Showing posts with label Lucinda Whitney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lucinda Whitney. Show all posts

Monday, November 14, 2016

Review: The Secret Life of Daydreams by Lucinda Whitney


Heidi Reads... The Secret Life of Daydreams by Lucinda Whitney

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

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Synopsis

Sometimes the dream you never planned for is the one you can’t live without.

Six years after a painful divorce, Josh Conrad is happy traveling the world as a photographer. When he arrives in Portugal, he plans to complete the assignment as quickly as possible. What he doesn’t plan for is Sofia, the girl he baptized eleven years earlier on an LDS mission, and soon he’s making excuses to prolong his trip.

Sofia Monteiro leads a structured life in Braga, Portugal, teaching high school by day and caring for her mother by night. After she reconnects with Josh through mutual friends, the memory of a failed relationship and her new graduate program are enough reasons to stay away from him.

As they collaborate on a project, Josh is wary of repeating his old mistakes and Sofia hesitates to spend time with an American who’s only passing through.

Can two people with wounded hearts bring themselves to trust their dreams to each other?

The Secret Life of Daydreams is a clean and wholesome contemporary LDS romance set in Portugal.


My Review

What a lovely setting! I enjoyed "traveling" to Portugal and experiencing the culture of the region through Sofia and Josh. They are unexpectedly reunited and the time they spend working together makes them never want to be apart, even though there are obstacles to having a long-term relationship. Josh comes to her rescue several times and she helps him open his heart back up. Sofia has some heavy burdens and trials, but her faith and the support of her friends helps her stay strong. Josh is floundering and wallowing in his life's disappointments, yet still reaches out to others and serves with compassion. The plot seemed to drag on in the middle when there wasn't any progress in their relationship or Josh's issues. I felt like he was a stone wall not only to Sofia but also to the reader since any details about his past and spiritual choices were saved for the very end of the book as a sort of reveal. It prevented me from understanding his situation or fully connecting with his character and I definitely felt Sofia's frustration with him. However, the ending wrapped things up nicely and I was happy to see everyone happy again :)

(I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher; all opinions in this review are my own)


Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Review: One Small Chance by Lucinda Whitney


* Sale Alert * 

Heidi Reads... One Small Chance by Lucinda Whitney

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

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Synopsis

Isabel Antunes is content with her life as director of the English Academy in Lisbon. Then she’s hit by a man on a bike—a man her boss just hired to be her assistant. Despite Simon Ackerley’s repeated assurances to the contrary, Isabel believes he’s after her position, but she won’t hand it over without a fight. As if dealing with him all week is not enough, he shows up at church as well. Her only solace is in writing to the pen pal she knows as “Elliot”.

Simon Ackerley told his father that he was moving to Lisbon for the job. But that isn’t the only reason. Simon is looking for Amélie, the pen pal he’s written for fifteen years. A woman he knows everything about—except her real name and address.
 

When the biking accident reveals that Simon’s prickly co-worker Isabel is the elusive Amélie, he knows he has to win her trust before he can confess his true identity. If only he could tell her the actual reason why he’s come, he’s sure Isabel would treat him differently. But she’s not ready for the truth.

One Small Chance is a standalone novella of 43,000 words and it’s set in Lisbon, Portugal. It’s a clean and wholesome contemporary LDS romance.


My Review

I loved this sweet story with a "You've Got Mail" theme. The characters are well-fleshed out and the story and plot has a full arc. It didn't feel too short like novellas often do and when I finished the last page I just had to sigh in satisfaction. The setting of Portugal played a huge part in making the story stand out. It was so fun to imagine the foreign location and accents and the vivid descriptions were subtle without taking over the narrative. I was able to connect with both Isabel and Simon and felt the emotions they were experiencing as they grew closer together in spite of the struggles they face. Highly recommend!

(I purchased a copy of this book; this is my honest review)

Book Blitz & Giveaway: One Small Chance by Lucinda Whitney




Author Lucinda Whitney is back to join us with her newest book!
She is offering her book at a discount price right now too - you can pick it up for only 99 cents

And, for a short time, she is hosting a $25 gift card giveaway for those who post a review!!
See below for the giveaway options



Lucinda Whitney was born and raised in Portugal, where she received a master’s degree from the University of Minho in Braga in Portuguese/English teaching. She lives in northern Utah. When she’s not reading and writing, she can be found with a pair of knitting needles in winter, or tending her herb garden in the summer. She also works part-time as a substitute teacher.



Connect with the Author here: 


One city of two million people and only three months to find her.
What are his chances?



When Isabel Antunes is hit by a man on a bike, she doesn’t expect to see him again. But on Monday at work, she learns her boss just hired him. Despite the guy’s repeated assurances to the contrary, she feels he’s a threat to her position of director, and she won’t hand it over without a fight. As if that’s not enough, he’s a member of the same church she joined a few months ago and she can’t get away from him on the weekends either.

Simon Ackerley is in Lisbon, Portugal, as a consultant for an English-only private academy. He doesn’t speak any Portuguese but he’s enjoying the city and his new job, despite a co-worker who’s bent on treating him as the enemy.

But when he discovers a clue to her identity, Simon realizes there is so much more at stake than just a pleasant working environment. If only he could tell her the reason why he’s come, he’s sure Isabel would treat him differently. But he knows she’s not ready for the truth.





Excerpt

Isabel nodded at him. “To answer your question, Mr. Ackerley, I’m not quite sure what a singles ward is. Everybody keeps talking about it, but I don’t know what or where it is.”
“Call me Simon. We’re not at the academy and we’re not at church.” 
He was persistent, she gave him that. “Simon.” 
He smiled. “A singles ward is for members of the church who are between the ages of eighteen and thirty.”
“The equivalent to a marriage mart, I’m guessing?” 
Simon tossed his head back and laughed heartily. He had an honest laugh. “Well, yes, that’s the main purpose even though nobody likes to admit it.”


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