An adorable romantic comedy with rivals to lovers, forced proximity, and workplace romance. First of all the setting of South Africa is so intriguing to me since it’s a place that will always be on my bucket list to go. I love forced proximity romance and who doesn’t love a vacation fling. I think Jagger and Margaret are adorable characters and are both funny in their own right. The romance that brews between her mom and his dad during the vacation made me laugh out loud. Jagger and Margaret’s chemistry is really good as well! Overall really enjoyed this one and the pacing was quick which made it a pretty fast read!

I enjoyed this book so much! Margaret has been through a lot in her life. She's uptight, doesn't like surprises and she can't stand her colleague Jagger. Jagger is such a great guy and also he has a crush on Margaret. When they both tie for first place at Quiz Night and the prize which is a trip to Zanzibar, things get interesting. I loved Margaret's mom and her bestie Leighton. I chuckled a few times and also wanted to shout at Margaret for being so stubborn and closed off.

It was a fun rom com. I've enjoyed Jo Watson's other books and I'd been expecting something similar so this ticked all the right boxes for me. The characters were pretty funny and I liked the romance too.

This book just wasn't for me. It was too long and I lost interest waiting on the plot to pick up. I also didn't really connect with the main character at all.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

This was a great coworker rivals to lovers romance. When these two coworkers win the company pub quiz, they end up on a trip they never imagined. Though they are physically attracted to each other, they try to fight but end up realizing that any preconceptions they might have had are beaten when they love each other the way they do.

This was a first for me on a few levels. First read by Jo Watson, As well as first read set in Zanzibar - which sounds lovely! I would visit in a heartbeat! IT took me a moment to get into the book because I was not sure I bough the enemies-to-lovers trope - I didn't know that I could fall for Margaret as the FMC or that she and Jagger could ever really find their ways to each other.

However, Jo Watson weaved a pretty fun vacation read that made me laugh and cry. It was a super fun read that eventually picked up and where the banter and witty repartee made me smile throughout. I wanted to book a vacation and enjoy the beach ASAP.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review What Happens on Vacation in exchange for an honest review.

If you're looking for a heartwarming escape, pack your bags and head out on a Zanzibar adventure! In What Happens on Vacation by Jo Watson, we meet Margaret.

She’s a journalist who finds herself in an unexpected situation. She shares a cubicle with an annoying co-worker who spends his days writing fluff pieces. When they both win a deluxe trip to a resort, the vacation takes an unexpected turn. But it's not just the tropical island that heats up.

I thought Watson skillfully balanced humour and emotion. The witty banter between the protagonists kept the pages turning for this Narwhal! I also feel the tropical backdrop adds to the escapism of the story. As a reader, I could almost feel the warm sand and hear the crashing waves. Watson's writing also captures the complexities of grief, love, and family dynamics. The blend of romance and family drama made this a compelling read for me.

Whether you're lounging by the pool or curled up in a cozy nook, this book promises laughter, love, and a touch of tropical magic. Get your hands on this delightful rom-com that explores love, second chances, and the unexpected twists life throws our way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It was a DNF for me...really almost a DNS - did not start. I read the first chapter or so and I disliked the female lead so much that I just couldn't go on.

Margaret, a dedicated journalist, reluctantly shares a desk with Jagger, whose lighthearted writing style contrasts sharply with her seriousness. As they face off in an office quiz for a chance to win a luxury holiday in Zanzibar, Margaret's determination clashes with Jagger's affable nature. Despite their differences, their unexpected tie for first place sets the stage for a humorous and touching love story. This book weaves a tale of love, hate, letting go, and mourning loss, promising a journey filled with laughter, smiles, and tears.

Great read! Perfect vacation read! Hilarious, eventful, full of antics from both sides!, Margaret and Jagger are the perfect ying and yang and then add their parents in and it’s full of mayhem! A must read for by the pool, at the beach, or cozied up next to a fire.

This was my first book by Jo Watson.
It was a cute, forced proximity, enemies to lovers rom-com.
Margaret likes to be in control of everything and hates surprises, some may call her uptight. Her co-worker, Jagger is quite the opposite but when they're forced to spend a 7 day vacation together, things take a turn.
I enjoyed this book for the most part, Margaret did get annoying at times but I enjoyed the banter between her and Jagger. I will definitely read more by Jo Watson!

This was such a cute enemies to lovers workplace romance and I loved every minute of it! This story follows Margaret a journalist who likes to keep her work life serious that is until Jagger becomes her cubicle buddy and he is determined to drive her mad maybe in more way than one. When the yearly trivia contest takes place everyone expects Margaret to win like she does every year but Jagger who claims to be good at general knowledge has other ideas. When they tie they are forced to split the prize, a all inclusive vacation to Zanzibar ( when will my company do a giveaway like this lol ) They work out a deal with the travel company to downgrade the room and flights in order to book 2 rooms allowing them each to bring a guest. When Margret and her mother show up to the airport she is surprised to find Jaggers plus one is his father. Sparks fly immediately between the two leaving Margret and Jagger to entertain themselves.

I loved this book it had Hating Game meets The Unhoneymooners vibes and it was hitting all of my favorite tropes! The writing in this book was fast paced and kept me entertained with all the banter and hilarious rom com scenes . I will say this has a lot of the common rom com tropes like forced proximity, one bed trope, missing suitcase trope but it was done well I thought. The humor in this one had me laughing out loud a few times. As far as the characters go I loved the parents they were both a bit strange but so charismatic and the characters felt really developed. Margaret wasn’t my favorite at times her reason behind the 3rd act conflict really felt weak and she was a tad annoying to me. Jagger on the other hand I adored and I loved how he fell first ! I also want to call out that I really appreciated the body positivity in this book about size and I’m so happy to see that becoming more common. This is the first book I have read by this author but have already started adding some backlist titles to my TBR. I would like to thank net galley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I struggled a bit to get into this book because I didn't love the FMC but after the first 40%, I got more invested. I loved the plot of the book and enjoyed this author's writing style. It is a fun summer read and although I read it in the fall I still could enjoy it and it got me wishing on was on vacation!

Thanks, NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled to finish this book.
The beginning started strong, but by like 30% it got so slow and felt wayyy too long.
I think it was a cute concept otherwise, but I would have needed this book to be about 100 pages shorter.

(I will not be sharing this review to social media)

What made this book really enjoyable was the writing. Jo Watson has a way of making it really good. It does deal with some heavy stuff but o really it’s a cute romance.

The book What Happens on Vacation was an enjoyable read. I would recommend any book written by Jo Watson. Happy Reading!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.

Taking place in imagination-generating Zanzibar and authored with a South African storyteller, this book was an infuriating (at times) but honest look at millennial dating culture. Jo Watson’s writing was vivid and picturesque, despite the fact that at multiple points in time I wanted to reach into the novel and pray for more emotional maturity for Margaret, the FMC.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Reading this in the dead of winter, what an absolute treat.

Jokes aside, this really made me miss summer and i feel as if this is a perfect poolside read. The characters were electric, with Margaret coming off as a bit of a grump (maybe to a much too great extent), while jasper was the absolute sweetest sunshine character. The workplace romance and rep in this book was excellent and i had a real blast reading it. It wasn’t perfect, but it did exactly what it needed to do and i would love to pick this back up during the summer.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun book that I enjoyed a lot!