The Wake-Up Call Summary, Characters and Themes

The Wake-Up Call by Beth O’Leary is a heartwarming enemies-to-lovers rom-com set in a cozy British hotel during the festive season.

Told through alternating perspectives, it follows two hotel employees—Izzy Jenkins and Lucas da Silva—who can’t stand each other but are forced to team up when their workplace falls into crisis. As they work to save the hotel (and maybe each other), the novel explores themes of emotional vulnerability, miscommunication, friendship, and second chances—all wrapped in the charming chaos of a Christmas setting. It’s equal parts funny, touching, and deeply human.

Summary

The Wake-Up Call opens in December 2021 with an impulsive, heartfelt Christmas card from Izzy to Lucas, her colleague at the Forest Manor Hotel & Spa. She confesses her secret crush and nervously suggests a holiday mistletoe meet-up if he shares her feelings.

But Lucas responds with a cold, formal note, seemingly rejecting her. The moment is awkward, leaving their dynamic strained—and setting the stage for a slow-burning romantic story that takes a full year to unfold.

Fast forward to November 2022, the heart of the novel. The hotel is on the brink of financial ruin. Forest Manor, once a thriving boutique spot, is now struggling under the weight of post-COVID losses and a literal ceiling collapse.

The owners have reduced the staff to a skeleton crew, leaving only the essentials—including Izzy and Lucas. While they’ve always butted heads, now they’re stuck working side-by-side, five days a week, and tasked with finding inventive ways to keep the business afloat.

At first, their personalities clash hard. Izzy is warm, a bit scattered, and emotionally driven. She thrives on connecting with guests, even going so far as to assign sentimental value to lost items left behind in the hotel.

Lucas, on the other hand, is exacting and reserved. He’s all spreadsheets and strategy, with little patience for what he sees as Izzy’s overly romantic tendencies. But when they start a campaign to sell old lost-property items to raise funds, Izzy can’t bear to sell certain treasures—like a pair of lost wedding rings—without trying to return them to their rightful owners.

Lucas is skeptical but agrees to help.

As the weeks go by, their begrudging partnership begins to shift. Their late nights researching lost guests, phone calls to strangers, and piecing together memories spark a series of unexpected emotional breakthroughs.

They share vulnerabilities: Izzy opens up about her anxiety, her lingering embarrassment over the Christmas card, and how she often feels like she’s “too much.” Lucas reveals his strained family dynamics, particularly with his wealthy uncle, and his fear of being seen as cold or calculating.

Slowly, the friction between them becomes flirtation.

They begin to understand and admire each other’s strengths. Their banter softens, the tension grows tender, and the hotel becomes more than just a shared workplace—it becomes a place where both characters confront their pasts and take steps toward personal growth.

Guests start to return, drawn in by the charm of the hotel’s lost-property love stories. Word spreads, and Forest Manor begins its quiet revival.

Then comes a near-miss. A misunderstanding derails their budding romance, echoing the failed connection of the previous Christmas. But unlike before, they’ve both changed.

They’re more courageous, more honest—and this time, they fight for the connection they’ve built.

The story concludes in December 2023, with Izzy reflecting on a year of change. Forest Manor is no longer on life support—it’s thriving. Guests fill the halls, the lost-property project became a hit, and the community spirit is alive and well. Most importantly, she and Lucas are no longer adversaries—they’re partners in life and love.

The book closes on a cozy, hopeful note. With holiday lights twinkling and laughter in the air, Izzy looks at the man who once gave her the coldest Christmas reply and realizes just how far they’ve come—from coworkers with baggage to a couple with a future.

Characters

Izzy Jenkins

Izzy Jenkins is the novel’s emotional heart, a character whose warmth and people-oriented nature contrast sharply with Lucas’ more reserved demeanor. From the outset, she is portrayed as a whimsical and sensitive individual, someone who feels deeply, often to her detriment.

This is evident in her unreciprocated feelings for Lucas, which she expresses with both vulnerability and hope in the opening Christmas card. Despite her easygoing exterior, Izzy battles with self-doubt and anxiety, particularly when it comes to her professional and personal life.

Over the course of the novel, as the hotel’s financial struggles force her to work closely with Lucas, she is challenged to face her emotional wounds and confront her past, especially her initial romantic feelings toward him. However, as she opens up more, she grows into a more self-assured and confident person.

By the end of the story, her relationship with Lucas has blossomed into a deep, supportive romantic partnership. Izzy’s character arc is one of self-acceptance, love, and the strength found in vulnerability.

Lucas da Silva

Lucas da Silva, in contrast, is practical, emotionally reserved, and driven by logic and structure. He prefers to rely on facts and figures, often leaning into his organizational skills to manage the chaos surrounding the hotel’s financial instability.

Lucas’ character is initially presented as aloof and disconnected from others, particularly from Izzy, whose open warmth he seems to repel. Beneath this cool exterior, however, Lucas is dealing with significant emotional turmoil, including a strained relationship with his uncle and financial pressures that weigh heavily on him.

His journey throughout the novel is one of emotional growth and self-discovery. As he works with Izzy, his walls gradually begin to crumble.

He starts to open up about his insecurities, allowing Izzy—and the readers—to see a more vulnerable side of him. By the end of the story, Lucas is no longer the emotionally distant figure he once was.

His relationship with Izzy has evolved from one of antagonism to deep affection, showing that even the most closed-off individuals can experience personal transformation when faced with love, trust, and shared challenges.

Izzy and Lucas

The relationship between Izzy and Lucas is central to the emotional core of the novel. Initially, they clash in nearly every aspect of their work life—Izzy’s emotional, people-focused approach to their tasks frequently collides with Lucas’ pragmatic, no-nonsense methods.

This tension is compounded by Izzy’s unspoken feelings for Lucas, which only further complicates their interactions. However, as they are forced to collaborate more closely due to the hotel’s financial crisis, their relationship begins to evolve.

Through shared responsibilities and emotional vulnerability, they develop a deeper understanding of one another. Izzy learns to appreciate Lucas’ practicality and emotional restraint, while Lucas begins to see the value of Izzy’s warmth and empathy.

The slow unraveling of their initial discomfort and mutual annoyance eventually gives way to a tender romance, built on mutual respect and emotional support. By the end of the story, their dynamic has fully transformed, and they are no longer the bickering colleagues but a couple who have learned to embrace each other’s quirks and strengths.

Their growth as individuals and as partners showcases the transformative power of love, vulnerability, and collaboration.

Themes

The Exploration of Vulnerability and the Complexities of Unrequited Love

One of the most profound themes in The Wake-Up Call revolves around vulnerability and the emotional complexity of unrequited love. This theme is introduced early in the opening segment, when Izzy, who is normally composed and professional, takes a bold step by confessing her feelings for Lucas in a Christmas card.

The act of vulnerability is portrayed through her nervousness, the hope for a positive response, and the courage it takes to expose her emotions. However, Lucas’s response is a cold, formal rejection, which sharply contrasts with Izzy’s warmth and openness.

This emotional imbalance sets the stage for the intricacies of their relationship throughout the novel. As the story progresses, this theme expands to include both characters’ emotional growth, where each faces their insecurities and past wounds.

Ultimately, the theme of vulnerability transforms from a source of tension to one of emotional intimacy and growth, leading to the eventual romantic development between Izzy and Lucas.

The Power of Emotional Growth Through Personal and Professional Challenges

Another key theme in The Wake-Up Call is the concept of emotional growth, especially in the context of professional and personal challenges. The novel places both Izzy and Lucas in a high-pressure environment at the Forest Manor Hotel & Spa, where they must confront not only their workplace difficulties but also their emotional baggage.

Lucas, who initially appears as emotionally reserved and distant, is forced to engage with his deeper feelings, especially his strained relationship with his uncle and his unresolved financial anxieties. Similarly, Izzy must navigate her feelings of self-doubt and her past unrequited love for Lucas, learning to overcome her anxieties and build self-confidence.

The collapse of the hotel ceiling serves as a catalyst for their personal and professional evolution, forcing them into closer collaboration. The subsequent emotional growth that both characters experience is tied to their ability to adapt to the challenges presented by the crisis, as well as their ability to open up emotionally to each other.

This theme showcases how personal and professional obstacles can create opportunities for growth and transformation, both individually and within relationships.

The Intersection of Personal Lives, Professional Lives, and Shared Responsibility

The blending of personal and professional lives is a central theme in The Wake-Up Call, particularly as the characters navigate their complex relationship while facing professional challenges. At Forest Manor, Izzy and Lucas are forced into close collaboration due to the hotel’s financial struggles and the need to save the business from collapse.

Their differing approaches to problem-solving—Izzy’s emotional connection to the lost items and Lucas’s pragmatic, task-oriented mindset—create friction but also provide a foundation for them to better understand each other.

As they share responsibilities in the face of financial hardship, they also begin to share more personal aspects of their lives, from family dynamics to emotional struggles. This intersection between their professional roles and personal lives allows for moments of humor, conflict, and intimacy, ultimately building the emotional depth of their relationship.

The theme emphasizes how external pressures, such as professional responsibilities, can shape and sometimes complicate personal dynamics. It also illustrates the way these challenges can bring people closer together when they work together toward a common goal.

The Role of Community and Found Family in Healing and Personal Fulfillment

Lastly, a key theme that runs through the narrative is the idea of community and found family, especially as it relates to personal healing and fulfillment. The characters, particularly Izzy, begin the story with a sense of isolation—Izzy with her self-doubt and romantic longing, and Lucas with his emotional guardedness.

As the story progresses, however, both characters find a sense of belonging not just within their relationship but also within the broader community of Forest Manor. The hotel, with its eclectic staff and guests, becomes a space where these individuals, once isolated, can form meaningful connections.

Through shared experiences and challenges, they come to understand that family is not always defined by blood, but by the bonds forged through mutual support and care. This theme plays a significant role in the resolution of the story, where the characters’ emotional fulfillment is found not only in romantic love but also in the supportive, nurturing community they’ve helped create.

It highlights the importance of connection, support, and shared experiences in the process of healing and finding personal joy.