The Tourist Attraction
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4.1 • 278 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Curl up with a quirky small-town Alaskan rom-com that'll leave you laughing over:
• A grumpy local and the sunny tourist who turns his world upside down
• A rogue moose who threatens to steal every scene
• A vacation you'll never forget
• And a sweet romance that doesn't need to scald the pages to burn its way into your heart
He had a strict "no tourists" policy…until she broke all of his rules.When Graham Barnett named his diner The Tourist Trap, he meant it as a joke. Now he's stuck slinging reindeer dogs to an endless parade of resort visitors who couldn't interest him less. Not even the sweet, enthusiastic tourist in the corner who blushes every time he looks her way…
Two weeks in Alaska isn't just the top item on Zoey Caldwell's bucket list. It's the whole bucket. One look at the mountain town of Moose Springs and she's smitten. But when an act of kindness brings Zoey into Graham's world, she may just find there's more to the grumpy local than meets the eye…and more to love in Moose Springs than just the Alaskan wilderness.
This story of Alaska marries together all the things you didn't realize you needed: a whirlwind vacation, a friendly moose, a grumpy diner owner, a quirky tourist, plenty of restaurant humor, and a happy ending that'll take you away from it all.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A grumpy diner owner and an adventurous waitress on her first vacation in years develop unexpected feelings in Morgenthaler's thoroughly entertaining debut. Graham Barnett hates running the Tourist Trap, his popular Moose Springs, Alas., establishment famous both for the gimmicky menu items ("Growly Bear" drinks and "reindeer dogs") and Graham's surly behavior, which the wealthy visitors to the nearby resort find inexplicably charming. He would much prefer to spend his time working on his chain saw sculptures. But as soon as he locks eyes with the "adorably dorky" Zoey Caldwell, who's saved up tip money for years for a two-week Alaskan adventure, Graham puts aside both art and business to spend time with her as her tour guide. Though their relationship hits an early hurdle when Zoey mistakes a chainsaw-wielding Graham for a murderer and kicks him in the groin, the chemistry between the two builds at a satisfying pace. Morgenthaler's descriptions of the scenery are majestic, and her delineation of the friction between the townspeople and the tourists is well done. The quirky supporting characters, including a truck-humping moose, add charm. This sweet, funny tale is sure to win Morgenthaler many fans.
Customer Reviews
A Welcome Surprise!
I started The Tourist Attraction prepared to be disappointed. I knew the synopsis sounded cute, but I'd recently read The Simple Wild and Wild at Heart and I was afraid I'd be comparing it to two books that had completely swept me off my feet. But try as I might, I couldn't fight the grin that overtook my face within the first few pages. And I kept finding myself smiling and laughing out loud as I read the rest of this adorable book.
What I liked: Graham and Zoey are adorkable together. Their banter and chemistry is on point. I loved that Zoey was adventurous despite being quieter than her more confidant friend, Lana. Sometimes when our leading lady is the nerdy, quiet type, the author also makes her shy and timid. Not Zoey!
I loved the setting. I think I'm developing an Alaskan fixation with all the books I've been reading lately. Morgenthaler does a beautiful job of setting the scene and giving the reader memorable (and romantic) experiences.
I also loved the plot point of the town vs. the tourists. I love to travel, but I'm always thinking about how the locals must feel about strangers constantly rotating through the place they live and love. While tourism is sometimes necessary to keep money coming in, it often also means destroying some of what there is to love about a place. It's definitely a rock and hard place, and the author succeeds at showing a bit of both sides.
But what I love most about this book is the humor and heart. I laughed, smiled, and got misty-eyed, and that's the kind of escapism needed right now.
While I love this book and highly recommend it, a few things did bother me. I wanted more of Zoey's backstory. I kept waiting for it, thinking we're going to find out why Alaska has always been her dream destination, but we never get it. I also found myself confused by some of the dialogue--backtracking and rereading--but overall these small things weren't enough to kill my happy reading experience.
The Tourist Attraction is so much fun, and I can't wait to read the next installment.
I was provided an advance e-copy of this book from the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, through Netgalley.
alaska is on the travel bucket list
this book makes me want to visit alaska in the non annoying tourist way ! small towns where the community is tightly knit (with tourists to help keep things moving) are so wonderful! starting the next book now !!
Terrible, don’t start & definitely don’t finish
This book was awful. The main characters were very very dry and the “chemistry” that was supposed to be between them was one-sided AT BEST but more accurately described as nonexistent. There was not a single character I liked. The two mains were immature, the “best friend” was the worst friend and all others are wildly undeveloped. The romance writing is off. It’s Insta-love on one character’s side but supposed to be slow burn I think for the rest of the book but it just comes off as cringe and the “humor” falls flat. Nothing redeeming about it! I could not even get halfway through it and based on other reviews I’m not missing much.