Solo Tu : Only You

GIVEAWAY

ATKINS, NARELLE

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

Falling for the Farmer

GIVEAWAY

ATKINS, NARELLE
FALLING FOR THE FARMER

KATE LAWSON IS A RUNAWAY BRIDEAnd she's incredibly grateful when Jack Bradley offers her a job on his apple farm. Working side by side in the orchards with her best friend's brother seems like the perfect way to get over her disastrous engagement. Until Kate finds herself falling hard for the handsome farmer.

Jack Bradley knows city-girl Kate isn't here to stay. Yet suddenly he's imagining a life with her in the country. When Kate considers going back to the city, can Jack find a way to show her that her real home is here on the farm, by his side?

My Review:

Another amazing debut novel! And I love the Australian setting. Kudos to Harlequin for finally venturing out of North America in a Christian contemporary romance. Atkins writes a universal love story that can be enjoyed by any reader, but I loved the subtle nods to another country and culture.

This sweet romance features a runaway bride and I loved the action-packed opening. It really got my attention. Also loved how the author gradually reveals the reason behind Kate's flight by slow degrees throughout the story. Really looking forward to Atkins next release which is coming out in May. I love finding new fave authors...especially when they are prolific writers!

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Falling for the Farmer please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca.  If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers. If you email me, please be sure to put the title in the subject line so it is easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday March 16 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck.