Today’s team review is from Cathy, she blogs here https://betweenthelinesbookblog.wordpress.com/
Cathy has been reading Love, Look Away by Lisette Brodey
Impressively named Godiva Genevieve Jones entered Sage Gordon’s life, and gift shop, at exactly the right time. The fact that Godiva managed to get rid of an angry customer and step into a very recent job opening worked just fine for Sage. Godiva was perfect for the store, calm and professional, totally unlike her predecessor.
Sage has resolved to turn her back on love and concentrate on running her store. Jimmy, the boy she grew up with and her first love, disappeared suddenly and without a word. All her attempts to trace him failed and she struggles to come to terms with not knowing why Jimmy disappeared and where he is. That, combined with the deception by her fiancé and best friend which left her shell shocked has put her off romance. She and Godiva have a lot in common and become fast friends. Sage is content with good friendships, her cats and her dog, Rufus.
““I’m so sorry they both hurt you, honey. And I’m even more sorry you never found Jimmy.”
Sage fiddled with the leather-studded bracelet on her wrist. “It doesn’t seem logical that we can meet people that we love so much, only to find out that it’s not meant to be. It’s happened to me twice. I just don’t understand. I’ve been ‘in like’ several times, but that’s not the same. It doesn’t tear your heart into pieces when you part ways.””
Despite her best efforts to make love look away, two very different men stir up emotions Sage would prefer not to feel. Adam Canoga, an old friend and Australian Benton Bradley, over on business, both make their interest in Sage plain, while she does her best to keep things on a ‘just friends’ level.
Love, Look Away was a lighthearted change from the grittier reads I’m more accustomed to. The town of Swansea, although fictional, was a charming setting. I love shops like Sage Earth Gifts and enjoyed descriptions of the items on sale. The characters are well defined, giving an immediate sense of their personalities and, even if one or two are a little over the top with some not quite realistic dialogue, they were likeable.
The story moved along at a steady pace, with lots of detail which added to the imagery. Love, Look Away is an enjoyable romantic comedy.
Twenty-nine-year-old Sage Gordon has had it with love. When she’s not busy running her metaphysical gift shop in the old-money town of Swansea, New York, she’s content with the company of her dog and two cats.
Years ago, the boy she thought she’d marry some day disappeared in the middle of the night and was never heard from again. Haunted by the loss of Jimmy, she remains wary about love, until she is set up with a gorgeous NYC marketing executive. Love moves quickly, and she finds herself engaged — but if only he had betrayed her before she sent out the save-the-date cards.
Sage reverts to her former mindset: love, look away. Forever. Despite her best efforts, though, two completely different yet wonderful men enter her life. Still haunted by the past, can she let romance back into her life?
Rosie Amber 