Brenda Sedore

This book is definitely a member of the romance genre. It's a light-hearted happy-ending read. I appreciate the effort the author took to entwine the plot with many snares, and the first few pages immediately grabbed my attention. However, like most romance novels, the characters lacked depth - they bounced back from many severe hardships much too easily for reality, and many of the scenes with action or interpersonal tension were cut short, perhaps to keep it from becoming too "real." I think more depth of character and plot would have made this book an truly excellent read - without it the book is just an above-average romance novel.

I also noticed some point-of-view editing mistakes. It seemed like the novel was written from the first person point of view, but was later (poorly) edited to a third person point of view. I often found "I" and "my" instead of "she" and "her," which caused me to reread some passages. If these types of editing mistakes bug you, be warned.

Lastly, I would have liked to see a stronger title for the book. It is very well-thought-out for a romance novel, and the title seems too cheesy for what is contained inside.… (mehr)

Aja Rain is the youngest child in a well-to-do Canadian family. Despite the protectiveness of her brothers and father, she ends up in an abusive relationship with Stephen. When Stephen tries to rape Aja, she fights back, and ends up picking up a knife. From the hospital, Stephen threatens her and her family. Aja, determined to make it on her own, moves to Italy, and begins working at a vineyard as a nanny. Quickly, she becomes entangled in a romantic relationship with two men. Stephen, follows her to Italy in order to get revenge.

I enjoyed this book. The writing style was well-developed and the pace was just right. At times I wanted to shake Aja and ask what in the world she was doing. Her character did not act like an abuse victim, which was the most frustrating part of the book. Overall, this was a good book, which I would recommend as light reading.… (mehr)