The Breakup Vacation by Anna Gracia

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Dates Read: 12/11/23 - 12/12/23

    Grace's college senior year summer was supposed to be sun-drenched Californian bliss with her boyfriend, Josh. Instead, a cruel twist of fate leaves her heartbroken and adrift. But her friends, Tiff and Camille, have just the remedy: a spontaneous beach escape to Cancun.

    Cancun promises turquoise waters, sizzling sunsets, and the perfect escape from heartbreak. Except, fate throws another curveball - Josh is there too, possibly with a new flame on his arm. Now Grace hatches a daring plan: Operation Win-Josh-Back.

    But Grace keeps bumping into Daniel, a very charming soccer player. He's the opposite of Josh - laid-back, kind, and oh-so-good at understanding the complexities of being biracial. As Grace navigates the sun-soaked chaos of Cancun, she can't help but wonder if her heart might be open to something new.

    The main characters, while colorful, feel a bit one-dimensional. Grace is very selfish and a terrible friend for almost the entire book, Tiff's wealth takes center stage too often, and Camille needs more personality. I was not a fan of the frequent, harsh arguments between friends, there were things said that went way too far.

    There are also a lot of moments where the characters touch on real issues in the world, and it was handled well. That being said, there are also quite a few moments where I felt it was not handled well at all. I won't elaborate there, I don't have personal experience with the issues that were discussed, so I feel I don't know how to explain it with the grace it requires. I just found myself going "Are you serious?" and "Girl, read the room." a lot.

    But the book finds its groove with the romance. Grace and Daniel's chemistry sizzles, and their banter is a delight. The romance was very rushed, I believe they were only in Cancun for five days, but I could see the potential there. Grace finally owning up to her mistakes in the end is satisfying, even if it takes a while.

    Overall, this was a fun, short read. I feel like it could've been executed better, but it was easy to read. I believe this is meant to be a series eventually, and I would be open to reading the next book with the hopes of overall improvement and more dynamic, mature characters.

    Thank you so much to Atria Books for reaching out and inviting me to read this in exchange for an honest review. The Breakup Vacation is expected to publish on March 5, 2024. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

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