My rating: 3 stars / I liked it
Finding love in eight days was not on the itinerary…
Between a bad breakup and a rocky relationship with her overbearing father, twenty-three-year-old Vanessa Clark has a history of being disappointed by the men in her life. So when her long-lost grandfather reenters the scene and persuades her to tour northern Portugal on one of his cruise ships, Vanessa boards the vessel looking for answers about her estranged family, not looking for love.
Captain Matias Romano has enough to worry about without having to babysit his boss’s spoiled American granddaughter, no matter how good-looking she is. First the issue with the refrigerators, and now the ship's computers are malfunctioning—he’ll be relieved when this trip is over and he can get back to business as usual.
But as Matias plays tour guide on Vanessa’s excursions and they work together to investigate a series of suspicious accidents aboard, they both realize there’s more to the other than first impressions.
Can Vanessa work through her complicated past to make room for Matias in her future, or will they pass like ships in the night?
My Review
We first meet Matias in the first book in the Romano Family series, and I was impressed by his devotion to his family and protective instincts for his cousin Jacinta. I was so excited to read his story and see him fall in love. In this book he is captaining a ship for a river cruise, and with his family not in the story he seems more of a lone wolf. I missed them! Vanessa's attitude was hard to gauge in the beginning and her encounters with Matias were awkward and a little strange. It took a while to get inside her head and understand what she was like besides how she was acting. I grew to like her by the end of the book. Matias was also kind of an enigma, and had his hands full with running the ship, investigating a series of malfunctions, and spending face time with the patrons. Even with all the distractions, I enjoyed the time Vanessa and Matias spent together once they established a truce and relaxed enough for the attraction between them to flare. Even though I didn't feel a connection to the characters I could sense their chemistry and was glad for their happy ending :)
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
The Romano Family series . . .
The Romano Family series follows the stories of the Romano cousins of northern Portugal as they find love and their Happily-Ever-Afters.
The Romano Family series . . .
The Romano Family series follows the stories of the Romano cousins of northern Portugal as they find love and their Happily-Ever-Afters.
Synopsis
Love might have a chance… if her family stays out of it.
When Knox Campbell goes to Portugal for a short business trip, he never planned on losing his documents. Now he’s stranded in Porto, his passport lost, and his credit cards canceled. Knox turns to the travel agent who suggested the local day attractions for assistance.
Jacinta Romano loves helping her clients set up their dream trips, although she doesn’t usually meet the ones visiting from abroad. But all that changes when a client shows up at the agency while her meddling family are still there. They latch on to him immediately, insisting Jacinta bring him home while he’s stranded. Thankfully, he’s only staying until his new passport arrives and after two weeks of playing hostess, she’ll be glad to send him on his way.
Or will she?
When Knox Campbell goes to Portugal for a short business trip, he never planned on losing his documents. Now he’s stranded in Porto, his passport lost, and his credit cards canceled. Knox turns to the travel agent who suggested the local day attractions for assistance.
Jacinta Romano loves helping her clients set up their dream trips, although she doesn’t usually meet the ones visiting from abroad. But all that changes when a client shows up at the agency while her meddling family are still there. They latch on to him immediately, insisting Jacinta bring him home while he’s stranded. Thankfully, he’s only staying until his new passport arrives and after two weeks of playing hostess, she’ll be glad to send him on his way.
Or will she?
coming October 17, 2017
Synopsis
An ex-con reforming his life. A pregnant widow hiding her past. Will the price of her secrets cost her his love?
Catarina Romano has lost everything: her husband, her house, her lifestyle. She flees to her cousin’s empty manor in the heart of Portugal, trying to find peace and to hide from the scandal spun by the media, only to discover she is pregnant.
Afonso Cortez is done with all the lies. Fresh out of prison for trusting the wrong person, he’s ready to leave the past behind and look ahead to new opportunities. The remote Sunset Manor, in need of a groundskeeper, is the perfect solution, promising to provide Afonso with the solitude he craves while he restores the grounds to their former glory.
Catarina avoids Afonso at first, not wanting to further complicate her life. But Afonso is intriguing, and she feels drawn to him. If only she didn’t feel guilty for all the secrets she’s keeping from him.
When suspicious accidents start occurring at the property, Afonso believes his past is catching up with him. Will he be able to protect Catarina or will he lose the woman who might restore his belief in love?
Catarina Romano has lost everything: her husband, her house, her lifestyle. She flees to her cousin’s empty manor in the heart of Portugal, trying to find peace and to hide from the scandal spun by the media, only to discover she is pregnant.
Afonso Cortez is done with all the lies. Fresh out of prison for trusting the wrong person, he’s ready to leave the past behind and look ahead to new opportunities. The remote Sunset Manor, in need of a groundskeeper, is the perfect solution, promising to provide Afonso with the solitude he craves while he restores the grounds to their former glory.
Catarina avoids Afonso at first, not wanting to further complicate her life. But Afonso is intriguing, and she feels drawn to him. If only she didn’t feel guilty for all the secrets she’s keeping from him.
When suspicious accidents start occurring at the property, Afonso believes his past is catching up with him. Will he be able to protect Catarina or will he lose the woman who might restore his belief in love?
coming November 2017
Synopsis
Can the magic of the season keep them together beyond Christmas?
When Luciana Romano arrives in Manhattan, her plan is to complete her consultation job at the museum so she can return home to her family in time for Christmas. But when a blizzard grounds all flights, she finds herself stranded. The Wyman family offers her a place to stay, and she accepts their hospitality. But the unexpected attraction between her and the quiet, good-looking son makes it hard to want to leave.
Jack Wyman is stuck. Managing the family’s Italian café is not what he’d planned to do with his life, but his sense of duty won’t let him quit. When his grandmother invites a Portuguese woman to stay with them, Jack feels something he hasn’t felt for a long time: hope. He knows he shouldn’t get close to Luciana since she’s leaving as soon as the airport opens, but he can’t help himself. Yet as the magic of the season begins to work on them, he wonders how he can let go of the woman who’s awakened his heart.
When Luciana Romano arrives in Manhattan, her plan is to complete her consultation job at the museum so she can return home to her family in time for Christmas. But when a blizzard grounds all flights, she finds herself stranded. The Wyman family offers her a place to stay, and she accepts their hospitality. But the unexpected attraction between her and the quiet, good-looking son makes it hard to want to leave.
Jack Wyman is stuck. Managing the family’s Italian café is not what he’d planned to do with his life, but his sense of duty won’t let him quit. When his grandmother invites a Portuguese woman to stay with them, Jack feels something he hasn’t felt for a long time: hope. He knows he shouldn’t get close to Luciana since she’s leaving as soon as the airport opens, but he can’t help himself. Yet as the magic of the season begins to work on them, he wonders how he can let go of the woman who’s awakened his heart.
