Bookshelf Friday - Five Days in Skye by Carla Laureano

I'd heard a lot about this book from fellow friends, but didn't have the time to pick  it up until recently. I'm so glad that I did. Let me give you the blurb and catch you on the other side:)

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 dreams. 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.

There was so much to like about this book. First, the setting is breathtaking, and Carla does a fantastic job of bringing us along to Scotland. It's fun to travel to other places when reading, and this book definitely delivered a mini-vacation:) But there was so much more to it. I loved the characters of Andrea and James, especially their dialogue. The easy banter between characters is what often draws me in to a book, and Carla wrote those lines effortlessly. When dialogue is done well, the characters and their personalities jump off the page, pulling laughter and tears from me straight from their conversations--and in the case of this book, it was more often laughter.

Not that this is a comedy, but Andrea and James both have a healthy sense of humor, and that came off the pages beautifully. As does their chemistry. From the moment they first meet, the air between them crackles in such a good way. It's a romance that leaves you with plenty of smiles and heart flips.

I also enjoyed the spiritual growth of these characters. They both had concrete issues they needed to work out and those issues played off each other well, creating a solid conflict. While at moments the narrative seemed a bit drawn out, and a few of the issues were handled a tad too easily, the story still eagerly pulled me to its end, leaving me with a contented smile on my face. I'll definitely read whatever romance comes next from Carla.

If you've yet to pick up Five Days in Skye, you'll want to do it now. You can purchase it here. I happily give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Carla Laureano has held many job titles--professional marketer, small business consultant, and martial arts instructor--but writer is by far her favorite. She currently lives in Denver with her patient husband and two rambunctious sons, who know only that Mom's work involves lots of coffee and talking to imaginary people. To learn more about Carla, visit her blog, here.