Primary Genre(s): Romance, Women’s Fiction
Published: 30 April 2021 by Bookouture
Page count: 290
My Format: ebook via NetGalley
Cover: Pretty
Pacing: Good
Ending: Good
Do I Recommend: Yes
Commission Link (U.S.): Buy Long Walk Home
My rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis
Lola recognized him straight away. After ten long years of telling herself that maybe she hadn’t really loved him—there he was. And straight away she knew she wanted him still.
Lola Alvarez loves working in the restaurant of Blue Hills, her family’s winery, looking out over vine-covered slopes down to the crystal-blue waters of the lake. But she is also determined to make her own mark on the business—to show her older sister Carmen that she’s not the same flighty teen she used to be.
Her plan to build gorgeous vacation cabins in the mountain meadow above the winery will be the perfect addition to Blue Hills, even if she has to go behind Carmen’s back to make her dream a reality. When Carmen sees how popular they are she’ll have to come round—right?
But then Gus Weaver comes back to town. Gus was her first love, the bad boy she used to climb out of windows to see. But he’d broken her heart when he left town suddenly, without so much as a goodbye. After that, she’d never seen him again.
Until now. As fate intervenes and they’re forced to work together on Lola’s project, sparks start to fly between them once again. But he’s led her astray before. Can Lola keep her mind on what she truly wants, when her heart—and the way it beats faster every time she looks into Gus’s blue eyes—is telling her something very different?
My Thoughts
I was invited to participate on a blog tour for this book and based on the synopsis I happily accepted. Here are my pros and cons for Long Walk Home:
Pros
- This is the kind of romance novel I prefer. It is clean, mature, and realistic.
- Interestingly, while I loved the storyline about Lola and Gus, I was more intrigued by the relationship between the sisters Carmen and Lola. If I am honest, their story was the most genuine and emotional for me.
- Lola could be petulant, and Carmen was about as stubborn as they come. Their bickering felt almost ridiculous at times, because each one always thought they were right… and they both were right in a lot of ways. They simply didn’t know how to communicate with each other to get past their issues. It was complicated relationship for sure and an interesting observation of practical vs. creative personalities.
- I really enjoy second-chance stories. It is one of my favorite tropes – whether it is finding new love later in life or coming back to an old love. Either way, I’m always a sucker for a second-chance story and this one fit the bill nicely.
- Is this winery a real place? After the descriptions in this book, I really want to stay in those tiny cabins!!
Cons
- I did not know this book was the third book in a series when I agreed to read and review it. While I think it is definitely readable as a standalone, I do have to wonder if I would have understood Lola and Carmen’s difficult relationship a bit more if I had more of the backstory from the previous books. I have this in Cons mainly as a warning to others that you may want to consider reading the first two books before you delve into this one. I plan to go back and read the first two myself!
Summary
This is a nice, clean, feel-good romance intermingled with some serious familial issues. It is easy to read, very atmospheric, and very heartwarming. The ending is perfect, but you will end up wanting more… perhaps there is a 4th book coming? 😊
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and @chicklitcentral (Instagram) for inviting to me to participate in this blog tour and providing an ebook, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
If you would like to read this book and form your own opinion, please consider purchasing through this link: Buy Long Walk Home. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thanks!
Click here for a description of my rating scale.
(image from Goodreads)
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Instagram: @EllynOaksmith
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Website: www.EllynOaksmith.com
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