A reckless act won’t change the past, but it will cement the future… existence with her soulmate, she endeavors to help her ward find happiness.
Ally, an accomplished artist in Austin, Texas, searches for balance in her world. Between jet setting to New York and Paris to display her works of art and painting in her secluded studio, Ally can’t seem to find the happiness she seeks. Burned by a toxic marriage and struggling to heal the rift with her sister, Ally finds it hard to trust and let go of past mistakes.
Can Soledad help Ally avoid the pitfalls of life without falling into one of her own?
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I was given an advance copy of Race for the Sun in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It was rich in detail and I grew to love the different perspectives – from Ally and from her angel, Soledad. Ally truly developed as a heroine throughout the story. She went from keeping to herself to finding three amazing men in her life. The story follows her journey of love and self discovery from a single woman with two dogs to a mother. It’s well written, fast paced and held my interest. It’s different than most romances and I appreciate the author’s creative touch to not give the reader everything like other books. If you’re looking for a new author or a story that isn’t like most romance novels, I highly recommend this book!
I feel privileged that I received a pre-release copy of this book; it is what I might call an “unexpected” book. It has a great plot and a few interesting subplots; it has great and complex character development; it has funny moments; it has tear-jerking moments; it has romance … it has just about everything you would expect in a very well-written book that is definitely a page-turner. But, what was the “unexpected” you may ask? It was the capability of the author to put forth and discuss some of those issue that remain mostly untouched in contemporary writing: afterlife and what it might be; angels or guardian angels; reincarnation and how it might manifest itself. And manage to do that in a way that still results in an entirely entertaining yet inspiring book. Really a privilege that I got an advanced copy.
I inhaled this book in one sitting when I should of been doing the laundry – OOPS! Race for the Sun was a very interesting, well written story. As the plot moved along, I was very intrigued by it. The characters are nicely developed, and likeable. I recommend it to all fans of romance.
Soledad wakes up in the afterlife to discover that suicide wasn’t an easy option to end her problems. To atone for her mistakes she becomes the spirit guide for her niece Ally, whom she must steer away from a dark future. Ally, a famed artist and downright decent human being, is struggling to recover from life with her narcissistic ex-husband. To complicate matters even more, she has some serious ethical choices to make regarding her seriously ill sister.
The themes of reincarnation, karma and taking responsibility for one’s own actions are masterfully woven through this vibrant tale, as the main characters strive to overcome their faults and climb the ladder towards enlightenment.
Ultimately this is also a love story. Will Ally find true love with any of the three men who pursue her? Will Soledad earn the right to be with her soul mate in her next incarnation? Is romantic love the only form of love that makes us complete? For these characters, this incarnation is but one step in a journey they have all taken together through several lifetimes and we can see the consequences from their previous actions.
Beautifully written, this one will stay with me for a long time. Can’t wait for the next book in the series!!
Race for the Sun by Minette Lauren is a complicated, multi-layered love story that not only continues to surprise but leaves you feeling warm and contented. Its central character is a being named Soledad, a soul watcher from the afterworld who has failed at her former life and is now entrusted to care for and protect a very real woman named Ally. Ally is a popular artist whose life is complicated by a bad first marriage, a sister who is dying, and three handsome love interests. Can Soledad keep Ally on track to fulfill her potential and enjoy life? And can Soledad realize her own dreams of finding her soulmate, lost to her these many years because she’s had a bad track record of guiding souls? This book is written with real pathos about the messiness and tragedies of life, and about how we can overcome them to achieve lasting joy in an imperfect world.
Race for the Sun is about the spiritual journey over many lifetimes of Soledad, an old soul, who misses her soulmate and wishes to live another lifetime with him. In her last life she failed to overcome her obstacles and learn her lessons, she committed suicide and now she is once more in the in-between world trying to figure out what went wrong. Before her next reincarnation, she has lessons that must be learned. She must find a goal for her next life and she must choose an embodied soul to give guidance to.
Ally was Soledad’s niece in her previous life. She is struggling to find her happiness in this life. Even though she’s a talented and successful artist she takes no pleasure in this life. She struggles to overcome the difficult relationships within her family and with her ex-husband. Without the love she yearns for, she is precariously close to giving up. She’s contemplating suicide and Soledad must prevent Ally from committing the same mistake she committed in her past life.
Soledad becomes Ally’s guardian angel and will try to guide her into a more fulfilling life. Without knowing what the future holds both Ally and Soledad will learn and grow from the experience. Three men will enter Ally’s life and each one will awaken her to the possibility of love. The interconnectivity of these souls through many reincarnations will keep you turning the pages of this heartwarming, romantic, sexy, spiritual, love story of one spirit and one woman in their search for love and enlightenment.
I really enjoyed Race for the Sun. I’m a big fan of romance and enjoyed Allie’s attempts at finding some love after an unhappy marriage. The author deals with difficult family issues with both compassion and pragmatism. Life is not always a bunch of roses. The fantasy underlining the story was new to me and I found the approach to the theme of an “afterlife” both novel and refreshing. I also loved the way the story was unpredictable. I thought I knew where the characters were heading, but twists along the way kept me wanting to know what would happen next. A great read.
This book has an interesting take on the afterlife. After death, in an incorporeal state, beings wait to be reincarnated. As they wait, they act as soul watchers. A soul watcher will choose one person on Earth to help. Soul-watcher Soledad, returning to the afterlife after committing suicide, chooses Ally, a relative from her most recent life, to aid.
Ally is my favorite character. As the one, able-bodied individual in her small family, many duties fall to her. Though exhausted and frustrated at times, she loves her family and strives to do everything possible to keep them safe and happy. Ally is a middle child. Her older sister, Jessica, is an intransigent, forty-year-old, type one diabetic in need of a kidney. Ally’s sweet, younger sister, Alyssa, was born with special needs and requires twenty-four-hour supervision. Their mother’s heart problems prevent her from performing many activities.
Ally is an animal-loving artist who enjoys riding motorcycles. I think that, since she has many responsibilities, she needs that freedom to fly—be it on the canvas or the road. Though confident in other areas of her life, after her divorce, she finds herself gun-shy around men.
As Soledad spiritually guides Ally, we learn about both women, their goals, desires, mistakes—and come to care deeply for them. The secondary characters are written with equal care and detail.
Race for the Sun is a life-affirming journey. The author packs an emotional punch in her writing. I cannot recommend this book enough.
This unique original novel is both absorbing and entertaining. Living the life of Katia Grey, Soledad becomes severely depressed and ends that life as a suicide at the age of forty-two. Alekeen, her spiritual guide, gives Soledad who is a soul-watcher, the opportunity to choose yet another soul to help. Soledad’s main goal is to find her soulmate, the love of her life. She has already gone through many reincarnations. She considers herself a failure. But as a soul-watcher she must devote herself to helping people in their lives. These lives may be past or present. As the reader may discern, this novel is fantasy fiction.
Soledad chooses Ally, a woman of thirty-six, a successful Texas artist, and relative of the deceased Katia, to watch over and help. Ally meets a police officer, Travis, when she is riding her motorcycle. He helps her rescue a dog she comes to name Harley. Soledad does her best to hover over Ally and protect her ward from harm. She acts as a guardian angel.
In New York, Ally’s sister Jess is desperately in need of a kidney which she wants Ally to provide. Soledad is aware that Jess will not survive regardless but has sympathy for both of these nieces of Katia.
The plot becomes more complicated when Soledad’s soulmate, currently reincarnated as a doctor, becomes a love interest in Ally’s life. This novel has many surprising twists and turns that hold the reader’s interest from beginning to end. Soledad and Ally are sympathetic characters that the reader will care about.