Ava Greene is a flight attendant who is turning in her wings now that she is engaged and going to start the stable life she’s always dreamed of. She is excited that her last flight has a 24-hour layover in Belize. That is, until she finds out that Jack Stone is also working this flight. Jack is handsome and flirtatious, but Ava doesn’t like him. They met years ago, but it seems Jack has forgotten that night and how humiliating it was for her.

The Layover is a romantic comedy that takes us all over the United States and eventually to Belize where the story really gets hot! There is definitely something between Ava and Jack from their first interaction, but besides the fact that Ava does not like him, she’s also keeping a secret from him and everyone else on their crew. As the chemistry between them heats up, we can see that Ava is going through some inner turmoil, wondering if the steady life she hoped for or if a life in the skies is what’s best for her.

This is a slow burn, enemies to lovers story, but at about the 50% mark, the story definitely picks up. I flew through the second half of the book. I really liked Jack as a character. Although Ava describes him as a bad-boy, player throughout the book, there is a lot more depth to his character. The scenes where he was being flirtatious and playful were great, and I enjoyed learning about his past. My problem is that I didn’t really like Ava. She is so rude to Jack based on something that happened years ago and rumors she has heard about him. Jack may tease her at times, but he is never as mean to her as she is towards him.

Gen, another flight attendant, is a secondary character that I loved. She brings some comedic relief to the story, and I really looked forward to the parts of the book with her in them. I’d be willing to read a spin-off of Gen’s story!

The Layover is Lacie Waldon’s debut novel, but I definitely look forward to reading more by her.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was saving this book for when I needed a pick-me-up and it was exactly what I was looking for! I love a good enemies-to-lovers story and that combined with the setting and the fun banter made this a perfect beach read without the beach (although hopefully the end of the pandemic is in sight and someday I will have the pleasure of an actual trip to the beach again, something else THE LAYOVER also made me want). I usually prefer more explicit sex in my romances but the lack of it certainly didn't detract from the book for me in this case, and I would recommend to anyone looking for a good escapist romcom.

This book was pure magic. A romcom in the classic style, it would make a fabulous movie with its gorgeous settings and rich, engaging cast of characters. I loved Jack and Ava's sizzling relationship from the very start; the scene in the parking lot had me laughing out loud. Their progression from enemies to lovers, fuelled by banter, competitiveness, and fabulous chemisty, reminded me of The Hating Game, and the more they got to know each other the more I liked them individually and together. I found myself particularly fascinated by details of life and work as a flight attendant, and came away understanding why it's a dream job for so many people. The ending, and the epilogue which followed, absolutely charmed me, and again made me visualise the scenes as they would be on screen. It was all just so cinematic. This is definitely going to be a regular reread for me.

The Layover is pretty okay, but I must admit I found the heroine incredibly immature and almost cruel. It was also a bit disappointing and surprising to see that a side couple got more “action” than the main couple.
It might be hard for some readers to root for the heroine who holds a grudge against the hero because she thinks he’s a cheater, but she begins their relationship while still involved, or at least while things are still murky with her fiancé.
I appreciated the look into flight attendant life, and the book made me wish I was on vacation, but overall I was not wowed by the heroine or the romance.

Rating: 2.5 stars

I was looking forward to reading this one as it seemed like a book with the perfect escape. I loved the idea of reading about a flight attendant since I can’t recall ever reading a book where that is the main character’s job. This review will have spoilers.

For the most part, this book had a lot of things I would normally like but the issue I had, which made it hard to get into, is that it starts off with her in a relationship and we are just supposed to take her word that she is miserable. To be honest, it just felt like the author threw in the whole engagement just to add a bit of drama but I just wasn’t down for it.

Although nothing exclusively happens between Jack and Ava until her relationship is called off. You could argue that she was emotionally cheating. She never even wore her engagement ring is a red flag, especially when she never talked about her private life to those she worked with. You can’t fault Jack on this one.

This one does have the enemies-to-lovers trope, although for the most part one-sided, is usually my favorite trope but I just couldn’t get into it knowing she had a fiancé back home.

I did like the side characters and the setting. They were both fun and made me not overly dislike the book.

Overall, this was an okay to good read depending on how you look at it. I think there will be those that enjoy it more than me.

The Layover is an amazing debut from Lacie Waldon. Fans of The Unhoneymooners, Fight or Flight and The Hating Game will love this enemies-to-lovers workplace romance. Ava and Jack are flight attendants who get scheduled to work a flight with a layover in Belize. Ava can’t stand Jack, but gets stuck with him after a maintenance issue causes their layover to be extended. They decide to team up together to set up their co-workers, Gen and Paul, who were some of my favorite characters in this book.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book when I started it and found out that Ava had a fiancé. I’m not a fan of love triangles or cheating. While Ava and her fiancé did break up before anything happened physically with Jack, I wish that her ex had been in this book a little less. Other than that, I loved everything about The Layover. I would definitely read this author again.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I haven’t taken a trip in ages (thanks global pandemic) but this book has me itching to get back on a plane again! It’s a quick read filled with likeable characters you can’t help but root for! Sure it also has the usual modern romance tropes like conflict built around a misunderstanding and coworkers who hate (but also might love?) each other, but I didn’t mind that one bit.

The Layover by Lacie Waldon is so cute! It is such a fun read with great characters -- I liked reading this one as an escape to a beautiful place in this pandemic state. I like the kind of enemies to lovers trope; I think it is adorable!

The Layover by Lacie Waldon

The Layover begins with Ava, a flight attendant taking her last work trip (a layover in Belize) before she settles down. To her displeasure, she happens to be flying with Jack, her most hated co-worker.

Omg everyone. This book had everything!! Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, tropical settings and probably the best depiction of eating nachos you’ll ever read 🤣

Here are just a few reasons you must pick this one up:

As mentioned above, it will leave you wanting nachos. Yes, I am aware this is a ridiculous point to make, but this is my fav food and I loved everything about this scene.

The banter! Lacie Waldon’s writing is SO sharp. It’s the perfect blend of sass, vivid imagery, and heartfelt emotion.

I simply loved Gen (Ava’s other flight attendant co-worker) and everything she said.

The sizzling slow burn between Ava and Jack! This one is so deliciously tension filled. Also, Jack was so swoony 😅💖

The end. I can’t spoil it, but it played out like a movie in my mind. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!!

All to say, I loved this one! Thank you Putnam and Lacie Waldon for access to this ARC! I so look forward to Lacie’s next book!!

This books was adorable! I loved it. I'm a fan of the enemies to lovers trope, and this is so well done that I was surprised to find that it was a debut novel. It's the perfect escape novel.

Such a fun read! Loved the characters, airline + Belize setting, and the dialogue. This was a great travel escape book, I look forward to more of this author.

The perfect get-away book during Covid times. It feeds the need to travel without the dangers of having to actually do so currently. I look forward to recommending this title.

Fans of the enemies to lovers trope? The Layover delivered. This book has me daydreaming of the Belize beaches, tropical drinks, and snorkeling. Congrats to author Lacie Waldon on her first novel. I’m a new fan and will continue to read her work. Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am not a huge fan of the enemies to lovers trope, however, it was a fun story. I felt the intense dislike of the main character for the main love interest, but couldn't wait for Ava to finally dump Alexander and move on to someone who actually appreciated her.

The Layover is about Ava, who is a flight attendant, on her last trip before she gets married to Alexander. She agreed she would no longer work after they were engaged so they could have a routine. Ava's last flight had a layover in Belize - a trip usually only the highest ranking flight attendants get. As soon as she pulls into the parking lot for her last flight, things start going wrong. Jack, her nemesis, seems to be everywhere and she quickly learns they are working the flight together. Maintenance on the plane means she gets to spend an extra day in paradise with her fellow flight attendants.

This book was charming, witty, and comedic. I loved all the details of what flight attendants do, especially after not traveling for so long due to the pandemic. I loved the friendships Ava made and being brave enough to find herself. Were parts of it cheesy? Yes. Did I enjoy the cheese? Also, yes. Definitely recommend!



Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: June 15, 2021

#NetGalley #TheLayover

Flight attendant Ava Greene is ready for one last hurrah. She's newly engaged and working her last rounds of flights with an enviable 24-hour layover in Belize! Trouble is, she has to share her time with Jack Stone, a male flight attendant she's had a grudge towards for years now! So she's both excited and dismayed when a mechanical failure turns 24 hours into a full weekend in Belize, and even more confused as she starts to get to know the real Jack. Is a weekend enough time to fall in love?

Be still my COVID-isolating heart - I needed this book vacation!! I loved hearing about Ava's beach adventures in Belize (and I need to find myself some seafood nachos stat!) Jack was a swoonworthy counterpoint to Ava, and their banter was entertaining without being too over the top! I also loved secondary characters Gen and Pilot Paul - such a fun crew to hang out with! The only complaint I had was the Ava's fiance was really and truly awful and seeing him hurt her made me sad (which I was hoping to avoid with this fun beach read!) Grab a frozen drink and read this one on a tropical vacay!

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review to be posted on Instagram by pub date Jul 15.

This book was the perfect beach read which is actually where I read it. It’s quick, light, funny, endearing, and all the things you want in a book. It was perfect balance of witty banter and romance. Ava and Jack were great characters to fall in love with. They were easy to root for. I even liked the other quirky characters in the story. While the book didn’t leave you hanging I still wanted more. I’d love to read more about their adventures!

After I read Shipped last month, I’ve been dying to read another vacation read. This book was exactly what I was looking for. I loved that the main character was a flight attendant. It was so cool to see the behind-the-scenes of the job. The love-to-hate was perfection. It resulted in lots of miscommunications, hilarious mishaps, and romantic moments. The friendships in this one were also so sweet. It was one of my favorite parts. I love when characters realize there is more to each other under the surface and decide the person is worth getting to know. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for an escape.

It’s got some nudity, innuendo, and making out but no explicit sex scenes!

3.5/5 stars...
There were parts of the book I really loved (Ava and Jack's banter, Gen and Pilot Paul, and the ending and epilogue just to name a few).

But there were also some that I wasn't too thrilled with: I thought it should have been mentioned in the synopsis that Ava is engaged - that sort of put a damper on Ava and Jack's will they/won't they storyline for me. Even though her fiancé is less than stellar (to put it kindly) I still couldn't root for someone to pursue another person who was in a committed relationship.

Ava and Jack have a "past" that is eluded to for the first part of the book, but it got repetitive. There were times Ava seemed whiny, not scorned, and I wanted to tell her to just move on! She drove some of her points into the ground.

I enjoyed the "behind the scenes" look at flight attendants' jobs - even though I'm not even sure if it was based on facts - ha! it was still interesting.

A fun book that would be great for a summer beach read. I probably would have gone with 3 stars, but the ending and epilogue saved it for me. Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was annoyed that the author took nearly half the book setting the stage and the characters. Also, Ava's relationship with Alexander gave off some real Behind Closed Doors vibes. I couldn't figure out why they were engaged when he was such a pretentious asshole. After they got to Belize though, things moved along nicely and though it was fairly predictable, I enjoyed it. Extra half star for the final pages and epilogue.