This book is what I would affectionately refer to as a ‘Romance Novel’. They follow a certain pattern: girl meets boy, girl and boy don’t hit it off, girl and boy hit it off and fall in love, misunderstanding happens and they break up, then they get together forever. Okay, you may think it’s formulaic, but there’s a reason for a formula…it works!
This is a great story with a lot of layers and a lot of elements.
The setting is predominantly on the island of Skye, in Scotland. I love to travel, so any story set in a foreign land appeals to me. I love to see how they live, what they do, what the landscape is like, what they eat and drink. You get the picture.
The boy? Well, he is an uber successful and uber hunky celeb chef. Think Curtis Stone only Scottish instead of Aussie. He has a few issues of his own, but who doesn’t? Nothing insurmountable. He’s reopening the family hotel in a tribute to his father. The girl? She is a very highly regarded hospitality consultant…with a past. I like her because she’s a pianist. I’m a pianist. We have music in common.
Andrea has been terribly hurt, and Jamie (the cutie chef) is determined to break down her walls. With his boyish charm, he talks her into staying on the island of Skye for five extra days; she was supposed to be on vacation anyway, and decides that it wouldn’t be at all bad to take some much needed down time. With a hunky man who cooks like an angel. Yeah. That was a tough decision. As they explore their relationship, they come to realize that God had a purpose for bringing them together. Will they follow that purpose? You’ll have to read it to find out.
What is the story missing? Vulgar language and sex. You could easily let your teen daughter read it without worrying if she’s being exposed to filth. It’s not there.
I would like for the ending to have been a little more developed. I felt that it was a bit abrupt, but that’s a compliment – it just says I wanted more!
Here’s the formal synopsis:
Andrea Sullivan is so consumed by her hospitality consultant job that she’s forgotten what brings her life. She travels the world yet shields herself from the exotic locales or another chance at love. She dreads her new assignment—a last chance to snag a high-profile client in Scotland. Yet the lush Isle of Skye transcends her preconceptions. As does the man she came to interview—the rugged, blue-eyed Scotsman James McDonald.
James is passionate about cooking but after six restaurants, four cookbooks, and his own television show, he has no desire to be a celebrity chef. Andrea and James begin to sense these five days in Skye may just be God’s wild invitation into deeper life … and truer love.
If you’re looking for a delightful and easy read, this one ticks all the boxes. It’s available at Family Christian Stores.
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