Author: Sarah Morgenthaler
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 05.05.20
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Source: Audiobook via Library
My Rating: 3/5 stars
SYNOPSIS: “When Graham Barnett named his diner The Tourist Trap, he meant it as a joke. Now he’s stuck slinging reindeer dogs to an endless string of resort visitors who couldn’t interest him less. Not even the sweet, enthusiastic tourist in the corner who blushes every time he looks her way…
Two weeks in Alaska isn’t just the top item on Zoey Caldwell’s bucket list. It’s the whole bucket. One look at the mountain town of Moose Springs and she’s smitten. But when an act of kindness brings Zoey into Graham’s world, she may just find there’s more to the man than meets the eye…and more to love in Moose Springs than just the Alaskan wilderness”
The Tourist Attraction is a fun, small town story that will warm your heart.
My favorite thing about this book was the atmosphere and small town vibes. I’ve said it before, and will say it again, there is a special talent to worldbuilding within the real world. The Tourist Attraction is the perfect example. Moose Springs, Alaska felt authentic, real, and like the perfect cozy small town. I loved Graham’s restaurant, and all the little quirks of the town. I loved the attention to detail and I look forward to exploring it more in the rest of the series! While the first book wasn’t my absolute favorite, I still enjoyed it enough to give book two a chance (which, I’ve been told is the series favorite by many).
The romance was adorable. Zoey and Graham had an instant connection, and they perfectly embodied the sunshine and grumpy relationship trope. Their relationship was full of cute pet names and flirting that was so warm and fun. I really enjoyed their romance overall and thought the chemistry was great. However, I was also sad that I couldn’t get more into their relationship. Zoey and Graham both lacked a bit of depth I was hoping for and I struggled to emotionally connect with them. Their story and romance were fun and cute! But I also wasn’t emotionally gripped. For reference, I cry a lot while reading, and even at the saddest moments of this book, I didn’t shed a tear. I wasn’t as invested as I wish I could have been.
One thing that really bothered me was the length of the chapters. They were soooo long and that caused them to drag. After checking goodreads for the page count, I calculated that this book has 17 chapters that are about 20 pages long each. On the audiobook, each chapter equaled nearly 40-60 minutes of listening. This made it difficult to get to good stopping points while reading and slowed the pace down as the chapters droned on.
Overall, I had fun with this book. However, due to the chapter length and lack of emotional investment I’m giving it three stars. I think this series has a lot of potential and that a lot of readers will love this story. I would recommend reading if you like grumpy & sunshine romances, minimal sex scenes, and cozy stories.
Audio Book Note: I read The Tourist Attraction through the audiobook format. The narrator is great and I loved her voice and her narration style! I highly recommend checking out the audiobook for this one.
Additional Note: Graham’s character reminded me heavily of Nick Miller from New Girl.
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