Review: Exactly What Contemporary Romance Should Be
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 26, 2014
“There’s no where but here. Nothing else matters…”For 26 year old Kate Corbin, where that sacred place is, is a mystery to her. Nine months ago, Kate lost someone extremely close to her, and since then, she’s lost her spark. She’s broken and floating aimlessly through her life. She has a boyfriend, but there’s not much to their relationship; she has a job, but her writing has suffered due to inability to think clearly. She needs a break from her lonely existence, so when her editor offers her a chance to interview the elusive RJ Lawson, she gets on a plane and heads to Napa, hoping to reignite her spirit and heal her battered heart.For three days, Kate is enamored with Napa Valley and all that it has to offer, especially a certain handy man – Jamie. Although the interview with RJ doesn’t go well because he turns out to be quite a jerk, Kate’s trip isn’t all in vain because the connection she has with Jamie is something she’s never felt before. Kate and Jamie’s platonic friendship quickly turns to more once she ends things with the boyfriend back home, and for a short amount of time, Kate’s spark burns brightly until a misunderstanding brings back Kate’s insecurities, and she goes back to believing that she’s all she’s got. But that’s only the beginning of Kate and Jamie’s story…to find out where it ends, you’re going to have to see for yourself.Nowhere But Here is what all contemporary romance needs to be. Its focus is on Kate and Jamie’s relationship as well as their personal struggles to move past their losses. Yes, it has insta love, which can be a bit problematic in stories, but I think it speaks to the philosophy Kate is trying to live by – “be the change you want to see.” With one interaction, Kate feels something for Jamie, and it only builds from there…is it realistic? Perhaps not, but it speaks to the idea of a heart finding a home…finding the place it’s supposed to be.After reading Sweet Thing, I knew Renee Carlino had a way with words, and Kate and Jamie’s story reinforces that belief. She allows readers to experience the places in her books so clearly through her vivid descriptions, and the way she writes her characters offers an insider’s perspective on what makes them the people that they are. Kate and Jamie are flawed individuals who find what they have so desperately wanted in each other, and Renee allows readers to take Kate’s journey of self discovery right along with her. I'll admit that there were parts that were too formulaic and the big secret actually was easy to identify from the onset, but it’s easy to see past those things as a reader because the writing is flawless and the characters are extremely likable. I was rooting for Kate and Jamie from the very beginning despite how quickly it went and how stubborn Kate acted at times, and for any story that’s able to do that from the start, it's a must read for me!A complimentary copy of the text was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.4 poison apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)