Without a Hitch

by Portia MacIntosh, Charlotte Ritchie (Narrator)

From multi-million copy bestselling Portia MacIntosh, comes Without a Hitch, a hilarious and heart-warming summer rom-com, narrated by Charlotte Ritchie (star of You and Ghosts).

Holly thought she had it a perfect fiancé, a dream Maui wedding, and a thriving career writing about weddings. But when she's stood up at the altar, her world crumbles. Just as she's piecing it back together, her boss sends her on assignment to Maui – the very place where her happily-ever-after wedding was supposed to take place.

Saving face and her career, Holly takes on the assignment and stuffs her ex, Ed, to the back her mind. It’s at the Grand Palm Hotel where Holly meets the gorgeous Theo, the hunky stranger who rescues her from the pool. Spluttering and soaked, their connection is electric, but there's a catch: Theo is her ex-fiancé's stepbrother, and he's in Maui for Ed's wedding…

In a moment of panic, Holly and Theo strike up fake a relationship. How bad it can it be? After all, they just pretending…

As Holly navigates this new role, old feelings surface and new ones bloom, and Holly must decide what’s real and what’s fake before the big day arrives.

Perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Without a Hitch is a laugh-out-loud, tropical escape that proves the best love stories are the ones we never saw coming.

Listening Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins

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

300 pages, Audible Audio

Published August 21, 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

[Genna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took a break from Portia’s books because some were bordering on ridiculous but you know what? Sometimes we all need that especially if our lives are difficult in reality. This was a breather for me and it was the exact book that I needed. 🎉

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Without a Hitch is less a romance novel and more an extended TED Talk about Holly’s ex. His past, his present, his probable retirement plan - she covers it all. Meanwhile, Theo, the supposed love interest, is essentially “Generic Hot Man #2” with the personality of a John Lewis sofa: perfectly nice, but beige. Although I did enjoy the slow burn. The wedding chaos and jilted-bride drama was fun, but if you’re expecting grand romance, brace yourself - it’s mostly Holly providing running commentary on the many ways she’s totally over her ex despite being utterly incapable of not talking about him for more than five seconds. That said, it was a fun and easy audible listen.

[robbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

ive never seen a bigger himbo than the love interest in this ..genuinely zero personality and doesn’t even have a job to identify ANY interest or skill it is actually impressive

[Shawna Copas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book knowing how it would end. I don’t think anyone reads these types of book hoping for a surprise. It’s a comfort read, the storyline is stereotypical but it’s why we read it.
This one, however, was surprisingly well done. It clipped along at a good pace and didn’t drag out the inevitable. It wrapped up exactly like I wanted it to but did it better than I would have hoped for.
I’d search out this author again, having not read her before- which I think from a bibliophile, is high praise.

[Danielle Overly Bookishly Backlogged · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wholly unsatisfying.

So this was a book about Holly and her ex-fiance, Ed. So, if you enjoy reading books about jilted lovers trying to convince the world that they are over their exes while simultaneously trying to help said ex marry his new betrothed, then maybe this is the book for you. It didn't work for me.

The story opens with Holly on her wedding day. There's the mad rush to get ready, the limo ride to the church and then... a runaway groom. Yup. Future husband to be, Ed, is not only nowhere to be found, he then sends in one of his groomsmen to break up with Holly via a text message.

Fast forward a year and Holly, a journalist, is shipped off to Maui (her dream wedding venue that she couldn't afford with Ed) for a fluff piece about... well, I don't exactly know what it was supposed to be about other than a catalyst to get Holly to Maui for the impending drama.

Once there, Holly meet-cutes Theo in a poolside accident and all seems to be point in the direction of these two creating fireworks when...

Ed steps onto the page and it all goes to hell.

For the bulk of this novel, Holly is running around the island trying to hide the fact that she's even knows Ed, while Ed vacillates between gaslighting her and wooing her. Holly then somehow gets roped into helping Ed's fiance, Becca, with the wedding plans as their pending nuptials begin to fall apart.

There's a lot of great setup here: exes and secrets and cheating and fake dating and a gorgeous location and it is all wasted. We literally follow Holly around while she tries to hide her previous relationship with Ed from Becca, while also fake dating Theo who is as dull as dishwater, while also trying to help Becca pull off the wedding of Holly's dreams. All the while Holly is trying to convince the world that she is SO over Ed. Then why are you so invested in his HEA? Then why are you ignoring the hot guy who wants in your pants so you can help Becca pull off your dream wedding?

It doesn't track.

The author spends so much time on Ed and Becca that she totally ignores the possibilities with Theo and that story arc is left to flounder. Not that Theo is very interesting since he literally has very little page time in order to be developed as a character. Seriously, Ed featured more prominently and he was an asshat.

So, in short, this was a fail.

[Sammy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Utterly ridiculous really.

Just a heads-up: I find authors being able to use whatever language they want important, and I think that quite frankly in this book it's more than justified, but if bad words offend you, this book is not for you.

[Aditi Sinha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Portia’s books and this did not disappoint! A fun summer romance with a little sass. The narrator on Audible was brilliant as well.
Tropes incl:
- Forced dating/relationship
- Close proximity
- One bed
- Stuck together

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ending was underwhelming!!!!! i genuinely liked the storyline other than the fact that the main character kept mentioning her ex and how she was over him (it was getting annoying) lol

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible original only. Different narrator - Charlotte Richie.

3.5 rounded to 4.

A fun book by Portia MacIntosh with usual beaches, a resort location, ridiculous coincidences, and a wedding.

Holly (MFC) is left standing at the alter by her jerky fiancé, Ed. She leaves her life in the north of England to live in London still working at a writer for a Lifestyle. Magazine. She is sent to the Grand Palm Hotel in Maui on her non-wedding anniversary to write a follow-up article. The location is where she wanted to have her wedding, but Ed didn’t want that. There is a meet-cute with the hunky Theo who turns out to be at the step-brother and best-man for Ed who is now getting married at the resort! The “brother” thing really isn’t creepy, as Theo and Ed are not blood related at all, Theo’s mother is married to Ed’s estranged father.

Anyhow, there’s electricity between Holly and Theo from the beginning, but then they end up doing (surprise!) the fake dating thing when they run into Ed and both of the realize what the situation actually is. Belief needs to be suspended at this point when Holly ends up going above and beyond by helping out Becca (Ed’s new fiancee) with problems that have cropped up from the beginning. Ed is a real tool. Ed and Holly’s previous relationship is successfully kept from Holly until later in the book when Becca finds photos of Holly and Ed on Ed’s phone. Turns out Ed was having an affair with Becca even before he left her at the alter! Meanwhile, Theo and Holly are successfully keeping their fake relationship (becoming more real by the moment) from everyone. Theo is a good guy, and I can’t believe he wasn’t snatched up before this book happens! He’s gorgeous, retired (because he’s super wealthy), and very kind.

Spoiler endings: what goes around, comes around. Becca leaves Ed literally at the alter, and Theo and Holly live HEA.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit unbelievable, but an easy read regardless,
No chemistry between Theo and FMC really, and FMC spent more time trying to convince the reader she was over her ex, than caring about Theo in anyway,

But did its job as I needed a break from the intense books

[Sam Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Silly little romance. No spice 🥱🥱

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great tropes, pretending to be bf gf and only one bed, but not that amazing execution

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, I'm not really sure how I feel about this. It's a little bit different than the other books I've been reading. And what I mean by that is it doesn't fall under spooky, paranormal, or mafia kind of romance. Which, yes, those were the vibes over the weekend. Anyways, I decided to finally dive into this audiobook, and it was okay. The characters were sort of likable but didn't do much for me (today). I'm sure if I listened to this on any other day this would've been my jam. Overall, it was easy to listen to.

[Jyotika · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars. This started off as a cute rom com, very ditzy main character. Typical British humour, Bridget Jones style, complete with the unfortunate events and cringe moments. The last half of this was absurd with the unlikely events and unrealistic portrayal of emotions and actions. I understand the author was trying to create a feel-good moment, forgive and forget, be the bigger person. But that just gave the main character no backbone or space to feel anything. This left me annoyed and angry on behalf of the characters. Would not recommend.

[Laurie • The Baking Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very easy listen a couple of weeks ago and it was ... fine.

It incorporates some of my favourite tropes (fake dating, one bed) and a beautiful Maui location, but if we're going for a cute and spicy romance with some banter (a la Emily Henry, a readalike the blurb mentions), it falls short. The problem is that it's so generic and lacks chemistry between the main couple that it's forgettable.

Overall, this was a decent predictable bookish palate cleanser in between my darker thriller reads but it won't be a book that I'll remember.

[Zeenia Calvo · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute story. I’ve been reading a lot of hockey romances since last year and i needed a palette cleanser after the last one I read had a 🌶️ scene in nearly every third chapter. I’m not a prude but sometimes I would just like to read a cute book with no spice and this was just what I needed. I love the narrator and both the FMC and MMC. Also barely any second hand cringe in this book. I really recommend this for anyone that needs a clean low stakes beach read. It was a lot of fun and I’ll be checking out more of the author’s work.

[Romance.Booktalk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured this delightful romcom audio in no time, and I’m still grinning from ear to ear. The story was a masterful blend of humor and heart, with a dash of frustration courtesy of the female main character - I just wanted to give her a good shake sometimes! The male main character, however, was the perfect antidote: charming, dreamy, and utterly captivating. The author’s conclusion was pure perfection, leaving me firmly entrenched in Team Beth.

[𝜗𝜚₊˚ʚ𝑅𝓊𝑒’𝓈 𝒞𝑜𝓇𝓃𝑒𝓇ɞ ೃ࿔*:･ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just what I needed!!

This book was laugh out loud funny, had some emotional depth, and yet still had a goofy and unserious plot line! It was exactly what I needed and I am so satisfied after reading it! I loved the main characters and the ending of the book was so satisfying I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face!

[Melissa R · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one has a different vibe compared to all her other books and I wonder if it has to do with it being an Audible original or if maybe its because there's a different narrator. I can't help but think if Karen Cass had been the narrator, like every other Portia MacIntosh book, if I would have been more into it. Outlandish story line with a happy ending

[Speedy Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing Portia Macintosh book, I haven’t read one I haven’t loved. Even better still this one is an audible original letting even more people experience her amazing writing style and cozy reads.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG when will this be turned into a movie?!!! This is the sweetest and most humorous story and all with such entertaining writing. I like that it’s not the usual stupid lead woman who only makes stupid decisions. This story is excellent, with lots of strong female characters. I’ve been waiting for more of these stories!

[Brandon Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It may have been helped because it was Narrated by Charlotte Ritchie and I already loved her from the UK version of “Ghosts” as well as “Taskmaster.” She was also in “You” on Netflix. Strong story concept (fake boyfriend) that plays out a little differently than is typical of this trope.

[Mirisha McCaffrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suffered through this because the Audible reviews were so good that I thought there was something to look forward to. This is horribly long winded and boring and the overuse of “Mauied” and “dick-Ed” was so annoying. It was entertaining the first time, 30 more times each was unnecessary. 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼

[Kyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am in love with Rom Com's lately and this one hit the spot! This is a closed door romance so just sweet feels and cute vibes. And I LOVE that there was no silly 3rd act break up. Definitely recommend.

[Shade Shaffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a surprisingly good read! The banter, the longing and instant chemistry, the MMC’s constant support of the FMC. A fun twist on forbidden romance and fake boyfriend tropes. The usual “being found out” drama isn’t what you expect. Overall a very refreshing read

[lottie grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

i think charlotte ritchie was amazing as the narrator and i’d love to listen to more of her, however the story itself really fell flat. if you’re marketing the book as a romance then i think the two main characters need to have fully developed personalities and characteristics apart from just their previous relationships

[Liliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 2.5⭐

[r. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, even though it was missing a lot of the romance I was supposedly promised. The narrator was lovely and did the character voices well. But this story left a bit to be desired overall. A solid 4 stars for keeping me entertained during my work day!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what I expect and find comforting in a Portia MacIntosh title. Recommended for lovers of the wacky rom-com and second chances.

[Anisha Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually quite cute. 3.5 ⭐️