When to get over a rut, a retreat in the French Alps can perhaps bring the inspiration and even more

Synopsis

Romantic comedy writer Amber Page is stuck in a rut.

After her editor tells her she needs to “up the spice” in her books (literally Amber’s worst nightmare…), she is at a crossroads of what to do with her career.

When the opportunity arises to go on a writer’s retreat at an exclusive château in the beautiful French Alps, Amber reluctantly agrees, hoping a change of scenery will help with inspiration.

While she tries and fails to spice up her writing – with the unhelpful guidance of the eccentric romance writers at the château – she meets two leading men who cause her own real-life romantic comedy to unfold…

A laugh-out-loud love triangle, forced proximity romantic comedy from million-copy bestseller Portia MacIntosh.

My review

Amber Page has written several successful romantic comedies. But now she is stuck in a rut, and cannot manage to write a great next story. Somehow all her stories take the cozy romantic mystery turn. Something that her editor doesn’t approve on. On the complete contrary: the editor suggests Amber to put some more spice in her books. And let that be the thing that Amber doesn’t want!
When there is suddenly a spot available on a writer’s retreat at an exclusive château in the French Alps, Amber reluctantly accepts, as perhaps it will give her the much needed inspiration.
And she is a bit flabbergasted when she bumps again into Caleb, a social media influencer. They have met previously at her publisher’s office, and while Caleb told her he would find a way to be at the same resort, she didn’t truly believe it.
And when at the château she attracts the attention of resident Henri, the game is on. Especially as she hopes that now inspiration will truly come, as she cannot really count on the help of her fellow writers who are also staying at the château.
So while her parents are struggling at home with their marriage, Amber finds herself in a real love triangle.

Reading a book by the hand of Portia MacIntosh is injecting yourself with a great dose of laughter. Reading a book about an author, written by an author you love, is a double shot of greatness. So of course I was eager to read this book!

Amber is an easy person to like. She is even inspirational in a way, as she managed to be a great writer. But beside her initial writing success, she is also a loving daughter and sister. And her craziness and sarcasm is something I recognized as I have the same level of crazy and sarcasm.
I also understood how she wanted to take a different direction with her writing. It felt like it’s not that she has gotten into a rut, but it was more that her own story in romantic comedies has reached its end.

While of course it is needed for the story to evolve, I didn’t like it how her own editor wasn’t truly listening to Amber and her ideas, but started to push her in a direction that isn’t Amber at all. I just hope that the real editors in the world aren’t like Amber’s! 😊

Yet I also liked it how this great opportunity comes for Amber, staying at a French Château in the Alps, working together with her fellow authors. Staying in a castle, isn’t that something everyone dreams of?
But I also was a bit disappointed in the other authors. Yes, in a way they are all each other’s competition and rivals, but they are all also just writers who want to write a great story. So why all the jealousy?

I loved reading about the love triangle. Not because in one case, Amber is rather oblivious and in the other just overly hilarious. But also because I wanted to see where it all would end. And yes, I had my own preference, as it felt more genuine than the other.

Seeing things develop in each way, and seeing Amber even finding in a way her mojo back, was just great. And it’s not only about Amber finding her writing mojo back, but also just seeing Amber finding her voice again, and discovering herself in a way again. In so many ways, Amber needed to find her joy and her spark back, both professionally and personally, and that development was a great journey to read about!

Obviously I had several laughs while reading, some really out loud, and other times it was a snickering moment.

Portia MacIntosh wrote again a hilarious but also heartwarming story, about struggles in life, but also about prejudices, hypocrisy and miscommunications but mainly about finding love(s), inspiration and that one (or two) person/people that can ignite something back what seemed to be lost.