Rachel Lynn Solomon has done it again, further solidifying her spot as a must buy author. She creates this perfect combination of feelings - happy, sad, frustration, and blends them into a book that is so clearly a love letter to Amsterdam. Dani is an incredibly relatable character, struggling with where she is supposed to be and what she is supposed to be doing, and Wouter brings out the absolute best in her, despite their past. We see so much growth from Dani, both emotionally and mentally. This book has me wanting to pack a bag and go fall in love in Amsterdam

this is screaming SPRING. I need to read more of Rachel’s books because this just brought me so much joy. As someone who was proposed to in the Netherlands and is going back for their honeymoon, I felt like I was back there already and simply can’t wait to be there again.

Truly such a great book.

I appreciate any time an author can fully flesh out their characters in a romance novel and make the story about more than the relationship. Solomon does just that in this novel. Dani’s depression and mental health struggles are treated with respect and you see her grow throughout the story. The chemistry between Dani and Wouter was also top tier. Some may dislike the miscommunication trope utilized in this story. The reasons for their initial break up aren't really resolved in a satisfying way, and I got a little frustrated by Dani's refusal to believe she was in a serious relationship with Wouter. But the rest of the novel is excellent. Descriptions of the sights and foods of Amsterdam made me want to get on a plane immediately. A great read to escape and fall in love.

Rachel Lynn Solomon, you did it again! So beautiful and tender and sweet! I've loved every moment of this one. It felt like a romantic vacation to Amsterdam, while exploring the very real growing pains of moving to a new place without anybody. And a reconnection for the ages. I love second chance so much and I loved Wouter more than life itself. I think Rachel's characters are always so real, they don't necessarily just feel like the hottest people in the room (complimentary), but they have some real substance to them. And they have their "flaws" and quirks (Wouter balding made me want to kiss his little face).

Y'all this book is SEXY. Steamy and spicy and HOT. But that's not even the best part about it. I loved watching Dani and Wouter find their way back together, just as much as I loved watching Dani find her way to her true self. I fully fell in love with Amsterdam while reading this book and I really enjoyed Dani's expat journey!

Dani needs a life change so she moves to Amsterdam to start job without knowing anyone - well actually she does know one person. Wouter, her first love was an exchange student who lived with her family in high school and then coldly dumped her when he returned home. Now 30 year old Dani bumps into
Wouter and they agree to have a platonic relationship. However to save Dani’s residency status and get Wouter the deed to his house, they get married. However, after denying as long as they could, they both have to contend with the feelings they have for each other which never really went away.

This was a super cute and fun romance which I loved even more because it did a wonderful job giving a virtual tour of Amsterdam (which I went to last month). I have realized that for a romance to work for me there need to be certain elements in place and one of them is a great cast of side characters - and this one definitely had that. I also enjoyed watching them fight their feelings and their history made the attraction make so much more sense than an insta-love story. The audio was good and I probably read about half of it. If you’re looking for a cute romance to take you away on a vacation - this one definitely works!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC to review

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the free book!

This book will be out May 6th.

Gah I don't really think that RLS can write a bad book. I am always just so happy whenever I read her work even the YA ones. She has such a way of writing her romance that makes it just feel good and you end up giggling, kicking your feet!

We head to Amsterdam in this book (where RLS currently lives) and the optimism that Dani has arriving in this new country is so charming. She had a series of bad luck - water issue in her apartment, job shutting down and then she accidently crashes into another bicyclist! But it turns out a blessing in disguise because it turns out to be her former high school boyfriend who was an exchange student that her parents hosted.

I just really love the relationship between Dani and Wouter. He was just so sweet and really took care of Dani when she needed a friend. I love that they had this relationship in the past that they would reminisce about their year together. I was happy that Dani got some resolution on why he broke up with her. I am a sucker for fake dating or in this case marriage of convenience and I love seeing them play into it! One of my favorite moments was when Dani has to sit on Wouter's lap while they are out with friends - "I love the way you fit right here." whewwwww!

His family was so great and welcoming her to their family. She created such a bond with his sister. But her family specifically her parents - man oh man. I felt so bad for her! She has health issues but has been able to manage herself and has not let it stop her from doing things. Her parents still treat her as this breakable object and did not appreciate that she went off and got married. I was very proud of her for standing up for herself. Dani's relationship with her sister was so sweet! I was happy that she had her to lean on and could tell her what all was happening in Amsterdam without having her parents breathing down her neck.

If you want all the feels and make you want to run away to Amsterdam - check this one out!

They say not to judge a book by its cover, but What Happens in Amsterdam is absolutely beautiful both inside and out! I really loved this book! Such a beautiful & fun second chance romance. The characters are all so well written, they felt real and I wanted to be friends with all of them. I also appreciated the Jewish & mental health representation.

Along with being a love story, it’s a love letter to Amsterdam. The descriptions of the sights, landscape, food, and everything in Amsterdam made me want to visit now! I didn’t realize until after reading that the author is an expat there, and her love & knowledge for the area really shines through the book. I enjoyed learning a new piece of trivia about why the buildings are slanted there that I’ll never forget 😂

Thanks so much to Berkley Romance for providing the ARC for my honest review!

Pure romance about a girl having a quarter life crisis- when Dani's boyfriend Jace was cheating on her, she forwarded raunchy emails to the whole company. Jace got a slap on the wrist but Dani was let go. So with no job and no boyfriend, she got a break-up haircut and decided to move to Amsterdam. She struggles a bit at first with a basement apartment and a suspicious company to work for. But then she runs into her first real boyfriend Wouter, who came to LA as a foreign exchange student in high school. Turns out sparks are still there!

There is a lot to love about this novel, I really loved it. Dani was born a micro-preemie and has bad lung problems and also a port-wine birthmark all across her face. So life has not always been easy for her. And she has jumped around from job to job, fell bass ackwards into her major in college, then hence her field, and also picks up hobbies only to put them down when she isn't a natural. Great chemistry and I will warn you, it will make you want to visit Amsterdam!

Read if you like; (Tropes/minor spoilers below)
Second Chance Romance
One Bed
Forced Proximity
Fake Dating
Chronic illness representation

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC. Book to be published May 6, 2025.

3.5 rounded up💫 I thought I was going to *love* this one but unfortunately I just didn’t get the OOMPH I wanted from it!!

BUT if the goal of this book was to get me to plan a trip to Amsterdam then it was a grand success because now I’m dying to go!🌷🤩

✨second chance romance
✨marriage of convenience
✨a “miracle” child trying to live up to the hype of her own life!! and learning to be happy along the way as she figures it all out😌
✨fantastic audio narration💯
✨secret meaningful tattoos!!

I can’t pin down *exactly* what didn’t work for me but it just left me wanting a bit more🤔 it was sweet and uplifting but I didn’t feel overly connected to either main character and wanted more chemistry and development! And less miscommunication!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I was so excited when I was chosen by @berkleypub to ARC read it!! Rachel’s books are so well written, and this one is known as her love letter to Amsterdam. I loved getting to re-explore the city through Dani’s eyes, and loved her and Wouter together. It was such a comfort read, and features marriage of convenience and second chance tropes, which are always some of my favourites! There’s also a strong family and friends bond throughout this book, and an adorable dog which enhances the book!! I loved this book and was a great way to get into spring! Here in Canada we get tulips every year from Netherlands for our tulip festival, and I’m so excited to see them in a few weeks and will think of this book the whole time!!

Such a romantic and sweet second chance romance! Rachel Lynn Solomon really put the lust in wanderlust with this one! 😉

They first fell in love as teenagers when he came to live with her family as a foreign exchange student (brilliant! I love this!), and he is the boy she never fully got over. Years later, she bumps into him when she moves to Amsterdam on a work visa. When everything falls to pieces, he proposes a green card marriage/marriage of convenience that would benefit both of them.

🚲 I love a crisis induced uproot your life moment in a romance! Even better if the character doesn't speak the language. Obviously, I really want to go to Amsterdam now and you will too after you read this!
🚲 An excellent re-meet cute!
🚲 I love the tiny glimpses of their past. I thought it was done so well. Large flashbacks and dual timeline wasn't necessary for this story, so I'm glad RLS chose shorter memories and remained in the present!
🚲 Fake dating/fake marriage while living together and all that forced proximity is always a good time.
🚲 Move over "only one bed!" We now have "only one wall (between them)" and it's quite the scene!

Highly recommend!

Danika Dorfman has never gotten over the heartbreak of her first love breaking up with her over text. When she runs into him (literally) in his home city of Amsterdam, Dani is unprepared for those old feelings to resurface. She’s even more unprepared for her situation to cause Wouter van Leeuwen to offer her an opportunity she never dreamed of: marrying him. As these exes embark on a marriage of convenience, they have to confront their complicated past.

This really reads like a love letter to Amsterdam, the city where Rachel Lynn Solomon now resides. It’s such a vivid and compelling part of the story that it’s a character all on its own. The author’s love for her chosen home colors every page and every moment of Dani and Wouter’s love story.

This is also really one for the second chance lovers. Second chance is not my personal favorite trope, but there were parts of this that I did love. I love the idea of fate bringing Wouter and Dani back together, and of them realizing that what they felt when they were seventeen was true and real. I was less a fan of the dramatics around their breakup, and of the way they handled their marriage becoming common knowledge. The ending and grand gesture were quite sweet, though, and wrapped the story up beautifully.

4.5/5, rounded up

Thank you Berkley for the advanced reading copy!

Ahhhh I loved this one so much.

Dani and Wouter are my new favorites. Their second-chance, forced proximity, marriage of convenience/fake dating extravaganza was enough to pull at my heart strings from start to finish. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, and once we started to head into this direction I knew I was sold. Seeing these two reconnect was so heartwarming and BELIEVABLE!! I fully bought their romance from the meet (again) cute, and throughout. Wouter was the sweetest MMC I have read in a while, and the ways he cared for Dani had me swooning.

My only complaint about this book was Dani's immaturity. I can see what we were aiming for and this was soclose to achieving that, but there were times when I felt unmoored even reading from her perspective, and I just wanted her to be a little more grown up as someone who just moved across the world on her own. However, her character growth came through in the end, and this damsel in distress vibe did leave room for Wouter to come through as the hero, which I loved.

I'll tell you one thing, this book has me SOLD on Amsterdam! I've always been interested to visit but this made me feel like I was there. The travel and touristy aspects of a book can be so boring if not done well, but this one kept me locked in the whole time. Such a great setting, and very well done.

This book had everything I like -- fake dating, beautiful setting and aspects of found family. While I can always do without a third-act conflict, this wasn't too drawn out that it ruined anything else for me. The romance and chemistry were believable, the spice was spicy and my heart was warm!! Loved it!!!

This book was such a cozy, fun, and absolutely adorable read—I genuinely ate it up! From the first chapter, I was hooked by the witty banter, the swoony moments, and the heart-melting chemistry between the characters. Rachel Lynn Solomon has this magical way of writing rom-coms that feel like a warm hug, and What Happens in Amsterdam is no exception.

Dani is literally me. I have never related to a character more in my life—her anxious inner monologue, her dry humor, the way she overthinks everything but still throws herself into new adventures? Spot on. Watching her navigate unexpected romance in the dreamy streets of Amsterdam felt like living vicariously through a best friend.

And speaking of Amsterdam… this book makes me want to book a flight immediately. The setting is so vividly described, it feels like you're walking the canals, sipping tea and eating biscuits in cozy cafés, and falling in love under twinkling lights right alongside the characters.

The banter? Top tier. The situations? Had me giggling, blushing, and literally kicking my feet. It’s everything I want in a comfort read—sweet, funny, heartfelt, and filled with just enough tension to keep the pages turning.

Overall, What Happens in Amsterdam is a must-read for anyone who loves a good rom-com with depth, charm, and a heroine you'll want to be best friends with. I adored every second of it!

I LOVE THIS BOOK! Rachel Lynn Solomon can do no wrong. I wouldn't say it's my favorite of all of her books, but I still completely ate it up. The characters were relatable and perfect. I am so glad that RLS is using her real-life expat experiences in her books and I think it feels very authentic. I also came away feeling like I knew more about the Netherlands.

You’ll love this book if you enjoy:

🌷Traveling through the pages
🌷Characters in their 30s figuring life out
🌷 Spicy slow burns
🌷 Thoughtful self-reflection
🌷 Romance that feels real and earned

This was my first Rachel Lynn Solomon book, and I feel like I just got back from a vacation to Amsterdam, in the best way, and now I really want to go! 😂

The setting is incredibly vivid. From the canals and cafes to the art and architecture, I felt like I was there. And Amsterdam might have some of the best food, and I need to try it all. Especially Hagelslag aka toast with sprinkles — that is a dream breakfast I didn’t know I needed.

Dani’s bad luck at the start gave me secondhand stress. It felt so real and would absolutely be my experience if I moved abroad alone. But her emotional journey is what stuck with me. As someone in her early 30s, her story felt personal! Breaking away from pressure, embracing new dreams, standing up to her family and figuring out who she is.

As far as the romance, Wouter and Dani had instant chemistry. The meet-cute was perfect. The reconnection after years of not being in one another’s lives, it was set up perfectly!

The miscommunication nearly broke me though, I’m not usually a fan of that trope, but it actually worked here.

The tension was so well done, and once that slow burn ignites… it ignites. The spice could best be described as “Polite in the streets, freak in the sheets” and I mean that in the best way.

Wouter’s family and Roo were standouts. The side characters brought such depth to the story, and the way they showed up for Dani reminded me of what good, supportive friendships look like.

The resolution of the main conflict was the most painful part for me. Watching everything unravel, knowing it all could’ve been avoided, but also knowing it needed to happen, wrecked me. I had full on secondhand embarrassment, like “OMG hide me, this is a dumpster fire”. But it felt honest and necessary for Dani’s growth. It stung, but it made the HEA feel fully earned.

This story had everything I love! The atmosphere, emotion, spice, and characters that feel real. What Happens in Amsterdam was an incredible introduction to Rachel Lynn Solomon’s writing, and I look forward to reading more by her!

A big huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on May 6, 2025, and is the perfect read for spring! 🌷

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the advance reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Dani moves to Amsterdam after ending her relationship and losing her job. And she has quite the reunion with her first love Wouter, the exchange student from the Netherlands who lived with her family for a year in high school.

The romance between Dani and Wouter is so lovely. And also super steamy. I especially adored the post-it notes he left for her. And that everyone who met them could tell how gone for each other they were. It's always fun to me when it feels like I am in on a secret that the main characters don't know.

But more than the romance, I loved Dani's story. Seeing her come to love Amsterdam makes me really want to visit. And her search for her self and her passion, trying to find meaning in purpose and career resonated so deeply and was beautifully told. I also thought the book did a great job capturing the difficulty in finding new friends in new places as an adult. I had such a fun time with this story.

Elizabeth Lamont is a great narrator and did a nice job in this 11.5 hour audiobook. However, I do recommend reading this one with your eyes. The volume changed greatly in the midst of emotional scenes. At times, it was too loud, and then soon after it was way too quiet. While that certainly conveyed emotion, I kept having to stop and adjust. So it took me out of the scenes.

4.5 stars rounded up

What Happens In Amsterdam is every swoony second-chance romcom lover's dream! I loved everything about this, and felt like I was in Amsterdam the whole time I was reading.

Wouter is literally everything you could want in a man: he's tall, a homeowner, has a dog, and is the SWEETEST most CARING man on the planet. He and Danika are so cute together, both in their first love flashbacks and in their present tense navigation through marriage of convenience & forced proximity. Danika felt so relatable as a character to me, and I appreciated her struggles with depression & anxiety, alongside her lifelong feeling of failure to fit in/keep pace with her peers. She and Wouter are perfect for each other, and this book made me want to abandon everything and move to Amsterdam no joke!

What Happens In Amsterdam🌷
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date: May 6th

Thank you so much to Berkley and Netgalley for an e-arc of this book. This is the first book I’ve read by this author but it won’t be my last. The romance in this was absolutely darling and the setting was UNREAL.

I was completely transported to Amsterdam. I felt like I was there and was standing on the streets, smelling the stroopwaffles. This will make you crave all the dutch food, want to travel the world, and speak another language. I went to Amsterdam last year and this book is so accurate!

If you want to go on a free vacation to the Netherlands, just read this!😉 This sweet story will make your heart melt. Check it out on May 6th!