Really enjoyed this book! It was a quick read and kept me interested the whole time. Somewhat predictable, but I had a lot fun on the journey of getting to the end.

This book was super cute and I really enjoyed it! This is a perfect read while laying poolside this summer! I love the sexy, slow burn romance and I really loved the characters. I also liked hearing about the behind the scenes of being a flight attendant, I definitely recommend picking up this book!

Perfect for those looking for a quick and fun romance with enemies to lovers trope.

Ava, a flight attendant is on her last flight after deciding to quit her job post her engagement, finds herself with Jack, an ex-pilot whom she hates due to certain misunderstandings in the past involving her cheating ex. The banter between them is great and with forced proximity, there is more chemistry. In the beginning, there is a lot of detail about her fiancee which felt a tad bit long. I did think it was to establish how horrible the whole relationship was but it slowed down the book for me.

The whole behind the scenes info on flight attendants and their work process was really interesting to read as that was completely new for me. Also the whole travel part and the layover made me miss my travel plans so much. The way Ava struggles deciding about what she wants to do with her life is something very relatable and it is a very important decision. We can see her thought process clearly especially how she accepts her circumstances and finally decides to live life the way she wants.

Overall a fun romcom with flight travel and tropical layover backdrop!

This starts off as a quick easy read. She looks at him as though he's the enemy due to a misunderstanding from years ago. They go from enemies to friends while she's on her last run as a flight attendant. She's engaged to her ideal man but doesn't want to tell anyone. I fet the book took to long and I was at the 60% mark when I stopped reading.


******************************I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion.***************************************

What a great debut! Ava is looking to settle down. After a life of travel and jet setting (literally) she is ready to put some roots down and start her life. Too bad fate has other plans for her. Ava is on what she thinks will be the last flight of her stewardess career, but when she gets stranded in Belize with her nemesis, she has no choice but to look into herself and reevaluate all the things she wants out of life.
Jack is a flight attendant and Ava knows that they are bad news after her ex Rex did a number on her. Jack and Rex are buddies, so that means she needs to steer clear of that guy. While they are stranded in Belize, the walls start to come down and truths come out. Is Jack the person she thought he was?
The banter between the two was great. I loved that they both gave as good as they got. There were a few small issues that I had trouble with and plot lines I would have loved to see taken further, there were a lot of things that were implied or not finished. I feel like there were a lot of things left hanging by the end of the book and I would have liked the last two chapters to be longer to incorporate more of Jack and Ava.
I really enjoyed this book though and will be reading more by this author in the future. I am excited to see how she grows. Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Group Putnam and the author for an early copy!

This is a very cute book. A sweet slow-burning romance, sizzling banter, and crackling chemistry, plus enemies to lovers, overall low angst, and a fast read. I think I would have enjoyed it a bit more if I hadn't read it on the tail end of a bunch of other flying/travel/get away/beach/boat books. (Seems to be a trend for 2021 romance) Overall, a fun beach read.

This is JUST what I needed right now. An adorable, fast paced, amazingly written rom-com!

This bumped up to top 5 favorite rom-com's that I read in 2020!
It has a cast of amazing characters, a setting that is to die for, hilarious banter and a love story(s) that you can't help but root for!

If you weren't planning on picking this one up! You need it!

One of my favorite romances of the year! So impressed this is a debut. I loved the inclusion of the author’s first hand flight attendant knowledge. I knew very little of the behind-the-scenes of the daily life of airline staff but enjoyed this look behind the curtain so much. And the ROMANCE. So great. This couple has so much chemistry and the banter is top notch. Now I’d like to go to Belize, please.

The Layover was such an enjoyable rom com!

This enemies to lovers romance got off to a bang - right from the first scene with our main characters, you can feel the tension between them. This is not an insta-love situation, rather, our love interests (Ava and Jack) are about to banter for DAYS while they get to know each other. Love. That.

I also loved getting to "travel" with this flight crew. I laughed out loud at Gen's in-flight announcement (even though it's definitely a joke I've heard before; it was just delivered so well). I nodded my head along with Ava's commentary on hotel shampoos. I felt like I was in Belize right alongside them.

A through-line of the plot is that Ava is trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life/how she wants to live it. I found that really relatable. Yes, this story is a romance, but I liked that questions about her love life are couched within questions about her life overall.

While this book was compulsively readable and a whole lot of fun, there were a few things that didn't work for me. Two that stick out: There's a brief moment of non-consensual touching, as well as a comment about "locker-room talk." (I really don't care for that euphemism for discussing one's sexual experiences with another.)

Those aside, I really enjoyed tearing through this book, and will definitely be excited for whatever Waldon writes next. I'd recommend this one to anyone who likes rom coms, but especially fans of The Hating Game.

Two flight attendants, Ava and Jack get stuck on an extended layover in Belize, which changes everything. Ava despises Jack which leads to some amazing banter between the two, but there is no denying that under that hate lies a strong connection and attraction. I wish they could have stayed in Belize longer before getting back to the real world, and the book was over far too soon for me, but it was a very enjoyable read.

3.5 stars

Lacie Waldon’s ‘The Layover’ is a fun, (mostly) chaste romance with a lot of humor and some hints of steam.

After ten years as a fight attendant, Ava Green is reluctantly about to retire in order to live a more “stable” life. She’s determined to make her last trip count… she just has to get through working with the infuriating Jack Stone. After an unexpected delay on their return gives them an extra 24 hours in Belize, Ava will discover that there’s more to Jack than meets the eye, and that her perceptions of who he is might be completely inaccurate.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this novel is the behind-the-scenes glance into the world of flight attendants. The interesting situations and humor that are generated during these scenes were quite enjoyable to read. Ava was an interesting character; I just wish that she would have been able to evolve earlier in the novel, as her inner dialogue and behaviors began to feel redundant and destructive. I had a difficult time believing that Jack would be interested in pursuing a relationship with her because of said behaviors.

Regarding narrative style, the use of singular POV in this instance felt incomplete; I think readers would have greatly benefitted from also reading chapters in Jack’s POV. I also think there was a pacing issue with the last half of the book. It felt really rushed. I would have loved to have seen more of Ava and Jack together romantically. Which doesn’t necessarily mean that there had to be an explicit scene on page... but after the super slow burn of their relationship, coupled with a few steamy-ish interludes, I was left feeling slightly dissatisfied that they never ended up having a substantive romantic scene. (Or that such a scene was never alluded to in any way.)

In all, this is a fast, fun, escapist read with some witty dialogue and some great secondary characters.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I was fascinated by the story flight attendants and the lifestyle they live. As a little girl I thought it would have been an awesome job. That being said the information of being flight attendants bogged down the story. All these regulations was a bit much for me. I also didn’t care for the main character Ava at first. At the beginning, she was so rude to her co worker Jack, which was unprofessional and immature in her part. She assumed he was part of scheme for her ex to cheat on her. Even without any real information to back that up she was rude to him. He was clueless and was always nice to her even though she wasn’t nice to him. So when they had a longer layover in Belize due to mechanical problems on the plane, they fell for each other. The location and the scenery of Belize sounded amazing.
The side characters of Gen and Paul were great and adorable that I wanted more of them than of Ava. Yes, Ava grew up towards the end but by then I wanted more of Gen and Paul. The epilogue was cute and definitely the best part of the book.
So, in conclusion this was an okay, clean romance book that I wished that Ava was kinder to herself and others much earlier in the book. .
I received this Arc from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Ava thinks the best part of her life is just beginning, but really is it just about to end? Newly engaged, she sets off on her last trip as a flight attendant. It just so happens to be an overnight in Belize. On this trip she realizes she isn't ready to give up who she is or her job just to marry the guy who she thinks is right for her. Will Ava's revelations cause trouble in paradise or will she get exactly what she's always wanted?

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a really great, quick read for me. I didn't expect to be finished already and trying to find my next read. The characters in this book are extremely likeable and you definitely find yourself choosing sides. It's your typical light hearted romance read with an ending no one should be mad about.

Thank you Lacie Waldon, NetGalley, and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC!

This was a really cute, fairly clean, romance. I liked the characters and the banter between Jack and Ava was well done. The dialogue and the setting make this novel shine. The romance works, but it did veer into some unnecessary drama toward the end. The secondary characters were also well developed and interesting. Overall this is a book I would recommend to readers who love contemporary romances, although it's not as steamy as I would have liked. Still, I look forward to more by this author.

After reading the synopsis, I thought this was going to be my jam. Unfortunately, Ava was hard to connect with (we're given a backstory as to why, but still) and there were a few times I wanted to tell her to chill with her aggressiveness towards Jack. I genuinely felt bad for him a few times after her sharp retorts, especially when she didn't know if any of her information was correct. It took a long time for them to finally connect in Belize, and by that time I was more invested in Gen and Pilot Paul's story. I did like the ending but it was hard to like Ava by then. This novel did motivate me to travel again once COVID-19 is over, and maybe go snorkeling in Belize again.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I initially was going to hold off on reading this eARC until after the holidays, because I wanted to pull out this getaway style book after the post holiday depression sat in. But I couldn't help myself and had to read it!

The Layover follows flight attendant Ava as she navigates her supposed last night before she leaves the airline to start a new life with her fancy lawyer finance. Unfortunately for her, her nemesis Jack, also a flight attendant, is working this last shift with her and more unfortunately is that he gets stuck with her and the rest of the crew in Belieze while their flight out keeps getting grounded.

I am obsessed with flight attendants (I really wanted to be one!) so this book checked off a romance plot that I was really hoping for! And what's not to love about getting a book set in a warmer place! Ava and Jack also play into the enemies to lovers trope so well, and loved how Ava's misunderstanding of Jack plays out. There was some serious tension between them and being stuck together in Belieze amped up that tension like crazy.

I also loved the ending and how much Ava really grew, and realizing what kind of person she wants to be. There was a ton of character development in her character that was well played out, even if you knew what was coming.

My only wish was that it had a tiny bit more steam. I don't mind if a book is completely closed door, but we got just a taste and then I felt like it was taken away from me. I was rooting for Ava and Jack so hard and I just wanted them to finally get together and have sex! However, I'll totally admit that the part of the book where I thought they were FINALLY going to get together made me audibly gasp because I was not expecting that little twist.

Ultimately I would recommend this book if you don't mind a less steamy romance and feel like you want to take a bit of an adventure! Make sure to look out for this book on June 15, 2021!

Thank you so much to @putnambooks and @netgalley for this #gifted eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Layover is an enemies to lovers romance by debut author Lacie Waldon.

Ava wants stability and routine in her life. Her recent engagement has allowed her to quit her job as a flight attendant and put down the roots she’s dreamed of since she was a child. Ava has one last run to complete and includes an overnight in tropical Belize. She is so excited to be ending her career with such a good route, until she meets her cabin crew.

Jack, a former military pilot who is now a flight attendant, is a member of this cabin crew. Ava has harbored a grudge against this great looking, arrogant man for years. She sees him as complicit in her ex’s cheating, but it is only a quick trip and she can be professional…right?

But when the plane has mechanical problems and the quick trip becomes a long weekend, she has more time to spend with Jack. Ava begins to question his role in her breakup, along with what she really wants out of life. The stability and routine she thought she wanted, may not be what she needs.

Waldon is a former flight attendant and her view into that world is fascinating. How flight attendants prepare for flights, the expectations placed upon them, and their specific duties on airlines adds an authenticity to The Layover that only an insider can supply.

The supporting characters are strong. I enjoyed Pilot Paul, Gen, Celeste and Eddie. The insight into Captain Ballinger late in the book was so charmingly endearing, it made me smile.

I really enjoyed reading The Layover and look forward to more books by Lacie Waldon.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summary from Goodreads:
An unexpected tropical layover with her nemesis turns a flight attendant's life upside down in this witty, breezy debut romantic comedy about life--and love--30,000 feet above the ground. After ten years as a flight attendant, Ava Greene is poised to hang up her wings and finally put down roots. She's got one round trip left before she bids her old life farewell, and she plans to enjoy every second of it. But then she discovers that former pilot Jack Stone--the absurdly gorgeous, ridiculously cocky man she's held a secret grudge against for years--is on her flight. And he has the nerve to flirt with her, as if he doesn't remember the role he played in the most humiliating night of her life. Good thing she never has to see him again after they land....

Reading this book was a joy and I absolutely adored it! It seemed to have everything that I look for in a rom-com: sizzling chemistry, witty banter, characters that I would want to hang out with and a layered main character who experiences growth throughout the book. The Layover reminded me of one of my favorite rom-com books, The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. It has a similar enemies to lovers storyline and I absolutely loved it. The side characters (especially Gen and Pilot Paul) were fantastic and fleshed out really well. Gen is one of my favorite side characters in a book. She was hilarious but really seemed to care and want to help Ava. Ava and Jack has such sizzling chemistry that every time they talked, sparks flew. There’s plenty of romantic tension to keep readers engaged. The steam level is mild in this book, but it doesn’t take away from the spectacular chemistry that Ava and Jack have. This is a great vacation read and Lacie Waldon is an awesome new author in the rom-com genre and I look forward to reading more from her. I think that this book will be a bestseller!

The Layover by Lacie Waldon was an amazing mix of fun, adventure and romance! Ava is recently engaged to stable, routine-loving, lawyer Alexander and agrees to hand in her wheelie suitcase after working one last trip as a flight attendant. This particular trip includes the holy grail: a twenty four hour layover in Belize. Though Ava is determined to enjoy her last trip, she can't shake former Air Force pilot turned coworker Jack. The two keep up serious banter and competition from the parking lot to 30,000 feet above the ground.

I loved the Layover! It was one of those books I was already recommending to people as I was reading, it's that good. Waldon's style reminds me of Christina Lauren and Jasmine Guillory. It was so fun getting a peak into what being a flight attendant is like: from the hotels to the hot plates! If you have the urge to travel or love romcoms definitely add The Layover to your to read list!

I LOVED this book. I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance, especially in the workplace; one of my all-time favorites is The Hating Game - and The Layover reminded me a lot of it! Ava and Jack had obvious chemistry and fantastic banter, and I could easily picture all the tropical locales they visited in Belize. The side characters (especially Gen and Pilot Paul) were fantastic and fleshed out really well, too.

I do have one minor complaint, and that's only that the blurb listed in NetGalley wasn't exactly accurate to what happens in the story (especially the last paragraph). But that's an easy fix, especially considering how great the rest of the story was! Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for allowing me to read this great book, in exchange for a review!