This was a cute yet emotional read at times. The very basic bones of the story is our main character, Rachel, takes a leap of faith at her dream job in Ohio helping open a resort / brewery leaving everything she has known behind in Florida.

But we also get topics like sexual harassment in the workplace, single motherhood, child custody issues, death of a child, and divorce just to name a few that intertwine into the story.

Overall, I enjoyed my time reading it but the ending felt a bit rushed because common sense wasn’t used and it was a bit out of character.

4/5⭐️

I liked this novel, but I didn’t love it. Rachel is a manager at a large luxury hotel in Fort Lauderdale, when she loses her job after she’s sexually assaulted by a wealthy patron. When she can’t find a decent job in Florida, she moves to Kelley Island in Ohio for a job working for Mason Brown, managing a brewery/hotel.

This is book #2 in a series, and I always prefer to start with book #1, which is called Float Plan – though I find most romances can stand alone without giving too much away about the previous book (since you always know who ends up together).

I liked the two main characters a lot, loved the small town setting, and I liked the way the author went into a lot of detail about the work of creating a brewery and small hotel. I really enjoyed reading about what goes into designing a hotel room (balancing comfort, cost, and atmosphere) and also the creative ways they tied the brewery and accommodations together thematically. I also liked that initially, these characters were not a great fit for each other — he’s a little older than she is, she’s a single parent, he’s getting over a divorce and the death of a child, and they are trying to get a really difficult business venture off the ground. Oh, and there’s the fact that he’s her boss.

I should say right off the bat I think it’s really hard to write a good romance where one character is the other’s boss. That’s a really problematic relationship. Doller doesn’t ignore that, but in this book it’s a double whammy – Rachel not only works for Mason, she lives in his house. That part made me a bit uncomfortable, especially considering her child lives in the house too. That’s a whole lot of trust in someone you’ve never met.

Doller says in her acknowledgements that since she wrote it during the pandemic, she wanted it to be “warm and gentle”. It’s definitely that. Sometimes romances are full of manufactured conflict that doesn’t add to the story, and I can appreciate that Doller didn’t do that. If that appeals to you, feel free to stop reading this review and grab this book. For me, though, everything in this book felt too conflict-free.

Maybe I’ll sound like a terrible person when I say these characters are too nice to each other, too understanding. I wanted more push and pull – not manufactured conflict, but the very real stresses that occur when two people make themselves vulnerable to each other. In this book, everything fell into place much too easily, from Rachel’s friendships with the other residents of the town, to getting their business off the ground, to the relationship between Rachel and Mason.

Ironically, Doller put plenty of potential landmines in place, some serious and some just situational, but none of them ever pose a problem. For example, there are places where they might disagree on some of Mason’s or Rachel’s business choices, like when Mason spends thousands on a giant antler chandelier – but they never disagree. They both seem to be perfectly in sync when it comes to Rachel’s daughter. Even the weather never presents a problem, despite the fact that Rachel has moved from sunny Florida to a place so cold no one can leave the island 3-4 months of the year. I wondered how Rachel would adapt when the weather got really cold, but it never comes up.

If you’re looking for a kind and gentle love story, this is a great book for you. It’s well written and I liked the story, including the diversity of the characters. But the romance didn’t sizzle for me, and everything felt too easy to be realistic.

Note: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from NetGalley and publisher St. Martin’s Press. This book published March 8, 2022.

I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read and review this book. I had read Float Plan, the first book in this series, and loved it. This book is at least as good, but in a more low-key way. It is Rachel's book - sister to Anna who was the main character of Float Plan. While it's not necessary to read the first book in order to enjoy this one, both books are phenomenally good. The sisters are in different situations - Anna lost her fiance to suicide in Float Plan, and Rachel in The Suite Spot is a single mother who initially has a financial crisis. Both women were desperate for change when their books started, but for very different reasons.

Rachel 's life falls apart when she loses her job at an upscale hotel in Florida. She and her four year old daughter live with her mother in a very small house. Her ex-boyfriend, Maisie's father, is unreliable at a long list of things, including paying child support and showing up to visit his daughter. Rachel finally finds another job at a much lower salary at an unsavory motel. One day a friend tells her about a job that would be her dream job - managing a small hotel associated with a micro brewery of specialty beers. The catch is, it is on an island in a lake in Ohio. Cold, snowy winters. Quite a change from Florida near the beach and no mother to help her with Maisie.

When Anna arrives, she finds a different situation than she expected. Her new boss, Mason Brown, is very quiet and reserved. His hotel isn't ready for guests as he is still renovating it. He's further along with the beer brewing. Fortunately, Anna was able to steer Mason in his hotel renovations and and the two shop together for room furnishings. Their relationship develops slowly, as Mason is grieving. One thing I really enjoyed about the book was seeing Anna and Maisie make friends, and bloom in their new community.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for the advance reading copy of this book. It was a pleasure to read and review.

The Suite Spot - this story focuses on Rachel, a mom who loves her job in hospitality management…but loses it.
She hears about a dream position, out of state, in a remote area. Rachel decides it is the best decision for her and her daughter.
.
Enter Mason.
.
Cue the adventure.
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If you loved the Float Plan, dare I say, I liked this even more?
.
Congratulations @trishdoller
I adored Rachel, Maisie, and Mason.
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I felt the conflict with the ex at the end was a bit rushed and weak, hence the 4 versus 5 stars.
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Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for an advanced copy, this is an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: The Suite Spot by Trish Doller
2022 Publication Date: March 8

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️

T.I.M.E. Favorite Books To Read
T.I.M.E. Recommended Books By Genre | Contemporary Romance
T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books of 2022

CONNECT WITH THIS BOOK | T.I.M.E. SIMPLE LIVING TIP:
When dealing with "stuff", remember the memories are in your heart... And the "stuff" is just taking up space in your life that you need for other things... ✨😎✨

T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW: I fell in love with Trish Doller's work with her previous book, Float Plan... And my love affair is continuing with The Suite Spot!... Her trademark touch is an insightful look at romance featuring a strong female character that takes on a daunting challenge both physically, emotionally and mentally… And does not fall into another relationship to “cure” her life… Very refreshing to read a contemporary romance that encourages us to "love smarter"... Bonus: One of the sweetest spots in The Suite Spot? The heroine's little girl that is a "young girl on the rise"!... ✨😎✨

Pages: 288
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sub-Genre: Workplace Romance | Steamy Romance
• T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating:️ 🌶 (Mild Spicy)
Time Period: Present Day
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Kelleys Island, Ohio

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: Float Plan by Trish Doller
Movie: A Good Year

--------------------

All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

THE SUITE SPOT is a sweet romance between hotel manager Rachel and brewmaster Mason. Rachel moves to Kelleys Island, a small island in Lake Erie, with her young daughter to manage Mason's new brewery hotel -- just to find that it's yet to be built.

I enjoyed FLOAT PLAN and was really excited when I heard Trish Doller's next book would feature a brewery hotel *and* Lake Erie (see: my desire to visit the DogHouse, a craft beer hotel in Columbus). While some of Mason's beers were described, I felt like there was a bigger focus on decor/how Rachel was decorating the various spaces. It would have been fun to see the story continue long enough for them to start bringing in guests and really operating the business.

I appreciated that there wasn't ever drama for the sake of drama, big blowout fights, etc. -- Rachel and Mason are clearly adults who've been through some things and now have an attraction (and respect!) for each other. At the same time, I was frustrated in parts by Rachel's behavior and think maybe a more assertive match would be a good thing for her.

Still, this was an enjoyable short read, and I think Sarah Naughton was a good choice for audiobook narrator.

3.5 stars

The Suite Spot is a super slow, barely a trickle of a burn romance. It was a relatively quick read and not as heavy as her previous book Float Plan (the child death/attempted sex assault are mild enough I was okay with reading them if that helps any). I enjoyed seeing Rachel take control of her and her daughter’s life, but Rachel and Mason were characters I could see being in a relationship or just friends 🤷🏻‍♀️

The Suite Spot is out now! Thank you @smpromance for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review

The Suite Spot is just the sweetest little romance novel. I haven’t read the first (The Float Plan) yet, but if it is as adorable as this one, sign me up!

Rachel is a single mom with the sweetest little daughter and has just experienced a traumatic moment at work. When she learns of Mason’s brewery hotel seeking a manager, she takes the job on a whim, and it turns into her dream (after jumping through a bunch of hoops!).

Mason has his own past and Rachel brings the vibe that truly brings Mason back! He sold his portion from a national brewing chain and is back on Kelley Island with a vision to transform an old winery into a Brewery hotel. I love that Doller creates Rachel’s character to be body positive, Mason to be honest and realistic,and I love that they go antiquing together for the hotel!

CW: sexual assault, custody disputes, loss of child, and a GREAT warning is at the beginning- THANK YOU TRISH DOLLER! I truly wish more novels would carry these.

I loved this book. It was exactly what I needed right now and is definitely getting me ready for my Spring romance mood! I enjoyed the small island setting, the broody love interest, and family relationships.

Rachel takes a big risk and moves her young daughter to Kelley's island in Lake Erie. She's been offered her dream job but when she shows up on the island to start working she finds out the job description given to her by the broody Mason was not quite right.

I had so much fun getting to know each of the characters Rachel meets on the island and the family she makes for herself among the community. It was nice getting to see Anna and Keane make an appearance as well.

This was much lighter than Float Plan but is just as great. We all have our own stories of discovery in life and this one is Rachel's. I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys adult romance and stories about finding yourself. I listened to the audio and it was fantastic.

Now go out and get you a copy or spend that audio credit!

Trish Doller’s The Suite Spot is a touching, uplifting, sweet, angsty, colorful, funny, and charming novel that left me emotional but smiling. I’ve noticed she uses different forms of travel in her books as a starting point for her characters’ journeys of self-discovery and happiness. I love this. In Float Plan, it was sailing, and, in this one, it’s a road trip. The scenes with Rachel and her daughter making the cross-country trip to Kelleys Island are touchingly sweet, making me smile. Rachel’s daughter Maisie is adorable, and her interactions with Mason and her mom are so sweet. I love how gruff and grumpy Mason is with Maisie, and it doesn’t faze her at all. Doller’s vibrant description, skillful creation and evolution of intriguing characters with depth, and chemistry-filled, emotional narrative and interactions between her likable characters are my favorite parts of The Suite Spot.

Single mom Rachel Beck’s life is standing still. Living at home with her mom, she’s in an unsatisfying off-and-on again relationship with her daughter Maisie’s unreliable and aimless father. Maisie’s the best part of her life—one of the only things keeping her going. When she’s fired unfairly from her job as the night reservations manager at a Miami Beach luxury hotel, the weight of everything in her life that’s off-track becomes overwhelming. At a crossroads, Rachel impulsively accepts a management position at a brewery hotel on Kelleys Island in Lake Erie, packs up her daughter, and moves cross-country. Dealing with his own failures and sadness, Mason has withdrawn from town, isolating himself. He knows everything about brewing beer but, unfortunately, nothing about building or running a hotel. He offers Rachel the chance to live her dream—carte blanche to design, build, and manage a hotel starting with its foundation. A planner, not a risk-taker like her sister, Rachel regrets her impulsivity upon discovering how different the job is from what she expects. But she can’t turn her back on the opportunity to get her life together and follow her dream simultaneously.

I like how Doller slowly builds the relationship between Mason and Rachel. Despite his gruffness, Rachel feels a startling attraction to Mason, who’s handsome, moody, grumpy, and weighed down with sadness and loss. Her interest only grows stronger as they work together planning the hotel’s design and construction, becoming partners, then friends. However, she’s convinced the attraction could never be mutual. Rachel’s burdened with fear, pain, a longing for more, and self-deprecatory tendencies from a lifetime of comparing herself to her sister and coming up short. She’s often overlooked and is plus-sized. Mason’s wholehearted respect and awe for Rachel’s ideas and how effortlessly she brings the planning and design of the hotel together are a balm to her bruised ego. Though there’s a strong mutual attraction, their connection is more profound. Doller writes interactions between them that are intimate, sexy, funny, sweet, and intensely emotional that also enhance their characters’ development and evolution. Mason calms Rachel, makes her feel valued, and makes Maisie and her feel safe. They thrust him from his self-protective shell back to the land of the living. As their shared intimate connection deepens, they help each other heal.

The Suite Spot is a sweet, sexy, poignant, funny, small-town romance about healing, taking a chance to follow your dreams, make a new life, and finding love and creating a home with that person.

This book was a fantastic read. It is the second in the Beck sisters series and I wish I had read the first book before, not because it needs to be done but just because I loved the family and want to get to know them better. Rachels character was fantastically well done. I also loved the love interest and Rachels daughter too. The part where the little girl befriends the grumpy cat was especially sweet. I felt the author did a great job making the story authentic and really connecting the reader to the characters. I also loved the ideas that Rachel and Mason came up with together while working. overall this was a really touching heartfelt romance that I loved. Looking forward to her next book!

After reading the Float Plan last year, I was so excited to go on another adventure with Trish Doller and she sure brought her A game! The Suite Spot surely hit the spot for me, providing the perfect comfort read. It was nice to check in with the characters from Float Plan, but also get to know the new cast of characters building a new resort on a small island off the shores of Ohio. I really enjoyed the parenting aspects of the book, and the neighbors on the island were so charming. I want the place and the people to be real so that I can go visit!

This book left me smiling and gave me all the feels. I loved how gentle and caring Mason was, and Rachel was so likeable. Gettting a behind-the-scenes peek into starting a brewery and inn was fun, and the book club antics made me laugh out loud. Everything about this book left me wanting more; I can’t wait for what the author comes up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Trish Doller for an advance copy of this sweet book. Go pick up a copy – it won’t disappoint!

Great story about a single mom and her cute daughter and their journey in a new city. Loved it! Second book in the Beck sisters' series. Can be read as a stand alone.

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

Ok look, Trish Doller won my heart with her 2021 novel Float Plan. I adored it. It was one of my favorites for 2020 (I read it early). To say I was apprehensive about this one...especially when I found out it is a series...is an understatement. I was nervous. Turns out. No need. It was phenomenal. I absolutely adored this title. Trish has a way of roping you in to these characters. All the characters.

Let's talk about my favorite things.

The setting. Oh my heart. I love a good Inn/cabin setting and that is exactly what you got with The Suite Spot.

The Romance. Hands down. Trish handles romance so beautifully.

Size inclusive protagonist. As a curvy girl, this one can go good or bad super quick. Trish handled it perfectly.

These characters have pasts. They have baggage and Trish Doller brings very serious baggage and makes it work.

The friendships that emerge and are so very important to the story. Chef's kiss.

The smile on my face when this happily ever after came to a close. Sigh. I want to experience this story again for the first time.

Listen, to be honest. I loved this one so much. Trish has presented herself as an auto buy author for me. I can't wait to read everything she writes. So well done. Sincerely.

I loved Float Plan so when I saw the second Beck sister book was on NetGalley, I jumped on it!
Float Plan was amazing so I had high hopes for this one. However, it fell a little flat for me.
I felt like we were just skimming the top of a story and not actually diving into it. The conflict seemed silly and totally avoidable and I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. As a mom, I also had troubles with the MC's daughter getting left with people they didn't know and just outright trusting strangers with her daughter.
The story was cute though, I definitely thought the story was well written just not complete.

Mamihlapinatapai (Yaghan) “a meaningful, but wordless, exchange between two people who both desire to initiate something but are hesitant to act on it”

Rachel Beck is a single mom with a deadbeat ex. She’s living with her mom and she just lost her luxury hotel job over something she didn’t do. When she gets offered a new job, she jumps at it. But there’s just one catch: she has to move an island in Lake Erie and in with the moody, yet handsome, man who owns the hotel.

This book was EXACTLY what I needed. It’s so warm and cozy and scenic. I will never ever get enough of small town romances. Kelleys Island has the best townspeople along with fun events like yoga, karaoke, book club. If a book can make me feel a pull toward a place I’ve never been, I’m hooked.

I love each and every character so much. Rachel’s daughter Maisie is an adorable show stealer and Yōkai the cat is her perfect grumpy sidekick. Mason is sullen and broken but every so often his goofy side sneaks out. Even Mason’s parent’s had my heart gushing with their support and stories of his childhood. And, of course, Rachel. Things haven’t come easy for her but she has so much heart and passion for everything she does.

Be warned though, this book isn’t all sweet romance. It does tackle some tougher topics like sexual harassment, loss of a child, divorce, and co-parenting.

If you like beer making, antiques, small town romance, grumpy cats, and forced proximity, this is your book. And while you don’t need to read Float Plan to understand The Suite Spot, the previous characters do make some fun appearances.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The author described in the note at the end of the book how she’d felt the need to write something “warm and gentle” during the chaos that was 2020. I think she absolutely achieved a wonderfully cozy book that was so comforting to read. I really enjoyed her debut adult novel, Float Plan last year, and this was a delightful spin off. While not as intense as Float Plan, there are still heavy topics (grief after child loss, parental custody issues) discussed.

If you are in the mood for a low key, fun contemporary romance, check this one out. With a small Ohio island setting and fun community feel, the main character is going to work at a inn and brewery. I really enjoyed both the setting and the making of the inn. Slower-paced and sweet, it was such an easy and relaxing read.

Thank you so much to St Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for access to a free e-copy of The Suite Spot. It is available now! All opinions are my own.

I read romance to relax and escape from the world for a bit, to remind myself that happily ever afters do exist. I support the trend of the genre moving away from an Instagram-perfect character. I like when books include characters’ imperfections, insecurities, issues, traumas, and dramas. But in some books, I feel that those things can completely overshadow the romance.

The Suite Spot hit the perfect balance for me. The characters were realistic, not perfect. But the overall vibe of the book was positive, inclusive, and cozy. And Rachel Beck is Anna Beck’s sister from Float Plan. Anna and Keane make a cameo appearance!

Rachel is a single mom who doesn’t get a lot of support from her daughter’s father. She works hard at her job. When she’s unfairly fired and can’t find a comparable position near her Florida home, she impulsively accepts a job at a remote resort on Lake Erie. She packs up her things and her daughter and heads off on. Mason, the resort’s owner, is a bit reclusive and reserved, and has reason to be. But these two form a professional partnership and then a romantic one.

What gave this book such an overall comforting feel was watching the characters struggle, but also feel supported by their familes and community. Mason lives on Kelleys Island which is only accessible by boat. When Rachel arrives, she realizes that the resort she was hired to run is not quite finished. She freaks out but decides to stay, take on finishing up the resort, and take on Mason.

It was fun watching city girl Rachel fall in love with small town life and with Mason. The Suite Spot was a story I wanted to go on and on, and I rarely say that about a book.

The Suite Spot by Trisha Doller is the second novel in her Beck Sisters series. Rachel Beck, a single mother looking for a new start and Mason Brown, a reclusive and grumpy beer brewer navigate their pasts and their possible future together as they renovate a brewery hotel. Doller’s easy prose and flowing storyline allows the reader to effortlessly and cozily sink into the love story. If you haven’t read this novel or her novel—Float Plan, you are missing out on a wonderful author that gives readers emotional and endearing romances that will keep readers coming back for more.

Oh thank goodness this wasn’t as emotional as Float Plan. I really enjoyed Rachel’s story and her love story with Mason. Single parent romances are my fave and this was no different.