“LUSH… Sombra is MY FAVORITE kind of read, unexpected and a total ROMANTIC ESCAPE.” ~ Jay Crownover, New York Times bestselling author My life had been unlived.The safe major at the safe school. The safe boyfriend with his safe promises.Then I stepped off the plane in Madrid and saw him.Of all the men in Spain, he has to be the very hottest.That crooked smile. That devastating charm. Don’t even … stepped off the plane in Madrid and saw him.
Of all the men in Spain, he has to be the very hottest.
That crooked smile. That devastating charm. Don’t even get me started on how he plays the Spanish guitar.
For the very first time, my life feels like my own.
But I’m not the only one who’s made promises.
Despite the heat between us, Tavo has his own bargain to keep, a marriage for the family’s honor.
All those delicious muscles and he’s a man of honor, too. It’s a real shame about his obnoxious fiancé.
Faster than you can pour the wine, my life’s become a Shakespearean comedy.
But you know what they say: Everything in moderation. Including virtue.
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Second page in and my heart rate increased. My body coiled with anticipation. I started to imagine all that he could accomplish with my body. Forbidden desires and secret liaisons… TAVO!
Sombra is decadent. It is desire. It is freedom. It is growth. It is a love story that ensnares its own characters. A tale of desire that amps up the readers own bodily responses. The tension, lust, and needs of the characters come alive in the reader. So much so that you (the reader) may carry on the fantasy in your own head- create your own as you get swept away in the hedonistic edge.
Sombra is all the above and more. Yes it HOT! But it’s more than incredibly tempting, torturously steamy encounters. It’s passion. It’s understanding. It’s self discovery. It’s swooning at the feet of a man who makes you his all. (Tavo is mine!) Sombra is embracing both the light and the shadows.
So you have to fan yourself and have a large supply of … chocolate around for the unavoidable “moments” that trigger an incredible need…for chocolate. What were you thinking?! (It is totally what you were thinking! Panties. Tavo will have you making a mess of yourself without even trying.)
I highly encourage you to experience the temptation that is Tavo and to learn to love all your hidden parts.
Reviewed for the Sweet Spot Sisterhood
Vividly sensual
Leslie McAdam takes us back to Spain in this lovely follow up to Sol. This book is the epitome of sensual. Lingering, longing, and delicate on my tongue.
I loved SOL, couldn’t wait to read SOMBRA! This author never disappoints me, ever! Amazing arguing, amazing story! And that cover is smoking!!!
Ever read a story and feel like you’re there…like the author takes you away to the land where the story is set?!? Yup, that was the author has done in SOL…the love story between Kim and Tavo had me glued to my iPad.
Studying abroad and living with another family, especially when you felt an attraction immediately…lots of situations can come up that aren’t always easy to overcome. Love and family can overcome anything. Loved this story, all the way down to my SOUL
Highly recommend this book, series and author!
This is my first Leslie McAdam’s book and I can tell you that I fell in love with her writing already.
This book was beautiful, I loved the whole translation thing going on and maybe it’s because I speak Spanish and understood all the Spanish references that I didn’t feel lost.
Kim is heading to Spain to attend school abroad and is going to be staying with a family, but what she wasn’t expecting was to find a gorgeous Spanish man waiting for her at her arrival. As soon as she laid eyes on this man, all her inhibitions went out the window.
Tavo is destined to marry a girl that he has no feelings for, but he’ll have to do it in order to save the family from ruin. But can he marry a woman he has absolutely zero interest in?
When Tavo and Kim meet, they both feel that instant chemistry. They get along great and Tavo makes her know how much she affects him. He believes she’s “the one”, but she’s already spoken for as well as he is.
Kim may have a boyfriend back home but she’s just starting to realize that he may not be “the one”. She starting to feel like he’s more of a great friend rather than a companion. But it seems like her family is also persuading her to marry her childhood boyfriend. But she doesn’t feel butterflies or her heart beat fast for this man, on the contrary, she feels them for Tavo!
Can Kim and Tavo overcome the hurdles that seem to be getting in the way of them actually finding true love together?
This book was EPIC! It’s really one of those books that will hook you til the end.
Leslie McAdams has won my heart with Sombra and now I can’t wait to read more from her.
4.5 stars
Let’s talk about a couple things before we get into the meat of this book. The cover … #stunnedstupid if you don’t jump on this book based solely on the cover, I just can’t help you. The Spanish … THANK YOU JESUS, finally a book where every Spanish phrase used throughout the book is not immediately translated into English. Let me explain a little bit. I have no clue what it’s like to read Spanish and not understand it. Same goes for English. You could say I learned both languages simultaneously. I can speak and think both languages without a single slip. I can also go back and forth in a conversation without missing a single beat. Because of that, when I read Spanish, my brain doesn’t even pause to think, it just knows what it read. When authors take the time to put Spanish in their books just to turn around and translate it, it takes people like myself out of the story. It’s almost like we’re reading something twice. IT IS AGGRAVATING AS FUCK. This book doesn’t do that and I almost cried tears of joy over it. So obviously I had to mention it 🙂
Alright … let’s talk about this story. As sexy as that cover is, it doesn’t even do the story justice. But not it a dirty kind of way, or kinky even. It was sweet sexy. Delicious sexy … heart full of sexy. All the sexy. GAH … so good. It’s not just a journey of two people. It’s also a growth journey for both Kim and Tavo. They come together when they’re both at a cross-roads in their life, a fork in the road if you will, and it makes their coming together so much more meaningful and just ridiculously heartwarming. I wasn’t expecting to feel so much when I read this book. I expected it to be #hotsexy not #feelysexy and I was pleasantly surprised. It was perfectly written for Kim and Tavo!
5 beautiful stars!! Kim and Tavo’s story is so very sweet and touching. This story is so well written and the characters are perfectly developed, I loved them right away. Tavo is so swoon worthy and Kim is so passionate about life. Together they make a perfect pair.
This is the most beautiful story of self discovery and love that I have ever read. Tavo by Leslie McAdam is a must read!
Sombra is the intimate story of Tavo, a man trying to save his family’s farm all while putting his dreams aside, and Kim, who has a passion for life, finding each other when she rents a room from his family while studying abroad.
I truly have no words for Tavo and Kim. They are each so perfectly written, I feel like I can see into their souls. Watching their relationship grow and flourish into something beautiful and sensual made this book unquestionably perfect.
Every moment, every feeling was just so perfectly described, I felt as though I was there in each moment, so much a part of the story. Kim and Tavo’s story was just so real and so intense that I was completed enamored and didn’t even realize I was at the end! You desperately need to come along for this entertaining ride!! I HIGHLY suggest this book to fans or even newbies to Leslie McAdam. Kudos to Leslie for another excellent book!
When I first started this book, it was slow going for me and I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, but it ended up being an enjoyable book for the most part. There was a lot of back and forth between using Spanish and English which kind of got confusing because at times, I couldn’t understand what they were saying. For the most part, the author translated it for us but there were parts that she didn’t and I had to go and look it up myself.
Sombra is a story about self-discovery and finding one’s true self. Kim has grown up in a sheltered home in the middle of Iowa, never really going anywhere or trying anything new. When she gets the chance to travel to Spain and study abroad for a semester, she jumps at the chance to finally get away from her sheltered life. At twenty years old, she finally gets the chance to travel the world and try something new. Tavo has grown up on his family farm and is expected to take over it someday, but that is not his dream. When Kim comes to stay, will he finally get the chance at following his dreams?!
The author wove a beautiful story that completely immerses you in the lifestyle and culture of Spain. I really felt like I was there living it and wanting to learn everything about it. It was a little bit angsty, steamy, and heart warming. I can’t wait to see what the author brings us next.
Becoming at peace with your shadows
I am mortified to admit this is only the second book of Leslie McAdam’s that I have read. I fell in love with her words when I found Sol last year and this book – second book in the Love in Translation series – is just as fabulous as that one. I really need to make time to read more of Leslie’s books as her writing is fabulous and her characters are just so captivating.
“I like it when you’re with me, whether it’s in the sun or the shadow. But I’m most interested in those parts of you that you don’t show anyone else.”
Sombra – Spainish for shadow – tells the story of Gustavo “Tavo” de la Guerra, a Spanish man living and working on his family’s olive farm just outside of the city of Grenada in Spain. Having met him in Sol, we know that he’s a charmer and a great friend to Trent and Dani. Tavo’s world is turned upside down when he picks up US student Kim Brown from the airport as she has hired out a spare room in his family home while she studies at the local university and immerses herself in all things Spanish. The attraction between these two is palpable and the chemistry undeniable, but with Kim promised to another back home and Tavo meant to marry the next door neighbour’s daughter to help save his farm … are things over between these two before they get a chance to begin??
This story had me hooked from the first page and I devoured it in less than a day. I fell in love with the romantic, sexy and charming Tavo – even more so when we discover what he likes in the bedroom – and his connection with Kim was so genuine and never forced that even though their growing love could come across as “insta-love”, it never feels that way. And I loved Kim and the strength she displayed as she hopped on a plane for the very first time in her life and went to another country to live for a few months. Her desire to find herself away from her loved ones was so admirable and I respected her decision so very much.
Sombra is all about being true to oneself. Being able to accept the light and the dark parts and finding someone who you can truly trust and genuinely love to share all of yourself with. This resonated really deeply with me and gave me pause to think about my own life, my own shadows and I love a book that becomes more than just a story on the page, but something that has real impact and real influence on my life. Leslie is a master of creating stories that are about more than just the romance and I love the ideas, the characters, the setting…ok EVERYTHING… that she gives us in Sombra.
A definite must read book, Sombra is one I won’t be forgetting in a hurry!!
nicandbooks
Amazon/Goodreads
Kim Brown has spent her entire life pleasing those around her. For the first time, she has the chance to really do something just for her . . . she’s headed to Spain on scholarship for a semester and while she’s nervous, she really can’t wait to embrace all that Spain has to offer her. What she didn’t expect was the instant connection with the young man, Tavo, who picks her up at the airport and becomes her lifeline in Spain.
Gustavo de la Guerra became the man of the family at a young age when his father passed away. H has the weight of the world, and a somewhat arranged marriage, on his shoulders in order to help his family keep the home that has been theirs for hundreds of years. All Tavo wants is to go to America and explore a music career and be free from everyone’s expectations. He didn’t expect Kim Brown to be “the one” but he immediately knows he can’t live without her and will fight both his family and hers to make it happen.
Both Tavo and Kim have major responsibilities placed on them by their families however. Can they balance their own wants and needs against their family’s wishes? What happens when Kim’s scholarship is up and they are an ocean apart? And, what happens when life gets a bit to real and comes crashing down into their secret love and relationship?
Leslie McAdam knocked it out of the park with Sombra. It’s a real coming of age story for both Kim who is experiencing the life she wants to live for the first time and for Tavo who knows what he wants, but not quite how to make it happen. Kim’s zest for life and new experiences is truly exhilarating! Tavo’s ability to love deeply and fiercely and take care of those that matter most shows maturity beyond his years. Together, this couple is exceptional and not only have off the charts chemistry, but also make one another more confident and better as individuals.
I loved catching up with Trent and Dani again from Sol. Leslie McAdam also did a fabulous job of describing the food and sights of Spain with incredible imagery! It was easy to feel like you were right there with the characters.
Kudos to the author for giving readers a beautiful story. I was fully engaged from start to finish and kept cheering for Tavo and Kim to be the couple I knew they could be. 5 stars!
Sombra (Love in Translation Book 2) by Leslie McAdam is a contemporary, new adult, forbidden romance told in dual POV. It follows the story between Tavo, a sexy Spaniard, and Kim, the American exchange student staying with his family.
When Kim goes to Spain as part of a study abroad program, she meets Tavo, the son of the family where she will be living. Tavo and Kim have an immediate, undeniable chemistry, but she has a boyfriend at home and he’s expected to marry the girl next door. As they get to know each other, their mutual attraction continues to increase until they can no longer resist the tangible draw they feel towards one another. Torn between desire and obligatory expectations, can Tavo and Kim find a way to make things work? Or will it all be over when it’s time for Kim to go back to the states?
I loved Kim and Tavo’s story! The vivid Spanish setting was exotic, lush and sensual. The story was beautifully written, captivating, steamy, emotional, and romantic. I highly recommend it.
Leslie McAdam, where have you been all of my life! Read Sol, fell head over heals for Trent and Dani. But holy shit, Tavo! Good lord women. Sombra, hands down, is one of my favorite reads, EVER! The writing was deliciously lush and all consuming. I was transported. Real, raw, deep, gut wrenching emotion. I laughed, I cried, I blushed, I got mad, and I loved. Thank you for bringing me this wonderful story that I will always treasure.
Sombra is the second book in the ‘Love In Translation’ series by Leslie McAdam. It was a sweet, sexy story and so different from the first, SOL. I really enjoyed reading about Kim and Tavo. It was a much simpler tale, but just as well written. Tavo made me swoon and Kim’s passion for life and love was the perfect foil for him. Just a perfect little summer read.
When i read a book like this, i thank my lucky stars that i’m a reader, because this book is the hidden treasure you never expect to find !!! I really don’t want to give anything away, because this book is one you just need to go into blind and let it take you over!!!
Not only is it a beautifully written Love Story, its a coming of age and a growing into the person you not only want to be, but the person you are inside your soul. It’s the awakening of the inner you, emotionally and sexually where the only boundaries that exist at those you have for each other.
This couple have quite a journey to find not only each other, but their path in life, that life they need to live, not for others or obligations, but for themselves.
Tavo is a young spanish man, weighted with responsibilities to keep together his family and their livelihood after his fathers death. He has his dreams, knows what and who he wants to be, but it also feels a little impossible when you have to hide parts of yourself.
Kim, a young american girl, student, and spending the semester as a guest in Tavo’s home to further her Spanish. Being away from a loving yet restrictive home, gives Kim the freedom of choices she’s never had before and a chance to experience so many “firsts”
When these two meet, one of the most lustful, decadent, sexy, sweet, Love Stories i have ever read begins and from that point, these characters own you. Every breath, whisper, lustful moan, enchanted giggle, and salty tear envelopes you in a haze of Want!!!! This books wasn’t at all what i expected, but it was everything i didn’t even know i needed. Simply utterly Beautiful.
Joder….Sombra is Leslie McAdam’s best book to date! The detail that went into writing about the Spanish culture was so vivid I could imagine myself sitting at the table with Tavo and his family eating dinner, drinking wine and enjoying family time.
Tavo and Kim’s journey is one of young love and self discovery. Leslie takes you on a very sensual ride with Tavo and Kim as they are figuring out who they are outside of what is expected of them. The chemistry these two have from the start is sizzling. This story is passionate and steamy, but is also very sweet and romantic! Kim is so wide eyed and innocent. You couldn’t help, but be enamored with her. Her outlook on life once she left Iowa to study abroad in Spain was so refreshing. We should all learn a little something from her outlook and learn to experience life with a little more zest. It was easy to see why Tavo fell from her the moment he met her and vise versa. Tavo….GAH!!! My heart hurt for him as family obligations weighed heavily on him. He is so passionate and downright erotic! Holy cow, I found myself heating up a few times while reading Tavo’s innermost thoughts. I don’t think I will look at olive oil the same after reading what that man can do with it. Swoon!
Long story short, Leslie wrote a beautiful love story! I highly recommend it!
I. Love. Leslie McAdam.
Her words give me all the feels. I always enjoy her books, but Sombra?? Sombra is another level. I feel that this is her best work yet! I have read it in its entirety 3 times, and partial reads several more than 3 . I plan to reread it again as soon as the release hits my Kindle! This felt less like a book to me and more like a memoir… a memoir that I was THERE for. I smelled the smells. Saw the sights. Felt the pain and the joy. I cried. I laughed. I loved. I despised. I also found myself taking stock of my life and I realized that I, too, found my path to a life lived in color, while owning my shadows. Thank you, Leslie, for bringing this beautiful story to life! Especially the messy parts.
I’ve rarely read a book that makes me think differently. A professor puts it so perfectly in the story while explaining the difference between between the Spanish and English.
“A Spaniard will watch a movie and at the end say that it was ‘estupendo, magnífíco, maravilloso, fantástico. Someone who speaks English will walk out of the same movie and say, “Not bad.” But they mean the same thing.”
Diving into the life of Kim was like going to live in Spain right along with her. I only have a tiny bit of Spanish left from high school and I would be floundering completely. The idea of culture immersion is amazing and daunting. Leslie McAdams paints a vivid picture of living on an olive farm with a large bossy nosey amazing family. Kim is like most college students finding her way in the world and getting out from under her families thumb. Wow! She really changed everything and went for it. I envy her a little.
She has a hot Spanish man to help her along with her new adventure. Tavo is very much like Kim in wanting to be his own man and forge his way in the world without the control of his family and the responsibilities that come with their farm. Their chemistry is sizzling, complicated and out of bounds. This is exactly why I read romance novels. The struggle to come together without hurting anyone while getting what they desire is brilliant. There is a web of lies and secrets keeping Tavo tethered and unavailable while Kim has her own ties back home. It’s amazing how muddled everything looks until it becomes crystal clear.
I’ll read this story again and again and that is my highest praise.
Tavo Tavo Tavo! It wasn’t until I read this book that I remembered briefly meeting Tavo in Sol! He became friends with Trent in their translation class! I loved seeing Trent and Dani again! Got all the feels from them! I could totally be friends with Dani! Once again, the way Leslie wrote this book, it’s super special, unique & unlike anything I’ve ever read! The way she describes the food & all the places in Spain, have me wanting to book a flight & explore! I loved getting to know Tavo! He is delicious! I admire Kim! She has more confidence than I do. I mean going to a foreign country by yourself where you don’t know the people or the language, that takes guts! I’m proud of her for doing something she wants for once! In a way, I can relate to Kim! I loved learning Spanish from this book as well! I’ve been able to figure out certain words after a while without having to use the translation button on my kindle as I read! The way I look at it is, I will know more Spanish after I finish this book than before I read it! You can absolutely learn from reading even if it’s just one thing! I highly recommend this book as well as Sol! Well done Leslie! Another fantastic book! I can’t wait for the third book!
This was a great story…….
It was a story about finding yourself. Standing up for what you believe in and for yourself and those that you love. But McAdams also added so much of the Spanish culture in this book which was very cool. The story was very well written. It was very sexy!!! It was also the first time I have ever read where I actually had someone’s voice in my head when I was reading. So it was like Tavo came to life. LOL! Definitely a page tuner.
Kim is finally leaving the nest and is study a year aboard in Spain to practice her Spanish. She is staying with Tavo’s family on their olive farm as they are in the same translation courses at the university. Kim and Tavo are both struggling to break away from their parents influence in their lives.
The detail in the Spanish cultural is front and center through out the whole book. Kim and Tavo have an insta love attraction as they explore their relationship despite no one wanting them together.
Reviewed by: Alex L.