The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain by Hannah Brown
Thank you to Hannah Brown, Forever, and NetGalley for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Book Recap: One year after leaving her ex-fiancé at the alter, Sybil decides to use her vacation credits to go on her honeymoon solo as a work trip/getaway. What she doesn’t expect to find is her ex-fiancé. In a moment of panic, Sybil lies and says she is on a trip with her boyfriend which leads Sybil to spend her “relaxing” getaway trying to keep up her lie; however, in the middle of all the lies she may find the truth about herself and her many engagements.
Top Tropes/Themes:
💕 Second Chance romance
🔺 Love Triangle
🚫 Fake Relationship
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️(closed door)
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 stars)
Let’s Talk About It…
I have to begin by saying that second chance romances and love triangles aren’t my top tropes, but I love a good romance in a beach setting so I wanted to give this book a chance. There were several things this book did well. I enjoyed the flashbacks from the past engagements to the present which slowly reveal how Sybil’s life ended up the way it did. I also liked the descriptions of the excursions at the resort as well as the resort staff. I felt like I was a guest as well! One thing that surprised me was how much I enjoyed Sybil’s job being woven into her “working trip”. I think it added a nice layer to her character and a break from the deeper topics.
When it comes down to it though, I gave this book 3 stars for a few reasons. First, I believe this book needed to come with a trigger warning for miscarriage. There were some detailed scenes that could be distressing for some readers. Second, I think the storyline with the second ex-fiancé was poorly done. It made this story feel a little cheesy given they just happened to in the same place at the same time (but forgivable still in a romance novel). Third, I found the book to be overall predictable which made the ending seem a bit anti-climatic.
I would recommend this book to those who like beachy reads and a second chance romance that feels just a little bit “produced” (say like, “The Bachelorette”). I did find it to be an enjoyable read and I think, for the right reader, it could be a 5 star read!
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