Travel influencer Lily St. John gets stranded on a remote coral reef island with grumpy marine biologist Dr. Alex Carmichael—for two whole weeks.
Lily St. John is the sunshine travel influencer who turns every trip into content gold. But a double-booked research station leaves her stuck on a tiny island with zero Wi-Fi, no escape boat for fourteen days, and one very pissed-off scientist who wants her gone yesterday.
Dr. Alex Carmichael is the reclusive marine biologist who picked this isolated spot for peace, data, and zero distractions. Instead he’s stuck babysitting a chaotic influencer who films everything, laughs too loud, and has to sleep ten feet away in his one-bed cabin after a storm wrecks her ride home.
What starts as pure irritation quickly flips into nonstop banter, stolen glances, and tension so thick you could cut it with a coral knife. The more they argue, the more they can’t stop wanting each other—but the rescue boat is coming, and real life is waiting on the mainland.
Lily has to decide if she’s willing to blow up her perfectly curated online empire for something real. Alex has to choose between his safe, scheduled world and the woman who actually makes him feel alive.
Tropes:
• Grumpy/sunshine
• Forced proximity
• One bed
• Opposites attract
• Slow burn romance
• Fish-out-of-water comedy
• Remote island setting
• Only one cabin
• Workplace-adjacent tension
Heat Level: Slow burn spicy
Tone: Funny, swoony romantic comedy
Series: Off The Grid
Ending: Satisfying HEA
POV: Dual third-person
Content Notes: Mild language, tropical storm danger (no injuries), no third-act breakup, light workplace power imbalance that resolves quickly
Perfect for readers who love chaotic vacation romcoms, emotionally constipated heroes who melt for sunshine girls, witty text-thread energy, and forced-proximity disasters that turn into “I’d move to this island for you” vibes. Zero poetic stuff, all vibes and banter.
