He’s thirty-eight. I’m
twenty-three.
He speaks Spanish. I speak English.
He lives in Spain. I live in
Canada.
He dresses in thousand-dollar
suits. I’m covered in tattoos.
He’s married and has a five-year
old daughter. I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything.
Until now.Because when they say you
can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the f*#king truth.
***
To a restless dreamer like Vera
Miles, it sounded like the experience of a lifetime. Instead of spending her
summer interning for her astronomy major, she would fly to Spain where she’d
spend a few weeks teaching conversational English to businessmen and women, all
while enjoying free room and board at an isolated resort. But while Vera
expected to get a tan, meet new people and stuff herself with wine and paella,
she never expected to fall in love.
Mateo Casalles is unlike anyone
Vera has ever known, let alone anyone she’s usually attracted to. While Vera is
a pierced and tatted free spirit with a love for music and freedom, Mateo is a
successful businessman from Madrid, all sharp suits and cocky Latino charm.
Yet, as the weeks go on, the two grow increasingly close and their relationship
changes from purely platonic to something…more.
Something that makes Vera feel
alive for the first time.
Something that can never, ever be.
Or so she thinks.
4.75-5 Stars
He slowly turned around. “What is
love? In English?”
I raised my brows. “Love, in
English, is love?”
“What is it in Spanish?”
I was so enthralled by his hypnotic
eyes, I could barely remember. “Amore?”
He shook his head ever so slightly.
“No. Love in Spanish is you.”
I am utterly FLOORED by this
book. This was STUNNING! As I sit here trying to write this review, I’ve
had a few hours to reflect. I’m having trouble finding the adequate words to
describe this story. The first words that come to mind are immediately:
Beautiful, heartbreaking, conflicting & sweet. Sorry for the unoriginality,
but meh! I suck at trying to paint a picture. All I know is that this
one made me a swoony, hot mess.
Love, that ultimate villainess. She
makes examples of us all.
And yet we still come back for
more.
We keep playing the role she gives us.
For one more chance to feel alive.
Love has made me a villain. But at
least now, I don’t have to be misunderstood.
This is my story…
Vera has a reputation. Her tattoos,
her promiscuity has followed her around since she was teenager. At twenty-three
years old, she’s a bit…lost; she’s kind of stuck in a rut, of sorts. So she
decides to go to Spain and join this program to help Spaniards with their
English. It is because of this program that she will have a free room for the
next month. This is where she eventually meets the handsome Mateo.
I liked the calm Mateo, the witty
Mateo, the lusty Mateo, and the hot-tempered Mateo.
I liked all of him.
No. I loved all of him.
I loved Mateo Casalles.
Mateo is thirty-eight, married and
has a young daughter. He is also a former pro football (soccer) star who is now
co-owns restaurants in Spain, but wants to expand internationally, hence why
he’s in this program. Mateo and Vera hit it off immediately. They seemed so at
ease with each other, their conversations constantly flowing. There was a
definite connection. Vera, being Vera, knew instantly she was in deep trouble
with Mateo.
“You’re married!” I yelled. “I
cannot be the other woman!”
“You already are the other
woman!” he yelled right back. His words smashed into me, blowing me to
smithereens. He cupped my face in his hands. “You already are, whether you want
to be or not. You’ve bewitched me, Vera. You’ve blinded me. You’ve made me
forget my vows. And all you had to do was shine.”
Although I loved this book, part of
me was torn. I love Vera & Mateo together, but the fact was that he is
married. Yes, it does become quite obvious that he is in a loveless marriage,
but like I said, he is still legally with his wife. I can completely
understand why Vera felt so much guilt because honestly, I felt them too. You
really felt all the struggles she went through – both physically and mentally.
Only phenomenal storytelling can make you feel that.
My Estrella.
Overall, this was just one
beautiful read. Karina Halle did a extraordinary job of writing this. The story
flowed nicely, it kept my interest and it’s the type of story that will stick
with you for a very long time. Bravo, Karina! Bravo.
