From The Jump - Lacie Waldon

Book Synopsis: A chronic yes-woman finally admits to what—and who—she really wants in this unforgettable and heartfelt romantic comedy, by the author of The Layover.

Liv Bakersfield is used to living her life in “shoulds.” Be fit. Be financially responsible. Be your best self. An overworked graphic designer, she’s stretched so thin that she’s about to miss yet another vacation with her beloved group of college friends. But when Liv finally decides to start saying no, it feels good…good enough to leap straight into quitting her job and hopping on a plane to join them in South Africa.

Amid the exotic landscape and unforgettable sights, Liv expects sun and safari animals and an easy time with her best friends. But such close proximity makes everything more complicated, especially with the emotionally unavailable Lucas Deiss. Their friendship is the only thing in her life that's still solid, and she vows to do anything she can to keep the group together. But once they get back to L.A., Liv discovers that her leap of faith has become a freefall, sending her crashing into Deiss's arms. With the trust of the people she loves most on the line, Liv must decide between doing what she should … and risking everything for what she shouldn’t want.

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Okay, I adored this story, not surprising since I loved The Layover. I came into this book completely unaware of the plot and jumped in.

This novel is so refreshing, and the message that I got from it is an important life lesson - don't get stuck, keep moving forward, and don't look back.

Following the advice of her coworker, Liv finally decides to say no, and on a whim quits her job and goes on vacation with her friends in South Africa. At first, I'll admit that I didn't relate to the main character at all, but then I realized, when's the last time I was able to say no? Like Liv, I'm definitely a yes woman, a chronic people-pleaser, and that's just my personality, but maybe it masks what I'm really afraid of - rejection.

The only thing that bothered me was the love interest's name - how on earth do you pronounce that? In my head, I was calling him Lucas because I didn't want to fumble his last name in my head.

Yes, I would 100% recommend this book, I loved it - it made me think and re-examine my life. This book will be released on July 19, 2022, and I believe you can pre-order it now.

Rating: 5/5 Stars ★★★★★