Unfortunately, I only got about 1/2 way through before I had to give this one up. I was really excited with the blurb, title, cover, and the first half was promising enough but it just dropped off. 

The pace was a little too slow for me.

"Under the Influence" by Karina May is a passionate and emotionally charged romance that explores the complexities of love, desire, and the power of connection. May's storytelling prowess shines as she crafts a tale of attraction, conflict, and unexpected feelings. The book's well-defined characters and engaging plot create an immersive reading experience that keeps readers eagerly turning pages. May skillfully captures the intensity of emotions and the intricate dynamics of relationships, adding depth to the narrative and making it a captivating read for fans of the romance genre. "Under the Influence" is a reminder that sometimes, the strongest connections are forged amidst the most intense emotions, leaving readers with a warm and satisfied feeling as they journey through the ups and downs of love.

In "Under the Influence," Karina May presents a thought-provoking debut that delves into themes of family planning, grief, and secrets, giving the story a weighty depth. Louise Lane and Blake's serendipitous connection unfolds against the backdrops of Australia and Peru, though the slow-burn romance might challenge some readers' investment in their evolving relationship.Under the Influence offers a unique and emotionally charged narrative that hints at May's potential in future works.

Really enjoyable story, great characters and a story that was different than expected but fantastic all the same!

Unfortunately this was not my cup of tea. Just couldn't get into it. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read.

Fun easy read that covered some heavier topics. Loved the cover on this one, which was initially what drew me to it.

This book was a little difficult for me to find the motivation to finish over the course of a couple weeks. The first half of the book I felt too long and could've been condensed, but then the two main characters time in Peru went too fast. I felt like both main character showed good moments of personal conviction which was good for readers of all ages and stages, then a chapter later they would do a 180 that was hard to follow. Had a happy ending, as expected.

This is a difficult one to judge because I enjoyed the characters and their banter as enemies to lovers. I adored many of the side characters. However, nothing happened until it was nearly done and it felt like it just continued to drag. Once it hit it was great but for how long it took, was just hard to get invested

Thank you to NetGalley, Escape Publishing, and the author for letting me read this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest feedback! 

I had a really tough time getting through this one. There was SO much going on with the main characters, Louise and Blake, that I couldn’t keep up with the storyline nor could I see any character depth. 

For example: During this book Louise is dealing with high expectations and awkward relationships with her family, a breakup with her fiancé of three years, insane work hours at a job she doesn’t love, an incredibly discouraging infertility journey, finding out her fiancé is gay, and coping with all of the above with heavy drinking. 

Brett on the other hand is dealing with the death of his father and the guilt he feels because of their strained relationship, running an international nonprofit in Peru, trying to save his family’s business back in the States, a very strange relationship with his friend/possible sister/nemesis Feather, and finding out later that his dad died from cancer and that both of his parents kept it from him. 

The fun getaway to Peru for adventure and relaxation and healing was only about 10% of the book and the rest was just so much to juggle at once. 

And the romance…. well there wasn’t any??? Louise and Blake are awkward acquaintances, kind of friends for most of the book, and then they have their first kiss 7 pages before the book ended. So much more time was spent on all of the above that their relationship was completely on the back burner and the book ended without any major emotional pull. 

Disappointed with this one!    ⭐️⭐️/5

Enjoyed the book but didn’t really connect to any of the characters. It’s a good read to do but I didn’t really like it as much as I would want to that’s why I gave it a rating of 3.5.

I loved this witty, thoroughly relatable rom-com. The classic enemies-to-lovers story is set against a plot grounded in the weight of family expectations, the corrosive impact of secrets, and what happens when life refuses to follow the script you set for yourself.
The chemistry between Louise and Blake is zinging right from the start and I loved following their journey set against the flashy influencer scene in Sydney all the way to beautiful Peru. The vivid scenery matches the vibrant storytelling and the cracking pace had me hooked.
This is such a funny story with genuine LOL-worthy moments, but it's balanced with real heart and emotion as we explore Louise's inner turmoil about her future and the story behind Blake's family trauma. I can't wait to read more from this author!

This book was entertaining. While it didn't blow me out of the park, it was well-paced, written and thought put, with well-developed characters and story.

3.5 stars from me.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review. 

I thought it was really interesting.

Under the Influence had so much potential, especially from reading the synopsis. Unfortunately I just didn't vibe with this romance.

I usually do enjoy slow burns but I needed more payoff rather than a last chapter slap together. Way too slow and the lack of chemistry was off putting. The author could've really built the tension between Louise and Blake but I didn't find any of that on page. 

I initially requested this book on NetGalley because of the cover and the synopsis...but those ended up being the only two good things I really enjoyed about this book unfortunately. 

Thank you so much to Escape Publishing for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I didnt enjoy the pace of this book and the romance wasnt really there for me?? I couldnt see myself relating to any of the mcs either. Which is something i like in books.

This book was a slow burn and it took a while for the chemistry between the two main characters to come through. I felt the characters grew and developed as the book when on which is something I like to see. I liked it, but didn’t love it. Thanks for the ARC!

Louise Lane is a banker who has just split from her fiancé after many months of trying unsuccessfully to conceive their first child. Blake has been working in charity in Peru but returns home to Sydney as his father passed away to help settle the family affairs, including the family restaurant. As their lives keep serendipitously intertwining Louise and Blake begin to form a connection. 

This book was quite interesting and had some different themes than others I’ve read recently. I liked that it dealt with some deeper themes of family planning, grief and family secrets. That did make the novel seem more serious than others at times and did actually make me feel a little sad in parts when reading, so be careful when picking this up if these issues might be sensitive for you.

The book is a huge slow burn, the chemistry between Blake and Louise builds exceptionally slowly and really there is almost no romantic interaction until at least the halfway mark. That did make it difficult to understand the connection & feel the attraction of the main characters. I wasn’t totally convinced that in reality these people would actually fall in love and have a happy ending.

The setting of the book is interesting with some set in Australia and some set in Peru. At times I felt like there were a lot of different subplots and issues experienced by the characters, maybe too much. For me personally I found the Goldies & The Shell storyline very confusing as it wasn’t clear which venue was which and which one was owned by Blake's family and which one wasn’t. The venues also gave me more American Diner vibes rather than Sydney restaurant. 

Overall I still found this to be a very strong debut from the author and interested to see what the author writes next! Thank you to NetGalley & Escape Publishing for providing this kindle copy for review purposes, however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cute, little rom com. I was drawn to this book from the cover and the blurb. It had all the great elements of a good romantic book.

the enemies to lovers trope is one of my favorites, but this book just didn't hit the mark in my opinion. it was a little boring and the writing wasn't my favorite. i honesty wish i liked it a little more...

The description of this book was better than the actual story. I just couldn't get into the story or connect with the characters. It was a struggle to finish this book. It's not terrible but it's not the type of book I enjoy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.