For anyone who has boyband or had boyband fantasies, this book is the fulfillment of those fantasies 😂

I’m not a super fan of celebrity romance because their life under the spotlight always comes with drama but I have to say, I did enjoy this one! I finished it in one day. I was that invested 😅

Our female lead, Alix is an entertainment journalist. Her latest assignment is to ghostwrite a memoir of a famous pop star (a star who is part of a boyband with a member who famously just disappeared) With her Brooklyn apartment being too distracting for her writing process, they arranged for her to stay at a ski resort in Vermont. There she meets a cute ski instructor and that’s how our story starts…

I saw great reviews about this book before I started reading it and honestly, it did not disappoint! I love all the cute dates and witty banter. The mystery behind the missing boyband member. And omg snowed-in at a ski resort in Vermont?! I loved it!

This book comes out tomorrow. Definitely recommend for you to add to your reading list if you love celebrity romance!!

💭 Did you love boybands before?? Who were your favorites??
☕️ Mine were Westlife, this Asian group F4 😂, and obviously Backstreet Boys!

The Lodge is a book by Kayla Olson. In it, Alix Morgan has just received the job of a lifetime, ghostwriting a memoir for a former member of the boy band True North. He offers her a penthouse at a ski lodge in Vermont and she jumps at the chance to write in peace. There is so much drama with how True North ended and fans eagerly await the memoir. Along the way, she meets Tyler who is a ski instructor who she quickly falls for. Alix's work hits a big twist.

I really enjoyed Alix and Tyler. Tyler was very down-to-earth along with Alix. There was no big drama between them or 3rd act breakup. They had cute dates and a wonderful progression. There are side characters thrown in that added to the story like the egotistical Sebastian or the quirky barista Makenna. The small side story with Alix's sister was tiring because her sister is so immature!

There is a twist that is pretty obvious once you start the book but it doesn't take away. I really enjoyed the news articles/blog posts, etc between each chapter. It kind of gives a little more backstory to the band.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the e-ARC. This review is my own opinion.

4.25 stars. Alix lands a huge opportunity for her writing career - to ghostwrite a memoir for a famous celebrity, Sebastian Green. Sebastian was part of a boy band, True North, who had a member vanish 8 years ago without a trace. Alix is put up in a fancy penthouse lodge in Vermont to have a place to work on the memoir and connect with Sebastian as needed. In the meantime, Alix meets Tyler; a ski instructor on site who has a soft spot for her. Alix begins to juggle her blooming career and her first love interest in years.

This was so cute! I could have read the book in one sitting if I had set my mind to it. I am a big fan of books with celebrities and how they navigate the spotlight vs. their personal life - so this definitely reached its target audience. Tyler seemed too good to be true and there were a few things I felt were unrealistic about his connection with Alix; however, it did not stop me from fully enjoying this read! It was perfect to cozy up with in the cold weather and felt like I was there with Alix out on the slopes!

I really enjoyed this one! It was a fun, cozy read. I loved the thought of the entire story taking place at a ski lodge. The characters were likable and the boy band vibe was so much fun. It reminded me of all the boy bands I grew up loving (I still love them all btw). It did feel a little predictable, but I ate this story up. I liked how this story flows and how close everyone was. I really liked how Alix, the FMC, ended up and the status she had with her family. Tyler, the FMC, was kind and supportive. I really enjoyed this book; I feel like inside through it and I wanted more, but I didn’t feel like the book was lacking at all.

Couldn't have asked for a better first read of 2025 than this one.

Alix just got her big break as the ghostwriter of a memoir by Sebastian Green, a former member of the boy band. And when he offers her a penthouse at a luxurious resort in Vermont, she jumps at the chance to work there. As she begins her research of the missing lead singer remains, she also takes up ski lessons with a handsome instructor named Tyler. As Alix and Tyler fall in love on the slopes, Alix’s work takes a complicated turn.

This story is so much more than a just love story & that's what makes it ao profound. I was pulled into it from the very first page & finished it in one go as it was unputdownable. I'd say that if you've ever been a fan of a boy band, then don't think twice about picking this up.

Told solely from Alix's pov, this not only deals with Alix falling in love with someone so deeply but also how one-sided perspectives can ruin someone's life. I appreciated how this story dealt with the real issues in the showbiz industry, of how easy it is to lose sense of what's right & what's wrong.

The romance was probably the most comforting thing ever. I was thrilled to watch Alix & Tyler fall for each other & tryst each other in such a small amount of time. I absolutely loved how Kayla handled some conflicts that could've escalated very quickly & without causing any major 3rd act breakup.

2025 reading is off to a great start!! Can't wait for the world to talk about this book!

<i>Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.<i>

This was a lighthearted, although predictable rom com. The premise was interesting and the writing was good - I especially liked the "historical" blog posts throughout.

The characters were well written with one exception: Alix's sister Lauren. I found her to be too high strung and annoying, regardless of her role in how the story played out.

As this was my first Kayla Olsen book, I would definitely read another.

This was soo good, i started it going blind. Doesn’t disappoint at all.

A very good romcom romance to put on your January TBR, cute cozy vibes!

4 stars

This was a decently original story in my opinion and I found it intriguing. There was a portion in the middle that felt a little repetitive but otherwise I enjoyed the book. The writing was great and I really enjoyed the news articles/voice memo transcripts/text conversations etc in between chapters a lot. I do see some sites calling this a holiday romance though which is not ture.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Summary:
Alix Morgan just scored her dream gig: ghostwriting a memoir for Sebastian Green, former heartthrob of the boy band True North. Even better, Sebastian hooks her up with a posh Vermont resort stay so she can write in style (goodbye, noisy apartment; hello, luxury penthouse!).

But it’s not all spa days and mountain views. While sifting through Sebastian’s memos, Alix can’t ignore the lingering mystery of Jett Beckett, the band’s elusive frontman who disappeared without a trace. True North fans want answers, and Alix might be closer to finding them than she expected.

But it’s not all work—cue Tyler, the ridiculously charming ski instructor who makes falling on the slopes totally worth it. Between solving band mysteries, penning a career-defining memoir, and navigating a budding romance, Alix has her hands full. Can she piece together the truth without sliding off course? Fun, flirty, sweet and full of twists, this one’s a page-turner you don’t want to miss!

Thoughts:

What’s not to love? A juicy dose of celebrity intrigue and mystery, a behind-the-scenes look at ghostwriting, and a dreamy Vermont ski lodge setting that made me want to book a cabin ASAP. Oh, and let’s not forget Tyler—the hot, charming ski instructor-next-door who stole my heart right along with Alix’s. The way everything tied together at the end was so rewarding, and I had an absolute blast reading it. Cozy, warm, and totally perfect for this time of year, this book is like a steaming cup of cocoa on a snowy day—comforting, fun, and impossible to put down!

Thank you to @authorkaylaolsen, @NetGalley and @atriabooks for the gifted ebook arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

it was great overall. great job.The Lodge is one of the cutest stories ever and it needs to be made into a movie ASAP! 🥹💕🎿❄️☃️ It’s the perfect winter read to pull up in with a hot cocoa in hand and relax under a blanket with. I am 100% the target audience for this book because I absolutely love boy bands! 🫶🎶🎸🥁 I grew up listening to NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Jonas Brothers, and One Direction so I love that this was such a huge aspect to this story. In other words I love absolutely everything about this story! ❤️

Soooooo good and realistic. I love all the characters and the storyline, especially the mystery of Jett Beckett.

3.75⭐️

Alix is an entertainment reporter who has just gotten a job ghostwriting the memoir of Sebastian Green, the lead singer of the famous boy band, True North. She had covered them at the height of their fame, until one of the members, Jett, just disappeared after a concert 8 years ago. In order to focus on the writing, Sebastian sends Alix to a penthouse at a ski lodge in Vermont. And there she meets her ski instructor neighbor Tyler.

I immediately liked Tyler, I thought he was so sweet and I loved all of the dates he planned with Alix. He cooked her dinner, took her ice-skating and to the top of a mountain to watch a meteor shower...I mean so swoony. I liked the dynamic between Tyler and Alix as well they seemed to enjoy each other's company and had a lot of fun together.

This is the perfect book to read in the winter, the snowy ski lodge in Vermont was such a perfect setting and I definitely wanted to be there. The characters we meet at the resort were fun and I enjoyed them.

What I was not expecting was the mystery that was woven throughout the story. The missing band member became a bigger part of the story and that kept me turning the pages. It was such a fun addition to the story, even if I had the mystery figured out fairly early it didn't take away at all.

I also really enjoyed the mixed media in the book, the different entertainment articles about the band, text messages, social media posts. All were fun and added so much to the story.

There were some parts that I wish were developed a bit more. I would've liked more detail about the dynamic with Alix and her family. It was mentioned a bunch, but I would've liked some sort of resolution to that. I also would've liked a little more relationship development between Alix and Tyler, I really liked their dynamic and I would've liked the relationship to be a bit deeper than it was.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. It was a quick, easy read. It brought back so much nostalgia surrounding boy bands and that crazy fandom. The setting was also so cozy and perfect.

This was a whoosh of a ski run! I really enjoyed this story from the instalove to the rom com worthy dates and golden retriever energy that Tyler (ahem) brought to the stage. I also really appreciated that despite the formulaic (predictable) arc of romance novels, this book lets the leads communicate (mostly) maturely and get to the root of the issue! Of course there are a few moments of 'will they?' but that's just par for the course (I know, the wrong metaphor but I don't ski) in this genre.

This book strikes a great balance between the central character's main motivations and her own development as well as the other leads priorities, skills (ahem, skiing) and issues. It asks some good (but not too deep) questions and allows characters to shine for who they are.

This novel follows Alix as she tries to ghostwrite the memoir of a once upon a time boy band’s lead singer. Except that it’s not so simple! She is offered a penthouse suite in Vermont to really get down to work but she has yet to speak with said lead singer and is very distracted by the gorgeous ski instructor next door. Will they or won’t they? And who is he really?

3.5 stars. This was a cute, cozy romance between an entertainment reporter who is ghost writing a book, and the ski instructor at the lodge where she is staying. I really enjoyed our main characters and their romance. I thought the atmosphere was very cute and well done, and I loved seeing all the dates Tyler took Alix on. I felt like we saw a lot of character growth from both characters over the book, which I love in a romance. I will say the plot and its twist was pretty predictable, but still overall a cute, fun read.

Alix gets hired to be a ghostwriter for a memoir for one of the members of a former boyband, eight years after one of the other members disappeared after a fight. Now, as Alix finds herself at a ski resort in Vermont, she meets Tyler, a ski instructor, and the two become close during her month there. Alix starts to delve deeper into what happened eight years ago and gets more than she bargained for.

The plot of this book was good, not really something that I've read before in a rom-com, but also not really extravagant in a way that made everything complicated. I did enjoy the story and the slight mystery that was thrown in with what happened to the missing band member. It really added an extra bit of enjoyment to the story, because for a bit, until I figured it out before the big reveal, figured out what happened, I was also wondering what had happened and it kept me from getting bored.

The characters were so sweet to each other, which just made me like the romance even more. I did like Alix and Tyler, separately, and together, they were even better. The banter was great, the progression of the relationship was natural, and their dates were just perfect. I just wish that we got to see more about our MMC and his past, and what else led up to what happened in the past. However, I didn't really like the whole "running away" thing in the present. I understand why he felt like he had to, I just didn't want to see it and it was a little disappointing, but also redeemed afterwards.

Lauren really had me wanting to fight. She was really ruining everything and spreading information she shouldn't have and then getting mad at her sister for not telling her things? Wow... I wonder why....

However, the true VIP of this book, is Puffin, out sweet angel who deserved so much more screen time.

Thank you to Kayla Olson, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

The Lodge by Kayla Olson was the perfect cozy romance book that I needed to read this winter. Set in picturesque Vermont this book gives all the Hallmark movie vibes. Throw in a hot ski instructor and you know things are going to get good. This charming novel will warm your heart. I highly recommend!

I received this book as an ARC a few months ago and for some STUPID reason did not read it right away. This book was truly great. (In SNL character Stefan’s voice) it has everything: boy bands, celebrity drama, a gossip writer, snow, cats named Puffin and mystery!
I had no expectations. I actually already own Kayla Olsens book The Reunion, but it’s on my never ending TBR. But now that I’ve read this, I think it’ll be my next physical read.

Tyler is definitely one of my new book boyfriends. And Alix is a great FMC.

The concept is that gossip writer Alix has been asked to ghost write for a former boybander (Sebastian Green) upcoming memoir. She is set up to stay at a luxury snow lodge for a month to write the book and subsequently meets a hot ski instructor. While they slowly get to know one another, a secondary story is being told in alternating chapters. We find out that the band Sebastian was in dissolved after one of his bandmates (Jett) mysteriously disappears at the height of their fame. Jett and Sebastian also had a contentious relationship, and as the story unfolds, we learn more about their relationship.
But the best part of this book is the development of Tyler and Alix’s relationship. It seems natural and swoonworthy.
Side characters, like Alix’s sister who is a HOT MESS and the adorably quirky barista at the coffee shop are fun additions to break up the two main storylines.
I won’t discuss the mystery aspect, but I will agree with some other reviewers and say that I did see it coming but still liked the reveal and its impact on the overall story.
The end had me blushing! My first 5 star read of 2025!


many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest come here

The Lodge, while entertaining in the moment, was ultimately fairly predictable and at the same time not all that memorable. I thought the premise was interesting, but that the main male character was a little whiny. Just my opinion. That being said, it was a fun way to spend an afternoon. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

I adored The Reunion and had high hopes for this one! It was fun and sweet, but unfortunately it was a bit predictable and fell a little flat for me.

It was incredibly readable - I finished it in less than two days. i just wanted a bit more of everything - more mystery, more character development, etc. The subplot with Alix's sister I found a bit frustrating and unnecessary as well.

Overall, it was perfectly enjoyable!

This book was very cute with great winter vibes! I really enjoyed the relationship in this and the social media aspect was fun too. The plot definitely held my attention more than the relationship but I liked it nonetheless!