Review by Kayleigh
The Book Tour is a fun debut that plays with some of my favourite tropes: he falls first, workplace romance and cross-country travel.
Favourite Quote:
Just then, I see a hint of movement at the back of the still room as someone enters quietly. For a moment I think I must be seeing things, because he wouldn’t possibly show up to my launch, would he? After throwing wrenches in the publicity wheel and my (oh, who are we kidding) demanding he be taken off the campaign – right?
But there he stands, stern daddy in full effect.
Ryan Grant.
Book Synopsis:
Despite her popular podcast and sold-out speaking events, Ana Movilian still feels like she has to prove herself. To her family, who can’t believe she quit med school to build an influencer career, and to literary snobs, who decry her buzzy self-help book. Happily, her upcoming book tour is the perfect chance to show the world just how bright her star can shine.
That is, until her beloved publicist resigns the night before their plane is set to take off, announcing that her replacement is none other than Ryan bleeping Grant.
Ryan specializes in highbrow, “important” books, and his perma-scowl in every interaction with Ana makes one thing clear: he does not get her book. Or her. He’s the last person who should be promoting her work, the last person she should be stuck with for two weeks . . . and the last person who should look that damn good in business casual.
As they travel from city to city, however, Ana’s assumptions about Ryan take new shape. A decidedly more appealing shape. Soon, their growing attraction starts to feel like a ticking time bomb. But crossing that line could derail each of their careers faster than you can say “conflict of interest,” and they both have bigger dreams at stake than the bestseller list.
Review:
The Book Tour dives deep into the world of social media, vulnerability, and grief through a crazy two-week book tour filled with shenanigans, love, and a surprising amount of inner self-work.
Ana Movillian looks like she has it all: a popular podcast, close girlfriends, a roster of men who want a no-strings-attached relationship, and a forthcoming buzzy book. But deep down, Ana is hiding a lot of feelings and issues: her type A workaholic stress is partially due to being the first child of Armenian immigrants and feeling like she’s never making her mom happy, the guilt of dropping out of her residency as a doctor after her father’s untimely death made the work impossible, and the unresolved heartbreak from when her first serious boyfriend dumped her in the middle of her grief because she was too much work.
Whew. Buckle up. Ana needs a lot of work. She comes across as annoyingly bossy and self-involved at the beginning of the book. And that is simply because she’s always trying to be enough for people, but not too much. She is constantly making sure she pleases other people. It’s hard to be genuinely involved with people when you are always trying to perform for them.
Enter Ryan Grant. After a last-minute change of plans, he’s her publicist for her book tour. The problem? Ava is pretty sure Ryan thinks her social-media-platform-driven book is unworthy of the highbrow literature he normally supports. But the other problem? He’s smart, stupidly hot and seems to actually listen to Ava and see past the sparkling exterior she has mastered for so long to make people like and accept her. As you can imagine, sparks fly. Slowly at first, because Ryan is working, and having a relationship with an author he’s representing would be a huge misconduct. When they finally give in to their feelings, Ava feels more than she believes is possible. Ryan has a knack for tearing through her fancy trappings and laying her emotions bare. Ryan and Ava are a smoking hot couple with off-the-charts chemistry. Ava isn’t afraid of her sexuality. I loved their intimate scenes, but loved the ones where they both had to be emotionally vulnerable even more. Through Ryan’s care, Ava learns that sometimes people don’t want the sparkle and shine; they want the dullness and heavy work too if it means showing true emotions.
In a reversal of the break-up/ make-up third act, Ava is the one who does a huge gesture and puts her heart and soul on the line for Ryan. It’s a poignant moment in a fast-paced book. The Book Tour deals with some big themes of death, the role of family in our lives and how to prioritize ourselves without hurting others, but still manages to be funny, wry and filled with tender scenes.
Thank you to Dell, an imprint of Random House, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
