This was a fun, light rom-com and great beach read! The premise of the trip reminded me of a sort of Austenland for modern rom-com lovers, which made for a fresh, enjoyable concept and is the kind of vacation I think a lot of readers will wish was real. I enjoyed Luke as a love interest and felt genuinely invested in their chemistry. Looking forward to more from Melonie Johnson in the future!

This was a light hearted read. I had a hard time at the beginning figuring out who was who - characters switched jobs, had two names and it made it a little harder to follow at first. It was one of those books where certain scenes would capture my attention and then the next chapter I'd find myself a little bored. Overall a fun book for summer and I always enjoy Melonie Johnson and will continue to read her books!

3.5 /5 stars

Too Good to Be Real is a romantic comedy. It is my first book by this author.

This book is an enjoyable fun, charming, quick read.

The female narrator is Julia (3rd person POV). She writes for a popular website and makes a pitch to her boss. I really liked everything about the resort where she ends up.

The story mostly takes place at a Wisconsin resort that gives visitors a romantic comedy experience. I sort of loved this premise.

Other things that I loved were the brother-sister Luke/Penelope relationship. Luke is the male narrator (3rd person POV) and I just adored all of the interactions between him and his sister.

Also the owner of the resort is hilarious and eccentric.

The book was super funny and I loved everything to do with the seagulls (Bonnie and Clyde)

But the best part of the book is the amazing friendship between Julia, Kat and Andie. I love seeing female friendships depicted this way.

The main romance was good. And I did enjoy the chemistry between the couple. But what the book lacked for me was more in terms of surprises. It was an enjoyable read. But I wanted more.

Overall, if you are looking for a fun and flirty light read that follows a traditional rom-com formula then this book is for you.

Too Good to Be Real by Melonie Johnson was a light, fun, and enjoyable read. Julia, a reporter for a website called TrendList, stumbles upon a resort offering guests the opportunity to live out moments from romantic comedies and pitches this idea to her boss to fend off an impending layoff. Julia and her two friends spend a week at the fantasy resort as Julia tries to figure out whether her meet-cute, kiss in the rain, and other romantic moments are too good to be real.

I love romantic comedies, and the idea of a resort allowing you to live in a rom-com for a week was super appealing to me! I loved all of the references to movies and tropes woven into the book. There are plenty of sweet, romantic moments in this book, like kisses in the rain, and corgi snuggles and they are balanced by some true laugh out loud moments (including the first line!). While I really enjoyed the friendship between Julia, Kat, and Andie, I did find that I had a hard time connecting with Julia throughout the book. Her moments with awkward, nerdy Luke were swoon-worthy, though, and all of the secondary characters in the book were a delight!

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC for this title which did not affect the contents of my voluntary review. All opinions are honest and my own.

This was a well-written, entertaining book. Filled with romance and humor, it held my attention and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Too Good To Be Real is Melonie Johnson’s latest book. It does not say that it is a series, but the heroine in this book has two terrific friends who deserve HEA’s of their own, so I would be delighted if it was. Worried that she’s not going to survive the latest round of cuts at the trendy website she works for, Julia Carpenter convinces her boss to send her out to write a story about a hotel that offers Rom-Com adventures, where you can star as the hero or heroine from your favourite movie. Luke O’Neal and his team have taken the hotel owners idea and made it into reality, he’s pretty nervous about this first run of the concept, and when he learns that a reviewer from a popular website will be participating, he passes his game master duties to his sister and joins the adventure as a player so that he can make sure everything goes as it should. Julia and Luke meet cute when they bump into each other on the beach. These two, who are not sure that love exists, are seemingly proving the opposite, but in an atmosphere where everyone is pretending, and both are keeping secrets, maybe true love is too good to be real.
I enjoyed this book and now really wish I could go on a vacation at that imaginary hotel.
Steam Level: Medium Publishing Date: July 6, 2021. #TooGoodToBeReal #MelonieJohnson #NetGalley #StMartinsPress #StMartinsGriffin #ContemporaryRomance #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

Did anyone watch the movie Austenland starring Kerri Russell? A woman goes to a resort with a Jane Austen theme that’s taken to the extreme. Well this book has the same concept except it’s romantic comedies instead of Jane Austen.
This was a fun! I had a smile on my face whenever I read this. It was cute, quirky and full of romcom shenanigans. However, the characters fell a little flat for me at times. It was hard to get a sense of who Julia and her friends were. Their personalities seemed interchangeable at times (especially the beginning, I kept getting confused by who was who). I think the friend group for Luke was done better.
Also, I had a hard time figuring out the characters ages. I wasn’t sure if they were supposed to be in their 30s-40s or 20s-30s. The only reason this bothered me was that some of the references seemed dated. Idk maybe that’s just me (I personally don’t swoon over Colin Firth but maybe I’m the odd duck).
Besides my few qualms I think this would be the perfect beach read.

I have been a fan of Melonie Johnson's books since her debut novel hit my ereader. And her newest addition, Too Good To Be Real, is a book that all RomCom fans will adore!

The premise of this book is adorable—a writer goes with her two besties to a RomCom retreat. I was a bit jealous... I would LOVE if this was a real vacation opportunity because it sounded AMAZING! And RomCom fans will love all the references included.

Julia and Luke are adorably awkward… You don't often see two awkward leads, and it really, really worked. I loved their meet-cute and watching as they fell for each other. And the side characters in this book just took the story to that extra level. If I ever get to go to a place like this— I hope with all of my heart that my table is full of people that are as colorful, entertaining, and just plain nice as the ones that Julia and her friends met.

Too Good To Be Real is a fun, easy, sexy RomCom that is the absolute perfect beach read. This was just a joy to read and left me with a massive smile once I was done. (Though... just saying... I wouldn't mind getting stories for the side characters! Hint. Hint.)

Julia heads to Notting Hill resort for their Rom-Com experience, and she meets Luke. The book overall and the resort experience have tons of references to other classic romantic comedies and couples. As they participate in the role play, they have more and more difficulty sticking to their assigned characters as they fall for each other. I overall really enjoyed it!

What a fun romcom that was an ode to romcom movies! If you love movies like Notting Hill or When Harry Met Sally and wish you could spend some time in those worlds, Too Good to be Real by Melonie Johnson, explores all things romcom with a romance simulation-themed resort where even the most jaded can find love or at least believe in it again.⁣
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Instead of murder mystery themed activities and dinners, think meals and activities (like the famous pie scene from When Harry Met Sally) that are a play on famous romcom movie scenes. ⁣
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The plot was so fun and unique and made me wish there was a real resort like it. I’ve always wanted to do a murder mystery dinner but a romcom themed resort sounds like even more fun. The banter amongst the strong female friend group was excellent and the secondary couples added so much to the story. Add in thieving seagulls, corgis galore and an eccentric resort owner, and there was never a shortage of hilarious moments.⁣
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This book was fun and kept me entertained the entire time. Sometimes perfectly imperfect love is better than relationships in the movies.⁣
⁣ Too Good to Be Real is a lighthearted, funny, and sexy read.

What's not to love about a fantasy getaway in rom-com heaven? Julia needs a great article to impress her boss, so she and her friends leave for a resort hosting a live action role play set in the rom-com world. Since everyone participating uses pseudonyms, it's no problem for Julia's friend to assume the role of review writer to keep the heat off Julia.

Luke, his sister, and his best friend have spent hours upon hours perfecting the program where guests can insert themselves in real life rom-com situations pulled from all the favorite romantic comedy movies.

Luke loves nothing more than the behind-the-scenes computer work, but suddenly finds himself stepping up into a role-play character to spend time with Julia. They may have an attraction and chemistry between them, but anyone who's ever read a romance knows that when secrets are being kept, it doesn’t bode well for a future relationship.

This funny, light-hearted read doesn’t take itself too seriously. With an over-the-top, quirky resort owner, a fluffy passel of adorable corgis and an ornery but surprisingly sympathetic seagull, madcap hilarity ensues. With phenomenal comic relief, a nice dose of steam and far more feels than any seagull can steal, this one is the quintessential beach read you absolutely won’t want to miss!

3.5 stars

Romantic comedies—great classics like You've Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally, and Notting Hill—are supposed to be cheesy. They are ways to escape your real life and step into a fantasy—even if it's just for 90 minutes. That is exactly what this book did.

I mean, this book was just so cheesy in kind of the best way possible. It had everything that encompasses a rom-com: the meet cute, some great best friends, wacky hijinks, some sort of misunderstanding, and then the swoon worthy finale. I liked the modern take on using live action role playing experiences to offer people the chance to live out their rom-com dreams. I really did love Julia's friend group. Their dynamic was fun to read and they played off each other really well. The dialogue was sickeningly sweet and very much over the top—but it kind of worked with the type of story being told. It was just a little too much for me—the insta-love, over the top declarations. In all this was pretty predictable and kind of lacked any real substance, but cute.

What a fun summer book to read! I love the concept of creating resort into a meet cute rom-com! I also found myself relating to Luke so much! It is always good to just go with the flow sometimes.

This book hooked me from the first sentence. I already knew that the author’s sense of humor was a match to my own quirky, off-beat snarkiness, but that opening line was kind of the equivalent of the redneck telling his buddies “here, hold my beer.” It set the stage for everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, that follows it. This book was funny and sweet and angsty and steamy, and all the ingredients I look for in the best books. The characters were real and relatable… well, most of them anyways. I felt like it wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to bump into them on the street. Julia and Luke have strengths and flaws. And while they occasionally frustrated me, I was always cheering for them to get their happily ever after. The secondary characters, whether human, canine, or avian absolutely ran away with the show. In fact, I would just about kill for a follow-up book so we can learn what some of them get up to next. There are so many wonderful gems tucked away in the text of this story, you really need to read this to find them for yourself.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through NetGalley.

The ultimate love letter to rom-com fans!

Julia, desperate to save her job, convinces her boss to let her review a new LARP experience based on rom-coms! Luke has agreed to help launch the rom-com experience as a means to earning enough to finally star his own gaming company. But before the experience even begins they have a truly movie worthy meet-cute that shapes the whole week.

I loved that each of the friends’ experiences mirrored rom-coms: the opposites attract driven jock and lovable good, the sweet girl and the jerk who isn’t good enough for her, and the awkward sort of cynics falling for each other. And all the experience nods to classic movie moments were so fun to read!

I loved the friendship between the girls, the brother-sister relationship, the guy best friends, and the fellow LARP couples as much fun as Julia and Luke’s budding romance. But don’t let the rom-com theme and adorable corgis fool you there is still the Melonie Johnson chemistry and sexy escapades aplenty!

I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.

Julia's got one last chance to save her journalism job. She's taking part in a week-long role-playing game at a resort where guests live out their romantic comedy fantasies. Convinced that true love is a lie, she expects to write a review about how the experience falls short of expectations. Then, she meets Luke.

Unbeknownst to Julia, Luke isn't a guest. He's the software engineer who designed the game. And he's got a big bonus coming if the debut of the game is a success. The attraction between them is instantaneous, but they're both keeping secrets. What will happen when the truth comes out?

This book was a pleasure to read right from the start. It's funny with a ton of heart, the friendships playing almost as large a role as the romantic relationship. If you like rom com with a bit of steam, don't miss this one.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

We interviewed the author Melonie Johnson for the podcast "The Perks of Being A Book Lover".

I will fully admit that romance is not a genre I generally gravitate to. But I fell in love with Too Good To Be Real. Firstly, it was funny and made me realize that while general romance may not be my thing; rom-coms are a separate delightful sub-genre I whole-heartedly enjoy. Secondly, I adored that the characters, especially the main romantic male character, were a bit nerdy. I could relate more to the story because he reminded me a bit of my husband. And lastly, the whole premise of the story, a resort where couples can immerse themselves in a rom-com weekend and the nostalgia of 1980s movies, was a real treat. This is a perfect light and fun summer read.

Our episode with Melonie Johnson will air July 14.

I am a fan of author, Melonie Johnson. I read all of the books in her Sometimes in Love series. So, I was very excited to read this newest offering from Melonie. Too Good to Be Real is a fun, charming, and funny read.

Can there be such a thing as the "perfect rom-com"? That is what Luke is trying to plan. Only he can't tell the guess. Thus the predicament that he finds himself in with Julia. He has fallen for her. Yet, how will she react when she finds out he planned the whole resort's romantic adventure.

You can't plan the "perfect" romantic time as Luke and Julia learn. This book is a real feel good read that will have you smiling and wanting more.

This book started out so strong! I loved the beginning and getting to know the trio of girlfriends (Julie, Kat, and Andie). I felt like I was hanging out with my own girlfriends, having a great night. When Julia's journalism job becomes in jeopardy due to layoffs, she pivots and pitches a different type of article, which sets her off to Wisconsin for a RomCom resort where she and other guests pretend to be in a romantic comedy. Julie enlists her girlfriends to go with her where the enjoy a week of living out the best romantic comedies, complete with paintball, karaoke, and various other cute cliches. While there, Julie meets Luke, the GM (game master/general manager) but neither knows each other's true identity.

This had all the makings for a great romance. The overall plot reminded me Austenland mixed with a Hallmark movie and all the nostalgia from my favorite movies was perfect. However, I didn't connect with the two main characters and didn't feel their chemistry that much. They had a really cute meet-cute but otherwise I just wasn't feeling the tension too much with them. Still, the supporting characters and overall plot made for a cute story. Now, I'm off to go watch 10 Things I Hate About You haha!

*thank you to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

*2.5 stars*
I wanted more from this book. More characterization, more depth, more honesty of characters. It’s so weird because I enjoyed Julia and Luke (our leads) together (not also for their chemistry but banter), but not so much on their own. The pacing of the book also fell short for me.

I did laugh and enjoy the sismance and the seagulls!

Thanks to he Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC of the book.