I absolutely loved this book. It was the perfect mix of romance and travel, which might be my new favorite combo. I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland, and this made it feel even more magical. The hot springs, the waterfalls, the quiet landscapes, the group dinners... I felt like I was right there with them. It made me want to plan a trip the second I finished.

The story follows Wren, who signs up for a group tour of Iceland after her engagement ends. She is hoping for a reset, not romance, but then she meets Anders, the group’s kind and reserved tour guide. Their relationship grows slowly and felt really real, with just the right amount of tension and tenderness.

The supporting cast added so much to the story, but Ben completely stole the show for me. I just loved his character. He brought heart, humor, and a lot of unexpected depth. Every time he showed up, I was all in.

I was shocked this was Whitney Anderson’s debut. The writing felt natural and grounded, the pacing worked so well, and I didn’t want to put it down. I’ll be first in line for whatever she writes next. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy!

A romance travelogue to Iceland! Loved the story about Mona and Ben having to learn to trust each other again in the midst of the natural beauty of Iceland. Both grew into themselves and their relationships and took on physical and emotional challenges, Great insight into the world of travel writing.

This romance was so incredibly addictive to read, and it was such a lovely and inviting look into the act of traveling the world. It truly made me want to broaden my horizons and especially made me want to visit Iceland. The imagery was so vivid, it felt like I was actually seeing it, and I would very much like to experience those things in person.

The story itself was amazing, imagery aside, the MMC and FMC were wonderful. I loved the tension, their growth, their journey to finding their way back to each other. It was beautiful. The trauma and hardships they both experienced as children, and the way they started to confront them in adulthood was just such a happy feeling. It showed that mental health matters in such a big way for everyone. Whether it stems from parental abuse/neglect or some kind of childhood trauma, it's important to deal with these things to have a healthy and fulfilled life.

It also showed that parents are flawed and they also have their own lives/interests that are outside their children. Remembering that parents are also individual people was a really great reminder from this book, things aren't always as they appear when you're a child.

I would absolutely buy a physical copy of this book when it's released, and will more than likely read it again for the story and the mental images of the world that was described.

I'm moving Iceland up on my travel bucket list after reading this book. Great setting and well paced. I was a little irritated with the family dynamics but overall would recommend this title.

Thank you Megan Oliver, Net Galley, and Berkley Publishing for an eARC of this book!

Travel, Iceland, childhood lovers/best friends, photography, Northern Lights, and so much more.

I LOVED THIS second chance romance between two childhood friends. Mona discovers so much about herself in this story as she learns to forgive Ben and discovers how to better love herself. Ben is an amazing character and also makes a lot of growth from childhood to adulthood and had many obstacles to overcome in his life.

Ugh, perfect summer read! Now I want to go to Iceland even more after reading this book! Can’t wait for more of Megan’s books!

3+ RATING

A good, cute debut read. However did not hit it out of the park for me. The premise was everything I would look for in a book, forced proximity, second chance, childhood friends - everything.

The MC's are on a trip to Iceland in a forced proximity situation, the detailing of Iceland was to me extensive. While that could be a good thing to some, for me, I felt like it overpowered the dynamic I was trying to feel for the MC's. I could sense some tense because of the way they left things off in the past. However, the trip itself felt like it overtook from the romance between Ben and Mona. I am big proponent for dialogue between characters to enhance the emotions from, in this book it felt like it was lacking until much further into the book.

When Ben and Mona do give into their past, the dialogue does pick up and the romance definitely picks up.

I do look forward to Megan's future work!

Thanks Netgalley, Berkley Romance, and Megan Oliver for a copy of an e-arc!

A quick, fun second chance romance and a fabulous debut from Megan Oliver! The best part of this book by far was the depictions of Iceland and their adventures throughout the country. I also appreciated the depiction of how anxiety disorders often manifest in challenging situations.

If you’re looking for a nice fluff read this fall, this would be a great one!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This debut novel by Megan Oliver swept me back to the magic of my own journey to Iceland. I was especially moved by the richly drawn characters and their compelling personal growth. I’m already looking forward to seeing what she writes next—her voice is fresh, heartfelt, and full of promise.

I'm a sucker for a childhood best friends romance, I tend to be wary of second-chance, but can enjoy it if done right! I think this delivered well on that front! It was overall a cute, fun, entertaining time. I just REALLY struggled with the FMC. She was exhausting to me as a reader, and that's ok! I think she'll be more palatable to some people, she just wasn't working for me at this very moment. Mona is the main reason I dropped my rating to three stars, otherwise, everything else was great! Ben, so cute. The Iceland environment, so well done!

Thank you to Berkely and NetGalley for the eARC!

this woman made hot n cold by katy perry her entire personality in middle school and somehow it embedded itself into her subconscious, so much so that she can’t control the whiplash she inflicts upon this poor, undeserving man

✰ 3.5 stars, strike one was the rampant miscommunication, strike two was the whiplash she inflicted upon the male love interest, and strike three was the third act breakup. I returned a half star back because the female protagonist finally goes to therapy, better late than never, but goddamn for a writer this woman does not know how to use her words

thank you to Berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

platform: netgalley ebook arc

This was such a fun and comforting read from start to finish. Ben and Mona had an undeniable amount of sexual tension, which made every interaction between them so entertaining and addictive. Their chemistry was electric—you could feel it radiating off the page—and it kept me hooked the entire time.

One of my favorite parts of this book was how beautifully the author incorporated the landmarks and scenery of Iceland into the story. It wasn’t just a backdrop—it truly felt like its own character. The vivid descriptions of the landscapes, small towns, and natural wonders made me feel like I was right there alongside the characters, exploring Iceland with them. It was such a treat and added an extra layer of magic to the reading experience.

As much as I enjoyed the story, I did feel like the pacing could have flowed a bit better in places. There were moments that felt slightly disjointed or rushed, especially when it came to some of the emotional beats between the characters. Additionally, Mona’s flighty and avoidant tendencies were admittedly frustrating at times. Her inability to confront her feelings or communicate made me want to shake her on more than one occasion. That said, it never stopped me from rooting for her and Ben. Their connection felt genuine and worth fighting for.

When it comes to character development, I felt like Ben was the stronger, more well-rounded character of the two. His motivations, emotions, and growth were really thoughtfully crafted, and I found myself deeply invested in his journey. While I wished we had gotten a bit more depth from Mona beyond her avoidant nature, I still enjoyed watching her evolve throughout the story.

Overall, this was a charming, swoony romance with plenty of tension, humor, and heart. The setting was stunning, the banter was top-notch, and the relationship felt satisfying despite a few bumps along the way. If you’re looking for a feel-good read with a side of wanderlust, this one absolutely delivers.

Ben is my new book boyfriend 😍 he is such a kind, caring and romantic mmc. I felt as if he was my childhood friend and I am so sad that I cant talk to him every day.
The travel aspects were really fun and had me adding to my someday aspiring vacation board. (I dont call mine a bucket list)
Finally, Mona. I connected with her both in past and present. I love her character development and how she really started to grow a backbone and show boundaries by the end.

Secret nights and northern lights. One of my bucket list item is to go to Iceland and see the northern lights. This is why I picked this book to read. This is finding a lost love and rekindling the romance. If I was dumped by a guy in my past it would be hard for me to trust and fall in love

This was such a romantic, angst-filled travel romance—I loved unraveling the layers of these friends' flamed-out romance and watching it rekindle while they explored Iceland. It reminded me of People We Meet on Vacation in all the best ways, and with even more tension!

A breathtaking debut! I loved being alongside these characters for every step of this beautiful, vulnerable, and brave journey. Oliver created one of the most relatable characters I've read in a long time, and I was proud to be on the journey at her side.

The elements of this book are my absolute catnip: stunning landscapes and once-in-a-lifetime adventures, a second-chance romance brimming with yearning, a heroine pushing herself to be brave with each step, and chemistry and spice that sizzle right off the page! Oliver packs a huge, beautiful punch with this moving debut, and I'm at the edge of my seat to see what she does next.

Mona is getting the chance at a promotion she's been hankering for with an unexpected windfall in a sudden trip to Iceland. The only issue - and it's a big one - is that her traveling partner is her childhood sweetheart and ex-best friend, Ben. With the past and the present actively warring for attention, Mona has to stay motivated to get the job of her dreams.
The setting swept me away in the best possible way. I would adore a trip to Iceland and using this book as the backbone of my itinerary sounds pretty genius. The imagery was fantastic. I think this book could have benefited from a dual POV because Mona isn't super likable and seeing her from Ben's perspective could have changed that for me. Despite that, I do think that her backstory and work situation would put me in a similar frame of mind, so I can't really blame a girl. Megan did a great job wrapping it all up in the end and I'm absolutely interested to see what she'll do with her sophomore novel.
Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

"Secret Nights and Northern Lights" is a second-chance friends-to-lovers romance for anyone who loves to travel or wants to reminisce about their own trip to Iceland.

This book paints a vivid picture of a 10-day Iceland roadtrip, complete with all the sights Iceland has to offer, through the eyes of our protagonist, Mona, who is a travel writer. Mona, who typically covers local travel destinations, is asked to cover Iceland at the last minute. To her surprise, the photographer she is paired with for this trip is none other than her high school ex, Ben, who she hasn't seen in 14 years.

The travel adventures of Mona and Ben were a fun read and made me reminisce about my own Iceland trip many years back. The author does a great job of transporting the reader to each place and conveying the wonder and delight of experiencing this new country and new landscape for the first time.

It was also very clear that there was a palpable chemistry coming off the page between our two leads. The long looks and will-they-won't-they moments felt loaded and sizzling.

What I found myself wishing for was a slightly more compelling barrier keeping the two leads apart. Without spoiling much, I'll share that the crux of their challenge seems to be that Mona simply does not want to hear Ben's side of the story, even when it becomes fairly clear early on to the reader that there must be more to Ben's side to the story than what meets the eye.

It also seemed like Mona's character growth felt a little forced at the end. She learns to speak her mind, push back, and grapple with people-pleasing tendencies but it was not always clear to me how this trip and her relationship with Ben empowered that change, beyond it being a change to her normal routine. In a similar vein, everything felt a little too neatly tied up with a bow at the end, with everything working out just right. For example, the challenges with her family seemed to resolve entirely too quickly with just one big moment at the end.

This book does a nice job of introducing palpable chemistry from the start and peppering nostalgic throwbacks to their early years falling in love. It was an overall enjoyable read, albeit not my personal favorite.

For those who are looking for a fun travel-inspired road trip romance or those who are big fans of the second chance trope, this could be a good fit! I was reminded of “The Cheat Sheet” by Sarah Adams — if that was up your street, you may really enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher — I received an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oooh man I don’t even know where to start with how much I loved this book!! I read it in two sittings, sacrificing precious single-mom-sleep. I’ve spent a lot of time in Iceland, and this book is both a love letter and an accurate depiction of both the pain and awe experienced there. Anyone who has been to Iceland will love recognizing their favorite spots and most grueling hikes.

I LOVED how the second chance romance was handled, without any real flashbacks to a 17-year-old POV, just adult remembrances.

The anxiety and panic was handled with care, and both characters grew so much both separately and together.

The humanization of the FMCs family was beautifully done. We are all stuck in our own narrative about our family and relationships, and having that narrative challenged can be jarring and beautiful.

I will be recommending this book to all my travel-loving and love-loving friends, and I can’t wait to see what Megan Oliver does next!

*3.5 Stars

This was very cute and I loved that it felt like we were exploring Iceland alongside Mona and Ben.

I also loved Ben as the male main. He was sweet, talented, complex, and wasn’t afraid of his feelings for Mona at all, which was refreshing. Mona on the other hand I have mixed feelings on. I liked her personal growth throughout the book, but her level of emotion got to be quite grating/daunting. And this is not to say she isn’t realistic, suffering from anxiety and all, but it is difficult for people who have this disorder to be in their own brains (speaking from experience) and it was equally as difficult for the reader being in Mona’s after a certain point. I don’t think I want her changed, but maybe have had a couple of her crying/panic events being removed because it was just too much.

Would still recommend though, especially for people looking for a cute travel romance!

Secret Nights & Northern Lights by Megan Oliver

Second Chance Romance

Mona is sent to Iceland to write a cover story for the magazine she works for Around The Globe. The photographer she is paired with just so happens to be her high school boyfriend and first love Ben who broke her heart many years ago. They’ve got 10 days to spend together in Iceland where anything could happen.

I felt like I was in Iceland with Mona and Ben. The author did a great job describing everything. Enjoyed the second chance love story. Can’t believe this is a debut it’s so good.

Highly recommend

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for my arc.