A QUIRKY RAY OF SUNSHINE BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO A LONELY WIDOWER IN THIS DEBUT NOVEL BY ROBIN HILL.Be the butterfly, Frankie… Francesca Valentine would rather swear off chocolate than go on vacation solo, but she made a promise to her late father to come out of her shell and live a little. When her best friend bails on their annual girls’ trip, she vows to do just that, but her plan is foiled … plan is foiled when the hotel loses her reservation. Alone and stranded in Austin, Texas during one of the world’s largest music festivals, she’s rescued by a mysterious stranger, and an unexpected friendship blossoms.
Ten years after losing his family in a tragic accident, Darian Fox is finally back on his feet. The onetime rock star turned successful indie label-owner is content with the isolated life he’s created for himself and wants to keep it that way. But when he’s forced to travel to Texas on behalf of his company, he finds it’s hard to be alone in a city overrun with people. He meets the beautiful, magnetic Francesca and discovers alone is the last thing he wants to be.
The unlikely pair form a bond that elevates them from merely existing to living a life less ordinary. But the lines of friendship quickly blur, and when Francesca’s true feelings surface, Darian will have to decide between breaking her heart and breaking the promise he made to the family he lost. With his own heart ruled by guilt, does Francesca even stand a chance?
…Spread your wings and fly.
WAITING FOR THE SUN is part one in a two part duet. Part two, RIDERS ON THE STORM, to follow. Due to mature content, both installments are recommended for readers 18 and up.
more
4.5 stars
“Be the butterfly, Frankie. Spread your wings and fly.”
When I started Waiting for the Sun I had no idea what was coming for me. It’s a wonderful, heartbreaking, refreshing story which touched me deeply. At about 37% into the book I had to write to the author assuring me that I won’t leave the book heartbroken with a cliffhanger because this is going to be a two part duet.
The first time my heart broke was with the epilogue already. We don’t get the full story then, but it’s obvious what tragedy is going to happen, which will leave us with a stunningly beautiful man (inside out) broken and shattered beyond repair. Or so we think… Think again, then now we’ll meet Frankie. A troubled girl with her very own ghosts of the past haunting her.
The first encounter between Frankie and Darian leaves sparks of chemistry all over the upcoming pages. There is something you can’t quite get a grip on, that pulls those two together and you feel it instantly. It’s obvious from the beginning that they are good for each other. Getting to know each other slowly and trying to get the other out of his snail shell the story progresses with steady flow. Usually with a pounding heart and a smile on your lips. But often enough your heart will ache. Mostly for Darian.
The more Darian tries to fight falling in love with Frankie or let’s say accepting he’s falling for her, the faster he fell without realizing it.
“Lonely is so much lonelier when you realize what you’re missing.”
“”For the first time in ten years, I’m not lonely,” he says, “and I have a feeling you aren’t either.””
The question this book tries to solve is, how can a man who suffered such a tremendous loss, come back to life and learn to love again. Darian’s earth was shattered 10 years ago and he never allowed himself to live again. Until Frankie. Frankie seems to be his magical unicorn healing him while he heals her.
“”Love happens when it happens. Some people fall in love, some people start out that way.” And some people refuse to love at all.”
Sure enough the lines blurred quickly while trying to contain a friendship course. Friends with benefits never ends well. Either one or both get hurt in the process. I fell as hard for Darian as Frankie. It was impossible not to. Besides his troubled and haunting past, he’s adorable perfect. And even though he’s quite rich, he’s down to earth you wouldn’t expect from a man in his position.
“Sometimes there is nothing we can do to help the people we love so we do what we can to make them smile.”
But Darian’s troubled past cracks the happy bubble soon enough. And honestly, it would have been a miracle if it hadn’t. I understand his mixed feelings and that he doesn’t allow himself to love again as he blames himself for the tragedy that came down on him. But how lucky must a man be finding true love twice in his life? And thank god he comes to his senses. That he deserves love and to breath again.
This was the hardest part for me. The mixed feelings, the hurt, the confusion, the denial. My heart broke for Darian.
“You know the saying sometimes love isn’t enough? I used to think it was such bullshit. Love is everything.”
While reading Waiting for the Sun I had always one specific song in my mind, every time Frankie and Darian were together, specially while intimate. That song is called “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. Even though not all lines fit for this couple, a lot of them do.
Waiting for the Sun is special, deep and heartbreaking, down to earth and so full of love your heart might burst. Can’t wait getting my hands on the second book!
Thank you Robin Hill for giving us this wonderful story. Your writing is exceptional captivating!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Loved this Duet!!! Unputdownable!! You will fall in love with these characters!!
Very hard to put down. You will love this book. Highly recommend
Robin Hill’s debut novel hits my favorite reads of 2018…and yes, it ends in a cliffy…and yes, I am having anxiety in anticipation of Riders on the Storm. Frankie to most, Francesca to Darian..he is drawn to her with one word…KAPUT. Ok so there are years between these two, however, I felt Francesca to be an old soul in someway, wiser beyond her 21 years. Darian…closes himself off emotionally from women…because let’s face it, what he experienced 10 years ago…kinda messes with your head. But there is something about him, I loved him…..AND he frustrated the ever living hell out of me. The supporting characters, I need more – I need Drew and I need Jane…and heck I will even some more Gloria! LOL….fantastic read!
Waiting for the Sun is a unique reading experience. It is an absolutely angst-filled piece of work that is at times as awkward as it perfectly beautiful , humorous, and heartwarming. Robin Hill did an excellent job of matching the written words with the moods of the characters so that the reader can actually feel the flow emotion during each scene.
Darian Fox is a man harbouring heartbreaking grief. Francesca Valentine is a woman fighting to conquer the fears that keep her confined to her comfortable places. An unexpected meeting between the two catalyzes a journey of self-discovery and metamorphosis not just for Francesca, but also for Darian.
I am not a natural born Texan, but I did get to Texas as fast as could. I especially enjoyed the physical setting of the South by Southwest music festival and the scenes that take place in Central Texas, as well as, the Texas Hill Country. This taste of Texas combined with the sensual soundtrack set to an eclectic array of timeless music, makes for an unforgettable adventure and a gorgeous love story.
I cannot wait to find out exactly what fate has in store for this unconventional couple in book two of Waiting for the Sun.
I loved this book, and please see full review in its sequel, Riders on the Storm. Buy this book. You won’t be sorry.
This was such a great feel-good read. Sad and hopeful. Wonderfully written. I’m so glad I came across Robin Hill. Loved Frankie. She made me laugh like crazy.
I highly recommend this book.
Blog Sol and Us
EN/PT-BR
Waiting for the Sun Robin Hill
I read Waiting for the Sun twice. The first time, I had never reviewed a book before and, I don’t know, I couldn’t do it. The second, I reviewed, but lost the file before I posted it.
I was going to read WFTS for a third time before Riders on the Storm was released, but the universe didn’t let me. Now, ROTS has been released and I must do it.
So here it goes.
Waiting for the Sun is a well written and original debut novel.
Francesca is not the ideal woman I usually find in books. She could be you, your friend, your mother, some real life woman. And that is what I like the most about her.
I don’t want to talk about Darian now that I read ROTS because I may not be able to talk about him without giving away some kind of spoilerish information. Read the books and talk to me later.
I liked the whole book, of course, but I must mention the prologue. I adore prologues and WFTS has a great one.
Now, go ahead and read it.
Follow Sol and Us around: https://linktr.ee/solandus2
Waiting for the Sun Robin Hill
Eu li Waiting for the Sun duas vezes. Na primeira, eu nunca tinha escrito uma resenha antes e, eu não sei, não consegui escrever. Na segunda, eu resenhei, mas perdi o arquivo antes de postar.
Eu ia ler WFTS pela terceira vez antes de Riders on the Storm ser lançado, mas o universo não deixou. Agora, ROTS já foi lançado e eu tenho que fazer a resenha.
Então aqui vou eu.
Waiting for the Sun é um romance de estreia bem escrito e original.
Francesca não é a mulher ideal que normalmente encontramos nos livros. Ela poderia ser vocês, suas amigas, suas mães, uma mulher da vida real. E é isso que eu mais gosto nela.
Eu não quero falar sobre o Darian agora que li ROTS porque pode ser que eu não seja capaz de falar sobre ele sem entregar algum tipo de spoiler. Leia os livros e fale comigo depois.
Eu gostei do livro todo, é claro, mas eu preciso mencionar o prólogo. Eu adoro prólogos e WFTS tem um ótimo.
Agora vá em frente e leia o livro.
Sigam Sol and Us por aí: https://linktr.ee/solandus2
Darian and Frankie turn their unexpected friendship into a love affair equal to Jaime and Claire of Outlander Robin writes with a fun flair! I truly enjoyed this story and hope Darian and Frankie will have many
Re-reading this not only brings back the memories of the 1st time I read this ,but it makes the little things in the story pop out the 2nd time around.
I Loved how Frankie wanted to just be causal with Darian and how impossible it was for her to do so.
I also felt for Darian not wanting to break his promise to Julia but how his heart couldn’t help falling for Francesca .
Now I’m more than ready to continue their journey and see what the Wonderful Robin Hill has in store for my favorite couple!
you want to read this!!!
This is what’s called an unexpected gem! I wasn’t sure what to expect going in but from the prologue I knew Darian’s story would be distressing. I knew he was damaged, broken down by loss but watching him fall in love with Frankie against his will, fighting against his own happiness was heart breaking.
Francesca is both fiercely independent and yet vulnerable. I loved this character, she challenged herself, knowing that she has a tendency to hold back. She opens herself to possibility and is swept away by her feelings. I felt every blow to her self confidence.
This is not what you would traditionally call a slow burn, they have an instant attraction and off the charts chemistry that they do not deny, but its the development of the relationship, the falling without knowing that makes me call it that. I was willing these two to work this out.
The peripheral characters, Jane and Drew, are often seen through their messages, but it still leaves you wanting to know more about them.
There is a slight cliff hanger at the end but Darian and Frankie have found their happy so don’t worry!
This is a fantastic debut, I cannot wait for more.
One thing is certain. Robin Hill can write. Oh my god can she write. Her flawless prose and her eloquent words managed numerous times to knock the wind out me cause the emotion behind the story and its characters were so powerful.
Waiting For The Sun is such a life affirming story of loss, taking changes not only with your life but with your heart. Francesca and Darian snuck into my heart immediately and I never let them go cause I didn’t want to. Their story was too important. I felt I was on the sidelines with them experiencing their beginning of a friendship that would impact them both and change them forever. Irrevocably.
Darian and Francesca are two people I could see something of myself in. I could relate with them and that’s why this story resonated so strongly with me. They’ve both experienced losing people they love. How they to chose to deal with their losses was a different matter. Their friendship and relationship was written in a fabulous pace that gave both characters time to evolve. Individually and together.
There’s so many incredible moments throughout their relationship and I loved how effortlessly the author blended romance, angst and humor into the story which gave it more depth.
It’s hard to fathom that Waiting For The Sun is Robin Hill’s debut cause it definitely didn’t read and feel like it. She blew me away with her first book. Darian and Francesca made me laugh, swoon, cry, cheer. I pretty much went through every emotion. I want more of this captivating couple, more of Robin Hill’s exquisite writing. I’ll be patiently waiting for the sequel cause this story it just that damn good.
5 BadAssDirtyChocolateAndDietCokeStars
(Warning this review contains an excessive use of parentheses and stray profanity.)
The first thing I read by Robin Hill was a review of H.A. Robinson’s The Pebble Jar – and my immediate thought was: damn, this girl can write! My second thought was: gotta get The Pebble Jar (p.s. so glad I did, that book poked holes in my heart!) This is all by way of saying, when I discovered Robin Hill was an author with a book in the queue, I was all over it. (I mean shit, if you can hook a girl with a review of a book …) Fast forward a couple months and now her words and characters are all over me – from the first page, they just crawl into your skin and live there in a beautiful way. Waiting for the Sun is a layered story where our MC’s (Darian & Frankie) are imprinted with tragedies that have come before. And I certainly felt Darian’s past; the power of his first love story was tangible in a way that juiced even more emotion out of me. I wanted him to have his happy ending – he deserved it. (Even when he was being a goddamn fucking idiot.) And then there’s Frankie. Frankie with all her jubilance and wit and quirky internal monologue – it made sense that Darian would fall for her, it made fucking sense people. This wasn’t one of those ‘let’s stretch a rubber band until it breaks’ scenarios, their attraction and their evolving love felt authentic. And their age difference was compelling to me for many reasons (which I won’t go into, if only because it will reveal just much time I spent dissecting and marinating over their story.) I will say the moment Darian looks across the table at her and says, ‘so you’re 21?’ I had to put the kindle down and stop smiling like an idiot. Like a fucking, girlie-idiot. For some reason knowing this man was crumbling for her and feeling weird about it made me giddy. I don’t know. Ask my therapist about my issues – I’m just telling you it was a yummy scene to read. Suffice to say that Darian and Frankie’s journey is a textured one that hearkens back to some of my go-to romance favs. And you can’t speak of this story without giving a shout out to the supporting ensemble: Jane (I love you Jane!), Gloria, Texas, Drew (how you manage to successfully carve a character out of texts, I don’t know – but ask Robin Hill because she fucking figured out how to do it), – and of course, there’s the music! Even though Waiting for the Sun is a duet and therefore doesn’t ‘end,’ your heart gets a full ride, and in that, there’s a sweet sense of completion. It just happens to be coupled with the sticky excitement of more angst to come. I’m relieved to know I get MORE but until then, these characters live in my kindle whenever I want to go back to them. P.s. Be prepared to crave cocktails, waffles, breakfast burritos, olive oil, sex -all kinds of goodies when you read this book. Best to just make sure you have it all on hand before you begin.