What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon – a Review

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Description:
Dani Dorfman has somehow made it to her thirties without knowing what she wants to do with her life. So when an office romance ends poorly and gets her fired, she applies for a job in Amsterdam, idly dreaming of escaping the mess she’s created, but never imagining she’ll actually get it.

Except she does. By the end of her first week in Amsterdam, she’s never felt more adrift or alone. Then she crashes her bike into her high school ex-boyfriend—and suddenly life is blooming with new opportunities.

Wouter van Leeuwen was a Dutch exchange student Dani’s family hosted, a forbidden love that ended in a painful breakup. Years later, there’s still sizzling chemistry between them, and okay, maybe a little animosity. More importantly, Wouter needs to be married to inherit a gorgeous family home on a canal—and when Dani’s job falls apart, she needs a visa. As the marriage of convenience pushes them together in unexpected ways, Dani must decide whether her new life is yet another mistake—or if it’s worth taking a risk on a second chance.

Review:

What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon is a fun stand-alone romantic story. The story revolves around Dani Dorfman (30 years old), who finds her life falling apart; as she lost her job, as well as her boyfriend.  Dani’s parents have also been overprotective all her life, especially due to her anxiety and asthma. When a job opportunity with a startup in Amsterdam arises, Dani leaps at the chance to move. Things start off slowly, as she struggles with her job, and the company eventually starts losing all their employees, with her eventually losing the job.   

Dani surprisingly meets her ex-boyfriend Wouter van Leeuwen (Dutch exchange teenage boyfriend), who broke her heart when he left.  But Wouter will try to help change things, giving her a chance to move to his nicer lower-level apartment.  In a short time, they just accept their friendship, and Wouter proposes a possible solution for both of them; he needs to fulfill his grandmother’s condition of marriage to inherit a gorgeous family home on the Canal. Dani out of work needs the stability of a visa to allow her to stay in Amsterdam, and Wouter proposes them to get married for a year, pretending to be happily married. This will give Wouter time to inherit his new home, and Dani enough time to decide if she can get a job, or return home after the year.

The sparks will reignite between them, as their chemistry was starting to sizzle; with their feelings for each other at seventeen, and now in the present. I really loved Dani and Wouter start falling for each other again. I also loved the friendships Dani began to build, especially with Iulia and Roos. I loved George, their dog, who is named George Constanza. LOL  It was very nice to see Dani learning Dutch, and when she finally begins to come into her own, knowing what she wants in her life.

What Happens in Amsterdam was a sweet, heartwarming, romantic, emotional second chance romance; as well as part of the marriage of convenience.  The characters created by Solomon were all wonderful and sweet.  What Happens in Amsterdam was so very well written by Rachel Lynn Solomon.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher