Thank you to the publishers for this copy

well i loved the fact i went in blind with this book , it was a lot of fun and the drama got a few drinks inside them well they were well away lol

i really enjoyed it had three POV,s Leon, Gemma and Francesca They were all so different yet ready to go to this wedding to bring the drama #team stop the wedding ,

i loved Beth writing it was wonderful It was so much fun and so well paced i did not get fed up , i was init for the gossip .

I am giving the book 4 fun loving stars

Gemma, Leon, and Fran are on their way to the same wedding, and they all want to stop it. Leon wants it stopped so he can have his sister back his family hates the groom and they all believe she's making the biggest mistake of her life. Gemma wants to get back at the bride as shes constantly taking everything Gemmas worked so hard for. Fran wants to tell the groom she's madly in love with him in the hopes he feels the same way. When bad weather grounds their flight the trio are forced to spend time together and their plans and the truth come to light but maybe they can come up with a plan together so they all get what they want.

I loved this! This is a read in one sitting story. I was hooked from the first page. This is written in multiple povs, so you really get a feel for all three of the characters and can understand their motivations for wanting to stop the wedding. I thought going into this it would be a classic romcom, but it was so much more. This was hilarious, emotional, and heartwarming. This focuses on self worth, toxic relationships and getting closure to move on. I enjoyed watching the unlikely trio form a true friendship and Gemma and Fran realising they both deserved to be treated better by the people that claimed to love them. I felt for Leon when he discovered how his sister really was but it shows that sometimes you don't ever get to see what a person's really like. I would've liked this to end differently with Kayleigh and Marcus, the bride and groom, getting what they deserve. I would've liked to see more of the romance in this too. I highly recommend.

Thought it was a good romance book and then the surprise near the end had my jaw drop so quickly it cracked. I liked the character development, though I would have loved a Kayleigh/Marcus chapter at the end. A fun read all in all.

Wow. A bunch of unlikeable characters stuck in an airport—what a dream setup for a novel. For the first half, I was pretty sure this book was going to become a proud member of my DNF pile. Who doesn't love reading about people whining in a terminal?

But hey, I powered through (gold star for me), and eventually, it turned into a quick, mildly entertaining read. Not life-changing, not terrible. Just... there. Like airport food—bland, but it gets the job done.

An interesting take on a romance, as three people going to the same wedding end up bonding over their mutual desire to stop it while waiting for their plane. I really liked the setting, and this would make a great summer holiday read as most of it is sent in the airport on the way to a destination wedding. Airports really are their own microcosms, and the story really manages to capture this well.

However, beyond the setting I didn't really get on with this. The characters were deeply unlikeable for most of the story, from the out of reach bride and groom to our thee main characters. Francesca was probably the worse, and the least developed, as she comes off as being a bit one note with her endless defence of groom Marcus. She basically makes it her whole personality. Gemma was the least annoyingly and most interesting, as she has a complicated relationship with bride Kayleigh. She believes Kayleigh has taken everything from her - from wedding idea, to flat and even job, and she's come to realise just how horrible a friend she is. But she's also Gemma's only friend, and this leads to a bit of inner turmoil. Leon is just a pushover, and is easily overwhelmed by the other characters bigger personalities.

The plot is also pretty slow, with much of the story dedicated to building up of this friendship between these three characters, who I've mentioned I didn't really bond with, making it difficult for me to care about the overall story. It's fast paced though, and well written, but just not for me.

Great summer read, interesting setting but I hated the characters.

Three people stuck at the airport, all trying to get to and ruin the same wedding each of them for very different reasons. With them all believing they have valid reasons to stop the wedding, across the tens of hours of waiting and getting to know each other will they change each other's minds.

Centred around Gemma (Maid of Honour), Leon (Bride's Brother) and Francesca (Groom's work 'wife') this book explores the idea that maybe airports can be fun late at night and maybe revenge isn't as sweet as you think it will be?

This was a really quick and funny read, there's not a major amount of romance in it, easy airplane/summer/holiday read!

Lots of fun and silliness involved, wrapped up with a little bit of revenge plotting and ending toxic relationships.

👰🏻‍♀️The Layover by Beth Reekles🤵🏻‍♂️🛬
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The maid of honour, brother of the bride and groom’s work wife are all stranded in Orlando airport when a storm means their plane has to land on its way to Barcelona for the wedding. None of them even like each other, but it turns out they all have the same agenda - stop the wedding.

This felt quite fresh and I enjoyed the premise. My criticism though is that the airport literally felt like it never ended, and in a way I guess that was probably the point that when you’re delayed that’s what it feels like but I just needed a bit more pace

3 people are stranded in an airport after a storm forced them to land before they could reach their destination. They're all trying to get to the same wedding and they're all trying to stop the wedding.

Francesca is in love with Marcus, the groom, and is determined to get to him to tell him how she feels. She's 100% convinced he has feelings for her too and that the night they spent together 2yrs ago meant something, but Marcus has been stringing her along since that night, loving the attention but making her into a joke amongst his friends and family.

Gemma is best friends with the bride, Kayleigh, but she hates her - with a passion! Kayleigh is horrid, shallow and two-faced. She stole Gemma's apartment, boyfriend and job but she's all Gemma has. Without Kayleigh, who is she? She doesn't have any other friends so Gemma puts up with it and lets Kayleigh walk all over her. Until now.

Leon is Kayleigh's older brother and he's seen a change in her personality since she got together with Marcus. He fully believes Marcus is the reason that Kayleigh is spending less time with the family, not seeing their grandmother before she died and refusing to lift a finger whenever she is home. Leon thinks Marcus is the reason she's so entitled and selfish but he soon realises he may be wrong.

I really liked all 3 characters, Gemma was quite unlikeable at the start, very fake and quite shallow but it doesn't take long to realise the reason she sticks with Kayleigh is because of how horrible her parents are. Kayleigh was there for her when she was a teen and her dad left, then her mum started telling her how worthless she was. But when she finally unloads everything on Francesca and Leon, she realises there are people out there who will accept her for who she is.

I thought the pacing of the book was really good. It was fairly clear at the beginning that Leon and Francesca would end up together but their attraction to each other felt quite natural and wasn't forced, nothing really even happens between them throughout the story until the end when Leon asks her on a date when they get home.

It was more of a found friendship story than a romance in my opinion. I do wish Kayleigh and Marcus had got what they deserved though, they both sounds like horrible people.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sphere for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley & Little Brown Book Group for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting, fun at times read written from the point of view of 3 people who are flying to attend the same wedding, who end up with a layover and discover that they are each harbouring a secret and carrying a lot of emotional baggage surrounding the bride and groom.

This was not what I expected the book to be, the front cover and overall feeling was giving rom com but actually this book deals with quite a niche topic of how it feels when a one sided friendship, relationship and family dynamic with a person who has narcissistic tendencies can leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth. I think this can be relatable for a lot of people to be honest.

There was an underlying theme of romance but it was not the most prevalent part of the story. I think I'd have given this book an extra star if I'd have seen either a little more romance, or some extra humour. It was funny in parts but I think it could have been more humorous! It needed a little more pizazz if you will.

I enjoyed the bookish references that were sprinkled in. My favourite character was Francesca as I thought her character development was the best, but I related the most personally to Gemma.

Overall I think this was a decent read, and a good contender for a wedding season palette cleanser, but I am not rushing to recommend this to all my friends.

Thank you netgalley and Sphere for providing me with a earc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this story by Beth Reeks, it was the perfect easy read. I really enjoyed how each pov was written to really build up the characters throughout the story, the emotional depth really added to the book.
Highly recommend this book if you are a fan of the likes of the Flatshare and any Emily Henry book.

Loved the ending of this book as well!

I went into this book blind but oh my word did I have a good time reading it. I enjouyed the 3 different povs from Gemma, Leon and Francesca and how the three were delayed at the airport.

All three are heading to a wedding and all 3 have their own reasons for wanting to stop or ruin the wedding and when the drinks start flowing and they have plenty of times to wait around, they start to talk and the plans are revealed

It was a fun easy read!

4.5/5⭐

This book? ✨ A whole rom-com movie in pages 🎬💞 The Layover is the kind of chaotic, summer romance that makes you want to book a flight just for the chance of getting stranded at an airport...because you never know who you’ll meet in a ten-hour delay ✈️

Gemma, Leon, and Francesca are three strangers with one chaotic goal: 💍 stop the same wedding. But fate (and bad weather 🌧️) has other plans...stranding them together with too much time and too many secrets ready to spill. The banter? So snappy and fun. The chemistry? OFF the charts 🔥. The backstories? Full of depth and heart 💔💖.

And let’s talk about the vibe: enemies slowly becoming allies (and maybe a little more 👀), emotional revelations in quiet airport corners, and a countdown that feels like something big is always about to happen. Watching these three go from “claws out” to “hearts open” had me smiling the entire time 😭💗✨

Leon’s protective, sarcastic older brother energy? 10/10. Gemma’s unhinged maid of honour plan? ICONIC. Francesca’s “this is my moment” mission? Dramatic in the best way. Together, they’re hilarious, messy, lovable...and the kind of characters you don’t want to say goodbye to. 🥺🌷 This book is a layover I never wanted to end 🛬💫

This was such a fab read! I haven’t read any of Beth’s work before and will now go back and look for all the books I’ve been missing out on!

The layover is such a clever idea for a story. A long overnight stay in an airport where not only do you have our 3 main characters but a whole host of travellers to help bring the story alive.
It actually felt like I was in the airport with them and to be fair I’d quite happily get stuck with Leon, Gemma and Fran!

I absolutely loved the bonding and realisation that came about during this story. 3 people who are aware who each other are and are a bit frosty to start with soon open up to each other.
The food and alcohol were flowing, the confessions were a plenty and the sudden realisation that things were not as they seemed and changes might need to take place all keep this story moving at a great pace.


I definitely felt invested in how this was going to pan out. The characters were likeable and written in a way that you wanted to support them! Except Kayleigh 😝
I loved that we got snippets of other passengers in the airport: Disney dads, stag do party, traumatised mums trying to use the toilet 😂🙈
The debate about the redheads made me chuckle and so pleased we found out in the end 😂 also sparkly thong man was certainly a surprise 😝

Gemma was my favourite, I loved her straight talking to Fran and telling it like it is. Wishing for her that she could be like that in areas of her life. She always had me chuckling. Loved the interaction with the French security and French shop staff in the airport!

So pleased I got to read this entertaining, funny, heart warming book and I look forward to more.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and author for an ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️/5

I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! All opinions are my own.

Three people going to the same wedding get stuck in the airport because of bad weather. So they stay together and start a friendship against all odds. The bride's brother who hates the groom, the bride's best friend who is also the maid of honor and has a toxic friendship with the bride and the groom's best friend from work who is totally in love with him and she plans on telling him before the wedding. During this layover they start with a plan. Will they get to the wedding in time? Will they go through with their different plans?

I read and loved the Kissing Booth trilogy so I knew I wanted to read more by the author. Sadly I didn't love this one.

I enjoyed the drama of the story, it was so funny at times. The airport adventures were great.

I liked the characters, I felt for them and I wanted them to be friends from the beginning.

Unfortunately, I found the story a bit slow and too long. Almost the whole book is set in the airport with the main characters getting to know each other and trying to decide what to do when they get to their destination and I had the urge to tell the weather to clear up so they could get on with the story.

Also it's so much more fun to read a fiction story about someone almost not making it to a wedding rather than actually living it and getting there with just an hour to spare, trust me. Even though they had a totally different situation.

I laughed so much near the end with the twist, I can't really say much more.

I liked the ending, it was nice and it felt right after all that had happened.

4.5/5

Thank you NetGally and Little Brown Book for my review copy. These are my thoughts:

Three wedding guest. One delayed flight. 24 hours to go before the bride and groom say “I do”. Will Gemma (the maid of honour), Leon (the bride’s brother) and Francesca (the groom’s “work wife”) make it in time to - stop the wedding?

This is my first book by Reekles and I have to say this was so much fun! It was thoroughly entertaining. I was invested in these three characters and what was “beneath the surface” with each of them.
A resentful maid of honour; a worried bride’s brother and, a “work wife” on a mission. I loved how they all bonded and helped each other through their individual conflicts. The airport shenanigans and and background characters added chaos and fun, in between the deeper issues being unraveled between the three characters.
The bride was insufferable and the groom a “douche”.

This was the sort of story that made the reader come up with different scenarios as the story unfolded. The ending could have gone a number of ways and I LOVED what Reekles pulled at the last minute!

This book was entertaining and fun but at the same time, touched on deeper issues and insecurities that are relatable. I
This will make a great summer read and especially if you have a long trip/flight. I recommend this book!

[Spice: no spice]

4.5/5 ⭐️ First thank you to NetGalley, author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I really enjoyed this one! This book follows three strangers all heading to a wedding, with each of them having a different reason for wanting to stop the wedding. The synopsis drew me in, and I really enjoyed following the three main characters.

It was a cute, fun rom-com with a lot of drama, and is a really good holiday read.

4.5 stars

I loved this book so much. It's a perfect binge read!

I found the idea of three people -Gemma, Leon, and Francesca- all on the way to the same wedding on the same flight and getting stranded at a random airport in France so interesting. They all have their reasons for wanting to stop the wedding and decide to team up during the unexpected layover.

You start off thinking these three are awful people but as you learn their reasons you see they are people who have been hurt by the bride or groom. As they share their experiences and late night airport chaos unfolds fueled with alcohol they create a beautiful friendship. The beginning of the wedding scenes made me gasp outloud then laugh hysterically.

This book is being marketed as a romance but personally it felt like a subplot which you see slowly unfold. Seeing one of the characters act as a matchmaker was funny yet I loved it.

Thank you to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the arc!

The Layover comes out June 26th and I recommend giving it a read.

I really really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately...I didn't. I loved the premise of Gemma, Leon and Francesca all having the same bad luck that lands them stuck from attending Kayleigh's wedding. And the fact that all three of them have seperate motives to ruin the wedding independent of each other? Such a fun set up! But I was bored out of my mind and more importantly the characters are all so mean. I get a bit of resentment, rivalry and enemy vibes but this was too far for me. It was painful to read these characters not only be so horrible about Kayleigh but to each other. It had some charm but that was all dissolved by how much of a Debby downer each character was. It just became more and more abrasive the further on I read.

I was a fan of the three POVs as a way of storytelling, but it was very overwhelming at the beginning to have all three POVS back to back to the point where I did get Gemma and Francesca confused a couple times. There were also so many plot points and moments that felt wildly unrealistic and details that didn't make sense - like since when does the brother of the bride make a speech? I just felt like this book missed it's potential by a huge margin.

This is a refreshing take on the romance genre by weaving together the perspectives of three distinct characters: Leon, Francesca, and Gemma. Each character brings a unique voice and set of experiences to the narrative, creating a well-rounded and engaging story. Reekles skillfully explores their individual journeys of self-discovery, personal growth, and the complexities of relationships.

This book was a fun and chaotic rom-com overall. I enjoyed the tropes of forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers sparks, and airport drama, it’s the perfect summer read for fans of messy love.