Gigi is heading to beautiful (and expensive) Hawaii for her sisters wedding. Unfortunately, her ex-boyfriend is the best man and he's bringing his beautiful, famous, influencer girlfriend. On a whim, Gigi says she's bring a mystery man to the wedding. As you can predict, he does not actually exist. This exotic destination Romantic Comedy takes us on a Luxury vacation as Gigi tries to find her perfect fake date! This fantastic read had me laughing out loud while experiencing second hand embarrassment at times! A great summer read! As always, Portia Macintosh does not disappoint!

Thank you to Portia Macintosh, the Publisher and NetGalley for this very enjoyable read!

The Suite Life is Portia MacIntosh’s latest friends-to-lovers, fake-dating romantic comedy set in Hawaii. While the characters are British and the story contains British phrasing, it is easy for Americans to understand. There is no profanity or sex scenes.

Gigi Marsden is in her early 30s and getting over a break-up from her long-time boyfriend, Nathan. She works as a hairdresser at an upscale salon in London, where she styles hair for the rich and famous. She had to move in with her parents, Shirley and Alfie, while she looks around for an affordable apartment.

Gigi’s older sister and best friend, Lucy, is getting married in two weeks on Maui, Hawaii. Gigi is the Maid of Honor, to the consternation of Lucy’s work colleague, Nina. Unfortunately for Gigi, Nathan is the Best Man for the wedding, since he is the groom’s best friend. Nathan is bringing his new girlfriend to the wedding, a reality TV contestant named Sunshine Greene. Gigi realizes that things will go more smoothly if only she can find a date for the wedding.

The owner of the hair salon where Gigi works and the other stylists set her up on some disastrous dates. So Gigi tells her family that her boyfriend will be at the wedding, but his identity is a surprise. Gigi is counting on being able to find someone while they are at the Grand Palm Resort. Gigi’s bad luck continues when she winds up traveling with Nathan from London all the way to the Hawaiian resort. Nathan and Sunshine are staying in the nice room that Gigi had booked months back, and Gigi re-booked herself a small room. When Gigi checks in at the resort, she is told that there was a problem with her reservation, and she is being upgraded to a suite.

Gigi is shocked at how spacious her suite is, and how the resort staff treat her like she is a celebrity. She appreciates that her suite is in a different area of the resort from the rest of the wedding party, so she can keep her distance while trying to find a wedding date. Gigi immediately befriends a handsome Englishman, Donnie, while checking in. he comes to her rescue later when a drunk man is too forward. Gigi enlists Donnie’s help in finding a date, with more hilarious results.

Donnie and Gigi develop a friendship as they spend most of their waking hours together. Gigi shares her concern about getting the upgrade to the suite and the fabulous perks that accompany it, but also enjoys the extravagance while it lasts. After a few days she sees a newspaper article about the discovery of an illegitimate child to a recently deceased billionaire who is named G.G. Marsden. This Marsden was believed to have traveled to Hawaii, which suddenly explains Gigi’s good fortune. Nathan meets Gigi’s family and then volunteers to play guitar for the wedding ceremony.

Gigi continues to tell her family that Donnie is just a friend, but she begins noticing how handsome he is. As Nathan continues to act like a jerk, she realizes what a great guy Donnie is. Sunshine is unkind to Gigi, and the reader waits for something catastrophic to happen.

The Suite Life is a gentle romance that contains many funny scenes. Most readers can identify with Gigi, a nice lady who tries to ensure that her sister’s wedding goes off without a hitch while avoiding her ex-boyfriend and his unlikable new lover. Donnie is a perfect romantic hero, although he only gives his first name and says that he’s getting over a failed relationship. I have read many stories containing bad blind dates, and the experiences in The Suite Life are original. If you are looking for a clean romantic comedy with little drama or angst, The Suite Life is for you.

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Boldwood Books for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Boldwood Books @theboldbookclub, the author @Portiamacintoshauthor and Netgalley @Netgalley for the e-arc. All thoughts are my own.


Gigi doesn’t need “the one” she just needs someone to be the date to her sisters destination wedding. He ex has a fancy new girlfriend, and she’d like to have anyone. So she starts looking.

Things aren’t exactly going well. When the dates at home don’t go well, she sets off to Hawaii hoping to find someone there to go with her. When she arrives, she’s shocked to learn that shes been upgraded to one of the hotels fanciest suites.

With people waiting on her at every turn, Gigi can’t help loving the suite life. But can she figure out why she got this upgrade? Can she find the perfect date before time runs out?


This book was so much fun! I picked it up because it seemed like the perfect vacation read, and it delivered. I read it on a quiet day where we had nothing planned but relaxing, and many times as I read the pages, I found myself laughing out loud and having to read excerpts to my family while they laughed as well. Gigi’s dates were so relatable, and hilarious. When Gigi arrived in Hawaii it was so fun that she seemingly randomly got upgraded. Donnie was also a great character. I loved the friendship that developed between him and Gigi and how supportive he was of her. I kept suspecting that there was more to the story than was being let on, and when my questions were answered it was hilarious, right-on par with the rest of the story. Stories like this are why friends to lovers is by far my favorite trope! It is just so sweet and heart warming and gives me all the feels. Throw in a little close proximity and bam you have an amazing book.

This was my first book by this author, but her writing is perfect for me, and I can’t wait to read more.

If you want a really sweet, laugh-out-loud, clean romance, then you need to read this book!

Portia MacIntosh is one of the absolute best in the romcom business. Her sense of humor always has me laughing out loud and she never disappoints.

The Suite Life is everything I want from a romantic comedy. Swoony moments, witty banter, laugh out loud moments and pure feel good emotions.

I loved it!

I had a hard time getting in to this one. Maybe it's not my favourite trope (Gigi suffering through her ex and his new love, and being mistreated by him and their mutual friends). I have to say though that the author did a great job of making me feel her pain.

I enjoyed the humour, but not the actual journey - and really, a romance is all about the journey.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very cute little romcom! I love an adventure story, so our FMC traveling to Hawaii for her sister's wedding was such a fun setting. There was a lot of hilarity, over-the-top moments, and mishaps as she tried to find a date for the impending wedding. I tend to prefer a little more realistic circumstances, but the celebrity status story was really fun. The story wrapped up really quickly at the end, but it was fun and a cute read.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the eARC and for the opportunity to leave an honest, voluntary review.

I enjoyed this story a lot. It does take a little to get into but around chapter 15 it really takes off. Gigi was super relatable and easy to like. And Donnie was sweet and fun and really complimented her. It was great to see their relationship build into something instead of being left to fill in the holes on how something happened so fast. The secondary characters were all pretty good as well. Everyone added something the story that moved it along. I loved how the mistake identity spin was used in this story. It definitely adds a comical element. The other twist at the end was pretty predictable but was still really good. Overall, I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a fast paced, closed door, vacation rom com!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinion are completely my own.

Very cute little romance with a bit of a mystery. I enjoyed reading this one, a lot

Nothing happens. There’s no spark, no romance, no depth, no plot. After a few failed dates all the main characters are stuck on an island for a week, and Gigi gets treated like absolute royalty while putting up with her ex. I didn’t feel any emotion other than bored.

I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was cute. I haven't read anything like this. I dont think it was life changing but still good non the less.

This book didn't grab me right from the beginning but I stuck with it because I love Portia Macintosh.
It wasn't a bad book but I just didn't feel the connection between the Donnie & Gigi in the same way I do normally with this author's characters.

I ended up skim reading the last 25% of this book because I didn't feel emotionally invested and it was more out of curiosity to see how it ended.

As always, I loved the writing style but unfortunately this was a bit of a flop for Ms. Macintosh.

London Gigi goes on disastrous dates, has bad luck, and agrees to things she doesn’t like or want. She’s unhappy and dissatisfied with a sprinkle of low self esteem.

Hawaiian Gigi? She’s the main character. She’s treated like royalty at the resort in Maui where her sister’s wedding party is staying, her every whim catered to all because the staff believes she’s someone else.

Whole there, she keeps crossing paths with Donnie, a bored, recently single fellow Londoner who continually interrupts Gigi to save her from one potential disaster after another.

So together they go on a side quest: He will play wingman to help her find a date to her sister’s wedding later that week - until Gigi finally realized it’s Donnie who would be the perfect date for her.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
Mistaken identity
Fake dating
Friends to lovers
Weddings
Tropical setting

Unfortunately, it’s my least favorite kind of romcom - a little bit of rom, a little bit more com, and a main character who doesn’t trust herself, doesn’t trust herself, and is oblivious - but not in a cute way.

Her ex, Nathan, is at the wedding because he’s best friends with her sister’s fiancé, which is innately problematic because he’s a real dick, so what does that say about her beloved sister and soon to be husband?

There’s no third act break up (yay!) and there are funny lines throughout. Donnie is a sweetheart (with the worst name). But it’s just not for me - but it might be for you!

Thanks to Netgalley and boldwood for the ARC to read and review. Available this week, April 16, 2024.

I finished this book a few weeks ago...and honestly can't remember much about it. I do remember thinking that this book could have been much better, and that the romance was just okay.

The Suite Life was easy reading! The destination wedding, friends to lovers, ex boyfriend tropes all rolled into one didnt make this a new idea, but I didnt mind. The characters were funny. I have to say the author did a great job picking names of characters - e.g. - Gigi and Sunshine. I could see what they looked like in my mind as I read about them and through the writing. There was a very sarcastic (yet funny) tone to the book, which gets me every time. I love banter and female characters who are sarcastic.

It was a good read. I would recommend it. Easy, breezy and light.

This was a book that I picked up to read while I had a few minutes to fill and before I knew it I was on the last page.
The Suite Life is a light fun rom-com that takes you to Hawaii.
I have read other books by Portia MacIntosh and enjoyed this as much as the others.
The book is a fun easy to read rom- com that takes us along with Gigi to Hawaii to attend her sister’s wedding.
If you want a great beach read this is one that you need to grab and read. You will be so glad you did.
Thank you NetGalley, Portia MacIntosh and Boldwood Books. This is my personal review.

This was cute, but also really slow during parts. There were many paragraphs that I skipped over and I did not miss anything. The main character bothered me, she was very negative about her situation and at times it came across as pathetic. She wanted to complain about her love life but did not seem to want to do anything to change it. Did it suck that her ex was dating a famous attractive woman? Of course! But was it the worst thing to happen in the world? Far from it! That being said, there were some hilarious and ridiculous scenes that made me laugh out loud. When things started to change for her while in paradise for her sister's wedding, she started to grow on me. It was overall a cute book, but definitely moved slowly, especially in the beginning.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

By now we know what we are getting with a book by this author. Yes, perhaps you need to suspend belief a little - but what you do get is laughs, beautiful moments, wonderful, relatable characters, and a book which will keep you turning the pages until the very end. I can't help but smile whenever I receive another book by Portia MacIntosh - long may this continue!

The Suite Life by Portia MacIntosh
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
A “suite” romance perfect for a beach read.

Gigi is excited to be traveling to Hawaii for her sister’s wedding, but it would be much more pleasant if her ex-boyfriend wasn’t the best man and if she had a date for the wedding. Her ex’s plus one is a hot reality star, so Gigi enlists her co-workers to help her find a date that is just as impressive. Unfortunately, their suggestions are painful at best. When those don’t work out, she begins searching the exclusive resort they are staying at; enlisting the help of a new friend.

After reading nearly 10 Portia MacIntosh books, I can trust that they will always be a fun romp with hijinks and an awkward main character. This new book follows that pattern. This one is perfect for a beach read with its setting in gorgeous Hawaii where Gigi has traveled for her sister’s wedding. Gigi and her sister have a close relationship and their support of one another is demonstrated throughout the book. Gigi meets a few eligible bachelors at their resort and MacIntosh keeps you guessing which one will be her love match. There’s just a tiny bit of spice to this story and all scenes are closed door, so great for an intro to romance books or for younger readers. Recommend for fans of sweet, funny romances.

I’m not a big fan of the trying-to-find-a-fake-date for a wedding trope. The heroine, Gigi, spends so much of her time dating or talking to losers that I got rather irritated with her. I also found it improbable that this couple in London would plan a destination wedding in Hawaii for, it seems like, about eight people. And they’re staying at a very expensive hotel. Who has that sort of money? Add in that Gigi is forced to smile and pretend that she doesn’t mind that the best man in the wedding is her ex who dumped her recently to pair up with a beautiful, celebrity influencer.

Gigi meets Donnie, a guy staying at the hotel and they become good friends and hang out together enjoying all the benefits of Gigi being treated like a royal at this hotel. It’s clear that she and Donnie are made for each other. She’s honest with him, although he’s rather secretive about his background. Why is he helping her pair up with strange men when he’s clearly rather jealous of them. Why does he refuse her invitation to be her date at the wedding? Would he prefer that she meets and invites some creepy stranger?

I just couldn’t suspend disbelief enough for this romance. Usually I enjoy Macintosh’s romances, but this one didn’t measure up.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Gigi needs a date for her sister's wedding., especially when her ex-boyfriend is the best man and he's bringing along his celebrity influencer girlfriend.

But how can Gigi compete? Especially when finding a date is proving very difficult.

But sometimes, impressive can mean something very different.

MacIntosh does it again!

I loved all these characters, even though I was conflicted at the start for some of them, this author gives us the best outcomes that we feel our hearts burst.

This novel was full of funny scenes, which I couldn't help but be shocked and laughed at; and cringe-worthy dad jokes that wouldn't be the same without them.

There was a red herring thrown in with a twist I didn't see coming and had my jaw drop in shock.

Loving this author and I can honestly say they never disappoint.