I loved the concept, and it’s a fast read, but The Layover’s execution just fell short.
The hardest thing about enemies-to-lovers is seeding the idea that the two MCs actually like each other beneath all the bickering and banter. Without it, the romance just isn’t believable. And that’s exactly where I ended up with The Layover by Lacie Waldon.
Ava is engaged to Alexander as she embarks on her last trip as a flight attendant before they get married. Lucky for her, the trip includes a layover in Belize. Unluckily, Jack, a flight attendant she actively HATES for reasons that are revealed, is working the flights with her.
Ava seems fine to begin with, it’s clear that she’s just engaged to the wrong guy for her. While she’s turning in her wings for her marriage, you can tell she feels more like they’re being clipped.
The insider’s look for flight crews is fun, but the first leg before they get to Belize is JUST TOO LONG. At points the barbs are just plain mean, not a teasing, witty poke in the ribs. Instead of enjoying the competition and buying into any like between Ava and Jack, I’m convinced Ava is the worst co-worker ever. And chemistry? There’s zero chemistry between these two.
One thing Ava is working through is being raised by freewheeling vagabond parents and recognizing the push-pull between needing to feel grounded and having a career that takes her into the skies. Well, getting involved with Jack isn’t gonna sort that out. It would have worked much better as contemporary fiction without making the would be romance with Jack such a central part of the story. I was shaking my head…it never seems to cross Jack’s mind that he’s probably a rebound guy.
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