The Layover

by Lacie Waldon

After ten years as a flight attendant, Ava Greene is poised to hang up her wings and finally put down roots. She's got one trip left before she bids her old life farewell, and she plans to enjoy every second of it. But then she discovers that former pilot Jack Stone -- the absurdly gorgeous, ridiculously cocky man she's held a secret grudge against for years -- is on her flight. And he has the nerve to flirt with her, as if he doesn't remember the role he played in the most humiliating night of her life. Good thing she never has to see him again after they land....

But when their plane encounters mechanical problems, what should have been a quick stop at the Belize airport suddenly becomes a weekend layover. Getting stuck on a three-hour flight with her nemesis was bad enough. Being stranded with him at a luxury resort in paradise? Even with the sultry breeze and white sand to distract her, it will take all the rum punch in the country to drown out his larger-than-life presence.

Yet the more time Ava spends with him under the hot Caribbean sun, the more she begins to second-guess everything she thought she knew about him... and everything she thought she wanted from her life. And all too soon, she might have to choose between keeping her feet on the ground and her head in the clouds....

An unexpected tropical layover with her nemesis turns a flight attendant's life upside down in this witty, breezy debut romantic comedy about life -- and love -- 30,000 feet above the ground.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers, Summer, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Summer Reads

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2021

About the author

Lacie Waldon is a best-selling author with her head in the clouds--literally. A flight attendant based in Los Angeles, Waldon spends her days writing from the jump seat and searching the world for new stories. Her novels, THE LAYOVER, FROM THE JUMP, and THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN have received critical praise and been featured by USA Today, Buzzfeed, PopSugar, and Forbes.

Reviews

[jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

based on the synopsis, this promises like a fun and exotic forced proximity enemies-to-lovers rom-com. whats not to love about that? however, what the synopsis doesnt mention (and what you find out on page one) is the MC is already in a committed, loving relationship.

and heres why i dont like when authors do that. the reader is given information (MC + boyfriend = love). but then, because the MC is separated from her boyfriend, she all of the sudden doesnt love him and we are TOLD (not SHOWN) all the horrible things about him. all because another guy comes into the picture. its such a cheap and lazy way at justifying cheating/rebounding and i hate when authors do it. so, to me, this would have been infinitely better had the MC been single from the beginning. the story would not have been compromised in any way.

but personal preferences aside, this is a cute book. the author is a flight attendant, so the in-depth knowledge about the job makes the story that much more realistic. and the writing is easy-going and matches the atmosphere of the story perfectly.

so this is a good book to add to your summer TBR if you like quick and light stories set on the beach.

thanks putnam for the ARC.

↠ 2.5 stars

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m just typing my definitely satisfied review for one of the best romance escapades of this year!

It makes you feel good! It makes you smile! It makes you dance! It makes you drink tequila shoots and celebrate your life! It makes you free spirited, joyful, light headed, happy! And finally it makes you review your entire your life from different angle! It’s just about learning who you are, getting rid of your past baggages, sizing your opportunities! Easy to say, risky to apply!

Ava Green, 10 years long flight attendant decides to take her last trip before getting engaged and settling in for more stable, neat, secluded life style with his workaholic, strict, uptight, somewhat annoying Alexander the great! ( at least he thinks he’s the best! What a narcissist douche! )

But sharing the work space with her nemesis/ womanizer, hot flight attendant Jack Stone increases her cabin fever. When their layover time extends because of plane’s malfunctioning, they find themselves to spend more quality, entertaining, crazy wild time at luxury resort in Belize . My condolences! ( rolling eyes effect, barely restraining jealousy laugh)

As they reluctantly became accomplices for sharpening their matchmaking skills between Gen and Paul, Ava starts to realize she’s misjudging this smartass, flirty, charming nemesis who was the reminder of one of the most humiliating night of her live.

She starts to fell more free and light hearted for a long time and the high chemistry pull them each other like magnets.

Maybe this layover could give her a chance to rethink her life decisions. She always hated to be like her free spirited parents who never thought to marry, getting responsibilities, making long term plans for their lives. As she tries too hard to choose the opposite path from her parents followed, she realizes she loses more herself and acts like a person she is not.

Now this attractive man, the possibility of bonding with real friends, understanding how her job fits her character make her question if she really wants to marry with that Macedonia king ( Alexander blah blah) and resign from her lifestyle.

Overall : at the beginning I found Ava a little annoying. She was so biased about misdemeanors of Jack, thinking the worst of him but it helps the author to build perfect enemies to lovers premise. I liked the self discovery and crazy wild vacation theme the author offered us, too.

Gen and Paul were adorable as supporting characters. Paul is sweet pie and Gen was a pocketful of sunshine!

Interestingly I loved to read Layla’s sequel. Her character intrigued me a lot. She’s the best relationship consultant!

Giving my four adventures, road trip, gas station cherry pie stars!

I am looking forward to read the future works of the author!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House / G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

[Meredith (Trying to catch up!) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Escape Read Alert!

3.5 stars

The Layover is a fun and fluffy read about a flight attendant, who on her last flight, finds herself contemplating her future. This is an enemies to lovers trope based rom-com filled with quirky characters, beachside destinations, and love.

Ava loves being a flight attendant. However, she has always longed for a life of stability. She is giving up her job for the dream life with her fiance, but when she has an unexpected layover in Belize, she is forced into a position of evaluating her choices, her fiance, and the feelings she is having for her co-worker, Jack Stone.

The Layover has a predictable plot; however, while the plot isn’t wholly original, the element of having the unique perspective of a flight attendant made it unique (the author is a former flight attendant). Ava is a character to root for. I also loved Gem and Jack. Being transported to the beaches of Belize also didn’t hurt!

This was the perfect book to read to escape over the weekend. I enjoyed Lacie Waldon’s writing style, and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Hailey (Hailey in Bookland)]

I enjoyed this one a lot! I wasn't sure what to expect since usually enemies to lovers is a trope I either love or hate, and I hadn't seen many reviews for this one, but it was really good! This was the perfect escapist summer romance that was equal parts light and fluffy, but also had a character who was on a personal journey as well. I loved watching her transformation and her love story unfold, Overall a really fun summer read!

[Jayme · Rating 4 out of 5]

FINALLY, a reason to get ON a plane this SUMMER!

This is the book to pack along with your bikini 👙 and beach hat 👒 as you head to the beach 🏖 or perhaps to Belize! 🏝

I wasn’t planning to read this book, as most ROM COM’s with flight attendants are so cliché!

Until, I heard that it was written by a flight attendant. (from MY airline!)

Okay!

Ava Greene has just gotten engaged and is working her last trip.

She has managed to score a 24 hour layover in Belize, which is usually only worked by flight attendants who have been with the airline longer than she has.

What a way to end her 10 year career!
Certainly a lot better than staring at the parking lot, or air conditioning unit at an airport hotel! 🙄

But then she discovers that she will be working the three day trip with her LEAST favorite flight attendant-Jack Stone-a guy who witnessed the MOST humiliating night of her life! Ugh!

Over the next three days, she is going to second guess what she THINKS she knows about Jack, AND whether or not she is REALLY ready to clip her wings and start the next chapter of her life-one that won’t include flying.

This was a FUN “enemies to lovers” ROM COM with playful banter AND an insiders view into what it is REALLY like to be a flight attendant-although glamorous overnights like these, are few and far between!

Best suited for romance readers who are young (20’s and 30’s) or young at heart-and who prefer their romance rated PG!

AVAILABLE NOW!

💕💕💕💕💕

[Lacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my book! And I'm tweaking this review a bit because I see The Layover in a totally different way now than I did before it released. I love being a flight attendant, I truly do, and I'm sure I'll continue doing it for a long time to come. But being lucky enough to become a published author has been the most amazing, terrifying, wonderful thing that's ever happened to me. It's connected me with so many readers, broadening my world in a way that even sixteen years in the air couldn't do. In other words, I'm giving this book five stars because it totally changed my life.

(And now it has occurred to me that nothing about this review is appropriately review-ish. So I'll admit that The Layover probably won't be life-changing to you. Hopefully, though, it will be a fun escape for a few hours. Gen made me laugh multiple times, so maybe she'll do the same for you. And Jack... well, Jack has EXCEPTIONALLY great hair.)

[mimi (depression slump) · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Write what you know” they say.
“But do it decently” I’ll add.

Since this is Lacie Waldon’s first novel I've decided to be not too harsh and, since there is no other way to say this, I'm just gonna write what everyone thinks: the idea was good, but there is such a poor execution of it.
It's not a thing in particular, all the things we find in this story just don't match with each other: it's supposed to be a romance, but she ran away with him at the last minute and all the romance we witness is a “I've always liked you”; there's no enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, colleagues-to-lovers - in fact, sometimes it doesn't even fell like a romance; it's supposed to be funny, but mostly it shows human beings at their worst.

The writing is messy and repetitive, with way too many descriptions - the plane, the passengers, the hotels, the pool, the food, the ocean, and so on.
Trying to make us understand life on a plane, the author ends up explaining too much what readers might not get: how the drinks and the foods have to be distributed, the steps before the passengers can come on the plane, how they are scheduled in their work, and stuff like that normal people obviously don't know but maybe they're not even interested in.
And the inside jokes were too much for me. What does “once a pilot, always a pilot” even mean?

The love story is a lot. At first, it seems like a love triangle; but then the two “enemies” work together to put other two people together; and it ends up being… two people who may like each other.
Ava thinks to know what she wants, but she doesn't. And that's okay, it's completely normal to be attracted to stuff like a settled life, a car, a marriage and kids; and if you don't want them, it's still completely normal. What's odd is to think to like someone who sends passive-aggressive messages if you don't respond to ONE call, someone who decides where your wedding will be WITHOUT ASKING YOU FIRST, someone who decides it's over just because you tell him you don't want to quit your job.
Alexander is so fucking annoying - and so likeable to be punched - that she doesn't even go back to his place to pick up all her stuff.
Jack, on the other hand, has to be a cuddling puppy that has never done anything wrong in his life. Cute, sweet, hot; and with a sad past, of course. The thing is: he likes her and he finally makes his moves, even if he's moving to a different state and they're never gonna see each other again. What does he think it's gonna happen?

The reality is that there is no chemistry between them. Like, at all.
And the whole story feels constantly like something is missing.

↠ 2.5 stars

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I've come to realize that I'm really not a rom-com kind of reader. I pick apart all of the logical plot holes and the unrealistic ways that I think the characters behave. That said, this is a pleasant read, but nothing particularly memorable.

I love Belize. I have traveled there six times and am counting down the days until my seventh trip. I am very intimately familiar with all aspects of traveling there, as well as the geography of the country. So when I saw that this book featured a flight attendant with a layover in Belize I was all in. Unfortunately, I couldn't make the narrative match anything I know about the country. The airport is in Belize City. So I'm assuming from that fact that the flight attendants were spending their layover at a hotel in Belize City. Traveling to anywhere else in the country would be a very long bus ride or involve a small plane ride. Yet...many of the activities that are talked about are only available in certain areas that they would have no way to access from Belize City (The bioluminescence tour is only out of the Hopkins area, which is nowhere close). I suppose that if readers aren't familiar with the country they will just go on their merry way and enjoy the ride, but I just couldn't do it.

I understood Ava's desire to have a settled life after the way she grew up. However, she seemed like a strong, independent woman that wouldn't just let her fiancé steamroll her. The more she described him the worse he seemed. When I described it to my husband he said "This sounds like the plot of every single Hallmark movie--woman engaged to a loser, encounters a former boyfriend/enemy/coworker and they fall in love when the woman finally figures out her fiancé is a jerk." He's not wrong, that's pretty much what happens in this book.

For all of that, it's still a fast-paced, cute beach read. If you can lay aside the clichés, it is somewhat enjoyable.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[el · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

the layover by lacie waldon, while beachy, does not read exactly as advertised. yes, ava greene is working her last trip as a flight attendant after a decade with her airline, and yes, she harbors a deep-seated resentment for her coworker jack stone—based entirely on assumptions and hearsay—who just so happens to be scheduled for her final flight before hanging up the ascot. what the summary fails to announce—for reasons unknown, considering this plot point is in no way a spoiler and becomes immediately obvious one page into the book—is that ava is engaged to be married to a lawyer named alexander while all of this is happening, a fact for which no one but her mother knows.

this is bound to become a problem for readers who dislike emotional cheating, or even the mere suggestion of it, and ava remains engaged to her boyfriend of nine months up until around the halfway mark of the layover, well into her romantic development with the real love interest of the novel. the crux of her emotional baggage—that she distrusts due to the romantic betrayals she's suffered in the past—confuses this plot detail. the immediate and intense attraction ava feels for jack both times that she interacts with him over the years (while in two different relationships) makes this characterization feel particularly hypocritical.

she spends a large portion of the narrative berating jack for his assumed sexual proclivities, calling him a jackass, a notorious man-whore, a womanizing dirtbag, in and out of her head, to name a few, when she's committed the cardinal relationship sin not once, but twice: indulging in her attraction to another man while in a relationship. her refusal to establish boundaries with jack while working a flight to belize—physical or otherwise—or even to admit to him that she's currently engaged, renders her hatred for the unfaithful a little ridiculous.

ironic for reasons readers will soon learn, the first time she meets jack, this is a glimpse at how she acts while she has a boyfriend: "i heard the unplanned lilt of flirtation in my tone and pulled my hand from the lock of hair i'd begun to twirl."

ava has an incredibly uncanny ability to shift blame and use others as an excuse for her behavior whenever convenient. in her eyes, the secondhand gossip she's accumulated over the years concerning jack's sex life is reason enough to treat him like trash on and off the clock, despite the fact that she's "never even heard rumors of jack being unfaithful." when she inevitably gives in to his charm, it's not her, a fully cognizant adult capable of calling off the flirtatious dynamic they're creating, who's to blame. it's him for dragging her down to his level. enemies to friends to lovers is one of my all time favorite tropes, but in the layover the irrationality of this hot-and-cold dynamic becomes almost unbearable.

though jack engages in light teasing throughout the book in an attempt to reciprocate ava's hostility, his is never as harsh as hers, never as pointed, never as hateful, resulting in an asymmetrical clash that makes ava feel like an unapologetic asshole laying in on an undeserving victim for most of the novel.

it's this unfounded superiority—"because i am a better person than he is."—that colors most of her characterization. it's not limited to jack, either. the narrative wants you to believe she's a generous sweetheart, even though she's prone to passing judgment and looking down her nose at others. she also has a terrible tendency to assume the worst of the people in her life:

"at least i don't have to tell meredith. she'd probably be secretly pleased, thinking someone as undependable as i am never deserved a man as stable and wonderful as alexander in the first place. there's no question she'd take alexander's side about my job."

and, of course, the way she's seen by others lies at odds with her true character:

"'i've flown with gen before, and people act like she's crazy. they make jokes about her like she can't hear them. they treat her like the peroxide has fried her brain. not you, though. you haven't made a single snide comment about her behind her back. i doubt you've even thought one.'"

this conclusion from another character's mouth arrives at an unfortunate point in the narrative, as we've been privy to ava's innermost thoughts about her coworker gen for the last 260 or so pages. based off of one former flight they worked together years ago, here are a few of ava's very kind feelings on gen:

•

"i study her, wondering if this is the secret to her personality. could there be enough alcohol in her hair spray that she's always a little drunk?"

•

"gen's comment might feel more offensive if [...] gen thought anything through before she said it aloud. she doesn't, though. she reminds me of one of those broken faucets that sends water shooting everywhere the moment it's touched."

•

"[...] there's something pathetic about telling [gen] before i've told anyone else in the world. it's like the lonely cat lady who tells the gas station cashier about her promotion because nobody else sticks around long enough for her to get the words out."

this is not to say these thoughts are totally unfounded—i'll get to gen's character in a moment—or that all of ava's inner monologues are mean-spirited. ava is capable of kindness and compassion, in spite of her snap judgments, and against all odds even develops a heart-warming friendship with gen over the course of the novel. i can't entirely fault a character for making observations like these in her head if they're never spoken aloud, but i can fault the narrative for wrongful characterization. she's not a sweet angel incapable of cruelty. her treatment of jack is in no way anomalous or exceptional. she's stubborn and irresponsible. most of all, though, her communication is an utter failure in the face of jack's constant transparency, his willingness to be candid about his past when asked.

the result is an aggravating main character who sabotages herself practically the entire novel. the rest of the cast is of a similar caliber.

alexander, ava's fiancé, is one of the worst offenders, though this shouldn't be surprising considering the novel needs a reason to ruin their relationship and casting him as the villain provides opportunity for the cleanest break. the problem is that alexander is so flagrantly awful that it becomes hard to believe ava ever saw anything in him to begin with. how she was able to convince herself she loved a man who has never once listened to her, has canceled every trip they've ever planned together, and who talks down to her like she's a live-in barbie doll and not an actual human being for nine months only to then discover practically overnight that she actually loved the idea of him is beyond me.

i almost wish alexander had been written with more nuance. he has no redeeming qualities and his relationship with ava is completely unconvincing as a result. i'm bored of the black and white hero/villain dichotomy, particularly in the romance genre. i want to see more grey area, more complexity, more depth. i want to see human beings, not caricatures.

other reviews claimed to find the intricacies of stewarding for airplane passengers boring, but i was actually kind of super enthralled to learn about the decorum, the minutiae, the technicalities of life as a flight attendant. i always love reading within niches like these when they're rich with detail.

that being said, i do take issue with gen's blatant unprofessionalism. i tried not to let this remove me from the narrative, but whenever she did something outlandish, i found myself jokingly thinking, "what kind of establishment are you people running here?"

i don't claim to be an expert on the rules and regulations of life as a flight attendant, especially not after learning that the author is (or was?) one herself. but i know that this career path is still today one of the most competitive and exacting. the expectations are stringent, the dress code precise, and even though many flight companies claim to be above the sexism/misogyny of early airline culture, there are still clandestine practices occurring during the hiring process that could be called discriminatory—things that women are evaluated for, like body type, age, and marital status, some of which the novel even names as relics of the past.

i understand gen's character exists as comedic relief, but because casual sexism/misogyny is already so deeply embedded in this novel, i can't suspend my disbelief in order to look past how unrealistic her professional behavior is over the course of the layover. from minor infractions like brazen dress code violations (heavy glitter makeup, extremely short skirts, two high ponytails) to major professional misconduct like poor hygiene, flirting/propositioning coworkers (including pilots) on and off the clock, touching them suggestively while on duty without asking for consent, giving out a coworker's number to a passenger (again, without asking for consent), stealing from flights, making alarming comments about passengers and/or their children, often where they can hear—"'i just don't understand why we're not allowed to slip a little bit of benadryl into [whining children's] juice,' she says, too loudly."—gen has broken just about every code of conduct in the flight attendant rule book.

it's just as ava says: "'it's a miracle you haven't been fired yet.'" so miraculous, in fact, that i don't believe it for a second. gen is a professional disaster and a huge liability and the raucousness with which she commits transgressions like these makes it impossible to believe her behavior has never gotten back to her airline company—unless we're operating under the assumption that her airline company is just shitty and negligent all around. this is another one of those things that i'm sure most readers wouldn't blink twice about, especially because this book is marketed as a romantic comedy, but because i have a hard time swallowing unrealistic writing in the contemporary romance genre, i blinked twice. thrice, even. i blinked many times.

surprisingly, i found jack stone to be the most sympathetic character in the book. he's written with an empathy that's hard to ignore and he seems to have endless reserves of patience for all the disastrous characters around him. the funniest moments in the novel come from scenes he features heavily in:

'i should go. i have a hot shower and tiny toiletries waiting for me.' [...]

'that's adorable,' jack says. 'do those tiny toiletries make you feel normal-sized?'

though the first half of the layover falls closer to two stars for me, the second half is where the story really takes off and some of the most breathtaking sequences unravel. once alexander exits the picture, ava and jack's romantic development becomes glittering, hard to look away from or put down. belatedly, i began to root for them and even enjoy ava's character as she started to unwind, giving in to her wanderlust. new and colorful characters emerge and the claustrophobic cabin of the airplane transitions into wide open landscapes, glowing caves, aquamarine ecosystems.

while the writing (and dialogue, in particular) is at times overly ambitious—"'i'm not saying weirdness is sexually transmitted, but until it's been scientifically proven not to be, my dick is guaranteed to be skittish around the likes of you.'"—there are some beautiful hidden gems to be found inside this novel.

'"my hair flies around my head, a cloud of dark, celebratory eels."

and...

"in sixth grade, i attempted a gingerbread man for our holiday assignment. my rendering was so inaccurate, i ended up in the principal's office, accused of turning in a penis."

...for example.

because i hovered between two and four stars for so long, i'm giving the layover three, as a way to meet in the middle. for those who aren't as picky about their romantic comedies, i do recommend picking this up and giving it a shot. it's a fun debut, the leading love interest is an ideal candidate for a riveting take on enemies to lovers, and the setting makes this the perfect quarantine read—so long as you're okay with feeling a little cabin fever.

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review posted to blog:https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Let’s hear it for this PG-rated Rom-Com!

The Layover by Lacie Waldon comes highly recommended by my friend Jayme . Based on Jayme's review , I requested the audio from my library and decided to give it a go. Luckily for me, it was a winner.

Ava Green is a flight attendant who is preparing for her last flight. She is engaged to be married and her fiance doesn’t want her working after they marry. Her last trip is a flight to Belize with another flight attendant she has secretly (or not so secretly) despised for years. A gorgeous man named Jack, who gets under her skin, in more ways than one.

This three-day trip turns out to be more than Ava bargained for. Bonding with all of the flight attendants on board, including Jack and Ava goes on a journey of self-discovery and realizes what she really wants in life.

A sexy & smart rom-com that includes lots of fun, witty banter, The Layover was a nice distraction from real life.

Thanks again to Jayme for her fabulous review.

Thank you also to my library for loaning me a copy of the audio.

Published on Goodreads, and Twitter.

[emma ⚘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ★

if you’re looking for a quick road trip read, this book is perfect!

at first, i was not very interested in it, but once i got past the beginning, i started to really like the vibes and the romance. i don’t have a lot of thoughts about this book considering how short it was. the characters were good and there were a lot of fun scenes. i was able to read this whole thing in a 4 hour car ride! summer romance is always the best.

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads)]

DNF @ 24%: This wasn't necessarily bad or anything but it just wasn't holding my attention. Onto the next one!

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, slow burn rom-com of the enemies-to-lovers trope. Written from the POV of Ava, a flight attendant, it was interesting to get some insight into her work life and experiences. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. Excellent debut novel!

I'm now looking forward to reading Book 2 (From the Jump).

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book will work for a lot of people simply because . . . . .



I get it. After a year and a half of lockdown many of you are fantasizing about tropical getaways and Belize is a pretty dang good spot to dream about heading to. Me, on the other hand?????



Ah hell, who am I kidding? Sweatpants were all that fit me waaaaaaaaay before Covid ever was a thing.

So this story is about two flight attendants who get stuck in Belize for a day due to mechanical problems with their plane (and we’ll just call that Exhibit A of why Kelly doesn’t want to ever leave her house, thankyouverymuch). I had so many problems with this one. First of all, the female lead starts off as engaged and is kind of a broken record with talk about how much she has dreamed of settling down and putting down roots, but then pulls a 180 and changes her mind instantly at about the halfway mark with no real rhyme or reason. Also, the fiancé seemed a bit of a drip (for the little page time he was given) and the in-laws would have been a hard pill to swallow, but the break up (that immediately follows the change of plans decision) was way impromptu and I couldn’t necessarily blame the guy for telling her to take a hike after she just changed their entire life plan over the phone (and after she never even thought about calling him to say hi or she made it safely or just that she loved him and was thinking of him – annnnnnnnd never returned his calls or texts either). And the initial reaction to the leading male Jack? I’m all for enemies to lovers, but dang girl this is your J.O.B. I get girl code or whatever, but just ignore the dude and be professional. It’s a freaking airplane trip, no one is asking you to give him a kidney. Sorry to everyone who loved this. I’m truly not looking to harsh your buzz. It just did not work at all for me. The writing, characters, plotting, pacing – it was all a fail.

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lacie Waldon is a flight attendant and bookstagrammer, now rom com author. On top of that, The Layover stars Ava Greene as its main character who happens to be a flight attendant like Lacie! Also involved? A trip to tropical Belize.

Ava is about to switch gears and say goodbye to her current job. She’s taking one last vacation and along for it is Jack, a former (gorgeous, but arrogant) pilot who has always gotten under her skin.

You can imagine the chemistry and misadventures when they are stuck in Belize for the weekend. The Layover is pure fun in a book and the perfect summer rom com.

I received a gifted copy of the book.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Ink_Drinker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll start off by saying that Romance is not my usual genre, but when I saw the eye-catching cover of The Layover, I knew it was the summer Romance read for me!

I loved meeting Ava Greene and learning about the life of a flight attendant. We are with Ava on her last flight before settling down and marrying her fiancé Alexander, living the stable life she has always wanted, leaving her wings behind.

Enter....Jack Stone, the cocky, flirtatious former pilot turned flight attendant and Ava’s nemesis who just happens to be sharing her last flight. Ava was looking forward to enjoying her last flight, but now she has to deal with Jack.....and to make things worse, their one-night layover in Belize turns into a weekend due to the plane’s mechanical issues.

Ava is forced to spend time with Jack during the extended layover and she is finding out that Jack might not be the guy she thought he was. They have a playful chemistry between them and it has Ava thinking that maybe the steady lifestyle she thought she wanted isn’t for her and that maybe a life in the skies is exactly where she should be after all.

Waldon did a great job with character development throughout the book and I enjoyed some of the secondary characters such as Gen, another flight attendant and Pilot Paul. They both added to the comedy that was Ava’s story!

This is a great enemies to lovers story that had me finishing the book in one day. I would highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys reading Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books. It has an awesome summery vibe and perfect beach read that lets you escape to Belize with Ava and friends. This is Lacie Waldon’s debut novel and I am already looking forward to her next book!! Waldon’s book has made me a big fan of Rom-Coms! Thank you Lacie for expanding my reading genre!!

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a bit over a third in and I'm bailing. Ava is simply uninteresting as a protagonist. She's a self-acknowledged doormat (sorry, people pleaser) holding onto a stupid ideal that she doesn't actually want and judging Jack harshly from rumor and a single bad experience. What am I supposed to like about her? I'd almost stick with it only she's also engaged to a man she says she loves, though she clearly doesn't.

So that's a lot of things to unpack for this time she's going to be stuck in a tropical paradise, forming a connection with Jack. A connection that involves cheating on a guy she's engaged to. And to be fair, I don't know if actual cheating will take place. But I don't think it actually matters. She's engaged because she's delusional, so getting to a healthy relationship with Jack in a couple of days of what works out to an unexpected holiday isn't going to fly. I mean, really? She's going to get to know herself better, extricate herself honorably from an engagement, and then form a healthy romantic relationship with a guy she's been kind of horrible to for a couple of days already?

Yeah, I'm not buying it. And it doesn't help that we're a third of the book in and we're only just getting to the semi-holiday part and there has been zero movement on the necessary fronts. She's as delusional as ever. She's still saying "I love you" to the fiancé. She still thinks Jack is a jerk player. She still plans on quitting a job she obviously loves.

And the story is focusing around a half-cocked matchmaking plot that's clearly invented so that Ava has a reason to interact with Jack at all, even as she's still judging him.

I dunno, maybe the story becomes brilliant after drifting for so long. But I have better things to do than gamble on something so unlikely.

[sil ♡ the book voyagers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Man oh, man. I had high expectations for this book here, but sadly, it didn't live up to them.

First of all, this was very boring... most of the book was. Nothing really happens until they finally arrive in Belize and do fun activities and actually the two main characters talk with each other and get to know one another. But before that? Goshhhhh it was tiresome. Mainly because of the heroine. I just didn't like her at all. She constantly misjudges every single person she comes in contact with. Then after she finally realizes that hey these people are not what you think they are, you have only thought about them a certain way, but hey you don't KNOW THEM!!!! it was waaay to late for me to actually start to like her and find her funny. 70%? nah.

One of the things I was very confused about was the actual fact that Ava has a whole damn fiancé throughout the whole book. And he isn't the hero!!! The synopsis never gave me that little information so when I started this book I was like wait just a minute... So please put she is engaged in the synopsis???? It's so misleading and leads to you to start having second thoughts and definitely search words in the book to find out if the ending is worth it.

I'm fine with the main characters having someone else at the beginning of the story but when the whole plot starts happening, she goes to work, she arrives in Belize, and she still HAS A WHOLE A** FIANCÉ. So of course I'm here wondering is she going to cheat?

If you wanted to know before reading this book She doesn't cheat. They break up before that.

She doesn't say a thing. To anyone. She isn't wearing her ring (obviously so the miscommunication thickens, the plot can happen, and the problems arise) throughout the whole book. So it was a choice, not to say anything and that's just very eh. Jack, the hero, obviously does not know and you can see he does like her. But again Ava is very mean and she treats Jack so badly, all because of the big thing that happened two years ago. A thing she doesn't really know the whole story so she casts him as a villain and that's why this is "an enemies to lovers romance", you know? He has zero clues because the thing she thinks happened IS NOT TRUE. So he is actually really nice, taking the mean words thrown at him, and wondering why the f u c k is she like this with him when every single person she works with says she's so nice.

My other issue was that this is clearly labeled as a romantic comedy, a romcom. Like every single contemporary romance with an illustrated cover releasing right now. But you all, this isn't it. I mean I laughed twice? Some scenes were funny but I was not laughing until maybe 50% into the novel. Comedy? How about yawning...

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a variety of new titles coming out this year featuring air travel and flight attendants. This is my second of four. I read Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am earlier this year and have Hostage and Falling queued up for later this month. This debut romcom is definitely the lightest of the four and I needed a fluffy read after finishing Hairpin Bridge yesterday. This book totally delivered. The plot includes an enticing combination of actual flight time/work, off-duty time, and fun time. The haters to lovers trope is well developed and Ava is a delightful heroine to spend a few days with. Tuck this one in your beach bag and pretend you are in Belize along with Ava, Jack, Gen, and Paul the Pilot.
You could also include the David Bell thriller, Layover in your summer reading if you want another thriller with air travel connections. I really liked that one as well. Happy travels!

Now there is another Lacie Waldon title you can read. Check out From the Jump!

[Angie Hockman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sexy, dazzling debut, The Layover is a jet fuel-powered rom-com that had me dreaming of sun-soaked beaches and a view from 35,000 feet. Plus the delicious, slow-burning romance, sizzling banter, and crackling chemistry? Swoon. If you’re an enemies-to-lovers fan—or have even a speck of wanderlust in your heart—The Layover is the romantic escape for you!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this. This rom-com had well developed characters, strong chemistry and all out fun. I loved watching these two doing really almost anything together. The sparks and tension could be felt by the whole room. The writing was brilliant and the romantic parts were really special. This debut novel was everything I’d hoped it would be. It checked all the boxes and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good rom-com. Read this book.
Thanks G.P. Putnam's Sons via Netgalley.

[Sabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a debut novel, it's very good. 3.5 stars
Readers of another vacation-based romcom Shipped will love it. A good summer read!



Things I liked:

🌟The comedy: I live for the banter in romcoms and I loved that in this book.

🌟The side character: Gen, Pilot, they made great side characters with snarky lines and witty personality.

🌟The main couple: more Jack, the male lead. But, the female lead Ava wasn't bad we asll, it's just that she came a little too aggresive in their typical romcom fights.

Thing I didn't like:

🔵 The first half of the novel is way funnier and more interesting to me. Yes, we get romance in the second half but I preferred the comedy in this book. The romance... was nice but nothing special that I'll remember.

🔵 Even though, I liked the writing, there's something that I would've liked to see in the main lead, Ava's life and that is She is still engaged when she goes to her 'last flight' and well, I think it would've worked if she had broken up the engagement, I know, I know, the story/lines would've changed but still.

••• I'll be definitely watching out for the authors' next read!

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 2 out of 5]

Welp, this was a disappointment. It reminded me of Once Upon a Royal Summer, where a cute, kind and misunderstood woman in a job she loves that her betrothed does not (he's type A, controlling, "safe," and the Right Guy) has to leave her job for her man. Then she realizes he's Not Right, breaks up with him, and wham bam meets another dude right away. They fall in love after 48 hours and the end (with some other stuff in between for drama).

I just didn't like Ava, I hated Jack, and everyone else was literal cardboard. The chemistry was nonexistent and the ending was rushed, plus all I could think about was Ava not ever picking up her stuff from what's his nuts' place at the very end.

And, just like Once Upon a Royal Summer, this the the straightest book on the face of the planet. It's so fucking heterosexual I can't even.

[Syndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Layover is rom com romance. I have to say it is more chick lit. The story focusing on Ava the flight attendence who is very controlling on every situation. She reminds me a bit of me. While Jack is laid back guy, he is more the fun party loving guy.

Miss Waldon done a great job writing the story. Both characters are wonderful and loveable. And Gen brings a good laugh with her behavior.

4 stars

[Melissa (Mel’s Bookshelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was in the mood for a light weekend cute read and this one was great, apart from one small issue I had with it.

Ava is a flight attendant and is paired up on a flight to Belize, with her arch nemeiss. Well kind of. Jack was partly responsible for the worst night of her entire life and when the plane has issues and they get stuck together in the beautiful island paradise, will she continue to hate him?

I enjoyed this one. It was fun and had some really witty dialogue and funny moments.

I liked Ava a character – so I didn’t quite understand why the biggest thing I didn’t like in the book happened. It’s not really a spoiler because you literally find out about it in the first few chapters of the book, but Ava is engaged to be married. And yes sure he is a total Jerk etc etc. But she is engaged to be married and it borders so close to cheating that it might as well be cheating. Jerk or no jerk. It feels like her fiance was written as a jerk just to excuse her falling for another man.

However, if you ignore this part and go with the story and pretend that she is the victim in all of this it is quite an enjoyable read. I just didn’t like this one part of her story and character. She is such a strong character, it is hard to believe that she would let someone treat her like crap.

I liked the setting and the characters. Gen was probably my favourite of all of them. I wish I was more like Gen!

Ultimately it was a sweet story, a good romance. I loved the tension between the characters and the setting. I just wish that some things were a bit different. But it did the job at helping me escape the kids from lockdown for a few hours!

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[book bruin · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

When I first saw the vibrant illustrated cover and read the blurb for The Layover, I thought I was going to be reading a fun enemies to lovers romcom. While it is an entertaining read featuring that trope, the larger part of the story is about Ava's personal journey to understand and accept who she truly is. There was a bit too much emphasis on the enemies part of the trope, however, and it ended up coming across as petty and mean. Unfortunately, I never felt the "something" between Ava and Jack that was referenced so often. The romance between them felt forced and seemed to be more about lust than true connection. I found the overall pacing slow and the story never quite pulled me in, which made the book feel overly long. One of my favorite parts of the book though was learning all the little details and secrets regarding flight attendants and their procedures. That behind the scenes was fascinating. The secondary characters were also a lot of fun, especially Gen.

I think many readers will enjoy this story about living your life true to yourself, but I do wish that I had known that one of the main characters was engaged to be married prior to starting this book. Unfortunately, this detail really colored my perception of all the interactions between the main characters and it made the engaged character pretty unlikeable to me (even though it was clear that their relationship was doomed from page 1). I think there was enough going on with both characters and their pasts that that additional drama was unnecessary.

CW: cheating, mentions of alcoholism, slut shaming, fear of parental abandonment, strained parental relationships, death of family member (cancer)

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

is it too soon to say this is my favorite rom-com of 2021 when it’s not even 2021 yet?

[AsToldByKenya · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is severely underrated probably cause its not heavy on romance and has some cheating depending on how u see it. but I very much so enjoyed my read.

[Arundhati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ava greene has it all figured out. She finally has what she always wanted- to settle down. She is used to moving around places since forever and now she is ready to give it all up. But before she quits her job as a flight attendant, there is one last trip she has to take.

Her supposedly last trip doesn't turn out anything as she imagined. What are the odds that she had to run into her nemesis Jack Stone, who always manages to bring out the worst in her. But as their trip goes underway Ava rediscovers her love for travel and adventure while making new friends and finding in love.

This was such a cute novel. Ava and Jack are absolutely adorable. Their chemistry is electric and jumps off the pages. The whole setting and the adventures they go onto is stuff of dreams. It even called to my perpetually-lazy-stay-at-home heart. As a person who had to keep shifting places all my life I totally relate with Ava's need to put down some roots. With constant travelling and moving around it becomes almost impossible to keep up with friends. I totally get it. But as lofty the idea of settling in one place seem like, I would still love to keep moving and discover new places. I am glad Ava felt the same way. Also I am really happy to see that Ava didn't need a guy to show her how much she loved travelling and that she should stand up for herself, instead she did that on her own. I fell in love with Jack. His kind and gentle heart. Specially the scene where he stops to ask Ava questions to know more about her. How attentive and respectful he was towards her is just amazing. I loved their relationship dynamics.

The plot was really simple but well executed. It was heart warming and enjoyable. All the characters were great, even the supporting characters. Especially Gen. She is a friend I would want. It was a cute, fluffy and feel good kind of romcom which would leave your heart warm and fuzzy.

[Shaylin Gandhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book! It's breezy, refreshing, and packed with great characters I not only sympathised with, but grew to love. It's intelligently written and a perfect beachy summer read with a satisfying ending. The characters sick with me long after I finished--ai read this book months ago and STILL think about it on a weekly basis. If that's not the hallway of a wonderfully written book, I don't know what is!