Too Hot to Handle

by Portia MacIntosh

One bachelorette party. One stag do. One double-booked villa and only one way to decide who gets a competition.

Workaholic Molly is buzzing when her best friend tells her she’s getting married. As maid of honour Molly can’t wait for the perfect bachelorette party in Spain. What could be better than a week in a stunning villa? Sun, sea, cocktails and gossiping – and best of all, no boys allowed. But when the hens arrive they discover that they are not alone. The villa has been accidentally double booked by a group of stags who make it very clear they’re not leaving!

It’s a disaster, and no one wants to give up their place in paradise. Attempts at compromising fail instantly, so their only option is to have a winner takes all competition. Battle lines are drawn and it is girls v boys - but will the competition be too hot to handle?

As their rivalry heats up, and Molly finds herself gravitating towards stag Travis, it’s clear that he’s enjoying the attention - but Molly can’t let herself get distracted, and under no circumstances can she fall for the enemy.

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Rom Com, Fiction, Contemporary Romance

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 8, 2025

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

[Lisa Mandina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! The beginning was a funny set-up with how it was one character getting ready to propose, but not to the person he was with. And then it was obvious how Molly’s boyfriend was going to behave later that night. Then the whole trip and the debacle with the booking turned into so much fun!

Of course there had to be a bunch of competitions to see who got to stay the second week, and I loved how all those winners ended up coming about. The surprises by both women and men when the other group thought they had them. The men were a lot of fun, as were the women. It was easy to see why Travis was going to be perfect for Molly. Molly had several thoughts that I totally vibed with in the book. Early on she mentioned how she wanted to get to the old lady stage of eating early and staying home, yeah, I’m in that stage, lol. And then later when she talked about how wearing make up wasn’t her thing, and how people – both men and women – judge a woman based on if she is wearing makeup or not. Unlike Molly though, I just live with the judging because I’m too lazy to mess with it.

There was one bit of the men kind of getting something over on the women with the terms of their agreement that ended up with the men using one of the woman’s expensive shampoo. That whole scene and what we found out happened with the others during the same scene had me giggling! There was a bit of drama at the end that had even me going with Molly’s misunderstanding and hoping it was actually that. And in the end, it all came together so perfectly!

This was another winner by MacIntosh for me, and I’m so glad I got the chance to read it!

Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick and easy romcom in which a mix up causes a bachelorette party & bachelor party having to split a villa in Spain for the week before each of the weddings. I enjoyed the friendships throughout the book as well as the cheesy banter between both parties.
The book was repetitive in some parts, and I think there could have been more substance to the overall plot with the main character’s story.
Thank you to Boldwood Books & NetGalley for an advanced readers copy.

[Catherine (catisbookedup) · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 2nd Portia MacIntosh novel but not my favourite thankfully it is a short book.
The story is simple. Best friend getting married, main character is maid of honour, wedding is abroad, girl gang go abroad for wedding hire a villa which has been double booked by a group of guys also here for their own wedding and end up sharing the villa. Competition and shenanigans arise and eventually romance. The end.
I felt like the writing style, plot and execution was written by a teenage girl. In fact it very very much felt to me like something I definitely would have written when I was 16. That's not to say it was bad, but it did feel very imature and I just didn't buy it completely. I unfortunately didn't find myself reaching for this book and it took me a lot longer to get through it than it should have. The last 30% of the book is a little better but the ending was 100% rushed.
I had really liked this author's previous book so was a little disappointed in this one.

I'd like to thank Boldworld books for providing me with a copy of the book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Katie Rutter · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

This was a fun, lighthearted romcom. Not very romance heavy but I did enjoy the friendship aspect and vacation vibes.

I struggled with the pacing of this book; the beginning felt slow but the ending was rushed. There were things that happened in the beginning that just felt unnecessary to the plot. Also, the chemistry between the FMC and MMC felt surface level and a little instalove.

While this wasn't a perfect book by any means, I still enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Emily Bagg · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only redeeming factor was that she works in a biscuit factory.

[Kayla_Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you to NetGalley, BoldBooks, and Portia MacIntosh for the chance to read this ARC of Too Hot To Handle!

What happens when two groups have been double booked at the same villa. Attraction and a friendly competition of course!

This one started off on the slow side but once I got to the halfway point I really started to enjoy it. It was funny and cute! This would be a great summer read.

[Megann Bruckert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so fun!! The first of Portia’s books that I’ve read and definitely not the last! This was the perfect poolside read full of fun friendships and a little summer romance ☀️

My favorite part about this book were definitely all the different personalities of the characters coming meshing together in a hilarious and entertaining way. The concept of bachelorette/bachelor parties ending up in the same villa and having to figure out how to coexist?! I loved it! This was the perfect lighthearted read to really get into the summer mood!

[Cathia Labelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks for the ARC!

The book had a slow start, but once I reached the halfway point, I couldn’t put it down. It’s fun, charming and would be an ideal summer read! This was my first book by the author, and I really liked it. The writing was clever, and the characters were engaging and relatable.

If you’re a Love Island fan, you’ll definitely enjoy this one! I’m excited to read more from this author.

[Gigi Ropp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too Hot to Handle is a perfect romcom to read when seeking lighthearted fun! The setting is beautiful if a bit problematic and the large cast of characters makes for fun banter throughout!

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why did I low key like this…

I could never live without a kitchen lmao

I was expecting a surprise where qll the men revealed themselves to be famous or something tho.

[Melissa Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Katrina (Catching up on Reviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too Hot to Handle is a light, contemporary romance set in a sunny Spanish villa. Molly is the maid of honor for her best friend’s wedding and books a villa for the bachelorette party. But when the group arrives, they find the place has been double-booked with a group of men. Neither side wants to give it up, so they agree to a series of competitions to decide who gets to stay. Of course, there’s a classic enemies-to-lovers dynamic... cue Travis, one of the guys from the other group, who clashes with Molly from the start. Their banter and chemistry add a fun spark to the story.

[annika x · Rating 4 out of 5]

was going to say 3.5 but i acc found the ending so wholesome! think is how you do a good clean romance that involved good friendship

[Barbara Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super quick and fun romcom in which two groups of friends encounter when a booking mixup at a villa in Spain causes both a bachelorette and bachelor party to be booked at the same time and they have to forgive out how to share the space. Soon, the groups are having competitions for various parts of the villa and then attractions between members of the parties ensues. There's loads of witty banter and back and forth pranks between the two groups in typical Portia style and all the characters, and in particular, the FMC, Molly, all grew throughout the story. This leans heavily into the friendships and into the comedy over the romance which was refreshing and the forced proximity of the shared space leads to some interesting situations.
This will be a fun and entertaining beach read or for anyone who likes reality tv romances, forced proximity and strong female friendships
Thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review

[jadynfrahm · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I received this arc through netgalley and I am so glad that I did. This was the perfect summer time romance. It had everything I love in romance books, forbidden romance, slow burn, close encounters and kind of enemies to lovers. I did feel like it was a little bit slow in the beginning and took a minute to get into but once I got into it I loved it! I was on the edge of my seat the last couple of chapters because I didn’t know what was going to happen next but I am happy with how it turned out. Molly and Travis and their cute little moments on the side when all the chaos was happening, was perfect. I highly recommend this cute little summer time light spice romance!!

[Karen Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Portia is just hilarious. I have loved every single book I've been fortunate to read and this one was just as good.

The writing makes you feel like you are there and I was laughing so much at certain points throughout this book.

Portia is an instant read author to me and if you have never read anything by her, you 100% need to. You won't regret it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened on Audiobook.

At this point, if Portia wrote it, I will read it. Her books are fun and flirty and full of laughs and I just love them so much.

Plus Karen Cass, the narrator is phenomenal. Maybe it's her voice, inflections, accent... I don't know but I love listening to her.

Too Hot To Handle was super cute and fun. The stakes are silly in this one, let the games begin! I loved Molly our main character, just your average girl. Everyone can relate to her in one way or another. And Travis! Oh Dear! Well, yes Travis! Loved him so much!

Can't wait for my next Portia book because she never fails!

[Erica Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick/cute/light read! Nothing super memorable, and not super romance heavy. A good palette cleanser!

[Amiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book club book and I forgot what I thought about this now.

I don’t think I liked it too much tbh.

[Audrey Lefebvre · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was entertaining ! I would say at some point i would have like a bit more action, it got intense for like 2 chapters before the « happy ever after »
But it was a cute read !

[Hannah Brinkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this! A lighthearted rom-com which gives love island kind of vibes. Was a bit slow starting in my opinion but overall I enjoyed this easy ready. Definitely worth the read if you want something that’s not too taxing on the brain and after a little bit of a lighthearted romance!

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucky enough to get a copy on NetGalley of this book! It’s my first book by the author, and I really enjoyed it. A really fun, quick read with very witty writing and the characters were relatable and clever, even the ones you hate to love.

As someone who loves reality tv, I enjoyed the references to it throughout. So silly and so much entertaining. If you enjoy Love Island like myself, you’ll enjoy this book :) I’m looking forward to reading more of her books.

[lina ✰ · Rating 1 out of 5]

this was one of those rare books that had absolutely nothing to say. it felt childish and inane and entirely unrealistic, with no overarching character development or real plot. real shame, because it sounded like such a fun title and concept.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer]

Too Hot To Handle by Portia McIntosh, after Molly‘s best friend Lou gets engaged she sadly, on that very same night gets broken up with by longtime boyfriend Dean. She does her best to keep a stiff upper lip and is pretty much over it when they head to Spain on lose Hindu. they’re so excited to be there Willow Anita and the bride Lou strip their clothes off and run to jump in their private villa pool. It’s too bad they didn’t see the three lads having a hold your breath contest under the pools surface. Molly thankfully was dressed when Travis walked out of her bathroom in the bedroom she had picked for her own. This is when they realize both the guys and the girls have a problem. They rented the villa out to both of them and so one of them had to go but who? they decide to pick territories and unfortunately none of the ladies thought to pick the kitchen or to ask for the use of it. So at first they’re stuck up in their room eating chips and cookies with lukewarm coffee and drinks but then they decide with agreement from the guys that they’ll play games and at the end of week one the loser had to leave. Molly finds all of this childish but wants her friend to have the Hindu in the place she wanted and it doesn’t help matters when Molly starts falling for one of them. when they first meet the guys in the villa I absolutely didn’t like them at all except for Travis but as the book goes on their attitude changed and they seemed likable but you should always go with the worst part of someone, once they show you because it lets you know that is always a possibility. Having said that this book totally reminded me of the silly laugh out loud books in the beginning of my love affair with Portia McIntosh’s romance novels. She really seems like the type of person I would love to hang out with I laugh so much during the truth and dare game my back hurt when that chapter was over. I loved this book and definitely recommended if you love Porsches early books then you should definitely read this one it is so funny and the ending is sweet and so many ways. It totally reminded me of the way stories ended in the 80s and I couldn’t love it more.#NetGalley, #BoldWoodBooks, #TheBlondeReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #PorscheMcIntosh, #TooHotToHandle,

[Chloe Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! 🤩 I absolutely loved the premise of this book, a really great idea!

Molly’s best friend Lou is getting married to one of the greatest men on earth 🥰 unfortunately for Molly, her boyfriend turned out to be a bit of a dud so she is newly single. When disaster strikes with Lou’s wedding plans which then coincides with a mishap at work, Molly finds herself spending two weeks in Spain with Lou, and friends Nita and Willow, in the run up to Lou’s wedding. Two weeks of sunshine with your best friends, it sounds like bliss. Except when the girls arrive at the glorious villa, they find a group of boys already holidaying there - with both groups determined that they are not leaving, they are in for a bumpy ride!

This was laugh out loud funny. Sooooo many moments had me giggling! I loved the competition element between the two groups, and how determined they were to get on each other’s nerves! Such childish antics but they made me laugh so much 😂

The chemistry between Molly and Travis was sizzling! I loved their scenes together, from the flirty banter to the deeper conversations, they just worked so well together. All of the characters (apart from Dean obvs) were just so great - a really funny, warm, down to earth and relatable bunch.

I now desperately want to be in a Spanish villa lying by the pool and I think it’s very unfair that this is not my current situation!! 🥲

[Michele with Book Nook Buzz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the perfect read to bring along to the beach or pool—light, funny, and easy to breeze through. The premise is great, and while the story slows down a bit in the middle, the last 30% really pulled me in. Overall, it leaned more toward a slow burn for me, with no open-door scenes.

The story kicks off with Molly watching her best friend get engaged. Later that night, her boyfriend of a few years invites her to a romantic, private dinner at an empty restaurant. She thinks this could be her big moment too—but instead, she gets a shocking surprise. Cue the breakup.

Still wanting to support her newly engaged friend Lou, Molly heads off on a hen party getaway. The girls arrive at a beautiful villa—only to discover it’s been double-booked. Now they’re stuck sharing the space with a group of guys on a bachelor party. What follows is a week of hilarious competitions to win the villa for the second week. It was fun watching which guys got under which girls’ skin and all the sparks that flew.

That said, some moments had me rolling my eyes—in the best way. Like the shampoo scene—why on earth would the girls even give the guys a chance to get into their rooms or mess with their stuff? I was yelling at them half the time for the silly things they did, but it added to the humor.

In the end, I enjoyed the dynamics and friendships between the two groups. I did wish for a bit more steam, though. With a title like Too Hot to Handle, I went in expecting some spice, so I was a little disappointed on that front. Still, the story was fun and entertaining, and it made for a great quick read.

My rating is 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. I know it’s silly to deduct points for the lack of spice, but come on—with that title, it felt a little implied!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC.

Posted on Book Nook Buzz

[Caroline O'Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author always delivers a really great fun easy read so of course I had to grab this one. I was not disappointed at all! This book had me laughing out loud and I read it with a big smile on my face.

🩷 Forced Proximity
🩷 Rivals to lovers
🩷 Friend group
🩷 Wedding trip
🩷 Sweet and Spicy

This book is about a group of friends heading off on a bachelorette party as one of them is getting married. The original plans get cancelled so with a crazy reshuffle a new plan is made and off they go. Let’s just say the plans are not what they planned though, throw in an unplanned stag do and we are in for some fun.

This book was such a breath of fresh air, I really enjoyed the storyline and enjoyed all the banter between the characters. I loved the setting of the book, even if it was primarily set around a swimming pool, you forgot you were in one area as so much happened there.

I loved both friend groups, each person was so different and brought their own unique antics to the groups.

I thought the ending was brilliant, it was the perfect ending after Mollys horrible start to the storyline.

I absolutely recommend you pick this book up when it comes out.

“I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.”

[Aleesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I swear, even when I'm trying to avoid Love Island (it's friggin' everywhere this summer, help!) I end up reading the show in book form, totally on a whim. Because, in a nutshell, that's sort of what this book is. Hell the characters even make references to LI from time to time.

2 different groups of people - 4 boys and 4 girls end up double booking a Spanish villa for a couple weeks surrounding the weddings of one of the boys and one of the girls (not to each other, of course). What ensues is a fight for dominance over who has the right to the space for themselves - and a friendly competition to determine who claims victory in the end.

The pranks they play on each other were hilarious, the competitions fun if somewhat brief.

But the friendships that develop were undoubtedly the best part of all of it. Seeing the antagonizing turn into grudging friendship, then genuine feelings was really cute actually.

I think that's what Macintosh does best. This is yet again a clean, closed door romance - but what PM's books lack in spice they make up for in humor and character bonding. If only I could get this level of charm in spicier novels!

This is yet another quick, fun, lighthearted summer read to boost the serotonin!

[Melanie Moreira · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 estrelas ⭐

Quem me dera ter gostado deste livro. Tenho gostado de todos os livros que a autora tem trazido até hoje, mas este não foi um deles. Estive até prestes a dar DNF, mas felizmente a partir do meio do livro a história melhorou um bocadinho.

Estava à espera de uma rom-com (como a autora me tem habituado), mas recebi apenas uma fanfic de Love Island, caso fossem dois grupos diferentes de amigos que entrassem na villa, em vez de todos desconhecidos. Faltou-me tudo neste livro: faltaram os momentos laugh out loud, faltou o romance (temos romance, mas pouco), faltou a escrita engraçada a que a autora já nos habitou.

Este livro fala-nos de um grupo de amigas que vai para uma villa, em Espanha, para celebrarem o casamento de uma delas, duas semanas antes do acontecimento. Acontece que, quando chegam à villa (que era suposto ser privada), dão de caras com um grupo de amigos rapazes que, por problemas na reserva, houve um double booking. Tinha tudo para ser um bom livro, certo? Infelizmente para mim não resultou 🥲

Obrigada Netgalley e Boldwood Books pela cedência do exemplar, em troca de uma review honesta!

Lê o livro se gostas de:
✨ Forced proximity
❤️‍🔥 Rivals to Lovers
☀️ Sun‑Drenched Romance
💗 Slow Burn Romance

[Ritu Bhathal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of fantastic romance tropes rolled into one to make this a proper page turner of a read!
A luxury villa for two weeks in Spain, a destination wedding at a much sought after hotel, four girls (bride included) excited about a hen week, before a glam wedding... what could go wrong?
Finding that the villa was double booked. And there are four rather hunky male specimens already there, and not willing to give up their spot in paradise without a fight!
Molly, one of the ladies group, and a bridesmaid, is here after a break-up, which has left her doubting the male species. And she has a whole heap of work stress to deal with, too.
However, she keeps getting drawn to one lad, Travis, despite a girl pact that they would not get involved with any of the 'enemies' and concentrate their efforts on winning the villa for the second week.
This is 100% a romantic comedy with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. It also has the added spice of forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and that underlying spice throughout the trip.
I finished it in a day and thoroughly enjoyed it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.