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Enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes set in a luxurious Maui resort—nope, I’m not talking about White Lotus (this isn’t a dark comedy-mystery), but rather a perfectly swoony romance that every reader should escape into for a delightful break from daily stress.

This was a one-sitting, popcorn-read that I breezed through with ease. The story follows Trishara Malik, a young, ambitious engineer who has been working at WMC Purcell for five years following a traumatic experience at a failed startup that left her heartbroken and humiliated. Unfortunately, her current workplace isn’t much better—she loses out on a promotion to her boss’s entitled son, Rafe Gallagher, her arch-nemesis and workplace pain-in-the-neck. She deals with constant mansplaining and the inappropriate behavior of Rafe’s cousin Rory, while quietly dreaming of better opportunities elsewhere.

Just when things look bleak, Trishara is selected for an elite company leadership retreat—on the tropical paradise of Maui! But there’s a catch: Rafe will be there too. Still, she’s determined to use the trip to network and secure a coveted training opportunity in New York. She can ignore him for three weeks� right?

Except she didn’t count on a mix-up that results in one room, one bed. Now trapped in each other’s personal space, Trishara tries to keep her cool around the maddeningly charismatic man she secretly kind of has a crush on. But as the retreat unfolds, she begins to see a different side of Rafe—a man frustrated with his own family dynamics, aware of the workplace injustice she faces, and maybe not the smug jerk she always thought.

What if Rafe doesn’t hate her at all? What if their undeniable chemistry isn’t just a fluke? And most importantly, can Trishara risk her already-bruised heart for a second chance at something real?

Overall: This is an entertaining and thought-provoking romance with strong themes of workplace equality, earning a solid 3.5 (rounded up to 4) stars from me. “Aloha� to this charming escape—I’m excited to read more from this author!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.