The Suite Life

by Portia MacIntosh, Karen Cass (Narrator)

Gigi isn't looking for the one. Just someone...! As she gears up for her sister’s destination wedding in Hawaii, the countdown is on for Gigi to find a date. Just someone to prove to her friends and family that she's ok, and to stop the pitying looks would be great!

Of course she can’t wait to be bridesmaid for her sister, but it’s just not ideal that the best man is also her ex… especially when he is bringing his hot new reality star girlfriend!

But when Gigi arrives at the hotel in Hawaii to find there has been a mix-up with her room, and she’s been upgraded to a suite, things start to look up. Not only is the room bigger than her entire flat, but the staff are waiting on her hand and foot, and she’s being treated like royalty!

Something isn’t quite right, but The Suite Life suits Gigi, and why shouldn’t she pamper herself while she mends her broken heart? It may even lead to her finding the perfect date after all…

A laugh-out-loud, friends to lovers, close proximity romantic comedy from million-copy bestseller Portia MacIntosh.

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Fiction, Chick Lit, Rom Com, Contemporary, Friends To Lovers

Audible Audio

First published April 16, 2024

About the author

Portia MacIntosh is the bestselling author of over 30 romantic comedy novels.

From disastrous dates to destination weddings, Portia’s romcoms are the perfect way to escape from day to day life, visiting sunny beaches in the summer and snowy villages at Christmas time. Whether it’s southern Italy or the Yorkshire coast, Portia’s stories are the holiday you’re craving, conveniently packed in between the pages.

Formerly a journalist, Portia has left the city, swapping the music biz for the moors, to live the (not so) quiet life with her husband and her dog in Yorkshire.

Find out more at www.portiamacintosh.com

Reviews

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gigi's sister is getting married in a destination wedding in Hawaii!!! Gigi is going to be her bridesmaid, and Gigi's ex-boyfriend, Nathan, is going to be the best man. He dumped Gigi for Sunshine, a reality star/influencer and is bringing her to the wedding. UGH! Nothing like having salt rubbed into your wounds. Determined to make the best of things, Gigi arrives in Hawaii and is shocked when she is given a luxurious suite and is waited on hand and foot. She tells everyone that she has a date for the wedding and now she must find a date FAST!

This was an entertaining, cute, fun book that left me smiling. I enjoyed how the author touched on insecurity, vulnerability, loyalty, and friendship. I also enjoyed the antics and situations that Gigi found herself in while trying to find a date. Some are OTT and some were cute.

I enjoyed Gigi and her family. They were all likeable and had a great bond. I also enjoyed Donnie, who is at the resort alone after a breakup and becomes her sidekick as she attempts to find a date for her sister's wedding.

I thoroughly enjoyed this friends to lovers book. I always say, with romance books it is all about the journey. I loved the journey in this book. Another plus, is that nothing felt rushed or drawn out in this book. Everything happened at a nice realistic pace.

Fun, entertaining, well written, and charming.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖

[Monica Hills · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cute, fun, light read. Gigi is going to her sister's wedding in Hawaii and needs a hot date. Her ex will be there with a gorgeous pysdo celebrity so she needs to up her game and bring an equally hot date. After she gets to Hawaii she ends up with this super expensive suite. People also begin to pay lots of attention to her and she gets all of these upgrades. She has no idea why but she is living it up. She becomes friendly with another guest who ended up in a really bad room. The two of them hit it off and she shares all of her upgrades with him. Her sister's wedding just may not be as bad as she thought.

This was definitely predictable but it was really enjoyable. A great escape and excellent beach read! I do need a trip to Hawaii now though!

[Sandy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light and fluffy easy read of romance and mistaken identity. Gigi is on the hunt for a plus one at her sisters destination, Hawaiian wedding. She also has to contend with her ex and his new girlfriend. She loves her sister but finds the situation difficult, but she tries hard to find her plus one. A friendship and a few disaster dates later. On arrival, she is given a plush to a hotel suite with gold card exclusive membership. She is upgraded as everyone believes she is a heiress to a fortune. She is living the life but begins to question who likes her for her or whether they want to get to know her inheritance money. Dad jokes galore. It's fun if it's a little predictable, but it's so wonderful. A beach read with heart. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Jessica L. Martens · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s pretty telling that it took me over 2 weeks to read this book despite it being under 300 pages. I’ve enjoyed Portia’s shorter stories in the past, so I was shocked at how flat and juvenile I found the writing here. Each chapter ends with some kind of “wrapping up” statement that makes this read like something from elementary school. I’m not sure there was a genuine moment of dialogue or honest introspection — instead the reader is given insights such as “My life feels so different now, in so many ways, but in others, it’s like nothing has changed, which I love.” The premise is a stretch to begin with, and while I have seen similar ideas work in other books, we are asked here to suspend our disbelief so thoroughly that it ends up feeling more like a parody of the genre. I considered giving this 1 star, but I didn’t feel enough of anything to elicit that strong of a reaction.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and Boldwood Books in exchange for my honest review.

[Zoe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why do I do this to myself?

[Yvonne (It's All About Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished reading: March 25th 2024

"Sometimes, the little victories are the sweetest."

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Boldwood Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

REVIEW

I love a good romcom with a travel element, so it's easy to understand why I couldn't resist The Suite Life with its Hawaii setting and the surprise hotel upgrade angle. It sounded like the perfect fun summer romance, and I've been looking forward to join Gigi on her journey. And I have to say that I had a great time reading it! Fast-paced, entertaining and a closed-door/slowburn romance; The Suite Life ended up delivering an enjoyable romcom cocktail despite some minor niggles.

The story starts out in London, where we follow Gigi as she tries to find a date for her sister's wedding. It has to be someone impressive, because her ex Nathan is the best man at the wedding and he dumped her for a famous influencer... Which leads to some hilariously bad dates and situations along the way. It's true that these dates are definitely over the top and almost cringeworthy, but I guess they do work on an entertainment level.

Things improve drastically when Gigi arrives at the Hawaiian hotel. Hawaii makes for such a great destination wedding setting, and the descriptions of the hotel made for an excellent backdrop for this story. The whole hotel upgrade angle is probably my favorite part of the plot, as it leads to so many hilarious situations. The mystery around why Gigi was granted the upgrade adds a little intrigue to the plot, which helped keeping things interesting along the way. I do have to say that I saw the big 'twist' and real identity of a certain character coming from a mile away, which was a shame.

As for the characters... Gigi was fun to be around mostly, although I wish she would stand up for herself more (especially with Nathan and his new girlfriend). Nathan almost seemed like a caricature villain with his despicable behavior, and Sunshine wasn't much better to be honest. I can't believe Gigi's family let them treat Gigi in the way they do... I loved Donnie though, and it's a shame the slowburn was a bit too slow in the end. I could have dealt with that if it hadn't been for the love triangle popping up, which definitely put a damper on things especially considering the connection between the first two characters was SO obvious. I could have done without the cheating element as well, which only made me hate a certain character even more... Even though everything works out in the end.

Like I said before, there were some minor niggles, but as a whole The Suite Life turned out to be a quick and entertaining romance read with a lot of bad dates and a great Hawaiian setting. It would work perfect for a beach or vacation read!

[Jodi Leeper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blah.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another fun read from MacIntosh and I was immediately drawn into the narrative. It didn’t take me long to absorb this light-hearted story and it entertained me throughout.

When Gigi heads to Hawaii for her Chief Bridesmaid duties, you would think she would relish the opportunity for an amazing holiday. Wrong. With the Best Man being her ex-boyfriend, and his new girlfriend also in tow, Gigi is reminded of her singleton status. Especially as everyone in the wedding party has their plus one. Before she sets off, Gigi attempts to find a partner for the wedding, with expected disastrous results. However, the story doesn’t really take off until we land in Hawaii.

I loved this part of the plot as Gigi finds herself upgraded to the best suite in the hotel and is suddenly lavished with lots of luxuries freebies from the hotel. She cannot explain it and her family are asking questions. Flustered, Gigi puts it down to her new (nonexistent) boyfriend. And then the pressure is on to make him materialise.

The unexplained perks from the hotel and Gigi’s dating disasters were the key part to the novel. I actually forgot why she was in Hawaii, as her sister and the rest of the wedding party barely make an appearance for most of the novel. This didn’t bother me as I loved waiting to see what would happen to Gigi next – more so following her room upgrade than the romance side.

Yet, the romantic plot was still fun and I enjoyed Gigi interacting with a range of potential candidates. The mysterious character added a further depth to the story and I wondered whether they would ever be revealed. I think the only thing I didn’t quite get was the stolen phone incident and would have preferred something else to have happened on the yacht.

Macintosh successfully transports readers to Hawaii and I felt like I was living the life of luxury with Gigi. An easy read, this is great for the holidays and I loved how fun the story became.

With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Melanie’s reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Gigi what a delightful little tonic you are. If anyone’s life deserves an upgrade it’s you. Your ex is a complete twazzack and his new girl is definitely a downgrade.

I have only previously read one book from this author but it was cute and very funny so I was hoping this would be more of the same. Dear readers it was, I mean apart from the horror of spending time at a luxury resort with your ex and his new demon girlfriend. That horror soon turns to joy when weirdly Gigi starts being treated like royalty, Hollywood or English monarchy you take your pick.

Cheap room to a beautiful suite, free drinks and entry to the gold VIP areas plus a yacht at your disposal, count me in. Surely there’s a catch though? As Gigi discovers a case of mistaken identity should she own up or instead take the advice of another guest and concentrate on finding a date for the wedding, especially when he offers his services of wingman.

This book took me on a luxury sunshine trip, introduced me to some brilliant characters and all from the comfort of my sofa with the cold wet weather looming outside. Just joyful!

[Ed Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy, did I need this book. It was absolutely delightful. This was my first book by Portia Macintosh, but it certainly won’t be my last. Gigi is going to her sister wedding without a date. To make matters even worse her ex boyfriend is the best man and his new girlfriend is a minor celebrity. I actually laughed out loud a few times as Gigi tries to find a date for the wedding. The narrator, Karen Cass, did a great job as well.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this one quickly, which was probably for the best, because I don't know that the plot could bear too much scrutiny. The pacing and development struck me as odd, but it was a light and breezy read.

[nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it. It was an easy romcom read. Very vanilla, with the typical characters you’d expect for this kind of book & a lot of trash men

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It’s mostly a cozy feel good time. All of the ‘dates’ Gigi went on were pretty hilarious and definitely disastrous. When she gets to Hawaii it’s like a dream. How fun would it be to be given a suite and everything you could ever ask for? It was a really fun time! I loved Gigi as a FMC. She was relatable and all of her family were fun additions to the story. I also really enjoyed the ending and figuring out how the mix up at the hotel happened.

I recommend if you’re looking for a low angst, heart warming, and clean romance.

Thank you to the Boldwood Books and netgalley for a copy. All options are my own.

[Cait Ireen | caitireenreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5⭐️
1/5🌶️

This was really fun! I liked the premise and I loved our FMC and MMC and their fun banter. So many different tropes flying around it was a positive smorgasbord, but it was overall very playful and light. I LOVED the little surprise twist and that end, which tied the story together with a little bow.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was so much cuter and more fun than i expected! i read the descriptions and figured i’d give it a chance, and i’m so glad i did. this book kept me interested from beginning to end, and if you like romance and comedy in your books, i highly recommend!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one!! The horrible dates that the main character endured throughout the book had me rolling!! So funny!! And the little twist at the end wasn't quite what I expected. Really enjoyed this one and will definitely be reading more from this author. The humor in her writing is hilarious!

[Florrie McNamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in a day. Perfect anxiety read. Portia really needs to mix up her storylines but it always settles me when I feel like shite x

[Celina Laplante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute easy vacation read. Classic romcom. The ending did surprise me however

[Ashley Cwiklewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute and funny story! Loveable characters.

May I actually like romance now?! 😱

[Gianna Lian · Rating 4 out of 5]

rtc… but overall rating: 4.75/5⭐️s! Such an underrated author!!

[Micky Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the most fun rom com that I have read in a long time! I giggled and out right laughed frequently while Gigi tried to negotiate life. It has been a long time since I have had to do the dating thing, but a lot of her dates brought back the memories of some of my hideous forays into the dating world. The anxiety of trying to be the perfect woman for the man standing in front of you and then after twisting yourself into a pretzel to be the Barbie of the moment, you realize that the man standing in front of you is a dud so why did you try to be something that you are not. All while getting intense pressure from friends and family to find the one! In this book, Gigi's life is even more tragic as she is trying to be the supportive, wonderful sister to Lucy who is about to be married in Hawaii all while having to face her ex who dumped her for a reality star semi-celebrity. Unfortunately for Gigi, her ex is the groom's best friend and as such is always involved in everything. I referred to him as Douchebag Dan, he really kind of is, throughout most of the book as his behavior and personality truly fits the nickname. The plot is hilarious, fun and truly well written. This is definitely a butterfly book as Gigi transforms from the mess that she is to truly being over things and blossoming into the wonderful woman she truly is. The characters are charming and delightful, except for the ones that are intended to not be and trust me when I say the author makes you really feel their shortcomings, so that you are drawn to the story and truly engaged in the characters endings! Once again, this author has brought us delightfully fun read that is just the perfect beach read any time of the year!

FYI: If you like a good audiobook, the narration on this one is outstanding so I highly recommend it. The narrator helps breathe life into the characters in a way that will have you truly feeling like you know them. Not to mention that the dad jokes are funnier when delivered in audio form vs reading them! Hint: Read/Listen to the book and you'll figure out what this little inside tip is about!!!

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

This was surprisingly so good. It’s a newer release with very few reviews so I didn’t have the highest of expectations going into it but I was pleasantly surprised every step of the way.

I listened to it via audiobook and I LOVED the narrator. My only complaint is that there’s a name mix up where someone named Gigi and GG are mixed up and i couldn’t tell which one they were talking about but it was also fun to guess lol.

I had so much fun reading/listening to this. There were maybe one or two dates that I found excessive, and there were many times I was screaming at the oblivion of some of the characters but I genuinely loved this.

It was also super relatable. Who hasn’t gone on a bad date or two? I mean I haven’t but I could imagine it would suck.

The Hawaiian resort setting with the British characters was just chefs kiss 😘 so good

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This was a fun British romcom that sees hairdresser Gigi desperately trying to find a date to her sister's destination Hawaii wedding where her ex is going to be there with the woman he dumped her for. Full of friends to lovers, only one room, mistaken identity hijinks, this was another light-hearted, laugh out loud, kissing only vacation romance sure to put a smile on your face that was also good on audio.

[Lisa Whittaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Made me laugh a lot and it’s always a bonus when you find an author that you’ve not read before and really like the book!

Really looking forward to reading more from this author. Great recommendation from one of the lovely ladies in my Insta book group.

[Valeria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Corey Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet book with a great audio! Made me laugh a few times. Closed door.

[Lily]

a simple romance book for a holiday read - nothing too crazy, easy, calm read without that wow factor.

[Kayla Brizzell · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐️
Boring!

[Michael McDermott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world. And she’s British

[Tara Gaffney · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was cute I had a fun time