Hot to Go
Kristen Bailey
Read and Reviewed: June 2025
Publication Date: 18th July 2025

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I just adore Kristen Bailey books so I was delighted to be sent an advanced copy of this latest one in exchange for my honest review and it was every bit as good as I knew it would be.

Thank You Netgalley, author Kristen Bailey and Storm publishing for the opportunity to read an early copy.

I read this one by the pool on holiday in beautiful sunny Greece so I loved the European holiday vibes from this one. It is the perfect holiday read guys.

It was just such a cute, light hearted, easy read and I loved it from the very first page.

I loved the sound of the blurb for this one and the plot was so well executed, the entire story just flowed really well with really likable characters. Perhaps a teeny bit cringey at times but nothing that would take away from the story in any way shape or form. It is a RomCom so a bit of cringe is par for the course really.

Our female main character, Suzie, a secondary school french teacher, has just had her heart broken and as a pick me up heads off on a much needed girlie holiday with her crazy cousins to Mallorca (Kristen's past books focus on the cousins stories so I was familiar with a lot of the side characters prior to reading this one) This one can absolutely be read as a stand alone though so can still be followed if you havnt read any of her other books guys, dont worry.

The furthest thing from her mind is romance after her recent seperation but on their first night in Mallorca, Suzie ends up getting seperated from her cousins and is rescued by Carlos aka Charlie!

The two hit it off and a brief holiday romance ensues.

What happens on holiday stays on holiday...right!

After returning home however, Suzie starts her new job as a french teacher in a secondary school and who does she run into on her very first day only fellow new teacher and her Mallorcian fling Charlie aka Carlos, who is also starting at the school as the new spanish teacher.

The remainder of the book follows the heat and banter (and a bit of spice) between the two.

This was such an easy read.
A sweet story with a lot of humour, a lot of heart and I binged it in one sitting while lazing by the pool!

I didnt love it as much as some of her previous books but it was a really enjoyable Rom Com filled with many a laugh out loud moment and really likable characters. Kristen really can write situational romantic comedy really well.

'Hot to Go' was the perfect summer or beach read! It was such a sweet and fun story and not at all taxing on the brain. The perfect escapism. I will defo be recommending this one guys! It's the perfect summer read so add it to the lists!

Cant wait to see what Kristen comes up with next!

Thanks once again to Netgalley and the author for an ARC of Hot To Go. It has an expected publication date of 18th July 2025 so get it pre ordered girlies!

A lovely read and I will defo be recommending it.

4 stars
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I'm blown away by how much I loved this book!!! A textbook summer romcom with all the elements I like, from the beginning I knew it was going to be a hit!!!!

Two London professors who meet in Mallorca, where they share everything for a night and a day, with that beginning, how could I not like it? A wonderful and very well constructed plot, endearing characters with a beautiful evolution, a real and intimate love story... it's worth reading every damn page of this novel. I felt as if I was part of that story, and when I finished it I felt a huge emptiness, as if a little piece of my heart had been ripped out.

The author's pen manages to grab you from the very first moment, and it's a perfect summer read!!!!! It reads really fast and is super addictive!!!! I hope to read more from the author because it's so worth it!!

*4’5 stars

My Rating: ⭐️ 5/5

Author: Kristen Bailey
Publication Date: July 18, 2025
Publishing House: Storm Publishing

FMC: Suzie Callaghan | MMC: Charlie Shaw
First person POV, dual narratives
Linear timeline (Written in 5 parts based on setting)
Settings: London, Mallorca, Seville, Paris

M/F Romance
Spice Level: 🌶️ 3/5 mild-moderate explicit scenes

Tropes/Themes: meet-cute, holiday(vacation) romance, rom-com, same workplace, ex encounter, tight knit family, shenanigans, starting over, healing from grief

CWs/Potential Triggers:
Breakup/Divorce, Alcohol Use, Identity Deception, Infidelity, Misogyny, grief/parental deaths

Summary:
After a messy breakup and a tough year, Suzie Callaghan is so not looking for love, but then she meets Carlos (Charlie) on a much-needed holiday with her five hilarious, loving female cousins, in Mallorca. He’s charming, hot, and just flirty enough to make her believe in fun again. One unforgettable night later, she figures she’ll never see him again…until he shows up as the new Spanish teacher at her school.

Cue the chaos, the awkward hallway run-ins, the slow-burn tension, and all the laugh-out-loud moments as Suzie tries to navigate her new life, second chances, and an unexpected shot at something real. It’s flirty, funny, and full of heart!!

My Thoughts: I laughed out loud and swooned so many times throughout this book!! This is the perfect summer rom-com! I loved the different settings that were vividly described and set the scene perfectly. I also appreciated both Suzie and Charlie’s relationships with their family and the important roles their family members also play.

Thank you Storm Publishing for providing me a copy of this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own!

This was the perfect beach read!! I finished it in a day and loved the characters. Susie and Charlie are perfect for each other and even the best universe knows it. I loved the witty banter, cute storyline and the different POVs had me always saying oh just one more chapter. I cant wait for this book to be published so I can add it to my shelf. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced copy. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

💭I enjoyed this one. It was a light, easy, summery read. I really liked the characters both individually and together and it was hilarious (as are all Kristen’s book🤪) but something was missing for me.

💭All the other books I’ve read by Kristen have either been 5 or 4 solid star reads so this is definitely in the minority for me.

💭If you love a rom com with lots of hilarious British banter then this is the book for you for sure! (Tyler’s scene was my fave. SO funny😂).

A fun, yearny, steamy summer romance! The couple are lovely and there is such a fun, full cast of background characters filling out the story!

Hot To Go is a fun, lighthearted rom-com that’s perfect for summer. Suzie and Charlie’s awkward start and playful banter made me smile, and the vacation setting added a nice touch. Some of the inner thoughts were a bit confusing, but overall it was a cute, easy read with great chemistry and charm!.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of Hot To Go by Kristen Bailey

Hot to Go is one of my favourite books of 2025! This book was so funny, witty, emotional, and I could not put it down. I loved having Suzie and Charlie’s perspectives it made each chapter so much fun to see how it all played out. The spice was perfectly thrown in and I loved that it was realistic sex scenes not super over the top. My favourite type of romcom is when they get to know each other and I love that that’s what they needed to make it work. this was such a fun read and such a rollercoaster. I rooted for Suzie and Charlie throughout and I loved the ending 🩷

Thank you to Kristen Bailey, Storm Publishing, and Net Galley for allowing me to read this book before it’s been released!

A very cute story and just right for those who love the romance genre. The characters were relatable and the story was easy to follow. Give it a try!

3.5 stars for a solid rom-com! I looooooved Textbook Romance and also loved the cameo of its characters in this book. I enjoy a good divorcee comeback story, teacher characters, and laugh out loud moments and this book had them all. There was a lot of inner dialogue going on in between actual dialogue and sometimes I wondered if they were supposed to be speaking these things out loud or not?

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this arc.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this arc.

3.5 Stars

I think this would be a great easy summer beach. It's quick and easy to follow with some humour and a vacation background. The main characters were likeable and although there was miscommunication it didn't lose me.

Something fun to pick up for summer.

3.5 I enjoyed this book. It was a fun and lighthearted story, perfect for summer or when you want a cute, easy read. Suzie and Charlie's story started in a very funny and awkward way. They met on holiday in Mallorca and had a one night stand, but both lied about their names. Later, they found out they worked together at the same school as teachers, which made things complicated but also very entertaining. The chemistry between Suzie and Charlie was great, and their banter made me smile many times.Sometimes the writing was a little confusing because the point of view switched and I had to think about who was talking. Overall, this was a cute and enjoyable read with likeable characters and a good story. Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review

i thought this was cute. I liked the characters, however the story just did not work as well as I wanted it to.

I have never read a romance novel that I finished and thought: no amount of this could ever truly be enough. I could have read another 400 pages of Suzie and Charlie. The most magical, heartwarming and genuine love story I’ve had the pleasure of reading in years. I have no notes, this was utter perfection. Five stars!

Thank you to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Kristen Bailey never disappoints. This is a great read to take on vacation or times when you wish you were on vacation. So really anytime. Charlie and Suzie felt like real people. There is insta-connection but also a deep love and the journey through everything ackward, confusing, and hilarious in between. So grab some bunyols, skip the crab, and avoid the bull at all costs (and pick up this book to figure out what that even means 😉).

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cute and original premise with some laugh out loud moments. I struggled some with the writing format where inner dialogue was just thrown in. Italics would have helped here. Overall, a little too long and could be edited some more to make it flow better. Still a fun summer read with great characters.

Actual rating 2.75.

This book had all the things I look for in a romcom. I liked the characters, it had funny parts, the set up for the vacation meet and greet and then running back into each other. But I didn’t like how it was written out. I’m having a hard time describing it. It had all the parts of a really good romcom but the set up and the way it was written up fell short to me. Due to the low rating, I will not be posting on my Instagram account. I know there will be people who love this book, it’s a great summer read, just not for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc early!

Overall I think this book just wasn’t for me. I felt the jokes forced and crude and the dialogue was hard to follow and enjoy. Maybe it’s because I’m not British? I enjoy romance novels but this one was just not it for me.

Thank you for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.
This was a quick and fun summer read. I found myself actually laughing out loud a few times! Now this is told in dual POV and there is like a HUGE amount of characters introduced from the start which was a lot but otherwise it really was a fun read that would your perfect addition to your summer beach bag!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.


This was a really cute story told from dual POVs. We get our FMC, Suzie's, who is a French teacher who is starting over in London, and our MMC, Charlie, who is a Spanish teacher starting in a new school after quite the debacle at his last one. It seems that the universe just keeps putting these two people into each other's paths, as they meet time and time again under different circumstances, and have some similarities in their pasts.


It really is a lovely second chance romance, with some witty banter, comical inner monologues, and humorous situations. They way they fit together so well, makes you want to root for them as a couple. All in all, it's just a lovely romcom.