Meet Me At Sunrise (Romano Family Book 2)

Meet Me at Sunrise is book two in the Romano Family series. Vanessa is persuaded by her grandfather to take a river cruise to tour northern Portugal. Captain Matias Romano is tasked with entertaining Vanessa and can’t wait to be done. But they find a mystery to be solved, and as they spend time together, they realize the other isn’t so bad. Can Vanessa get the answers she is searching for? Have they each found what they have been missing? This was another enjoyable story in this series.

All the books are well written, with interesting characters and realistic dialog, and intriguing storylines. The books are clean and don’t have the annoying Stupid formula. (Characters act immature, don’t communicate their feelings and problems while having sex all the time they’re together: the Stupid formula.) Ms. Whitney shows that the plots can have suspense and intrigue without the stupidity.

Lucinda Whitney, Meet Me At Sunrise – Clean, fun, romantic. A well written, warmhearted romance set on a river cruise ship, with a touch of intrigue. The believable, interesting characters and plot grab your attention and the next thing you know, the story is finished. There’s an overview of the book, which I appreciate. Two of the main characters were introduced in Meet Me At Twilight, another delightful read. I contacted the author to review her books.

Lucinda Whitney, Hold Me At Twilight – A well written, warmhearted romance with more members of the Romano family, featured in Meet Me At Sunrise. The believable, interesting characters and plot grab your attention and the next thing you know, the story is finished too quickly. There’s an overview of the book, which I appreciate. Two of the characters from this book are main characters in Meet Me At Sunrise, a delightful novel.

Lucinda Whitney, Love Me At Sunset – Another well written, intriguing romance with some characters we’ve met before, both good and bad. They’re believable and realistic. The plot is well thought out and is more than just a romance. The Romano family series has been entertaining and hopefully, there may be more? There’s an overview of the story, which I appreciate knowing what the book is about before reading it.

A Small Chance – I have loved every book that pertains to the group of characters from the Portugal Series and this novella isn’t any different. A heartwarming, well written romance with a twist in the history and the present of the two main characters. The intriguing storyline keeps the reader immersed in the pages. The interesting characters are realistic and have mature thoughts, actions and dialog; no stupid formula here. A Small Chance is a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours relaxing. Has an overview, which I appreciate knowing the storyline before hand. There’s a two chapter preview included of The Secret Life of Daydreams, a couple of delicious looking recipes, as well as the usual stuff books contain.

I am so ready for a vacation now! I would love to go on a river cruise in Portugal…please!!! Reading this book is probably as close as I’ll ever get, and I sure did enjoy it!

Matias is a great captain. He is so personable and makes everyone feel special. Vanessa wasn’t his typical passenger, though, and he was pretty quick to make assumptions about her. I was glad that he was so quick to admit when he had been wrong as he got to know her. Vanessa was dealing with so much. I really ached for her. She is such a good, caring person. I loved the relationship she developed with some of the other passengers. And the chemistry between her and Matias…wow!

This was a wonderful story, with great romance and some great life lessons. I loved it!

I received a complimentary copy of the book, which I voluntarily reviewed. I have given my honest opinion.

Meet me at sunrise is a gentle and sweet romance. Vanessa doesn’t want to be on the river cruise and Matias doesn’t want to babysit her but they have no choice. The characters and locations are great. Although this book is part of two separate series .. both very good … it can be read as a stand-alone book. I enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it.

This is a beautifully sweet romance. What makes it a little extra special is its setting, a river cruise ship in Portugal. Exotic settings seem to enhance the love and romance in the air.

Matias, the Captain of the ship unexpectedly is attracted to Vanessa, the granddaughter of the ship’s President. Their initial assumptions about each other make their interactions awkward. It is only when Vanessa’s grandfather requests that Matias accompany Vanessa on shore excursions that they begin to really get to know each other.

During the cruise, Vanessa has the opportunity to analyze her relationship with her father and grandfather and to put it into perspective. To her surprise, she is befriended by many of the passengers on the ship. They are older couples who take this cruise every year and sing its praises as well as the Captain. They become a source of comfort for Vanessa.

This cruise has given Matias a handful of problems and situations that he has never encountered before. He realizes that all the other cruises were almost identical to each other. Having Vanessa on board has been a great comfort to him amidst the chaos.

Throughout the story, not only do we witness a budding romance but, a mystery involving constant and inconvenient mishaps aboard the ship. There is nothing too serious but problematic just the same. Unfortunately, we never learn why the person responsibile for the sabotage does it and the person is still at large at the end of the story.

I recommed this book especially if you enjoy sweet, tender romances.

I really liked the extended Romano family in Book 1, but they are absent from this tale. It’s all the girl’s family here. Was the grandfathering being a matchmaker or just over-protective when he asked Matias to watch over his granddaughter??

I liked seeing how the couple’s view of each other changed as time went on, thought it really was a short time that passed. They were both likable in the end.
The descriptions of everything was enough to get a sketch of what things looked like without bogging down the story. Just plain good storytelling!

I enjoyed this story very much because it is a love story but also has suspense as there is a mystery within the story. I love Ms. Whitney’s writing. She does a great job weaving a story.

Wonderful

To find you have grandparents and other relatives at the age of 21 is shocking but to learn you are a Portuguese heiress is another. Vanessa grew up with just her dad in Kansas, her mother died when she was little but at 21 she was notified about her mother’s family. Now she was in a cruise ship in Portugal and meeting the captain. Matias Romano was the captain but Vanessa intrigued him.

(I listened to this as an audiobook)

Story: 4. stars

I loved this book! Vanessa Is struggling to come to terms with an overwhelming ‘new’ family and expectations while trying to come to grips with the fact that her dad lied to her her whole life. Her character definitely develops the most. She starts out very angry and sullen, but as time goes by, her true character surfaces.

Matias doesn’t really develop as a character, other than to fall in love with Vanessa and really listen when she needs to talk. But don’t get me wrong, Matias is the man we all want around in a crisis.

The mystery probably would have bugged me, except that I accidentally listened to book 3 first and the mystery is explained there. Another reviewer said that the suspense isn’t anything that would keep you on the edge of your seat as a reader, and I agree, it’s there and it adds interest, but it doesn’t detract from the human interactions/romance.

Narrator: 4 stars

This is tthe third book I’ve listened to narrated by Ms. Conlon. I could listen to her narrate all day. She has a mellow voice with good speed, cadence and inflections. Her Portuguese accent is really lovely. However, I wasn’t as sold on her British accent, but it was acceptable. Well done!

*poor, **ok, ***good, ****very good, *****something special

Cruising Portugal

I read this book a few years ago, when if first came out and my reaction was:

So, why do I find myself wanting to fly to Portugal to book a river cruise? I already have my personal HEA. Ah, but the descriptions, while not a travelogue, are delightful and the romance is carefully nuanced with characters attractive far beyond the superficiality of appearance. And then there is an ongoing mystery providing a few extra twists and turns. A terrific story!

In fact, I enjoyed it so much that when it came out in audio, I gave it a new listen. Narrator Mary Jane Conlon clearly took the trouble to learn Portuguese pronunciation, adding depth and dimension to Lucinda Whitney’s already intriguing tale.