Linn B. Halton Archives

When Ellie Maddison is sent on a business trip to Southern Italy, she’s reminded why she loves her job – set amongst rolling vineyards and rich olive groves, the beautiful Villa Rosso is the perfect escape from her life back home. But what Ellie isn’t prepared for is the instant connection she feels to the estate’s director Max Johnson, or the secrets they share that are as intertwined as the rambling vines that cover Villa Rosso. It’s not long before Ellie finds herself entangled in the history of the place, trying to understand the undeniable effect Max is having on her. As their relationship grows, what will Ellie discover about this idyllic villa and those who have walked through its doors? What started as a simple work trip will change Ellie’s life forever.

Bubby:

What could be better than a trip to Southern Italy? Italy is totally on my bucket list, you know. Vineyards and olive groves and romantic villas sound amazing! Unfortunately for our heroine, Ellie, her trip is, or should be, all about business. But then she meets Max…

Sissy:

But Josh is her soulmate! And her husband…so how can she have a connection with Max? That is a question that is answered in a few different ways in The Secrets of Villa Rosso. I’m not sure which one of those is the true answer, but the explanations are far more beyond the normal than you might expect. I loved the descriptions of Castrovillari, Italy and their contrast with Ellie and Josh’s typical English home. Do you choose lovely soulmate and staid England or beautiful Italy and hot Max? (Is Max hot?)

Bubby:

He sounded pretty handsome to me! Now before you get all concerned that Ellie does dumb things that will ruin her marriage, never fear. When she says that Josh is her soulmate, she means it. And she does everything she can to distance herself from Max. But there’s a twisty little secret about Max’s fiancee that Ellie happens to stumble upon and it really does change everything. This part of the plot was so interesting to me – I really enjoyed how Linn Halton wove it in amongst all the other threads of the story.

Sissy:

That was also my favorite part of the story. Max and Ellie’s otherwordly relationship made The Secrets of Villa Rosso unique amongst contemporary fiction. And although other reviewers found the ending to be poignant, I was mad at it.

Bubby:

Me too. I AM glad, however, that important relationships stay intact. I want to say more on this but Sissy says SPOILERS so I won’t. If you’re looking for a vividly descriptive, interesting and thought-provoking novel that is different from the usual women’s fiction fare, The Secrets of Villa Rosso is the book for you.

Sissy:

Linn B. Halton’s writing has a wealth of depth and dimension. She seamlessly combines romance and mystery with a touch of paranormal in the most eloquent way. I’m so glad we had a chance to force Bubby out of her usual fluffy brainless summer reads and into something that would make her think!

Bubby:

Hey! I resemble that remark!

Sissy:

No more writing. This blog post is finished. Now go and read The Secrets of Villa Rosso, y’all!

Click HERE to buy The Secrets of Villa Rosso by Linn B. Halton

Save

Katie has had her fair share of bad luck, but when she finally realises her dream of opening a bakery it seems things can only get better.
But the reality of running a business hits Katie hard and whilst her partner, Steve, tries to help she begins to sense that the situation is driving them further apart. Could Katie be set to lose her relationship and her dream job? Then, one winter’s day, a man walks into her shop – and, in the space of that moment, the course of Katie’s life is changed. But nobody finds happiness in the blink of an eye. Sometimes it takes two Christmases, three birthdays and a whole lot of cake to get there …

Bubby: I’ve often thought of opening a bakery, just a little one. I do love baking and I’m told I’m good at it, but I’m afraid I’d run into the same situation as our girl Katie – I’d get bogged down in running a business and not be able to focus on the fun part of creating yummy food.

Sissy: And Katie so does lead with her heart. That is why it was hard for me to see her take so long to get rid of staid and stuffy Steve-

Bubby: SPOILERS!

Sissy: You know from the outset that she must deep-six the dud. The other frustrating thing was that the timeline for her to find new love is so long. I know that’s how it is in real life often but I’m afraid I am as impatient as my favorite character in A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love, Grandma Grace. Grace adds gentle down-home wisdom and a lovely paranormal aspect to the story. I personally believe in departed loved ones hanging about, so this really spoke to me.

Bubby: Our grandpa Les (yes, that’s who Sissy is named after) talked to his wife, our deceased grandma, every single night before bed. For two years. That’s true love! Pretty cool, I think. At any rate, it’s a good thing that Grace has a little help from beyond the grave because Katie and Adam are so very stubborn! They need all the help they can get!

Sissy: I loved the setting of Sweet Occasions Bakery and I appreciated the artistry and heart in Katie’s creations, plus I wanted to eat them. Katie’s relationship with Adam’s daughter Lily also added a special depth of feeling to the story.

Bubby: I think that the title, A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love, just describes my home and family so well (if I change out the “little” to “whole lotta” because there’s way too much sugar around my house). I’m going to steal it and make a sign out of it to post in my kitchen. I enjoyed this real-world relationship with all the associated ups and downs mixed with a dash of grandma sass and, of course, sugar.

Sissy: In the end of A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love, we get our required happy outcome sprinkled with much hope and happiness. Just what I like.

Click HERE to buy A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love by Linn B. Halton

We received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review