her life choices. After the death of their father, the Green brothers are trying to keep the family business afloat. Kai, the responsible one, has to step in when his older brother behaves recklessly and puts the family business in jeopardy. Kai’s and Jolie’s lives intersect when he unwillingly kidnaps her and now has to try to protect her.

It sounds more harrowing and exciting than it actually is. While I read this, I kept thinking it would work better as movie where we would be able to feel their chemistry and experience adventure than to read it. It is somewhat predictable as well with some twists at the end. The book ends with somewhat of a satisfactory ending but still leaves many unanswered questions. A sequel is set to be released next year or so. I may or may not pick it up just because I wasn’t exactly invested in Kai and Jolie’s relationship to begin with. It’s really just lust and attraction between the two of them and then love is used so hastily that I had to suspend my own beliefs to accept that they could be in love so quickly. Their chemistry with each other was just so-so. Their adventure takes place in the span of just a few days so I couldn’t help but question their feelings. Jolie questions it herself, wondering if it is a case of Stockholm’s syndrome but quickly dismisses the idea. My overall assessment, is that it is a 3 star because I was entertained at points but it teeters on being 2.5.

Thank you to Three Dimples Publishing and NetGalley for this copy of Exit Through the Jungle by Alicia Crofton in exchange for an honest review. It publishes August 29, 2020.
This appealed to me, because I love books with Instagram influencers! I enjoyed the pace of this book and the length of chapters were never too long.
This romcom is similar to one of those romcom movies that would come on TV late at night and you watch it, because it keeps your attention, but didn’t necessarily win any awards.
Worth the read if you like romcoms, and you can suspend reality.
TW: some language, violence/crime, sex

This book was so lovely! I enjoyed the theme of finding authenticity in the wake of the artificialness of social media. Definitely relevant and thought-provoking

This book had action, adventure, romance and a whole lot of other great things. But I feel like it was all packed into a book that couldn't handle it properly. Everything happens so fast and by the time you’ve adjusted to one thing, you’re encountering another thing. And while this usually keeps me on my toes, I struggled a little to enjoy the pace of this book.

I also didn’t connect very much with either of the characters. Sure, they’re a little beyond reach, but sometimes even with those kinds of characters, you can feel a sense of kinship. But not with Jolie and Kai. To start with, Jolie is an heiress, but she’s shaking off her family business to be an Instagram influencer. She’s been making lots of money off of branding and yoga and beautifully shot photographs. While she’s got a big heart - helping her mother, taking in abandoned animals and helping her best friend - she also came off a little vapid and very self-obsessed. Towards the end of the book, you start to feel something for her, but by then, the book is over.

Kai is the middle of three brothers and he’s just buried his father when shit hits the fan with his family. His brother has been smuggling drugs on the side and now all of that has arrived in the warehouse of the family business and it all just spins out of control from there. Kai is the responsible one, he’s got his head on his shoulders, but he’s also a bit of a chicken. Or at least that’s how I felt about him. They’re being threatened and he knows what he needs to do and his brothers have ideas, but Kai refuses to take risks and only wants to do something that will get them the best and safest results. He’s hot, handsome and all that, but he’s also a little bland.

Jolie and Kai meet under very unfortunate circumstances and that just snowballs into something so much worse. Just when you think everything is going to sort itself out, another curveball comes their way. And they get stranded in the jungle. And that’s where the real adventure begins. The chemistry between Jolie and Kai was tepid, at best. There’s all this flirting and suggestive talk, but I didn’t feel any of those sparks I hoped to feel when put in a situation like that. The forced proximity trope didn’t seem to do the trick here and that was disappointing.

Written against the backdrop of Costa Rica, this book wasn’t bad, it just didn’t entertain me like I thought it would. There were some gigglesnort moments, but most of the time, I really just wanted to clobber the characters over the head. It was a fun read, just not what I expected.

Thanks to NetGalley and Three Dimples Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Exit Through the Jungle contained one thing I absolutely hate: going vegan for fame/money/attention. Jolie rubbed me the wrong way from the start, but it was this part that really got me angry. And she acted like vegans only eat, like...fruits. No, girl, that's raw veganism. As a vegan, I eat burgers and things all of the time...it's not that hard to find or make vegan versions of the food you already enjoyed. But she was doing it for the wrong reasons, so of course she doesn't get it. I honestly couldn't take her seriously after that, and I was already struggling to do so before. She's so privileged: a job at her father's company doing social media work is basically handed to her, even though she "cut her father off" (not really sure how you do that when he's the one giving you money and you run back to him for more, but okay), and she refuses to take it, won't even consider it, despite the fact that she could probably...work from home at whatever hours works best for her if she spoke to her father about it. I would kill for this opportunity, and, especially given Kai's situation, Jolie made me...too mad.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a bizarre one. This would make an excellent romantic comedy, something similar to The Hangover with a lot of unbelievable drama and twists and over the top shenanigans.

The beginning few chapters jump between Kai and Jolie’s perspective. She, a struggling blogger who is trying to make her blog cool again to avoid succumbing to her father’s controlling ways; and He, a brother and son trying to save his family from bad decisions. Eventually their stories converge as Kai accidentally takes Jolie hostage and then they are chased into and get lost in the Costa Rican jungle for a few days. There’s also a drug cartel angle and of course forbidden love.. all over the course of.. maybe like a week? It was just a lot and I just kept saying “this isn’t how people talk.” “This isn’t how people act.” That being said, it was a cute, easy read and it made me want to go to Costa Rica.

Jolie Boulard is one of Instagram’s top influencers and appears to have it all, but she’s broke and desperate in real life. She decides a trip to Costa Rica is just what she needs to rebrand her brand, but her plans goes absolutely wrong when she witnesses someone robbing her father's jewelry store.

This was fun quick read that remind me of romancing the stone in more modern day..
I can't say that i liked the main character especially in the beginning, she was absolutely annoying but when she is introduced to the second haracter the things turn to more interesting way. Still separately they are not my favourite, you can't actually identify to any of them.. they are too perfect and absolutely annoying and actually don't make big sense together.
The big bonus turn this book is the amazing colorful cover!!

Big thank you to netgalley and the publisher.. and of course to the writer.

This was a good, fun, laugh out loud, romantic read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very easy to read, I was so involved in the story that I saw myself racing to the end. Would definitely recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars
Pub Date: 29 Aug 2020

This book right here is the perfect beach read to close out your summer! Two people thrust into the most unbelievable situation, sizzling romantic tension running below the surface, escaping from danger, and a touch of finding oneself, all thrown into one easy to read story. While this book does put the characters into sexual situations, it’s nothing too explicit, though I’d not recommend it for teens.

I loved how easy to read this story was; it was entertaining without adding in any unnecessary fluff. I really enjoyed the main characters. Jolie is an independent woman that doesn’t want what society tells her she should, and she’s willing to put her inheritance on the line to make that happen. She’s a “wildcat”; strong, independent, and can put up a fight when needed. And Kai... he’s a fixer, a protector. He’s a bit uptight but it’s because he takes the weight of the world on his shoulders.

I wish that Jolie & Kai would have been lost in the jungle a bit longer. While I enjoyed the scenes that did occur in the jungle, I think that it was a lost opportunity to build their relationship a bit more under that secluded situation. I excepted a bit more, seeing that it’s what the book was titled from.

Exit Through the Jungle follows a social media influencer, Jolie, who takes a trip to Costa Rica in order to find a way to better her account/brand. She's broke and needs a way to attract companies ASAP. She then gets in s sticky situation when she witnesses someone robbing her father's jewelry store.

The story was sweet, light-hearted, and pretty cute overall. I liked how Alicia Crofton wrote the main characters (Jolie and Kai) with specific backstories. Jolie had to face financial issues because of her mother, and was constantly patronized by her father. Kai learned about his mother's infidelity, and had to face life changes because of his father's work life. The rainforest and the city settings were described well, and were easy to visualize. The author's writing style is very enjoyable.

Although I'm always looking for romances that are a little different, the romance build-up in this story was perfect even if it was a little "trope-y" and cliché (not that that's a bad thing)!

Some points in the story were a little unrealistic to me. For example, when Kai's mother was speaking about Noah's love life and Kai's, her wording just seemed a little off to me.
I also did not like how throughout the book, Kai was constantly... shamed? for having a flip phone. Some people are a little less well off than others, but there's no reason to be made fun of for that. I get that this was just a little light-hearted romance, but that just irked me a little bit.

Overall, this wasn't the best book I've ever read, but it wasn't the worst.
A solid 3.45 stars!