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.

⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book :)
THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN TAGGED SPOILERS.
Fast-pieced romances in a reality tv show, insta-insta-love, and kinda enemies to lovers(?).
Crush in the Cascades tells the story of a two contestants in the realty tv show Riches or Romance, where they face challenges in skills, track run but also relationships.

PROS
- The idea was excellent and actually original. The relay tv show set is something I haven’t seen anywhere yet and the main reason why a picked up this book
- The challenges and the competition was actually dope. I really like the parts about the race, the planning and the scenery where the book is set.

Yes, the pros ends here.
This book had good parts but it was mostly confusing and pretty full of CONS:
- Insta-insta-insta love. I get that insta love is supposed to be fast but how is it that at page 20 we already have the super protective alpha act and they haven’t even said a word to each other? The entire romance is confusing because it happens way too fast.
- Flatter than flat characters. Most of the characters have no evolution or even change through the book except maybe one (Liam?). The mains are both kind of hateful and their thinking process doesn’t make a lot if sense.
- Easton. Yes, he deserves an entire con. I hated the main male because from the start he’s so full of himself judging every like what? Oh he’s also a misogynistic asshole who thinks he’s always right.
- *SPOILER ALERT* Why are they almost thirty acting like teenagers? Mostly since they start dating it feels like it’s an high school romance, they are thirty and always talk about past relationships, so you should know you at least have to talk?

For the entire book I was like wait, what?
It has a lot of potential but definitely need another edit.
x/G

Amity and Cooper are contestants on a reality show that seems to be a mashup of Survivor and the Amazing Race. He needs the money, and she … also needs the money, but is more so looking for an adventure (?)
Unfortunately this book is why I avoided romance books for years.
First insta love is not for me. It’s described as enemies to lovers, but they were enemies for like 3 pages.
But more importantly the story was just not there, like at all.
There is no story, no character growth, nothing that makes this book stand out. It’s full of romance novel cliches and I found myself whispering *oh come on* multiple times while rolling my eyes.
If I was writing a Saturday Night Live skit about a romance novel, it would look a lot like this.

Amity and Cooper are contestants on a new reality show, a survival game where the rules can change at any moment. From the beginning, they hate each other. But slowly, they both realize they've underestimated the other, and that hate turns into begrudging respect, and then love. Over the course of the show, the two get closer, forge alliances, and take stock of what matters most to them-- for Cooper, it's saving his best friend's life; for Amity, it's experiencing the kind of adventures she was never able to have with her father-- and falling in love.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book, as well as the tension between Amity and Cooper before they get together. The show setup was fun, and I was really drawn in every step of the way in that regard. I'm not much of a reality tv person (I love reading novels set on reality shows, just not watching them) but I absolutely would watch Racing for Riches or Romance if it were a show. The challenges were fun and interesting, and the characters were compelling-- even though we didn't know much about most of them. The setting was also gorgeous, and every single time the mountains were described I was utterly captivated. Amity coming across as an entitled, spoiled rich girl when she'd actually the complete opposite also created a fun set of circumstances.
Unfortunately, though I LOVED the tension between Amity and Cooper before they get together, I didn't love the relationship itself. The stakes were really high and the internal struggles, Amity's especially, didn't really line up. She keeps wondering if a MILLION dollars (the prize money for winning) is more important to Cooper than she, a woman he's known for a couple weeks, is, and she expects him to be willing to give up the things that matter most to him (namely, outdoorsy things she deems too dangerous, like rock climbing) to be with her-- again, someone he's only known for a couple weeks. The day they start dating, the narration shifts from using the other person's name to referring to each other almost exclusively as "his girlfriend" and "her boyfriend," and names don't really re-enter the equation for a good bit. Overall, while they needed to be together for a bit before the final challenge, I wish the details of that had been different, or that the early tension, which I LOVED, had been drawn out longer. All that being said, there were a lot of things I really loved about this book, and I am looking forward to reading the second book and getting to experience Hannah's story.

3.75/5

Um romance leve, rápido de ler e com todos os ingredientes para dar umas boas gargalhadas.

Quem não adora um belo enemies-to-lovers?!

Easton e Amity são como o cão e o gato, mas nem tudo é o que parece.

Gostei imenso do conceito do reality show e das dinâmicas do enredo. Houve alguns momentos mais lentos e parados, mas no geral foi uma boa leitura.

Ideal para quem quer uma leitura leve, divertida, recheada de aventura e bem romântica.

𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘐𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 follows Amity and Cooper as they each navigate growing attraction amidst a reality TV gameshow with cameras hovering everywhere.

- ~ -

Hmm... So a lot of the reviews say Cooper was misogynistic and I swear, usually I can sniff misogyny from a mile off, but this time?

I mean did Cooper meet the standard for romance novels protagonists? Certainly not.

But was he misogynistic? I don't think so.

I'll however, fully support the fact that Cooper did not treat Amity right, her instant forgiveness let him get away with so much a-hole behaviour. And that irritated me beyong words like how dare he not trust her or warn her then have the guts to half pin it on her?

And don't even get me started on the near instant attraction and confessions and then engagement??? It was too much in too little time.

But again did I enjoy reading the book? A bit.
It was all props to the setting. I mean it's scorching hot out, and the thought of being immersed in the cool terrains with the buzz of nature and cackle of cameras as well as the thrill of the gameshow, that might've done it for me.
But I can confidently say the book deserves protagonists and improved dialogue and monologue writing.

- ~ -

2.75 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴𝘎𝘰𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 & 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

The cover of this book, followed by the title given I'm a PNW native, immediately pulled me in. The synopsis had me chuckling: rom/com with an adventure reality tv show twist between two very opposite people.

Easton is so desperate for cash, he decided to compete on an outrageous action-adventure reality tv show. In pure luck, he's right in his element: a series of outdoor challenges in the mountains.

On the flip side of that luck: his partner is completely out of place showing up in the middle of nowhere in formal attire & heels.

Amity wants an adventure, despite not showing up in the correct attire. She may hate being cold, tents, and campfires, but she is there for the adventure. And potentially maybe to fall in love. Just not with Easton.

And of course, in the first challenge, Easton & Amity are thrown together. What could possibly go wrong?

To be honest, I have mixed feelings about this one.

What I loved:
- the PNW location in the Oregon Cascades
- the constant twists & turns of the reality show, leaving you constantly guessing what would happen
- Amity's slow-build friendship with Bria

What I didn't love:
- the insta-love trope
- how fast they got physical, knowing they were being filmed for national tv the whole time
- lack of communication / refusal to communicate basic ish parts of their past
- the stereotyping of nearly everyone involved
- Easton's actions & words constantly clashed; his mood swings from judgmental to "in love" were frequent; he regularly insulted Amity and then didn't understand why she was upset; he made judgmental assumptions about Amity and proceeded to hold those over her for the entire book
- the cringey sex scenes paired with their overall lack of communication and lack of emotional connection

Overall, I don't think I'd recommend this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was provided a ARC copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever had a book smack you straight in the gizzard without absolutely joy? Well, now I can say I have. I am relatively new to the "romcom" contemporary romance genre and always preconceived notions about how these types of books were supposed to go or how I would be perceived reading them, I am happily over that nonsense now but every time I pick up a book like Crush in the Cascades I am reminded why its so rewarding to read this genre. First and foremost, this book was just cute. Maybe that isn't high on the list for most readers but honestly the older I get the more I look forward to what we used to call in the old days "a good squee" and squee I did. Constantly giggling and shrieking out loud from being unable to handle the cuteness. Amity and Easton are charming, capable, selfless, and complex, feeling like real people that could enrich your life by knowing them. The plot line was what first drew me to wanting to read the book a romance set in a reality show competition sounded like the recipe for either a fun adventure or a catty/ dramatic mess and well I am happy to say the book is the former rather than the latter. The plot line was riveting (I could not put it down), I sometimes felt so enthralled by the actual competition I forgot we were also here for a romance, and the resolution brought me such joy. If you are a fan of enemies to lovers, opposites attract romance or just want to feel good than Crush in the Cascades is for you.

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
I actually quite enjoyed this book, and would give it a 3.5/5. I wasn’t sure I was going to like the reality tv aspect of it and the miscommunication trope but I thought it helped add to the story. A couple things that I did not enjoy: I would have liked more background as to why Easton and Amity joined the show at the beginning of the book as there were times I felt very confused as to why they were acting in certain ways. As well, it felt that almost every chapter it was going back and forth between the two main characters loving and hating each other. I think that part of the story could have been cut down a bit but otherwise I quite enjoyed this read!

Crush in the Cascades is a cute read centered around the contestants of a reality TV adventure show 'The Race to Riches or Romance'. Set in the Cascades region of central Oregon, the story follows Amity Rose and Easton Cooper as the compete for a prize of one million dollars in a series of outdoor challenges. The setting and the premise of a reality TV competition are not one that I have seen much in other books.

Cooper and Amity are paired in the first challenge, giving major forced proximity and enemies-to-lovers vibes as the story progresses. Cooper harshly judges Amity from the beginning based on her appearance and arrival attire, jumping to several conclusions about Amity and why she may have entered the competition.

The relationship buildup throughout the competition was believable, however the scene in which Amity and Cooper decide to become a couple and the half-closed door romance scenes felt a bit rushed.

Gayle does a wonderful job describing the region in which the story takes place as well as the challenges in which the participants are competing. There is also great backstory on several of the other contestants as they are paired with Amity and Cooper.

Overall I enjoyed the story. I think the scene in which they decide to become a couple was a little quick and could have been better discussed/described. The general premise of the book was great and I look forward to see how the next book in the series will turn out.

A highly entertaining read. This book is about a reality show in which they compete for 2 million dollars for the winning couple. Amity and Cooper's interaction were funny. I liked both of them. Amity showed that first impression is important. People were very wrong about her. It's a fast paced quick read with a lot of action. It's probably not for everyone, but I really enjoyed it.

This book was provided by Netgally and Lisa S. Gayle for an honest review. All of the thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you loved it happened one summer by Tessa Bailey you will absolutely love this book too.
Enemies to reluctant teammates to lovers grumpy /sunshine set in a competition that is a cross between The bachelor and Bear Grylls.
Easton Cooper is a rugged mountain man grump pared up with Aimty Rose who everyone believes is a spoiled rich girl from Hollywood ( even going so far as to give her the nickname Hollywood). She thinks he is a rude brute and in the series of unfortunate foot in mouth moments that proves to be true until they start seeing other sides of each other.
Amity is here to have the adventure in the memory of her late father and Cooper is here to save his friends life by getting that much needed money for his heart surgery.
The premise is can you win money and romance and..... I'm going to let you find that out on your own.
4 stars all around and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the sequel when it's Cooper's sister Hannah's turn at love and adventure.

Thank you NetGalley and Lisa S. Gayle for letting me read this book.
A romantic and peppy version of The Hunger Games+ Instant unexplainable chemistry= Binge worthy book you can finish in less than a day!!!
I've got to say that although Instant Chemistry is not my type, I did enjoy this book a lot. Smart, funny and beautiful- Amity has it all. Mountain man, sleek, and slightly rugged, Easton ends up a million dollars richer than before with a Fiancé to brag about! I recommend this book to those facing a book slump.

First time reading this author, and a fairly straightforward enemies-to-lovers story that was a breezy read.
The thing I really appreciated in this story was the use of the reality show setting and how that crimped the "simple conversation" response to why the two protagonists were withholding information from each other. I mean, obfuscation is the name of the game in these settings after all!
Also appreciated the FMC being a smart & strong competitor & how she just carried on while the others misjudged her. Go, girl!

ok... I tried to get through this book. really, I did. However, I found the characters immature and the book as a whole was moving too slowly. conversations went from hot to cold too fast, and the back and forth gave me whiplash. the only saving grace of this book was the setting of the cascades. I love the cascades. that was the best part.