Title: What Happens on Vacation
Author: Jo Watson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Headline Eternal
Pages: 368
Release Date: 20 July 2023
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Hello fellow book lovers! Today I'm sharing my review for What Happens on Vacation by Jo Watson. Hilariously entertaining and full of heart, this was a wonderful, rivals to lovers romance that perfectly captures the multi-faceted nature of grief and loss—without detracting from the plot’s uplifting (and swoon-worthy) rom-com tone.
Synopsis
Journalist Margaret loves her job, writing important stories about the impact of government decisions on day-to-day lives for a respected newspaper in Johannesburg. There’s only one her co-worker, Jagger Villain. Is that even his real name? she often wonders. Jagger spends his days writing fluff pieces on everything from the worst-rated barber in Johannesburg to speed dating to male sex toys. To make matters worse, they share a cubicle and a desk, and every day he finds new ways to drive her to distraction. She needs a vacation!
Thankfully the upcoming company quiz night has the perfect first a deluxe trip to a resort in Zanzibar. It will be the perfect escape for Margaret and her mother after a difficult year dealing with the death of her father and divorce. Margaret’s never met a quiz night she can’t win, but then she’s never competed against Jagger. That’s when the unthinkable happens. They tie. They both win. They both get to go to Zanzibar.
It’s bad enough that Margaret has to be on the same island as Jagger, but at least she has her widowed mother with her to help her avoid her co-worker and whoever he brings. However, Jagger’s plus one isn’t what she expected. It’s not some girl of the moment, it's his father, which shakes up her opinion of him . . . at least a bit. And that’s when the entire situation goes from farce to horror their parents fall in love and decide to get married.
Suddenly Margaret and Jagger go from co-workers who dislike each other (but also ‘accidentally’ had sex one night,) to step siblings who dislike each other (but also ‘accidentally’ had sex one night!). But maybe they don’t dislike each other as much as they initially thought they did?
Review
I’m an absolute sucker for the enemies/ rivals to lovers romances so pretty much jumped at the chance to read this. And I’m glad I did, as it was such an enjoyable summery read!
The writing was beautifully descriptive and really managed to convey the emotions of the characters to perfection. Having read (and absolutely loved) Jo Watson’s coming of age YA, Big Boned, back in 2021 it was super exciting to delve into another plus sized centred story, but for a slightly older audience.
Being plus sized myself, I did really resonate with Margaret and the insecurities she feels as a larger than average woman. Though I warn, she does come off as slightly irritating at first, especially in her snap judgment of Jagger and the type of person she believes him to be.
But, as we watch her emotional barriers begin to thaw, she started to grow on me. Especially as it becomes quickly apparent her reactions are steeped grief (both from the death of her father and the breakdown of her marriage), and her avoidance of attachments stemming from her fear. Mainly the fear of rejection, but also of the emotional pain that loss can evoke.
Her nemesis/ co-worker (and love interest), Jagger on the other hand is practically an open book. He lives for the emotional and personal aspect of his job, meeting people and sharing their stories with the world. I loved how obviously smitten he was with Margaret from the beginning (despite her obliviousness and one sided rivalry) and couldn’t help but root for him, in all his cinnamon roll glory.
I enjoyed a lot of the supporting characters too, particularly Margaret’s free spirited (and sex positive) mum, Anke, Lesego (Margaret’s work colleague) and Leighton (Former 80s popstar and Margaret’s best friend who gives out some pretty solid and helpful life advice, along with sordid stories about his partying days.)
The setting was jaw droppingly romantic and the descriptions had me mentally planning my own Sun-filled adventure in Zanzibar. The chemistry between Margaret and Jagger was fabulously slow-burn, so do take this into consideration if that’s not your thing. However, it was the little moments of humour (from the cringey to the utterly hilarious) and realism in Watson’s portrayal of complex relationships, that really made this such compelling read.
As both Margaret and Jagger are journalists, we do delve into a little of Zanzibar’s history and culture (it’s actually the birthplace of Freddie Mercury!) But does also touch upon some of the countries’ darker history, which although quite brief (with only a couple of scenes dedicated to it) some readers might want to check TWs before reading.
Overall, a fairly light hearted and enjoyable read that’s perfect for fans of office romance-based, Rivals to Lovers or GrumpyxSunshine and Forced Proximity tropes.
Also, a huge thank you to Ana over at Headline Eternal for the finished copy.
Ratings: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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