A sweet romance with a beautiful European setting, but the chemistry between the main characters fell a little flat.

I LOVED this one!!! Second chance, marriage of convenience set in Amsterdam! It was so much more than a romance and I actually enjoy Dani going on a bit of a “wild” journey to find her independence. This one is sweet but u promise it’s just as spicy!!

i’ve been thinking of a rating that’s not five and honestly only that one can make it justice, the others seem inappropriate.

this book was hella cute, like i already knew it would be however i was so pleasantly surprised by the depth of it and the emotional impact it had on me

dani moving across the world randomly, being in her thirties and having no clue what she’s doing with her life is the most realistic thing ever

i love all the characters specially Roos and Iulia, they’re so cute and the most understandable and supportive human beings ever and the way they showed true friendship to dani had me sobbing

i loved the Amsterdam setting and it made me want to move there

A woman upends her life and moves to Amsterdam without a real plan for what happens after and ends up in a marriage of convenience with her first love. If that sounds far-fetched, it's because it is, though that's not likely to deter readers who love second-chance romances (and the marriage-as-convenience trope, too). Solomon writes her characters well and there's tenderness here, but something about the central relationship never seemed to gel completely. Main character Danika seems so immature and so sheltered that it's hard to buy her move across the world in the first place, and the series of events that end with her married to a rich Dutch man strain credulity. This is likely to find fans, though - especially if they like long descriptions of European travel.

as always, i love love love anything rachel lynn solomon writes. this felt like 90 day fiancé but make it a rom-com. it was an easy read that i devoured in a little over 24 hours. the chemistry was THERE. i loved being inside dani's head. the meet-cute was so fun and so iconically dutch. i just feel like this book really delivered on what it sold and for that i def recommend!

Enjoyed this one. Not a favorite but it was an easy read. I liked the second chance romance aspect of the story.

Yet another book that I took way too long to start on! Whyyyy did wait so long to read this delightful romp around Amsterdam????!!!

PLEASE LISTEN TO THE AUDIOBOOK! I loved the narrator so much. Hearing the Dutch spoken was easier for me to follow than if I was reading it on a page.

I’m not here for the second chance romance because girl you were 17, get over it. But I am very here for the marriage of convenience. But also Amsterdam????? Yes???!!! I wish we’d gotten to see more of the other characters, like if Wouter and Dani’s friends and family were along on more of their sightseeing adventures.

Sometimes overhauling your life and changing your scenery is exactly what you need to do to find the best version of yourself, and Rachel gave us that with Dani. She was such a relatable character, and I loved that about her.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 // 4-star review of What Happens In Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon

This book was equal parts romantic, messy, and full of charm—the perfect kind of second chance romance with a European twist. I absolutely love when a setting feels like a character itself, and Amsterdam completely came alive on these pages. From canal views to cozy bike rides to awkward reunions with your high school ex-boyfriend? This one had it all.

Dani was such a relatable main character. She is floating through life, unsure of her next step, which made her journey all the more rewarding to watch. You cannot help but root for her as she navigates heartbreak, career chaos, and culture shock. And then enters Wouter. Tall, kind, broody, and just the right amount of chaotic. The tension between them was delicious and complicated in all the best ways.

Their “marriage of convenience” set-up gave us the perfect mix of forced proximity, unresolved feelings, and sweet slow-burn moments. I loved their banter, their growth, and the vulnerable conversations that made their second chance feel so earned.

My only tiny complaint was that a few of Dani’s inner spirals got repetitive at times, but that felt true to her character.

Overall, this was a cozy, heartfelt escape filled with romance, self-discovery, and the reminder that it is never too late to find your way—or fall in love again.

I’m not reviewing this book because I cannot get into it. I cannot do it. I tried so many times. It’s just not working for me.

I loved the setting of this book so much! The plot and characters were all great too! I thought the marriage of convenience trope was interesting in this book. I was cheering them on the whole way! But, what honestly killed the story a little for me was the third act breakup :’) — if you don’t mind a little bump like that, then I think you will really enjoy this! However, I hated how the FMC acted during this hiccup so it gave me a small ick. But overall it was still a fun read.

What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon
4.5 ⭐

4.5 worldbuilding, 4 character development, 3 plot, 4.5 writing style, 5 vibes, 3 🌶️

We are both big fans of Rachel’s books and What Happens in Amsterdam was no exception! This book made us want to go on a European vacation immediately - we felt like we were walking the streets of Amsterdam as we were reading. The writing really captured the feel of Amsterdam through all the details - it’s obvious Rachel lives in and loves Amsterdam!

The story centers around the second-chance romance of Dani and Wouter who originally met when Wouter was a foreign exchange student hosted in Dani’s home (scandal!). After a dramatic break-up, they haven’t spoken in years until Dani, after accepting a job in Amsterdam, literally runs into him with her bike. When her new job doesn’t work out, Wouter proposes a marriage of convenience. She needs a reason to stay and he needs to be married to meet some family obligations. The agreement seems simple enough, they’ll pretend to be happily married for one year to give Dani time to find another job and Wouter enough credibility to satisfy his grandmother’s old-school requirements.

One of the things we appreciated most about this story was the thoughtful and thorough exploration of mental health - specifically Dani’s depression and anxiety. The discussions Dani and Wouter had have no hint of stigma around therapy and medication. We don’t know if the Netherlands really are just further ahead in their approach to mental health or this was an authorial choice by Rachel - either way, we love to see mental health talked about on the page so honestly and without shame. We especially appreciated the representation of the mental gymnastics people with depression sometimes have. In Dani’s experience, she wrestled honestly with thoughts like “I know I shouldn’t be depressed because my life isn’t as bad as….” and Wouter meeting her in those moments with care, love, and support.

We hope you’ll add What Happens in Amsterdam to your TBR immediately! If you’ve read it, what did you think? Anyone else want to plan a European vacation with us?

A very well-done book from Rachel Lynn Solomon! I really enjoy her writing, and she did a great job with the setting, you can definitely tell that she knows Amsterdam inside and out! I really like Wouter and Dani, and how their history was so relevant. I will say this book did feel a little fast but that's okay!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

Rachel Solomon writes the best characters that have so much depth. She knows how to balance banter and romance with plot. This was such a cute romcom, but had so much more to it! I read it by the pool and absolutely loved it!

It’s always so interesting to see the “marriage of convenience” trope in contemporary romance, and this was such a fun take on it.

Dani takes a job in Amsterdam, desperate to be away from her well-meaning but overbearing parents, and runs into Wouter, a former foreign exchange student who stayed with her family in high school. They were each other’s first loves, and Dani has never gotten over the heartbreak of this sudden breakup after he returned back home. When her apartment floods and she loses her job, Wouter proposes a marriage of convenience - as he can’t inherit his family’s property until he is married.

What follows is a fun if predictable plot of the two falling back in love, overcoming some past issues, and dealing with the inevitable fallout of their deception being revealed - and where they go from that point.

Synopsis:

Dani Dorfman applies and gets a job in Amsterdam, idly dreaming of escaping the mess she’s created. By the end of her first week in Amsterdam, she’s never felt more adrift or alone. Then she crashes her bike into her high school ex-bf—Wouter van Leeuwen was a Dutch exchange student Dani’s family hosted, a forbidden love that ended in a painful breakup. Years later, there’s still sizzling chemistry between them, and okay, maybe a little animosity. Wouter needs to be married to inherit a gorgeous family home on a canal—and when Dani's job falls apart, she needs a visa. As the marriage of convenience pushes them together in unexpected ways, Dani must decide whether her new life is yet another mistake—or if it's worth taking a risk on a second chance.

Review:

OK guys I'm a sucker for second chance romance. Who doesn't love a little character growth and development? I'm not sure why I haven't read romance set in Amsterdam before because it is really such a quaint and romantic city. It stands out in the cities that I've visited with the canals, cozy bookshops and everyone riding around on their bicycles. I found Dani's struggle to finding her path to be super relatable (for most readers I would think!). I also lived and worked abroad for a year so I related to being in a city where you don't know anyone and everything is a discovery. The book was funny and charming, and an absolute delight! Also isn't this cover just gorgeous?!

Thank you Berkley Romance for my finished copy!

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for an advanced copy of What Happens in Amsterdam! I love Rachel Lynn Solomon books, so I was very excited for this book.

I had such anticipation for What Happens in Amsterdam, and I was ultimately disappointed. This book just didn't land with me. I don't know if I didn't enjoy the characters, the plotline, etc, but I just felt let down by the whole experience. I did not buy into the relationships between the two main characters, and I also felt like their backstory was full of gaps/holes. I wanted more from why they parted ways, maybe someone getting in between them? Instead, it was just a lot of miscommunication. I also found myself getting frustrated with the FMC's parents, and not in the way where I am putting myself in the main character's shoes. More, I was frustrated in that it was just ridiculous to allow someone else that much control over your life and it was unrealisitc.

Overall, this book just wasn't for me. It had fun moments, and the spice was spicing (IYKYK), but overall, just a letdown.

Rating: 3⭐️

𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: 𝚁𝚘𝚖-𝙲𝚘𝚖

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬💭:
This book was screaming spring so much that i had to pick it up right away! Thank you Berkley Romance for my copy and PRH Audio for the audiobook which i read in tandem.

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛📝:
Dani packs her bags for a job in Amsterdam after years of not knowing what she wants in life. By the end of her first week, she already feels alone and lost. Until she crashes her bike into her ex-boyfriend, and suddenly life is blooming with new opportunities.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫/5. This book had such a great premise. A woman in her 30’s starting fresh in a new country? What could possibly go wrong? Or right! Bumping into an old flame in a fun new country, it was just bursting with so much fun and adventure. However, i didn’t vibe with the main character very well and i was not a fan of the reason why they broke up in the first place. This was also spicier than her other books, yet the story was fun to follow. Because I’m an immigrant myself, i could relate to Dani in a sense. I’m always looking up to and cheering for people starting anew after leaving your old life behind. It’s never easy leaving family and your customs. This was definitely a love letter to Amsterdam, how charming it is, and to immigrants just wanting a fresh start and i loved that about it.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚: 𝘈𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘮, 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥, 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦

ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ || WHAT HAPPENS IN AMSTERDAM [thank you to Berkley Romance and @netgalley for my #gifted copy!]

Title: What Happens in Amsterdam
Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
Genre: Romance
Format: Audio + Digital
Star Rating: ★★★☆☆

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
I think I just need to accept that despite the love of the book community and the ridiculously cute covers, that this author just isn’t for me. I never feel overly invested in the romance and parts of the spice feel a little icky to me to read.

But if you love RLS’s other books, I think this would be right up your alley!

I will say that this one DEFINITELY made me want to travel to Europe (but not ride a bike, because I would probably die a horrific death traveling that way in Amsterdam).

🎧 I wanted to do this one on audio, but I just could NOT take the Dutch accent seriously and it really took me out of the story to do it tha way.

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Second Chance Romance
Marriage of Convenience
Wanderlust

ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ:
GR: 3.67
# of Pages: 384
Pub Date: May 6, 2025

I was so bored the entire time I'm so sorry. This wanted to give something but ended up giving nothing.

The setting is the only good thing about this book. As someone who has been to Amsterdam many times, this made me feel like I was back there. Other than that I have no good things to say.

Thank you Berkley for the ARC.