Title: Nowhere But Here
Author: Renée Carlino
Genre: Contemporary Romance
About Nowhere But Here:
A Chicago reporter in her mid-twenties unexpectedly finds love in Napa Valley when she’s assigned to spend a week with a famously reclusive genius.
Kate Corbin has lost her spark. From the outside, her life seems charmed. She has a handsome, long-term boyfriend and a budding journalism career at a popular Chicago newspaper. But in reality, her relationship is going nowhere, and she’s quickly losing motivation for what she once believed was her dream job. When her boyfriend dumps her unceremoniously, Kate loses all hope of finding love.
With no living family and few friends, Kate confides in her boss. Trusting that the hungry, ace reporter is buried somewhere deep inside, he gives Kate the opportunity to jumpstart her career. The assignment: to interview the famously reclusive R.J. Lawson, a wealthy tech genius who disappeared years ago but recently reemerged as a Napa Valley vintner. The week takes an unexpected turn, however, when Lawson refuses to divulge any information. Desperate for a lead, Kate turns to Jamie, a vineyard hand who shows her the romance of wine country—and stirs her aching heart. But his connection to Lawson is ambiguous, and when Jamie disappears before the end of the week, Kate is left to investigate another story: the truth behind the man who stole her heart.
USA TODAY bestselling author Renée Carlino explored love and heartbreak in her beautifully written debut Sweet Thing, and her newest novel does not disappoint. For fans of Colleen Hoover, K.A. Tucker, and Katja Millay, Nowhere But Here is a stirring and satisfying romance that you won’t want to put down.
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Review
“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 an ass, 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
To read an exclusive bonus short from Nowhere But Here, click the following link:
About Renée Carlino:
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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