The perfect summertime read! I loved the whole thing.
Bailey is an influencer who has lost her way, but is invited on an all expenses paid trip to Jamaica to share her experiences online. The only drawback is that the trip is for couples only, and Bailey has broken up with her partner so has no one to go with.
Her brother suggests that his best friend Cash goes along as her 'other half'. They have to convince both the organisers and Bailey's peers that they are a loving couple, which will prove to be a difficult task as Cash & Bailey have never got along with one another. In fact, bailey is convinced that cash hates her!
Will they get along well enough to convice everyone that they are a real couple, or will it all end up being a total disaster?
I won't spoinl it for other readers, but you are in for a real treat!

The perfect book to pick up during summertime!

This is a very fast paced book, under 300 pages, so if you're looking for a quick and fun summer read - this is the one! I loved the brothers best friend trope a lot, which isn't normally the case, but this was done so well!

This was originally going to be around 3.5 stars, however there was one quote that punched me right in the gut and was far too relatable to not bump the rating up!

"Is there something wrong with me? Something fundamentally wrong about me that makes me only attractive to men like this? Is this my future? My destiny? Always the side piece, never the one?"

This was a super cute holiday read about the most adorable characters- Cash and Bailey.

Bailey is an influencer who is struggling to regain her motivation after an online scandal. Cash is her brother’s best friend (yes, I know I have already got you convinced). When Bailey gets her first opportunity since ‘the incident’ to go on an all expenses paid couples week away to Jamaica Bailey is disappointed that she has to turn down the offer - she is single after all. Enter Cash, who agrees to pretend to be her boyfriend in order to go on the trip.
From this point the sparks begin to fly between the couple and it becomes harder and harder to figure out the lines between pretend and real feelings.

I loved every second of this book and found Cash so cute I could have cried. Definitely recommend this if you are looking for a fun summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I totally love a good fake dating story and if it's a destination novel I'll love it even more.
I really liked the vacation vibes, and the writing was really easy and flowy to read. The tension between Bailey and Cash was growing really fast, maybe a bit too fast for my liking. Remembering they only spend a week of vacation together it felt a bit rushed.
And I must admit that the whole influencer thing wasn't something I could enjoy. That made it really hard in the beginning, especially. I have never read a novel about an influencer before and now I see why.

A cute, fun, and summery read for inbetween :)

Bailey agrees to a 1 week holiday in Jamaica in order to try to save her life as an influencer .being single, she has no option but to take her brother's best friend, Cash, as her partner- the trouble is, they dislike each other. A really enjoyable read to find out if her career can be revived and if they can tolerate each other's company for a week.

This was a cute read, albeit a bit short.

The relationship was sweet, but it progressed ridiculously fast. Like insta-love essentially. I know the premise of the book was 7 days spent together but how is she in love within 4 days essentially? Not enough background information about their relationship to make this remotely believable.

3.25/5

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC

Set in an exclusive resort for couples only, in Jamaica - where the water is crystal clear, the sun blazes and the chemistry sizzles just as hot! I absolutely loved the setting.

This is a super fake dating trope and a forced proximity trope! I highly recommend that you escape to the tropical paradise of Jamaica with this fast, fun and spicy read! I thought it was brilliant.

Bailey is an influencer and a video went viral, undermining everything she had built up, tarnishing both her reputation and all the effort she had poured into growing her socials. Her follower count dropped significantly.

Bailey therefore grabs the chance to rebuild her brand and her image, with a lavish, all-expenses-paid escape to an exclusive couple’s only Jamaican resort – a week in Paradise! But there is one problem. Bailey is single. In steps Cash, her brother’s best friend, who very reluctantly agrees to Bailey’s brother’s suggestion to be her fake boyfriend for the week. Cash feels he is doing his brother a favour. How could he turn down a free holiday to Jamaica with endless sunshine! Sometimes, you just must seize the moment! There is one thing Cash is not revealing though – he has had a crush on Bailey since they were both teenagers!

As it is a couples only resort, their room has one bed, a canopy bed …. but this is not a problem. They are both adults, they have decided to go on this holiday together and therefore they can handle a little close proximity. Or so they think!

During their holiday, their fake romance starts feeling real particularly for Cash. Cash starts having genuine feelings for Bailey and feels that there is an authentic connection. Cash feelings for Bailey deepen, and he becomes very protective of her.

Everyone has a past. Some keep secrets, some protect them, and many find hiding them easier than facing reality. Bailey has a past secret she’s determined to keep from Cash. But as they grow closer, Cash starts to suspect she’s keeping something from him. And Bailey feels so comfortable with Bailey that she opens up about the video that went viral and ruined her work as an influencer. I did feel sorry for Bailey as it was not her fault and it should have no way have led to where it did – however, if this did not happen, she would still be with Ethan and not got together with Cash!

You could feel the chemistry between Bailey and Cash was electric and that the sparks were flying very quickly! There was fiery desire from them both, and their passion for each other burned very hot! The characters had such depth, you truly felt like you really knew them. I liked the other influencers, Meera, Sara and Bea but I did not like Lacey – I really did not like her at all! But the others were supportive and a lovely group with the lovely Penelope too! I would have liked to have seen a bit more between the group as a whole and their friendship network which started to build but I understand that each of them is an individual influencer, focused on building their own brand and increasing their follower count.

Such a fun spicy read and who would have thought that so much could happen and change in a week! A great book, that I really enjoyed. I was very pleased with the ending!

Thank you very much Simon & Schuster UK for my advanced copy. This review is based on a NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Anise Starre's One Week in Paradise is a very cute read. Bailey and Cash are an adorable couple and Starre includes many creative activities for the week in paradise. The "ghosting" action in seductive ways is definitely a first. Starre's story makes for a fun beach read. It had wonderful spice. I kind of wish that we got to know some of the influencers a little better who were on the trip (the friendships seem a bit rushed ish?) especially because then it would make the epilogue feel more rewarding. Overall it was so much fun. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book. All thoughts are my own.

Plot: ⭐️ ⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5

This was a fun easy read but that’s about all. There’ was nothing particularly special or exciting about it.
The pacing felt off - the touching her in the bar under the blanket scene felt like it came totally out of left field. There was no where near enough tension and buildup for that so it felt really rushed.
And cash flip flopping ever two seconds came across as repetitive.
Overall, this wasn’t the feelings forward romance it promised to be.

I wanted to like this book but it just didn’t deliver what it promised. I didn’t gel with Bailey at all, and found her both naive and irritating; I did like Cash though, but he deserved so much better. There was too much drama which was all too quickly and easily resolved, so there was just no tension, and the romance felt wholly unrealistic.

I’m sure others would enjoy this but it wasn’t for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks so much for the publisher and author for the eARC!

What a great debut novel! The story follows influencer, Bailey Clarke, after a very public and rough break up, which has a knock on effect on her confidence, her income and her passion. Whilst living with her parents, she encounters her brother's best friend, Caspian 'Cash' Reid, and is under the impression that he is not her biggest fan. When an opportunity arises to reignite her career, Bailey enlists the help of Cash as they fake date for the couples resort brand.
One week is enough to change both their lives.
This is a great romance read, that's super fast paced, it has all the major and much loved tropes. The book does a great job to showcase that there is more behind the camera and picture perfect photos. Starre does a great job in creating a likeable character in Bailey, who is fighting her corner to prove her worth to her parents but also her presence at the resort (with other influencers). I also loved how Cash was always present, defending and following her career. Whilst there are several occasions where Bailey is left feeling rejected, Cash does a great job in reinforcing her strength and self worth following the aftermath of her break up.
The story moves fast, and once both characters finally get over the barriers of their relationship, it's not long before we see the cutest happy ever after. Starre also does a great job in setting up the next book... I can't wait to read more!
Would definitely recommend!

5⭐️

Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster for sending me a review copy—I’m a long-time fan and reader of Anise’s work, and I absolutely adored this book. Her storytelling is always so immersive, and I’m insanely happy that her books have found a home with you. It’s a perfect match!

Full disclosure: I first read One Week in Paradise when Anise self-published it back in 2023, and I absolutely adored it then. Reading it again now, I’m happy to say it’s just as brilliant the second time around, if not more so. This is the kind of book you want to pack in your beach bag; the ultimate sunshine-filled escape. It’s light, fun, romantic, and completely addictive.

Bailey and Cash were perfection together. Their chemistry leapt off the page, and I couldn’t get enough of them. I’m a complete sucker for a brother’s best friend romance, especially when it’s paired with forced proximity, simmering tension, and best of all no third act breakup!

The plot is wonderfully bingeable. Bailey’s life is turned upside down after an incident that puts her career in jeopardy. When a dream opportunity arises, an all-expenses-paid trip to Jamaica, she’s thrilled. But there’s a catch: it’s for couples only, and she’s single. Enter her brother’s best friend, Cash, who offers to go with her. What follows is a heart-melting week in paradise where fake feelings begin to feel very real.

One Week in Paradise is packed with all the tropes to make you feel like you’re on vacation with Bailey and Cash: brother’s best friend, (one-sided) dislike to friends to lovers, found family, forced proximity, and a swoony summer romance. Anise has a way of making you feel like you’re right there, basking in the sun alongside the characters. I finished it in one sitting and didn’t want it to end.

Tropes

Brothers best friend
Holiday romance set in Jamaica
Dislike to friends to lovers (One-sided)
Forced proximity
Only one bed
No third act breakup

A cute low-stakes summer holiday romance read!

I love a brothers best friend/semi forbidden love trope so this was right up my street! I have to say, I LOVED that Dane wasn’t a ridiculously overprotective older brother, makes such a nice change.

If you’re looking for a fake dating/he-falls-first with a man who yearns then this is the summer read for you! It’s a delightful easy read that will make you wish you’re on holiday.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC

This is probably more of a 2.5 rating unfortunately. I'm a sucker for fake dating and a free trip to Jamaica was the perfect romantic backdrop.
Unfortunately, I found that the relationship between Bailey and Cash was constant miscommunication (and not in a slow-burn-sexual-tension way). I also found that Cash's blurted confession didn't sit right and everything felt like it happened a little too soon. (Also, not talking about protection or testing before sex felt strange as well especially when they barely know each other).

Overall, it was light and fun but not quite for me.

4.5/5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC of this book.

Full transparency, I have already read all of Anise’s titles and this request was to show my support as she’s one of my automatic buy authors.

Anise’s is a delightful writer and all her characters are so easily lovable. This is probably my favourite of all her books, mainly because I’m a sucker for forced proximity and fake dating tropes.
Regardless of your favourite tropes though, this is a great quick read for those nice summer evenings.