The perfect beach read! The setting is idyllic, the bartending contest backdrop is fun, and the contestants are all eye candy. And the romance between Nora and Theo is a quick, enemies-to-lovers story that I couldn’t get enough of. I love the whole event planning angle (I was an event planner for awhile so it felt like coming home) and I’m always a sucker for the next generation who is trying to keep the family business running so this had so many things working for it. Note: I am not a Pride and Prejudice fan (I’ve been trying to finish reading it since high school – doubt it will ever happen) so I don’t know how closely it follows that story but I loved this one. The ending wrapped everything up nicely and I would love to see what happens for them next.

Ahhhh such a good book!!! The author did amazing with this one. Wow what a story, the dynamics and the story was written amazing

I didn't realize this was part of a series when I requested to read the book - but it was easily read as a stand alone story.

This was a fun story to follow - bartenders having a world-wide competition. The story follows a couple storylines - Theo is CEO of a successful but shamed rum company - trying to come back from an embarrassing fallout with their main face of advertisement. Nora is on the path for a big promotion at the resort where she is an events planner -- however, this contest is trying her patience and professionalism. Her sister, Kat, is her intern and messes everything she does up. Of course, there is romance and drinks and a couple villains.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

“You could never have been too late.” He brushes his fingertips across my cheek. “Really?”“Really. You’re the one I’ve been waiting for my entire life.”

This book was enjoyable, not bad at all but the conflict towards the end wasn't taken seriously as much as I wanted it to be. Because what happened with Nora's sister Kat wasn't a light matter that could be just brushed off. The plot felt a bit rushed towards the end and there weren't many romantic moments between Nora & Theo like I expected but I liked the mutual pinning. The initial chapters were good going but a misunderstanding ruins things between Nora & Theo. But I liked the epilogue, it was really cute and heartwarming. Overall, the pace was good, the side characters were solid and there was a slow but gradual progression in Nora & Theo's relationship (that's the only thing that didn't feel rushed to me). Still, I needed more romance like I expected when I read the blurb of this book tbh.

The ARC of this book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

Retelling a story is always hit or miss; unfortunately it was very much a miss this time. It probably would have been okay, albeit boring, on its own, but as a Pride & Prejudice retelling, it was very meh. A few forced nods to the original story, but not enough consistency to make it believable on its own plot. It felt like an improv crew trying to force certain lines into the story. It was a tropical romance, trying to box a classic story into itself. The storyline got stuck several times and had to push to finish.

This was fun and flirty with all the pride and prejudice, a perfect reading vacation for my brain, didn't get bored once.

Favorite quotes:

Time to go home for tea and Bridgerton.

You need to sleep, and I should get back to my peephole. You know, like a reverse pervert.

Eww. Forbidden fruit. Never say that again.

Life isn't about routines. It's about living, challenging yourself, getting out there and finding out who you can be

she had me a Pina Coladas and that was it for me. I had to read it and never put it down after that. I really enjoyed this book. Will read more of her books.

The perfect beach read! The setting is idyllic, the bartending contest backdrop is fun, and the contestants are all eye candy. And the romance between Nora and Theo is a quick, enemies-to-lovers story that I couldn’t get enough of. I love the whole event planning angle (I was an event planner for awhile so it felt like coming home) and I’m always a sucker for the next generation who is trying to keep the family business running so this had so many things working for it. Note: I am not a Pride and Prejudice fan (I’ve been trying to finish reading it since high school – doubt it will ever happen) so I don’t know how closely it follows that story but I loved this one. The ending wrapped everything up nicely and I would love to see what happens for them next.

Pride and Pina Coladas follows Nora and Theo. Nora is an events planner who is the head of the Hospitality team for the Wold Bartending Championships. Theo is a big sponsor for the event and he’s getting a bit to involved for Nora’s liking.

I absolutely love the banter between Nora and Theo, it feels really real and it’s very refreshing to read. They are a couple who actually seem to have chemistry which is something that I find a lot of romance books lack. The romance was really lovely but also had a nice bit of sexual tension in it.

I’ve never read a book from this series before and I actually wasn’t even aware that it was a series but it was still very easy to dive right into.

The only thing that I wasn’t really a fan of was that it just took a while to get into. It started of a bit slow but once I got into it it was a really nice enjoyable read. I absolutely would’ve loved to have been sitting on a beach with a cocktail in my hand reading this.

**I received an arc of this book from NetGalley in return for a honest review**

I love a good Pride and Prejudice reimagining and I love these Paradise Bay books, so it perhaps comes as no surprise that I loved Pride and Pina Coladas. Rather than Regency England, this story is set on a Caribbean island. Our Mr Darcy is Theo, the CEO of a multinational rum company that finds itself in need of a relaunch after its traditional market is put off by scandal. Nora is an events coordinator and finds herself running the competition that might just save Theo's company. The only problem is that he's full of himself and arrogant in true Mr Darcy style.
I really enjoyed this modern reimagining of the story and found myself captivated by both Theo and Nora. All elements of the original story are there but told in a more believable way that fits the modern world.
This was a great read and one I really enjoyed. I hope that we get to revisit Paradise Bay again soon.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love retelling of books I enjoy and I was pleased at this particular reimagining. It is unique and of course somewhat predictable to follow but a nice new spin to the loved classic.

Nora meets Theo when she is running an event he is part of. He starts by insulting her, so where will things go from here. A great re-telling of Pride and Prejudice - there is something nice about reading a book where you know the outline of the plot but you don't know the detail.
Looking forward to the next book in this series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC of "Pride & Pina Coladas", written by Melanie Summers. It is scheduled to release on September 22nd, 2022.

Overall, I rated this novel a 4/5 stars!

This book focuses on Nora and Theo. Nora is an event planner/coordinator and Theo is desperately trying to save his family's owned liquor distillery. The two of them cross paths because Theo decides to hold a championship bartending competition. The novel takes place on a Carribean island, so it was the perfect book to read on the last day of summer here in the U.S.

It was really fun to read about the relationship between the two main characters. It was a feel-good, funny sort of rom com!

This was my first book from this author. I was really excited about the inspiration from Pride and Prejudice (one of my favorite books of all time) and couldn't wait to start it.

While the first 50% of this book was funny and strong, I feel like it started dropping off a little too quickly. I feel like even though there were hints of a crush and feelings, the immediate "I'm in love with you" from the characters at the end was almost too fast. I feel like we needed some more chemistry, some more tension, more conflicting emotions. It seems we got more emphasis of the romance from side characters than the characters whom the story actually followed. Perhaps there could've been an actual kiss somewhere instead of them just deciding at the end that they were endgame. I enjoyed the story, but I also feel like there could've been slightly less inner dialogue and some more tension/romantic moments. I love a good enemies-to-lovers, but I feel like there wasn't enough angst or feeling as we got further into the story. They went from "s/he is intolerable but hot" and instantly "I'm in love with you" at the end. It just felt rushed and not as much like the pining built up throughout the story. The ending was almost too mushy because we didn't have as much romantic build-up in the first 80% of the book.

I also would've liked to see a little more from Paz/Kat's situation, having a little more tension there instead of just a few pages before there was a solution. Just felt like a blip in the story and quickly glossed over. Maybe there could've been some more suspense on that issue?

Otherwise, it was still a good book. But it could've just had a little more added to their love story.

I love Melanie Summers, and her latest fits right in with the rest of the Paradise Bay series. It was a slow start for me but turned into a fun and easy read. Perfect for an afternoon escape in the middle of a mundane work week!

In a rom com “Pride and Prejudice” variation set on a contemporary Caribbean island, billionaire Theo sponsors a championship bartending competition to save his family rum distillery from a PR disaster. He butts heads with resort events coordinator Nora, who finds him arrogant and insufferable. Can he convince her to see beyond first impressions?

Melanie Summers is a must-read author for me. I adore this series, but the books don’t have to be read in order. This is an emotional, feel-good romp with adorable characters and a strong plot.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I'm sorry but it didn't work for me. I requested the book because of 1. The author (because I really enjoyed her previous books) & 2. The fact that it's a retelling of Pride and Prejudice.

But this book didn't catch my interest. I couldn't connect with the characters.

Nora needs to prove she can handle a large event to get the promotion she’s been working toward for years. Theo needs the event to be successful (and without scandal) to help his company’s sales go up and get some good press. They don’t start off on the right foot though, so it’s a bit of a battle on both sides even though they are working toward a common goal.

This one took me a couple chapters to get into. I’m always frustrated when the main character’s family doesn’t seem to respect them, but once Nora and Theo meet, the story focuses more on them and smoothed out for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Pride and Pina Coladas to come out September 22, 2022.

This was delightful. The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish. The characters were charming and witty. I highly recommend this fun and quick read! Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.