Too Good to Be Real by Melonie Johnson

3*

In a nod to rom-coms and live-action role-play (LARP), Too Good to Be Real takes readers on a fantasy vacation at the aptly-named Notting Hill Resort in Wisconsin for a week of immersive, simulated scenes from favorite romantic comedy movies. In a bid to avoid being laid off, pop culture journalist Julia proposes to her boss the idea of writing a review of a new concept hotel for their company’s popular Take Me! series. At the company’s expense, she and her two best friends head up from Chicago, hoping to prove (or disprove in cynical Julia’s case) that romantic love is real. Just after they arrive, Julia literally runs smack into Luke, the software programmer behind the week-long simulation. Their attraction is instantaneous but, when mistaken identity combines with role-playing, the games become much more high-stake.

Johnson’s premise is like a modern-day version of Austenland without the costumes. The eccentric and extremely wealthy owner Mrs. Weatherfork’s mission isn’t huge profits but to prove to her husband that, in the right setting, love can bloom. In this book, the two main protagonists are skeptical of love after witnessing their own parents’ miserable marriages, so neither is willing to believe that love can be real after just a week. Vacation romances often don’t survive outside the bubble after all. However, love is definitely in the air for married couples and some singles in attendance. Heck, even the comedic marauding seagulls mate for life. So, although not everyone gets a happily-ever-after, there are several truths: that you can find love with the most unlikely person, playing games can spice up an existing relationship, what appears to be love may just be an act, and real love is imperfectly perfect if you’re willing to push past fear and be honest with yourself and the one you’re falling for.

This has all of the elements for a swoon-worthy, highly-addictive romance read, but the pacing is a bit off, the dialogue is amateurish at points, and the idea that Luke can hide his true identity at a small resort is unrealistic. There are so many characters that it’s difficult to fully engage with any of them, so the emotional investment isn’t there. It’s an easy read, but ultimately forgettable.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Griffin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.