⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚 🎭: Romance
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: 🌶️🌶️.5
𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙚 🏃🏼‍♀️: fast
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 🖤: second chance romance

💬you get to pick up and move to any country - where ya going?

I had a good time listening to this book. The narrator is great so I recommend the audio - although I sometimes giggled at the Dutch accent. The story would have benefitted from two POVs/two narrators but I really enjoyed being in thr FMCs head for the most part. Her parents treat her like she is a teenager which was grating at times but I thought she had great character development. Cute premise. Love the marriage of convenience trope.

Lighthearted romance with just enough past trauma to be interesting - the FMC has struggled in the past with mental health and it was addressed with care.

Also please stop mentioning that he is balding. We get it.

4.5🌟s rounded down!

This was second Rachel Lynn Solomon book and she has not let me down!! I had a great time reading Dani and Wouten’s love story.

I wasn’t a fan of the reasoning behind Wouten breaking up with Dani when they were teenagers, BUT it makes sense that that’s how/why a teenager would end a relationship. And I honestly feel like that break up made their reunion that much better. You get to see them talk through things as adults and see them grow into their new relationship. The tension and unresolved feelings made for some incredible chemistry between Dani and Wouten.

I loved Dani’s journey of self discovery. She’s a “miracle child” trying to live up to the hype of her own life from others and feeling like she’s not doing enough to satisfy those people. She learns to be happy with who she is and where she’s at in life as she figures it all out, and I think that’s some wisdom we could all use.

Here’s what to expect if you pick this one up:
✨ second chance romance + marriage of convenience + “my wife” 😮‍💨😮‍💨
✨ a love letter to Amsterdam
✨ secret meaningful tattoos!!!
✨ “what if he’s written mine on my upper thigh”
✨ incredible spicy scenes 🥵🌶️

I really enjoyed this heartfelt and emotional romance set against the dreamy backdrop of Amsterdam. Dani is in full-on life reset mode, jobless, directionless, and impulsively moving across the world. Running into her high school ex Wouter? Not part of the plan. But their chemistry is undeniable, and when a marriage of convenience becomes their best option, things get very complicated.

This book leans heavily into second chances, emotional growth, and some seriously swoony moments. That said, it is super steamy, definitely more heat than I usually go for, but if that’s your thing, this one will be right up your alley.

Rachel Lynn Solomon writes characters who feel real and messy in the best way. While the spice wasn’t totally my comfort zone, the story still pulled me in with its heart and honesty.

Perfect for fans of slow-burns that eventually ignite and lovers of the marriage-of-convenience trope with lots of steam.

Thank you Berkley Publishing for granting me access to this title!

This was a highly anticipated read for me, but sadly it missed the mark. Starting with the things I loved: the setting!! I’ve always wanted to visit Amsterdam and I felt the culture and setting so vividly! It was perfectly descriptive and I appreciated learning some Dutch words alongside Dani! I love that she fully immersed herself in a new culture after moving across the world. This was a quick read and it started off really strong!

The things I didn’t love: there was a serious lack of chemistry between Dani and Wouter. It got to a point where the spicy scenes were just cringe to me 😭 I just could not see it?? Dani was really immature, and not in the “forever young” vibe she was going for. She was annoyed at her family throughout the whole book but couldn’t stand up for herself until the end when it got messy? Girl grow UP. The conversations between Dani and Wouter were so robotic in my opinion. I also HATED the third act breakup and how that went down. Honestly the whole marriage of convenience was not done well and it seemed so unnecessary! I also hate HATE that Wouter balding was mentioned so many times 😭 I got the ick 😭

Overall this read like a love letter to Amsterdam instead of a romance book. It was okay but not what I expected at all. Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Romance for a free, early copy of this book!

Kinda wild how this book found me exactly when I needed it.

I don’t live in Amsterdam. I don’t have a childhood love to crash my bike into. But Dani’s journey through loneliness, the urge to escape the life that no longer fits, the desire to reinvent herself just for her…those parts hit home in a way that felt almost too real. I’ve been there. Quit everything, hopped on a plane across the world, tried to piece together a new life from scratch. It’s not easy. It’s isolating. It’s freeing. And somehow, Rachel Lynn Solomon manages to put that complicated, beautiful mess of emotions into words that made me pause and think: YES. Exactly!!

As much as I related to and loved Dani, I can’t help but also adore beautiful, sweet Wouter (and his perfect puppy, George). Wouter is basically every woman’s (wet) dream, he’s smart, sensitive, artistic, and deeply in love with his wife 😌 The way he supports Dani, not just in the logistical parts of their fake marriage, but in her growth, her fears, and ambitions? Literally couldn’t ask for more!

There’s so much to love here: a quintessential Amsterdam setting, spicy second-chance romance, and a marriage of convenience that blooms into something deeper. But what stayed with me most was Dani’s journey. Her story isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about fumbling toward them with hope, fear, and occasional bike accidents!

This book reminded me that reinvention isn’t about running away. It’s about running toward something that finally feels right. And that’s a story I’ll always want to read.

This is my first Rachel Lynn Solomon book and there was a lot to like about it! The standout has to be the Amsterdam setting—it could not have been dreamier! I have never been and this book had me absolutely enamored. The food, the flowers, the canals, the bicycles! 🌷🚲🥐🇳🇱
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I love second chance romance and I liked both of our characters, especially Wouter. I like a guy who is steady and calm and knows what he wants. I found Dani to be a little exasperating at times, but I did appreciate her growth.
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My biggest issue was that there just didn’t seem to be a lot happening. It took me forever to get through. There wasn’t much banter, more yearning and family issues, and it wasn’t enough to keep me reaching for it.
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I would definitely try another by this author and I’m thankful for the opportunity to read early! Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the arc!

A huge thank you to Berkley Romance Publishing and Net Galley for my ARC!

For many of you likely this will be rated extremely higher. The more contemporary romance I read the more I am realizing this genre is not for me haha.

Things POSITIVE about this one:

The setting is cute and I loved the charm of being in a European city. I loved how the cultural differences were pointed out, etc.

The wit was decent- I loved a main character who is inherently witty and funny

The characters felt like regular people which I enjoyed.

What didn’t work:

The plot was not really a plot

The main character felt so victimized by her situation and life that she was a turn off to me.

Read if you like:

Marriage of convenience

Second chances

European settings

Content: open door scenes and language

Thank you for the free book @penguinrandomhouse and @berkleyromance #penguinrandomhousepartner #berkleyIG #BerkleyBookstagram.

Ahhh get ready to have those travel itch tickled by this book! This literally made me want to travel to Amsterdam ASAP! This book comes out today btw!!

I loved the female lead’s journey of leaving what’s comfortable for her to start fresh in a different country! It makes me feel nostalgic about my own immigrant experience 😅 I could totally relate to how clueless she was with figuring out how to life in her new home 😂

Here’s the plot. Our male lead (Wouter) was a foreign exchange student. Female lead’s (Dani) family hosted him while he was in the US. Wouter and Dani fell in love. Wouter ended up breaking up with her, they never saw each other again. Fast forward to present times, the two met again in Amsterdam. Dani is freaking out because she just lost her job that is sponsoring her visa, she is now in danger of deportation. Wouter needs to be married first before he could inherit his grandmother’s rental property. The two decided to have a “greencard marriage” to solve their immediate problems.

As you guys all know, I loveee fake dating and marriage of convenience I think is fake dating level 2 and so I’m always intrigued with stories like these.

I honestly enjoyed the beginning of this book. My interest got a little lost in the middle of reading this. There were too many spicy scenes for my taste that distracts from the storyline. The story did wrap up beautifully so it was still a solid romance book with some character development journeys, mental health rep, and starting over in your 30s vibes.

We went to a tulip farm over the weekend and typical me, I forgot to bring the book with me. It was such a missed opportunity 😭 So I’ll just be adding some tulip farm photos of us and some beautiful tulips instead in case you guys forgot how I look like already as I haven’t posted my face in awhile 😂

Anyway, happy Tuesday, friends! So many good books coming out today! Let’s have some fun at the bookstore later! 😂

💭 What places are you itching to travel to?
☕️ Rome, Greece, and BoraBora for me.

Thanks to Berkley for my copy of What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon which comes out tomorrow!

I love that Rachel wrote a book set in Amsterdam and is inspired by her expat adventures! I was looking forward to a second chance romance with a marriage of convenience but unfortunately, I didn't like Dani the main character.

Dani felt really immature and had the most controlling & emotionally manipulative parents. While I admire her moving to a new country and wanting to stay with all of the challenges there I struggled to want to root for her. Plus Dani and Wouter needed to communicate - there was a lot that could have been resolved by talking to each other. And don't get me started on the third-act breakup...

I loved the Amsterdam scenes and I felt like I was there. That was my favorite part of the book - especially since I don't read many books set there.

This book is exactly what I was hoping for and more. It's just as delightful and charismatic as its gorgeous cover. Dani needs change in her life. She feels both lost and overprotected by her parents. When a job offer to the Netherlands pops up, Dani cannot resist the chance to go out on her own. Sadly, nothing seems to go right until she runs into (literally) the exchange student she fell deeply in love with in high school.. As Dani and Wouter reconnect, she wonders if she can truly be friends again with the one who broke her heart when he left all those years ago.

This book is so swoony. Dani and Wouter have so much chemistry. There is longing so deep you can feel it through the pages. I loved the setting in Amsterdam and the way in which Solomon uses the city as its own character. Getting to see Dani and Wouter reconnect was a great second-chance romance that felt believable. The way that Wouter quietly cared for his old friend was so sweet. His family was fantastic as were the friends that we met along the way. I loved the cheerfulness and joy in this book and was cheering Dani on to her greater sense of confidence and independence the whole way.

If you love Solomon, you will adore this book. It is my favorite of hers so far. I recommend this to any fan of the second-chance romance or to those looking for an international feel to their reading.

Danika has moved to Amsterdam after breaking up with her boyfriend and getting fired from her job. Within a matter of days she runs (literally) into her first love, Wouter. He has been an exchange student that stayed with her family when they were 17. They had fallen in love, but shortly after moving back to Amsterdam, Wouer broke up with Dani and broke her heart. However, now that she’s lost the job that brought her there and Wouter needs a wife to inherit his family’s home, they determine a marriage of convenience would be their bet option.

There was a lot going on in this book. I felt like Solomon threw every trope under the son in here. We had second chance romance, marriage of convenience, and forced proximity. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that second chance romance is not my favorite. I was mostly able to forgive them because of them having had a short relationship and only being 17. I did end up getting annoyed when they finally talked through why Wouter originally broke up with Danika and then she continued to harp on it. Like, you got your explanation. Move on.

I also just didn’t understand some of the choices Danika made. She was a micro-premie who her parents coddled her entire life, but she felt very immature to me. Dani was lost in knowing what she wanted to do in life, but she frequently acted like she was the only person to ever experience this. Also, she’s allowed 3 months to look for a job to stay in Amsterdam and to immediately jump to getting married felt a little extreme.

I did enjoy Wouter and I liked his chemistry with Dani. It was so obvious that he had never gotten over her. He was very understanding and kind to Dani and I just felt like he was a great catch.

Unlike Business or Pleasure and Ex-Talk, this is one of Solomon’s adult reads that didn’t click for me. I wanted to love it and I think she did a great job making Amsterdam jump off of the page, but there was a lot going on and I just found myself not connecting with Danika most of the book. I can’t wait for Solmon’s next book though!

This was a cute, easy read. I found that once I picked the book up I was able to quickly devour it and escape to another world outside of the US. I am definitely more interested in the idea of leaving the US and having an adventure somewhere else after reading this book.

A passport-stamped love letter to second chances 💌✈️🌷

What happens in Amsterdam? Apparently, I fall head over clogs for Dani and Wouter. 💛

I feel incredibly lucky to have received an ARC of What Happens in Amsterdam, and I just want to send the biggest thank you hug to Rachel Lynn Solomon and Berkley Romance for gifting me this cozy, steamy, emotional whirlwind of a story. Reading this book felt like riding a bike through the canals with tulips in my basket, wind in my hair, and a heart full of hope. (Occasionally crashing into an old flame, of course 😘)

This book had me smiling on page one and swooning by page five. Dani Dorfman is one of the most endearingly messy characters I’ve read in a while—equal parts funny, vulnerable, lost, and loveable. Her anxious heart and uncertain path felt so real to me. And Wouter? Be still, my Post-it-loving heart. He’s thoughtful, quietly swoony, and so very human—thinning hair and all. Their “marriage of convenience meets second-chance” setup was spicy, chaotic, and utterly delightful.

Rachel Lynn Solomon’s writing always brings the heat, but this one? This one turned the thermostat all the way up. And yet, the story never lost its emotional core. It tackled big things—grief, anxiety, identity, self-worth—with care and grace. Oh, and did I mention the secret tattoos?! 🥺🖤

Also, this book is a love letter to Amsterdam. The details—stroopwafels, tiny sinks, window-peeking walks, Dutch grocery stores, and even poffertjes—made me feel like I was truly there. It was atmospheric without feeling touristy, immersive without being overwhelming.

All in all, this is one of those books I’ll think about when I need a little extra warmth and whimsy in my life. If you love tropes like fake dating, forced proximity, and second-chance romance—with a hefty sprinkle of spice and self-discovery—don’t let this one pass you by. 🍷💋🚲

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the ARC. I’ll be recommending this to all my hopeless romantic friends. And maybe planning a trip to Amsterdam… 😉

Dani Dorfman’s life is officially off the rails. She just dumped her cheating boyfriend, got fired, and impulsively accepted a job in Amsterdam—only to crash her bike into her high school ex, Wouter, and lose that job too. Oh, and Wouter? He’s the Dutch foreign exchange student who once lived with her family—and her first love. So yeah, things are spiraling.

With no job, no plan, and no visa, Dani agrees to a fake marriage with Wouter—he needs a wife to inherit his family’s canal house, and she needs a reason to stay in the country. Totally normal, right?

What follows is a second-chance romance packed with tension, emotional messiness, and the kind of chemistry that doesn’t go away just because you’ve been apart for years. Watching Dani finally take control of her own life—navigating anxiety, family pressure, and a reunion with the boy who once broke her heart—was everything I wanted.

And the setting? Pure magic. I’ve been to Amsterdam a few times, and Rachel Lynn Solomon absolutely nails it—the museums, the canals, the atmosphere. This one’s funny, heartfelt, and full of complicated charm. A total win for romance fans who love a little chaos with their love story.

Audiobook Review:
Elizabeth Lamont’s narration absolutely pulled me in—Dani, Wouter, their families—every voice felt distinct and full of personality. Even though it’s a single POV, Lamont makes the whole story feel rich and layered. Her Dutch accent? Spot-on. She switches effortlessly between that and Dani’s American voice, all while capturing every bit of emotion packed into this messy, tender, second-chance romance. An excellent listen that totally brings the story to life.

Thank you @prhaudio for the #gifted audiobook and @berkleypub, @berkleyromance and @netgalley for the #gifted ebook. Thank you @rlynn_solomon for both. All opinions expressed are my own.

I adored this read! Rachel Lynn Solomon has become one of my comfort authors, and this new book is no exception. I was a little hesitant going into it because I saw that it was a second chance romance, which I'm historically not into, but I actually loved this one. I think the inclusion of the marriage of convenience/fake dating trope really helped outweigh the things I don't love about second chance romances. Dani and Wouter, the main characters, are also just so precious and I love their story - the flashbacks to their original romance were so charming, and I enjoyed getting to see their origins. However, one thing that I think Solomon did well here was not depend on the original feelings they had to shape their current/new relationship. I genuinely felt like they were relearning each other as they fell in love.

Personally, I also really related to Dani's struggles to discover herself, and I'm so jealous she got to do so in Amsterdam. Solomon made me fall in love with the country itself, and I'm now determined to visit as soon as humanly possible.

The only negative I have about this book is unfortunately about Dani. While I loved her journey to figure out who she was and what she wanted to do with her life, she also felt just a little immature at times. I don't know what would have happened to her without Wouter, and I don't love that she didn't get a chance to live independently at any point or fully support herself. It felt like something that could have added to her personal growth and the progression of Dani and Wouter's relationship.

That said, I would still recommend this to romance lovers, and I would give it a 4/5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley, Berkeley Romance, and Solomon for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

3.75*

This book follows Dani and her ambitious move to Amsterdam, but she doesn’t really how small the city really is until she runs into her ex-boyfriend, Wouter, from high school. After losing her job at the start-up company that brought her across the globe, she has 90 days to find another job or… get married.

I enjoyed this book as a concept overall, but I felt like the slow burn was SLOW and it could’ve been a lot faster. I was not a huge fan of the main female character and her indecisiveness on what she truly wants.

I love the setting and the description of Amsterdam! Wouter was 10/10 an amazing man and truly cared about Dani. I loved the all of the side characters, including George, and their ability to add to the story!

Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an E-arc of this book! Rachel Lynn Solomon is my #1 favorite author so getting to read one of her books in its ARC format was so exciting to me!!!!

This book is gorgeous, funny, heartfelt and exactly what I expect from an RLS book. She never fails me! As her first book set outside of Seattle, this book captures the feeling of moving to a new place and it being the perfect place for you. I've always wanted to visit Amsterdam, but this book made me want to even more. the descriptions of place are absolutely gorgeous and I desperately want to take a boat tour!

Our MC, Dani, is so deliciously relatable, struggling with career, family, and her future. She isn't sure why she doesn't feel uniquely passionate about anything and when she gets abruptly fired and sees her first love for the first time in over a decade, her sense of self is in a rough spot. I really appreciated the way she struggled with feeling infantilized by her parents even in her late twenties and just not measuring up to the expectations of everyone around her. Her chronic health conditions and port wine stain birthmark are something she's always had to hide and I loved how she learned to love them.

Wounter, our love interest, was to die for!!! He was passionate about Dani and about his work/family, but hasn't really been himself since his father got sick. Suggesting a green card marriage was WILD but it worked so well for our characters as they get to know each other again.

I loved the way art was used throughout this book as a representation of their love, and I appreciated how we got flashbacks to their high school relationship so we could understand how down bad they were then!

Another perfect RLS!

This story had so many aspects that I adore in second chance romances. The angsty pining from their history is compounded by the marriage of convenience Wouter and Dani enter into and I ate it up. They are both down bad for each other and it was a delight to watch them find a way back to a relationship. There is so much to love about this book. Both Dani and Wouter are allowed to be real people and that made the romance feel all the more real to me. I loved that we got to see a main character with a facial birthmark. Unfortunately the character art in the Barnes and Noble edition didn’t really reflect what was described in the book but I'm happy the story itself didn't shy away from the thoughtless way people can respond to differences. The mental health representation was another lovely part of this book. I personally struggled with the 3rd act conflict. I found it difficult to watch our 30 year old main character still struggling to communicate. It's a common struggle so I know that others will feel very seen by it's inclusion in this story.

SPICY SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE
What Happens in Amsterdam
Rachel Lynn Solomon

Rachel Lynn Solomon combines two popular tropes, Second Chance Romance and Marriage of Convenience, in this spicy story. When the Danika crashes and burns, losing both a boyfriend and a job at the same time, she decides to escape her life and move to Amsterdam to start over. But both the new job and the apartment turn into more disasters. However, while riding a bike, she literally runs into the exchange student who had broken her heart at the age of seventeen. The balding, but buff ex-boyfriend eventually becomes her husband in a marriage of convenience that is supposed to be temporary. But eventually she has to wonder if the relationship is really just pretend.

Solomon offers her readers a virtual tour of Amsterdam and the surrounding area. Her real-life experience there is evident in all the details which help transport the reader. The story provides scenery and steamy sex in equal measure. There are several well written explicit sex scenes that could easily get the reader as hot and bothered as the characters.
The book description may sound like a rom-com, but this novel has depth and plenty of representation. The main character has health issues because she was a premature baby, but at thirty years old, her overprotective parents still treat her like a fragile figurine in bubble wrap. Danika has fought anxiety and depression as well as asthma and the author does a great job of exploring the mental health issues. She also includes LGBT representation with some of the important characters. The main character is Jewish, but her religion is only mentioned briefly.
Read this novel if you like:

🌶️🌶️ SPICY ROMANCE 🌶️🌶️

💞Second Chance Romance
💞Marriage of Convenience
💞Forced Proximity
💞 Starting Over

▪️Mental Health representation (FMC)
▪️Jewish representation (FMC)
▪️LGBT representation

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advance readers copy of this book.
All opinions are my own.

I found a new author to love! This second chance romance full of mutual pining and steamy moments was a delight from start to finish!

Rachel Lynn Solomon’s character work is so good. The sarcastic humour was exactly my taste and the character dialogue and struggles felt both realistic and relatable. I especially loved the bond between the sisters, and the relationships with both main character’s parents felt authentic and very true to life. Throughout the book Solomon explores themes of chronic illness and mental health which I thought were both handled in a relatable and thoughtful way.

My only note would be that I saw the third act conflict coming and didn’t personally feel it was necessary to the story. But overall I quite enjoyed What Happens In Amsterdam and i’ll be on the look out for more from Rachel Lynn Solomon in the future! 🥰🌷

**Thank you again to BerkleyRomance and NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.**