4.5 ⭐️ rounded up!

With a rather autumnal weather in Scotland, I was ready to read some hot, holiday romance, wanting to escape the doom and gloom around me. And oh boy, was “Hot to go” the way to go!

The book starts off strong, as we meet the protagonist at their seemingly lowest points. Both of them need to uproot their current lives (to bigger or smaller degree), which sets them off on a seemingly never ending collision course.

Spain holds a dear place in my heart, and I loved how much the places the book took place affected the characters and overall mood of the book. I loved seeing the family bonds present throughout the book. It’s quite rare in romances to see other forms of love, but it was really well done, making the character more 3D.

I also really enjoyed the level of spice throughout the book - I felt like it was there when needed, with a subtle fade to black in other moments, making me want to know more! I also liked how the relationship between Suzie and Charlie changed and evolved, with a fair share of awkward moments and embarrassing encounters.

One of the things that I found a bit frustrating though, was the presence of Spanish and French throughout the book without any translation. I speak a bit of Spanish, but no French, and though I could get by with context clues I wish I had translations readily available. It really took me out of the story when I had to go on my phone to find the translation.

The other thing, was sadly the ending. I felt like with the build-up and the “situation” with Paul (IFKYK) there should be more of a resolution. I understand the fate, and the pattern, but I wish there was more of conversation between characters, and because of that the ending felt rushed and not fully satisfying.

However, the book itself was extremely entertaining. I found myself taking breaks in between chapters, just so I could spend more time with Charlie, Suzie and their crazy, loving families (saying that I still stayed up till 2am to finish it!).

If you’re looking for light, funny holiday romance with a bit of spice, this is a book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC of “Hot to Go” in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hot To Go by Kristen Bailey was exactly what it promised to be: funny, raunchy, VERY British, and the perfect vacation rom-com.

The story kicks off with a bang (literally) with Suzie, our FMC, whose long term relationship goes extremely wrong after a case of mistaken identity. After her relationship crashes and burns, Suzie moves back to London and lets her cousins whisk her away on a trip to Mallorca where she meets Carlos. Except… Carlos isn’t really Carlos, he’s actually Charlie, a Spanish teacher on a bachelor party for his younger brother and trying to recover from his own messy breakup.

What follows is everything I love in a rom-com: a vacation fling that turns into something more, a second chance vibe, cute coincidences, and a whole lot of witty, very British banter. Suzie and Charlie had amazing chemistry, and the dialogue between them made the story fly by. The settings, especially Mallorca, were so vivid and immersive, it felt like I was on vacation right along with them.

I especially loved the family dynamics from each of the main characters, family is always such a big thing I love in all books. Charlie's family was so fun and realistic that I found a little bit of my own family in them, but on the other side the chaotic and large size of Suzie's family really resonated with me as well!

I wouldn’t necessarily call this super spicy, but it’s definitely raunchy in the best rom-com way — cheeky, suggestive, and fun rather than explicit. Overall, it’s fast, fun, a little messy, and a perfect summer escape. I gave it 4/5 ⭐ and would definitely recommend it if you love rom-coms with humor, heart, and just the right dash of raunch.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

3.75 ⭐

I loved watching our FMC (Suzie) and MMC (Charlie) fall in love.

This story had me wanting to go to Europe and experiencing this sights that they went through. This story had so much relatable content that it made the story even more enjoyable. I love how the love life of all the other characters felt to real and raw.

I loved the side characters and can't wait to read more about them. Between the other teachers, Suzie's cousins and Charlie's siblings, there's a whole lot to love.

This book was witty and had me giggling the whole time.

The only problem I had was that the end of this book felt like it was just the beginning. I felt like the epilogue is what I expected the 3/4 mark to be. I would have loved to see how their relationship worked out.

This was my first Kristen Bailey book, and it turned out to be a great summer pick! 3.5 stars :)

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Storm Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

From the first line, I knew I was in for a wild ride. Suzie’s inner monologue is dry, witty, and extremely British (a compliment). While she did feel like a passive protagonist at times, the chaotic dynamic with her cousins kept me hooked—they’re loud, foul-mouthed, and completely boundary-less, occasionally bordering on too much.

Charlie stood out—responsible, grounded, and always caught in ridiculous situations that were a delight to read. The plot felt like a series of unfortunate (and hilarious) events, making it the perfect lighthearted beach read. And the spice? Impressive. Tastefully done and impactful.

Kristen Bailey’s writing has definitely piqued my interest—I’m excited to explore more of her work!

💋 Some flings don’t stay in Spain…

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this upcoming release—because wow, I devoured it. I thought I was picking up a fun little rom-com to break up my summer reading list… but this one brought the heat and the heart.

Suzie heads to Mallorca for a reset after a brutal breakup, only to fall into a whirlwind vacation fling with a man she knows as “Carlos.” The twist? He’s actually Charlie… and when she returns home, he turns up as the new Spanish teacher at her school. 😳

This book was way spicier than I expected (in the best way), but what really hooked me was how well-written the story was—funny, emotional, a little chaotic, and full of chemistry. The twists kept me guessing, and the romance was layered with growth, self-worth, and second chances.

If you're looking for a fast-paced, flirty read that goes deeper than your average beach book, pre-order this one. Kristen Bailey delivers again!

This is a classic Kristen Bailey read, Light, hilarious and very smutty. Loved the cameos from the Callaghan sisters! A perfect read for by the pool this summer

what happens on vocation doesn't stay on vocation is definitely okay with me if it means we get brilliant books like this. what a brilliant, bright,colourful book that made me smile the the whole way through.
even the cover made me feel good.
this whole book made me feel good.
it was cute. it was lovely, it was fun.
the book brings us Suzie who is a French teacher that is dealing with heart break when she embarks on a much needed holiday with her cousins.the last thing she expects is romance and definitely not from someone who has to embarrassingly rescue her from a slight mis-hap skinny dipping.
but as all things do the holiday ends and she returns home to life. buutttttt she definitely is home right? because there in her work, at her job is that man! and he is the new Spanish teacher. are you kidding me? no i am not and its brilliant isn't it. are you smiling yet? you are go on we all see it...
sadly white lies is what bought him here and caused her confusion. because the man she met isn't even his real name.
the back nd forth between these two its a delight. not least when circumstances mean they get put back together on a school trip.
this book has to be up there with me fave in recent times. it shone out for me with great story, writing and characters.
i loved it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my advanced readers copy. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into this one and DNF at the 30% mark. It just wasn’t for me.

Hot to Go was cute and easy to fall into, with enough heat and heart to keep things interesting. Important parts of the story is revolving around summer and vacation, making it a perfect beach read. But what stood out to me the most in the book was the dialogue. It felt natural and witty, and added so much charm to the characters.

There were a few unexpected turns that kept the plot from being too predictable, which I appreciated. This book is not groundbreaking, but knows what it is and delivers with confidence.

There are some mildly funny parts, and I almost like Charlie but I didnt like the way it was written, I cant put my finger on it, something was just off putting to me.

<b>What happened in Mallorca didn't stay in Mallorca</b>

I was hoping this would be a light summery read. What I got instead was a story that jumped back and forth between being crass to dull and back again. There was potential in the novel, but it was overshadowed by the OTT sexual dialogue that read as both odd and needless vulgarity. I'm not one to clutch pearls over language or sexual content, but this felt desperate. It came across as trying to add shock value for laughs but missed the mark.

Two foreign language teachers lie about their identities during a quick vacation fling. However, when the light of day shines upon a new school year the gig is up. The pair is shocked to find out that they are colleagues in the same department. Their fake names and occupations make for some funny banter. Did he or didn't he ghost her?

The writing is decent. There was such potential in the MMC's family dynamics. That was interesting and gave him a bit of depth. I wish that had been explored more than all the time they spent at school which felt like it moved at a snail's pace. Suzy the FMC needed more development. She has a lot of cousins, is getting divorced, and organizes things, that's it.

The way the beginning and the ending tie in was weird. 🙄

I think this will have an audience it just wasn't this reader.

Please check out other reviews for this title as many readers are giving it 4- and 5-star reviews. I may end up being an outlier.

Thank you to Storm Publishing for providing a complimentary ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A delightful, cute new Kristen Bailey romance perfect for a light vacation read.
Susie and Charlie meet on vacation and both pretend to be someone else. They reunite unexpectedly at work and work to figure out how to make their relationship work. It was sweet, funny and sexy and just what I needed for summer. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🏫Teachers letting loose romance🌅🏖

I found Hot To Go an easy, breezy romcom with a heap of coincidences and miscommunications and a make or break secret. Leads Suzie and Charlie meet on a beach on Mallorca and immediately proceed to lie about their identities, then get close and promptly lose touch due to unfortunate circumstance. They remeet in London on the first day of the new school term and their real identities are uncovered; their attraction would lead to more but for constant kinks that crop up so it's move closer then back repeatedly. I liked both of them; they're good people, and I especially loved their scenes in Seville with the students and on their own during a midterm school excursion.

The secondary characters, like their students and their family members, added a good touch of humor and even heart to the story. Lucy, Suzie's youngest cousin, came off as a loose wire but in a fun way. Lucy and her sisters featured in the Callaghan sisters series where I found Lucy more than a bit annoying. Either I've mellowed or she has, or maybe she's easier to take in smaller helpings, but her antics and protective attitude toward Suzie added some sass and whimsy without bugging me.

This was easy to get into and kept me engaged first to last page.

Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared on 7/7/25 on Goodreads and Bookbub, and with Barnes & Noble. To be shared with kobo upon publication.

I liked this! It was honestly British enough that I sometimes didn't understand the slang, but everyone was charming, I liked the setup, and twist was believable, and the use of shifting omniscient/limited third person perspective was well done. The setup was probably too big a part of the book, though. But a solid 4 star read.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley.

Kristen Bailey always delivers the comedy in her rom-coms and I look forward to her books each year. Her summer rom coms are usually centered around high schools teachers which lends to some funny student interactions and heartwarming moments. This one wasn’t my favorite of hers, but I still enjoyed it. I didn’t connect with the characters quite as much as usual. That being said, whenever you read a Kristen Bailey book you have to pay attention to the little details she weaves in where the characters seem fated to be together. For example, in this book the main characters are both reading the same book on vacation and notice the same stranger in a hotel they’re at. It’s just little details that you might miss because they’re casually mentioned and not in your face, but when you recognize them they add a little touch of magic to each of her books that I love!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received Hot To Go by Kristen Bailey for free in exchange for my honest review. I have not read anything by this author before. It ended up being enjoyable. Both of the main characters are a bit awkward and their inner monologue is quite amusing. I really did enjoy this book. The ending was not unexpected, but the ride was enjoyable. I would definitely read more by this author.

A slice of ordinary teacher life served up rom-com style, complete with a generous helping of very specific humour. It’s light, quirky, and unapologetically British.

That said, I found myself wanting more depth from the characters—something to connect with beyond the surface-level humour and hijinks. The situations were entertaining, but I didn’t always feel the people in them.

Still, it’s an easy, summery read—perfect for flicking through by the pool with a cocktail in hand.

This was the first book I have read by Kristin Bailey. It started off really slow for me but once I got farther in I wanted to find out what would happen. There were definitely parts in this story that were slower for me but also loved their romance fling and was rooting for them to be together. I was also mad that she didn't tell him the 2nd time they were together that she was in the process of a divorce. Overall it was a fun summer read.

This book is pure fun. The opening chapter sets the scene beautifully, throwing tissue boxes and delivery Indian food along with fun characters and lots of time spent in the sun where it is hot hot hot. The tension between Suzie and Charlie is ramped up in the sunshine and then continued back in the uk. The supporting characters are also a laugh with teacher banter and a strong support network in place. The misunderstanding is funny and gives the tone of the book. Likeable characters that I willed on throughout the book and sizzling sexy time.

Hot To Go is a rom-com about a holiday romance and fate. A really light-hearted, relatable, fun and enjoyable read. You’ll be laughing out loud! The perfect holiday read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and the author for access to this eARC in exchange of an honest review.