Review: On Location by Sarah Echavarre Smith
I tend to love books that center on TV shows. It’s a world I know a lot about and can relate to. So when I read the synopsis for On Location, I knew it was one I wanted to read! Have we gathered contemporary romance is my favorite genre yet? No? Oh, okay.
Synopsis:
Alia Dunn has finally gotten her big break. After years of working her way up at TV's top outdoor travel channel, she gets the green light from network executives to bring her dream project to life: produce a series about Utah's national parks. It's a touching tribute to her late apong, who sparked Alia's passion for travel and the outdoors as a kid.
Alia is thrilled—until she meets her newest crew member, Drew Irons. The same Drew she had the most amazing first date with two weeks ago—who then ghosted her. The same Drew who has the most deliciously thick forearms and who loves second-guessing her every move on set in front of the entire crew. It's not long before the tension between them turns hotter than the Utah desert in the dead of summer, and their steamy encounters lead to major feelings.
But when the series host goes rogue one too many times, jeopardizing the entire shoot, Alia realizes that she'll need to organize one hell of a coup to save her show—and she'll need Drew's help to do it. It's the riskiest move she's ever made. If she pulls it off, she'll end up with a hit series and her dream guy . . . but if it all goes wrong, she could lose both.”
What I Liked:
The Setting—I’ve only been to Utah in the airport, but it seems like an incredible place to visit. The book captured the feeling of majesty!
The Show—I really liked the idea of Discovering Utah, the show the crew was filming. I love mountains so I felt swept away by what they trying to capture. I also loved the crew; they were such fun characters!
What Didn’t Work:
The Pacing—I didn’t vibe with how this was paced out. It did capture the TV motto of “hurry up and wait” because things felt so rushed and then drawn out.
The Trope—Insta love meets constant miscommunication. I found myself annoyed with Drew and Alia a lot because things kept getting repetitive. They’d make up quickly and then once again, miscommunication. It just felt like there were too many tiny bumps.
The Romance—I just didn’t buy into the romance and wasn’t routing for them. The smut? Excellent. But everything else…eh.
Content Warnings
Relationship trauma (emotional), assault
Character Authenticity: 2.5/5 Steam Rating: 3/5 Overall Rating: 3/5