Review: Love Me at Sunset by Lucinda Whitney

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

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?

My Review

I loved the setting of this book in Portugal! The author has a real talent for giving the reader a sense of the country and culture in a subtle way that doesn't overpower the story. This is a story of new beginnings for Afonso and Catarina, and their relationship slowly grows throughout the book. I loved the little kindnesses Afonso shows to Catarina and her astonishment at his gentleness and caring. Even though she grew up in a loving family, her difficult marriage made her skeptical of gentlemanly behavior. It was interesting to see the layers of their past lives revealed little by little, and grow hopeful that these two healing people could find a future together. Wonderful romance and special moments between Alfonso and Catarina are really what made this book for me!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)


The Destined for Love Mansions series:

Kiss Me in the Rain by Lindzee Armstrong
Roping His Heart by Jaclyn Hardy
The Princess and The Pizza Man by Cassie Mae
Mending Fences by Lorin Grace
Love Me at Sunset by Lucinda WhitneySaving Sycamore Bay by Cami Checketts

Also part of the Romano Family series:

Book 1: Hold Me At Twilight
Book 2: Meet Me At Sunrise
Book 3: Love Me At Sunset
Book 4: Keep Me At Christmas (coming soon)

Review: Meet Me at Sunrise by Lucinda Whitney

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

Synopsis

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. 

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?

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?

  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.

Review: The Secret Life of Daydreams by Lucinda Whitney

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

*The Secret Life of Daydreams is free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers!*

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)

Review: One Small Chance by Lucinda Whitney

* Sale Alert * 

The e-book of One Small Chance is currently only 99 cents! (And free on Kindle Unlimited)

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

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: 

~Facebook ~ Website ~ ~ Goodreads ~

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.

~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon UK ~ 

~ Amazon Canada ~ Amazon Australia ~

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.”

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 

See Both Giveaways below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Hosted By