This was genuinely such a fantastic rom com. It is a slow burn but the slow element is so good and so entertaining with everything else. The start was a bit slow but once they hit Spain, I couldn’t put the book down! This would be a fantastic summer or vacation read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for this ARC!

Too Hot to Handle is Portia MacIntosh’s latest vacation romantic comedy, perfect for a beach read. While the characters are British and the story contains British phrasing, it is easy for Americans to understand. There is some mild profanity, and the sex scenes are “closed door.”

Molly is a recruiter at an English biscuit factory and has been dating a dull investment banker for several years. Dean isn’t interested in marriage and only lets Molly keep a toothbrush and change of underwear at his flat. Meanwhile Molly’s best friend, Louise “Lou”, gets a marriage proposal from her boyfriend of three years, Ellis. That same evening, dullard Dean dumps Molly.

Fast forward eight months and Lou has to move up her wedding date due to a plumbing issue at the resort in Spain. Her hen party, a weeklong vacation with her three best friends before the wedding, is also relocated to a seaside villa. When the ladies arrive, they discover that the villa has been accidentally double booked by a group of men who have no intention of leaving. Neither group wants to give up their place in paradise and they can’t find a compromise. They decide to have a winner-takes-all-competition between the girls and boys.

There’s all kinds of silly antics as the groups compete to keep the villa, so much that it feels like a reality TV show. Molly finds herself attracted to Travis, one of the bachelors, and there’s lots of banter between both groups. Unfortunately it appears that Travis is the groom in his group, so Molly has to bury her feelings.

Too Hot to Handle is an enjoyable escapist romance that contains many hilarious scenes. Readers can easily relate to Molly, who has a terrible evening after helping Ellis propose to her best friend. She’s heartbroken, lonely, and can’t seem to meet any decent guys. She also doesn’t get along well with one of the other bridesmaids. So readers are left wondering is she will find romance, and with who?

While the story moves slowly at first, the descriptions are so vivid that it’s like watching a movie. The competitive misadventures at the villa are over the top! Readers will laugh out loud while reading Too Hot to Handle and wish that a TV producer would create a show like this.

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

This is the perfect read to bring along to the beach or pool—light, funny, and easy to breeze through. The premise is great, and while the story slows down a bit in the middle, the last 30% really pulled me in. Overall, it leaned more toward a slow burn for me, with no open-door scenes.

The story kicks off with Molly watching her best friend get engaged. Later that night, her boyfriend of a few years invites her to a romantic, private dinner at an empty restaurant. She thinks this could be her big moment too—but instead, she gets a shocking surprise. Cue the breakup.

Still wanting to support her newly engaged friend Lou, Molly heads off on a hen party getaway. The girls arrive at a beautiful villa—only to discover it’s been double-booked. Now they’re stuck sharing the space with a group of guys on a bachelor party. What follows is a week of hilarious competitions to win the villa for the second week. It was fun watching which guys got under which girls’ skin and all the sparks that flew.

That said, some moments had me rolling my eyes—in the best way. Like the shampoo scene—why on earth would the girls even give the guys a chance to get into their rooms or mess with their stuff? I was yelling at them half the time for the silly things they did, but it added to the humor.

In the end, I enjoyed the dynamics and friendships between the two groups. I did wish for a bit more steam, though. With a title like Too Hot to Handle, I went in expecting some spice, so I was a little disappointed on that front. Still, the story was fun and entertaining, and it made for a great quick read.

My rating is 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. I know it’s silly to deduct points for the lack of spice, but come on—with that title, it felt a little implied!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC.

The perfect rom com ! absolutely loved it and would highly recommend.
Funny, light reading which had me laughing out loud. A perfect holiday read ! Utter chaos but a brilliant read .
Will Molly end up with Travis - who knows ?
Thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Portia Macintosh for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

In Too Hot to Handle by Portia MacIntosh Molly's Best friend is about to be engaged, but she's not aware since it's supposed to be a surprise. She ruins the surprise by finding out, but all goes well, and now there's a wedding happening. Unfortunately, Molly's life is not going as well as her friend's, since that is the same day her boyfriend decides to break up with her. But the wedding preparations for her friend go on. The wedding is to take place in Spain, so the bridesmaids are excited to take a girls-only vacation. The rude shock happens when they discover that the villa they had booked has other occupants. Men who are also preparing for a wedding on the same weekend, so they have to cohabit together, but there's a problem: these men are not only rough, but they're also very unkind. In order to decide which team will remain in the villa during the second week, there has to be a fair competition, which makes the vacation very unpleasant. But by and by, both teams begin to enjoy each other's company, and maybe a little too much, and no one knows where all the competition will lead. Well, let's find out in this book Too Hot to Handle by Portia MacIntosh

I like the drama and the unexpected twists and turns in the book. Although the girls expected a quiet vacation, the exact opposite happened; this will heighten the reader's curiosity. The dialogue between the characters is engaging, and the characters themselves are well developed and easy to relate to, i like that too. Additionally, I like the fact that the book does not have a high level of profanity. Above all, I like the humor in the book, readers will find the book very hilarious especially where the main character is concerned.

Although the book is based on rivals, sometimes the competition is quite rough; it might put off some readers, but the chaos eventually made a lot of sense in the end.

I rate this book, Too Hot to Handle by Portia MacIntosh, 5 out of 5 stars. The book effortlessly drew me in; it was an excellent read.

I recommend the book to readers who love rom-com books. The book is a romantic comedy based on rivals and a vacation setting. The book is simply fantastic.

I really enjoyed this book it was such a fun read. Portia Macintosh is fast becoming one of my go to authors. Just something about her humour and writing style really appeals to me. This book was no exception.

Four friends head to France to stay in a villa for a hen two weeks before on of the group Lou gets married in the area. On arrival they find out that the villa has been double booked by a group of guys on a stag do. They decide to go head to head in various competitions, the winners stay in the villa the loosers have to move out. The book is full of funny and charasmatic characters and the perfect rom-com it hits all the boxes. I was laughing out loud throught the book. Would make a great film.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an ARC version of this book in exhange for an honest review.

What could go wrong when a pack of ladies are accidentally booked in the same villa with a pack of guys?
Shenanigans galore of course with plenty of secrets to be revealed.
I love how Molly dealt with her drip ex and the scene when the ladies arrive at the villa was hilarious!
Travis was a dreamboat and I loved he and Molly’s interactions.
Weddings seem to beget weddings so read this book to find out who gets hitched!

Too Hot to Handle is a forced proximity, rivals to lovers romance novel following Molly from helping pull off her best friends proposal to getting dumped and attending her best friend’s hen party and wedding in Spain!

Molly has sworn off men but when forced into the close proximity of a group of stags she might be swayed.

I really enjoyed reading this, it was an easy read and one I just found myself getting drawn into.

📖 Book Review 📖 I was the first in my friend group to get married so I was the hitched lady at all of the wedding shenanigans. But boy do I remember the bridesmaids days like it was yesterday and there was some drama. Portia MacIntosh vividly - and hysterically - brings the dynamics of all of our best friend’s weddings to life in Too Hot to Handle. Add a still raw breakup and a destination bachelorette to Spain with MacIntosh’s signature comedic gold writing style and readers are in for a real treat! Molly is so in need of this getaway with the girls and it’s all sun and sangria until the villa is double double booked with a bunch of dudes on a bachelor party. Chaos ensues in the best way possible. Once again, Portia MacIntosh delivers a perfectly delightful escape.

Bridesmaid Molly goes to a bachelorette getaway in Spain—but the villa is double-booked to a rowdy group of guys who refuse to leave. With paradise on the line, it’s women vs. men in a battle to decide who stays. But amid the chaos, Molly is soon attracted to charming Travis. Will she choose victory or love?

This fun and hilarious rom-com is sweet and uplifting. The location is dreamy, and the characters are likable and relatable. The audiobook narration by Karen Cass matches the tone of the book perfectly.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Tropes to love:
✧ Wedding shenanigans
✧ Forced proximity
✧ Rivals-to-lovers
✧ Girls vs. boys showdown
✧ Sun-soaked, spicy summer fling vibes

Portia MacIntosh is back with another laugh-out-loud, sun-drenched romantic comedy that is too hot to handle—literally. If you love vacation chaos, sizzling tension, and characters with enough banter to power a beach resort, this one’s for you.

When Type-A maid-of-honor Molly arrives in Spain for her bestie’s bachelorette week, she expects bottomless sangria and poolside gossip—not a double-booked villa and a bunch of cocky stags who have no intention of leaving. Enter Travis, the smug-yet-charming rival stag who has Molly rolling her eyes… and maybe stealing a few glances.

From water balloon fights to cocktail competitions, MacIntosh keeps the pace zippy and the antics wildly entertaining. It’s girls vs. guys with a villa on the line—and, of course, Molly’s heart caught somewhere in between.

The enemies-to-something-more slow burn is perfectly matched with the summery setting and a cast of chaotic best friends. It’s the kind of vacation read you devour in one sitting, preferably with your toes in the sand and your drink topped up.

Fans of Sophie Kinsella, Beth O’Leary, or a flirty Love Island twist will be all over this.

Fun, flirty, and full of heat—this book is the literary equivalent of summer in a glass.

What an exceptionally delightful and perfect read! I loved the premise of the book; a vacation villa mix-up where Molly and her three friends find themselves in a double-booking situation with four guys. Well, all is fair in love and . . . villas? Both parties are there to attend weddings, so with a two week stay on the line, both parties decide on some competitive fun to see who gets to stay. The crazy competition ideas everyone comes up with in order to best the others is funny and creative. There is plenty of sass, banter and attraction between characters. And when you are finally approaching the end, there are a few surprises. This is my new favorite book by MacIntosh!

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely devoured Too Hot to Handle by Portia MacIntosh—she’s officially become an auto-buy author for me! I loved her writing style; it’s sharp, witty, and effortlessly engaging.

I loved the plot, and was really rooting for our fmc, Molly, such a brilliantly written character.

This book flew by and was such a fun read. Honestly, I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but I was hooked! Off to buy more of Portia’s books now!

2.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

This book was extremelyyy slow for me. I just don’t think it was for me (which I am definitely in the minority about!) To be fair, I have never watched a lot of reality TV, but the vibes were very similar to what one would see on a dating show, which makes sense as several references were made to Love Island.

While it has similar vibes to reality TV, ultimately that is not what’s happening. They double booked the same villa. I realize romance books can blur the lines between realistic and not, but staying in a villa with men you do not know and did not decide to do it intentionally is an interesting choice. I’d be concerned of my safety - despite the guys seeming alright - you never really know.

There was a lot of internal monologue. I think it would have been better if there was more banter between the women and men at the villa. The romance felt very surface level to me, there was no depth to their relationship. Nothing to make me want to fight for them.

The competition activities kept me entertained enough, but they were very quick on page.

This is a super quick light-hearted rom-com. My bigges issue with this story is that the entire time I was reading it, I felt like I had read this many times before. I didn't really connect with any of the characters or was vested in the plot. Definitely not my favorite MacIntosh read.

There is nothing like a Portia Macintosh to make you

A. laugh out loud
B. want to go on a beach holiday and
C. Swoon at the mmc!

This time Molly is newly single from her awful ex Dean (bloody Dean) and she has just arrived at a villa for her friends for a wedding in which she is a bridesmaid...only to find that there is already a group of stags staying there! So begins a week of games and pranks to see who gets to stay for the second week at the villa.

This was probably one of Portias funniest books to date and I loved every second, especially the whole debacle with the boys and the shampoo. The lengths they went to to cover it up will have you laughing out loud!

Easiest five stars ever!

Too Hot to Handle by Portia MacIntosh was a fun book to read. I liked the characters, and the storyline was so good.
One Villa and two groups of friends that have each reserved it. Once they got to the villa, they discovered that each group did reserve it but due to a mix up someone had to leave. This starts with the idea of them sharing it but with restrictions on what part of the villa they could be in.
I liked the interaction between the groups. They were fun to get to know as I was reading.
Thank you NetGalley, Portia MacIntosh and Boldwood Books for the Arc. This is my personal review.

Romance en Espagne.

Too Hot to Handle se distingue par son humour et sa légèreté, apportant une agréable bouffée de fraîcheur et nous plongeant immédiatement dans l'ambiance festive et ensoleillée d'Espagne. Au début, j'avais quelques craintes quant à la prévisibilité de l'histoire, mais j'ai été agréablement surprise par son évolution. Ce roman est à la fois divertissant et plaisant, avec une écriture fluide, ce qui rend l'expérience de lecture très agréable. Cependant, j'ai noté un léger problème de rythme dans le récit : l'histoire met un peu trop de temps à se lancer, puis s'accélère brusquement vers la fin, et j'ai eu le sentiment qu'il manquait quelque chose. Cela m'a un peu laissée sur ma faim.

C'est une belle lecture pour commencer le printemps et rêver de vacances. Il s'agit de mon premier livre de cette autrice, et il m'a donné envie de découvrir ses autres ouvrages.

Merci à Netgalley, à l'autrice et aux éditeurs pour cette lecture.

She's back! Macintosh is my go-to author when it comes to the romantic comedy. I'm guaranteed to finish the book with a smile on my face!

Too Hot to Handle didn't disappoint. It's lighthearted, filled with fun and plenty of laugh out loud moments.

Brilliant characters, the perfect summer setting and some of my favourite bookish tropes.

Funny, warm and enjoyable.

“Too Hot to Handle” by Portia MacIntosh is a sweet and funny rom-com.
I received a digital review copy from Boldwood Books via Netgalley.
Molly is the maid of honour for her friend that will get married in Spain. They rent a villa there for the bachelorette party, only to find out it was accidentally double booked by a group of stags. They decide that they will compete for the villa. It was very fun to read about this two rival teams competing. They found such funny games, but they also had some cute moments.
Molly starts to like one of the bestmen, Travis, and they start spending more time together. This was a slow burn sweet romance and a bit of a misunderstanding.
If you are looking for a funny summer read, this book is for you.