A Standalone Contemporary Romance

Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland

From New York Times New Bestselling authors Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland comes a new, sexy standalone novel.

My planned trip for two unexpectedly turned into a trip for one. Rather than let my breakup get me down, I packed my bags and decided a week at a luxury resort was just what I needed.
But one calamity after the next, and suddenly I was stuck without a hotel room, along with a few hundred other people.
It looked like my fancy vacation was about to turn into me sleeping on the hotel lobby floor.
Until I overheard a gorgeous man pretending to be someone he wasn’t in order to steal a reservation from a guest who hadn’t shown up yet.
When I realized there were two rooms, instead of calling him out, I pretended to be his sister. That’s how the story of “Milo and Maddie Hooker” began.
We were the Hookers.
My depressing trip quickly made a U-turn into an adventure.
My fake brother spent the next few days showing me around his hometown. When it was time to leave, neither of us really wanted to go yet.
So, instead of flying back to our respective homes, we ventured on a road trip.
At every stop, we’d pick up souvenirs.
But as hot as our chemistry was, we never crossed the line.
Milo knew I’d just come out of a tough relationship and didn’t want to mess with a vulnerable woman.
So instead, at the end of our trip, we made a pact to meet again in three months.
It was always my intention to meet him.
But when I got back home, reality hit in a big way.
And I worried I may have lost my handsome stranger forever.
Was there a place for him in my future?
Or had the memory of him just become my favorite souvenir?

Hazel Appleton is on her previously planned honeymoon...unfortunately she also now has an ex-fiance' and is snowed in. When she sees a chance to nab one of the last hotel rooms in Vail during a snowstorm, she takes it...even if it involves cozying up to a total stranger and pretending to be his sister.

These two literally become Milo and Maddie Hooker and adventures in Vail lead to a cross country romp. No real names. Just day by day fun. They start to make each other feel alive again and take risks. And along the way, they get to know each other and start to develop an attachment that is not going to be easy to break.

These two are no strangers to life throwing curveballs at them, and this time it is no different. The situation gets messier than they could have predicted. Choices will have to be made. Truths will come out. Feelings will need to be shared. And they will have to deal with any and all consequences.

She had become comfortable and unfulfilled in her old life and needs to figure out what path she wants to follow. She inspires him to get back out of his comfort zone and begin finding his passion again. But they are also both plagued with fears, insecurities, anxiety, and guilt.

Are these two answering the call of destiny or did they take a wrong turn along the way?

This is a slow burn, road tripping, new-friends-to-lovers romance.  They are so much fun together. They have such infectious banter and give such good flirt. Their chemistry just sizzles under the surface waiting for a chance to boil over. But they are also just good, likable people looking for their person. There are some surprises and a good bit of angst to gets more prevalent as the story progresses.

I got sucked right into their story and I read this book in one day and enjoyed this fun escape. The road trip portions were my favorite. I had issues with a couple of things plot-wise that I had a hard time getting past. But Overall, it was humorous, sweet, sexy, and just plain swoon-worthy.
Hazel Appleton is snowed in in Vail without a hotel room on what was supposed to have been her honeymoon. She finds an opportunity to snag a room through the creation of an alter ego, jumping in with a stranger doing the same. Though the two have never met, they get to know each other at the hotel bar after securing rooms. They may be perfect strangers playing siblings, but they soon find they enjoy each other’s company and are both doing a little soul searching.

I loved the road trip portion of this book. The adventures they found using their alter egos were off the wall in some cases, and sweet in others. Their adventures showed little pieces of who they were trying to be, and made them face the things they had allowed to change in their lives. It was a great opportunity to get comfortable with each other and give Hazel more to think about when she returns home.

As much as I loved the middle of the book, there were some parts that had me scratching my head or feeling flat out frustrated with the main characters. Living close enough to Vail to know the climate and a little about the town and ski resort, I found some of the scenes a little far fetched. And then my mixed feeling came back again after the road trip was over. The characters made some moves that felt out of character for them and had me wondering why they felt they were entitled to those actions and feelings. By that point I was feeling like the story had become a love triangle just for the sake of adding drama.

But overall, I enjoyed the escape provided by the story. Hazel and Matteo take on personas to deal with the parts of their lives they are trying to sort through. Maddie and Milo Hooker are carefree, have no agendas, and can go wherever the road takes them. Hazel and Matteo have more to deal with in their real lives and their own escape gives them a different perspective on their hangups. It was a slow-burn, but I loved the friendship that developed during the road trip (while the sparks built along with it).