[ARC Review] The Suite Spot by Trish Doller

After Rachel Beck gets assaulted at work - and gets blamed for it! - she finds herself at a crossroads. She's out of a job, her daughter's father isn't contributing his time and love like he should, and Rachel's sister Anna is still out at sea with her beau, Keane. When all hope seems lost, and Rachel thinks she'll spend the rest of her life cleaning toilets, an unexpected opportunity comes her way: the chance to help build and create a specialty hotel and brewery on Kelleys Island, Ohio. So Rachel packs up her daughter and her belongings and moves them from Florida to a land where cold and snow are common and Maisie's new school has all of ten kids. But things aren't all as promised when Rachel gets to Ohio, especially the hotel owner and brewer, Mason Brown. Gruff and still dealing with his own heartache, Mason wasn't what Rachel was expecting. But he might just be the exact thing she needs. 

I thought it would be hard to top my love for Anna and Keane in Float Plan, but Doller gave me a whole new Beck sister to love. Rachel's story was a rollercoaster, one I'm sure many people will relate to. Right from the start, I felt for Rachel; she'd been the "fat girl" her whole life, spurring on comments from others as well as constant comparisons between her and her sister. She's spent the last three years raising her daughter basically as a single mother, while Maisie's father's influence often hindered more than it helped. Tied down, even as she does nothing but love her daughter, Rachel can't help but see her sister out there, not tethered down to anything except her love for Keane and their boat. It's been rough for Rachel, and right from the beginning Doller throws her for another loop. 

Given how rough Mason seemed when we first meet him, I expected to take a while to warm up to him. But, surprisingly, I almost immediately wanted to just cuddle and hug this big gruff guy. He obviously was the grump, even while Rachel wasn't at her sunshiny best. His story was sad but all too real, and I liked that Doller didn't shy away from the emotions and reality of his situation. I loved how Rachel and Mason were able to support each other and bring out the best in each other. Rachel said she wanted someone who looked at her the way Keane looked at Anna, and it took a big move, plenty of drama, and finding her true home but she finally found that love. 

I simply devoured this book. Doller makes it so easy to get wrapped up in her characters' journeys, and I found The Suite Spot even easier to get lost in than Float Plan. I'm guessing it has something to do with this book being set mostly on land, while I have no experience living on the open seas like Anna did in the first book. All our favorite characters from the first book do make an appearance in this second book; while I would highly recommend reading Anna's story to understand all the little nuances in this book, readers can enjoy Rachel's story on its own if a sea-faring adventure isn't their cup of  (green) tea.  

On the surface, The Suite Spot is a co-workers to lovers romance featuring two lonely people. But Rachel and Mason's story is so much fuller and richer than that, and I can't wait to see what comes next from Trish Doller.

A huge thank you to the author and St. Martin's Press for providing a review copy of The Suite Spot!

--------------------

Release date: 3/8/22
Format: eARC
eARC provided via: NetGalley