💥 Book Review: Drop, Cover, and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory (Kindle Edition, The Improbable Meet-Cute Collection #4)
A quirky, high-stakes meet-cute set during an earthquake—Jasmine Guillory delivers a short romantic comedy that’s bold in premise but light on emotional payoff.
🧠 Overview
Published in January 2024, Drop, Cover, and Hold On is a 40-page novella in Amazon’s Improbable Meet-Cute Collection, a series of short stories built around wildly unexpected romantic encounters. This entry follows Daisy Murray, a rom-com-loving woman who just wants to spend Valentine’s Day binge-watching movies. Instead, she finds herself trapped inside a bakery during an earthquake—with none other than the grumpy, gorgeous head baker, Harris, who’s been her nemesis for months.
Forced into close quarters, Daisy and Harris finally confront their simmering tension. What unfolds is a fast-paced, flirtatious exchange that leans heavily on the enemies-to-lovers trope—with a dash of disaster-induced adrenaline.
💘 Key Tropes & Highlights
- 🌪️ Disaster meet-cute: An earthquake sets the stage for forced proximity and emotional sparks
- 🍰 Bakery setting: Pastries and flour-dusted tension add cozy charm
- 😤 Grumpy/sunshine dynamic: Daisy’s warmth clashes with Harris’s brooding demeanor
- 💬 Snappy banter: Guillory’s trademark wit shines in their verbal sparring
- ❤️ Romantic tension: The story teases attraction but doesn’t fully explore emotional depth
“They already have a history: she’s always smiled, he’s always scowled. Where better to finally get to know each other than amid the disaster?”
💬 Reader Reception
- ⭐ Goodreads rating: 2.92/5 from over 65,000 ratings
- 📖 Readers enjoyed the premise and Guillory’s humor, but many felt the story was too short to deliver satisfying romantic development
- 💬 “Loved the pastries, but the romance felt rushed. Hard to believe enemies become lovers in under an hour—especially during an earthquake.”
- 🧾 Some readers found the emotional shift abrupt and wished for more character depth and resolution
⚠️ Considerations
- 📄 Short format: At 40 pages, it’s a one-sitting read—best approached as a rom-com sketch rather than a full arc
- 📚 Standalone: Part of the Improbable Meet-Cute Collection, but works independently
- 🧠 Light on development: Focuses on setup and chemistry, with minimal emotional progression
🏁 Final Verdict
Drop, Cover, and Hold On is a fun, fast-paced romantic short that delivers on quirky setup and snappy dialogue, but leaves deeper emotional beats unexplored. Jasmine Guillory’s writing is engaging, and the premise is undeniably charming—but readers looking for a full enemies-to-lovers arc may find it more of a teaser than a meal.
