Blog Tour | Review | Summer at Orchard House by Ellyn Oaksmith

Different Cultural Backgrounds Clash and Sparks Fly

Today, we are thrilled to be the stop on the Blog Tour for Summer at Orchard House by Ellyn Oaksmith.

Our thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy.

Summer at Orchard House is the first book in the Blue Hills Series but can be read as a standalone.

Book Details

Title: Summer at Orchard House by Ellyn Oaksmith.
Publisher: Bookouture (July 13, 2020)
Print Lenght: 302 pages
Language: English
ASIN: B086SF95FY

Book Description

The Alvarez sisters have grown up and moved away—but now their dad is in crisis, the family business is collapsing and it’s time to go home to Lake Chelan.

Carmen Alvarez is the reliable one. When her vulnerable father’s livelihood is threatened, she’s the person her sisters call. Abandoning her job in Seattle, Carmen races home to the family vineyard her dad built up from nothing to set things straight. But soon she’s fallen back in love with the dusty sage hills, the turquoise blue lake, the fragrant June orchards… Maybe she’s not just home for the summer?

Standing in the way of Carmen’s happiness is one very attractive obstacle: new neighbor Evan Hollister, who’s after her dad’s land. He’s arrogant, entitled and spoiled—everything Carmen hates—and she is all set to have a bit of fun driving him out of town so things can get back to normal. She isn’t ready for their relationship to get complicated…

But Evan is the least of Carmen’s worries. The business is falling apart and it starts to look like Carmen might lose much more than just her pride: employees have quit, the bank keeps calling and everything her father worked so hard for is slipping away. As she is pushed to breaking point, Carmen will learn that her true family are the people who will see her through the worst of times, and that love can be found in the most unlikely of places.

A heart-warming romance about embracing the unexpected, Summer at Orchard House will make you laugh, make you cry, and remind you that it’s never too late to start again.

From the Publisher’s Blurb

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Review

Carmen Alvarez was trapped in a joyless job reporting to a tyrannical boss. She worked crazy hours and had no private life.

When her boss refused to let Carmen take some days off to check on her ailing father, she got fed up and quit, returning to the family vineyard in Chelan Valley.

The estate was in shambles, and she was alarmed by her father’s failing memory and by the state of his finances.

To make matters worse, Evan Hollister, a wealthy former Microsoft employee and owner of the neighboring estate, wanted to buy her father’s vineyard at any cost.

It was interesting to see how both Carmen and Evan had preconceived ideas about each other based on their upbringing.

They were very similar in personality, both a little unreasonable, very stubborn, but also friendly and resilient.

The romance starts as an insta-lust, but their rivalry does not allow them to act on it before their relationship deepens.

The side characters were layered and engaging. I especially liked Carmen’s father, Juan.

The setting was lovely, with breathtaking lake views and endless vineyards.

A fun enemies-to-lovers summer read!

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

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About the Author

Ellyn Oaksmith is the USA Today and Kindle bestselling author of Summer at Orchard House (April 7, 2020,) 50 Acts of Kindness, the young adult book Chasing Nirvana and more.

Ellyn began her writing adventure as a screenwriter in Hollywood, learning to rewrite, pitch movies and navigate the Los Angeles freeways before Google Maps. Meeting movies stars was a surreal and fun perk.

She lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband and their polydactyl cat, Forest. Ellyn is an avid competitive rower.

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