Book Four in the Romano Family series
My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it
Synopsis
Can the magic of the season keep them together beyond Christmas?
When
Luciana Romano arrives in Hudson Springs, New York, her plan is to
complete her restoration job at the museum so she can return home to her
family right after Christmas. But a blizzard grounds all flights, and
she finds herself stranded. The DiLorenzo 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 DiLorenzo 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.
My Review
So many of the details I loved in this book! I always enjoy the foreign perspective from Portugal that this author provides in at least one of her main characters. As an art major I appreciated Luciana's love for textiles and learning about the restoration process for some pieces for the exhibition she was in charge of. The food was an important element in the book and really brought the setting to life. Even though Luciana is struggling a bit and wants a brief escape from her family, she has a naturally optimistic personality which I loved. She brings light into Jack's mundane life and her presence helps him realize what it is that he's missing in his life. I enjoyed watching these two lovely people grow closer together and work out their plans for the future in the midst of the Christmas season. There is a strong sense of family loyalty and it made the book a cozy read.
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
Don't miss the previous books in 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.
Book One
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?
Book Two
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 river
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 and wealthy 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?
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 August 2018)
Synopsis
When Filipe Romano
arrives at the SoliMar beach resort, his newest acquisition, he plans to
complete renovations quickly before moving on to his next property. But
a stumbling block arises when he discovers Celeste, the sister of his
deceased best friend, is an employee at the resort’s aquarium, which he
intends to sell. To complicate matters more, he has unresolved feelings
for Celeste and blames himself for the accident that killed her brother.
Celeste Ferreira, a stressed single mom, needs a miracle.
Without any prospects or means to start over, she clings to the job she
loves as aquarist at the SoliMar Aquarium. After she discovers the new
owner is Filipe, an old family friend, their history makes it hard for
Celeste to trust him, especially with her position in peril.
Though
closing down the aquarium makes good financial sense, Filipe finds
himself reluctant to disappoint Celeste and decides to help her with the
repairs for the upcoming inspection. But is working side by side enough
to forget the past and build a new future, or is the pain between them
too deep to move on?
