4.5 out of 5 stars!

Wanting to save her career, the heroine goes to a rom-com at a resort where the hero works at, their first interaction is under a misunderstanding. Their consequential interactions deepens their own relationship as time passed away. But how will the couple react as the initial misunderstanding unravels...

I enjoyed this Melonie Johnson book. I liked the couple as individuals and together. The couple each have wonderful friends who have their backs. The animals mentioned in the book were prominent within their roles and some secondary characters were entertaining. The author's vibe is enjoyable and the story is pleasing to read. Definitely will read more books from the author in the future.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own.**

This was a laugh out loud read that I really enjoyed! Julia and her two friends spend a week at Notting Hill, a week-long immersive retreat into the world of romantic comedy movies such as When Harry Met Sally, Sex and the City, Bridget Jones Diary and more. Julia hits it off with Luke, and the two end up living their own version of romantic comedy (and there's a little bit of heat thrown in the mix!), and Julia's friends end up having some adventures of their own.

For the most part I really loved the story. The idea of going to a one-week retreat based on romantic-comedy movies/stories was so much fun, and in a lot of ways, the story followed a plot of a rom-com movie (which I'm sure was the point). I wasn't completely blown away by the writing, but the book caught my attention quickly and had me literally laughing at times, so I'm glad I read it.

If you're in the mood for a fun, quick read, this is a good choice: there are cases of mistaken identity, love at first sight, a thieving seagull couple, lots of corgis and great movie references.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to review this ARC!

This was a fun book to read. You will laugh out reading this book and fall in love all at the same time. I love the idea of a rom-com fantasy week to go to at a resort. Who wouldn't love to go and have a great time being in a rom-com. If you happen to follow in love in life than that's even better. The only thing I wished for was an epilogue but was still so much fun to read this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily after being sent a free book.

3.75/5 :)

I went into this with high expectations but i was slightly disappointed. i mean, with that blurb and that cover, you’d think it would be a super cute rom-com… right? well, for me, it wasn’t really what i had in mind. by slightly disappointed i mean that sometimes the main characters gave me horny teenagers’ vibes, (and they’re not even teenagers?!) i can see how this book may appeal to others, but i really wasn’t in the mood for erotica type stuff. maybe that’s exaggerating but that’s exactly how i felt. Luke and Julia kind of turned out be… not as cute as i thought. (though they definitely become more likable and 'shippable' as the story progressed.) and if i’m being completely honest, i liked Andie and Curt better than i liked Julia and Luke (not that they’re NOT a cute couple or anything. but Curt and Andie were just better in my opinion)

i really liked their inside jokes, and especially Bonnie and Clyde, aka the rebel seagull couple. they played a pretty important role which i thought was a very nice touch to the story.

As it’s supposed to be hot and steamy as they say, (which i totally didn’t see before i read this,) I found it really lacking something. Maybe it was because I wasn’t in the mood for the ‘horny teenagers’ vibe. I just wanted some cute romcom festivities, NOT a room full of people acting out the big O. (or whatever that is🙈🙉)

i really enjoyed the plot and idea of this novel even if the characters weren’t my favorite. it might seem silly to some, but i thought it was (most of the time) logical, entertaining, and written nicely. although the ending happened a bit faster than i had expected it to, it was a pretty perfect ending. it was entertaining and cheesy in a perfectly imperfect way as they would say. and it definitely bumped up my rating.

yes there were super cute scenes (including seagulls and corgis) but overall not really what i had expected and it didn’t really live up to my expectations. not my type of book but certainly recommendable to some.

if you’re someone who likes rom-coms with (some) smut then this is for you. this also had a lot of puns and dirty jokes so if you’re into that then pick this up!! if not then i suggest you don’t :)

03/27/21

Too Good To Be Real by Melonie Johnson is a funny, flirty, rom-com that checks all the boxes for me.
This story is about Julia who is a writer for Trendlist. Her job is on the chopping block, Julia decided to take this opportunity to try to write for ‘Take Me’ section. The section is about traveling and adventure. Julia hears about this rom-com resort based off the movie Notting Hill. It's a LARP resort where they assign characters for the guest to act like during their stay. Luke the manager of the resort had a meet cute with Julia when they collided down at the beach near the resort.

Luke, happens to be the designer behind the experience (of course). But serendipitously, he runs into Julia before the event begins. Bam. The lines between faux immersive experience and real love get blurred.

Throw in some kleptomaniac seagulls, a gaggle of corgis, kisses in the rain, and karaoke serenade and soon these two people find themselves falling in love with each other. Even though this resort is about pretend, these feelings are starting to feel a lot more real than both of them realized.

If you like to laugh out loud at dialogue, banter, and just characters refusing to confess their feelings to one another (and being super awkward about it along the way) this one is for you.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Grab this book when you want something light, sweet and on the funny side. No content warnings. No triggers, unless a seagull stealing your bikini top is a particular fear. Or corgis. Then steer clear. Otherwise, put this on your shelf for the next time you’re on the beach and looking to get away.

Too Good to be Real is what happens when an author watches a whole bunch of rom coms. There’s a quirky romance, over the top resort, a guy, a girl, and their loyal sidekicks - plus cocktails. Gotta have the cocktails. But I gotta say, I kinda liked it.

Our main lady, Julia, is a journalist on the brink of layoffs when, as a last ditch effort to save her job, she volunteers to report on a new immersive experience resort. Of course, she brings her gal pals.

Our guy, Luke, happens to be the designer behind the experience (of course). But serendipitously, he runs into Julia before the event begins. Bam. The lines between faux immersive experience and real love get blurred.

The only thing to raise an eyebrow to is how expected the story is in many ways. It’s following the Rom Com outline on purpose. But ya know, sometimes that’s exactly what ya need.

Big thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was fun, and a very surface level read which I can definitely appreciate! I really loved the premise, and all of the fun ways the book tied in other rom-coms.

I also really loved all of the fun side characters. To name a few, Patrick and David were a delight, and Kat and Mrs. Weatherfork regularly made me giggle. One draw back to having a lot of side characters that were pretty developed was that it sort of took away from the main characters storyline at points.

The main issue for me was that the story felt a little rushed, so overall, I would give it a solid 2.5 -3 stars, but I’m rounding up because of how much I liked specific aspects of it! I would still definitely recommend it to a friend.

A trip to a rom-com themed larp resort, can you really find true love? Julia is a writer for a popular website and when her job is on the line she pitches the Rom-Com themed resort as a review and snags tickets for her friends to come along too. There, Julia will experience popular rom-com activities, experiences, meals, and everything in between while getting to play as a popular rom com character. Upon her arrival she falls, quite literally, into Luke. Luke is awkward, cute, and a bit clumsy. He appears to be participating in the rom-com experience too, but she soon finds out there might be more to Luke than she previously thought. Throw in some kleptomaniac seagulls, a gaggle of corgis, kisses in the rain, and karaoke serenade and soon these two people find themselves falling in love with each other. Even though this resort is about pretend, these feelings are starting to feel a lot more real than both of them realized. A super cute rom-com themed story filled with adorable couples and some classic nods to some of our favorite romantic comedy movies, this was a great read! You get to read from both Julia and Luke’s POVs and I found them both to be really sweet and charming characters. A great romance read filled with lots of heart!

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This book was SO cute!! Melonie Johnson did an amazing job of transporting readers to the resort with Julia and Luke! It was fun, breezy, flirty and laugh out loud. I am a lover of all things rom com so the description pulled me in immediately and I just LOVED the story!! This plot was unique, adorable, and totally fun!!!

Such an adorable rom-com! The characters are just so cute and the corgi on the cover? Thats everything to me. Such a fun and flirty book, I loved the story and the dynamic between the two! So charming.

I enjoyed this. As a huge sucker for rom-coms full of awkward characters, this checked all of the boxes for me.

This follows Julia as she dreams of a swoony, brooding boy to take her away to a dream-like world and finds love in the most unexpected of places.

If you like to laugh out loud at dialogue, banter, and just characters refusing to confess their feelings to one another (and being super awkward about it along the way) this one is for you.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-arc!

I received this ARC for an honest review. This was a cute and funny story. This story is about Julia who is a writer for Trendlist. While she enjoyed her job and knows that her job is on the chopping block, Julia decided to take this opportunity to try to write for ‘Take Me’ section. The section is about traveling and adventure. Julia hears about this rom-com resort called Notting Hill Resort. They assign characters for the guest to act like during their stay. Luke the manager of the resort had a meet cute with Julia when they collided down at the beach of the resort. Luke pretended to be a guest of the resort so he can help Julia have a good time. If the week is a success, Luke will get a bonus and he wants to start his own gaming company.
Not going to tell you what happen...as you can guess a lot of things went down. I suggest to give this story a try. I did enjoy it, and will read another story from Melonie Johnson

Too Good to be Real is a story about love and rom-coms.... and rom-com love! Julia is a journalist, and her job position is at risk. In order to save her job, she attends a rom-com inspired resort with the intention of reviewing it. Luke is the mastermind behind the resort. The two meet by chance on a beach, but hide their identities from one another. Will they actually fall in love with each other, or is it all just a game? This is a seriously cute romance!

This book caught my eye because of the author and the premise. As a lover of rom-coms, the story being set in a rom-com "fantasy camp" sounded great.

The book did not disappoint - the relationships were wonderful, the rom-com references were fun, and the resolution was satisfying. I would say of all of those parts that I enjoyed, the relationships were my favorite parts. It was not only a relationship between the main characters of Julia and Luke, but those of the other couples at the event, the brother-sister relationship between Luke and Penelope, the strong friendship among Julia and her two best friends, and even a relationship between two seagulls.

I truly enjoyed watching everyone figure how to best navigate their situations. The backdrop of the story gave a light-heartedness to any of the issues that the characters were experiencing. It was a fun, relatable read with a cast of lovable, well-developed characters. I would recommend the book.

Have you ever wanted to experience what it's like to be in a rom-com? Have you ever wanted to live the lives of our beloved characters from When Harry met Sally, Notting Hill, 10 Things I Hate About You, Sex in the City, the list goes on and on. Well Julia and her two friends actually will have that opportunity to do just that for one entire all-inclusive week.

As soon as they arrive at the resort in Wisconsin, Julia immediately meets Luke in the most adorable meet-cute way. But Luke isn't there to play the game, he's supposed to be the Game Master. Since he wants to know more about this woman, he reluctantly hands over the reigns to his sister, Penelope. The story progresses with several rom-com style activities and some not so planned activities (like a kleptomaniac seagull!)

I really liked these main characters. Both Luke and Julia had their little quirks that made both characters very relatable. Luke was an adorable geek and Julia was a struggling writer who was skeptical about long term relationships. However, I didn't care for Kat or Andie. They barely seemed relevant to the story. However, I might be interested to see if Melonie Johnson created a 2nd and 3rd book focusing on their stories, they would definitely have potential.

This was an easy, engaging read that I would recommend to lovers of rom-coms. There were many times I was laughing or smiling right along with the characters. Even the cover of this book was adorable!

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5

The PERFECT vacay read. I loved the rom-com trope. I’m not a “game” person but still got a pretty good understanding of the ins and outs. I was here for the romance, let’s be real. Luke and Julia were sweet and I loved their “meet cutes.” I also appreciated the friends storyline; I’m a sucker for strong female relationships.

I breezed through this one in a day! So fun and just what I needed pool side.

Cute story about Julia, a reporter and her girlfriends attending a rom-com role-playing weekend event. Luke, his sister, and best friend, have been hired to create a real romantic comedy experience for guests. Luke, a computer gaming programmer, is supposed to be observing the event but when he meets Julia he decides to become one of the players. When role-playing turns real each couple has to figure out if their relationship is love or fantasy. Fun quick read.

I adored this one! Cute and sweet book. I absolutely adore the cover also. I loved the banter between characters so much.

The premise of Too Good to Be Real is pretty far fetched. I didn't feel like the "game" was fully explained and it was a little over complicated. The love story was sweet, albeit a little under developed. Fun friend relationships. Good for a 1-day read, you could skim it and get the drift of the story.

4.25 Stars

Julia writes for a famous online magazine in Chicago. But so many people are getting fired! She needs the perfect idea for an article to convince her boss to keep her!
Enter: Notting Hill Resort.
A resort for fans of Rom-Coms to star in their own little romantic comedy for a week.
Perfect!
Luke, together with his buddy and his sister, have been working their behinds off to create the resort for their boss. And suddenly opening week is here and instead of making sure that everything in running smoothly he accidentally got caught in the middle of a rom-com meet-cute with Julia - and now he's pretending to be a guest too! LOL!

Let the fun times begin ...

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ADORABLE!
I really enjoyed reading this story.
It was so very funny and sparky and sexy and Rom-Com-y.
I adored all the people!
I loved the location and the activities and the dogs and the colorful resort owner. It was all so cute and a bit over the top - but really adorable!

What I didn't love was the third person POV. I prefer first person. It just makes everything so much more confusing with all the HEs and SHEs ... I don't like that.
And the whole idea of this resort ... I kinda get it. But more as a single/matchmaking destination. There were so many couples and even a wedding party. I think as an only-for-singles thingy it would make so much more sense! And without all those paid actors obviously. If you can't fall for them, they're not needed at all. BUT - it was totally okay the way it was. A place for an older couple to spice up their routine et cetera. But it would just make more sense for singles only.
End of rant. ☺

I really liked the story and the people!
Wouldn't mind seeing this on Netflix one day!