Mona’s 31st birthday comes with a lot of surprises. She gets offered an international story which means traveling to Iceland. This is a dream come true except the photographer she’s paired with happens to be her ex who she hasn’t spoken to in 14 years. Yikes. But Mona won’t let this stop her from chasing her dreams. She aims to be as professional as possible, but that might be impossible with Ben… Why did Ben disappear 14 years ago? And can Mona let him back into her heart after he shattered it to pieces?

Ahhh this one was so good. I could not put it down. I love an adventure romance, and if that’s your jam you’ll love this one too. First of all traveling through Iceland? Dreamy!! And then the second chance romance was chef’s kiss. The suspense and chemistry between the characters sucked me in. The writing was A-MAZING! Honestly I think I found a new favorite author.

Second chance romance
Traveling abroad
Waterfall kisses
Cute sheep!!
One hot tub?!?

Thanks Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

📖 Book Review 📖 What would you do if you were offered the chance of the lifetime to travel to Iceland…with one very big string attached? Mona has always dreamed of being a travel journalist and has the title but not the fulfillment she dreams of. Lately she is feeling stuck without a deserved promotion and perennially a people pleaser in all aspects of her life. But when the opportunity to cover an assignment in Iceland arrives, she is ecstatic, even if it means traveling with a freelance photographer who just so happens to be the boy down the street who broke her heart. Having Ben back in Mona’s life brings a flurry of emotions as wild as the waves of Reynisfjara beach (don’t worry, I still cannot pronounce lots of Icelandic words and I rented a car and drove around Ísland ).

Megan Oliver whisks readers on a magical journey through the Land of Fire and Ice that truly feels like a front row seat ride through this breathtaking country. And true to Mona and Ben’s experience Iceland is an absolutely life-changing destination that should come with a travel warning for deep soul-searching. As these two dabble in the countless adventures along the Ring Road, they are forced to face their past as they fight their chemistry.

Secret Sights and Northern Lights very well could arguably be the most perfectly paired travel romance novel that has crossed my path. There’s a reason it’s called Fire & Ice…and it’s not just the glaciers and active volcanoes. Megan Oliver's sweeping tale of second chance romance comes in bright on the Kp-index!

Sinopsis: 3.5⭐️


Mona Miller vive su vida por tópicos: está bien, gracias; todo bien; ¡no hay problema! Todo está bien como la lluvia, incluso si todo es mentira. Todos en la revista de viajes donde trabaja la conocen como una jugadora de equipo (en otras palabras, la que no se queja de las interminables piezas de pelusa empujó su camino). Pero, sintiéndose desairada después de ser pasada por alto para un ascenso, Mona salta a una asignación internacional a Islandia, a pesar de que está lamentablemente desprevenida.

Sin embargo, está decidida a demostrar su valía, y su actitud de poder escalará cualquier glaciar. Pero el fotógrafo independiente emparejado con ella no es otro que Benjamin Carter. Ben, su mejor amigo de la infancia que la entendía incluso cuando su familia no lo hacía. Ben, su primer amor, primero todo. Y Ben, el chico que la abandonó hace catorce años y la dejó con el corazón roto.

Hay una década de resentimiento que Mona necesita ignorar si quiere superar este viaje. Ella se pondrá "¡No te preocupes!" Fachada y mantener a Ben a distancia. Pero cuanto más tiempo pasan juntos, más se derrite el hielo alrededor de su corazón. Y a medida que esos viejos sentimientos vuelven a la vida, Mona debe decidir si está dispuesta a emprender la mayor aventura de todas.




..


Lo único que no me gustó es que sentí que Ben debió esforzarse más para conquistar a Mona, ya que ella siempre dio los primeros pasos.

Gracias NetGalley por el ARC.

Mona is a people pleasing travel journalist (an occupation I didn’t know existed until I read the people we meet on vacation) who is finally given her chance at an international trip; the only problem is it’s with her ex boyfriend who is very hot and she has a lot of history with. They go to Iceland, shenanigans ensue and we are treated to a book about self-discovery, a second chance at love, and a people pleaser that absolutely refuses to give up the miscommunication trope. Unfortunately it is very relatable to me because if I was rejected like Mona I also would do everything in my power to never speak of it ever again.
This book was very sweet & also surprisingly hot. The chemistry between Mona and Ben was incredibly believable and I saw them as childhood friends and also two very horny adults who just NEEDED each other. This book got a little bit wordy at times but overall the prose was nice and I enjoyed myself the whole time I was reading it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

so so good. such a beautiful atmospheric story with heart and pain and longing and so much love. beautiful. i can't wait for her future books. megan is definitely someone to watch out for.

so so good. such a beautiful atmospheric story with heart and pain and longing and so much love. beautiful. i can't wait for her future books. megan is definitely someone to watch out for.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

Pack your bags for an immersive Icelandic adventure in 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴! The strong imagery of the brutal landscape blends well with Mona and Ben's chemistry and unresolved feelings. If you are a fan of nostalgia and yearning with an exploration of anxieties and personal growth, this is the book for you.

Travel writer Mona is assigned to her first international excursion alongside freelance photographer, Ben, who is her childhood friend, first love, and only devastating heartbreak. The pair are sent on a tough itinerary of Iceland's highlights, from sharing a swim at the Blue Lagoon to hotel hot tubs and muscle-aching hikes amidst the volcanoes, glaciers, and waterfalls. Mona is forced to confront her heartbreak, among other hurtful childhood memories, as she rekindles her love for Ben. She trusts him with her life, but can she trust him with her heart?

Mona and Ben share countless tense moments, flirting with the edge of exploring old feelings before retreating to the safety of miscommunication only to repeat the cycle the next day of the trip. Mona's struggles with anxiety, and expressing her feelings, were very relatable and written with ease. Ben has his own skeletons in the closet that he has to overcome, and I was satisfied with the character development both experience.

Ben is a top-tier book boyfriend - respectful, patient, and kind, and I enjoyed his support for Mona and her anxiety.

The setting couldn't have been better, and it exceeded my high expectations! Iceland is one of my bucket list travel destinations, and I lived vicariously through Ben and Mona.

Readers are going to rave about this book upon its release in November!

The sexy, swoony, angsty second chance romance of my dreams. Megan Oliver is one of my favorites voices in romance. I look forward to anything and everything she writes

I ADORED this book. I really did not intend ot read it as fast as I did, but it gave me no choice! I loved the lush settings, intimate character work, and charismatic voice. Ben and Mona's romance was also unexpectedly SO HOT, while also being tender and nostalgic. My favorite kind of romance!

I absolutely adored this book. It’s soft and aching and funny in all the right places, like curling up in a blanket that still smells like someone you once loved. I loved Mona’s voice, that brittle optimism she clings to, the way she tries so hard to be fine even when she’s unraveling. And, Ben is so gentle and regretful in a way that makes you ache. Watching them try to navigate each other again felt so honest, so real. No dramatic gestures, just a slow-burning ache and the hope that maybe, this time, love will be enough. It’s the kind of romance that sneaks up on you and leaves fingerprints on your soul.

This started strong and kept it up throughout the book to the end - I was immediately hooked! I felt instantly that I could relate to the main character and I enjoyed her and Ben's second chance at love. It was a great forced proximity situation, with the wonders of Iceland serving as a backdrop.

Thank you so much to Berkeley for this ARC!

Secret Nights and Northern Lights is a gorgeously written love letter to Iceland and second chances that I tore through in two nights!

For me, romance is all about the characters. Mona and Ben are wonderfully layered and nuanced. Mona's anxiety representation was highly relatable, especially in the moments it's filtered through the lens of self-deprecating humor.

And then there's the romance itself. What makes or breaks the second chance trope for me is the tension and the yearning, and reader, Megan Oliver hit this out of the park. The tension is always humming along in the background, and then there's these lightning strike moments, hot and sudden and startling where it all comes onto the page, grabs hold of the characters and reader alike, and then flickers back into the clouds to lay in wait. And when it finally breaks? Let's just say I doubt anyone will be disappointed.

This is such a beautifully written second chance romance. Mona and Ben had my heart from the get go, and the author's depiction of anxiety here rang so true for me. Fall in love with the characters, fall in love with Iceland, and put Megan Oliver on your list as a must-read author, because you're going to want this and every other book she writes.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the copy of this ARC in exchange for my review.

I really loved this book. It was the perfect escape read and sweetly romantic and nostalgic, but also with spice. At times it felt like the Iceland tourism parts were a bit over explained and didn't allow the reader to construct their own visuals, but if you're not a visual thinker that might not bother you and it didn't detract from the story at all. I loved that Ben had a nickname for Mona and that it was used consistently throughout the book. Checked all the second chance romance trope boxes for me!