BT & Review: NOWHERE BUT HERE by Renee Carlino

eBook on-sale: May 5, 2014 ♦ Paperback on sale July 8, 2014

Book Description:

Kate Corbin has lost her spark. A year ago, she had a handsome boyfriend and a budding career as a reporter at a popular Chicago newspaper. But after the woman who raised her passed away, leaving her lost and alone, she fell into a rut—and never got out. Now she’s stuck writing fluff pieces about lipstick and wine, and feeling trapped in a relationship that’s going nowhere.

Trusting that the hungry, ace reporter is buried somewhere deep inside, Kate’s boss and mentor gives her the opportunity to jump-start her career. The assignment: spend a week interviewing R. J. Lawson, a famously reclusive tech genius who disappeared years ago but recently reemerged as the owner of a well-respected Napa Valley winery.

Kate jumps at the chance, but the trip begins in disaster, both personally and professionally. After alienating R.J., her only saving grace is Jamie, a charming vineyard hand who shows her the beauty of wine country—and stirs her aching heart. It doesn’t take long for Kate and Jamie to fall hard, and for Kate to rethink her life in the city. But the week ends with a heartbreaking journey back to Chicago that sends Kate reeling, wondering what went wrong in those four perfect days.

Amazon ♥ Books-A-Million ♥ B&N ♥ Indie Bound

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Dawn’s Review 4.5 Stars

“I woke up when I met Jamie. The world became louder, crazier, more exciting, and more achingly beautiful.”

This. This is exactly how I felt about Jamie. Not only did Kate (his Katy) wake up, I did too. Jamie is one of my favorite book boyfriends – from his sweet and sexy nature to his vulnerabilities. I was a goner. Right in the beginning, Kate’s voice shines through the pages. I could feel her pain, her loss, and her depression. It was so easy to relate to her and that helped me connect with her story.

Jamie barrels into her life (okay, she kind of does that to him…) and captures her attention and attraction when Kate goes to interview R.J. Lawson, the reclusive genius, who owns the winery where Jamie works.  I loved how Kate doesn’t pull punches with R.J. when she meets him and has a backbone. Life threw her some curve balls but she’s still strong in many ways. Jamie and the beauty of the vineyard brings that out even more.

Renee Carlino has a beautiful, poetic way with words. I felt the same way with Sweet Thing and Sweet Little Thing. (I’d be remiss to not add I loved the inclusion of Will and Mia in this story! <3 ) It’s as if the story is more lyrics than manuscript. I love that about her writing along with the elements of fate and interconnectedness that are woven in, using secondary characters to enrich the story even further. Just Bob stole a big piece of my heart and if I rode the train every day, I’d hope to find someone like him to listen to share his wisdom.

One thing in particular that had me turning pages and staying up late to read Nowhere But Here was the unexpected twist to the story. I was reading merrily along thinking it was following a more traditional storyline when I was hit with a part I didn’t see coming. It added so much more to the story. My heart ached for Kate and Jamie; for the hurdles they had to face; for the misunderstandings and the consequences. Yet, all of those combined with all of the other moments make this a must-read for me.

Dawn C’s Review 5 stars

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About the Author

Renée Carlino 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 her next book, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate. To learn more, visit ReneeCarlino.com.

Picture: (c) Jack and Lola Photography, 2013

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