On a Flight to Sydney by J.A. Forde: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

What if the very last thing you’re looking for turns out to be exactly what you need?

Joss Morgan is perfectly happy with her life in Sydney, thank-you-very-much. She may be single, have only one true friend, and live alone… but she doesn’t need a man… or more friends… or anything at all.

Wes Anderson boards a flight to Sydney intent on escaping the cinders of his life—the dreams that have all gone up in smoke. One year. One year of freedom to be anyone he wants; that is, anyone but the man he always thought he'd be.

When Joss and Wes’s worlds collide, he steals her breath—in more ways than one—and she seems to steal all the space in his already full head. Now, life is determined to throw them together and what starts as an awkward dance of unlikely friendship—each trying to contain their own emotional landmines—turns into something they never saw coming.

But can two people with enough baggage to bring down a plane help each other heal? With their pasts lurking around every corner like airport security, Joss and Wes must decide:

Is it safer to fly solo or would a life together be worth all the risk?

The Author 

J.A. Forde is a romance writer, Navy wife, and full-time mom to two crazy kids (and a furry pup). She currently resides in Nevada with her family where you’ll most likely find her with her nose stuck in a book… or more realistically chasing her two kids with an audiobook in her earbuds.

She loves to travel and go on adventures which is why she decided to set her first book in Sydney, Australia. She hopes to write more books set in fun locales both as an escape for herself in writing, and for you as the reader!

Book Review

The way this book captured my attention and held me captive from start to finish... I can't even explain it! I sat down with the intention of reading a chapter or two and suddenly, I'm finishing the book and absolutely nothing got done for the day... but I have absolutely no regrets! This was such a wonderful debut, and I couldn't get enough. Right from the start, Wes and Joss drew me in with their fun meet cute. Their chemistry was absolutely sizzling, but despite their mutual attraction, they agreed that nothing could ever happen between them. But as they start to get to know each other, those walls start coming down. It was definitely a bit of a slow burn, but the tension was so good and the payoff absolutely worth it. There were so many fun and swoon worthy moments, but also so much depth. Throughout the story, we see Wes dealing with PTSD (to include on page panic attacks) and Joss's toxic family life. I loved seeing them open up to each other and all the tender moments that came of that. It was the perfect blend of those heartbreaking moments, with those tender, healing ones that helped piece it back together. I loved every single minute of it. 

As much as I adored Wes and Joss, there were also several great side characters that I loved getting to know too... and a few that I'm truly hoping will get their own story! This is J.A. Forde's debut novel and I'm absolutely blown away by it. I cannot see what she does next! 

On a Flight to Sydney is a fade-to-black romance. While nothing explicit happens on the pages, there is build up and innuendo with several fade to black scenes that leave no doubt as to what is happening off pages. There's definitely more heat than the closed-door books I typically read but DOES fade out. Likewise, it has much heavier language than my typical reads, to include several instances of the f-word. While I prefer little to no language, I couldn't help but fall in love with this story anyway. If you're looking for a cleaner read--- this isn't going to be it. But if you don't mind the language or intimacy, this is a beautiful romance that you won't regret reading. 

You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/3WiIPvA