Give Me a Dream by Zoe Ann Wood {Review}

Give Me a Dream by Zoe Ann Wood (Billionaires Abroad)

Kindle Edition, 95 pages

Published July 21st 2019 by Amazon Digital Services 

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

 

    

 

When in Rome … don’t tell your boss you’re in love with him.

Ava has the perfect job - with one exception. She’s been in love with her boss for years, and she’s finally resigning. If only she could do it without telling Daniel how she feels about him.

Daniel’s billion-dollar empire is thriving, and Ava is crucial to its success. Which is why Daniel absolutely can’t let her know he’s fallen for her. Keeping his distance is key.

But a work trip to Rome threatens to shatter their carefully constructed defenses. Spending time together in the beautiful ancient city brings out feelings they can no longer hide. Their careers and their happiness will crumble if they refuse to open their hearts.

 

My Review: 4 Stars

 

There's nothing more delicious than a romance where both characters are in love with each other, but they have no idea what the other one is feeling. Ava has a fantastic job, but feels she has to quit after this one last business trip to Italy...because she's desperately in love with her boss. Meanwhile, Daniel just can't stop thinking about his vivacious, gorgeous, and efficient employee.

 

I loved exploring Rome, Italy along with Ava and Daniel and the romance was as exciting as the setting and history of this beautiful, ancient place. While short and sweet, this novella gives the reader a delightful taste of culture and love that can be enjoyed in the amount of time one savors a decadent dessert. 

 

Content: mild+ romance (a little steamy clean kissing, some innuendo)  

Lightning Struck (Brothers Maledetti #3) by Nichole Van {Review}

Lightning Struck (Brothers Maledetti #3) 
by Nichole Van

Kindle Edition, 330 pages

Published January 4th 2018 by Fiorenza Publishing 

Source: I received a copy through eBooks for Review, which had no influence on my thoughts and opinions.

 

Chiara doesn’t like Jack. Jack doesn’t like Chiara.
The story should end there.
Except . . . maybe Chiara finds herself daydreaming far too often about Jack. And maybe Jack finds Chiara aggravating in an adorable sorta way.
Maybe Jack and Chiara find themselves falling in love.
The problem, of course, remains.
Jack is a ghost.
And Chiara is not.

Jack Knight-Snow has had a bad year for losing things. So far he has lost a ship full of ancient treasure, his family, his friends, his title, his lands and money, his fiancé, the century into which he was born . . . oh, and his physical body. Worse, feisty Chiara D’Angelo might just finish the job and make him lose his mind.

For her part, Chiara simply wants to help Jack get his body back and move on with his life. She doesn’t want to like his snarky humor or his gorgeous eyes or the way he accepts her exactly as she is. She’s a hot mess when it comes to romantic relationships. Case in point . . . she’s developing feelings for a ghost.

But tackling the problem of Jack’s ghostliness is not straightforward. Soon, Jack and Chiara find themselves embroiled in a mystery which creates more questions about the D’Angelo brothers’ gifts of Second Sight. Set against the backdrop of Tuscany, Italy, Jack and Chiara race to uncover answers about the past before becoming history themselves.

Though the third book in the Brothers Maledetti series, Lightning Struck is a full-length, standalone novel.

My Review: 4.5 Stars
I love these brothers and their little sister, Chiara, and love that each book focuses on one of them. Their family has a curse that leads to some interesting, tricky, and confusing situations. It's so entertaining to try and figure things out, right alone with the characters, but I honestly can't wrap my head around some of it....yet. This series doesn't necessarily have to be read in order, but I think it's fun to so do. Everything makes a little more sense as the series builds.

What would you do if you fell in love with a ghost? Just ask Chiara, although she's probably going to deny it. She is feisty, small, impulsive, and snoopy, but the perfect match for Jack. I love the bantering that went on between them and as the sparks started to fly, I just knew this match had to somehow work out or my heart was going to tragically break in two.

There are some intense moments, due mainly to three things: Chiara is in danger; there is something threatening Jack; and some swoony chemistry is smoldering. I really enjoyed it and love Nichole Van's style, but I've got to read the next book to see if I can finally make sense of everything--especially the paranormal aspects. I can't wait to dive into Italy with this family once again.

Content: mild, swoony romance; mild language, but lots of it; mild violence.

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch {Review}

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Hardcover, 389 pages

Published May 3rd 2016 by Simon Pulse

Source: Borrowed from the library

 

 

“I made the wrong choice.”

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.

But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

 

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My Review: 4 Stars

 

I've thought a lot about dying wishes lately (I heard something on the radio where people could text in wishes they've experienced) and in a way, it makes sense that Lina's mom wished for her to go and live with her dad in Italy. But...Lina's never met him, never even knew who he was, and isn't sure she wants to go. But she does.

 

I loved experiencing Italy through Lina's eyes and through her mom's eyes. While there, she's given a journal that her mom kept when she lived there and by reading it, Lina is able to experience things as her mother did and is given clues to figure out a little mystery surrounding her mother's past. I love a little secret and I seriously felt like I was along for the ride in discovering this beautiful country on an intimate level.

 

Lina is charming and strong, but her heart is no match for two potential love interests. I love how that angle worked out and I especially loved how Lina came to terms with everything. I thought her relationships were very realistic and full of many different emotions, which connected me to the story and characters. I love how the journal played such an important role in her development and bonds with others.

 

This is a fun story that now has me dying to go to Italy and to taste that scrumptious gelato firsthand.

 

Content: some underage (in the US) drinking/partying; mild romance; very mild language.

 

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Buy Links:

 

 

  

Loving Roxie by G.G. Vandagriff {Blog Tour Review and Giveaway}

Loving Roxie by G.G. Vandagriff

Kindle Edition

Published May 17th 2016 by Orson Whitney Press 

Roxie Castro comes to Florence, Italy to help her friend Georgia heal after the death of her husband. While there she decides to chase her dream of being an author, collaborating with the gorgeous Professor Stefano Nae in researching the murder of Princess Isabela di Medici. However, when they begin to delve into her history, strange things start happening to Roxie: panic attacks, the resurfacing of buried memories, and a fear that something from her past has come forward to haunt her future. 

The professor's help triggers her powerful attraction to him, and this in turn worsens the attacks.The closer they get to solving the mystery surrounding her past, the more tangled her emotions become. Will discovering Roxie’s secret finally free them to explore their newfound feelings or will it snatch away the one chance they have for a lasting love?

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My Review: 3.5 Stars

I was expecting a light-hearted mystery and romance, as well as more vivid descriptions of Italy in this book and found myself a little surprised at how heavy some of the subject matter was. It was only a year ago that I realized that people can get PTSD from traumatic incidents in one's past and not just from war. 

Beautiful Roxie goes to Italy with a friend and finds that handsome Stefano triggers some strange reactions in her when he helps her research the history of Princess Isabela. There is an obvious attraction between the two, but Roxie's behavior is both a little alarming and baffling. For me, the story is an even mix of dealing with the backlash of Roxie's past and their adventures in uncovering this part of history, mixed with a few family drama events.

As I mentioned before, there are some serious subjects introduced in the story and I feel that it's a great way to make people aware of these issues and how significant they can be, but I wanted a lighter "fluff" read. That aside, the author does a great job of bringing a variety of emotions into the story and the characters have some depth, which is always a bonus.

Content: innuendo; talk of abuse (not too graphic); mild romance; some heavier subject matter. Clean for an older reader.

*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*

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Buy Link

About the Author:

  

 

G.G. Vandagriff is the author of twenty-four books and is an Amazon #1 Bestselling Author. The Last Waltz, the first novel in her 20th Century Historical Romance Series won the Whitney Award for Best Historical Novel in 2009. There are now two more books in that series—Exile and Defiance.
Nine of her novels are Regency romances, compared by critics to the witty novels of Georgette Heyer. She has also written a lively genealogical mystery series featuring Briggie and Alex, two whacky widows, as sleuths. Other genres she writes in include Contemporary Romance, Women’s Fiction, and Suspense.
GG graduated from Stanford and received her master’s degree from George Washington University. She worked as an associate editor at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, an assistant treasurer in the Harvard Treasurer’s office, a bond analyst at Fidelity Investments, and an international banker for Continental Illinois National Bank (later acquired by Bank of America).
She and her husband David are the parents of three children and six grandchildren, her greatest joys in life. Her favorite novel? Jane Eyre. She also loves Florence, Sundance Resort, The Voice, hot chocolate, lilacs, and dachshunds.
Find out more about her books, download a free novella, and sign up for her newsletter at http://ggvandagriff.com. Also, be the first to know when Vandagriff’s next book is available by following her at http://bookbub.com/authors/G.G.Vandag... to receive new releases and discount alerts.

Twitter https://twitter.com/ggvandagriff

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/568772.G_G_Vandagriff

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Amazon buy link https://www.amazon.com/Loving-Roxie-G-G-Vandagriff-ebook/dp/B01FV75J3O?ie=UTF8&qid=1465421850&ref_=la_B001JP3P34_1_4&s=books&sr=1-4

GG Amazon author page http://www.amazon.com/G.G.-Vandagriff/e/B001JP3P34/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

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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!

 

Buy Links:

 

 

 

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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Review: Wish You Were Italian (If Only...Book 2) by Kristin Rae

 

Wish You Were Italian: An If Only novel (If Only . . . Book 2) by Kristin Rae

323 pages

Published May 6th 2014 by Bloomsbury 

Source: Library

Description: Pippa has always wanted to go to Italy … but not by herself. And certainly not to sit in art school the entire summer learning about dead guys’ paintings. When she steps off the plane in Rome, she realizes that traveling solo gives her the freedom to do whatever she wants. So it’s arrivederci, boring art program and ciao, hot Italian guys!

Charming, daring, and romantic, Bruno is just the Italian Pippa’s looking for—except she keeps running into cute American archeology student Darren everywhere she goes. Pippa may be determined to fall in love with an Italian guy … but the electricity she feels with Darren says her heart might have other plans. Can Pippa figure out her feelings before her parents discover she left the program and—even worse—she loses her chance at love?

My Review: I love the first line of the blurb--Pippa has always wanted to go to Italy...but not by herself. Well, by herself is exactly what she got. I was amazed that Pippa's parents would sent her there by herself--she is only seventeen, after all. I barely send my sixteen year old to the store by himself, let alone halfway across the world. Anyway...Pippa isn't too excited about going, since she almost feels forced into it. Her best friend is determined to help her make the best of it by giving her a journal with some goals to fulfill. 

I was impressed with Pippa's maturity in letting someone know exactly where she was and what was going on, since she decided to ditch the art program and go after the summer of her dreams. This experience is a growing experience for her--she learns a lot about herself, about the world around her, and about how what you really want might not really be what you want when it comes down to it. 

I loved Pippa. She is brave, determined, and is easy to get along with. She feels deeply and throws herself wholeheartedly into life. Bruno is very charismatic with a bad boy vibe. It's hard not to like him even when he's unlikeable. Darren, the American, is real and down to earth. He seems to be a little hesitant, yet very spontaneous. 

I really enjoyed all of the characters, misunderstandings, adventure, setting, and relationships. Fun, cute story! 

Content: Clean romance (kissing, mild innuendo); very mild language; mild violence (non-descriptive fight). 

 

About the Author:

Lover of books, music, chocolate, and crafty things. My young adult contemporary debut WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN is out now, and WHAT YOU ALWAYS WANTED is coming early 2016, both from Bloomsbury. Represented by Marietta Zacker of the Nancy Gallt Literary Agency.

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