Book 1 in the Hotel Bellwether series
Reviewed by CJ | Rating: 3.5/5 | Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
📱 Kindle Unlimited
⚠️ This is a full spoiler review. If you haven’t read Room Serviced yet — go read it first. We’ll be here when you’re done. If you’re looking for a spoiler-free review, we have one here on Plot Approved.
OPENING HOOK
Old friends, a bet, a haunted hotel, and zero actual ghosts but plenty of chemistry. Room Serviced is exactly what it says in the info blurb, and it doesn’t waste your time.
THE FULL STORY — SPOILERS INCLUDED
Max and Sloane have been friends forever and it’s that kind of history where there’s never quite been anything between them, until suddenly there is. It starts at a party in their home town where the flirting hits differently than usual, and Max turns it into a bet: if Sloane loses, she’s going on a ghost hunting adventure with him at the (allegedly) haunted Hotel Bellwether. And of course, she loses.
The opening chapter, where the two of them discuss aliens, Bigfoot ghosts, and more, was the standout for me. It’s the kind of ridiculous, half-drunk debate you’ve probably actually had with a friend at some point (just me? It’s a regular Saturday morning discussion topic in this house so who am I to judge). From there, they head to the hotel located a couple hours from both of their places, and a couple hours from their hometown too. Unfortunately, the ghost hunt itself is a total letdown. No evidence, no spooky awesomeness caught on camera, BUT, what they get instead is each other – there are some delightfully spicy scenes taking place at that hotel and it isn’t the haunted AC unit making all that noise.
After a great couple of days away, they keep in touch, and that eventually leads to them arranging a stop over at Max’s before continuing on to their hometown. Sloane finally admits the quiet part out loud, that she’s only going home so she had an excuse to see him. From there, the book wraps with them moving in together at her place, since relocating was easier on his end.
BEST PART OF THIS BOOK
It’s short and it knows it. No padding, no dragging plot. It does exactly what it sets out to do and does it well. That opening Bigfoot/ghost argument is the highlight of the whole book in my opinion because it’s exactly the kind of party conversation I’ve been a part of once or twice.
WORST PART OF THIS BOOK
Could’ve used more actual ghost-hunting excitement at the hotel itself but that’s hardly a complaint in a novella.
THE STEAM RATING BREAKDOWN
- Sex scenes: yes, open-door and explicit
- Not a huge number of scenes, but they’re spicy
- Romance is the whole plot here — this is a romance-forward novella through and through
THE ENDING — SATISFIED OR DISAPPOINTED?
Satisfied. Max and Sloane clearly had the connection to back up that ending, so watching them choose each other landed well.
WOULD WE REREAD IT?
Maybe — wouldn’t say no, but not actively seeking it out either.
WHO IS THIS FOR
Anyone who wants a fast, low-commitment beach read with a spicy friends-to-more arc and a haunted hotel that doesn’t actually deliver ghosts (but does deliver everything else).
WHERE TO GET THIS BOOK
📖 Physical Book
📚 More from the Hotel Bellwether series
Book 1 — Room Serviced | Reviewed by CJ | ⭐ 3.5/5 | Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Book 2 — Key Change | Review coming soon
Ready for more reviews from CJ? Find More Here
Plot Twisted. 🔥
📱 | Series: Hotel Bellwether Book 1 | Genre: Romance | Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥