After the Rain
    by: Renée Carlino

Publication Date: Nov. 11, 2014
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC received via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 304 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4/5 stars

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a deeply emotional contemporary romance about the second chances waiting beyond the shattered dreams of youth.

Under the bright arena lights of a rodeo show, young Avelina Belo falls for a handsome cowboy with a larger-than-life personality. After a whirlwind courtship, she happily moves away from her family in northern California and settles into married life with her cowboy on a seven-thousand-acre cattle ranch in Montana. One freak accident later, Avelina’s hopes for the future come to an end.

Nate Myers graduated from UCLA medical school at the top of his class, ready to follow in the footsteps of his father, a superstar cardiothoracic surgeon. Six years later, Nate’s career is being ruined by a malpractice suit. Questioning himself for the first time, he retreats to a Montana cattle ranch to visit his uncle and gain perspective. There, he meets a beautiful young woman named Avelina who teaches him more than he ever knew about matters of the heart.

 

 

Wow. Talk about an emotional read! I was absolutely shattered for Avelina and heartbroken over everything she's gone through in her young life. She has endured tragedy no person should ever know and felt emotional pain and loss on a devastating scale. My heart ached for her loss of spirit and the life she had once adored. She has shut out the world and lives in her own type of isolation, not letting herself connect with anyone.

 

"She existed in a grief-filled world that was off limits to the living."

 

I have only read one other novel by Carlino and I have to say this has been my favorite thus far. The writing is beautiful and the emotions she evokes are both raw and moving at the same time. By delving into the past first, we get a much more powerful, intense story, thus having witnessed Ava and Nate's lives prior to meeting. While Ava's storyline is much more upsetting, Nate isn't really living life either. He has been dedicated to following in his father's footsteps and becoming the best heart surgeon there is. He doesn't have time for love. I love that Nate is a heart surgeon- day in and day out, he deals with literal matters of the heart, yet can't seem to get his own to truly beat and use it for anything else than purely staying alive.

 

After a misdiagnosis and tragic accident, Nate's father suggests he take some time away from work, and sends him to a cattle ranch in Montana to help out his uncle. It is here he meets Ava, and she is like one of those wild, unbroken horses that runs free. However, Ava hasn't felt free in years. She has been weighed down by guilt- guilt she should NEVER have to feel, as what happened was not her fault. She is incredibly stubborn and Nate knows it will be no easy to task to bring her back to life.

 

"Well, I suppose she needs to learn that there are as many ways to love as there are to die."

  

Nate and Ava's relationship definitely has its ups and downs. Ava is extremely reluctant to trust or let herself feel again. Letting Nate assuage the guilt she carries is not something Ava does easily. It takes time and patience on his behalf. She needs him to not give up on her, but she really needs to face the down of demons of her past in order to move forward.

 

Nate's grand gesture towards the end was such an awesome addition to the story. It was a bit bittersweet, but it showed his devotion to her and to their future together. Finally, the heart surgeon understands what it means to give your entire heart to someone and use it for love.

 

If you're looking for a sexy, steamy read this isn't it. It's sexy and steamy at times, but emotion overcomes that, which I really liked. Watching Nate and Ava fall in love and realize just how much they needed one another in their lives was really beautiful and I would highly recommend this one if you're in the mood for a good, emotional love story.

 

Nowhere But Here
    by: Renée Carlino

Publication Date: May 5, 2014
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 320 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N | BAM | iTunes | Blio | Google
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars

A jaded Chicago reporter in her twenties unexpectedly finds love in Napa Valley when she’s assigned to spend a week with a famously reclusive genius in this rich and deeply satisfying contemporary romance by the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing.

Kate Corbin has lost her spark. A year ago, she had a handsome boyfriend and a budding career as a reporter at a popular Chicago newspaper. But after the woman who raised her passed away, leaving her lost and alone, she fell into a rut—and never got out. Now she’s stuck writing fluff pieces about lipstick and wine, and feeling trapped in a relationship that’s going nowhere.

Trusting that the hungry, ace reporter is buried somewhere deep inside, Kate’s boss and mentor gives her the opportunity to jump-start her career. The assignment: spend a week interviewing R. J. Lawson, a famously reclusive tech genius who disappeared years ago but recently reemerged as the owner of a well-respected Napa Valley winery.

Kate jumps at the chance, but the trip begins in disaster, both personally and professionally. After alienating R.J., her only saving grace is Jamie, a charming vineyard hand who shows her the beauty of wine country—and stirs her aching heart. It doesn’t take long for Kate and Jamie to fall hard, and for Kate to rethink her life in the city. But the week ends with a heartbreaking journey back to Chicago that sends Kate reeling, wondering what went wrong in those four perfect days.

 

 

 

Nowhere But Here is so much more than a love story. It is about finding yourself and what you truly want out of life- what you can live with and what you can't live without. It is filled with hope, even amidst despair and loneliness, and will leave you believing in second chances and that sometimes things happen the way they do for a reason.

 

Pacing: I felt the story moved at a good pace overall, but the relationship between Jamie and Kate was way too fast. I would have preferred a slower build up between the two and more tension before they gave in to their desires.

 

Storyline: I really enjoyed the premise of this one. Kate has felt alone for so long- she has no passion, no zeal for life. She does not connect with her 'boyfriend', she doesn't perform at her job in the way she should. She's just.... lost. The chance to interview R.J. Lawson, a tech genius turned vineyard owner, who stays out of the public eye is too good of an opportunity to pass up. She never expected to go to Napa Valley and find everything she realized she'd been missing for so long. Meeting Jamie changed everything for Kate. In the short amount of time they spend together, he manages to make Kate feel beautiful, cherished, and taken care of. She falls fast and she falls hard for the sweet, sexy guy who goes out of his way to make her feel special. However, their whirlwind romance is too good to be true and leaves Kate heartbroken and devastated. Returning back to Chicago holds no joy for her, but she does so anyway to try and get over the man who stole her heart in such a short amount of time.

 

Characters: Kate's character really broke my heart. Her lack of passion and her acceptance of mediocrity really hurt me, as she deserves so much more than a boyfriend who doesn't care about her and take her needs into account. Meeting Jamie changes everything for her- finally someone who is willing to put her needs first, someone who believes in her and what she can do. Their chemistry is off the charts hot and I really liked seeing them fall for one another, despite the speed in which they do so.

 

Jamie is a bit of a mystery. He is quite quiet about his personal life and doesn't share a whole lot of information about himself to Kate, which made me curious. He's a good guy who works hard and gets along with everyone. He refuses to see himself as weak, despite a medical condition he has. Where Kate has lost her lust for life, Jamie has it in spades. He is full of passion and adventure and wants to share that with Kate. I love his persistence and unwillingness to give up. He could have avoided a lot of heartbreak had he been forthcoming from the beginning, but I can understand his reluctance to do so.

 

Jamie and Kate's relationship isn't all sunshine and rainbows, however. They are pulled apart by a misunderstanding and Kate is left picking up the pieces of her heart. She is hurt, angry, and feels betrayed. She was ready to make some life changing choices where their relationship is concerned and it broke my heart to see her so broken again after Jamie integrated himself into her life and built her back up. I like that this goes to show you that life and love aren't easy. They take hard work and sacrifice. Life will always be filled with obstacles to overcome- but how you choose to handle them is completely up to you.

 

Final Thoughts: Nowhere But Here is a sweet book that will make you weak in the knees from the beautiful romance that Carlino has developed and it shows you that love isn't always logical- it's spontaneous and free and always worth the risk.

 

 

 

Renée Carlino lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog, June. When she's not at the beach with her boys or working on her next book, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate. To learn more, visit ReneeCarlino.com.

 

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Title: Sweet Little Thing (Sweet Thing #1.5)

Author: Renee Carlino

Genre: New Adult Romance

Release Date: March 4, 2014

 

Ever wonder what happened after the final pages of Sweet Thing? From his candid and sometimes neurotic point of view, Will tells all in this musical and sexy follow-up novella to Renée Carlino’s USA Today Bestseller. Life is pure bliss for Mia and Will. They have a puppy, a loft in Brooklyn, and a new music studio on the rise. It seems things couldn’t get any better for this talented couple when life decides to throw them a sweet little curve ball. They quickly learn that things don't always go according to plan. Sometimes happily ever after is one giant leap of faith away. With the help of good music, good friends, and one eccentric old lady, they overcome a few of life’s little bumps to find the sweetest thing of all. Watch this duo grow in more ways than one in SWEET Little THING.    

 

Copyright © 2014 by Renée Carlino

“I have a complaint.” I said. She climbed up next to me and cuddled her face up to my bare chest, then she used her index finger to trace a line down my happy trail to the belt on my jeans.

“What sort of complaint, Wilbur?” Ah, Mia’s sexy voice.

I reached down and ran my hand up her thigh. “You should not wear these pants around that horny little High School Musical kid.”

She popped up and looked me straight in the face. “He totally looks like Zac Efron, huh?”

“Mia, he practically shot off a load just staring at your ass.”

She punched me in the chest. “That is vulgar, Will Ryan.”

“It’s true. You can’t dress like that around him.” I tackled her back down on the bed and hovered over her.

“I thought you liked these pants.”

“I do.” I began kissing my way down her body. I lifted her shirt and kissed the swell of each breast before moving down the center of her body. “But you know what I like better than you in these pants?”

“Me out of these pants?”

“Am I that predictable?” I said as I quickly peeled them off her body. “

Yes.” She sighed.

I sat back on my heels. “You’re beautiful.” Holding her leg from behind her knee, I kissed my way up the inside, from her calf to her thigh and all the way up to her panties. I peeled the lace from her hips with my teeth and then down to her ankles as slowly as possible. She lay there naked from the waist down, watching me gaze at her, hungry for her. Her skin was pure white and it contrasted so strikingly against her dark eyes and hair. She was an authentic beauty. I leaned over her body, putting my weight on my hands, which were placed on each side of her head. Her eyes were searching mine. She whimpered and then tried to lift her face up to kiss me. I drew my head back. “Uh uh, I don’t think so.” I nuzzled my nose into her neck and trailed kisses to her ear. I whispered, “Stay just like this. Don’t go anywhere.” I planted a swift kiss on her lips and jumped off the bed. “I’m goin’ to play B-ball with Tyler. Be back in a few.”

As I left the room, I glanced over my shoulder and saw her lying there completely still, her mouth open in shock. I got halfway down the hallway before she finally yelled, “Asshole!” I bent in the hallway and patted June’s head. She rolled over and then got back on her feet and trotted off toward our bedroom. Before walking out the door, I called back to Mia, “Who’s predictable now, sweet thing?”      

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Sweet Thing (Sweet Thing #1)
 

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Renee’s first friends were the imaginary kind and even though her characters haven’t gone away, thankfully the delusions have. She admits she’s a wildly hopeless romantic and she blames 80’s movies staring Molly Ringwald for that. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she’s not at the beach with her boys or working on the next book, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate.

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