Gemma is a maid of honor trying to sabotage the wedding. Leon is the brother trying to stop his siter from marrying the wrong man. Francesca is in love with the groom and wants to stop the wedding too. The trio work together at a layover to stop the wedding.

A fun book to read. Not the most romantic one but fun and quick. A perfect book for a rainy day or at a layover. :)

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

The Layover by Beth Reekles, published by Wattpad Webtoon is a witty and fun read. Well written with rom/com elements that had me laughing out loud.
Gemma, Leon and Francesca are strangers who're on their way to the same weddding with totally different agendas. One relative, one with not nice plans, one of them wants to make her feelings clear. So what could go wrong? Literally everything.
I enjoyed reading this quick read, 4 beautiful stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group for an advanced copy of the Layover in exchanged for an honest review.

I would have to give this book 3.5 ⭐️’s. I would have to say, I think this is the first book I read that is double spaced.

In the beginning I loved it and it was super cute, then it just became blah and boring. Near the end I just skipped pages because I didn’t want to listen to their sad boohoo thoughts about the situation any more. I didn’t know there were so many different ways to bring up the same feelings over and over again.

I loved the characters. I love how they came together and were there for each other. If I am ever stuck in an airport terminal for that long, I hope I’d get the same friends out of the experience as they did.

One thing about the book that really bothered me was that their flight was delayed 12+ hours, yet the drive from the airport to their destination was only 9 hours. Why didn’t they just drive?! Honestly this drove me insane throughout the whole book.

Overall, it was a cute plot but I think it would have been better as a short story.

This book checked alllll the boxes for me! I loved the dynamic between the fmc and mmc!! Forced proximity??? Enemies to lovers? Gosh, sign me up! Gemma was a hot mess but I kinda loved her! I’ll be reading other books by Beth Reekles expeditiously!

Out December 2nd, 2025
The Layover by Beth Reekles, three strangers—Gemma, Leon, and Francesca—find themselves grounded by a storm and stuck in an airport with ten hours to kill. Each of them is en route to the same wedding, but none of them wants it to happen. Gemma, the maid of honor, is fed up with always being second best to the bride and is armed with a scandalous video from the hen party that could derail the nuptials. Leon believes his sister is marrying the wrong man and is desperate to talk her out of it. Francesca, meanwhile, is convinced the groom is her “one that got away” and sees this as her last chance to confess her feelings.

As the trio gets to know each other during the layover, their individual schemes begin to unravel. What starts as a shared mission to stop the wedding turns into a chaotic blend of secrets, shifting alliances, and unexpected emotional revelations. The forced proximity and candid conversations spark new connections, and the characters begin to question not just the wedding, but their own motivations and desires.

Reekles blends humor, heart, and romantic tension in this grumpy/sunshine, rivals-to-lovers romp that explores themes of self-worth, honesty, and second chances. With witty banter and a fast-paced plot, The Layover turns a travel mishap into a transformative journey for its characters—one that might just change the course of their lives before the plane even takes off.

Thank you NetGalley and Sphere for this ARC!

The book really just fell flat; I struggled to continue reading. I think using other authors by comparing them to yourself can help create excitement. I love Emily Henry, so I had higher expectations for this book, and they were not met.

3.5 stars. The theme of the book is brilliant! Love the idea of a layover and strangers all going to the same wedding trying to break it off. I enjoyed the characters, and the ending was perfect. The only thing is that there were 2 references to Brooklyn 99 and 2 for ACOTAR and it felt a little YA with the games in the airport and the dialogue. Cute story overall though, but was hoping for a little more.
Thank you to wattpad WEBTOON Book Group and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

* Arc review*

I will admit going into this book I did not think I was going to like the main pov switching every single chapter but eventually it got more cohesive and was easy to follow along with the switches. I did really enjoy the found family they ended up making but I definitely did not feel this was a rom com and more so just the com part. Overall it was a fun quick read and I do find myself curious to see how the three amigos are in future! Thank you for the arc

3.5 a fun quick read. Were they the best people?Prob not. Their intentions were good. I was waiting for this book to come to the US and I’m thankful for the arc.

I mean the premise got me, it sounded so damn good. Unfortunately I did not like any of the characters and I did not feel their romance story at all. They just did not have any connection or chemistry at all. It sounded really fun but for me it did not deliver the fun I wanted.