The Suite Spot

2.5/5

Rachel is a single mother who finds herself unemployed with no good job prospects. An intriguing opportunity opens up, but it requires Rachel and her daughter, Maisie, moving to a remote island on Lake Eerie. When Rachel arrives, she discovers her job is a bit more involved than she anticipated but also a perfect fit. Her new boss isn’t too bad to look at either. Mason Brown is recently divorced and has endured his own tragedies. Can Rachel adjust to her new life here? And more importantly, will there be a future for her and Mason? 

The Suite Spot follows the events of Float Plan, but is not directly related. Instead, we follow the story of Anna’s sister, Rachel. There are references to Float Plan throughout, but I wouldn’t say it’s necessary to read the first book to appreciate this one. 

Unfortunately, The Suite Spot did not resonate with me in the way the prequel did. The story was a fun twist on a contemporary romance, but I found it to be a bit lacking. There wasn’t as much romantic tension as I would have liked. The plot climax felt anticlimactic. It was resolved very quickly and without much conflict or tension. Lastly, for things I didn’t like so much, the cultural representation felt forced at times. The mini foreign language lessons at the beginning of each chapter were a creative way to set the tone of the story, but the descriptions of Mason’s family felt shallow. I would have appreciated learning more about Rachel and Anna’s family. 

I enjoyed the side characters and hoped to see more of them. Avery, especially, added a fun, care-free vibe to the characters. There was room for strong character development, but it was missing. I wanted to love this book. I think too much was packed into one thing. Our main character not only had to build an entire boutique hotel, but take care of her daughter, handle her ex’s issues, and save Mason from his tragic past. As a result, each point felt rushed and surface-level. This could have been a solid contemporary romance, but was another example of an emotionally-intelligent woman coming to save the day and show a man that there is more to life than just surviving.