Review: All the Way to Heaven (The Fallout Series Book 1) by Becky Doughty

All the Way to Heaven (The Fallout Series Book 1) by Becky Doughty

Paperback expected publication: January 18th 2016 by Clean Teen Publishing (first published November 2nd 2015--Kindle)  

Source: I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

 

 

 

Description:

 

Anica Tomlin, business major, has just learned that the man she's been planning her future around, her Global Finance professor, already has a beautiful wife and family. Ani cashes in her graduation gift to herself a little early—a trip to Tuscany—but from the moment she boards the wrong train in Pisa, her plans for solitude and self-indulgence begin to unravel around her.
When a bicycle accident thrusts Ani into the skilled hands of the dashing Dr. Cosimo Lazzaro, she reluctantly accepts his invitation to recover in his family's country villa, perched on a hilltop surrounded by the Lazzaro olive groves. But it's been a black year for olive growers all over Italy, and generations of tradition are being put to the test like never before.
Ani is swept up in the drama of life in Tuscany, the convergence of old and new, and the passions that drive people to pursue the desires of their hearts. Just as Ani begins to get her feet under her again, an unexpected turn of events leaves her doubting the very existence of happily-ever-after, unless she can learn to trust the desires of her own heart.
Although All the Way to Heaven is a stand-alone novel, it is the first book in The Fallout Series, a collection of sweet contemporary romances that follow characters featured in the first book.

 

My Review:

 

The story starts out with Ani discovering that her boyfriend has a family...and her heart is shattered. In an effort to heal, she takes her college graduation trip to Italy a few months early, but a bicycle accident leaves her without a thing to her name. Up to this point, I wasn't sure about the book and if it would draw me in enough or just be a downer, but after this point, I found myself pleasantly surprised to see that everything turned right around and completely engrossed me.

 

I've never been to Italy, but I feel like I've been there now. Ms. Doughty's descriptions are vivid and detailed. Ani first encounters Paulo, but for some reason, although their paths have crossed a few times, he seems reluctant to help her. After the accident, Ani is taken to Dr Cosimo Lazzaro's family home to recover from her accident and finds herself enveloped in olive groves and romance. Cosimo is quite the charmer. Compared to David Gandy, he's very handsome and suave, yet Ani's heart isn't sure about another smooth talker. What's a girl to do--go for a reluctant man, a willing man, or no one at all?

I couldn't get enough of the setting descriptions. I also loved the other characters. Each is full of a  unique personality and true friendships are formed. I loved the growth and healing that Ani goes through. The surprising romance is toe tingling and believable. I love a story that is brain candy, yet has some substance and this is a perfect combination. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series!

 

Content: swoony romance (kissing, but clean); mild violence (accident); no language or religious elements, aside from the characters visiting an ancient religious statue. Clean!

 

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About the Author:  

 

Becky Doughty is the author of the award-winning Elderberry Croft series and the voice behind BraveHeart Audiobooks. "I write fiction, mainly because nonfiction is hard! Yes, I've tried. Let's just say I like to color outside the lines when it comes to sticking to facts...or anything else, for that matter. I write Women's Fiction with strong elements of romance and Young Adult/New Adult Fiction. Some of my fiction is written from a Christian worldview (and labeled as such), and some of it is not. My stories, however, are all categorically "clean" or "sweet" (light on language, violence, and sex), so if you're looking for a book you don't have to shove under the couch cushion when visitors stop by, you've come to the right place!"

You can learn more about Becky and her books on her website: www.BeckyDoughty.com

Becky is married to her champion of more than 25 years. They have three children, two of whom are grown and starting families of their own, and they all live within a few miles of each other in Southern California. They share their lives with too many animals, a large vegetable garden, and a strange underground concrete room they're certain was built for dark and sinister purposes... 

 

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