This book, Wild Rose is a romance set in Italy, charming the reader with its quaint appeal, delightful food and beautiful locales. The scenic charm and the equally charming chef who whips up sinfully decadent food made me want to pack up and head to Lake Como.
Rose conjures up images of a confident, sweet, sensuous woman who has a lovely daughter and she thinks that she has to save her from an older man. The truth is far from it and makes for a delightful twist.
Mateo, the handsome, smart, caring guy who is the boss, of course, adds to the book and story with his hotness quotient. Rose and Mateo are the perfect foil to each other, successful in their lives yet faced heartbreak. They are not searching for love even as it finds them, both of them try to avoid it and end up almost losing each other.
Rose’s distrust turns into a fling and both of them find love and bloom within each other’s arms. This is book is a mature romance, the couple is in their forties and a romance is the least they expect even though they have been holding out for true love.
Rose and Mateo find challenges in the changes they face and the unexpected twists to their settled life. The book is an interesting read and the author introduces all of the five friends of the Late Bloomers series as well as Mateo’s friends. It all adds up to a sweet, delightful romance to be savoured in the blissful comfort of a long weekend.
(I got a copy of Wild Rose from Netgalley and this is my unbiased review. I regularly review books on Netgalley.)
Wild Rose
by
About the Book:
Rose Quinn is having a very bad summer. First, her 19-year-old daughter left home to backpack across Europe instead of going to college. Then a woman she loved like a mother died of a heart attack, making her feel like an orphan all over again. And in just a few weeks her best friend will be moving to New York City. For a single mother who’s always had someone else to take care of, Rose is finally wondering how to take care of herself.
Handsome Mateo Romero is a transplanted Spaniard running a restaurant on Lake Como in Italy. A broken heart got him there, but he’s made a success of it just like he did his architecture business back in Madrid. One thing he hasn’t been successful with is love.
When Mateo hires Rose’s daughter for a summer job and gives her a free place to stay, Rose immediately suspects the worst. She won’t let her daughter make the same mistake she did at that age, so Rose flies to Italy to confront Mateo. What Rose finds instead is a secret she didn’t suspect and a challenge to everything she’s ever thought about love and the illusion of control.
Rose’s daughter doesn’t need saving, but can Rose save herself?
Fall in love with The Late Bloomers, a series about five 40-something women who each choose adventure, travel, and love when they reach a crossroads in life. These seasoned women are ready to take on the world, starting with Book 1: Wild Rose.
