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SOLO TU : ONLY YOU
Four years ago, Sienna defied her father by moving to Australia to obtain her teaching qualifications. Her grand plan is shaken by her father's unexpected death and a trip back to Tuscany for her grandmother's eightieth birthday where she renews her close bound with her sister, Alessa.
Teacher Dave Maxwell likes the freedom of his nomadic lifestyle. He works contract-to-contract, moving to different high schools around Australia. He's in Sydney for a season, caring for his grandma while his aunt is on an extended overseas vacation.
Back in Sydney, Sienna moves in with her Aussie cousins and starts her first teaching job, torn between her dream for a future in Australia and her longing for home. Sienna and Dave work at the same school, attend the same church, and quickly become friends. They are drawn together by circumstances and an undeniable attraction.
But their idyllic time together is temporary. Can the girl from Tuscany and the boy from Australia risk everything for love?
My Review:
Cute and funny and heartwarming. Love the exotic-to-me setting in Australia and all the Aussie-isms, not to mention the Italian flare courtesy of our heroine. This makes for a great armchair travel read. Atkins really brings her readers into the climate and culture without making it all travelogue-y. If that makes any sense. :-)
There's one part in the opening scene which depicts a rousing game of beach cricket -- say what?! Now, I'm a total non-sport fan. If I'm reading a book about a hockey player (well, really, when have I ever read about a hockey player? But, just go with me on this.) I would totally skim all the sport references and game details because I'm sooooo not into all that. But for some reason I was fascinated with beach cricket and I read that scene over and over trying to picture it all but the nuances still escaped me. So then I couldn't resist googling it and, while I still don't have a grasp of the game, I'm now yearning for white sandy beaches and the roar of ocean waves. Instead I get mountains of snow and howling winds. Sigh. At least I got to visit warmer climes with Sienna and Dave.
Speaking of which -- love the romance. It builds from a foundation of friendship but we all know it's doomed to fail because she's missing her family in Italy and he's a 100% Australian guy! With a nomadic lifestyle to boot. Loved the way the author works all that out to sublime readerly satisfaction.
And one of the most striking aspects of this novel is the way the faith thread is written. Both hero and heroine are Christian but the majority of their interactions are with folks who aren't so there's this striving to live up to standards and commitments that aren't considered normal in today's culture. Sienna especially has some difficult situations to navigate through with her non-believing family and I found this to be a very honest and real portrayal of what it's like to be one apart from the crowd. Really well done.
Solo Tu : Only You is part of a multi-authored series, A Tuscany Legacy (#7) and I did find myself floundering a bit over all the references to Sienna's siblings who appear to be heroes and heroines of previous books, and future ones too as there are two more after this one. Plus there's one over-arcing element that I think won't be resolved until the last book about mysterious paintings. It didn't take me long to find my footing and settle into the story though, so I wouldn't let not having read any of the other books be a deterrent from reading this one. This is just more of a heads up from one reader to another. :-)
Goal Update: #1 Read more indie authors #5 Diversifying my reading, Australian author, Australian setting, Italian heroine
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:
This giveaway is for a paperback copy.
If you would like a chance to win a copy of Solo Tu : Only You, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT AND DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February12 2022. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck
I have not read anything by Narelle but would like too! cilydav at hotmail dot com
ReplyDeleteI've just read one other book by her back when she wrote for Heartstong Presents. Good luck, Cindy!
Delete"SOLO TU : ONLY YOU" sounds like a wonderful book and about the only way I know to experience Australia, which makes it all the more enticing
ReplyDeleteThis is a new to me author, but sounds like a great way to get to know her. I'd love the opportunity to do so.
Thank you for the reviews which always bring th most amazing books to the forefront of our attention and the chance to win a copy of this book!
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Yes, Australia is definitely worth an armchair travel. I can't see me flying that distance either. Good luck, Kay!
DeleteNew to me Author. I don't like the sports parts either....I usually skip. This does sound interesting!! Thanks Kav for a chance to win!!
ReplyDeleteangiepool1606(at)gmail(dot)com
There's something fascinating about non-North American sports. At least, I found this whole cricket thing fascinating. :-) Good luck, Angie!
DeleteI'll go with this one. New to me author as well. rrwalter34atgmaildotcom
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to discover new-to-me authors, isn't it? Good luck, Becky!
DeleteNew to me author. Thank you for sharing. leliamae54(at)aol(dot)com
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Lucy. Good luck!
DeleteThis was a great review, Kav! I loved what you said about the beach cricket. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jill. I mean, who knew there was such a thing as beach cricket?! lol
DeleteI sure didn't! :)
DeleteI read and enjoyed one of her Heartsong Presents books "Winning Over the Heiress" & a novella "His Perfect Catch" years ago. I also have "The Bridesmaid's Hero" & a Kindle boxed set "Splash! 9 Refreshing Romances Filled with Faith" with Narelle, Valerie Comer, Autumn Macarther, Carol Moncado, Jan Thompson, Lesley McDaniel, and Lynette Sowell. Plus, I follow the Inspy Romance blog and have gotten to know Narelle and the other indie writers. A delightful bunch!
ReplyDeleteWhat I really appreciate, is how these ladies don't shy away from Christian values & a strong faith thread in their writing. I think the ability to be independent authors gives them more freedom than traditionally published ones when it comes to this.
I don't think anyone will be disappointed in her writing! She's such a warm-hearted person and a wonderful author.
The bonus for me, is most of her books as well as the other ladies, are free to borrow through Kindle Unlimited! So I have a whole world to explore through them 😁
Okay, now that I've made a novella length comment, I definitely want to read this book along with the rest of the Tuscany Legacy series!
teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com
Love your novella, Trixi and I totally agree with you. I have three more indie books waiting on my TBR pile and I'm going to order more soon. I watch Story Chats on Youtube which is hosted by some of the inspy authors and I always come away with a long list of titles every week. :-) Good luck, Trixi!
DeleteOh I always forgot about the Story Chats on YouTube! I've only watched one a while back and it was so fun. I need to remember more often 😊
DeleteI read The Bridesmaid's Hero as an ARC in the Love Blossoms Anthology and it was my first Narelle Atkins story. I loved it. Her's and Kimberly Rae Jordan's were my favorite in the collection.
DeleteOh, and Kav, I think you would really enjoy Kimberly Rae Jordan's books.
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