Review: Sensational as always!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 26, 2014
The first 5 episodes of this story were released weekly a few months ago and I have to say, the wait for the rest has been… Challenging. See, when a story breaks in a non-cliffhanger type way, I feel incomplete in a way that a cliffhanger just doesn’t. A cliffy lets me either imagine the worst or the best.The conclusion of episode 5 was: Ok, here’s a cranky, ornery old man. Give him a lift to Wisconsin while trying to maintain a silent battle of wills. This can go a million different ways. Especially since we didn’t know either Roman or Ashley all that well at that point.But then… The shift in the story is just amazing. It ceased to be Ashley’s story and became more Roman’s for me. His weight in carrying the plot forward was somehow more significant.When roman and Ashley acknowledge their feelings for each other for the first time, they practically glow with it. That’s when my crush on Roman exploded into full on that’s-the-kind-of-guy-I-want crush. He’s attentive, and so obviously smitten. I loved that once he admitted it to himself and decided to act on it, the shift in his demeanor was a total 180.Both Ashley and Roman grew with this story. Ashley coming to terms with her grandmother’s death and her not leaving Ashley the resort. Roman’s was slightly more complex; All he’s ever wanted was to belong. Living life on the outside of things since he was a boy, his foster home, Heberto taking him under his wing – he never managed that. But when he finds his path with Ashley and with himself, he also learns to claim that sense of belonging. I loved that about his character.But the one character that snuck up on me and stole my heart in this story is Noah.Another facet of the story I appreciate getting more into was Carmen and Noah’s romance. Noah had completely stole my heart with his very carnal and straightforward approach to courting Carmen. His big, hairy self was real. It was sexy. Noah’s instant calm approach to everything felt soothing. Fantastically complimenting Carmen’s roughness and very boxed, programmed life.Roman Holiday is a beautiful, original, captivating contemporary romance. Roman and Ashley as per Knox’s style are perfect in their imperfections. They don’t heal each other but use each other to heal themselves, providing the best supportive environment for that journey and doing it in the best, swooniest, adorable and romantic way.A wonderful read. Highly recommended.*ARC provided by Loveswept/Random House via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.Reviews for the first 5 episodes can be found on The Book Hammock blog.