Crush in the Cascades by Lisa S. Gayle
Book Description:
Reality TV, riches, and a race for romance! What’s not to like?
For Easton Cooper, everything—except a chance at one million dollars. Desperate for cash, he’ll even compete on an outrageous action-adventure reality show, and he hates reality TV. As luck would have it, he’s thrust into his element, a series of outdoor challenges in the Oregon Cascade Mountains. But there’s a catch—he’s staring across the meadow at his partner—a tan, hot, out-of-place California girl, wearing heels and a formal dress in the middle of freaking nowhere—and she will not bring him down! Even if he has to drag her across the finish line.
Amity Rose wants an adventure. No one told her that “dress accordingly” meant deck out in hardcore mountain gear. So she wore strappy heels and a fancy dress to the opening scene. So she hates bugs, cold air, tents, campfires—must she go on? Now all the contestants think she’s a pampered princess—and to add to her bad luck, her partner is the worst—a gangly, overconfident, know-it-all mountain trail guide. Did the directors just add a romantic twist to the drama? Sure, why not? Maybe she’ll leave the race with something more valuable than money. Just not with him!
Crush in the Cascades is a full-length contemporary romance that can be read as a standalone. It features an emotionally-charged, enemies-to-lovers romance weaved into an action-packed, fast-moving plot.
My Review:
OK so I really struggled to get through this book. It took me much longer than it typically would to read this and I really contemplated not finishing this book but I have this quirk that I have to finish all books that I start (especially with an ARC book).
I will first say that I do enjoy the premise of the book. I did enjoy the games/challenges that took place but I found myself easily confused with the other characters rotating every challenge. I didn't like most of the characters, they just fall flat to me...I do have to say that by the end of the book, I did start to like some of the characters...Bria, Amity, Justin and even Miles (he was always honest with his intentions).
I am so conflicted. When I first started reading, I was team Cooper questioning his choices for a complete stranger. But after finishing this book, his actions and treatment towards Amity are really telling of his "true" character. He targeted her right off the bat, he judged her, really he put a target on her back throughout the book, forced her to make promises to him that HE didn't follow through on. He was so misogynistic! Yet she stayed strong and kept her promises. I do give her credit for that but at the same time I question why she would want to be with someone who treated her like that.
This story had a lot of potential, I honestly would have liked to see it end differently than it did. Way to wordy and it really was drawn out longer than it needed to be. I really wanted to like this book more than I did but it just didn't work for me.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
My Rating:
⭐⭐