What Happens in Amsterdam Review

Hello, all!

The weather is getting warmer which means my TBR is stacked with romances. If you're looking for another to add to your beach bag, look no further than What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon.

Pub Date: 5-6-25
Adult - Contemporary

While all her other friends are settled into their careers and families, Dani Dorfman is still struggling to find where she fits. Recently fired and in her thirties, Dani decides it's time for a drastic change, so she applies for a job in Amsterdam, thinking an idyllic change of scenery is exactly what she needs. Except when she arrives, everything goes wrong. Her new apartment is an underground dungeon, and the company she came to work for goes under within her first week.

Dani is left feeling more adrift than ever, and then she crashes her bike into her high school ex. Wouter van Leeuwen was a foreign exchange student that Dani's family hosted, and the pair fell into a whirlwind secret romance that ended in heartbreak. It's clear the attraction is still there, but so are a lot of hard feelings. However, Wouter needs a wife to inherit his family home, and Dani requires a means to stay in the country, so they enter into a marriage of convenience that quickly evolves into something more.

I can always count on RLS's books to be the perfect palate cleanser reads. You don't have to think too hard, and they're always a fluffy good time. I loved the setting of this one, and it made me want to bump the Netherlands up on my travel bucket list. I enjoyed watching Dani navigate and find her footing in this new country. I could relate to her feelings of being behind in life when comparing oneself to others and thinking everyone has it all figured out, but you. It was satisfying watching her grow throughout the story. Her relationship with Wouter was cute, but a little bland. The second chance/marriage of convenience aspect was fun, and they had good chemistry, but something felt lacking. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it didn't fully land for me. Other than that, it was an enjoyable read.

Rating: 3/5