I adored What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon. It's a second-change romance and a love letter to ex-pats. I've always dreamed about moving abroad, and I've decided that if that can't be my reality, I love reading about it.

Dani moves to Amsterdam to work for a tech company, but when the company unexpectedly shuts down, she has to find a new job quickly in order to stay in the country. Enter Wouter, her first love who broke her 17 year old heart, with a marriage of convenience plan that will benefit them both. But being back in each other's orbit rekindles feelings both of them thought were dead and buried. It's a story about finding yourself and embracing the things, and the people, you love.

This book was the perfect blend of humor, heart, and, yes, steam. I think this is definitely Rachel's steamiest book to date.

I only wish they'd found a way to showcase Dani's port wine stain birthmark on the cover. I feel like that was a missed opportunity, and I would have loved to have seen it.

Huge thanks to Berkley Romance for my advance review copy through their influencer hub for underrepresented voices.

Enjoyment: I LOVED this audiobook. First off to start the book and quickly realize that one of my new favorite narrators has a seemingly new alias, DELIGHT. I know I normally save narration comments for a separate section but I don’t know how to separate them here. This book has an American FMC, a Dutch MMC and also a (I believe) Polish side character and Elizabeth Lamont slayed them all. Now in fairness I have no idea if this was an accurate Dutch accent but she performed it clear and consistent and for me it was very believable. I loved the plot/premise of this story as well and I very much fell in love with Amsterdam right along side our FMC.

What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Rating: 3.5 or 4 stars
Steam: 2 chilis
Pub date: ⅚

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley Romance for my free book!

This book was such a sweet, feel-good read! As soon as I saw that stunning cover, I knew I had to pick it up. Who hasn’t dreamed about running off to Europe, falling in love, and never looking back?

Dani is kind of a mess, in the most relatable way. She loses her job, ends an office fling, and suddenly finds herself starting over in Amsterdam. Things aren’t going great... until she crashes into her high school ex, Wouter, and suddenly everything shifts.

I’m a sucker for a good second-chance romance, and this one hit the spot. Their chemistry was so strong, and the whole marriage of convenience trope really worked here because it was clear they never got over each other.

What I loved most was the setting! Amsterdam felt like a character of its own. Seeing it through Dani’s eyes made me want to hop on a plane ASAP.
I’m stuck between a 3.5 and 4 star rating because the pacing was a little too slow for me, and the first half of the book is heavy on the miscommunication. I really wanted them to figure their stuff out a little bit earlier.

Overall, if you’re into second chances, travel vibes, and lots of heart, definitely check this one out.

One of my favorite things about a Rachel Lynn Solomon book is the way the setting becomes another character in the story. As a Seattleite, I've appreciated the way she's accurately portrayed my city in her previous books. In What Happens in Amsterdam she transported me to another country entirely. I would have welcomed the escape for what it was, but as I read this ARC in the days before my own trip to Amsterdam, it ended up becoming an unofficial travel guide.

The other hallmark of Solomon's books is her very human characters. While I couldn't always relate to Dani and Wouter, they felt real. In less capable hands, Dani's inability to get over her high school romance of a decade ago might have seemed immature. The same with her tendency to allow her overbearing parents to hold so much sway over her life. But Solomon deftly makes the case for why this is, and lays the groundwork for Dani's growth as she reconnects with Wouter and experiences life on her own terms in Amsterdam.

The marriage of convenience trope is often used as just that--a trope to bring characters together--but Solomon put real thought behind its use and developed a plot that made sense for the characters, who grew and changed throughout the story.

This book is such a breath of fresh air! While this is a romance, I really felt the themes of finding yourself and growing as a person were this book strong suits.

After being fired from her job (that she didn't really like to begin with) and breaking up with her boyfriend (who was cheating on her), Dani Dorfman finds herself in Amsterdam at a start up, thousands of miles from her home and family in California. After her first week in a new country, feeling more alone and unsure than ever, she runs into (literally) her high school ex-boyfriend, Wouter. As a foreign exchange student, Wouter lived with Dani's family, and the two had a forbidden love that ended abruptly and painfully. Now, as adults, their chemistry is stronger than ever, but the hurt between them still lingers. When they both find themselves in sticky situations, they arrange to have a marriage of convenience, but their relationship begins to push them together in unexpected ways.

I absolutely loved Dani. Her struggles with anxiety and depression hit me on such a personal level and I found her motivation, resolve, and strength so refreshing and encouraging. Wouter made the perfect match for Dani. Unwaveringly supportive, he was the perfect complement to Dani.

I also loved seeing Amsterdam through both Dani and Wouter's eyes. Having never been myself, but always wanting to go, I fell in love with the city through the characters and hope to see it myself one day.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the digital ARC. My review is honest and voluntary.

Brb, about to go move to Amsterdam and fall in love. This was my very first RLS book and it will not be my last! I was initially drawn to this one because I love romances set abroad, but I fell in love with this one because of sweetest love story I may have ever read. I felt like I was actually there with these characters, and I can not think of a better spring/summer read! I definitely related to having overprotective parents like Dani, and it her story reminded me that sometimes everything you thought you wanted is actually the polar opposite of what you needed. Such a cute, heartwarming read about second chances and falling back in love with yourself and someone else. Thank you Berkley Romance for the arc!

Danika and Wouter met back when he was a foreign exchange student staying with her family in LA. Their hush hush relationship that lasted until he sent a cold breakup text after returning home to Amsterdam

Now, over a decade later, she herself is in Amsterdam, trying to build a new life on her own. It’s a bit of a rocky start though, capped off with her literally running into her ex (on her bike) changing the entire course of her stay there

This begs the question, can you still call it a meet ugly if the people were previously …acquainted?

I loved the second chance romance. Things might not have worked out when they were younger - communication rough at that age even before you throw the long distance and an ocean in between - but as adults I felt their chances were much better

Their new relationship starts out with a marriage of convenience - she needs a way to stay in the country after losing her job and he needs a wife to inherit his childhood home - but with the attraction still there, feelings weren’t far behind.
It honestly barely felt fake at all, to the point I felt personally offended when someone insisted it wasn’t real.

I was glad Dani had a sister to confide in, because I felt her parents were massively overbearing
She *did* overcome many health issues as a baby, and some of their overprotectiveness stems from that, but at the same time she is 30 years old and not a child. She doesn’t need permission for *anything*

I like books that make you feel like you’re playing tourist, and this fits the bill. I found myself looking up the places the MCs visited, museums and boat tours, and wishing I was there with them.
And the food descriptions! They made me hungry, especially wishing to try a stroopwaffle *not* from a grocery store package!

This book should be endorsed by the tourism board, because I don’t see how you could finish it and not want to visit

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the arc!

Super cute, lighthearted read. I enjoyed the characters and the unique storyline. I also enjoyed learning more about Amsterdam.

First of all, I have been to Amsterdam/The Netherlands twice, so that’s why I requested this one, just being honest. NO REGRETS!

Read this one if you love:

childhood crushes
second chance romance
Amsterdam vibes & stroopwaffles
Marriage of convenience
This book is sweet, silly, emotional, and a little spicy. I loved it so much!

3.5

I loved the first 75%, and it went downhill at the third act for me. I knew it could go one of two ways, and it went the direction I was hoping it wouldn’t. I’m glad Dani had the opportunity to talk with her parents, and come to term with her feelings for Wouter, but it was very frustrating to read.

I found Dani to be somewhat relatable, and Wouter was so sweet, and so OBVIOUSLY in love with Dani, I wanted to shake her when she just couldn’t see it

This is my first book by Rachel, and her style is very descriptive, a lot of internal monologue and sometimes for me that can cause the book to feel slower paced. I loved the Amsterdam setting, I could picture it all so clearly, but at times it felt like I was reading a pamphlet on Amsterdam.

Overall, I did enjoy this a lot! And I would recommend if

After a failed office romance and losing her job, LA native Dani Dorfman accepts a job offer on a whim in Amsterdam, only to run into an old fling…or was he ever just that?

A highly anticipated read from an auto by author, I found this one to be so fun, spicy, and earnest in its delivery!

Firstly, it is truly a love letter to Amsterdam and Dutch culture. The history, the landmarks, the food, I couldn’t get enough and lost myself in the city in the best way. I can’t buy my plane ticket fast enough!

While I don’t love second chance romance, I LOVE marriage of convenience and that portion really worked for me. I found Dani and Wouter to be sweet characters. We really get to know them and I could get behind their romance…as well as their spice!!

I appreciated them getting to know each other again and the fun they seemed to have with each other. I loved Dani figuring it out “later in life”. It came across very honest and real to life. She seemed immature at times but in the end, really comes into her self.

All the side characters were great as well and only added to the story especially as voices of reason, which was nice.

Why not a 5 star read? I found the build up to be a bit slow in the first half. Found the miscommunication frustrating at times. And needed them to figure it out a bit sooner.

However, this feels like a perfect summer beach read that will keep you going! Pick it up!

READ FOR
Second Chance Romance
Marriage of Convenience
Mental Health Rep
Figuring It Out In Your 30s

thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review

This book was so relatable and I found myself highlighting dozens of quotes because this book made me feel seen and understood in a way I haven't been in a very long time!

I aspire to be like Dani in the way that she uprooted her life and moved halfway across the world when life just becomes a little too much and a little stagnant. I really connected with her story, especially with the constant feelings of being behind your contemporaries later in your twenties. I too feel exactly like she did and relate to not quite knowing what your passion is and how to make a life that your really and truly happy with. Dani's battle with depression and burnout made me want to give her a big hug because as someone in her position mentally, it's rough out here. Unfortunately, that's where my similarities with Dani ends because I unfortunately don't have a fantastic Danish ex-boyfriend in said destination country who has always known it's been me all along. *Deep and resigned sigh*

I adored Wouter as a love interest and just how in tune he was with Dani and how quick he was to want to help her out. His family was so kind and I loved how accepting they were of Dani, even when things went wrong. He gave Dani space when she needed it, but was also so understanding of her struggles and burnout. If I knew someone like Wouter was waiting for me across the pond, I'd be on a plane in a heartbeat as everyone deserves a Wouter.

I did stress out for a large portion of the book waiting for Dani's family to find out about her and Wouter's arrangement. While I'm glad that Dani was able to find her voice finally, I kept waiting for the shoe to drop and the whole scene where it did had me stressed. I'm not much for third act breakups and this one was pretty messy in a lot of aspects, but alas it fit the story as much as I didn't like it. I give the book altogether a real rating of a 4.5 because of it. One little detail I would've really appreciated is for the cover art to depict Dani's birthmark on her face. While I love that such a physical feature was included as I honestly can't recall the last book I read where an MC had a major birthmark that influences people's first impression, I think adding it to the cover art would help further destigmatize such things. Just my two cents though!

Overall this book really hit home and I truly loved it! It's gems like this that you find a reflection of yourself in and it helps you as a reader better understand yourself and feel less alone. While not everyone gets such a fantastic support system at their lows in life, it's books like this that give me hope that I'm not alone in my struggles and that I too just need to take a chance in life and step out of my comfort zone.

wouter... really... henrik was right there

this cover is so beautiful and gorgeous so i knew i needed to read this book. it's pretty much every girls dream to fly away to a european country and get married and never leave. or maybe its just me and i want to live in ireland and scotland. after finishing this i feel like i need to read more romances that take place abroad. i loved seeing the cities through dani's eyes and falling in love with it alongside her.

second chance romances are my jam and this one was so sweetly done. marriage of convenience can be harder for me to get on board with but it was so obvious that they were still obsessed with each other so i will accept it. seeing both of these characters find themselves again in their thirties was amazing because sometimes it feels like you have to figure everything out before you're even twenty five. i also really enjoyed the family connections this book gave us. sisters are just so important and each of their connections with their family was so adorable and sweet.

finally, as a joke, we can thank miss tessa bailey for bringing more salacious sex into contemporary romances...

*thank you net galley and berkley for the arc*

Second chance and marriage of convenience?! Yes, please. This book was really cute. I love that overall it felt low stakes so you could just enjoy the fall back into love for the MCs.

Starting this book felt like the most spectacular episode of House Hunters International. I loved the descriptions of Amsterdam, with the architecture, the food, the language and the history. It was well done.

I loved the portrayal of Dani and her evolution of finding herself and having the courage to reclaim her independence.

Wouter felt a little complicated. His reasoning for the initial break up felt a little off to me, but Dani seemed to understand! It was nice to see his relationship with his family and his friends.

The love and second chance at it felt very believable even with all their antics to get there. I really enjoyed this one.

**Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the free eARC**

Another charming (and spicy) romance by Rachel Lynn Solomon! She’s just great at this genre—funny, sweet, light. I also really enjoyed the setting (Amsterdam) and I loved learning so much about it!

I really wanted to love this one. But it just didn’t hit the mark.

Honestly, I debated DNFing this one. Which is big for me. 1 hour into the audiobook and the fmc, Danika, just bothered me.

I just couldn’t get past the explanations she’s gives for doing things. Or the way she ruminated on certain situations/things.

There was a lot of miscommunication between the main characters. And so many of the issues, and things that Danika talks about could have been resolved so quickly.

The story is only told in her POV and this leads to not knowing our mmc, Wouter, enough. I feel like you learn a little, but are still left wanting more. Because the explanation he gives for things doesn’t make sense.

This is a second chance romance and also marriage of convenience. But neither trope worked well. At least for me.

There were definitely some cute and funny moments. But overall this one left a lot to be desired. I will say it did make me want to go visit Amsterdam. So there’s that.

How good was Rachel Lynn Solomon’s tenth novel, “What Happens in Amsterdam”?

Well, it convinced me to extend our upcoming trip to Europe by four extra days just so my husband and I could return to Amsterdam—so that should tell you everything you need to know.

If you love second-chance romances, dogs named after American sitcom characters, and a marriage of convenience, all set in one of the best cities in the world, READ THIS BOOK!

Thank you Berkley for the free copy— now I can put the money I would’ve spent towards a stroopwafel after we land.

A fun romantic read. Not a huge fan of the miscommunication or lies of omission trope, and her parents were something else, but overall, and enjoyable read.

3.5
As a longtime RLS fan, I wanted to love this one so badly, but unfortunately, I didn't. The Amsterdam setting was one of my favorite parts, and it was one of those moments where the setting felt like a character in itself. It also made me want to travel desperately. That being said, the FMC and MMC left something to be desired. This was a second-chance romance with some unresolved conflict from the past, and the couple didn't address it until about 70% through the book. I thought they needed to have a conversation much sooner, and it took me a little bit out of the story. I did like the growth Dani and Wouter experienced, and I love a fake-dating or marriage of convenience vibe. I also loved that Dani was Jewish and so completely human with real-life characteristics and experiences. I'm disappointed that I didn't love it, but I still enjoyed reading it. Thank you to Berkley for the ARC to read and review.

Rachel Lynn Solomon really knows how to write chemistry and banter and now I want to move to Amsterdam!

Tysm @berkleyromance for the #gifted early copy #BerkleyPartner and @prhaudio for the gifted listening copy!

This was a nice blend of marriage of convenience and second chance romance with a truly magical setting, important mental health representation, and characters I really, really liked a lot.

To be honest, at first I was kind of put off by Wouter but he really, really grew on me. I also loved the growth arc you get to see with Dani. When I was younger, I really, really wanted to move to another country or to study abroad but never had the nerve to do it and to get to live vicariously though Dani was truly delightful! She does so much on her own that I am so envious of! I could also really relate to her character which always really gets me invested in a story.

I did an immersive read with this one and really enjoyed Elizabth Lamont’s narration. If you can, get your hand on both physical and audio!