Blog Tour Review: Nowhere But Here by Renee Carlino

Nowhere But Here

Author: Renee Carlino

Publisher: Atria Books

Publication Date: May 5, 2014

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: eARC via NetGalley

~Synopsis~

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.

~Review~

I fell in love with Renee Carlino's writing when I read Sweet Thing and I think she did another great job with Nowhere But Here. I feel like she really knows how to build some strong characters and develops an entrancing relationship between the two. I really felt the connection that Kate and Jamie had from the moment they met and I enjoyed every moment they spent together.

I liked Kate and I found her to be a very relate-able character. She is going through a rough period and really questioning herself and where her life is going. I have been there and I could totally feel for Kate and the things she is going through. Jamie is a mystery and at first sight he appears to be a bad boy but he is actually a sweet and gentle man. I loved that he was such a contradiction and I definitely fell for him immediately. I felt like he was a bit of a mystery but he was also genuine. 

I really felt like Kate and Jamie were both in a place in their lives where they really needed to find each other. They had such an amazing connection and they put the meaning in "everything happens for a reason." That being said, it isn't all sunshine and roses and they definitely have their relationship and their feelings for each other tested. I felt like Kate was a bit over-emotional and jumped to conclusions quickly but I could also understand her too. I recently went through a rocky relationship and men can be emotionally unavailable and hard to read. As women, we tend to over think things and assume the worst. While Kate's reactions to some situations frustrated me, I completely understood at the same time. I feel like this makes her character more real. I loved that Jamie didn't give up on Kate. He knew that she was hurt and confused and he respected her while still trying to make her see that they were right for each other. He made mistakes, there's no denying that but he truly cared about her and he would do anything to make her see that. What I wouldn't give to have a man feel that way about me!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and felt like it really spoke to me. At this time in my life and the things that I have been going through, Nowhere But Here resonated with me. The best things happen to you when you least expect it and sometimes you have to go through hard times to get to the good ones. Jamie and Kate were in desperate need of something spectacular when they met and while they made their fair share of mistakes along the way, they found the true love and happiness they both deserved. 

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1jVtIjT

Books-A-Million: http://bit.ly/1gExKrH

B&N: http://bit.ly/1m5PyRx

Indie Bound: http://bit.ly/1h8V05T

About Renee 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.

Website: www.reneecarlino.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorReneeCarlino

Twitter: www.twitter.com/renayz