Review & Thoughts:

Great first line had me laughing from the get go. The book touches on impactful themes; sexual assault, happily ever afters, and life adventures. Main theme was about miscommunication which I’m sorry to say is my least favorite romance trope. I find it hard to connect with multiple instances of miscommunication and it kind of makes my skin crawl when a relationship seems so doomed from the start. In my perspective communication is so incredibly important for the continued growth of a health relationship.

I enjoyed the story but I didn’t find myself engaged. From one perspective I think it may have had too many romance tropes bundled into the story. You have your meet cute, your close proximity, secret relationships, overcoming past relationship trouble that led to having a hard time to trust a new romance. The meet cute was a really fun one though!

The chemistry between Alia and Drew is off the charts which makes for a sexy steamy read but some of the story felt a bit over the top for me. This book had fantastic feedback so if it sounds like your kind of read I’d still recommend giving it a go!

Fun Fact: The author lives in Oregon. My husband and I just moved to Oregon and bought our first home and I get so excited when I discover local authors!

Recommend for: lovers of steamy romance, romance tropes; meet cute, close proximity, miscommunication

My Review Rating: ♥♥♥.5

Romance Steam Factor: R

I've enjoyed Sarah Smith's books in the past and this one is no different! It was the perfect pick-me-up during a busy work and life week!

On Location is a really enjoyable book — I loved the start and how it jumped right into these two characters meeting. While I'm not normally a fan of "insta love", I think these characters met in a really natural way and their chemistry was really clear. It also totally reminded me of the Instagram account, hot guys reading (hah!).

The characters were really great and I loved how they kind of regressed into almost an enemies-to-lovers situation (which is one of my fave tropes). The TV show background was really fun and provided an entertaining storyline for the characters, which I truly enjoyed.

I'm super excited to pick up more of Sarah's books in the future and to swing back and read her last book, Simmer Down!

Thank you for the opportunity to read!

I think this book had a lot of promise but it was a bit sluggish to keep going, cute sweet but something was missing.

This book was full of soft moments and searing heat, On Location transports you a space in the middle of breathtaking natural wonders where you, too, will fall in love. Sarah Smith delivers a funny, poignant, novel where happily ever after is only the beginning of the adventure. This is the travel love story we all deserve and made me want to pack my bags!

Alia has finally received the break that she has been waiting for: a chance to produce her own show about Utah’s national parks. Everything should be perfect until the new crew member turns out to be Drew.

Drew is the man that Alia met and had an amazing date with who then ghosted her. Now, they are together in the wilderness with nowhere to escape. To make matters worse, the host of the show is MIA most of the time which is leading to disaster.

I love that Alia is a strong women who is a problem solving powerhouse. This light romance was a fun read.

Thank you for my review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book centers on Alia and her desire to produce quality travel shows. She meets a guy, who ends up ghosting her after their first date, but turns out will be someone she's working with for her first production break.

I think there's a trope going around romance novels centering on miscommunication. I felt this story had a lot of that. I recommend this to readers who enjoy that theme.

I adored the meet cute in this story - it had me rooting for the couple from the get go. I thought that the backdrop of Utah was a wonderful setting and I enjoyed reading about the places they were filming. I have read this author’s book and I think they keep getting better with each release.

🥰 really liked || 💋some steam
🤟outdoors-y, second chance romance, one sleeping bag
📚Wait for It by Jenn McKinlay
🎶Wonder by Shawn Mendes

On Location is the first book I read from this author and now I'm a fan. It's a fun, adventurous and sexy read. The connection between the characters, Alia and Drew is filled with chemistry from the start.

I really, really enjoyed Sarah Smith’s sophomore novel, Simmer Down – it nailed the enemies to lovers trope and made me crave lumpia. I was super excited to have the opportunity to read her third book, On Location. Unfortunately, this book just did not work for me.

My main issues with On Location were around the leading lady, Alia. I couldn’t get around her unprofessionalism and overall lack of situational awareness. She was over the top arrogant and really never redeemed herself. I also couldn’t buy into her romance with Drew. Their will they won’t they dynamic fell flat and I really didn’t feel any chemistry between them. I also found the overall story to be slow and the side characters were super on dimensional. I wish they had been developed a lot more / had their own subplots.

An enemies to lovers romance with adventure, an adorable meet cute, and lots of work related misunderstandings. My favorite part of this book is the setting in Utah and the forced proximity circumstances in the tent. Full of wanderlust and friendship, this is a steamy read that made my hiking and traveling heart so happy!

Alia pitches her idea for a travel show to the executives and surprisingly they give her a chance. Even though Alia hit road blocks every step of the way, she’s able to work around every failed attempt with the help of Drew and her friends. She tries to remain strictly co-workers with Drew and stay professional, but his charming personality is just too irresistible.

In all honesty, I saw some mediocre reviews for this one and went in expecting very little from the plot. I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the unity between the crew, Alia’s take no crap attitude, and the added steam! I really enjoyed where the story went and never got bored. Even though the miscommunication was typical for a romance, I enjoyed the character development and emphasis on female empowerment. A breezy and fun read with lots of adventure!

On Location by Sarah Smith is the third book by Smith that I have read. I have read Faker, Simmer Down, and now this one. On Location tells the story of Lia and Drew- Lia is a producer for a television station, and she gets the chance to shoot her own series. Drew is the field coordinator that she hires; she thinks they have never met before but when Drew shows up on the first day of filming, she realizes she does know him. They had an epic first night and meeting several weeks prior, but then Drew totally ghosted her. This makes for an awkward first day of filming. As they keep filming, Drew and Lia will discover if those same sparks from that first night many weeks before are still there. Overall, I enjoyed this book. The steam was on point and came at just the right time- quick enough that I didn't have to wait until the end for the two characters to hold hands but not so quick that it wasn't believable. The aspect of the behind the scenes of a television show being filmed was cool, and most of the characters were likable, except Blaine, which is what I'm sure Smith was going for- as he was utterly insufferable. It was fast paced and entertaining. A couple of things I did not like was how hot/cold Drew could be and the miscommunication between the characters. Lia was pretty assuming for someone who was pretty direct and blunt otherwise, and that is always a pet peeve of mine in books. Because of these things I am giving it 4/5 stars. Thank you to the publisher, Berkley Romance, for giving me the chance to read a digital ARC of this book.

listen, I didn't hate this book but I also didn't love it which was a major disappointment because I thought it would be fun. it sounded like it would give me the same vibes as Shipped by Angie Hockman but it just fell flat. I didn't find the chemistry/romance believable at all. Drew seemed....fine just like a hot guy who also happens to be an uncle. I didn't get why they were into each other beyond physical attraction. there was miscommunication galore, barely any banter/flirting in the lead up to them getting together, and then we practically flew through all the time they did spend together before the third act conflict. and it happened in the last 10% off the book which is too late for my preference.

but I did appreciate the storyline about Alia's work goals and struggles. I think it really captured how women in the workplace feel and the ways men should or shouldn't be stepping in (i.e. yes to standing up to behavior, no to stepping in when a woman is clearly handling it). if you ignore that this is a romance and just treat it like a career focused contemporary, it might be a better time for you.

I previously enjoyed Sarah Smith's two other books and was eagerly looking forward to this book. However I just never really fell in love with it. It was just an OK read for me. I felt like the romance aspect of it was pretty light and it was more like a travel log/TV production show and that took too much of the focus from the romance. That being said I'm still looking forward to Sarah Smith's next book!!

Oh, a second chance, close proximity romance!!! Sign me up. This was magical and insanely sweet with a perfect amount of heat. This has definitely made me want to explore Utah with my own Drew.

- This is the third book of Sarah’s that I have read and I have not loved any of them. They are cute but nothing special. But maybe that’s just me.
- The meet cute is adorable in this book. Alia and Drew meet on the Subway but, after just one date, he ghosts her. Of course he is going to show up and work on her TV though.
- The scenery. I mean, 95% of this book is set the Utah National Parks. It did kind of make me want to visit.

Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: cheating (past relationship), anxiety, sexual harassment

I appreciated how escapist this book was. I truly felt like I was in Utah going on an adventure with the crew. The writing was very vivid and transported me.

Steam: 3.5

On Location is a fast-paced romance set within Utah’s beautiful national parks. It follows Alia and Drew, who are working together on Alia’s first travel show.

As Alia tries to prove herself in a male-dominated industry, her growing feelings for Drew complicate things. On Location tries to tackle the topics of workplace harassment and intimidation, but unfortunately, Drew has to come to the rescue or get the final word in nearly every time, despite Alia’s determination to handle things on her own. He was a well-meaning character, but he didn’t send the message I think the author was attempting, nor did Alia come off as the strong, independent woman she was supposed to be.

My other issue with this book is that there were several scenes that could have used a fact checker (the conditions for hypothermia, for one). A little suspension of belief can be fun and even necessary to move the plot along, but too much of it is distracting and does a disservice to the author’s storytelling.

Overall, though, I was definitely entertained and really loved the setting, which did Utah justice. I would have loved to watch the show Alia is producing. It was a great escapism read and one that would be perfect to inspire travel.

I loved loved love On Location by Sarah Echavarre Smith. She is becoming a definite auto-read author for me after loving both this book and Simmer Down. I love books about travel, that take me on a journey. And this one delivered that! I found myself through this book googling each of the places Alia's travel show visited. Sarah's words brought the West to life and made me want to plan a trip ASAP. Even more than that, I loved the relationship between Alia and Drew. From their first meeting to the very end. And I'm always a sucker for a secret romance. The tension between them was perfect. I will be waiting for Sarah's next book, no doubt!

Alia Dunn has finally gotten her big break. After years of working her way up at TV's top outdoor travel channel, she gets the green light from network executives to bring her dream project to life: produce a series about Utah's national parks. It's a touching tribute to her late apong, who sparked Alia's passion for travel and the outdoors as a kid.

Alia is thrilled—until she meets her newest crew member, Drew Irons. The same Drew she had the most amazing first date with two weeks ago—who then ghosted her. The same Drew who has the most deliciously thick forearms and who loves second-guessing her every move on set in front of the entire crew. It's not long before the tension between them turns hotter than the Utah desert in the dead of summer, and their steamy encounters lead to major feelings.

But when the series host goes rogue one too many times, jeopardizing the entire shoot, Alia realizes that she'll need to organize one hell of a coup to save her show—and she'll need Drew's help to do it. It's the riskiest move she's ever made. If she pulls it off, she'll end up with a hit series and her dream guy . . . but if it all goes wrong, she could lose both.

Sarah Smith truly transports you to the unreal beauty of Utah in this delightful romcom. I never wanted to leave!

Thank you @berkleyromance for a copy of this book. After reading this book, I want to visit all the national parks in Utah. We went to Zion a few years ago and loved it so much. I love how Alia and Drew met and felt so bad for Alia when she was ghosted. This is a fun take on office romance mixed in with dealing with issues of a male dominated profession.