Beauty and the Beach

Falling for Summer, Book 5

By: Gracie Ruth Mitchell

Narrated by: Rylee Kuberra, John Rogers

Phoenix Park is the man I fantasize about...hitting with my car, that is.

He's rich. He's sexy. He's the absolute worst. But after I fall prey to an internet scam and lose every last penny in my account (please don’t ask), it’s Phoenix who swoops in with an offer I can’t refuse. I’ll marry him for the summer so he can inherit the family company from his dying grandmother, and in return, he’ll drop a hefty sum of money into my bank account.

Buy me a pair of sweatpants with GOLD DIGGER across the butt, because I’m just desperate enough to agree.

Our arrangement is only supposed to be for a few months, until Phoenix’s poor grandmother passes. I can pretend for that long. I can stop insulting him long enough to force a few smiles and some lovey-dovey glances. But with every touch we share, with every kiss we fake, I find the walls around my heart beginning to crack—letting in feelings I'm not prepared for.

And when Phoenix’s grandmother makes a miraculous recovery, leaving us stuck indefinitely in this charade of holy matrimony? That’s when I know I’m really in trouble.

©2024 Gracie Ruth Mitchell (P)2024 Gracie Ruth Mitchell

I liked it a lot

Oh WOW, this one might be the best in the series, I liked the dynamics, the plot and most of all the conclusion

The story is about Holland and Phoenix, they know each other from way back but the hate each other's gut, they know each other through Holland's brother who died years ago but Phoenix promised him to take care of Holland no matter how troublesome she might be, then a day comes were Holland is in need for money, and Phoenix is in need of a fake wife, so they come up with this scheme so both of them can benefit, he will pay her to be his fake wife, and in the course of this marriage a lot of issues will rise and they have to solve it together

The book is romance but a big part of it is healing from grieve .. I liked that it is a clean romance so we can focus on the feelings rather than the explicit stuff, I liked the story and it gave me a really warm feeling, I will be checking out this author other books for sure

Enemies to lovers

This one will tug your heartstrings! Bossy strait laced gazillionaire and his best friend’s little sister who is flighty, and a free spirit and a little bit broken. Let the summer fireworks fly!!

Will read the others!

I love a cute seasonal series where the books are interconnected but standalone, and written by different authors. That’s what we have with the Falling for Summer Series. They all take place on a fictional island called Sunset Harbor off the west coast of Florida. There are no cars there and the books have a MAP, which you can see in my photo. I started with Beauty and the Beach by Gracie Ruth Mitchell. If they go on the order of publication date, this is the fifth out of seven. Some names are mentioned that I bet are in the other books, but they don’t spoil, and if anything, made me curious to read the other books.

Phoenix Park’s grandmother is newly requiring that the inheritor of her business be legally and lawfully wed. He has PLANS for this business and is the best one for the job, so he sets out to find a wife, until his grandmother’s death do they part.

Holland (who he has nicknamed Amsterdam) is his late best friend’s little sister and his prank partner. They DO NOT get along. Unfortunately, she may be his only option.

This is a cute book and I will definitely check the other ones out. I know everyone is getting into fall reads but it is still 70-80s and sunny where I live so this works just fine!

I wasn’t super into narrator Rylee Kuberra’s voice. It sounded fake and unnatural which is weird of me to say since it probably is her actual voice. I don’t know anyone with John Rogers’ sound either, but I really liked it. It works well with this book, he is SO funny when talking about how much he hates Holland, and his grandma voice is excellent. I hope to hear more from him.

4/5 stars
9 hours 8 minutes at 1x on audio
Kissing only
Location: Sunset Harbor (a fictional island)

Chemistry

Miss Mitchell writes character chemistry so well. It’s slow burn at its finest- with just the right amount of spice.

A heartfelt and funny Rom-Com!

“Phoenix Park is the man I fantasize about… hitting with my car, that is.”

Holland fell for a scam and her entire bank account was drained. Desperate for money, she’s picking up every extra shift and side job she can to rebuild her financial situation.

Phoenix is successful and wealthy, but he’s been told he has to get married in order to inherit the family business he’s been running for years. The only person he can think to make an offer of marriage to is his best friend’s sister and number one rival, Holland. Lucky for him Holland needs some extra cash right now - so it’s a win-win for both of them.

Can they stop pranking each other and bantering long enough to convince Phoenix’s family the marriage is real?

What you’ll find:
Rivals to lovers
Pranks
Marriage of convenience
Forced proximity
Grumpy grandma
A contract
Chocolate dipped strawberries
A tie pull
The first kiss
The photo shoot
Healing
Forgiveness

This is book 5 of the Falling for Summer series set on the fictional island of Sunset Harbor. It’s been such a fun summer getting to know the beloved cast of characters that are a part of this series.

“If you kiss me now, you’re mine.”

This is a fun Rom-Com, but it also tackles a tragedy that Phoenix and Holland were apart of years ago. Watching the healing process they both go through and their defensive walls come down with each other was one of my favorite parts!

“I’m not a romantic man, Holland. I don’t buy flowers or write poetry. And I’ve never been shown what a healthy marriage looks like. But you’re mine. I’ll keep you safe; I’ll treat you well.”

Romance Content: Just Kissing

An excellent summer read!

I loved this story! It was exactly what I was looking for. If you’re a fan of fun romcoms with great chemistry and a dose of depth, pick this up! It was the perfect recipe for a great romcom. As someone who doesn’t always enjoy romcoms, this hit it out of the park!

Disliked Main Characters

I overall didn’t enjoy the story, disliked both characters. They were just genuinely mean to each other (not cute banter) and yet were already in love?Performance from the narrators was okay, it just sounded like the male narrator was trying to impersonate Batman at some points.