On Location
By Sarah Smith

I am a huge fan of Sarah Smith's books and this one is definitely fun! Being an LA girl I just love anything in the filming and production industry, so I knew that ON LOCATION would be an exciting read for me. I am also loving this forced proximity trope and the co-workers to lovers trope.

Alia and Drew are so fun to read about from their meet cute to then the ghosting, to the surprise I am back oops scenario and of course their incredible chemistry too were simply amazing.

Smith's stories are also infused with the warmth and importance of the family and of course the role of women in male dominated industry. Her representation of the Asian MC is also a plus for me in this wonderful gem of a book I really enjoyed reading.

This is the first book I have read from Sarah Echavarre Smith and it won't be the last! I loved this story and loved both Alia and Drew. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you dearly NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an e-book copy of ON LOCATION to review.

This was such a great romance in that there are a lot of fun scenarios to ON LOCATION - a meet cute on a subway, a ghosting situation, a workplace romance, TRAVELING in the mountains of Utah, a travel TV show, a jerk host that's always high and obnoxious, I could go on and on …

Alia has always wanted to be the showrunner for a traveling reality series, and after ten years of working behind-the-scenes it paid off. She gets to be have her own show! The only problem is the network's pick for the host is the absolute worst. While having to babysit perpetual drugged-up Blaine, freelancer Drew has to step in and help Alia make this show come together while overcoming his fears.

Drew is also the man she met on a subway after he gave his seat to an elderly passenger. Awwwww. When Drew doesn't call her the next day for their date, Alia's hopes are dashed. Thus begins the workplace romance with an enemies-to-lovers edge when Drew shows up - to work on Alia's show.

I loved their chemistry, their time together in the mountains was steamy - sleeping bag for two! If you enjoy reality tv shows, books in a nature setting and a dreamy, NICE male love interest, ON LOCATION is a perfect fall read.

I love Sarah Smith' rom coms! Her books are steamy, cute, and relatable . . . and ON LOCATION was no exception! Set on a tv shoot in the national parks, this story has everything you want. Adventure, romance, and bad*ss women standing their ground. I highly recommend for your next romcom read.

I feel like this is the most realistic romance novel I’ve read and I kind of loved it!

Alia works for a travel network and presents the idea of a series focusing on the Utah National Parks. Initially, she gets rejected and ends up going on a spontaneous date with a random stranger who then never calls her back. Her series the gets picked up, a field locator is recommended to her, and that person turns out to be the date who ditched her.

Let’s address what first drew me to this book: the location! I fell in love with Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef this summer so to read a book that transported me back there was perfection. The way they talked about Bryce and Capitol Reef warmed my heart. It was also fun to read about Moab and Arches because I could so easily picture everything that was going on. I know I’m partial, but I really felt like Smith made this part of the world pop.

Alia is such a great character. She’s confident and knows who she is and what she wants. Being a woman and part Filipino, she knows how to stand up to the old white male executives but she also knows when she needs to take a different approach. Yes, she has her issues but, we all do. I found that she dealt with everything the way a real woman would as opposed to a romance novel character which I appreciated so much. There were moments when she and Drew had misunderstandings and I loved that her friend/coworker Haley would call her out on them and tell her to go talk to him and make sure that was what he meant.

I also loved Drew. He was a strong male character who admitted when he was wrong and fixed it. He wasn’t overly stubborn and didn’t take things personally. Not to say he was perfect, but it was nice to have a character react normally and not over-react just for drama.

The story addressed a lot of issues with drug use, sexual harassment, sexism, and anxiety head on. None of these issues felt like plot devices to move the story forward which I loved. There were multiple things that happened that I kept waiting for someone to not react in a smart way and then in the classic romance novel style it would be used against them. For example, once Drew and Alia start dating I was continually waiting for it to come back and bite them and be used against them in some way but it wasn’t. Instead, real life problems with real life solutions caused the conflict.

This book had a little bit of a slow start but then it picked up and I finished it in a day. I loved the entire cast of characters and how even I couldn’t figure out exactly where this book was going to go next. If you’re a bit burnt out on the same old romance novels, I highly recommend checking this one out.

Alia Dunn is living her dream. After years of working for the tv channel, Expedition, Alia finally gets to run a travel show showcasing Utah’s national parks. But while Alia is thrilled that her show has gotten the green light, she’s less than enthused with the host the channel has stuck her with. To add insult to injury, her newest crew member is none other than Drew, the guy she had a wonderful date with two weeks before filming, but then ghosted her. Determined to make the best of it, Alia puts her personal feelings for Drew aside. But between her rogue host and her affection for her coworker, Alia is going to have to take some risks for the sake of her career and her love life.

Told in the first person from Alia’s perspective, On Location is largely set in scenic Utah. More than anything it made me want to visit Utah and see all the beautiful national parks. Alia decides she wants to film in Utah because of a trip she took with her grandmother when she was in high school. I love how the show is a tribute to her. It makes it all the more special.

In regards to the romance, it was not my favorite. It’s a bit of a slow burn. It starts with the two meeting in New York but their romantic relationship does not start until well into the book. Drew was a solid love interest, but I didn’t find anything particularly special about him.

The show has a bit of a feminist spin. Alia is met with lots of opposition to her running her show. She is stuck with an indignant, childish host who she has no say in hiring. He increasingly becomes a problem throughout the novel. Without giving too much away, it all comes to a head and I loved the way Alia and the crew handled the conflict.

Thank you to BookSparks, Netgalley, and Berkley for the review copy! All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The story starts off with your classic meet-cute moment on a subway train. Alia's dreams comes true as she gets to produce a travel series about Utah's national parks. Then there's Drew, her super-hot crew member who ghosted her after a magical date. Although they have insanely fiery chemistry, she knows it's for the best to keep things professional.

On Location was an enjoyable read. I liked the steam and the plot. The only thing holding me back from giving a higher rating is how annoying the characters were when it came to dealing with their communication. I wish it wasn't as up-and-down as it was. But overall, it was still a quick steamy romance!

This book was set up perfectly as something I would love. So first I’ll say what I loved:

•The very first scene on the subway and meet cute between Alia and Drew.
•The Utah and National Park setting. You could definitely tell that the author is passionate about the setting.
•The behind the scenes TV production info was so much fun.
•I really loved Drew and all of the crew members. They made the book for me.

Here’s the not as good. For some reason I just did not feel a connection to Alia or the story in general. I felt like work going back to it. I will say I liked the last 1/3 of the book better so that went fast. I’ve seen a lot of great reviews for this book from people I trust, so maybe I was just in a mood 🤷🏼‍♀️

This summer was the summer of National Parks for me! I explored quite a bit of Arizona this summer including The Grand Canyon NP and Saguaro NP along with a number of National Monuments. Then I came home to Oregon and visited Crater Lake NP and am heading the Mt Rainier NP and Olympic NP in Washington later this fall. So when I saw a book that was a travel/work place/vacation romance with National Parks, I was absolutely on board!

This book sounded so promising and I just adore travel romances. Sarah Smith has written a few other romances which I haven’t read but it sounds like the general consensus is this is the best of her romances. So with that in mind I eagerly opened this one and couldn’t wait to get lost in some beautiful landscapes with a sizzling romance.

As I mentioned in a review earlier this week, I have been reading so many historical romances lately that I feel like I need to shift from history to the modern era and read about modern women who fall in love rather than a stuffy old parlor with a crusty chaperone on the fringes. This was just the book that I needed to get me back into modern era romances. I loved the social issues and the characters and of course the settings! It was a great read and I adore Berkley Romances so much that I would eagerly read anything from that publishing house!

Summary
Nothing like a rocky start between enemy coworkers stuck together on location to prove that love isn’t just a ploy for ratings—it’s a force of nature.

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 (summary from Goodreads)

Review
First of all, this cover captures the essence of this book to perfection. It has the famous Arches NP and the color scheme just screams read me. It’s eye catching and memorable. If I saw it in the bookstore, I would pick it up and buy it, no questions asked! If I didn’t already have plans to visit Arches NP, this book would have made me want to. The descriptions and landscapes of this book were vivid and recalled in such detail. I felt like I was actually there in Arches NP and experiencing it all. If this book doesn’t make you want to get out and explore some of our National Parks then I don’t know what will. It was a great read on this reason alone, I felt transported and like I got to extend my summer vacation inside the pages. Great great great setting. One reviewer called this book ‘a love letter to Utah’s National Parks’ and I absolutely agree. It was wonderful.

The book also delivered on the sizzling romance expectation I had as well. In fact, it was a lot more steamy than I was anticipating. Definitely not a bad thing, I just wasn’t expecting it! I liked the bit of enemies to lovers here but I also liked the added layer of work place romance. Work place romances are so difficult and tedious. There is always a lot at stake for both parties and I think that translated well in this book. I liked how Alia was presented in this one, she might not be a great communicator and maybe she jumped to conclusions a lot but overall I thought she was a solid modern woman who struggled with issues that many working women also struggle with—being taken seriously, work place harassment, equality. I know I felt seen in here character. I may not have loved her but I could identify with her.

The only thing I was missing in this one was the alternating POVs. I love getting to read the male perspective and I didn’t have that in this book. Drew could be a bit annoying at times and him and Alia definitely struggled with communication. I would have liked to have seen things from his POV occasionally. I think this book would have read a little better or perhaps readers would have had a bit more to examine and enjoy with his perspective. But overall it was a find book on it’s own. Alia was a great character and their romance was sultry and magnetic. I loved this book and was so glad that I read it. If you are looking for a contempo romance that brings the heat and the adventure this is it! It was a wonderful read that made me hungry for more adventures and more exploring not to mention all the modern day romance I have been craving!

Book Info and Rating
Format 352 pages, Paperback

Expected publicationSeptember 21, 2021 by Berkley

LanguageEnglish

Free review copy provided by publisher, Berkley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influence.

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: romance, contempo romance

this was a cute (and wow v steamy be warned) romance!!! here’s the scoop: “Nothing like a rocky start between enemy coworkers stuck together on location to prove that love isn't just a ploy for ratings—it's a force of nature.”

thanks to @penguinrandomhouse @randomhouse for sending me this one — it was the perfect easy dive back into reading after a week-long slump. i’m a big fan of a strong BIPOC female main character shattering a glass ceiling and also having men back her up while letting her stand on her own two feet. there were fun supporting characters in this one too, and more hurdles than i expected in a breezy romance! 🙌🏼

ps— trigger warning for a sleazy dude sexually harassing a younger girl. it’s handled well though in the end!

(ps— this is also one of the @booksparks #frc2021 picks! love when stars align!)

Allow “On Location” by Sarah Echavarre Smith to transport you to some of the most beautiful spaces in Utah. I enjoyed the descriptions of important parks that make up worthwhile places to explore in our country & the behind the scenes of a nature show in production. #OnLocation #NetGalley

Alia is finally getting her shot to produce a travel show inspired by her adventures with her late grandmother. The only problem is Drew. Well, and the sleazy host, Blaine, the higher-ups chose for her. Drew is hot as hell, and good at his job, but he also ghosted Alia weeks earlier after the most magical date. Having been burned in relationships before, Alia tries to keep things professional with Drew.

There is a lot of miscommunication in this book, which I typically hate- I don't know if it's the sincere apologies on both sides, my mood, or me enjoying every other trope so much, but it didn't bother me as much as it normally would. Alia is such a relatable, strong character, and I love the background crew. Except Blaine, obviously.

I really loved this book and ended up reading it in a day. I'd highly recommend On Location for any rom-com fans.

I loved Alia and Drew’s meet cute, and the fiery chemistry that flares up between them when they go on location together to film a travel docu-series. Smith has such a knack for writing the back and forth between her main characters, and it really shines in this book. Both Drew and Alia have a lot of challenges and insecurities to face, but man I loved seeing them work things out.

The story revolves around Alia who works for a travel channel network, who just got her big break to produce her own series! Of course she is thrilled until she meets one of her crew members, who is a guy she met a few days prior and had the most amazing day with until he ghosts her on their second date. Alia tries to maintain her professional decorum while working with Drew, but they both realize they have an instant attraction to reach other.

This one was steamy, sweet, and charming. I loved the chemistry between Alia and Drew. Also their dialogue between each other were so fluid and I loved how each of them were so supportive of each other (especially when they were actually communicating without miscommunication going on). I've heard this one been more marketed as enemies to lovers but for me I would definitely call it more of a love at first sight romance. This was my first book I've read from the author, and definitely will not be the last!

Thank you so much to PRH team for sending me a galley kn exchange for an honest review!

I have a love-hate relationship with Sarah Smith but I'm optimistic with On Location. Love that thia one delivered the goods, the swoons, and the message.

Excited to reread via physical copy.

Alia has always wanted to honor her grandmother by doing a travel series about the Utah State Parks. She has finally gotten approval for her idea. She is excited and extremely nervous. But, when she is forced to take on a problem actor as the host, she knows she is going to be having some major issues.

On top of that problem, another one shows up! One of the newest crew members turns out to be Drew. Drew happens to be a guy she met on the subway, had fabulous drinks with and he was supposed to call…but he didn’t. Alia is determined to be professional in all aspects of this project. But, as situations start to unfold…you will just need to read this to find out!

I enjoyed the locations almost as much as I loved the characters. My friend visited some of these parks this summer and all her pictures are stunning. So, when the author described some of these places, I really could visualize the fascinating landscapes. Add Alia and Drew into this mix and I was hooked.

Alia and Drew work well together…until they don’t. You get the drift. It is a romance. So, of course, the characters have to have fights now and then. And then they have to make up!

Need a good romance in a unique location…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Alia works at a travel channel and has some very personal ideas for projects she wants to work on. She pitches a travel show about National Parks in Utah (I want to watch that) she originally gets her idea rejected. So being told she should be bold she does some bold things on the train ride back home. Which include taking a picture that goes viral and asking a handsome stranger out on a date. They hit it off but the next day and next week he never calls and her idea actually gets picked up. So she moves on setting up for her job on location.

So many things go wrong due to decisions she wasn't allowed to make on her own, cause misogyny and patriarchy. The host they have is a reality star nightmare but the freelance field coordinator she was referred to is familiar, hmmm. 

This is a rival co-worker, slow burn. And of course there is a third act heartbreak - why do I love the 3rd act heartbreak so much. Am I a masochist? Probably. Why yes yes I am.

BTW thank you for the PSA - we should visit our national parks! They are beautiful. When my kids are a few years older I want to go check off the ones in our big book and map - road tripping to some of them. These in Utah are definitely on the list!

Thank you berkleyromance and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you need a book that offers witty banter with just the right amount of spice involved and that also includes honest yet hard-to-discuss dialogue (cultural identity, equality, emotional struggles, etc.), you'll want to check out this book when it releases TODAY (September 21th)!

Review:

I must say that On Location was the perfect book to end September with and was a high note to leave Summer on. When I tell you all that I have never wanted to book a flight so fast for a quick vacation after reading this book I mean it... but I am a teacher and a cheer coach and it is homecoming week so that is not happening anytime soon! This story had everything I needed at the moment: the cute love story, the important issues, the cute scenery... what more could one ask for? If you have ever been interested in filming, this book does a great job in giving you a look at the behind-the-scenes of the process but also it is the perfect escape of seeing an amazing character live out her dream job. Alia is a hard worker who fights for what she wants in a male-dominated field and if you need a girl boss, go-getter type of book go ahead and add this to your TBR right now!

One of my favorite parts of living in NYC is just stumbling into a movie or tv show filming, right on the streets! I ran into Law and Order SVU filming this week. One of my favorite shows!

On Location is about Alia, a woman who has just landed her dream; producing a series about Utah’s national parks. She particularly loved Utah because her grandmother brought her there as a child. Alia is over the moon to be working on her project until she meets a new member of their crew; Drew, someone she has a wonderful first date with and then never from again. Things are awkward until they turn steamy! The series host starts to turn on Alia and she is forced to make some bold decisions for the sake of her show.

I loved this book! The incredible descriptions of Utah make you want to book a flight there immediately. I was very proud of Alia for convincing the network and producing her own show as a woman in a male dominated field. I loved the chemistry between Alia and Drew- they have great banter. I do think having Drew’s point of view would add a lot to this book.

The sexism in the film industry with the Me Too era was a nice touch. You don’t read too many romcoms about national parks so I thought this was a very fun change. I’ll definitely be reading more from @authorsarahs!

Thank you so much to @berkleypublishing and @netgalley for my gifted copy. This book is on sale today!!

On Location is about a woman who has girl bossed a little too close to the sun (sorry, I spend way too much time of TikTok) and is now the showrunner of a travel show being hosted by a complete nightmare. Picture Steve-O from Jackass. To the rescue comes this super great freelancer who happens to be the guy she had an epic first date with.

This book is funny and sweet.