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My Review
A sweet romance between two people who were quite different in their outlook but were bound by love. This was my second book by author Ellyn Oaksmith where plans of wedding was interspersed with bubbles of reality and the demands of Cruella… 😂 No… the mother-in-law… Just kidding. Not.
Paolo and Stella loved each other, but they wanted different things. She was happy living together; he wanted marriage. When the mother-in-law dashed in from Italy with Nonna’s ring that things started happening.
The story spoke about the practicalities of two cultures, the depth of secrets, and a hidden past. It dealt with stresses of being in America and telephoning the plans of wedding in Italy. Stella and her best friend managed both. There were moments of hilarity when Stella tried to bond with the MIL.
Secrets hid Stella’s vulnerability and her reactions were more understandable. We all react differently to catastrophes. The prose was fast, and Paolo was sweet with buckets of patience. Stella tested mine too. Friends and relatives increased the sweetness factor though at moments, they were citric too.
A few niggles. I couldn’t connect with anyone, and the emotions were missing. An added depth with sensitive nuances would have made this delightful.
Overall, it was an interesting read which made my morning rush faster.
My Rating
Book Links
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Book Blurb
Our life together meant more to me than he could possibly imagine. I just wanted another night. I thought I knew what was coming. A proposal. If only it had been that simple.
Things are finally working out for Stella Gallagher. Unlucky in love and faced with limited options in her small town, she was beginning to give up on romance altogether, until mysterious Italian Paolo Gentillo moved to Chelan…
Paolo is smart, kind, gorgeous and, most importantly, they’re completely obsessed with each other: Stella has finally found her match. Everything would be perfect, except there are things she hasn’t told Paolo—she doesn’t know how he’s going to feel about her when he finds out about her past…
So when Paolo proposes, Stella panics: it’s way too soon. She wants to be with him, but suddenly they’re talking about forever. He doesn’t even know the real her, she’s scared to face up to her secret, and she’s never felt so alone. Is the damage from her past going to threaten her chance at a perfect future?
Book Details
Publication Date: October 2020
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and this is my journey into its pages straight from the heart!! STRICTLY HONEST AND UNBIASED. All my reviews can be read here
4 Responses
I’ve learned to pay attention to your niggles 😉
Sounds like a fun read, even if the characters didn’t quite do it for you! A little humor always helps.
great review, sorry you couldn’t get into the characters. sometimes they just don’t work. that, nor romance for me. nada
I too don’t really read romance, I prefer the women’s fiction more. but I need to find many. i just downloaded a cozy. Hoping I like ti.