Review: Five Days in Skye by Carla Laureano

Book Cover and 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 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.

My Thoughts:
My feelings on this one are mixed, but I can wholeheartedly say that the foreign setting (Scotland) is quite charming and gives the book a unique atmosphere. I also appreciated the eccentric words and phrases that the locals use in everyday conversation; there's just something about foreign expressions that I find intriguing and fun.

The story focuses on Andrea and James, with the point of view alternating back and forth. Neither one is where they should be in their relationship with God, so a large portion of the book actually reads more like a non-christian novel. This isn't to say it's not clean, for the most part it is, but it just has a slightly "worldly" feel to it. (An example of this is that the characters have alcoholic drinks with almost every meal. While I realize there are many different views on this subject, personally it leaves me feeling unsettled.)

Andrea sort of gave me the impression of a stick in the mud...she is very goal and work oriented, and the hurts from her past only serve to amplify her work-a-holic tendencies, resulting in her keeping everyone at arm's length. Perhaps it's because I've never experienced anywhere near what she has, but I simply couldn't relate to her on any level. As for James, he's a bit too forward in his flirtations; though he technically never does anything inappropriate, he makes some comments that toe the line. Some of this is amusing when you see how all-professional Andrea responds, but at other times his flirtations were just a bit "too much" for my taste.

Overall, I do feel the book is well written and researched....however, it just wasn't my cup of tea. Undeniably there were some parts that I enjoyed and found intriguing, but there were simply too many things that didn't "click" with me, which is the reason for my 3 star rating.

My Rating: 3 stars