Throwback Thursday: Curl Up With Five Days in Skye

This week I decided to do something a little different for my throwback. As much as I love film and TV, when it’s cold outside, there’s nothing better than a warm cup of hot chocolate, fuzzy socks, and a really good book. So I thought I’d highlight a great read from one of my favorite authors, Carla Laureano.

I should probably confess that Carla is one of my best friends in the world. We met several years ago when I came across her exceptional writing. I was reviewing books for a living at that time and when I found Carla’s book, I fell in love with the writing. It didn’t take long to feel similarly about the person she is as well. Five Days in Skye is one of her much loved fan favorites out of Carla’s catalog.  It’s great timing to highlight the book since she’s currently setting up a read along with the author on her social media. If you haven’t experienced her storytelling before, now is a really great time to start.

Synopsis

Hospitality consultant Andrea Sullivan has one last chance to snag a high-profile client or she’ll have to kiss her dreams of promotion good-bye. When she’s sent to meet Scottish celebrity chef James MacDonald on the Isle of Skye, she just wants to finish her work as efficiently as possible. Yet her client is not the opportunistic womanizer he portrays himself to be, and her attraction to him soon dredges up memories she’d rather leave buried. For James, renovating the family hotel is a fulfillment of his late father’s d/reams. When his hired consultant turns out to be beautiful, intelligent, and completely unimpressed by his public persona, he makes it his mission to win her over. He just never expects to fall under her spell.

Soon, both Andrea and James must face the reality that God may have a far different purpose for their lives—and that five days in Skye will forever change their outlook on life and love.

Review

A little bit tour guide, a lot of romance, and fun mixed in, Carla Laureano has created a great love story that will appeal to readers of all ages. I loved how these characters crossed paths and circled each other for a bit before anything could actually work out. It was a great deal of fun watching this play out. Laureano has a grace and style in her writing that cut to the core of the humanity for each character. Flaws, difficulties, wrong turns – her characters make many of the same choices that we do in our own lives and like us, her characters are not without consequences to their actions. Sometimes you want to escape reality  and get lost in a story but sometimes it’s refreshing to see yourself on the pages of a book as well.

I also love the pacing of Carla’s books. Now that I am close enough to see the process unfold as she writes the books, it never ceases to amaze me when I read the finished product. Her stories flow along at a good pace, keeping my attention and engagement all the way through to the end. She writes with such a light, deft hand that one might think it all just flows from her mind onto the page and takes shape all on its own. This isn’t even close to the case. She sweats over every word – even the easy ones that do flow.  Carla’s books are the reason that people utter the words, “Just one more chapter.”  This story in particular drew me in from the beginning and kept me engaged right up until the very end. Scattered among the fun, lighthearted moments the story also resonated with depth and truth that can only come from an author who really understands what both her characters and her audience need.

Carla Laureano is the author of the RITA® award-winning romance Five Days in Skye as well as London Tides and the Celtic fantasy series The Song of Seare (as C. E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons.

Have you read any of Carla’s books? Or maybe you have recommendations of books, films, or TV shows you would like for me to cover. I would love to hear from you. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, my website, or you can comment here.