This book was a fun book, perfect for a beach read! The main plot focuses on a game show called the race to riches or romance and centers on 2 of the contestants. Amity and Easton are complete opposites or so it seems and they're quick to dislike each other. As the competition heats up so does their attraction for each other, will they act on it?

The plot was pretty simple, this is mainly a romance novel and the characters are mostly pretty surface level besides Amity and Easton. The game show adds a fun factor to the plot though and it's perfect for those that enjoy shows like the bachelor!

Amity was by far my favorite character, I did warm up to Easton in the end too. I think Amity was a strong woman and I liked her personality, I felt I could see myself in her and she felt the most real. Easton was a bit tougher in the beginning but I think he turned around and became more of a softie which I liked.

I do think the writing could be worked on a bit, the characters often felt like they were repeating themselves and some of the lines were pretty cheesy. The male characters were also pretty sexist towards the women and that was at times frustrating but it was also a pretty accurate portrayal of what's seen in society so I understand the motive.

Recommended for those that enjoy romance based game shows like the Bachelor, a little spice, instalove (this is not a slow burn), quick reads, and books that just make you smile!

I would be interested in reading the 2nd book when that becomes available! Thank you to Netgalley for the E-ARC.

This was a FANTASTIC book! I loved the concept. When Cooper realized what kind of show he was really going on, it was humorous. I really felt like I was watching a real reality TV show here,lol. Between that and the strategy and alliances and following the shows progress with the contestants and events it was so amazingly entertaining!

What I loved:
▪️Amity. I love a good Fish Out of Water Trope - City Girl tackles the Wild. Always fun stuff there, lol.
▪️The TV show concept. Think Survivor.. meets The Bachelor..meets Amazing Race. I loved all the competition and events. I was dying to see who would win each challenge and which guy would would pick which girl for each event. I was soooo grossly invested 😂
▪️The true enemies to lovers feel this had. If you are expecting sweet hand holding singing Kumbaya gazing into each other’s eyes around the camp fire…you will be disappointed. This is a competition with a million dollar prize, you aren’t supposed to be friendly with anyone, not even the girl you secretly starting to pine for.
▪️The on and off - hot and cold with Cooper. He drove me insane, but in a very good way, lol. I loved the warranted uncertainty- it added to the angst and suspense.
▪️The other contestants. Great side characters. I learned them all with all their strengths and weaknesses for challenges so I could follow along and track things (lol). Who am I? 😂 (I usually hate reality tv of any sort)
▪️How it ended. I truly had no idea how it was going to all end, but I was beyond excited to find out who would win, how, and how it would all work out between Cooper and Amity (and the other contestants too). I was NOT disappointed. It had a great ending!

I’m glad I formed my own opinion on this one! I highly recommend this if you like a true enemies to lover trope and a true grumpy MC. I loved every morsel of Coopers Grumpy Mountain Man attitude ❤️😂 This is a hidden gem. I myself don’t even like reality TV and I loved this!

As a reality comp fan this book was so much fun! It kinda felt like if the producers of the bachelor were told to produce the amazing race on a smaller geographical scale with Big Brother’s casting crew. As those are my 3 favorite reality shows I loved it. Amity and Easton were an interesting pair. I enjoyed them both but both also were a little hard to understand at time. I never truly understood how amity was totally ok being there just for the experience. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a big reason why I’d love to go on amazing race or big brother, but if I found out I had a shot at winning earlyish on I’d be in it to win it. She’s much more altruistic then me lol. Easton is easier to read, even if he makes some stupid male moves throughout the book lol. The arc of their relationship, enemies to tentative friends to lovers, alongside the competition meshed perfectly. I was equally invested in both them and the competition. I may have been mentally screaming at a character to not be an idiot in the comp finale, but it does in fact have a pretty good HEA.

I’m excited that this is the start of a series set in this shows world!

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for my arc!

3 stars ☆ This book is an enemies to lovers, forced proximity rom-com.

In this story, we have Cooper and Amity starring in a reality tv show where they do adventure stuff with a twist of romance.

I like the idea of the book of having this reality tv show vibes and it's refreshing to read about these types of books. But somehow, I couldn't connect with the characters at all even with the whole banter they did in the first half of the book and when they got together in the second half it's just meh. It's still an entertaining read, it's just the romance in this book isn't for me.

Thank you Netgalley and to the publisher for this arc !!

This book was adorable and i loved watching the characters learn about each other past first impressions and their strengths and were eases. The premise of an outdoor reality tv was refreshing and hilarious. Definitely recommend

When Cooper joined the reality show all he wanted was to win the million dollars  but little did he know that it came with a sweet price named Amity? Will he be able to handle the push and pull he felt for her ?? Caught between money and romance what will he leave the show with ?

Easton Cooper's desperate need for cash brought him to an adventure reality show. Love isn't for Easton especially the TV Reality show relationships, He despised them. But the amazing strike to the show was he had to team up with Amity Rose - tan, beautiful and from California who wore heels & fancy dress to an action- adventure reality show. Cooper will not let her bring him down.

Crush in the Cascades is a stand alone contemporary romance featuring an adventurous, funny, lighthearted, medium-paced & enemies to lovers.

It's title and cover was one of the things that caught my attention which was why i gave it a shot. A very enjoyable read, though I had a propensity to not finish the book. It doesn't have a diverse cast of characters. Also it had multiple repetitives that could have been avoided.

Recommending this book to anyone who likes watching reality tv and reality show relationships.

I really enjoyed the premise of a reality tv show that took the contestants into the backcountry of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. I think the author did a wonderful job with challenges contestants faced.

However, I did not like any of the characters in this story. They felt one dimensional and under developed. The two lead characters who were the most developed weren’t very likable on their own though.

I could see this book being turned into a fun made for TV movie though where the one dimensional characters would be less of a sticking point.

DNF 26%

This had a great premise and I jumped at reading it once i read the blurb. Unfortunately, my excitement for the blurb could only carry me through this book so far.

Thank you netgalley for the advance copy

Really disappointed :( this book seemed right up my alley. As a romantic comedy fanatic and an avid fan of the show Survivor, I thought I was getting the best of both worlds with this one. Unfortunately I couldn’t finish this one. I just wasn’t able to connect to any of the characters, and it felt like the plot just dragged.

I'm not the type to DNF books, especially ARCs, but this one really had me wanting to. Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for an ARC of Crush in the Cascades in exchange for an honest review. SO this one piqued my interest because it wasn't just any reality TV show setting, but an adventure one. Being on the reality TV show kick lately, I thought this one would be perfect because I was already in the mood. Unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to care about any of the characters, and there honestly weren't very many redeeming qualities about any of the characters, much less character development. They were honestly immature and coupled with the miscommunication trope, the book just dragged more than anything. Maybe it's just not my cup of tea so if you love sort of enemies to lovers but in reality, it's insta-love, the miscommunication trope, stereotypical characters, and a reality TV show setting, this book is the one for you. I helped curb my reality TV show kick, so props for that.

This is the perfect sort of light-hearted happy I’m always looking for. The inside of this book is as cute as the cover. Definitely give it a read!

Thank you to Netgalley and to Montlake for an opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. My full thoughts will be posted on the release date.

dnf at 40%
I always feel bad for dnfing arcs but I just don't want to read this any longer. I was so excited to read this book as the description sounded amazing and I'm always a sucker for a good enemies to lovers. Unfortunately, the characters were so meh that I didn't feel like forcing myself to finish this.

I was not a fan of Easton he was misogynistic and judgemental asf. Throughout the part that I read, Easton kept being like 'why doesn't amity like me?' and in the same chapter, he would insult her a million times and for no reason. Sir Amity doesn't like you because you're acting like my middle school bully.

Amity was a decent character but oh my gosh in one of the first chapters she didn't know what flint was and then acted like Easton was the stupid one. I get it not everyone knows what flint is but why would you join a wilderness survival show if you don't know what it is nor what it looks like? But she did cut off her hair to save their asses which made me respect her a little bit. Still, she wasn't that interesting of a character but she still was better than Easton even if she was talking shit to herself over another girl wearing braided pigtails because it's 'childish' like stfu aren't you an Easton the people acting like 5-year-olds every second over little things?

Anyways this story was very stereotypical and boring. The Miles drama was sorta interesting but it was getting a little repetitive. I went and read the last few chapters and I still don't know if I like Easton or not but I probably would've ended up liking Amity. Overall this story had potential but it fell flat for me. I think that if you want an easy-to-follow romance then this would be a great pick for you but like I said it just didn't personally work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 huge stars! I found this novel so entertaining and fun to read. The characters were enjoyable and very likeable. Think Big Brother camping addition with contemporary romance. I was so happy to see there is going to be a sequel.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this cute book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you to Lisa S. Gayle for allowing me an ARC copy of this book. I can’t even express how much I loved it. The story hits the ground running on page 1; you will not be able to put it down. Lisa S. Gayle hit a home run with this one!

Amity and Easton are both contestants on an outdoor adventure based reality show; The Race for Riches or Romance will award the winning team 2 million dollars. With their own intentions in mind, Amity and Easton find themselves paired as a team for the first challenge. Dressed to impress, Amity doesn’t realize that she will begin the competition immediately…in her dress and heels. Outdoor expert Easton Cooper can’t believe he could potentially be eliminated during the first round due to his clearly pampered partner.

As the competition moves on, Amity and Easton can’t seem to stay away from one another despite being paired with other competitors for various challenges. They are challenged physically and mentally while learning to work with the varying personalities of the other contestants.

Do they trust one another, form an alliance, and fan the sparks that are flying between them? Or is it better to play it safe and stick to their initial intentions? Can you really find true love on a reality TV show anyway? What happens when the cameras turn off?

Without hesitation, this book gets 5 stars. It’s fun, evolves at a great pace, has just the right amount of attention to detail, and allows the reader to experience a variety of emotions.

The characters were so well developed; you’ll enjoy their backstories and personal quirks. Even the secondary characters have clear personalities and hold your attention. The game show premise was new and a little out of the box for me; honestly, it was awesome. It just worked. I could go on and on. Just read it. Then tell all of your bookish friends to read it too. Lisa S. Gayle deserves some love for this one!

Solid 3.75 stars, rounding up to 4. This book was fun! Amnity and Easton meet on a reality TV show, The Race for Riches or Romance. While Amnity is in the race for an adventure, Easton is there to win the money, hoping to split the 2 million dollars prize money with a female contestant. The two are paired in the first match and immediately hate each other. Their hatred turns to lust pretty quickly and that’s when things get interesting. This made for a fun, quick read!

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

🌳BOOK REVIEW!🌳

Crush in the Cascades by Lisa S. Gayle
Release Date: May 2, 2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶🌶/5


Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be on one of those wild reality racing shows? If you have this book is for you.

Riches or Romance? Can you have it all? What would you choose?

Meet Cooper. A handsome mountain man who is in desperate need of some cash. He signs up for this action packed adventure show and lucky for him, he is right in his element. Standing across from Cooper is Amity. Dressed for a party, Amity is clearly NOT in her element. All the contestants seem to think that she is just some sort of socialite princess, here for the attention. But never judge a book by its cover. Follow this story of instant irritation and see what can blossom when money and love are on the line.

🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱

Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this before it is published!

Truth be told, when I was younger, I always wanted to do the Amazing Race. This book instantly changed my mind. Lol This book was so much fun to read. If you love a good, fast paced, instant romance, this one is for you. If you have ever been irritatingly attracted to someone, this book will make you feel less alone. Lol I really enjoyed all of the banter and exciting challenges these characters face. With a dash of spice, the story between Cooper and Amity is so sweet. If you need a fun, flirty, irritating (in a good way) book to read this summer, consider checking out Crush in the Cascades when it releases next week.





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The plot is amazing. The writing kept me engaged. It wasn't too lengthy nor too short. that's why it didn't seemed boring to me. in the end it was a nice read for me. The cover of this book is also fabulous.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, BooksGoSocial and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


I wasn’t impressed by this one and couldn’t get into it.

This is one of those books I just happened to stumble upon, and I’m so glad I did. It was a fun, light read with likable main characters and an original premise. And it reminded me that I don’t really ever want to go camping. Not that I needed the reminder, but it’s nice to have your life choices affirmed every now and then.

Cooper and Amity both sign up to be on a new reality show aptly called The Race for Riches or Romance. They get off on the wrong foot when she arrives in an evening gown, wrongly assuming the romance part of the show will be a bit more important. But really, it’s survivor-light. Physical challenges, trail runs, and woodsy tasks completed in pairs, and the final pair standing wins a million bucks. Cooper thinks she’s a snotty princess, Amity thinks he’s a backwoods weirdo, and the real journey is them realizing they’re completely wrong about each other.

This was a really cute book, and though I did think some of their issues were dragged out by miscommunication, I still overall enjoyed this read. There’s absolutely an element of insta-hate followed by insta-love, and insta-love doesn’t always work for me. But I’ve seen enough reality TV shows to know that those sort of heightened reactions happen under the circumstances that producers set up. Insta-love is almost to be expected, and it’s what happens afterward that really proves if a couple is meant to be together. And it’s definitely fun watching Cooper and Amity try to figure that out for themselves.

And I will absolutely be on the lookout for the sequel featuring Cooper’s sassy younger sister.

dnf @ 25%

I always hate dnfing arcs, I get as far as I possibly can and way further than if I got the book myself after publication, but there isn't anything redeeming that makes me want to finish this. Marketed as survival show enemies to lovers, I thought I was going to love this. The premise seems do fun, interesting, and exactly what I'd normally look for in a book. Unfortunately, it fell flat. The writing fell flat with me, and the characters felt more like stereotypes than fully fleshed out characters. Easton jumped between hot and cold, respecting Amity and looking down on her because she was a woman he decided was uptight and high maintenance, only to respect Bria who he perceived was more capable on the same small introductions. I wanted so badly to see if there was any redeeming development, but there wasn't anything pulling me in and making me want to continue.