REVIEW: Good at Being Alive by Elizabeth O’Roark

Good at Being Alive by Elizabeth O’Roark: After losing her entire family in a tragic accident, Bex is doing everything she can to keep moving forward while holding together the travel agency they built. Theo, her father’s British business partner, has his own complicated history with loss and has spent years keeping his emotions carefully contained. When a reality TV opportunity forces them to pose as newlyweds on a European honeymoon, neither expects the arrangement to challenge so much of what they believe about themselves.

Between the European backdrop, the fake marriage setup, the emotional healing journey, and the grumpy British hero, GOOD AT BEING ALIVE by Elizabeth O’Roark was an emotional romance that combined a dream travel itinerary with a heartfelt story about grief, healing, and two people who have spent far too long convincing themselves they don’t deserve happiness.

Beneath her outgoing personality and tendency to leap before looking was a woman carrying unimaginable grief. I loved watching Bex navigate a future she never expected to face while slowly rediscovering parts of herself that had been buried beneath loss and guilt. Her journey was messy, honest, and deeply human. Theo was the perfect counterpart to her. Reserved, dependable, and quietly caring, he often noticed what Bex needed before she could admit it herself. Theo was carrying his own pain and regrets, forcing him to confront emotions he’d spent years avoiding.

The chemistry between Bex and Theo sparkled from the start, but I loved the way they challenged each other’s assumptions about life and happiness. As they traveled together, traded barbs, and gradually lowered their defenses, you could see them becoming the person the other looked forward to most. Watching their fake honeymoon slowly turn into something neither of them wanted to end was one of my favorite parts of the story.

Tropes & Vibes
✈️ Fake marriage
🌍 European honeymoon
😒 Grumpy hero
☀️ Opposites attract
📺 Reality TV setup
💕 Slow-burn romance
🏡 Found family

Between the gorgeous travel backdrop, the emotional depth, and a romance that balanced humor with vulnerability, this was a book that left me both smiling and a little teary-eyed by the end

Perfect for readers who love emotional romance, fake relationship stories with real emotional stakes, grumpy heroes who quietly show up when it matters most, and books that inspire both wanderlust and hope.

Book Info:

Publication: Published: June 16, 2026 | Dell |

A party girl and a grumpy British CEO fake a dream European honeymoon for a reality TV show that could save their travel agency—and give them both a new lease on life (and love)—if only they’d take the chance.

“Smart, sharp, sizzling.”—Elsie Silver, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Rebecca “Bex” Daniels has just lost her entire family in a freak train accident, leaving her completely alone in the world and responsible for their travel agency. Only a few months after the tragedy, her father’s UK partner, the straitlaced Theo Porter, reveals that the business is about to go under. Their only hope? A reality TV deal brokered before her father’s death . . . with a rebrand: Bex and Theo are to pose as newlyweds, exploring the world on an extended honeymoon.

Bex and Theo couldn’t be more different—but though they initially clash, Bex soon discovers he’s amusing, protective, and kind, the sort of man she’d want to be married to in real life, if she thought for a second she deserved him. As for Theo, he can’t help but be swept up into the brilliant whirlwind that is Bex, but ever since his brother died, a real relationship is the last thing he wants.

As Bex and Theo flit across Europe, from Capri to Paris, exploring sun-drenched villas and remote fjords, they can’t help but notice their walls coming down, and their arguments begin to feel a lot more like foreplay than fighting. But they each carry around more than enough emotional baggage, and they’ll have to contend with public scandals and crushing grief before they can decide if they’re ready to ride off into the sunset once the cameras stop rolling.