Bernie hasn't had a vacation in a while. Her mom gets her a Groupon for an Alaskan Denali week long hike. While she isn't sure about it at first, she decides to go and channel her great-aunt Bernice who she is named after and who was a very adventurous woman. When Bernie checks in to begin the hike she finds that she is to share a tent with a guy named Matthew because the organizers thought she was a guy. Matthew is a screen writer who is trying to clear his head before pilot season. Will they or won't they get along? Well, since this is a romance, I'll say that they end up working through their differences. Overall, I thought this was a fun story with some unique aspects to it. The writing flowed well and I was entertained. I really loved the character of Bernie. She was working through some stuff in her personal life, and yet she was willing to try the hike and didn't give in when the going got tough. I do like more relationship building in my romances, but due to the timeline of this one, that was not all that possible. Despite that, I felt the connection between Bernie and Matthew and loved their banter.

My sincere thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my unbiased opinion of it. I recommend!

The Name Curse by Brooke Burroughs is fluffy, adventurous and romance gateway read!!
Bernice aka Bernie always felt that she wasn't living up to her daring Great aunt Bernice whom she was named after. Tired from being disappointment, inner guilt, grief from her father's death, she needed a change of scenery. Bernie finally decides to take a hike trip in Alaska, when hew mother bought her Groupon for the trip. Only if she can muster courage to admit its something she wants to do.
On the trip, she has bunk in same tent as Matthew, a screenwriter from LA, who has been in writing funk for a long time. Matthew has been dealing with mental scars bad past relationship, return of his absent father and not being able to produce any worthy scripts. Matthew already has a lot on his plate, to deal with pretty but amateur hiking partner.

As Matthew and Bernie embarks on the journey of hiking in Alaska, forcing each other out of their shells and giving new perspectives, forming new friendships and finding love along the way.

The Name cure is opposite-attract/ Grumpy-Sunshine trope romance that includes great & quirky characters, captivating romance and character development through out the story and fighting of bears. And Includes a hiking trip that makes you seek your own adventures.

This was a good read, that I would definitely recommend trying!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

What a fun adventure!

Bernie is mistaken for male and winds up sharing a tent with Matthew, who seems to have a chip on his shoulder. She is venturing way outof her comfort zone, hiking to Denali in Alaska with a groupbif strangers.

This was funny, and sweet, and had just the right amount of silly. An excellent enemies-to-lovers story.

The only thing that was a bit odd, really, was the sexy scenes. It was as though there were chunks of the scenes that were just ripped out. Not a fade to black, not steamy, but almost as though the author couldn't quite write what was going to happen next, so just skipped ahead or sort of threw a euphemism or two and figured "Oh, they know what's happening without my spelling it out."

The resolution to the conflict worked well enough, but felt a little lacking on Bernie's side.

All in all, this was a fun read. The settings were great, the connection and growth of Bernie and Matthew believable, and a lovely romantic escape.

3.5 Star
2.5 Heat

'How could someone with such spirit just give up on doing things that were fun and adventurous and maybe a little wild just because she thought she was an adult now? She was what, twenty-seven? And now she was relegated to some life of endless boredom because she'd "grown up"?'

Boy, it's been a while like I felt so seen by a quote, or really just a character, in a book. For the longest time I was struggling with 'growing up', needing to be more mature, letting go of my adventurous side. But much like Bernie in The Name Curse, I managed to rediscover my passion for adventure and live life to the fullest again!

The Name Curse is a really cute romantic story set against the stunning back-drop of a hiking-and-camping trip in Alaska. Their is plenty of snark and miscommunication for the enemy-to-lover lovers out there, and of course, there is forced proximity on a hiking trip where the two MCs happen to be sharing a tent. Ouch. Bernie is my spirit animal, but I loved Matthew in equal measures. Both characters are well-rounded and humanly flawed, which I can appreciate. The side-characters were such caricatures and yet they each made the story (and the hike) much more real and fun. The writing about the actual hike and scenery made me want to pack up my gear and hop onto the next flight.

There is more to the story than just the romance though. Ultimately, this is also a story about 'growing up' and mending broken (family) relationships. It is about learning to speak up about things that bother/frighten us, and learning that, in all likelihood, our role-models face similar fears even though they are supposed to be the adults in our lives.

ARC from Netgalley.

This book was incredibly adorable. I love an enemies to lovers, 'oops there's only one bed but it's actually a small tent in the middle of the wilderness we have to share' moment.

I was really not a fan of Matthew at first, and he picked up a bit throughout, but definitely not my favorite romantic character I've ever encountered. Bernie on the other hand was glorious and hilarious. She definitely should have been the one to be a comedy writer.

I also wanted a bit more steam than there was in this, which was almost no steam at all, but it was a cute, tame romp that I don't regret checking out.

I gobbled this up rather quickly and think it's the perfect romance adventure read. If The Simple Wild and Enjoy the View had a baby, this might be it. The combination of tropes is delightful - opposites attract, grump/sunshine, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and insta-love? While writing that, it seems hectic, but I swear it works!
I know Brooke has another book out in the wild. (It's sitting on my shelves and has been sadly neglected among my stack of TBRs.) This is my first though and will not be my last. I love her writing voice and characterizations. The supporting cast added a great background to Bernie and Matthew's love story. Right off the bat, they drive the other bananas, but one tent and a secluded hike forces them to compromise.
This title is perfect. I mean, I wouldn't want to walk around named Bernice either, but popular names like Ashlee aren't that much better.
Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Bernice (Bernie) is named after her great aunt, an adventurer. Bernie feels cursed by the name, it’s not young, she’ll never live up to it, and now it’s landed her an unfortunate tent-mate on her Alaskan backpacking vacation. Matthew is a script-writer on his annual vacation, looking for creative inspiration not a crazy tent-mate. Both are in Alaska for different reasons, but now find themselves on the same path together.

I just loved this one!! It has a lot of my favorites in tropes (trail, forced proximity, enemies/dislike to more) and epic setting, but it was also really well written, very touching, and provided lots for these two to work out on the trail individually and together. It’s extremely funny and I was in doubled over in stitches about a scene involving Starbucks.

The side characters are gold, from the rest of hiking crew, families, roommates, friends, dogs and a particular healthcare worker. It warmed my heart and I “one more chaptered” my way well past my bedtime. Bernie and Matthew were complex but relatable and I was cheering for them although frustrated by them plenty. Lastly, I loved being swept away to Alaska. Denali NP is definitely on my bucket list.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

In "The Name Curse", Bernice is named after her Great Aunt, who was known for being a wild, adventurous woman. Unfortunately, "Bernie" can't live this down and is tired of people pushing her to get out of her comfort zone. When her mom pays for her to take a week-long wilderness hike through Alaska, Bernie goes just to get her off her back. However, her name causes confusion and she ends up having to share a tent with the only other person alone on the hike: Matthew. Along the way, sparks fly and they start to learn about more than just the wonders of Alaska.

I enjoyed the premise of the book, but didn't feel that the chemistry was very realistic. Overall, it was a cute book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Unlike her great aunt Bernice she was named for,  Bernie isn't the adventurous type.  When her boss forces her to take a vacation,  she plans on helping her mom on the farm, but everyone pushes her to go to Alaska on a week-long hiking trip to Denali. Due to a mixup on the paperwork with them thinking "Bernie" to be a man, she is teamed up with Matthew, a struggling screenwriter looking for inspiration.  Forced to share a tiny tent and rely on each other throughout the trip,  Matthew is disgusted with her lack of camping skills,  and Bernie is fed up with his know-it-all attitude. But attraction grows when he doesn't flinch at her snoring or her stinky feet,  and she actually liked one of his screenplays.
I loved the camping humor in this story,  from Bernie's attempts to set up a tent,  to her toileting disaster, and the problematic bear can. This is a hilarious rom-com adventure!
I received an advance reader copy of this book through Netgalley. My review is given voluntarily.

Bernie's life has become rather boring since her father died. When her boss tells her she needs to use her vacation time before she loses it, Bernie decides to visit her mom. Bernie's mom has other plans though and books Bernie a ticket on a hiking trip in Alaska. There she meets Matthew, a screenwriter who is using this trip as a way to clear his mind and get some inspiration for his next project. The two are forced to share a tent and, well, the story progresses from there in exactly the manner you would expect from an enemies-to-lovers romance.

I think my expectations were a little too high going into this, and I was really hoping for more from the setting (I mean... Alaska!), but if you're looking for a light and fun romance to read, this could definitely be it!

Why am I not hearing more about this book?? The name curse is so damn funny and swoony.

Love the Alaskan wilderness backdrop!

Love Bernie and her quirkiness!

Love that we have dual POV, something I’ve been missing in the last couple of books I read!

Love Matthew and how has starts out super broody but slowly opens up the more you read!

This is just a super fun and enjoyable rom-com.


TW: Death of a parent (off page), cancer (off page)

Harlequin Junkie Top Pick!

Wow! This was not your normal run-of-the-mill rom-com. It was hilarious but also memorable; one of those books that you will not forget the storyline in a month or so. It captivated me from the beginning, and I could not put the book down until I finished. The book was well written, paced perfectly, and was “real-life”. It was a slow-burn romance between a couple who was irritated by each other from the time they met but they slowly realized they both were going through a hard time and could relate to each other.

Bernie Purcell was named after her Great-Aunt Bernice who was known by the family for her adventuress spirit. Her mom was always telling her that as a child Bernie was full of spirit so she thought Bernie would be more like her Great-Aunt Bernice. It always left Bernie feeling like she was a disappointment to her mother, but Bernie liked her life as it was. She liked living in her childhood home in Portland, her predictable job, and her simple life. Her boss, best friend, and mother were all encouraging her to go somewhere on vacation. Her mother surprises her by purchasing Bernie a hiking trip to Denali. After some confusion with her name Bernie is assigned Matthew as a tentmate.

Matthew Hildebrandt was a screenwriter who went on an adventure every summer to clear his mind and come up with new ideas for the sitcoms he writes. This year he is taking a hiking trip to Denali and also contemplating the idea of giving his deadbeat father one of his kidneys. When he is assigned Bernie as a tentmate and realizes her lack of experience with camping, he knew he would gather plenty of comedic material to use for a sitcom. The core of the sitcom would be about two hiking guides stuck with an enthusiastic group of accident-prone hikers.

I was very surprised to learn this was only the second novel the author has written. It was extremely entertaining but still had so much emotional depth to it. The main characters were both buried under a lot of family expectations and needed to reassess their lives. All the characters were charming, and it was fun getting to know them. I must give kudos to Bernie for her willingness to step into the unknown of hiking and camping with so much eagerness. She was very brave going on vacation by herself and doing something so out of her comfort zone. Matthew started the trip as grumpy and cross, but his character along with his funny random thoughts grew on me as the book progressed. He still showed kindness and understanding to Bernie when she needed help. He started out thinking of her only as a future character in his sitcom, but she became so much more.

This was a fun book and I highly recommend it if you are looking for a book that will make you laugh and end with a smile on your face. I look forward to reading more from Brook Burroughs in the future.

The book started out really strong with promising characters and an intriguing storyline. It took me a bit to warm up to Matthew, because in the first few chapters he's so unnecessarily judgemental, especially about Bernie, but after a whilr he turned it around. After the end of the hike the book progressed a bit too fast for me. Bernie and Matthew seem to rush into the relationship even though half of the time they've known each other they were fighting. Sure, some of it was fun and flirty banter but a lot of is was a bit more serious.
What ultimately soured me to the book though was the conflict at the end. Without wanting to spoiler too much, I feel like Matthew didn't fully understand why he messed up and his apology gave me a "I'm sorry you're upset" vibe instead of being a full "I was wrong" apology. I wish this conflict could have been handled a bit better. Other than that it was a fun romance with a bit of enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fun, flirty, fabulous. A romance with all the right ingredients. Nice chemistry between the characters. I do love stories of adventures, and this one had the adventure, with the entertainment. My first book by the author, and I look forward to reading more. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Name Curse is a contemporary romance by The Marriage of Code author Brooke Burroughs. A huge thanks to Montlake for my e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book follows Bernie who is named after her great aunt who is such an aspiring aunt and adventurer. Bernie works hard and has not taken a break in forever (can you imagine she has two weeks of vacation time). But mom is the word because she ends up buying her a Groupon to go hiking in Denali. She isn't much of an outdoorswoman like her namesake, Great Aunt Bernice, so it's an adventure of a lifetime

On the hike, she encounters delightful characters including a screenwriter (Matthew) who is in need of a break because all his tv shows get cancelled *gasp*. From the onset, these very seemingly different people rub each other the wrong way and I was here for it. This book is perfect for a lazy day and it's totally okay if you feel like going camping afterwards. Recommend this book and hmm Alaska anyone?

I received an advance copy of, The Name Curse, by Brooke Burroghs. Bernie has had a hard time since her father died. Bernie is forced to go on a wilderness journey where she meets Matthew. I found this book to be boring. Others might like it.

Loved this book.
Bernie is named after her great Aunt Bernice, and is fed up of being compared to her.
When her mum books her on a walking holiday in Alaska, nothing prepares her for the reality of the holiday, or dealing with Matthew, who she ends up sharing a tent with.
Both of them are dealing with issues relating to their fathers and end up unlikely friends and maybe more?

I liked how it is told from both of their point of view, and both characters were really likeable even when they did stupid things!

Made me want to go off and hike in Alaska too!

The Name Curse is Brooke Burroughs’ 2nd novel and just like The Marriage Code, this book blended great characters and an epic landscape to create an emotional, fun, and sweeping romance.

The story follows Bernie and Matthew who could not be more different. She is a rigid homebody that never steps out of line. He is a comedy sitcom writer who takes an adventure trip every year to generate ideas for his writing. For hilarious reasons they end up sharing a tent and supplies on a group camping trip / hike through Denali.

Their snap judgements lay the foundation for their early interactions and made for some very biting and funny banter. These two get to know each other in unusual circumstances and through some of their worst moments which opens them up to a lot of soul searching and harsh realities. With that said this book was funny. So funny in fact that I could not contain my laughter through an entire chapter. I had to try to re-read it a few times and it got me every time so when you get there you know certainly agree with me that Brooke Burroughs’ mind is a treasure. She also turned me into a blubbering mess of emotion for a while there but that’s ok because the happily ever after was totally worth it.

The author did a spectacular job of making the beauty and harsh realities of the hike jump off the page! She also created extremely relatable characters that were both likable and frustrating at at the same time! Not only were the two romantic leads engaging but so were the entire cast on the hike and in their personal lives and I'd be happy to dig deeper into any of their stories in a follow up but again, this book was perfect as is. I'm excited to recommend this book to my friends and look forward to reading anything Brook Burroughs writes next!

This was a very entertaining, absorbing read. Matthew took a while to grow on me--he wasn't in a good place and definitely started out as a jerk, but as he grew and we learned more about him he became a very appealing character. And, speaking of characters, Bernie was easy to cheer for as well. She's a vivacious, smart woman who has been thrown for a loop and gotten a little lost. Watching her come into herself is gratifying.

The chemistry between the MCs definitely comes across, though the romance is closed door, for the most part. It was fun to read their story and I was very happy for their happiness!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!