This was the perfect summer beach read and I adored it and the characters so much. I adore a Reekles book and this did not disappoint.

The Layover by Beth Reekles is a fun, layered take on the classic romcom trope of forced proximity, with an original airport twist that gives the story a fresh, engaging backdrop. Three strangers—Gemma, Leon, and Francesca—are all traveling to the same wedding in Barcelona, but each of them has their own secret reason for wanting to stop it. Gemma, the tired maid of honor, is questioning her loyalty to a toxic friendship. Leon, the protective brother, believes his sister is about to marry the wrong guy. And Francesca, still in love with the groom, is hoping for a second chance. When bad weather causes their flight to be delayed in France, the three are thrown together for a ten-hour layover that leads to plotting, late-night confessions, and a series of hilarious and heartfelt moments.

The book starts as a witty, entertaining romcom—complete with airport Olympics and unexpected conversations in a not-yet-open restaurant—but quickly reveals emotional depth. Reekles explores themes like self-worth, people-pleasing, and the complexities of long-standing relationships with both honesty and care. The characters are flawed in believable ways and deeply relatable: Gemma’s exhaustion with her so-called best friend, Francesca’s internal conflict over unrequited love, and Leon’s role as the responsible sibling all felt grounded and real. Each chapter is told through a different POV, giving readers a clear view of each character’s journey and allowing for a nuanced exploration of their decisions and regrets.

I especially appreciated how the story doesn’t paint any of the leads as fully right or wrong. You might not always agree with their choices, but you understand where they’re coming from—and that’s what makes them feel human. The pop culture references, dry humor, and awkward yet charming group dynamic only add to the charm. It’s easy to root for all three as they start questioning what they really want—and what they’re willing to do to get it.

While the pacing did dip slightly in the middle, and I wish the ending had given more insight into what came next for each of them after their big decisions, the emotional payoff was worth it. This is a character-driven, feel-good read that’s more than just a romcom—it’s a story about realizing you deserve better, learning to let go, and finding unexpected connection in the most unlikely places.

If you’re a fan of The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary or Emily Henry’s blend of humor and heart, you’ll love The Layover. It’s a perfect weekend escape filled with laughter, introspection, and just the right amount of chaos.

i read the blurb for this and was almost rubbing my hands together thinking " oooo this could be so good" and it did indeed follow through,
i swept through this and it was engaging and fun read with some real "ha"smiling moments. the plot was smart and the characters had me wanting to read more.
the books gives us three characters all heading to a wedding for some very different reasons. but lets just say they arent going there to enjoy the party,the coming together, or for friendships sake. nope, they are going to either stop or ruin this wedding. but then they are all stuck, now together at the airport. and so they spend their delay time plotting how to go through with each of their end goal. to stop this wedding. but as Francesca, Gemma and Leon all get to know each other and what makes their journey to here so valid, will they still want to go hard on this wedding to be or couple to be?
i really enjoyed getting to know these characters and could totally see how they were sat there at this time feeling how they were.
Gemma wants revenge. the bride to be has taken her life really. her wedding idea, her flat and now the promotion! nope. not going to go without an answer back from Gemma my friend. now i even became a bit angered towards Kayleigh. she seemed like a terrible friend. but the thin Gemma does have is a video of her. and it could ruin everything. it could finally put her back in her box. right? but there is more going on here as with friendships there often are. so is Gemma all in for this?
Leon is Kayleighs brother. he wants this over because he and his family do not like the groom. he believes certain things about why his sister could be behaving why she is. but he still not sure whats going on which is leading him to feel frankly all over the place himself. he needs to talk to his sister. he needs to see things right.
and then we have Francesca. she believes so much and im not sure what i believed about her going in. but she think Marcus is the love of her life and vice versa. she wants to tell him she loves him and have him choose her. im sorry what now. but i was also wanting to wait for this story because there is often more to this kind of thing. more from either side of the male and female relations going on here. usually woman dont just think this irrationally!
i thought this story would be light hearted fun and games. and it was all those things but it actually took thing a lot deeper and made me reflect more on what each and all was going through and i think that was a really deft touch from the author. i had the real human feelings element all the way through it. there was so much complexity of humans involved on this book. and i liked how even this "wait" time for our three involved helped them just stop. think. then maybe have a different or less rash mindset. its that dont go in all guns blazing approach or dont just act on a reaction approach.

Very interesting book!

This story revolves around three characters—Gemma, Francesca, and Leon. They are all on their way to a wedding: Gemma is the maid of honor, Leon is giving away the bride, and Francesca is the groom’s best friend. But here's the fun part "they all want to ruin the wedding."
Each of them has their own reasons and unresolved issues with either the bride or the groom:
Gemma is frustrated with Kayleigh (the bride) because Kayleigh constantly takes from her without ever considering others. Maybe she thinks Gemma is a pushover.
Leon believes that Marcus (the groom) has negatively influenced Kayleigh, turning her into someone she never used to be. He finds Marcus arrogant and self-centered.
Francesca is secretly in love with Marcus. She feels she rejected him once before and now believes he deserves to know the truth—that she still loves him.
Due to severe weather, all three end up stranded in Orly, France, during a layover. No flights can depart until the weather clears. The interesting part? They've only heard about each other through Kayleigh or Marcus—never met in person.
Stranded at the airport for over 12 hours, they begin talking. One topics leads to another, and soon, secrets start to surface. OMG! They begin unraveling layers upon layers of drama and hidden issues. As tensions rise, they grow more furious, annoyed, and determined than ever—to stop the wedding… or maybe not.
This isn't a typical love story, but it's a highly entertaining read that will keep you guessing: Will the wedding happen or not?
One thing's for sure—it’s a good read that stays with you.

The Layover by Beth Reekles
Time until “I do”: 16 days
One wedding, three people, a delayed flight, and unlimited fun, but not in the way you would expect.

Gemma, the maid of honor and best friend of the bride, is tired. Tired of faking her entire life, tired of being robbed of things she deserves by her so-called best friend, and tired of pretending that she isn’t affected by the off-hand comments the friend group gives in the name of fun. Overworked and rushing, the last thing she needs is a layover in France for an indefinite time on the way to the wedding. One particular video, taken during a hen party, is constantly on her mind. Maybe, she should stop the wedding after all?

Leon, the brother of the bride, is exasperated. He isn’t able to understand why his sister is being so distant from the family. And to further aggravate it, she is getting married to the biggest prick Leon has ever seen. Her fiancée, Marcus, is to blame. If he can have a quick, honest conversation with his sister, she can be saved from getting married to the wrong guy.

Francesca needs to stop the wedding. She’s in love with Marcus, her colleague and friend, who is getting married because he thinks she doesn’t feel the same. She needs to tell her true feelings before it's too late, or she may end up regretting it forever.

When bad weather causes a layover, the meeting of these three becomes inevitable. Forced to be with each other, unexpected discoveries and realizations, coupled with confessions, shake them. With these discoveries and realizations, will they be able to do what they had decided? You will have to read the book to find out!

This book was honestly so fun! I couldn’t stop laughing out loud. But it was equally introspective. How long will you hold on to friendships that keep hurting you, just because you are lonely? How do you let go of the sense of responsibility that makes you sacrifice your own life? And last but not least, when will you realize that you deserve more? Realize that you are not supposed to settle or romanticize things just because you don’t dare to let go of things that don’t serve you anymore. Makes you stop and think, doesn’t it? Aren’t these questions a part of our everyday lives? But, imagine getting the answers to these questions while playing airport Olympics with a random group of strangers by creating the setup with the luggage? Having midnight conversations with strangers turned friends in a restaurant that is not yet open to the public? Sounds dreamy, doesn’t it? If you enjoy these types of conversations with a whole lot of funny circumstances, then this book will be right up your alley.

As for the characters, where do I begin? They were fleshed out wonderfully! The three POVs are distinct and add an interesting perspective to the story. Each character has their own set of strengths and weaknesses, and their relationships with the people around them are a beautiful mirror of real-life relationships. Complex, heart-warming, and gray. This was the part that I resonated with the most. Having been a part of a friend group that wasn’t always kind, I could relate to Gemma. As a recovering people pleaser, who had low self-esteem, I could relate to Francesca. And as the elder daughter of the family, I could relate to Leon’s sense of responsibility. This relatability made me feel more connected to the characters and to the story overall.

The only thing that didn’t sit right with me was that the ending wasn’t fleshed out. The story builds up to characters making some big decisions, but the aftermath is left mostly off-page. Since this is a feel-good book, I can understand that the ending wasn’t the highlight of the book, but still, I wish it were.

Overall, I highly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants a feel-good, laugh-out-loud kind of story with a much-needed dash of emotional depth!

Rating-4/5
Thank you, Netgalley and Little Brown Group, for the opportunity to read this book!

#thelayover #netgalley

3.75⭐️

I had so much fun with this read - a perfect holiday book!

A three person POV of three people on the way to a destination wedding for (a not so) perfect couple … (or maybe they’re perfect for each other)! There’s some suspense, heart-break, laughter, silliness, learning your worth and even a little bit of romance thrown in the mix.

A tale of family, friendship and putting yourself first - a fun, easy read - that had my routing for Happy ever after’s for a chaotic trio.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for this ARC

This book was a really fun surprise. The writing felt easy and smooth, and I liked how different the structure was compared to other romcoms. It’s more about the characters and how they deal with their emotions than only focusing on romance. Gemma, Leon, and Francesca all felt very real to me, with messy but interesting personalities. I also appreciated the mix of humour and serious moments, it made the story feel more balanced. Even with all the chaos going on, the emotional side still hit hard in a good way. Loved it. Thank you so much to the author, Little, Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review

This was such a fun read with a really fresh twist on the classic “stop the wedding” storyline. Gemma, Leon, and Francesca all have their own reasons for wanting to derail the same wedding, and when a layover throws them together, chaos (and a lot of character growth) follows.

I really liked how each of the three had distinct voices and motivations - there was a good mix of humour, heart, and a bit of emotional mess, which kept things interesting. Some bits dragged slightly pacing-wise, but overall it was clever and entertaining with a satisfying emotional payoff.

It’s not your typical romcom in structure, but that’s what made it stand out. The focus on unlikely friendships, second chances, and figuring out what you really want gave the story a lot more depth than I expected going in. There’s a nice blend of introspection and chaos that works well without feeling too heavy.

The airport setting gave it a slightly enclosed, almost “locked-room” vibe that worked really well for pushing the characters into honesty and reflection. By the end, I genuinely cared about all three of them and appreciated how their stories wrapped up. Definitely one to recommend for readers who enjoy character-driven plots with a side of wedding drama.

Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for supplying an ARC copy.

Gemma is on her way to her best friends destination wedding (that she planned) feeling ready to finally stand up for herself.
Leon is determined to make his sister see sense that her groom is just not good enough for her and the whole family hate him!
Francesca is on her way to declare her love to the groom who she shared a wonderful night with before letting him slip away.

Each of them have a well planned scheme ready to execute until a delayed flight has them all spending the night in Orly airport together! Over cocktails, hen and stag night shenanigans and of course a little airport shopping each of their plans start to fall apart as they begin to question how well do they really know the couple, and themselves!

Beth has delivered yet another fabulous story that will make you laugh out loud and feel all the emotions. This is a guaranteed hit summer holiday read!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for providing a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I wasnt sure how this book was going to play out but i absolutely loved it - the characters had really interesting back stories and you grow to love them all throughout the story. A brilliant holiday read

The layover is a rom com that is heavy on the ‘com’, light on the ‘rom’. I actually really didn’t like any of the 3 main characters to begin with but I found that I really enjoyed their individual journeys throughout the book and the lighthearted comedy and banter really carried this book.

I feel like there could have been a little more plot to really elevate this book and balance out the slow pace but overall I quite enjoyed it.

Thank you to Little Brown Book Group for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Gemma is the maid of honour, but her intentions are anything but honourable. After years of being second best, stuck watching the bride get everything she worked for, losing her promotion on the eve of the wedding is the last straw. Armed with an incriminating video from the hen party, Gemma's plan to finally get even is in she's going to stop this wedding. Leon thinks his sister is making a huge mistake getting married. Colossal. The groom is rude and uptight, and he's turned his sister into someone unrecognisable to their family. If he could just get her alone for one quick, honest conversation, he's sure he could save his sister from making the biggest mistake of her life. He has to stop this wedding. Francesca and the groom have been close for years and once shared a perfect night together - until he met the bride-to-be. But she's convinced he still loves her; that he's her One That Got Away. This is her last chance to finally confess her love for him, or risk losing him forever. She must stop this wedding. When bad weather grounds their flight, the trio meet. Faced with a ten-hour layover and nothing but time to get to know one another, it doesn't take long before the claws come out and their plans are revealed. After all, ten hours is plenty of time to come up with a plan to get what they all want - isn't it?

This book is a DNF at 25% for me. I really struggled to get into the story which is such the same as the idea really drew me in. Having three different POVs isn’t an issue, but it feels like a lot when the chapters are very short and we keep switching from person to person. Add in how whiny they are, I couldn’t read any further. These characters are all adults but they really come across as petulant teenagers. If I’m going to read a book that is compared to Icebreaker and The Spanish Love Deception (both of which I loved!) then it needs to be good. And this really wasn’t for me. In fact, I think it would be wrong to compare this book to those titles because they really don’t feel on the same level.

Overall, The Layover is a book with a great synopsis but the story just doesn’t hold up.

Thank you again to Little Brown Book Group for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

3 ⭐️

Oh man, I had such a great time with this. I could not put it down because the antics were just too funny. obstacle courses, siblings vs. dating, alcohol fueled breakdowns.

Gemma how i love you, you messy b*tch. She lives for the drama, and as it turns out, so do I. Imagine buying the girl who's trying to steal your best friends fiancee lingerie. Fran grew on me once they found themselves in duty-free. Leon is sweet, and you just want to hug him. They made a good little trio once they became aware of their actual feelings towards the happy couple.

Speaking of the happy couple, I honestly felt like they became caricatures of themselves. Especially kayleigh, and you have to hate them because there's no redeeming qualities given for them at any point. The ending of the book killed me not just because it was funny but it also proves that these two actually do just deserve each other.


The best part of the book other than the hilarity of the antics is seeing these three people become supports for each other during this time. While I liked the romantic possibilities, I actually enjoyed the friendship between Gemma and fran more. I also think it was a smart choice to have the POV swap during conversations to capture everyone's feelings on it.

I would like to clarify, though, that this is not a romance. I don't know why it's being marketed as one. Is there a tiny sprinkling of romance? Yes. But it is not the focus. It's also definitely not rivals to lovers or grumpy/ sunshine. They've just met, and they're all in terrible moods at the start.

I've gone with 3 stars because while I did really enjoy the funny aspects, I didn't feel myself connecting to the characters emotionally. I also found frans insistence on still making a play for Marcus grating towards the end. The book felt a little bit messy at times too, like the pacing was off. But i do think it would make a good movie, I could for sure see a certain streaming service doing it.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4.5⭐️

This book follows three people, stuck in an airport on their way to a wedding after a storm grounds their flight. Is the maid of honour, brides brother and the groom’s “work wife” going to make it in time? However their secret? Unbeknownst to each other, all three of them are actually on their way to try stop/ruin the wedding! Oh the drama 😍

💚 Likes 💚
- I thought the story was very unique, I’ve never read anything like it!
- The drama! It feels like when your friend tells you all of their work gossip about people you’ve never met, but you’re SO invested in it all 😂
- I thought this book was very reflective, with the characters continually reflecting on themselves, who they were, and their relationships.
- Great character development.
- Flawed, morally grey characters who were very well written. This could have so easily have been a book where you ended up hating all of the characters, but the author managed to skillfully avoid that scenario!
- Great dynamics between the characters.

💔 Dislikes 💔
- Too many pop culture references.

Overall, I loved this book! If you like a book with gossip and drama, you will love this! The airport setting also makes it the perfect holiday read, so one I’d definitely recommend picking up this summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I loved the sound of this book, the premise and tropes were right up my street.

The setting was brilliant and I liked the alternating points of view but I did struggle with this one. I found the characters so irritating and depressing during the first half of the book that by the time the we got to know them I didn't care. The romance ended up being a secondary part of the story and it was more about the characters accepting that they deserved more.

Unfortunately this wasn't for me.

Another fun and quick read by Beth Reekles. I enjoyed my time while reading The Layover and connecting with all the characters and had so much with this. I loved how Gemma, Leon and Francesca all had their own reasons for wanting to stop the wedding, and how they all spent hours ploting togetther when their flight was delayed. I loved the references to Nesta in ACOTAR and the funny plot twist at the end but I do wish we got to see more of the aftermath.

I did liked the whole scenario about the wedding and that its about three different people who never wanted the wedding to happen.
What i loved about it was the different characterd and their backstorys and that the book is basicall just happening in around 20 hours and yet we have a lot of character development AND even a little rlmance story between two of the characters. The end disappointed me somehow even though i liked how they somekind of reflected their actions and future desicions if it would be really the right desicion.

✨4 stars✨

This was such a fun, fast-paced read, perfect for summer!

We follow three characters: Gemma, Leon and Francesca, as they are stuck in an airport overnight as their flight to Barcelona has been delayed due to bad weather. The reason for their trip all has to do with the wedding of Kayleigh and Marcus. Over the course of the night truths and motives are revealed which made for a really interesting read! I literally read this book in two sittings as I found the author’s writing really engaging and I just wanted to see how everything would come together in the end!

Gemma: Bride Kayleigh’s long-time best friend
Leon: Bride Kayleigh’s brother who hates her fiancé Marcus
Francesca: the soon-to-be groom’s “work wife” who believes that he is in love with her but has actually been breadcrumbing her.

I really enjoyed all three of the character’s narratives and storylines.

The only downside would be that there was a lot of pop culture references so if that’s not your thing then that might be something to keep in mind.

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

On the way to a wedding in Barcelona, the maid of honour, the bride’s brother, and a work colleague of the groom are delayed and diverted to Orly Airport in France. What else do they have in common apart from being invited to the same wedding? Each of them harbours a secret hope that the wedding will fall apart on the day.. even if it means they are the one to ruin it. Gemma, the maid of honour, is furious at being overshadowed by the bride, especially after she swooped in and stole the promotion Gemma had worked so hard to secure. Leon, the bride’s brother, thinks the groom is rude and controlling, turning his sister into someone he barely recognises. Meanwhile, Francesca, the groom’s work colleague, believes he’s her “one that got away” after a romantic night together before he met the bride and she’s convinced he still returns her feelings after years of flirtation.

This book was a real mixed bag for me. I spent the first half actively detesting all the characters. Alternating between the POVs of the three main leads, none of them initially had many redeeming features, and even the bride and groom seemed genuinely awful. However, the story takes a real turn when the emotional undercurrents and backstories of the characters are revealed. It becomes clear that this isn’t just a story about a wedding gone wrong, it’s about discovering who you really are, confronting the reality of the people you’ve trusted, and recognising what you truly deserve. I found it to be a really beautiful story of self-discovery and personal growth, with each character having their own insecurities and self-esteem struggles, and ultimately finding the strength to say, “I deserve more.”

The synopsis pitches the story as the ultimate romantic summer read with forced proximity, rivals-to-lovers, and grumpy/sunshine tropes. However, these tropes aren't used in the traditional sense. The romance is definitely second place to the story of friendship, personal relationships, and self-discovery. Also, since the story takes place over roughly 24 hours, it’s a bit of a stretch to call it a rivals-to-lovers arc, it’s more about two people meeting under stressful circumstances, initially misjudging each other, and slowly building a truer picture of each other.

That said, I really did enjoy the second half of the book. I liked how my initial dislike of the characters gradually turned into empathy and understanding. I particularly felt for Gemma, when you’re alone in the world, even if you’re assertive and blunt, it can be incredibly hard to let go of the one person who's always been there, even if that relationship is ultimately toxic. Letting go is hard. Leon has taken on the mantle of being his family’s protector, which means he’s been putting his life second place to that of everyone around him and once again, it can be hard to let, and watch, the people you love fail. I also really felt for Francesca, she’s at a place where her friendship group is settling down and she’s always been the one that’s picked the wrong men. She’s built up this incredibly romantic notion of the groom being in love with her and rushing in at the last moment to declare her love which she feels is return by the cruel way he’s been stringing her along but giving her just enough interest to think her feelings are returned. I think in some ways she’s clung on to it because it’s safer than putting herself out there and risking being hurt by picking the wrong person again.

It's clear to see that this one definitely had a real emotional pull that made the characters you initially think are pretty awful, actually being really quite nice, and overwhelming kind to each other. My one lingering wish is that there had been an epilogue to show how the characters moved on after the wedding. It felt like the story was missing just that little bit of extra closure. However, I still enjoyed the story overall, and I found the author's writing style really engaging. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from Beth Reekles in the future!

Let me start with saying… This is my type of romance book. I get the point of a romance book is the romance, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I need every chapter to be hot and heavy on the lovey dovey front. Beth Reekles is an absolute wizard at making romance happen around other events, themes, narratives and The Layover is no exception! This book is FABULOUS!
 
Opening with a protagonist, Gemma, teasing us with some content that could upheave the whole wedding and getting the reader to actually despise the bride is a genius, and unexpected by me, move. Normally a trope of this genre is to feel sorry for the bride or, if the bride is dislikeable, the bride is more of a forefront character than Kayleigh. Through this introduction, and then the perceptions of Kayleigh through the two other protagonist’s eyes too, it was a truly marvellous way of delivering a 360 character without them being a main character.

Leon and Francesca’s stories are equally as relatable. I’m sure we’ve all known someone who’s harboured feelings for someone getting married and I’m also certain we’ve not always loved who our friends and family have dated. However, it is their dynamic together that steals the spotlight for me within The Layover. Their fast-paced quips at one another partnered with stolen glances here, jabs that may be too harsh there, will they/won’t they energy was brilliance when countered against Gemma too! I could’ve happily read a sequel straight away after I finished!
 
Now for the setting of it all. When I realised a good portion of the book was going to be set in an airport with minimal change of setting, I did panic a tad (although as I’ll explain it was completely unfounded!). Airports are where some of us get to our most stressed, and the thought of spending an entire book adventure in this settling felt like it would evoke those emotions, but it never happened!
 
Beth Reekles keeps the action coming quick and heavy with the narrative moving along at a most enjoyable speed that I often forgot they were still in an airport! It shows a real excellence in writing to take such a confined setting and be able to make pretty much a whole novel pass by without it becoming a frustration of the reader. Massive kudos to Beth for this and it shows why she’s such an industry powerhouse in the genre!

Whether you’re in an airport bookshop or just browsing online, The Layover is the perfect adult read for this upcoming summer! I encourage everyone to get a copy, pack it away and hop on a plane… One that I hope doesn’t have to make a layover!