Book Review: Nowhere but Here by Renee Carlino

 

Format: ebook

Rating: 4 Stars

How I Got It: Purchased

I absolutely loved Sweet Thing so this book had a high bar to meet. And it was definitely a good story, but it lacked some of the magic Sweet Thing had. The characters are likeable, but the romance is a little fast and fairly predictable.

Even though I said this lacks the magic of Sweet Thing it does have its own charm. Ms. Carlino creates a beautiful world at the winery in Napa. I was easily sucked into the world and can see how easy it would be to fall in love. And I normally don’t enjoy books set in California (Alice Clayton being the major exception). And in a lot of ways this reminded me of The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. I can’t really explain why, but maybe it’s because both have women who are kind of reborn in a new setting.

All of the characters are well-developed and Kate has a great group of friends. Hey, another found family book. Kate was enjoyable and easy to connect with. I like that she wasn’t highly negative about herself, but she also wasn’t obnoxiously confident. I wish I could have gotten to know Jamie better, but he is very charming and loveable.

My only real issue was how fast the romance progressed. I guess this is sort of a summer fling story, but it didn’t quite work for me. Ms. Carlino did do a good job of throwing in a conflict that slowed down their relationship which really saved it for me.

Even with my complaints I do plan on reading more of Renee Carlino’s books and I do recommend her stories.

Thanks for reading!

Review: Nowhere but Here by Katie McGarry

Series: Thunder Road Book #1

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 483

Rating: 5 Stars

How I Got It: Purchased

I devoured this book. But that’s pretty standard for a Katie McGarry book for me. I was actually a little nervous because of the motorcycle club aspect, but she handled it well and I love the characters.

I immediately connected with Emily. We have a lot in common and I think we both had the same per-conceived notions of motorcycle clubs. This was nice because as she became more open-minded I did too. And she’s a nice blend of bold strength and humility.

Oz was more of an unknown at the beginning. He’s so hyper-focused on getting into the club that it was hard to get to know him. But after spending more time with him I saw how caring he is and now I love him.

The romance worked for me. I think some people might think it’s insta-love, but I think it’s insta-attraction. They are physically drawn together but fight it and each other. I’m a big fan of the slightly antagonistic romances.

And I’m glad she put more relationships in than just a romance. Emily builds relationships with her biological dad and other people in the club. This helped make the club more human and feel like a family. I’m now very eager for the series to continue and to see who else gets a book.

Thanks for reading!