Beth O'Leary, you little rascal, you.

This book was everything I never knew I need wrapped up tight within 368 pages.

The Wake-Up Call, is funny, witty, and will have you smiling so hard your cheeks will hurt. Lucas and Izzy will warm your heart and have you rooting for them the entire time.

Check out this teaser:

Two hotel receptionists—and arch-rivals—find a collection of old wedding rings and compete to return them to their owners, discovering their own love story along the way.

It’s the busiest season of the year, and Forest Manor Hotel is quite literally falling apart. So when Izzy and Lucas are given the same shift on the hotel’s front desk, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and see it through.

The hotel won't stay afloat beyond Christmas without some sort of miracle. But when Izzy returns a guest’s lost wedding ring, the reward convinces management that this might be the way to fix everything. With four rings still sitting in the lost & found, the race is on for Izzy and Lucas to save their beloved hotel—and their jobs.

As their bitter rivalry turns into something much more complicated, Izzy and Lucas begin to wonder if there's more at stake here than the hotel's future. Can the two of them make it through the season with their hearts intact?

I always enjoy Beth O'Leary's books, they tend to be comfort reads for me. The Wake-Up Call was tougher for me to get into but once it got going, I really enjoyed the banter in this enemies to lovers, workplace relationship. There was a very hallmark feel to this one at times - i.e. Izzy and Lucas teaming up to save the hotel they work at from going under, but it felt perfect for this time of year.

3.5 Stars

Thank you to Berkley Romance for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a cute rivals to lovers story! I enjoyed the setting (I work in a hotel so hotel settings always bring me joy) and I enjoyed the banter between Izzy and Lucas. I think the only thing that would stop this from becoming a full-fledged five star book is if there was no miscommunication. Like I get it, I know why it happened but it did take away from the story for a moment and I wish that it wasn't there. Otherwise, another great book by Beth O'Leary, who always does a good job in the wholesome romance front.

A delightful, lighthearted read! Pure enjoyment! This story centers on the main characters, Izzy and Lucas, who share a deep affection for the same hotel they both work at. The narrative unfolds through the dual perspectives of Izzy and Lucas, providing readers with insight into both of their worlds.

In the midst of the busiest season at the struggling Forest Manor Hotel, Izzy and Lucas, despite their differences, find themselves sharing a shift at the front desk. The hotel is on the verge of collapse, and they must set aside their disagreements to ensure its survival. Desperation sets in as the hotel faces potential closure before Christmas. However, when Izzy returns a lost wedding ring to a guest and receives a reward, management sees it as a chance to turn things around. With four more lost rings still in the hotel's possession, Izzy and Lucas embark on a race against time to save their cherished hotel and, in the process, their jobs.

Izzy, with her warm and affable nature, effortlessly endears herself to everyone she encounters. In contrast, Lucas projects an air of brooding seriousness. Amidst their shared love for the hotel, a perceived betrayal lingers, waiting to be addressed. Compounding their challenges, the hotel faces dire financial straits, putting their job security in jeopardy.

The delightful rivalry and witty banter between Izzy and Lucas add an extra layer of charm to the story. Additionally, the inclusion of the 'Ring Thing' injects a sense of fun and intrigue into the narrative, making it an engaging and thoroughly enjoyable read.

A big misunderstanding and a floundering hotel have rivals Izzy and Lucas grudgingly team up. They equally love where they work and everyone except each other. A guest offers the hotel a reward for a missing ring, sending Izzy and Lucas on a competitive mission to have a repeat with others.
I'm a big fan of Beth's writing and have found that her books always sit well with me. The setting is fantastic and the push to work together was perfect fodder for Izzy and Lucas to reconcile and see past their differences.
Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

The Wake-Up Call is a solid contemporary romance by Beth O'Leary. There's no twist or shake up. Just your standard cutesy rom com. If you like the genre or other Beth O'Leary books, you should add this one to your list as well. It's got a great supporting cast of characters and a solid enemies-to-lovers/grumpy-sunshine trope going on.

Expected publication date is September 26, 2023.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Negalley for the electronic advanced copy.

Another fun flirty romance from Beth O'Leary! This one is a forced proximity, enemies to lovers romance centered around a family style hotel. I loved the emphasis on chosen family in this one. Highly recommend!

The Wake-Up Call is something of a return to form for Beth O'Leary, which left me with a big smile on my face and a strong desire to revisit The Flatshare, which was one of my favorite reads of 2019. Oh, how I loved that book! Seriously, I felt so happy when I finished reading it—like it was a little gem I'd discovered—and that feeling was echoed when I closed The Wake-Up Call.

I'm not always the biggest fan of enemies-to-lovers romance, but there was something about this one that just worked for me. The back and forth between Izzy and Lucas was biting and perhaps even a little immature, but it never went too far. Perhaps it was the quaint but chaotic hotel setting, or the inclusion of Poor Mandy in their antics, or simply just O'Leary lovely writing; whatever it was, I was eager to see the two of them set aside their differences, have a good conversation or three, and finally get to the bit all romance lovers love: happily ever after.

A cute premise combined with a seasonal setting, strong supporting characters, and of course, two protagonists who captured my attention (and ultimately, my heart) all came together in a story that I didn’t want to put down, did want to gush about—even while still reading—and strongly suspect will be one of my top reads of 2023.

3.5 STARS

A country hotel in rural England, the Forest Manor Hotel, is on its last legs literally and financially. Two trusted employees, Izzy and Lucas, who seem to be mortal enemies are forced to work together to help save the hotel from financial ruin. Christmas time is usually a very important season for the family run hotel; however, with part of the hotel closed for repairs, the few remaining employees are desperate to keep the business open. While selling off what the owners and staff can find to acquire some much-needed operating funds, Izzy hits upon the idea to return some valuable rings from the lost and found after the first attempt reaps a bountiful reward.

Izzy and Lucas do not get along and are constantly bickering, messing with one another in petty little ways, and now, are in competition to find the other ring owners. A year before, Izzy has made an attempt to let Lucas know she liked him and when it backfired, she decided to get her hate on treating Lucas as Enemy Number One. Lucas thinks Izzy is a major pain in his arse, who delights in making his life harder. He is an ex-pat Brazilian not only working at the hotel, but is taking courses in management to further his career.

Lucas’s fiery Brazilian temper and Izzy’s people pleaser personality mix like oil and water, or in other words, not at all. Each of them has some family baggage to contend with making any kind of relationship a challenge since their default setting seems to be an antagonistic one. Even when they cross battle lines into the lover zone, they are still not really friends although Lucas realizes his feeling for Izzy are more than physical. Izzy is protecting her heart thinking that Lucas has ill-treated the declaration she made in a card the year prior at Christmastime.

This story is very much about found family as the owners, staff, and even regular guests rally together to save the beloved hotel. The drama between Izzy and Lucas has some entertaining moments; however, a lot of their interactions seem toxic and some of Izzy’s actions and choices make it seem she needs a major wake-call of her own. The major miscommunications between the couple from the beginning, and others continue detract from this story as a ROM-COM. That being said, all the characters and their antics are entertaining enough for fans of Ms. O’Leary enjoy this story for the most part.

I honestly wasn't sure I was going to love this as much as Beth O'Leary's other books, especially when it became obvious that the major conflict is a result of a misunderstanding between the love interests. But I quickly realized I was ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT. The characters of Izzy and Lucas were so endearing with such a crackling chemistry that they won me over in no time. What an absolutely charming book. O'Leary is five for five and I already can't wait to read book 6.

I found this book to be okay. It was an enemies to lovers with a ton of misunderstanding. Izzy had sent a letter to her crush, Lucas, at the hotel they both worked at which was delivered to the wrong person thus creating a ton of drama and animosity between Izzy and Lucas. During all this, the beloved hotel they work at is going bankrupt and their solution is to return missing rings to their owners hoping for a hefty finders fee. This seems an unlikely way to save a dying business, especially since the majority of the rings seem pretty generic, rather than family heirlooms worth thousands of pounds. Which realistically still wouldn't be enough to save the hotel. This starts out as a competition between the two but they grow closer while meeting with the owners of the rings, but there is still a ton of assumptions between them that could have been solved by a simple conversation. The chemistry between Izzy and Lucas was pretty good but I found myself not really invested in them or their relationship and the scene where they returned one of the rings and spent time dancing went on way too long and also felt heavily out of place. 3 stars for an okay read. Others may enjoy this more, especially if they are fans of O'Leary's other novels and like non-spicy romances. Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Short synopsis: With the prospect of the hotel she works at going under, Izzy teams up with her work enemy Lucas to sell list and found wedding rings to hopefully earn some donations.

My thoughts: This was a cute one set in December. I liked how everyone wanted to work together to try and save this hotel. Forest Manor Hotel sounds like it would have been such a hot spot in its hay-day, and definitely somewhere I’d have wanted to visit. Especially with the staff that was so caring.

Okay, I’m guessing lots of people are totally going to hate on the miscommunication in this one. There was such a lack of communication that the MCs went a whole year secretly crushing on each other but not taking about it, and eventually turning into rivals. But! While I don’t love lack of communication I’m going to give the miscommunication a slide here. I’m just thinking how long it takes to develop a relationship where you can talk and understand each other fully. Everyone has their own preferred style of communication and it takes work to find a middle ground.

Hopping off my soap box. I really enjoyed the multiple POV with alternating His/Her chapters so we could get both perspectives. The side characters were great, and the main idea to find owners of lost rings was cute.

Read if you love:
- Workplace romance
- Enemies to lovers
- His and her POV
- Saving the hotel
- Vacations

Izzy puts her heart on the line by leaving Lucas a LOVE declaration on a holiday card, suggesting a meeting under the mistletoe. She arrives, and GUESS WHAT he's kissing her roommate. Now he's enemy #1 now at their workplace.

Lucas doesn't know what he's done to deserve such scorn, and Izzy is unforgiving in her hate. Forced to put aside their differences, they must help save the place they call home, Forest Manor Hotel. What they agree on is that this hotel must live on with its patrons who return year after year for the romantic setting.

Its here in the hotel walls they come across lost wedding rings in the lost/found, and together they set out to find their rightful owners before selling them. Rewards await both monetarily and emotionally as they uncover the love stories behind each ring.

I throughly enjoyed the POV from Izzy and Lucas as they shared their version of their interactions and attraction. Lucas is a true romantic just waiting for his moment. Enemies to Lovers is my favorite trope, and O'Leary delivers again another wonderful story.

Thank you Berkley Publishing for the complimentary copy.

Really fun rom-com. Will be recommending and reading anything in the future from this author. I love Beth's books. Thank you for the title.

I fell in love with this author after picking up The Flatshare in Notting Hill, so I jumped at the chance to read this beauty!
Izzy and Lucas are epic rivals at the hotel where they work, and even if they don’t like each other, they’re determined to save their hotel.
If they can return the rings and get paid a reward for them, it could help keep the hotel afloat.
To make it even more interesting, they make a bet— after the first ring finds its owners, whoever places the next gets to be the boss for a day.
We have a Christmas setting- and mistletoe antics— a grumpy/sunshine romance with enemies to lovers vibes and lovable characters who deserve their own movie. This book was hilarious and full of heart.
For Lucas being considered a “robotic” curmudgeon, he sure had a lot of fun with Izzy, and it was a delight to read.
Their lighthearted shenanigans and dry British humor had me bending over at the waist laughing, but clutching my chest with happiness by the end.
Seriously, this romance was the most satisfying kind. No spoilers, but I loved how solid their relationship became once it developed (despite their obstacles).
You’ll want this Christmas romance in your life this fall/winter season!
All the Christmas tree stars to this story. Our author has outdone herself.

3.5 stars

I'm a huge Beth O'Leary fan and was so excited when I heard about this book. Sadly The Wake-Up Call didn't fully hit the mark for me. There was a lot to love about this enemies/rivals to lovers, grumpy + sunshine, workplace romance though. The Forest Manor Hotel and the eclectic mix of workers and guests was a delight and provided lots of laughs and comic relief. This found family was the sweetest. I also loved the overall message that it's OK to have bad days sometimes. That it's human to not be positive/on all the time.

Lucas had stern brunch daddy written all over him and though he was a bit too starchy and uncompromising in the beginning, he really won me over by the end. Izzy was a little harder to love, but I could understand her hesitation to put herself out there given her tragic history. I just felt that both characters acted pretty immaturely given their ages. Izzy was so stubborn at the end that I started to feel very sorry for Lucas. Almost the entire conflict hinged on a year long misunderstanding, that could have easily been solved if they had just had an honest conversation with each other. The ending was very sweet though and left me with a smile on my face.

I both listened to the audiobook and read the ebook of The Wake-Up Call. The narration by Jessie Cave and Lino Facioli was really great. I thought Jessie Cave was perfect as Izzy, but it took me a little longer to warm up to Lino Facioli's voice. I think the Brazilian accent threw me at first. Overall, it was a wonderful audiobook experience.

Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 4.5 stars
Story 3.5 stars

CW: death of parents (past), grief, cheating ex, bullying (past), manipulative previous roommate, mentions of bigamy (secondary character), mentions/discussion of the pandemic/lockdown and resulting financial problems

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC! The Wake-Up Call, the latest from Beth O'Leary (The Flatshare), follows two hotel receptionists and rivals as they attempt to save their hotel and keep their jobs. Last year, Izzy wrote Lucas a Christmas card confessing her feelings for him, but when she received a laugh and caught him kissing her roommate as a response, she vowed her dislike (bordering on hatred). This year, as each attempt at helping the hotel, including a quest to return missing rings to their rightful owners, brings the two closer together, Izzy begins to wonder if she might have been mistaken. This is a fun and sweet romance with a Christmastime backdrop, lots of quirky side characters, and a misunderstanding that keeps turning the pages until the very end. The Wake-Up Call is sure to please romance readers and fans of O'Leary this holiday season.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! Beth O'Leary is slowly becoming a favorite since The Flatshare, and The Wake-Up Call was just as good, if not better. Who knew I needed a hotel romance so badly in my life? I love the holiday vibe, I love the dynamic between the two characters that is really highlighted with the dual POV. Overall, this book as a joy!

3.5 rounded up 💫 another solid read by Beth O’Leary!! But not my favorite!

✨enemies to lovers (but also frenemies with benefits)
✨closed door romance!
✨found family 🫶
✨saving a family business! The walls are literally closing in!!
✨dual POV (but the male narrator is not the best if you do the audio…)
✨set during the holidays 🎁 but they’re not IN your face

This was super cute but never hit me with the extra OOMPH I wanted - it felt somewhat surface level sometimes. I loved the storyline of returning the wedding rings so I wanted a little bit more from it! But still a funny, heartwarming, lovable opposites attract story 🖤

Even when you know two characters will end up together, you don't know the journey they will take to get there.

Which is why I've never minded romances like The Wake-Up Call by Beth O'Leary. There's this common belief that stories with predictable endings are bad. It's not true -- and this book proves that.

Izzy and Lucas both work at the same family-owned quiet hotel, and both wish the other did not exist. Every shift they share together seems to end in disaster. Is their rivalry the result of a giant misunderstanding? Maybe! Does it all work out fine in the end? Of course it does! What's a holiday romance without a happy ending?

The book takes place around the holidays; technically, you can and should read it any time of year you want. But it does put the reader in the holiday spirit. I'm about to go buy marshmallows to go with my hot chocolate and fuzzy socks.

What makes this book truly shine is that it's fast, light fun. Every now and then you need a book that just makes you smile, root for the love interests when they draw closer to admitting their feelings, and yell at them when they mess it all up. It's the perfect book to read when you need to escape the real world and dive into a wonderland.

You'll love this book if you love romance. It will delight you if you're looking for a book to spend a weekend on the couch with. I'm so sad to say goodbye to Izzy and Lucas, but I'm also glad I got to know them. I wish them all the best in their many happy years together.

Also, is it Christmas yet?